~~~

The Xiao Sect’s compound could roughly be divided into three concentric areas.

First, there was the outer zone, which was just behind the main gates. It was a spacious area with plenty of open space. The living quarters of the Outer Disciples were located there. Beyond that, there was the middle zone. It had about as much area as the outer zone, but the structures there were far more elaborate in design.

Next was the inner zone. While smaller than the two previous zones, it more than made up for it in quality. The buildings there were impressive even by the standards of the Xiao Sect. Even the air there felt purer. No doubt, it was a place only Core Disciples and above were allowed to enter.

The three zones were separated by checkpoints. Of course, with Xiao Nan accompanying them, Li and Liu Jianguo had no problems getting through them. Perhaps, if it had not been so late at night, they’d have caused a bigger scene, but at this hour, most people were already asleep.

Well, almost everyone was asleep. Liu Jianguo had caught more than a few gazes peeking at them from the darkness. Disciples and servants who were still up at this hour.

“This one has never been in this part of the compound before,” Li whispered to him once they crossed the final checkpoint. Despite the situation, his excitement was palpable.

Liu Jianguo could understand why.

The main house, located at the very center of the Xiao Sect’s compound, was an impressive sight.

Even though they called it a house, the place was more like a palace. It was certainly large enough for one. The structure could be seen all the way from the outer districts of Eastern Port City. It was a circular building several stories high with tiled roofs and a foundation of marble stone. The many steps that led to its doors would have intimidated anyone who grew up in Eastern Port City.

“Follow me,” Xiao Nan said. “I don’t think this needs saying, but it is already too late for either of you to turn back.”

Li swallowed loudly but kept walking.

The guards at the doors tried to object. They put up more of a fight than the other guards, but Xiao Nan managed to get them to step out of the way all the same. Liu Jianguo had to admit the level of respect the child commanded in the Xiao Sect was impressive. While it was expected of the lower ranks to cave in to the demands of those up high, higher-ranked servants were expected to exercise a little more discretion.

If the people who worked at the main house were obeying him so easily, it meant he was quite something.

However, their good luck couldn’t last. As Xiao Nan started leading them deeper into the mansion, a voice rang out behind them.

“Young Master, what is this I hear about you bringing in an Inner Disciple to our main house?”

Liu Jianguo’s lips pressed against each other as he turned around. The man who had spoken to them had a head full of grey hair and a neatly-trimmed mustache. He had a square chin and a naturally stern face. However, that wasn’t what was most noticeable about him. Instead, it was that the man wasn’t wearing the clothes of a servant. He also wasn’t dressed like a disciple.

He wore robes of dark blue and gold. That, combined with the Qi the man was emitting and Li’s rapidly paling face led Liu Jianguo to a single conclusion.

This man was an Elder of the Xiao Sect.

“I am fairly sure Elder Gang is wise enough to be able to discern my actions,” Xiao Nan said, not seeming to care that he was in front of an Elder. “This Inner Disciple here has acted out of concern for Uncle and brought a doctor to us.”

“A doctor?” Elder Gang asked, looking at Liu Jianguo.

The man’s gaze was nothing Liu Jianguo would have had trouble dealing with in the past. However, he was a cripple now. Meeting it would be seen as disrespectful, so the doctor bit his tongue and lowered his head while he felt the Elder take his measure.

Naturally, the man found him wanting.

“This man is a cripple,” Elder Gang said. There was no anger or spite in his voice. His tone was the same one would use to describe the weather. “You allowed a cripple into the main house."

“This Xiao Nan knows that well,” Xiao Nan replied, nonplussed. “However, a doctor is a doctor. Am I wrong?”

“Child, do you have any idea what you have done?” Elder Gang asked, irritation finally creeping into his voice. “What do you think would happen if word of this got out? How many Outer and Inner Disciples watched you leading this cripple here?”

“Honored Elder,” Xiao Nan replied. “This Xiao Nan respects your age and wisdom, but this Xiao Nan must remind you that Uncle’s illness is already the talk of Eastern Port City. A cripple won’t make them talk more than they already are. Besides, we already brought in Doctor Wu, and he was useless. If Uncle wanted the people to stop talking, he should have asked aid from the outside.”

“Young Master,” Elder Gang said with great patience, “you are unfortunately still young. As such, you are unable to appreciate the wisdom of Patriarch Zheng’s actions.”

“Oh?” Xiao Nan crossed his arms. “Letting yourself die is a sign of wisdom? Please, honored Elder, do enlighten this foolish child. Perhaps, we should try walking all the way to the center of Poison Fang Canyon together, so that we may become the wisest in all the lands.”

Elder Gang’s face flushed with genuine anger. Liu Jianguo felt his body ready itself on reflex. An instant later, his mind reminded him of how useless that was. As he was now, there was no way he could defend himself. He was effectively at the mercy of their tempers.

What a revolting thought.

“You foolish, impertinent-”

“Now, now, what’s this? Don’t tell me the two of you are actually arguing so close to Patriarch Zheng’s room? Do you wish to cause him further discomfort?”

The softly spoken words were enough to stop Elder Gang.

“Elder Hui,” Elder Gang said, a measure of calm returning to him as he greeted the new arrival. “You are, of course, right. My apologies. I had forgotten myself.”

The Elder who had spoken looked older than Elder Gang. He had a head full of white hair and a long beard. His face was round and had a patient expression.

“It is okay, Elder Gang. No doubt, you were just acting out of concern,” Elder Hui said. His grandfatherly gaze was then turned to Xiao Nan. “And you, Little Nan, You have been quite mischievous tonight.”

Even with two Elders in front of him, Xiao Nan refused to back down. He stared back at them, completely unrepentant.

“Ah.” Elder Hui shook his head. “What shall we do with you now?”

“What shall we do?” Elder Gang echoed. “Is it not obvious? We should throw these two to the Punishment Hall.”

Besides him, Li took in a sharp breath.

“Yes, that would be the proper thing to do, but I don’t think it’d be for the best. No doubt, Xiao Nan will just find someone else to bring here,” Elder Hui said, stroking his beard as he looked at the child in question. “You see, Elder Gang, I believe Xiao Nan’s actions here were brought about by how much he cares for Patriarch Zheng. This is how he expresses his frustration. If we turn these two away, he’ll just act out in another way.”

“Then, what shall we do? Surely, you are not suggesting we let these two see Patriarch Zheng?” Elder Gang asked in outrage.

Elder Hui shrugged.

“Why not? They cannot make the situation worse, and they have likely already been seen. Whether these two see Patriarch Zheng or not, people will say they did either way. Why not just let it happen to get this out of Xiao Nan’s system?”

Elder Gang glared at Elder Hui. He glared at Xiao Nan, and he glared at Li and Liu Jianguo.

Then, after much glaring, he made his decision.

