~~~

There is no anger on Ruan Goutin’s face. There is no satisfaction there either. He does not care at all about what he has just done. The disciple gasps in pain and clutches his chest, writhing on the floor, yet to Ruan Goutin, it is as if he is not even there. The disciple he just wounded is not worth putting in his eyes.

Liu Jin cannot be so callous.

“It will be okay,” Liu Jin says, trying his best to sound gentle. “Hold still for a moment. It will all be well.”

Liu Jin takes the disciple’s hand, fully aware that a single panicked swing from someone in the True Realm could separate his head from his body. The moment Liu Jin makes contact with the disciple and takes in the state of his body, a cold, sinking feeling spreads through his gut. He had suspected it from the moment he had seen the imprint of Ruan Goutin’s fist on the disciple’s chest. There is no denying it now.

Ruan Goutin just struck this disciple’s middle Dantian.

Striking someone’s Dantian is far from unheard of. To achieve this feat, only two requirements need to be met. First, the one doing it must possess great control over their Qi, so that they may be able to accurately send it into their opponent’s body.

Second and most important of all, the one doing it must be far stronger than their opponent.

Qi empowers and protects the body. This is especially true when talking about the three dantian. As a cultivator grows, the Qi around their dantian becomes denser, making it nearly impossible for a cultivator on the same level to damage them. Even if the target were to remain still and offer no resistance, it would be hard as long as their level was the same. To do so in the middle of a fight might as well be impossible.

When Yun Han wounded Cui Tian during the Eastern Port City Tournament, he more than met the two requirements. The same can be said of Ruan Goutin. As a high-ranking member of the Eternal Raging Valley, it is natural for him to be able to damage the dantian of someone in the True Realm.

However, the damage Yun Han did to Cui Tian’s dantian and the damage Ruan Goutin did to this disciple’s dantian just now cannot possibly be compared.

Twenty-nine Dragon Bone Needles go into the disciple’s chest in the blink of an eye, stopping the Qi around his Dantian from scattering. Liu Jin’s eyes are wide as he takes in the state of the man’s Qi. This is…

It is a complete disaster.

Cui Tian’s dantian was “merely” damaged by Yun Han. His injury hampered his ability to cultivate, but it was never something that could not be healed by a competent doctor. The only reason it was so damaging to him is due to the Seven Leaves School’s lack of resources.

This disciple’s dantian is on the brink of shattering.

If Liu Jin does not do something for this disciple within the next minute, he will lose his cultivation for good. His middle dantian will be completely destroyed. The Qi he has carefully cultivated will dissipate. It will never flow through his body again. His other two dantian will gradually deteriorate, unable to compensate for the loss.

In a few days, he’ll no longer be a cultivator.

This is not the type of damage someone can come back from. Even in the entirety of Five Bats City, Liu Jin doubts there is a single doctor who can fix something like this, and there is no way Ruan Goutin doesn’t know that.

Ruan Goutin just sacrificed one of the Eternal Raging Valley’s disciples without a second thought.

Already, the disciple’s dantian is starting to collapse. It is breaking piece by piece. If Liu Jin had been given at least a few days or even a few hours to prepare, he is sure he would be able to fix this.

He merely has fifty seconds.

The disciple’s body spasms, and Liu Jin sends a jolt of his Qi through the Dragon Bone Needles. He cannot allow the disciple’s Qi to disperse. As more of his Qi disperses, the dantian will weaken further and break apart even faster.

However, what is he supposed to do in such a short time!?

With every second that passes, the disciple’s condition worsens! If he tries to heal him right now… if he makes a single mistake...

Is this really it?

Is he really so… helpless?

No.

Fire rises with Liu Jin! Why is he allowing such defeatist thoughts to fester within him? He is the son of Liu Jianguo and the disciple of Old Jiang! The task before him is not an impossible one!

Identify every part of the broken dantian.

Bring them together.

Stabilize and repair.

Liu Jin’s Qi rises. Nine-Headed Snake God’s Veins pulse within him as he seeks to harmonize his Qi with that of the disciple. Although complex, the underlying principle is the same as when he refines ingredients. He just has to match the properties of his Qi to that of the disciple’s. By doing so, Liu Jin’s Qi slithers into the disciples’ meridians without encountering the slightest resistance.

