~~~

Barely a week after Liu Jianguo talked with the young man from the Xiao Sect, members of the Xiao Sect were dispatched all over the city. They went to every major marketplace, every plaza, and even to those who lived outside the city walls. Their words varied sometimes, but the message they delivered was the same.

Any doctor who wished to test his skills was free to knock on their gates.

Naturally, this had sent the entirety of Eastern Port City into a frenzy. The city buzzed with conversation and even Liu Jianguo, who preferred to keep to himself, could not escape it. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind now. It might have started out as a rumor, but it was now an undeniable fact.

Xiao Zheng was not well.

For the Xiao Sect to call upon the doctors of the city like they had done was unthinkable. The Xiao Sect was the strongest Sect in Eastern Port City. They already had some of the best doctors in the city working for them and could afford the services of someone like Doctor Wu. There was no need for them to bother with all the other nameless, lesser doctors of Eastern Port City.

Those doctors were for the common people. They weren’t worthy of meeting the eyes of anyone in the Xiao Sect. That was something everyone in the city understood.

If they were calling all doctors in the city, it was because they had no other options.

In other words, they had already called on all the best doctors in the city, and that hadn’t worked.

All that was left for the Xiao Sect was to rely on the chance that someone in the city might be able to help. For the dozens of doctors working in the city, it was without a doubt a one in a million chance. If they managed to heal whatever ailed Xiao Zheng, their fortunes would change overnight.

However, as far as anyone knew, no one had gone to the Xiao Sect yet. Even though it was the offer of a lifetime, no one had dared to answer the call. The reason why was obvious.

What would happen to them if they failed?

If they were to go to Xiao Sect only to come up short, wouldn’t that mean they had just wasted the Xiao Sect’s time?

The Xiao Sect’s gratitude was sure to be something beyond their wildest dreams.

The Xiao Sect’s wrath was sure to be something beyond their darkest nightmares.

That was why for the weeks that followed the announcement, the doctors of Eastern Port City carefully considered their odds. It was a decision that would likely affect the rest of their lives. Thus, it needed to be taken with utmost care.

When their patients asked if they would go to the Xiao Sect to try their luck, they laughed and tried to play it off while fiercely weighing the odds inside their minds.

However, Liu Jianguo’s case was different.

“I still say Doctor Liu should go!”

The young man from the Xiao Sect who had become a regular at his clinic crossed his arms as Liu Jianguo examined him. This time he wasn’t there due to any injury or illness. The young man had just come for a check-up.

It was the second time in as many weeks that he had done so.

His real reasons for visiting Liu Jianguo were dreadfully transparent. He was trying to encourage the doctor to take up the Xiao Sect’s challenge. Although the fact hadn’t been officially confirmed, the young man made no effort to hide it was Xiao Zheng who needed medical help.

“If someone like me were to show up at the Xiao Sect’s doorstep, I would only be offending them,” Liu Jianguo said. It was not the first time he used this argument. “Besides, how could someone with my skills be of any use to the Patriarch of the Xiao Sect? Such a thing cannot possibly be.”

That part was a lie.

Liu Jianguo’s case was far different from that of the other doctors in the city. They were hesitant to approach the Xiao Sect because they feared failure. Liu Jianguo, however, did not fear failure.

Liu Jianguo didn’t fear failure because he knew he’d succeed.

If he went to see Xiao Zheng, there was no doubt in his mind that he would figure out what was wrong with him. At the very least, he’d be able to identify his condition. Although whether Xiao Zheng could be healed or not would largely depend on the medicine required and the resources available to the Xiao Sect.

However, how would he be able to explain it?

If a cripple like him were to succeed where the best doctors in the city had failed, how would he be able to play it off? Such a thing would draw unwanted attention. The glory and riches other doctors wanted would become nothing but shackles around his neck. His reputation would grow beyond his ability to manage and would surely draw the envy and enmity of many.

Liu Jianguo’s mind flashed to Liu Jin resting in his crib, and he felt his gut wrench.

He could not afford to attract the wrong kind of attention. He felt sorry for Xiao Zheng, but his was not a life he could save. Not if he wanted his son to live a happy life.

