Treating the Illness

Kohaku watched Kinro and Ginro stubbornly guard the suspension bridge entrance, refusing to budge an inch, and her brows knitted with anxiety.

She had finally found a doctor who could save lives, finally found hope of curing her sister, only to be kept outside by the village rules. Anyone would have been anxious.

She hurried forward, stepping between the two sides, and earnestly explained everything to the guards.

She told them how she had gone into the mountains to fetch water, only to be trapped by falling timber and a landslide, and how Li Xiang and Senku had rescued her.

Then she explained that Li Xiang was a professional doctor who might be able to cure her sister Ruri's chronic illness.

All she asked was for the guards to make an exception this once and let them enter the village to see the patient.

But rules were rules.

The steady, brown-haired Kinro's expression did not soften in the slightest, and his spear arm remained perfectly still.

"No."

His tone was blunt, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Our village has followed these rules for generations. Outsiders are not allowed to set so much as a foot inside. No exceptions."

Not even to save a life, not even for a doctor, could they casually make an exception.

Stubborn old fool... Li Xiang grumbled inwardly.

Ginro nodded along beside him, looking utterly serious as he stared at the four of them, making sure they did not approach without permission.

Kohaku stamped her foot in frustration. "Kinro! But they're good people! They saved me! And now they can save my sister! Rules can't think, but people can!"

"Rules cannot be broken." Kinro remained stubborn to the end, refusing to yield an inch.

Watching the stalemate and Kohaku's eyes redden with anxiety, Senku, who stood behind them, suddenly shifted his gaze, a mischievous smile flashing in his eyes.

He leaned toward Li Xiang, lowered his head slightly, and whispered a few words into her ear.

Li Xiang's mouth twitched violently.

She lowered her voice. "Seriously, Little Senku? You want me to do something that underhanded?"

Senku looked up with innocent, sincere eyes and delivered his flattery with a perfectly straight face. "I believe in you. A super-responsible big sister with a commanding presence like yours can handle this easily."

Li Xiang: "..."

Unbelievable.

I have no words...

Fine. To save a life and treat an illness, she would play the villain.

Li Xiang took a deep breath, composed her expression, and instantly changed her demeanor.

Step by step, she walked up to the stern-faced Kinro with a gentle, sincere smile.

"Young man, I can tell you're extremely responsible and respectful of the rules. Someone people can truly rely on."

Then she changed tack, speaking softly and unhurriedly.

"But I really am no villain. I'm a doctor from the neighboring village who makes house calls."

"I heard a few days ago that your Priestess was unwell. Then today, I happened to rescue Kohaku after she was injured and caught in danger. She kindly placed her trust in me and specifically invited me here to treat the Priestess."

She raised her brows slightly, her smile bright and harmless.

"Young man, surely you wouldn't want your esteemed Priestess to lose her life because her treatment kept being delayed?"

"The Priestess is the lifeblood of a village. If anything happened to her, not just you, but the entire village and everyone in it could face consequences beyond anything you can imagine."

It was a blatant threat wrapped in gentle words.

Yet Li Xiang's expression remained utterly open, her eyes clear and sincere. Without blushing or missing a beat, she spoke with perfect seriousness.

Senku stood behind her, suppressing his laughter.

Kinro's expression instantly turned grave.

Though still young, he guarded the village entrance and understood better than anyone the place Priestess Ruri held in the village. She was its spiritual pillar, someone everyone revered and protected.

Nothing could be allowed to happen to the Priestess.

If she died of her illness, the consequences would be severe. His brows furrowed tightly as conflicting thoughts tore through him.

The difficult choice weighed on his heart. After a long stalemate, Kinro let out a deep sigh, his tense shoulders finally slumping.

He lowered his spear and stepped aside. "...All right."

"Just this once. There will be no next time. Remember to behave yourselves, and do not wander around the village as you please."

"Thank you for making an exception." Li Xiang thanked him calmly with a warm smile.

Behind her, Senku immediately raised a hand and secretly gave her a thumbs-up, his eyes full of admiration.

