Recently, her mother had suddenly fallen seriously ill and become bedridden.
According to what Chen Wen had learned, Jiang Nannan’s mother’s condition could only be effectively treated with something as rare and difficult to obtain as the Xuanwu Divine Pill.
What a stroke of luck.
He had found exactly what he needed without even looking for it.
If a single pill was enough to make that beautiful young girl agree willingly, then this was an incredibly worthwhile deal.
Heh heh heh…
…
“Mom, how are you feeling?”
Inside a small house, a blonde woman lay flat on the bed.
Her face was deathly pale, with barely any vitality left in her.
The girl named Jiang Nannan had already gone several days without sleep.
Her mother’s condition had not been nearly this serious before.
But one day after Jiang Nannan returned from Shrek, her mother had suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed.
Ever since her mother fell ill, Jiang Nannan had gone everywhere seeking doctors and buying all kinds of medicinal herbs, nearly exhausting all the money she had managed to save since entering Shrek.
Even so, her mother showed no sign of improvement.
Jiang Nannan was so anxious that tears had begun streaming down her face.
“It’s going to be okay, Mom.
You’ll definitely be fine.
And there’s still that Xuanwu Divine Pill the doctor mentioned.
As long as the Mysterious Underworld Sect is willing to give it to us, no matter what price I have to pay…”
…
Jiang Nannan stepped out of her house.
The corners of her eyes were still faintly red, and her damp eyelashes clung together in delicate strands.
“Oh, Nannan.
How is your mother doing?”
The one speaking was Auntie Li, who lived nearby.
“Auntie Li, my mom still hasn’t recovered, but I have a few leads now.
Thank you for asking.”
“Oh, we’re neighbors.
No need to be so formal.”
Auntie Li smiled and casually waved her hand.
“I was just thinking that if you’ve run out of options, you could try that newly opened clinic.
That Divine Healer was the one who saved Xiao Tian’s father’s leg.”
“All the other clinics said it had to be amputated, but he treated it in no time at all.
Xiao Tian’s father is already back on his feet now.”
“And his fees are incredibly low too.
If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was only treating some minor injury, haha…”
“I see.
Thank you for telling me, Auntie Li.
I’ll go take a look.”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing…”
…
Jiang Nannan now stood outside the clinic, staring at its somewhat “simple” appearance and the wooden sign that read “Cure-All.”
Auntie Li wouldn’t lie to me…
right?
The moment she stepped inside, the sound of a zither drifted toward her.
Clear and melodious, it flowed like a mountain spring winding around stones, soft and lingering as each note gently entered her ears and soothed the agitation in her heart.
This piece of music could actually calm a person’s mind.
Could this Divine Healer really be one of those legendary hidden masters?
In the back room, Huo Yuhao was playing a piece he had only begun practicing a few days ago.
In one of the novels he had read, someone had been able to kill using nothing but a musical instrument by condensing Soul Power into it.
Huo Yuhao could not do that himself, but if he infused one of his skills into the music, it seemed he could achieve a similar effect.
Under the moonlight, he would sit alone in a bamboo grove, quietly playing while enemies surrounded him, all there to claim his life.
Then, after a single piece, every last one of them would be reduced to ashes.
Just imagining it made him feel incredibly impressive.
And he had gone through quite a lot just to get his hands on a secondhand zither.
“Sis, could you sell this zither to me a little cheaper?
I really like it, but I’m still a bit short on Soul Coins…”
At the time, Huo Yuhao had put on his most pitiful expression, widening his eyes as much as possible while staring at the proprietress of the general store.
“Of course I can, you adorable little brother.
Make sure you come by often!”
Clearly, the proprietress had fallen for his charm.
…
Unfortunately, for now, he could only experiment using the ability of his right eye.
If he accidentally used the other one and demolished the clinic…
Just as Huo Yuhao was lost in his imagination, a knock sounded at the door.
“Um, is Senior here?”
Only after the music had stopped for a while did Jiang Nannan gently knock, afraid of disturbing the master inside.
The door suddenly opened.
Jiang Nannan looked up, but saw no one.
“That’s insulting.”
The one standing in front of Jiang Nannan was a young boy with short, tousled light blue hair.
