Healing the Sick and Saving People (Part 2)

Chapter 41: Healing the Sick and Saving People (Part 2)

Following the little girl around a few turns, they arrived at a dilapidated house. Entering through the front door led to a small courtyard where some hens were being kept. Passing through the courtyard, they entered the main hall, which had poor lighting and looked dim.

The little girl had been crying all the way. Shi Xuan hadn't managed to ask her name, but he had heard her mention that the Divine Lord's temple couldn't cure her illness, and they had sold a hen for nothing.

Turning into the wing on the left, the moment they entered, a pungent smell of medicine filled the air. The windows were tightly shut, not allowing a sliver of wind to enter. The room had very little furniture and was also very run-down. A woman lay on a very old bed, her face swollen and sallow, tightly wrapped in a cotton quilt.

Shi Xuan used the Qi Gazing Technique to examine her and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Although sick energy was entwined around her, it hadn't damaged her body's origin. He picked up the Soul-Bewildering Banner and swept it, absorbing all the sick energy from the woman.

Before the little girl could say anything to the Daoist Priest uncle, she saw a black light sweep over her mother. Then she heard the Daoist Priest uncle instruct, "Go and open all the windows to let in some air. Your mother is fine now." Although surprised, the precocious and sensible girl immediately ran to push open the windows. Then, she scampered back and squatted by the bedside, staring at her mother with wide eyes, wanting to see what had happened.

A refreshing breeze blew in from the windows. A moment later, the woman on the bed moaned and slowly opened her eyes. She immediately heard her daughter say, "Mom, you're awake! Daoist Priest uncle said you're cured. Is that right?"

The woman then realized her whole body felt light. Although she was still weak and tired, she felt more comfortable than ever before. She quickly shifted her gaze and saw a young Daoist Priest sitting there. "Esteemed Daoist Priest, thank you so much. My attire is improper, and I cannot get up. Please forgive me. I will pay the consultation fee later."

Shi Xuan waved his hand. "No need for consultation fees. If Madam feels uneasy, I have a few questions, and I would appreciate your sincere answers."

"Then please ask, Daoist Priest," the woman replied. She thought about it and didn't feel it was a problem to answer a few questions.

Shi Xuan asked about Divine Lord Crimson Cloud. Although the woman had fallen ill before the Divine Lord's temple was built, her illness wasn't severe then, so she had heard some things. Divine Lord Crimson Cloud had been transmitted from Kaiyang City, and it was the same in the surrounding towns. When it was transmitted, the Divine Lord's temple was extremely overbearing, seizing the land temple and driving away the temple priest. The government even supported them.

Later, after several women who were desperate for children prayed there, they became pregnant within a few months. This immediately shocked the people in the town, and gradually, the temple became popular. Even the woman herself had sold a hen to scrape together incense money to pray there, but unfortunately, her illness worsened later. As for why it later became about dedicating property, that was unknown.

Hearing this, Shi Xuan said to the woman, "En, there are no further problems. I am staying at the inn. If Madam feels unwell again, you can have the little girl come find me." He then smiled at the little girl and got up to leave.

He slowly walked into the courtyard. A crowd had gathered outside the gate, eager to see if this demonic Daoist, er, immortal master, could truly cure the widow Madam Huang's illness, an illness that even praying to the Divine Lord couldn't cure!

Shi Xuan looked at the people outside, but his mind was on his future plans. By using ruthless methods to intimidate the townspeople here and shatter the image of the Divine Lord's vast spiritual power and efficacy, he had diminished people's faith and reverence. In a short period, no one should engage in foolishly devout acts that harmed their families. As long as he could uproot the Divine Lord Crimson Cloud temple before the effect wore off, this matter would be resolved.

As he slowly walked to the courtyard entrance, he heard the woman calling from behind. He turned his head and saw the woman running out, panting. Her clothes were clearly put on in a hurry. Seeing Shi Xuan look over, she pointed at the hen. "Daoist Priest, you won't accept consultation fees, at least take a chicken with you. Otherwise, I would be an ungrateful person."

"Ah, look, look, Madam Huang is better. Even an immortal wouldn't be this fast!"

"She was lying in bed, on the verge of death, and now she's jumping around. Hubby, this Daoist Priest might truly be..."

"Her family prayed to the Divine Lord, and it didn't help. This Daoist Priest, no, Immortal Master, did it in such a short time. He's truly powerful, stronger than the Divine Lord."

"I say, that Divine Lord might really be an evil cult, otherwise, why would there be such a powerful Daoist to oppose him?"

The people outside the courtyard immediately became as agitated as a boiling oil pan. They had all seen Madam Huang lying in bed, unable to get up. The doctors who came just shook their heads, and the Divine Lord's temple was powerless. Yet, under this Daoist Priest, in less than half an hour, she was as good as new. It was miraculous, truly miraculous!

Shi Xuan glanced at the woman and said with a smile, "Then let's stew one. You and the little girl remember to bring me a bowl. You can deal with the rest yourselves. This is a request from your benefactor, and you are not allowed to refuse."

At this moment, a man and a woman hesitantly walked over from outside the gate. The moment they entered, they knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. "Daoist Priest, Dao Lord, please save our child." It seemed they had witnessed Madam Huang's recovery and were deeply impacted.