~~~

Xiao Zheng’s room was bigger than Liu Jianguo’s house.

In the center, there was a spacious four-poster bed made of delicately crafted wood. Red curtains separated the one resting there from the rest of the world. The Elders and Xiao Nan had gone into the room first to explain the situation to Xiao Zheng while Li and Liu Jianguo waited at the doorstep.

They talked in whispers. If Liu Jianguo strained his ears, he might be able to hear them. However, there was no need to bother with such things. Knowing what they were saying would not change the outcome in any meaningful way.

Beside him, Li was frozen in place. It was only to be expected. In Liu Jianguo's experience, people usually didn’t react well to facing their own mortality so openly.

After a few minutes of whispered conversation, Elder Gang finally deemed them worthy of addressing. He looked at them and spoke a single word.

“Enter.”

Li didn’t move right away, so Liu Jianguo was forced to nudge him, snapping him out of his fear-induced trance. With slow steps, the two made their way inside the room.

“Stop,” Elder Gang said once they were within fifteen steps of Xiao Zheng’s bed. At once, they stopped and kneeled on the floor for good measure.

In situations like this, there was no such thing as being too respectful.

“So, young disciple, I hear you have brought a doctor,” the man behind the curtain spoke. His voice sounded strong, but Liu Jianguo knew better than to be deceived by it. He had dealt with entirely too many patients to be so easily fooled.

The man’s voice was that of a sick person pretending to be strong.

