An Unforeseen Path

"Mr. Arthur, you absolutely must help my eldest daughter! I've worked hard for three years to raise her, and I was counting on her to pay for my son's college tuition!"

The middle-aged woman, catching her breath, pleaded with Ning Xiuyuan, tears streaming down her face, mixed with snot.

Hearing the woman refer to the sow as her "eldest daughter" filled Ning Xiuyuan with an indescribable sense of absurdity.

However, he could understand.

On Earth, it wasn't uncommon for people to call themselves the parents of their pets;

What's more, for some impoverished families, the value and status of a sow could indeed be comparable to that of a family member.

This was especially true considering it was a sow about to give birth!

"I truly wish I could help you, but I'm not a veterinarian, so I'm afraid I can't do anything," Ning Xiuyuan spread his hands.

"Kind Mr. Arthur, please help Marina! This sow is the lifeline of Marina's entire family. If she dies during a difficult birth, it would be like killing the whole family!"

A middle-aged man standing by the pigsty chimed in to support the plea.

By this time, quite a crowd had gathered around the pigsty, all neighbors.

A sow giving birth was a momentous occasion for Marina's family, and for them as well.

Many had even pre-ordered piglets!

Seeing the sow in distress during labor, they watched with concern, their hearts filled with anxiety.

"Yes, I heard that for difficult births like this, you can reach in and pull them out. You're a Church Physician, you must have more experience than us. Please. If she can't give birth, it won't just be the piglets that die, but the sow too!"

Another aunt joined in with a pleading tone.

No one knew that it was her idea to encourage Marina to ask Arthur for help.

"Yes, yes, please help Marina!"

"Mr. Arthur, you're a physician, you must have a way."

Everyone began to beg him in a jumble of voices.

Faced with the situation, everyone felt helpless and could only place their hopes on Arthur, who still held the title of "Physician."

In this world, it was already difficult enough for people to see a doctor, let alone for poultry and livestock.

Here, there wasn't even the concept of a veterinarian.

Often, when poultry and livestock fell ill, people could only rely on folk remedies and experience.

Once they encountered complex situations like difficult births, they were at their wit's end and could only leave things to fate.

"Alright, I can try. But let me be clear upfront, I'm not a veterinarian after all. If anything goes wrong, you can't blame me," Ning Xiuyuan preemptively set expectations.

"We won't blame you, we won't blame you!"

The middle-aged woman was overjoyed. She had no other options now. No matter how bad Arthur's reputation, he was still a doctor, wasn't he?

"The environment here is too dirty, it's easy for bacterial infections... Never mind, it's not convenient to move her now. Find some clean straw and lay it on the ground."

Ning Xiuyuan, following common sense, gave instructions while rolling up his sleeves.

The neighbors immediately lent a hand, scrambling to find dry straw, with some even pulling down the thatch from their roofs.

It had to be said, the value of this sow was indeed almost equivalent to that of a human.

Ning Xiuyuan directed everyone to spread the straw on the muddy ground around the sow, his mind already formulating a plan.

Once everyone had laid down the straw, he walked over to the panting, but weakened, sow and began to press on its abdomen.

It looked like a massage.

In reality, he was using the Disease Deceiver ability to seal away all the hidden ailments within the sow.

"Relax, relax, yes, don't be afraid, I'm here, you'll be alright..."

Ning Xiuyuan stroked the sow's back, muttering to himself, his tone like that of someone habitually speaking to a patient.

In fact, he was using the Heart of the Beast to calm the sow's nervous emotions.

At the same time, he was controlling the position of the piglets within its womb, adjusting their entry into the birth canal to ensure the sow could deliver more easily.

"Oh my, eldest daughter seems much better!"

The middle-aged woman exclaimed, both surprised and delighted, seeing the sow's breathing clearly ease.

"This Arthur really has some skills!"

"Isn't that the truth? Just a couple of massages and he calmed the sow down. It's miraculous."

"Good heavens, this litter might actually be born smoothly. Look at her belly, I bet there are at least five."

The onlookers marveled at the sight.

As time passed, more and more people learned that Marina's sow was about to give birth, and they gathered to watch the spectacle.

Outside the pigsty, it was packed three layers deep, making for quite a lively scene.

There were so many people, they almost pushed over the pigsty fence.

Amidst the waiting, a cry of surprise suddenly erupted from within the pigsty.

"It's out! It's born!"

"Hey, hey, let me see!"

The crowd surged, people standing on tiptoe, craning their necks to peer inside. Many were swept up by the collective excitement, genuine smiles on their faces.

"Another one's out, a black one."

"Oh, there are more, and this one's a female."

"Look at this piglet, so vigorous. It'll definitely be fertile when it grows up."

"Oh my, that's eight already, are there any more?"

The joyous announcements one after another made the crowd even more cheerful.

Amidst the throng surrounding the pigsty, Ning Xiuyuan's lips also curved into a genuine smile. He wasn't happy about successfully delivering the piglets; rather, he was invigorated by the fact that the Disease Deceiver was undergoing fusion at this very moment.

Although the degree of fusion was extremely weak, the process was continuously progressing.

If this rate could be maintained, it would take him at most two days to completely finish fusing with the Disease Deceiver.

Ning Xiuyuan glanced up at the chattering onlookers around him, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

What was happening before him was an unforeseen path!

Upon careful consideration, although he was treating pigs, the greatest beneficiaries were people, and it was people who spread his fame.

In essence, this perfectly aligned with the extraordinary ritual of the Disease Deceiver.

Considering the industry gap for veterinarians in this world, if he were to switch careers to become a veterinarian, wouldn't he be one of a kind?

And if he also wrote a book titled "Postpartum Care for Sows," it would surely be highly promising!

Ning Xiuyuan's eyes lit up!

"Mr. Arthur, thank you for helping my eldest daughter give birth to eight piglets..."

Aunt Marina was so excited that she thanked Ning Xiuyuan, her words a bit jumbled. Before she could finish, the surrounding crowd burst into laughter!

"No, no, look at my mouth, I get so excited I can't even speak properly," Aunt Marina quickly corrected herself.

"It's alright, no need for thanks, it's all divine grace!" Ning Xiuyuan said with a smile, though he thought to himself, What kind of nonsense is that?

However, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

He was in a very good mood!

He had a premonition that as this event spread, with his growing renown, his Disease Deceiver might just achieve fusion in one fell swoop.

Finally, Ning Xiuyuan left amidst Aunt Marina's profuse thanks.

The onlookers automatically parted a path for him, everyone looking at him with eyes full of curiosity and surprise!

Clearly, no one expected that Arthur, the barbarian alien they had doubted and suspected, actually possessed some skill!

On his way back, Ning Xiuyuan was once again amazed by the peculiarity of his extraordinary characteristic.

All the way, the Disease Deceiver continuously fused with his self, causing his power to surge steadily, as if he were cheating.

This feeling was simply wonderful!

But this good mood came to an abrupt halt when he stepped into the stable.

Standing in the stable yard, Ning Xiuyuan instinctively looked towards the church. He could clearly feel the mental imprint of Linley, the benefactor of the Heart of the Beast, roaring! Howling!

Someone was trying to erase the only trace he had left in this world – his mental imprint.

No!

More accurately, someone had consumed the Beast Listener that originally belonged to him.