~~~

Doctor Wu is dead.

The so-called greatest doctor of Eastern Port City attempted to flee the city with his son last night. Between waiting until the Xiao Sect decided on his punishment and trying to escape the city, the doctor ended up choosing the latter. As far as he was concerned, his life was forfeit either way, making the risk worth it. Doctor Wu might not have been wrong in that, but it doesn’t matter now.

Doctor Wu did not succeed.

“Where should I put this, Brother Liu?”

“Those are Hundred-Year-Snake Eggs. Place them in the cart with the other stuff. Make sure not to remove the temporal talisman.”

Doctor Wu’s clinic is located in one of the wealthier districts of Eastern Port City. Compared to the buildings around it, it is not unusually large, though it is certainly luxurious. The clinic is not made to treat as many patients as possible. Instead, its purpose is to cater only to those wealthy enough to afford Doctor Wu’s services. While Doctor Wu had other establishments around the city, this clinic was his pride. To be treated here was a sign of success!

That is how things used to be.

“Brother Liu, how about this?”

“Heavily poisonous. It might be best if you don’t take another step.”

“What?”

Liu Jin hums.

“Yes, it is as I feared. This will kill once you take your fifteenth step. Do remain still until I am done treating you.”

It is an odd feeling, going through a dead man’s things.

Doctor Wu is dead, and the Xiao Sect has seized all his assets. Such a conclusion was inescapable from the moment his involvement with the Yun Sect was revealed to all. His death only hastened an already inevitable outcome.

Even so, that doesn’t make Liu Jin feel any better.

“Brother Liu! Please! Tell me it is safe already!”

“Stop whining, Big Nose! Boss will tell you when he’s done. Just stand still and be quiet. On you, it’s an improvement.”

Big Nose Li had shown up at Liu Jin’s doorstep early in the morning to deliver the news as well as to tell Liu Jin he was being summoned to the Xiao Sect’s compound. Patriarch Xiao Zheng had a job for him to do.

Of course, even before talking to the man, Liu Jin had figured out what was expected of him.

As the wealthiest doctor in Eastern Port City, Doctor Wu was in possession of several rare ingredients and medical recipes, to say nothing of the cultivation pills and alchemical tools sure to be stored in his many properties. All those treasures now belong to the Xiao Sect, and it is natural for the Xiao Sect to want an inventory of their new possessions.

In other words, they needed someone who could accurately identify what was most valuable.

To be honest, Liu Jin is reasonably sure the Xiao Sect has doctors and alchemists capable of doing this job. That it was assigned to him is a sign of how trusted he is by Xiao Zheng. In fact, one could even say this is Xiao Zheng’s kindness. Liu Jin proved himself in the tournament, and now, Xiao Zheng has given him yet another chance to show the Sect his worth.

However, Liu Jin cannot find it in himself to be grateful for this.

A soft sigh escapes his lips.

For years, Liu Jin hated Doctor Wu. Liu Jin hated how Doctor Wu repeatedly tried to tarnish his father’s name by spreading all sorts of rumors about him. Liu Jin also hadn’t been fond of Doctor Wu’s son, Wu Yan. When they were young, Wu Yan would often parrot his father’s views at Liu Jin, leading to many fights between the kids, fights that Liu Jin lost.

Due to this, Liu Jin would often dream of Doctor Wu’s fall. Liu Jin would dream of the day people would see the man for what he truly was.

In a way, that was exactly what ended up happening thanks to the Eastern Port City Tournament, and it was by his hand that Doctor Wu’s fall had been set in motion.

How curious it is that Liu Jin feels no joy from any of this.