“I-It is a-as you say, honored Patriarch,” Li stuttered the words out, bowing his head even lower. He took a deep breath, hoping to calm himself down. “My friend here is a great doctor. This lowly disciple thinks he can help honored Patriarch.”

Xiao Zheng’s answer was delivered without hesitation.

“He is a cripple.”

Something threatened to rise within Liu Jianguo at those words. No, it wasn’t even the words themselves. It was the way these people said them. They didn’t say it as an insult. They said it without heat or spite.

They said it as a fact.

That made it hurt more.

However, he couldn’t allow himself to be angry at the truth. He needed to swallow his anger and move on. He was a cripple. That was his reality now, and nothing would change it.

The sooner he got used to hearing it, the better.

“That may be so, honored Patriarch. This lowly disciple understands that. However, he is also the one who has been treating this disciple’s wounds for the past few months.”

“Oh?” Elder Gang stroked his chin. “Why would you not go to our Xiao Sect’s doctors? I cannot imagine one of our disciples would need a cripple’s aid.”

“The Xiao Sect has many great and capable doctors, great Elder,” Li replied, his head still down. “However, I did not wish to burden my fellow disciples with the knowledge of my wounds.”

A tactful way of saying he did not wish to appear weak in front of his fellow disciples.

“Doctor Liu was discreet in his dealings with me, so I went to him. At least, that’s how it was at first. However, as the months passed, this disciple realized something important. Honored Patriarch and the great Elders here may not believe this lowly one, but in this one’s opinion, Doctor Liu is better than our doctors.”

The reaction was immediate.

“Preposterous!” Elder Gang bellowed.

“Elder Gang, please,” Elder Hui tried to calm the man down, but it was of no use.

“Do you really expect me to be silent while hearing such things! This farce has gone too lo-”

“Enough.”

The word was spoken quietly but with firmness. It was enough for the two Elders to instantly stop talking.

“Disciple,” Xiao Zheng said. “Do you stand by your words?”

“This one does, honored Patriarch.”

“Do you stand by your words even knowing what may happen to you?”

“... This one does, honored Patriarch.”

A moment of tense silence followed. Even in the low lighting of the room, sweat shone on Li’s face.

“Very well,” Xiao Zheng said at last. “Have your doctor approach me.”

“But Great Patriarch!” Elder Gang protested. “Are you really going to entertain this-”

“I have already spoken, Elder Gang. Do not make me repeat myself.”

Elder Gang’s mouth snapped shut at that. He glared at the two of them but made no move to stop them. Receiving nods from Xiao Nan and Elder Hui, Liu Jianguo stood up and carefully approached Xiao Zheng’s bed.

As he got closer, Xiao Nan pulled the curtain for him, giving the doctor his first look at Xiao Zheng.

The man’s face was pale and gaunt, and his body looked dangerously thin. He was covered in cold sweat which made the tan sleeping robe he was wearing stick to his body. His hair was brown, but it was matted down and lackluster. His eyes were blue, but they barely had any light in them. If he were standing up, Liu Jianguo was certain Xiao Zheng would tower over him, but in his current state, he looked anything but imposing.

“Well, what do you think, doctor?” The man asked with a humorless smile. “Is the sight of the Patriarch of the Xiao Sect as impressive as the rumors say.”

“This one couldn’t say,” Liu Jianguo replied. “As I am a cripple, everyone naturally seems greater than I. Whether it is the sun or a candle, all light is blinding to this one.”

“Ha!” The man let out a sharp laugh. “Well spoken. Let’s hope your medical skill is at least that good.”

“This one will endeavor not to disappoint," Liu Jianguo replied. “If at all possible, could the great Patriarch please sit at the edge of the bed. It will make things easier for us both.”

Without saying a word, Xiao Zheng did so. Even moving that much clearly took a toll on him, but he hid it well. A single warning glare at the Elders and Xiao Nan prevented them from helping him.

After that, the examination started. Other than Liu Jianguo and Xiao Zheng, no one dared to talk. It felt like they weren’t even breathing as Liu Jianguo gave short instructions and asked Xiao Zheng questions about his affliction.

Like that, over one hour went by.