Madam Huang stepped forward and whispered in Shi Xuan's ear, "This is Zhang Daquan from the street. They have an only son who recently contracted consumption. He's even coughing up blood. They've spent more than half their savings, but he's not getting better. Praying to gods and buddhas hasn't helped. I don't know if they prayed to Divine Lord Crimson Cloud."

Zhang Daquan seemed to hear Madam Huang's words and quickly knelt and moved forward half a step. "Dao Lord, we also donated a lot of money to Divine Lord Crimson Cloud, but Li'er still isn't getting better. If Dao Lord can cure him, we're willing to do anything!" After saying that, the grown man actually prostrated himself on the ground and wept. His wife was also crying hysterically.

Shi Xuan thought that he could collect sick energy and enhance the power of the Soul-Bewildering Banner. He nodded at the couple. "Get up, and take me to your home to take a look."

Zhang Daquan and his wife immediately thanked heaven and earth, stood up, and led Shi Xuan to their home. Their family was similar in financial situation to Madam Huang's family; they were both relatively poor. Many places in their house were empty, and some areas showed traces of where furniture used to be.

Following the couple into a room, the moment they entered, they heard the child's cough. Zhang Daquan's wife immediately went to help the child by patting his back and helping him breathe.

Shi Xuan looked up. The child was twelve or thirteen years old. There was no sick energy, but his vital energy pillar was scattered and thin, clearly indicating damage to his body's origin.

At this point, he couldn't use the Soul-Bewildering Banner to treat the illness. Fortunately, Shi Xuan had some knowledge of herbal medicine and the structure of human meridians. He sat by the bed, grasped the child's pulse, and felt a strong and vigorous pulse. He actually had Internal Energy within him!

Shi Xuan's heart grew clearer about the cause of the child's illness. He turned to Zhang Daquan and said, "You and Madam, please step out for a moment. I need to perform a secret technique, and no one else should see it."

Perhaps it was the shock of curing Madam Huang earlier, but Zhang Daquan and his wife had no objections and withdrew from the room, closing the door.

Shi Xuan then suddenly shouted at the child named Zhang Li, "Where did you get this Internal Energy?"

Zhang Li, who was about to see what secret technique this strange Daoist was going to use, suddenly heard the shout. The big secret he had hidden in his heart seemed to be exposed to others in an instant. His face turned red, and he stammered, "Wh-what, Internal Energy, cough, you, you mind your own business, where I got my Internal Energy from!"

Shi Xuan looked at him with the pitying gaze one reserves for someone near death. "Do you believe me or not? If you don't tell me and stop practicing, you won't live past three months!"

"Stinky Daoist, you, cough, you're talking nonsense!" Zhang Li, already extremely fearful due to his consumption, became agitated.

Shi Xuan said nothing, continuing to look at him with the same gaze. Zhang Li met his gaze for a moment, then lowered his head. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. "Cough, cough, I, I'll tell you."

It turned out that a few months ago, Zhang Li had gone to the mountains with his friends to play and gather some fruits and vegetables to supplement their family's income. Unexpectedly, he lost his footing and fell down a cliff. Fortunately, a large tree blocked his fall, and he discovered a cave. Inside, there was a Martial Arts Manual and a bottle of pills.

Zhang Li became excited. He had often heard passing Jianghu travelers boast about the martial arts world and yearned for it, wishing he could grow up quickly and join a famous sect to learn martial arts. Now, he had obtained a Martial Arts Manual, and in a hidden cave at that. It must be a very, very good manual.

So, Zhang Li hid the manual and began to practice in secret, imagining that one day he would master the ultimate technique and become the number one expert in the martial arts world, living a life of luxury.

Perhaps his talent was good, and with the help of the pills, he developed Internal Energy in less than a month. However, after the pills ran out, he discovered that although his Internal Energy grew stronger, his body grew weaker, and eventually, he contracted consumption. It was truly a life worse than death.

Shi Xuan shook his head. It was terrifying when there was no guidance. "This is the consequence of rapid advancement. It's fine to cultivate Internal Energy with pills, but you took a shortcut in the body-tempering stage. You will always be inferior to others in the future."

He paused, then emphasized, "But after you cultivated Internal Energy, look at your family's situation. Can they provide the meat you need daily? Refining Essence into Qi, Refining Essence into Qi. If there's no replenishment, you are refining your own origin. Once this origin weakens, it's hard not to cough up blood!"

"As for your Internal Energy, you should stop practicing for a while and recuperate your body before practicing again. Oh, and this isn't consumption, it just looks very similar." Shi Xuan, worried the child wouldn't listen, formed a hand seal and chanted an incantation, releasing the Universal Salvation Sweet Rain Incantation. He slightly replenished Zhang Li's origin, at least so he wouldn't cough as much. If he didn't do this, the Daoist Priest's methods wouldn't be evident, and his subsequent arrangements wouldn't be heeded.

Zhang Li was stunned by these divine methods and naturally obeyed the Immortal Master's words. "After you've recovered, first practice your punches and kicks. In the future, go hunting in the mountains yourself to supplement your meat intake. This is the true path of cultivation. I've observed your Internal Energy; it's relatively upright and peaceful, not the type that harms others or oneself. However, the text becomes more profound as you progress. For a child like you who has only attended a few years of private school, it's easy to fall into a qi deviation. It's best to find a sect and slowly build a foundation."