Doctor Wu’s clinic is devoid of patients and doctors. Only the members of the Xiao Sec walk its halls. Furniture is pushed out of the way, and doors are broken as they go from room to room, searching for anything of value.

Throughout it all, Liu Jin feels much like a thief ransacking someone’s grave.

“Brother Liu… No, Young Master Liu! Please, tell me it is done!”

Liu Jin gives Big Nose Li a flat stare.

Unsurprisingly, the older boy could be well behaved when his health was at risk. Well, if he weren’t like that, he wouldn’t have been able to remain at Xiao Fang’s side for so long.

“You will be fine,” Liu Jin says, stepping away from Big Nose Li. “Just remember not to remove the temporal talismans on any of these things. They are there for a reason. You might also wish to avoid speaking for the rest of the day. It will not end well.”

Big Nose Li’s eyes bug out. His whole expression seems to be asking him if he’s serious.

Liu Jin shrugs.

“What reason would I have to lie?”

Amusement, obviously, but Big Nose Li doesn’t have to know that.

Behind them, Su An guffaws.

“Boss, that condition is too steep! There’s no way Big Nose can do it. Why, you might as well knock him unconscious right now to spare him.”

Big Nose Li glares at Su An over Liu Jin’s shoulder. There’s an angry retort ready on his lips, but, miraculously, he manages to snap his mouth shut. In fact, Big Nose’s jaw is clenched so tightly Liu Jin fears he might pull a muscle.

“Oh?” Su An places a hand on her hip. “Are you really going to try to be silent? A dog would have better luck going a day without barking.”

Big Nose makes a rude gesture with his hands. Liu Jin sighs and shakes his head.

“Go back to work. If we waste time, we’ll end up here all day.”

Even if they manage to finish here, they’d still need to go to Doctor Wu’s house after this.

The number of rare ingredients Doctor Wu gathered over the years is, without a doubt, impressive. Certainly, these ingredients cannot be compared to those Liu Jin has seen in his master’s spatial pouch. As far as rarity goes, they are more in line with what one might find in the Xiao Sect’s storage.

However, that doesn’t make them worthless. Far from it, really.

“Young Master Liu, I found a hidden storage!” Cries Hou Tao, one of the Inner Disciples that had been assigned to this job. Indeed, a bookcase has been moved out of the way to reveal a secret room.

However, what Liu Jin finds surprising is that there is no trace of fakeness in Hou Tao when he calls him Young Master.

“Step back, Hou Tao,” Liu Jin says, as peeks inside. “I’ll go in.”

The room behind the bookcase is dark, but not dusty, meaning it is regularly used. There are a few traps in place, but most of them are poison-based. Liu Jin only needs to absorb the poison and guide it into the pendant Old Jiang had given him so many years ago. Even though Liu Jin no longer has to worry about Nine-Headed Snake God’s poison, he still wears the pendant out of habit. Besides, its poison-absorbing capabilities can be quite useful in certain situations.

Like this one.

Once the traps have been disabled to his satisfaction, Liu Jin’s eyes go over the contents of the room.

“Interesting.”

Eggs. Quite large ones at that. Each one is easily the size of Liu Jin’s torso. No doubt, they are the eggs of some type of Spirit Beast, though Liu Jin cannot tell which. The eggs are not something he recognizes from his lessons, which makes it likely their use is not medical.

Perhaps, they were meant to be a gift for Yun Han after he won the Eastern Port City Tournament? Judging by the Qi emanating from the eggs, the creatures inside them are still a long way from hatching.

“Good job, Hou Tao,” Liu Jin says once he exits the room. He gives a few talismans to the Inner Disciple. “Make sure to place temporal talismans on them. We’ll be taking the eggs with us.”

“Eh, Boss?”

Liu Jin’s eyes follow Su An’s nervously pointing finger.

Ah.

“Welcome, Elder Brother.”