“You can lay down, honored Patriarch. We are finished,” Liu Jianguo said. However, Xiao Zheng made no movements.

“Well, doctor,” He said instead. “What is your verdict? Have you managed to figure out what ails me?”

There was an amused smile on his face. Liu Jianguo imagined the man was certain he had just been wasting his time. A pity.

It seemed he would have to disappoint him after all.

“I have, honored Patriarch.”

As expected, Elder Gang reacted first.

“You would go so far to keep this lie! Are there no depths to your shamelessness!”

“Elder Gang,” Xiao Zheng said, silencing him at once. “At ease.”

Even though he said that, his expression was more severe than it had been before.

“Tell me then, doctor. What is it that threatens my life?”

“A parasite, honored Elder,” Liu Jianguo replied without hesitation. “Your body is currently housing a Soul Draining Parasite.”

“I have never heard of such a thing.”

“I’d be surprised if you had,” Liu Jianguo said. “It is fairly rare. The egg of the parasite is small. It is even smaller than the nail of a child. It is ingested orally and hatches in the stomach. The parasite seeks out the meridians and attaches itself to the lower dantian. From there, the parasite slowly drains its host's vitality.”

“A nice story,” Xiao Zheng said, still not looking convinced. “However, do you really think a cultivator of my caliber wouldn’t have noticed something draining my Qi?”

“It is precisely because Patriarch Xiao Zheng is such a great cultivator that he wouldn’t have noticed.”

Xiao Zheng’s eyes narrowed.

“Explain.”

“The parasite only drains a small amount of Qi at first. If it were a cultivator in the Nascent Realm, they would notice the difference right away. However, for someone in the Emperor Realm, such a small amount of Qi is nothing but a drop in the ocean. Over the years, the parasite would have kept growing inside Patriarch Xiao Zheng. The process would be so gradual Patriarch Xiao Zheng wouldn’t even notice it is there, like a frog slowly being boiled alive. Even now that it threatens to extinguish your life, you still cannot tell it is there.”

A long silence followed.

“Let us say I believe your tale,” Xiao Zheng said at last. “What then? Are you going to tell me you know the cure?”

“I do,” Liu Jianguo replied, nodding. “The ingredients required for the cure are costly, but if gathered, this one can prepare a medicine that will expel the parasite from your body. Three feathers of a phoenix, Dragon Blood Flower, and Sweeping Flame Lotus. These three ingredients are the key to the remedy. Powdered Moon Grass and Blue Spirit Root are also required, but they are far more common.”

“Foolishness!”

To Liu Jianguo’s surprise, it was not Elder Gang who spoke.

It was Elder Hui.

“My Lord,” he said, walking up to them and bowing before Xiao Zheng. “I was the one who pushed for this, and now this Elder has to apologize for his poor judgment. Using the ingredients this fool names would be an enormous waste of resources. It is clear this charlatan is naming the most expensive things he can just to impress us.”

“Not so fast, Elder Hui,” spoke Elder Gang. Rather than his face being red with anger, the man was looking at Liu Jianguo carefully now. ”Think for a moment. There is no way a mere cripple could name those ingredients. I could bring one of our Core Disciples here, and they wouldn’t know what a Sweeping Flame Lotus is. Does the fact that this man knows those names not merit some thought?”

“Elder Gang, you were the one most against this, and now I see your wisdom,” Elder Hui replied. “Why are you now listening to this old man’s foolishness. Even if he knows those names, are we going to trust him with such valuable ingredients? Are we going to trust anything made by this man and give it to our beloved Patriarch?”

“Why not?” Xiao Nan spoke up. “What’s the worst thing that could happen? Uncle dies? I trust this simple child does not need to explain the ridiculousness of such a worry to his wise elders.”

“You all make valid points and have given me much to think about,” said Xiao Zheng, who had been deep in thought while the rest argued. “However, this is not a decision that can be made lightly. It is certainly not a decision that can be made today.”

“I agree, Honored Patriarch,” Elder Gang said. “What shall we do with these two in the meantime?”

Xiao Zheng’s reply came in an instant.

“For now, they will be taken to the Punishment Hall. Their fate shall be determined later.”

~~~