“If angering the Xiao Sect is what Doctor Liu is worried about, then this one will go with him and protect him,” the young man from the Xiao Sect said, lightly bumping his chest with his fist. “This one is an Inner Disciple of the Xiao Sect. If this one were to bring Doctor Liu there, then he’d not need to fear the Xiao Sect punishing him. It’d be my responsibility.”

If he did that and Liu Jianguo managed to heal Xiao Zheng, it’d be the same as claiming credit for Xiao Zheng’s recovery. However…

“If you do that and the Xiao Sect is angered by my presence, you would be the one to receive the punishment.”

If Xiao Zheng’s condition was as critical as Liu Jianguo theorized, then the Xiao Sect should be feeling quite pressured. They were holding on to the hope that a miracle doctor would appear before them.

Imagine then, how they would feel if a cripple like Liu Jianguo were to show up at their doorstep?

If this young man were to bring him before the Elders, it’d be like spitting on their faces. There was no way the young man hadn’t realized this. Indeed, his silence and solemn face told the whole story.

“Why is it that you are so insistent on this? Why are you willing to risk so much?”

The young man before him was an Inner Disciple with a promising future ahead of him. He might even eventually become a Core Disciple. There was no need for him to risk everything to try to heal Xiao Zheng. As long as he kept his head down, he had nothing to fear.

“Well,” the young man ducked his head. “Doctor Liu may laugh at this, but… I do not wish for the city to fall into chaos.”

Liu Jianguo looked at the young man carefully.

“Explain.”

“Well,” the young man didn’t seem to know where to look so his gaze strayed to the floor. “I was thinking about this when the rumors about Patriarch Xiao Zheng’s illness first started. When it comes down to it, the main reason behind the Xiao Sect’s superiority in Eastern Port City is because only Patriarch Xiao Zheng is in the Emperor Realm.”

The young man nodded as he spoke, utterly certain of the truth in his words. Indeed, he wasn’t wrong.

“The Yun Sect is widely known as the number two Sect in the city, but there is not really much of a difference in the quality of our cultivators. Their Inner Disciples are not much different from our Inner Disciples. Their Core Disciples are not much different from our Core Disciples. Their Elders are not much different from our Elders. Well, perhaps we might be a shade stronger, but this one is a little biased in saying that. In the end, it cannot be denied that Patriarch Xiao Zheng’s powers are truly what cements the Xiao Sect’s superiority.”

The young man’s face only grew more severe as he spoke, a far cry from how he usually was.

“That was why this one started thinking: What would happen if Patriarch Xiao Zheng were to die? Things may be quiet for a while, but the Yun Sect would no doubt try to seize the opportunity to turn the tables on us and become the number one Sect in Eastern Port City.”

Liu Jianguo nodded. That was only natural. It was the same reason why the young man had come to him at first instead of going to the healers of the Xiao Sect. One could not afford to show weakness because those around you will surely pounce on it like hungry dogs.

The good doctor was, unfortunately, starting to see what the young man feared and why he was willing to risk his own skin.

“If that were to happen, the Xiao Sect would surely not stand by and let it happen. The Xiao Sect would try its best to stay as the number one Sect. In such a situation, it wouldn't take long for violence to erupt. It wouldn’t be like the minor squabbles between Sects this one has been part of. It would end up being a large conflict that can’t be solved without much blood. This one was thinking things like that.”

Liu Jianguo raised an eyebrow. “And you think a cripple like me can stop it?”

“Yes,” the man replied without hesitation. “Doctor Liu’s skill is better than that of the doctors in the Xiao Sect. I don’t know why, but I know that’s the truth. At the very least, I want to believe that if it is Doctor Liu, he can stop all those things from happening.”

“Because you fear dying in the battles that would follow Xiao Zheng’s death?”

“This one would be lying if he said he didn’t fear death, but that’s not it,” The young man said, shaking his head. “This one has a little brother. He’s planning to join the Xiao Sect once he’s old enough. I don’t want him to get caught up in that stuff.”

Liu Jinguo looked at the young man with the big nose intently. He found no trace of deceit in his eyes.

The doctor thought of his sleeping son and sighed.

“Young man, what is your name?”

“This one’s name is Li Boqin, Doctor Liu.”

“Very well then, Li. You will have to show me the way to the Xiao Sect.”