He closes his eyes.

One. Four. Nineteen. Thirty-Eight.

Seventy-Five.

The disciple’s dantian is currently broken in seventy-five pieces.

Sweat shines on Liu Jin’s face and falls down onto the disciple’s body. As it does, Liu Jin’s Qi gently wraps around each fragment of his dantian. With it in such a fragile state, he needs to be extremely gentle. If he is too rough, he’ll just shatter the dantian further. However, if he is too slow, the dantian will break beyond repair. There is no room for error.

Quickly yet carefully.

Firmly yet softly.

One by one, Liu Jin brings each piece of the man’s shattered dantian back together. His hand blurs as he does this, moving the Dragon Bone Needles to target new acupoints as necessary, pushing more of his Qi into the disciple to further stabilize him.

Only twenty-five seconds pass, yet they feel like twenty-five hours to Liu Jin. By the time Liu Jin finally takes his hands away from the disciple, he is tired, dazed, and covered in sweat. Without a doubt, he is an unsightly spectacle.

Yet, he manages to maintain a respectful posture as he kneels before Ruan Goutin.

“My lord, I have stabilized this man’s condition. However, the damage to his dantian is still not fully repaired.”

It is Liu Jin’s Qi and the Dragon Bone Needles that are keeping the disciple’s dantian whole right now. He is no longer sixty seconds away from losing his cultivation, yet that can easily change.

“To fully heal him I’ll need—”

“You are a doctor, are you not? I have asked you to heal that man. If you cannot, I have nothing to say to you and nothing to offer you.”

It takes all Liu Jin has not to react to that. Rage burns within him, almost breaking to the surface.

“...Of course, my lord. Forgive my foolishness. I will finish the task my lord was kind enough to bestow upon me.”

Liu Jin does his best to keep his face blank as he reaches for his spatial pouch. He did not want to reveal it like this, yet there is little choice. His mind carefully goes over every item within the bag and settles on the one which will be most useful for this.

Spring Copper Leaves.

A rare ingredient that can only be harvested once every hundred years found only in a few areas of the Crimson Cloud Empire. In theory, this should help properly fuse all the pieces of the disciple’s dantian back together. Liu Jin has never tried anything like this before, but he’s confident it will work.

Hopefully.

Liu Jin takes the leaves out as well as a tea kettle and a burner. It must be an odd sight to be sure, a young child making tea in the middle of a throne room while all eyes are on him and the wounded man next to him.

Liu Jin ignores it all.

Once he is done, he gently lifts the man’s head and feeds the tea to him—one sip, then two, then more. Once the cup is empty, Liu Jin fills it again and repeats the process. He does this until the disciple has drunk all the tea.

By the third cup, the results start becoming apparent to Liu Jin’s senses. When the tea is finished, Liu Jin feels confident enough to remove the Dragon Bone Needles. The disciple gasps in surprise. His eyes look at him with wonder.

“My lord, you have asked, and I have obeyed. He needs to be cautious for the next few months and make sure to drink Spirit Leaf Tea once every week. However, his dantian is repaired.”

“Is that so?”

Ruan Goutin places one of his elbows on the armrest of his throne. He looks at the disciple with a measuring gaze.

“Stand up.”

Though still in pain, the disciple does so.

“Raise your Qi.”

Liu Jin’s eyes widen. “My lord, to do that so soon after—”

The disciple flares his Qi, letting it fill the room with the might of someone in the True Realm.

“Enough.”

The Qi dissipates. The disciple collapses to his knees, panting. Liu Jin is immediately at his side. Flaring his Qi seems not to have damaged the disciple’s dantian. Still, doing something like that was reckless.

“You are indeed a great doctor,” Ruan Goutin says. “Far better than the pretenders who have stood before me. Very well, I shall grant you the honor of serving me. However, not today. You have already proven yourself. I shall allow you to stay the night so that you may recover your energy. Tomorrow, we shall talk.” To one of the disciples, he says, “Go. Take him to one of the guest rooms. Show him our hospitality.”

Knowing a dismissal when he hears one, Liu Jin stands up and lets the disciples guide him out of the throne room.

He feels Ruan Goutin’s eyes on him every step of the way.

