Flash!
Runt’s camera momentarily blinded the injured Golden Serpent Sect disciple. As the photo came out of the camera, he waved the photo before taking a look at it. Seconds went by with Zhi and the injured youth staring at Runt. Runt slowly shook his head as a look of disappointment grew on Lei Zhi’s face.
“What does that mean?!” The boy was startled. “Am I going to be, okay? Can I live?!” Blood leaked from all over his body.
Jia Bao could be seen as an unfortunate youth. He entered the Endless Plains of Yin with a group of disciples that he never met before in an attempt to survive. His little group didn’t last more than two days before everything went to hell. That hell left him with a sword plunged through his gut, a single broken leg, and a hellish pain that made Jia Bao consider ending it all on multiple occasions.
If Jia Bao was being honest, he was about to end it all before this strange doctor and his friend’s apprentice showed up. His broken sword blade was held to his throat. The cold steel pressed to his neck, sweat dripping down his body and soaking his clothes. Suffering through that pain by swallowing recovery pills just to survive on the slightest chance that just maybe... someone that wasn’t a ghost would find him and help him.
Jia Bao wasn’t stupid. He knew better but at the same time, he couldn’t stop thinking about the smallest chance of his survival. Grabbing hold of the smallest glimmer of hope to survive... A small light of hope that might as well be the same as a flickering lantern in the night. Considering the people, he was hoping to save him came from the same sect as the people that robbed him and left him in this state. But it looks like Jia Bao’s lucky star shined bright when he was at his darkest moment.
“He looks like a terrible person. I’ll tell you what I see after you fix him up and ask him.” Runt told Lei Zhi.
“I wasn’t expecting much but it's still good to have clarification after all. Thanks, Runt.” Lei softly ruffled the boy’s hair who jerked his head away in response, unused to the kindness of adults.
“Before, I operate there is something that I request from all of my patients.” Lei Zhi’s tone turned serious.
“I’ll give you everything I own if you can save me...” Not that he owned much of anything anyway.
“I’m not some greedy hoarder. I have no urgent need for the things you are thinking about. All that I ask of you is to be a respectable person. Helping those in need when you have the ability, being respectful to others, sharing some of your unneeded wealth with the unfortunate. Do you believe you can do things like that after being saved by me?” Lei Zhi asked.
“I’ll do anything if you can really save me.” Was his response.
Lei Zhi crouched over the boy who he was amazed that lasted this long. His willpower was commendable and his body was in a horrible state from what he could see. He took out a single needle from the two pink needles that Jing rewarded him with. Helping this boy recover to his full strength and even further wasn’t a problem. It’d be incredibly painful but according to what he’s heard, cultivators would pay huge amounts of spirit stones just for the opportunity to be treated by him if he could improve their strength even just the smallest amount. Especially those ancient cultivators unable to take a single step further in their cultivation. Some might be willing to gift him mountains of spirit stones or actual spiritual mountain peaks!
Knowing just how unbelievable his worth was now was a little bit scary. Several months ago, Lei Zhi was just an insignificant Qi Gatherer that no one would spare a single thought about. Perhaps they would pity him, ignore him, or bully him. But not a single person would show him respect or kindness. Once information about his medical prowess begins to spread, people all across the continent will begin to seek him out. Maybe he would be hailed as a Righteous Healer of some sort but Lei Zhi didn’t want to leave his fate up to others.
“This might hurt a bit but I won’t let you die, alright? Trust in this old man.” Lei Zhi gave a warm smile.
Seeing the blind old man telling him to trust him was ridiculous in Jia Bao’s opinion. What sane person would believe such a thing from someone who’s blind? Most people wouldn’t trust a healer if they haven’t even heard of them! However, it wasn’t like Jia Bao had much of a choice. Either he dies from his injuries naturally or he lets this old man kill him. He’s already suffered through some horrible pain before, how much more could this actually hurt.