His face was small and youthful, his body somewhat slender and frail, and a pair of large, pure blue eyes were staring directly at her.
“Cute little brother?
Is the Divine Healer inside?
I came here seeking treatment.”
“…”
“I’m the doctor of this clinic.
My surname is Huo.
Because I hope there will be fewer illnesses and hardships in this world, you can call me Huo Qubing.
If you don’t want to call me by name, Doctor Huo is fine too.”
“Huo Qubing?
Doctor Huo?”
Jiang Nannan still had not quite recovered from the shock and was trying to process what she had just heard.
A child this young was the Divine Healer?
Could he possess some kind of High Level Martial Soul?
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
Huo Yuhao directly interrupted Jiang Nannan’s thoughts and got straight to the point.
Jiang Nannan quickly explained the situation to him.
“Doctor, please, you have to save my mother.
The other doctors said she only has a few days left…”
The more she spoke, the less she could control herself.
Tears began spilling from her eyes without warning.
Seeing Jiang Nannan break down in front of him, Huo Yuhao immediately realized how serious the situation was.
He hurriedly closed the clinic and had Jiang Nannan lead the way.
The two then headed to her home together.
…
Huo Yuhao used his Spiritual Power to examine Jiang Nannan’s mother’s current condition.
“It’s very serious.
Your mother seems to have a problem with her heart.”
“Then, Doctor, my mother…”
Jiang Nannan’s heart sank again when she heard that.
He had identified the source of the problem with a single examination.
If even he could do nothing…
“The chances of success aren’t very high, but I’ll do everything I can.
If you trust me, wait outside for now.
And don’t try to sense what’s happening in here.
All right?”
“Really…?
Don’t worry, Doctor.
I’ll do exactly what you say!”
Even though Jiang Nannan was conflicted, there was finally an opportunity in front of her.
At the very least, there was still a chance of success.
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Nannan immediately left the room, afraid that even a moment’s delay might interfere with her mother’s treatment.
…
Only two people remained inside.
“Spirit Eyes: Eye of the Azure Ruins.”
Following the flow of his Soul Power, Huo Yuhao sensed Jiang Nannan’s mother’s heart.
Her heart failure was already severe.
He first had to use his ability to stabilize the foundation of her condition, then gradually make finer adjustments afterward.
The entire process demanded absolute concentration.
One minute passed.
Then two…
The atmosphere inside the room was tense, but Jiang Nannan outside was just as anxious.
Those few short minutes seemed longer than several years, and she unconsciously held her breath.
“You can come in now.”
Huo Yuhao’s voice seemed like a clear spring that instantly pulled Jiang Nannan back to her senses.
In the next instant, she rushed inside.
Her eyes filled with tears as she saw that a faint trace of color had already returned to her mother’s face.
Excitement surged through her, but when she opened her mouth, she found herself unable to say anything.
“From now on, she’ll need to come to my clinic every day for treatment.
Today’s treatment only stabilized her condition.
If you want her to recover faster, she’ll need additional treatment.”
Huo Yuhao’s voice trembled slightly.
He was completely drained and was sitting in a chair.
“Doctor Huo…”
Looking at Huo Yuhao, who seemed as though he might collapse at any moment, Jiang Nannan did not know what to say.
Overcome with emotion, she suddenly wrapped her arms around him.
Huo Yuhao was pulled into Jiang Nannan’s embrace.
Her tears soaked through his clothes, while a faint, delicate fragrance from her hair and clothes lingered around his nose, making the tips of his ears burn.
“Doctor Huo, thank you so much.
Whatever the price is, just name it.”
“Oh?
In that case…
I’ll take one billion Gold Soul Coins.”
“One billion?!”
Jiang Nannan was clearly terrified by the number.
Even if she sold herself, she would never be worth that much.
“I-I’ll spend my entire life paying you back!”
Jiang Nannan was already calculating how many extra jobs she would have to take on to repay such a debt.
“Of course I was joking.
Just treat me to meals while your mother is undergoing treatment.
And since you’re a student at Shrek, how about teaching me Cultivation too?”
Huo Yuhao blinked and gave her a mischievous smile.
Yet that smile from the young boy became deeply engraved in the girl’s memory.