The Poor Youth

Xu Yan took the token and casually placed it aside, saying, "Thank you, old sirs. May I know your esteemed surnames?"

He felt that these two old men were likely cultivators with low cultivation levels, so he didn't take the token too seriously. Perhaps it was only as the old man said, capable of deterring minor troublemakers.

However, since it was a kind gesture, he was happy to accept.

"Senior Xu, I am Qin Tian."

"Senior Xu, I am Jiang Taiyuan."

Qin Tian and Jiang Taiyuan puffed out their chests as they stated their names, hoping to leave a good impression on Xu Yan.

Xu Yan nodded and asked, "Would you two gentlemen like another pot of tea?"

He didn't know what to talk about with these two old men. The generation gap was obvious. Unless they brought up calligraphy and painting, he might be able to offer some guidance.

"No, no, we shall take our leave now. We will visit Senior Xu again another day!" Qin Tian quickly said.

He had successfully met Senior Xu and achieved his goal. Staying longer and bothering Senior Xu might instead disrupt Senior Xu's painting and poetry. Thus, he planned to leave now.

Xu Yan did not press them to stay. "Alright, please take care on your way out."

He was also a bit puzzled as to why these two old men had come. Was it just to meet him?

How interesting. It seemed they were cultivators with weak cultivation, otherwise, where would they find the leisure to meet him, a mortal? He had heard that most powerful cultivators spent most of their time cultivating and teaching their descendants, never specifically visiting a mortal.

After Qin Tian, Jiang Taiyuan, and Qin Yudie left Xu Yan's small shop, they felt a sense of relief wash over them.

In Xu Yan's shop, they had felt restrained and constantly on edge, after all, they were facing a senior master whose depths were unfathomable.

Qin Tian recalled the Dao charm within the calligraphy and paintings in the "What Are You Looking At?" hall, still filled with astonishment. He smiled at Qin Yudie and said, "Yudie, you are truly a blessing to our Tianren Sect. To think you know such an unfathomable senior."

He had never imagined that Tianren City would harbor such a reclusive master. If not for Qin Yudie, they would have missed the opportunity to meet Xu Yan.

Qin Yudie replied, "It was just good luck. In reality, Senior Xu is very approachable and didn't look down on a minor cultivator like me. Otherwise, how could I have met Senior Xu?"

If such a profound and reclusive master wished not to be seen, outsiders would never be able to find them.

Qin Tian laughed heartily, "That's true. Senior Xu's seclusion in Tianren City is a fortune for all of Tianren Mountain."

Today, he was extremely happy, as if he could see a glorious future.

Jiang Taiyuan, on the other hand, felt a pang of envy.

Xu Yan was in Tianren City. In the future, Qin Yudie and Qin Tian would have plenty of opportunities to visit Xu Yan. For him, returning and then visiting Xu Yan would be much more troublesome.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He wished he could move his sect to Tianren City, but that was just a fantasy. Tianren City could not accommodate a large sect.

Xu Yan hung the token Qin Tian had given him at the entrance and said, "Cultivators are truly wonderful. Even minor cultivators appear more refined than mortals."

Initially, he had also wanted to become a cultivator capable of flying through the skies and burrowing underground, but he had never been able to cultivate. Thus, he accepted reality and decided to be a refined scholar in the mortal world.

As Xu Yan prepared to enter his shop, a young boy ran over in a hurry and knelt directly in front of the shop, pleading with Xu Yan, "Divine Doctor Xu, Divine Doctor Xu, please save my mother!"

Xu Yan's medical skills were even more famous in Tianren City than his calligraphy and paintings. After all, most mortals needed medical attention at some point, while not everyone appreciated art.

Therefore, treating illnesses was also one of the things Xu Yan frequently did. This also brought in some income, as relying solely on calligraphy and paintings to make a living was difficult, not to mention occasionally buying small trinkets.

Xu Yan looked at the young boy and said, "Get up and speak properly. A man should not kneel so easily."

He didn't recognize the boy, but only the people of Tianren City called him Divine Doctor, so the boy must be from Tianren City.

The boy stood up and looked at Xu Yan, "Divine Doctor Xu, my mother suddenly fainted. Please save my mother!"

His family was poor. His father had passed away when he was young, leaving only him and his mother to depend on each other.

Just now, his mother had suddenly fainted, and no matter how he called out, he couldn't wake her.

So, he thought of the widely renowned Divine Doctor Xu Yan of Tianren City. Rumor had it that he was a very kind young divine doctor who charged very little. Thus, after asking for directions, he rushed to find Xu Yan.

Xu Yan's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He urged, "Quick, take me to your mother."

No wonder he didn't hesitate to kneel. It was for his mother. He's a filial boy, Xu Yan thought, and his impression of the boy improved greatly.

The boy nodded and then ran ahead, leading Xu Yan to his home.

His home was on the old street of Tianren City, only two streets away from Xu Yan's. They arrived in no time.

Looking at the middle-aged woman on the worn-out bed in the dilapidated small house, Xu Yan quickly walked over and gently touched her forehead. He then took her pulse for a moment and breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned to look at the boy standing beside him and said, "Your mother is not in serious condition. She merely fainted from overwork. After she wakes up, she needs to eat nutritious food and should avoid strenuous labor."

The boy's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled upon hearing Xu Yan's words. However, a look of distress immediately appeared on his face.

His family was very poor. Forget about nutritious food; just being able to eat their fill was already good.

He worked as a handyman in a teahouse, earning very little. He was often bullied and had his wages snatched by other handymen.

His mother worked as a weaver in a shop, weaving cloth for the owner. To earn more money, she worked twice as many hours as others every day.

Even so, without a primary breadwinner, their family remained impoverished, barely managing a meager existence.

Seeing the boy blush and lower his head without speaking, and recalling the dilapidated small house, Xu Yan understood his situation. He asked, "Do you not have money?"

In this world, cultivators were high above, while mortals were lowly and treated poorly, with everything centered around cultivators.

Such impoverished families were not uncommon in Tianren City. Once an unexpected crisis occurred, the entire family could collapse.

The boy thought Xu Yan was asking for the consultation fee and stammered, "Divine Doctor Xu, the teahouse will pay wages in two days. I will definitely pay the medical fees when I receive my wages. Please be lenient with me for two days."

He couldn't even produce a single copper coin right now. He had barely managed to hold on until the teahouse's payday, only for his mother to faint, almost driving him to despair.

But he couldn't break down. For his mother, and for himself, he had to carry the entire family!