Wang Zen was walking toward a room they had set aside for the healer to use as an operation room. He was flanked by his mother, Ding Wu with Jao taking the rear. Shibi as always was on his shoulders.

“Will your friends be making an appearance?” Wang Lin said.

“Yes,” Zen said. “They’ll come in la little later. Hopefully by then the operation will be done and I’ll be back to full health.”

“Yes,” Jao said, “Or we would have wasted a lot of money for no reason.”

Zen stopped himself from scoffing. If the operation failed, the money was not what he was worried about, he was worried that if it did fail, he would die.

Ding Wu opened the door to let them in and followed behind Jao.

Miss Xing was waiting in the room. She had drawn markings and ruins on the floor, around a bed.

“You are here, good.” She said. “Now we can begin the operation.” She looked at the others with a frown. “Sadly, I am going to need you all to wait outside. The operation is very sensitive and I will need all the focus I can get.”

Jao scoffed, “You sure you do not want us outside so we can’t gleam the technique you are using? Scared you may lose business.”

“Papa!” Wang Lin warned.

Miss Xing simply smiled. “I assure you, Mr. Jao, this technique is pretty difficult to understand, even if you were a Wood Elementalist.”

Jao groaned.

Wang Lin looked at the healer. “Please, take care of him.” She said, rubbing Zen’s head. “Shibi, come. You heard the lady.”

Shibi rubbed his head affectionally against Zen’s before walking up Wang Lin’s arm and resting on her shoulder.

“See you on the other side, Kiddo.”

Zen smiled. “See you, Mom. See you. Shibi.”

They left the room, leaving him alone with Miss Xing.

“Please, Master Wang, have a seat.” Miss Xing gestured to the bed.

Zen sat down.

“Here, please take this.” Miss Xing presented him with a large brown pill.

Zen took the brown pill. “In one swallow?”

“As impressive as that sounds, I’d suggest you smash it in your mouth before swallowing it.” She said. “Don’t chew too much though.”

Zen did as he was asked.

“It should take some time for it to take effect.” She said. “In the meantime, do you mind telling me what you want to do when you grow up, Wang Zen?”

Zen shrugged. “I’ve always been impressed by my Father and how he makes weapons. I’ve always wanted to be as skilled as he was in making weapons and items.”

“Why do I sense a but in there?”

“Seems I can only be a smith if I get a metal element.” Zen sadly said. “And since its all random, it seems to be useless to want to do anything before you get that power.”

“Hmm… that makes sense.”

“Did you always want to be a healer?”

Xing shook her head no. “To be honest, I never wanted to be much of anything when I was your age. I lucked into this role and if I focused on it when I was younger, I would be a better healer. Though there’s wisdom in tempering your expectations, I don’t think that should be a reason to not have any.”

“What do you mean?”

She thought for a moment. “Take being a healer for example. What would be needed to be a healer, even an average one? I would say a solid knowledge in herbs and plants and methods for preparing pills and potions. One does not need to have the Wood Elemental for those, sure the power could increase the speed of which the plant grow and improve the properties that make them effective ingredients for pills and potions but it isn’t a requirement.”

“I never thought about it like that.”

“Yes, I mean, the second most famous Healer isn’t even a Wood Elementalist, they are a Metal Elementalist.” She said. “If you go North, you will find a sect of healers who are Lightning Elementalists.”

“What?” Zen said in surprise.

She nodded. “They understand how the body work and apply their own energy to it. They use it to restart hearts that have stopped breathing, revive dead and paralysed limbs and…” She looked at Zen.

Zen was swaying to and fro, the lids of his eye drooping low.

Miss Xing went to him and guided him to lie down on the bed.

“Hmm… my family.” Zen said.

“They’re waiting outside.”

“My…” Zen’s eyes drooped closed, “…friends?”

Wang Lin paced up and down outside his door. Then she stopped as in the fringes of the door a green light shown out.

“Please… be okay.” Lin said, clasping her hands.

In the town, Yin Zheng and Jun Nee were making their way to the mansion. They were running along the streets.

“We’re late, Jun Nee.” Zheng said.

“I’m sorry.” She said, holding a pot plant in her hand. “I really thought this would be a nice gift for Zen and I could not just leave it.”

Zheng stopped. Jun Nee almost crashed into him.

“Zheng’er? Why did you st-“ she looked out and saw the reason.

There were two older teenagers blocking their path. Jun Nee recognised them as the two friends who had accompanied Li Yue during the party at the City Lord’s mansion.

“There you are,” the skinny boy said. “We were starting to think we would not find you.”

“What do you want?” Zheng said.

“You stole something of ours, of the Ling family.” The well built one said. “We want it back.”

“The sword,” Zheng said under his breath, however, Jun Nee heard him.

“What, the Zenjun sword?” she said. “He won that fair and square!”

“You people are trash. Dirt! You don’t deserve anything.” The well-built one continued.

“You will give us the sword back.” The skinny one said as they both brought out contracts. “Or you will pay.”

They both opened the contracts and activated it. Four lights shone into existence, forming shapes before fully appearing. From the three lights came three big dogs, beneath their black fur were muscles that twitched with every movement and they bared their white teeth, where saliva was dripping off their fangs.

The other light formed into an adult sized hawk. It flapped its wings and took off into the air, sending dust everywhere and making even Zheng and Jun Nee’s clothes flutter from the air.

The two boys smirked at Zheng and Jun Nee.

“You will give us the sword back, or our beasts will rip you apart!”