Li Xiang turned and rolled her eyes at him, silently voicing her complaints.

Without further delay, they crossed the suspension bridge and headed deeper into the village.

As soon as they entered, both of them instinctively slowed their steps.

Wooden houses stood in a neat, staggered arrangement, the stone paths were clean and orderly, and the villagers each went about their work.

Li Xiang leaned closer to Senku and lowered her voice.

"Senku, this village...could it really be what you're thinking?"

"An isolated tribe of primitive humans that's been reproducing on its own for the past thirty-seven hundred years?"

Senku was just about to make a sarcastic remark when Li Xiang immediately corrected herself.

"No, wait."

"Strictly speaking, the petrification happened thirty-seven hundred years ago. We're the primitive humans who slept for thirty-seven hundred years. They're the modern people who've been living through all that time."

Senku could not help chuckling. She certainly had a point.

Kohaku did not notice their conversation. Her mind was entirely on her sister's illness, and she walked briskly, leading them straight to a quiet dwelling at the far end of the village.

Coming to a stop, Kohaku stepped forward and called softly into the house. "Sister."

She turned back to introduce their guest.

"This is the doctor. She rescued me when I was trapped in the mountains, and I specifically invited her here to treat your illness."

Li Xiang looked up, her gaze settling on the young woman inside.

Her face bore a strong resemblance to Kohaku's, but lacked Kohaku's lively sharpness, possessing instead an abundance of gentle warmth.

Her features were soft and her manner serene. Her pale skin carried the frailty of someone plagued by illness for years. Sitting quietly inside, she looked like a fragile piece of fine jade.

She was the village's Priestess...Ruri.

Noticing her visitors, Ruri slowly raised her eyes. A faint, gentle smile curved her lips, and her voice was soft and weak.

"My name is Ruri. Thank you, esteemed doctor."

"There's no need to thank me."

Li Xiang stepped forward, her manner professional and composed, her tone gentle and courteous.

"Miss Ruri, please allow me to give you a thorough examination."

Before anyone could say more, she had already approached and smoothly begun her consultation.

She observed Ruri's complexion, examined the coating on her tongue, and asked how long she had been coughing, how often she experienced chest tightness, and how well she could breathe.

Taking into account her years of frailty, persistent cough, sensitivity to cold, and fatigue, she worked through the possible causes one by one.

Senku stood quietly behind her and watched. After a while, Li Xiang finished her questions, now completely certain of the cause.

She let out a soft breath and said calmly, "I can essentially confirm the diagnosis."

"Persistent, recurring coughing and wheezing, physical weakness, impaired lungs, and an illness lingering for years without recovery. It's a classic case of chronic pneumonia."

As she finished speaking, her gaze swept across a corner of the room. Seeing several tiny mice scurrying about, she could not help giving a soft chuckle.

"In the old era thirty-seven hundred years ago, with medicine in short supply, this kind of illness was a truly deadly condition. Left untreated long enough, it could easily take a life."

Primitive conditions, dirty living quarters, and no awareness of disinfection or sterilization.

Germs bred and spread, damaging the lungs year after year until the illness became a stubborn condition that would not heal.

The village chief had been listening intently from the side, barely daring to breathe. At last, he could not help stepping forward, his face full of anxiety and his voice trembling. "Doctor! My daughter...can she still be saved?"

Li Xiang turned toward the careworn village chief and spoke.

"Please don't worry, Chief."

"Under normal circumstances, with stubborn pneumonia since childhood, years without recovery, and her bodily functions steadily deteriorating, Miss Ruri would never have survived this long. That she's still alive today is already a miracle of a strong constitution and heaven's favor!"

"But your villagers are far stronger than ordinary people and have excellent constitutions. As long as she holds on until we can make the right medicine, we can cure her completely."

"Please believe in us. I will cure your daughter. I will cure Miss Ruri."

The village chief's eyes grew warm with tears, and he thanked her over and over. For the first time, he saw hope of a full recovery.

Li Xiang suddenly thought of the line, [You're our whole village's hope.]

We're the whole village's hope!