"My Lord, we are here." Xiao Xi pulls the opening of the carriage.
I step out into the early misty morning. The scenery of overflowing nature feels primitive. I've never been somewhere so isolated from a city or somewhere with such threadbare visuals to be considered a medical clinic. Very different from Invigorating Essence indeed.
Nevertheless, I don't doubt Teacher Lu's skills. He is a renowned healer within Jianghu. Retired, he now has a peaceful life in the countryside.
I asked to meet him because I'm at a loss on how to save Senior Sister. Gao Yi Fei, Sect Leader of Invigorating Essence. She sacrificed her soul to perform the Soul Trap Ritual when capturing the Demon Lord, and now she has fallen into a coma. Physician Qie has stepped into the role of Sect Leader, but he urges me to quickly revive Senior Sister.
I've looked through every manual at Invigorating Essence, performed all sorts of healing treatments. I'm no longer confident I can save her. I owe Uncle Gao a great debt, and so I won't allow myself to give up.
"My Lord, I will go knock on the door," Xiao Xi tells me.
I nod.
I wait outside the fence as Xiao Xi enters the small yard.
Facing down the path, a small figure slowly walks in my direction. Petite, long black hair pinned with a wooden accessory, unmoving light brown eyes. She is dressed in a pale dress. In her hand, she wields a stick.
The distance between us decreases. I observe the woven basket on her back. It's filled with all sorts of medicinal herbs.
She went out so early to harvest medicine? The sun is barely even out yet.
Before I could move out of her way, the stick hits my leg. Although from just looking at her, I had thought her movements were light and graceful. The moment her stick hit my right shin, I could not make a sound.
It hurts!
"Eh? That wasn't there earlier," she mumbles.
I try to rub the pain away. The girl is ignorant of what she had done and uses her hands to feel for the gate's door.
She notices the door is opened. "Who's there?"
"We're here to see Teacher Lu," Xiao Xi turns around to face her.
"Ah, you must be from Invigorating Essence. Please follow me inside. I'll let my Master know you're here."
"Fine then." Xiao Xi runs back to me. "My Lord, please."
"Mm." I composed myself, trying forget about the lingering pain.
The clinic is neat with chairs set to the side and a counter located to the right as we enter. There is a wooden divider for patients to meet with Teacher Lu. A modest set up but what really matters is the delicate care these patients entrust in Teacher Lu.
The furnishings are rather plain inside the study. Teacher Lu doesn't seem to have a library of the newest revelations on medicine either.
"Please have a seat." She gestures for us to sit. "I will go fetch my Master."
Through the door, she moves naturally smooth around furniture and corners.
"Who is that?" I ask Xiao Xi who stands behind me.
He leans in and says, "She is Teacher Lu's disciple. I heard she was left here by her parents because of her blindness."
I'd figured she was blind from the moment I saw her. However, being a physician disciple of Teacher Lu while also exhibiting a disability, I'm intrigued to measure her abilities.
"Lord Kong, what brings you to this humble clinic of mine?" Teacher Lu walks in. His state is very frail. He bows to me and I return the greeting. Walking to his desk, he sits down in the chair.
Still standing I say, "I'm honored to have Teacher Lu allow this visit. Your medical skills are renowned throughout Jianghu as the most preeminent."
"You flatter me, Prince of Medicine."
"That name is only a petty title given to me because of my appearance. It does not equate to Teacher Lu's expertise at all."
"Enough with the formalities. Please take a seat Lord Kong."
I bow to him once more and sit in the chair in front of his desk.
"Xiao Xi, please wait outside for me."
"Yes, my lord."
Xiao Xi leaves the study, closing the door.
"Tell me what you ask to see me for today, Lord Kong," Teacher Lu says.
"Teacher Lu, you must know of Sect Leader Gao's unfortunate incident years ago when suppressing the Demon Sect."
"Yes, I've heard."
"Sect Leader Gao has not died from the Soul Trap Ritual. She has fallen into a coma."
Not surprised, Teacher Lu nods.
"Will Teacher Lu be able to save her?"
"I don't... know if this is something within my scope."
I quickly stand and cup my hands. "Please save my Senior Sister, Teacher Lu."
"Lord Kong, if you cannot save her. I don't know how I can."
"But... you are Teacher Lu. You resurrected Sect Leader Song from the dead."
He shakes his head. "It is not as they say. For me to save a person, they must have a small amount of life to mold back to health. Sect Leader Song was lucky."
"But my Senior Sister..."
I kneel on the floor, lowering my head. "Please help Invigorating Essence save Sect Leader Gao."
Teacher Lu stands and instantly comes lift my shoulders. "Please don't do this, Lord Kong."
"I have to save her. I owe Senior Sister and her father my life. I can't fail them."
Teacher Lu sighs. "Please stand, Lord Kong. Tell me the whole story."
I tell Teacher Lu about Senior Sister's condition. Her injury after the Soul Trap Ritual was immense. I transferred a lot of my inner energy to her, healing all surface wounds. However, she did not awake. Her soul was sacrificed, and I fear it would be near impossible to recover the scattered pieces.
"She cannot awake because her soul is struggling to return. Not to scare you, Lord Kong, but her soul may be stranded or slowly piecing itself back together."
"What does Teacher Lu advise?"
"I will look for a way to revive her. Please return back to Invigorating Essence for now."
"Thank you, Teacher Lu. I am indebted to you." I bow.
"No. It's my duty..."
Teacher Lu leads me to the front of the clinic. "Please come back in a couple of days. I will do my best to look for an answer."
"Thank you, Teacher Lu."
He leaves to the study again. I look around the small room for Xiao Xi. He isn't around anywhere.
Peeking through the curtains behind the counter, I find the Teacher Lu's blind disciple busying herself with brewing and organizing medicine.
Her small hands feels over every surface and then grabs onto what she needs. She doesn't seem to be struggling with things in the medicine room.
She pulls a fan from the counter and starts fanning a pot on the stove, blowing the smoke that swiftly assembles towards her face. Dabbing the sweat away from her forehead, she accidentally leaves dark marks on her cheek and the tip of her nose.
I smile to myself. She's... a bit adorable.
I find her to be an interesting one. She doesn't let her blindness sway her from a life of practicing medicine. She exemplifies someone with a strong character and compelling perseverance.
I'm starting to become curious about this little disciple.
**********
Thank you for reading thus far. We made it to the second life ^^
The story... is half and half almost over?
I really do love YX and YZH and have become attached to them, and I cry sometimes lol when I write their story.
I'm working on tying the knots, avoiding plot holes so please forgive the messiness.
Thank you to my wonderful readers. Your engagement and support is everything. ♥️