~~~

Had it been up to Li, the two would have left Liu Jianguo’s clinic the very moment he said those words. However, Liu Jianguo’s head was far cooler than that of the young man.

If they arrived in the middle of the day, everyone would know. The Xiao Sect would be far more inclined to turn him away at the gate in that scenario, not wanting to be seen accepting help from a cripple.

Besides, he couldn’t just leave Liu Jin alone, and there was no way Liu Jianguo was going to take his son to the Xiao Sect with him. Before anything could be done, Liu Jianguo needed to find someone to take care of Liu Jin. A very unpleasant thought for the widowed father.

In the end, there was only one couple he could trust.

“Of course, we will take care of the little one,” Old Man Gao had said when he and his wife received Liu Jin. It had taken Liu Jianguo an inordinate amount of time to say goodbye to his son, but it had to be done.

Once night had fallen, Liu Jianguo and Li approached the Xiao Sect. Liu Jianguo wore a cloak over his body which hid his face. Meanwhile, Li was wearing his disciple clothes, a white robe with blue borders and a blue sash around the waist. Tied to his arm was a blue armband that denoted his status as an Inner Disciple. His back was straight, and his head was held high, but there was no denying the tenseness of his facial muscles.

“Halt,” one of the guards said once they were within ten paces of the gates. “Who goes there?”

“Evening, Brothers,” Li said, offering them a clasped hands salute. “Please, do not tell me you do not recognize an Inner Disciple of the Xiao Sect when you see one.”

Li flared his Qi lightly as he spoke. Liu Jianguo was sure the gesture was meant to be impressive, but for him, it was hard to tell. He had been around far more imposing presences in the past, and becoming a cripple had hindered his ability to feel Qi somewhat.

Past a certain point, it became hard to tell the difference between centimeters and decimeters.

“We recognize you, Brother,” the other guardian spoke. “It is the man behind you we ask about. Who is he for you to bring him to our door?”

“Why, my friend here is a doctor,” Li replied without hesitation. “I asked, and he has come to answer the call of our most precious Xiao Sect.”

For a moment, there was silence.

“Brother, I will ignore the joke you told just now,” the gate guardian who spoke first said. “I advise you to turn away right now.”

“I thank Brother’s kindness, but this one has not told any joke.”

“What else can bringing a cripple to our doors be called?!” The second guardian said, his face angry. “Even for a joke, this is too far!”

“We called for doctors, did we not?” Li said, moving to stand in front of Liu Jianguo. “Does he not have the right to try his luck?”

“Brother, do you even understand what you are doing? The consequences of your actions could be-”

“What’s going on here?”

At once, all gazes turned towards the source of that voice. Standing there was a young child who was not even ten yet. He was dressed in fine robes of white and blue. However, while Li’s robe was mostly white with blue borders. The child’s robe was of a dark blue color with a white collar and a white sash tied around his waist. On his hands, there was a bag of sweets, one of which he was currently munching on.

The armband around his arm was yellow.

The effect of his presence was instantaneous. At once, the guards bowed their heads to him and offered their greetings.

“Greetings, Young Master Xiao Nan!”

The child looked at them in silence for a moment. He took one of his sweets and popped it into his mouth, chewing loudly.

“Those are some nice greetings,” the child said. “They don’t really answer my question, though. Are perhaps your ears not working?”

“Young Master Xiao Nan,” Li cried out before the guards could act as he too knelt down. “This one has brought a doctor to the Xiao Sect. This one hopes that he is allowed to treat our honorable Patriarch.”

“Young Master, there is no need to pay attention to this fool, this one will quickly take-”

“It’s fine.”

“Young Master?”

“It said it’s fine,” Xiao Nan said, looking bored. “I’ll allow it. It’s fine. Open the gates for them.”

“B-but Y-Young Master!” spluttered the first guard. “How can we possibly allow a cripple like him into our Xiao Sect!”

“We’re the ones who called the doctors of Eastern Port City because we feared asking help from Sects outside the city, weren’t we?” Xiao Nan replied, rolling his eyes. “I can’t say I get it, but that was what Uncle chose. If so, we have no right to complain when one does exactly what we asked of them. Open the gates.”

The guards’ eyes grew progressively wider as the child spoke. “B-but...”

Xiao Nan narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t aware you had permission to argue with your betters. Open. The. Gates.”

A single glare was all it took for the guards’ gazes to drop down, too scared to meet Xiao Nan’s gaze. Wordlessly, they followed Xiao Nan’s instructions.

“Hey, you!” He said to Li, who was still kneeling.

“Y-Yes, Young Master?”

“You might think I’m doing you a favor, but if this goes wrong, you know what’s going to happen to you, right? Uncle doesn’t like having his time wasted or his hopes raised in vain. You look like you’re about to do both.”

Li swallowed. “I understand Young Master.”

“Good. Just checking.”

Once the gates were fully open, Xiao Nan stepped inside the Xiao Sect’s compound.

Li and Liu Jianguo followed after him.

~~~