“Alright.” Jia Bao came to terms with his inevitable death. He closed his eyes and had a strained smile on his face as he gave his body to Lei Zhi. It looked like he was already a corpse if it wasn’t for the small rising of his chest.
Runt snickered while Lei Zhi restrained his smile. It wasn’t the first time someone doubted his abilities and it wouldn’t be the last. Lei Zhi ignored the boy submitting to a fate that he thought was death and started the surgery. His needle stabbed slowly and accurately. Jia Bao couldn’t help himself from screaming at first insertion. A sharp pain struck within his body like lightning and caused all of his nerves to explode in agony.
He tried jerking up and instinctively striking the old man but the only thing that happened when he rose up was an uncontrollable rising of something out of his throat. Jia Bao vomited some type of black liquid from his mouth that caused Runt to pinch his nose to spare himself from the vile smell coming from it. The injured youth then swooned backward as he felt like he just threw up most of his organs.
He couldn’t feel the inside of his stomach. Was this normal? What was that black stuff that just came out of his mouth? Did he somehow get poisoned too? Was that why the pain was so terrible? Jia Bao couldn’t understand anything except the fact that he felt absolutely terrible.
Then came the second insertion. Jia Bao’s body locked up without his control. Heat rose to his face as Lei Zhi’s finger gently poked at several places on his body. His finger glowed with qi and neither Jia Bao nor Runt understood what exactly he was doing by poking him. Jia Bao could only move his eyes and the pain faded away but for some reason, he could still feel things.
“The most painful part is already over. Now I just need to fix a few things so that you aren’t left with lasting injuries that’ll affect your future.” Lei Zhi smiled to reassure the youth.
And Jia Bao could feel his heart lighten up from that smile. This blind old man really did know what he was doing... He was going to survive... He was going to...
Runt noticed the guy passed out. He thought it was better for him now that he couldn’t see himself being worked on. Most people ask to be knocked out or put to sleep before being treated by Lei but there are certain times when it's urgent and that isn’t an option. He’s been traveling with Lei for days saving people left and right. His job was mainly to check how likely someone was to uphold their part of the payment for the treatment with his camera. By snapping a picture before and after, he could tell if they were truly grateful and likely to listen to Lei or were just thankful, he saved their life and would ignore his requests.
Lei has also been teaching him a few things so that if he was ever in trouble, he could help save his own life or another’s. Runt’s thoughts mainly lied in how to earn money with the skills. He didn’t care about making the world a better place, having them become kind people or anything like that. While he wouldn’t treat someone who was completely awful, his main focus would just be getting paid. Since he was once a beggar, Runt understood the importance of money and the hearts of people. In his eyes, Lei Zhi was naïve. People were selfish and only cared about their own needs and wants. Gratitude and paying back a debt meant nothing to them. They would only take advantage of Lei for his skills and remain unchanged in their behavior.
So far, they haven’t met a single person that was willing to pay up their side of the treatment inside the Endless Plains of Yin. But despite that, Lei Zhi’s eyes never wavered. While he would be disappointed, he didn’t let it affect his ideals. He simply continued and moved on in search of the first person that would. And that first person could perhaps inspire a second person. It would be a continuous motion that spread across the continent. But Runt thought that was nothing more than just wishful thinking. The only thing spreading across the continent about Lei Zhi would be his skills as a doctor and his ridiculously cheap price for treatment.
The treatment of Jia Bao didn’t take more than an hour. After his surgery, Lei Zhi requested Runt to take a photo of him. Runt didn’t refuse as he had no reason to. Only to shake his head once again. After receiving the shake, Lei Zhi poked the youth’s body several times with lightning-fast strikes, thinning his qi pathways and increasing the difficulty of his future cultivation. This way, even if he wishes to cause trouble, he’ll never become a giant in the cultivating world to continue his ways.
Lei Zhi and Runt then moved on to the next life signature nearby, leaving the youth behind with a small protective barrier around him from a talisman.
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AriaLong· Sep 9, 2021
