Doctor Li's jaw nearly hit the floor.
The villagers around them stared wide-eyed, thinking they'd misheard.
Who was Su Yuntao?
A Spirit Hall deacon! A twenty-sixth-level Battle Soul Master!
One of the most important figures in all of Notting City!
And he was calling a six-year-old child—
Sir?!
The courtyard fell utterly silent.
Doctor Li's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.
The villagers looked from one another to Doctor Li, wondering if something was wrong with their ears.
Su Yuntao still held his hands together in a respectful salute, his back bent low and his manner so deferential he seemed to be paying his respects to some great dignitary.
And that "great dignitary" was—
One meter twenty tall, fair-skinned, and six years old.
Su Mo was a little stunned himself.
He knew Su Yuntao had read Romance of the Three Kingdoms last night, knew he had received the "Demonic Wisdom" inheritance, and knew he had brought over thirty Silver Spirit Coins that morning.
But he hadn't expected Su Yuntao to bow so deeply to him in front of everyone.
"Ahem." Su Mo cleared his throat. "Um... Deacon Su, get up first."
Su Yuntao straightened, his gaze burning as he looked at Su Mo. "Sir, I imagine you already know why this student has come."
Su Mo thought, I don't know anything at all.
But Su Yuntao didn't wait for an answer. He stepped aside, revealing the person behind him—
An elderly man with grizzled hair and beard, carrying a medicine chest and wearing an elegant robe. He had an air of distinction.
When Doctor Li saw him, he drew a sharp breath. "D-Doctor Zhang?!"
The villagers didn't recognize the man, but Doctor Li did.
Zhang Qianyi, the greatest doctor in Notting City. It was said that he had traveled the continent in his youth and possessed unparalleled medical skills. Even dignitaries had to book appointments in advance to see him.
Doctor Li had once wanted to become his apprentice, but hadn't even made it through the door.
Now this Divine Doctor Zhang was standing in the courtyard of Su Mo's home.
Waiting respectfully.
Zhang Qianyi stepped forward and nodded slightly to Su Mo. "Young sir, I am Zhang Qianyi. At Deacon Su's request, I have come to treat your mother."
Su Mo came back to himself and quickly stepped aside. "Please, Divine Doctor Zhang."
Zhang Qianyi nodded, went into the house, and sat beside Su Zhaowan's bed to take her pulse.
Su Yuntao didn't follow him inside. Instead, he stood beside Su Mo and spoke quietly. "Rest assured, sir. Elder Zhang is the best doctor in Notting City. With his help, your mother's condition will surely stabilize."
Su Mo glanced at him.
Su Yuntao's eyes were calm and certain, as if everything was under control.
That composure made him seem like a completely different person from the Su Yuntao who had stared blankly at the crystal ball yesterday.
Su Mo thought, The Zhuge inheritance really is amazing.
Inside, Zhang Qianyi finished taking Su Zhaowan's pulse and asked her a few questions before coming back out.
Su Mo hurried to meet him. "Divine Doctor Zhang, how is my mother?"
Zhang Qianyi stroked his beard. "Young sir, there's no need to worry too much. Your mother's illness was caused by excessive blood loss during childbirth, which depleted her qi and blood. On top of that, years of overwork damaged her constitution. This latest episode is the result of accumulated strain."
Su Mo's heart tightened.
Zhang Qianyi continued, "I'll prescribe a remedy to stabilize her condition first. After that, she'll need to rest and mustn't overexert herself. She should take her medicine on schedule every month and undergo acupuncture as well. With those measures, she should remain safe for the next three to five years."
Su Mo pressed him. "Can she be cured? Completely cured?"
Zhang Qianyi fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "A complete cure... is beyond me. Your mother's leg injury damaged her meridians, and too much time has passed. There's no way to reverse it. As for restoring her health completely, she would need the help of one of the continent's foremost medical experts."
Su Mo's heart sank.
One of the continent's foremost medical experts.
A name immediately sprang to mind—
Dugu Bo.
Poison Douluo, a Titled Douluo, peerless in both poison and medicine.
If he could persuade him to help...
But then Su Mo smiled bitterly.
What kind of person was Dugu Bo? A Titled Douluo, a powerful overlord, volatile and ruthless, with countless lives on his hands.
He was only a six-year-old child. What could he possibly offer in exchange for help?
Money? Status? Strength?
He had nothing.
Seeing Su Mo fall silent, Zhang Qianyi assumed he was upset and spoke gently. "There's no need to worry too much. As long as your mother takes good care of herself, she can live for decades. As for a complete cure... perhaps fate will offer an opportunity someday."
Su Mo took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you, Divine Doctor Zhang."
Su Yuntao said from the side, "Elder Zhang, please write out the prescription. I'll prepare the medicine."
Zhang Qianyi nodded and went to write the prescription.
Su Yuntao turned and took several large parcels from his attendants, setting them on the table.
"Sir, these are some nourishing remedies I prepared: ginseng, lingzhi, astragalus, and angelica. They're all gentle tonics and should be just what your mother needs, given how weak she is."
The villagers around them let out another round of gasps.
Ginseng and lingzhi? Those were valuable things!
That whole pile must be worth more than ten Gold Soul Coins!
Su Mo looked at the pile, then at Su Yuntao.
This man really had come to repay a kindness.
A kindness he'd imagined Su Mo had done him by "bestowing a book."
Su Mo opened his mouth, wanting to say, "Actually, I dropped the book. I didn't mean to give it to you," but swallowed the words before they could come out.
Forget it.
There was no explaining it.
Besides, the man had truly helped him.
Just then, Tang San, who had been following Su Mo the whole time, suddenly spoke. "Teacher, are you going to Notting Academy?"
Su Mo froze.
Tang San continued, "This disciple remembers that Deacon Su offered you a Work-Study Student spot at Notting Academy yesterday, but you turned it down. But now... your mother needs a better doctor and more money. There's no way you can stay in the village. Only by going to Notting City will you have a chance."
Su Mo fell silent.
Tang San was right.
Notting City was small, but it offered far more opportunities than the village. Earning money by renting out books, making connections, and building up his strength were all things he couldn't do in this remote backwater.
But—
"The spot has already been given to you." Su Mo looked at Tang San. "Should I go take it from you?"
Tang San grew anxious. "This disciple doesn't want it! I can stay in the village. You should go, Teacher!"
Su Mo shook his head. "Your name has already been submitted, hasn't it? It can't be changed."
Tang San's face fell.
That was true. Once a name was submitted for a Spirit Hall spot, it was set in stone. It couldn't be changed.
He paced about in a panic. "Then, then what do we do? You can't just not go, Teacher!"
Just then, a voice came from beside them.
"If sir wants to go, this student has a way."
Su Yuntao took a booklet from inside his robe and handed it to Su Mo with both hands.
Several neat characters were written on the cover—
Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy · Work-Study Student Certificate
Name: ______
Su Mo froze.
Su Yuntao smiled faintly. "While reading last night, this student thought sir might find this useful. So I went to Spirit Hall this morning and arranged another one."
Su Mo looked up at him.
Su Yuntao's gaze was calm, but beneath that calm lay the certainty that everything had gone according to plan.
Su Mo suddenly thought of those thirty Silver Spirit Coins, Doctor Zhang's arrival that day, and the pile of tonics.
Had this man already figured out everything that would happen today while reading last night?
Su Mo didn't dare follow that thought any further, telling himself he was overthinking it.
Otherwise, it would be downright absurd!