~~~

After giving a few orders to the other Inner Disciples, Liu Jin leaves with Xiao Nan.

The two don’t go far. In fact, they don’t even leave the clinic. They walk up the stairs and enter the first room they find there. It is a lavish office. Doctor Wu or one of his disciples likely spent many hours working here.

Ten breaths go by, and not a single word is exchanged between Liu Jin and Xiao Nan.

“Congratulations,” Xiao Nan says, at last, his posture rigid and awkward.

“On making it to the Top 16 of the Eastern Port City Tournament,” Xiao Nan is quick to add. “Had Yun Han not been your opponent, I am sure you would have made it further. Even then, you certainly kept Yun Han on his toes. It was a great match.”

Liu Jin blinks.

“You were there, Elder Brother?”

“Ah, no. I purchased a memory talisman from my cousin.” Xiao Nan manages a grin. The expression looks more at home on his face than his earlier awkwardness. “He overcharged me quite a bit for it.”

“You are on speaking terms once more, then?”

Liu Jin cannot hide his surprise. Perhaps more than anyone, Liu Jin knows how stubborn Xiao Fang can be in his dislikes. Liu Jin wouldn’t have been surprised if Xiao Fang decided to hold on to the grudge for a couple of months, at least.

For Xiao Fang, even holding onto a grudge pointlessly for years is not impossible.

“I am glad.”

Liu Jin says it and means it too.

Family shouldn’t fight.

“Somehow or another, things worked out between us,” Xiao Nan says, scratching the back of his head. “That is also why I am here. I… wanted to apologize, Little Brother.”

“You already did.”

“Perhaps, but I do not like being disliked by you, so I feel the need to do it again.”

Liu Jin frowns. “I do not dislike you.”

“No, Little Brother definitely does.” Xiao Nan crosses his arms and nods his head in perfect agreement with himself. “Trust me. Making people angry is my greatest talent. When it comes to infuriating others, my ability is definitely Emperor-class. As far as my generation goes, I’m definitely the second-best at making others angry.”

“Not the first?”

“Alas, there is always someone better,” Xiao Nan says with such solemness that Liu Jin cannot help but smile. “Regardless, I am quite good at it, so I always know when someone is angry at me.”

Xiao Nan ends it with that, but Liu Jin can hear the words he left out just fine.

You are angry at me.

“If my father asked me to lie to you, I definitely would.” Liu Jin’s fingers tap against the large desk in the office as he speaks. “Knowing that, what right do I have to hold a grudge? Elder Brother acted to protect the Xiao Sect and to protect Xiao Fang.”

Not that Xiao Fang would agree with that last part.

“I fully understand why Elder Brother did what he did.”

Xiao Nan hums. “That may be so, but just because Little Brother is able to understand it in his head doesn’t mean Little Brother accepts it here.”

Xiao Nan taps his heart.

“We are friends, Little Brother. Family. Being manipulated by someone you trust is hurtful. Even if it was to fool Elder Hui, I did use you as a distraction. It is okay to be angry at me.”

Liu Jin clicks his tongue. “Even if Elder Brother says it, it feels too petty.”

“If that is petty, then Little Brother could stand to be a little pettier. In fact, if Little Brother is petty, then this Xiao Nan is an irresponsible fool who let two children bear a big burden by their lonesome.”

It really is eating him up, Liu Jin realizes. Xiao Nan truly is bothered by what he did.

What would Master do in this situation?

Liu Jin wonders about it for a moment before realizing that path would lead to nowhere good. Still, it is not as if his list of role models is that big. It is not like he can ask himself what Xiao Fang would do.

…

Huh.

“One punch.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll punch Elder Brother’s face once to work out my petty anger. Elder Brother can then feel happy about receiving punishment.”

It is not quite challenging Xiao Nan to a duel in three years but it’ll do.

“I… was not expecting to hear that.”

“Good. I was not expecting to say it.”

“I… are you sure, Little Brother?” Xiao Nan is, for once, utterly bewildered. “I don’t mean to insult you, but punching me can hurt you.”

He is, after all, a cultivator in the Earth Realm.

“I trust Elder Brother knows how to make himself punchable.”

Liu Jin cracks his knuckles once.

And moves.

The impact behind his blow breaks all the vases in the room and rattles the door. The books lying on the bookshelves end up scattered all over the floor.

Xiao Nan’s head is turned to the side, Liu Jin’s fist pressed against it. Liu Jin knows Xiao Nan is the one who moved his head back to protect Liu Jin. There is simply no way for someone like Liu Jin to harm Xiao Nan’s body.

Still, hitting him does feel kind of good.

“I think I understand why so many people are quick to violence,” Liu Jin says, pulling his fist back with a thoughtful expression

“It does have its advantages.” Xiao Nan grins. “Consider me surprised, Little Brother. To think you are already in the Ninth Level of the Inner Realm. You were hiding your strength during the tournament?”

Liu Jin shakes his head.

“No, my body was ready for a breakthrough back then, but it would have been troublesome if I couldn’t control my Qi like usual during the matches. That’s why I decided to hold back on having a breakthrough until everything was over.”

As far as Liu Jin is concerned, it was the right choice. The strategy he used against Yun Han simply wouldn’t have been possible if his control hadn’t been as good as usual.

Xiao Nan laughs and pats Liu Jin’s back.

“Never change, Little Brother. Never change.”

~~~