~~~

“Am I to understand this is where I will be staying?”

Bemusement is perhaps not the most appropriate emotion for the situation. Yet, it is bemusement that Liu Jin feels right now. He casts his gaze towards the disciple who has guided him to his new quarters. The disciple stares back at him, stone-faced, yet Liu Jin can detect some discomfort there, and with good reason. The room he has been brought to is…

It is a cell.

There is no point in calling it anything else. There are no metal bars anywhere to be seen, but it is most certainly a cell. It is a plain, stone-colored room with no windows and barely any space for the tiny bed in it. Right now, its sturdy door is open, but Liu Jin is pretty sure that will change once he walks in. The lock can only be closed or opened from the outside.

“Doubtlessly, the hospitality of the Eternal Raging Valley is far too refined for my mind to comprehend it.”

That gets a reaction, though a small one. A momentary flush of shame appears on the disciple’s face. It vanishes quickly, replaced by a glare.

“Will Ren He be alright?”

“The disciple? Of course, he will. I said it, didn’t I? As long as he follows the instructions I gave him, he will make a full recovery.”

The disciple keeps his eyes on Liu Jin’s face for a while. Whatever he finds there, it is seemingly satisfactory as he relaxes slightly.

“Thank you. Ren He and I joined this branch at the same time. It would have been a great tragedy if he had lost his cultivation.”

As the disciple speaks, it occurs to Liu Jin that Ruan Goutin may not have believed in Ren He’s recovery. That is most likely why he is being made to stay here. To make sure Ren He’s condition will not suddenly grow worse in a few hours.

“There is no need to thank me. I am a doctor. I only did what was expected of me. How could I allow someone to be crippled in front of me? Although... I guess Branch Master Ruan certainly would allow such a thing to happen.”

The way the disciple flinches tells Liu Jin all he needs to know. There was no one waiting there in case he failed. There was no magical cure.

Ruan Goutin truly had gambled with the life of a member of his own Sect.

“You say very dangerous words.” The disciple shoots him a warning glare. “It would be wise to avoid speaking carelessly here. One never knows what Branch Master Ruan may hear.”

Liu Jin steps into the cell and sits on the bed. The tips of his shoes almost touch the wall.

“Apologies. I will be sure to heed your words.”

“See that you do.” The disciple is about to close the door when Liu Jin’s voice stops him.

“May I ask what happened to the doctors who failed Branch Master Ruan’s test?”

There is a small pause before the disciple answers.

“They were not lucky enough to be shown this room.”

Liu Jin closes his eyes. “I see.”

It is a possibility Liu Jin had considered, but to have it confirmed… what a pity.

“Am I the first one to be shown this room then?”

“The fourth,” replies the disciple. “Though whether you will be the first to return to it after Branch Master Ruan calls on you is not something I can say.”

“And my servant? Is he being treated similarly?”

“Your servant is exactly that, yours. So long as you keep pleasing Branch Master Ruan, there will be no reason to do anything to him.”

“I see. You have my thanks.”

The door is closed, the lock secured. The echo of the disciple’s steps grows fainter until Liu Jin cannot hear it anymore. Even so, Liu Jin waits a few more minutes. He waits and waits.

And sighs.

His whole body sags as Liu Jin lets out the biggest sigh of his life. He has felt more emotion during the past minutes than he has in the past week. Liu Jin places both hands on his forehead and retreats further into the bed.

This is not good.

The plan had been a simple one. Call Branch Master Ruan’s attention and be invited to the local branch of the Eternal Raging Valley. There, he would be able to offer his services. To Liu Jin, the problem with Branch Master Ruan was already obvious.

He is wounded.

It wasn’t just the way he was dragging the city’s doctors to his Sect that betrayed him. During the auction, Branch Master Ruan never once flared his Qi to scare away the other bidders and merely chose to rely on the Eternal Raging Valley’s reputation.

The Earth Realm Dragon Core would normally be useless to someone in the Emperor Realm unless he was buying it for someone else or planning on using it to create medicine. Similarly, all the items Branch Master Ruan acquired during the second auction had medical applications.

Liu Jin is fairly sure he is not the only one to figure this out. He is just the only one who decided to do something about it. It is why he made the Pill of Bliss. It was the perfect item to test his theory. An Emperor-class cultivator like Branch Master Ruan would not benefit much from the boost it would give to his cultivation. However, if he were suffering from an ailment, it’d be a different story. Branch Master Ruan would then want to know where he could acquire more.

It just seemed natural at the time. By treating Branch Master Ruan, he’d be able to stop the other doctors in the city from being taken, and Branch Master Ruan would probably free the ones he had captured once he was well.

However, the situation is far worse than Liu Jin had imagined.

While Patriarch Xiao Zheng had certainly allowed Outer Disciples to be placed in situations where they could come to harm, he had never gone out of his way to actually damage them so irrevocably like Branch Master Ruan had done. The level of callousness and cruelty he had shown had been outside Liu Jin’s expectations.

Liu Jin had expected to deal with someone callous and arrogant yet sane enough to act in his own best interests. Branch Master Ruan is most certainly not that. He hides it well, but Liu Jin is pretty sure Branch Master Ruan is far less in control of himself than Patriarch Yun Peng ever had been. He is a danger to himself and everyone around him.

Crushing people without care… just like…

Liu Jin shakes his head, trying to break away from the emotions suddenly threatening to overwhelm him. Why is it like this now? Certainly, he had been getting better as things calmed down, but now...

No, it’s no use thinking about that. Keep calm. He needs to keep calm. Though precarious, Liu Jin’s situation is not as bad as it could be. He has proved his skills to Branch Master Ruan. Tomorrow, he’ll probably be called to the throne room once more. He just needs to wait, and then he’ll… He’ll...

...

Just what is he doing here?

~~~