Chapter Twenty-Five: The Strange Youth

“No wonder Master never told me the method of treatment!” Lei Yan shook his head with a smile. From the contents of the jade pendant, he could deduce that there was no fixed way to heal atrophied meridians; the only principle was ruthless discipline towards oneself and a will of iron.

“Ruthless discipline towards oneself?” Lei Yan gave a wry laugh. “That sounds suspiciously like self-harm!”

“This place is like a library—it would be such a waste not to make good use of it.” Abandoning his previous thoughts, Lei Yan gazed at the jade pendants on the wall, then casually picked up the nearest one to read.

As time passed, Lei Yan lost count of how many jade pendants he had changed through. It was only when he could no longer bear his hunger that he finally left the secret chamber in search of something to eat. But as he stepped out, he was taken aback. The thatched hut was the same as before, but there were now more than a dozen people in the courtyard—men and women, young and old—all facing toward an eastern hut.

Lei Yan followed their gaze. Inside the hut sat a middle-aged man in a blue robe and cloth cap, facing a woman, beside whom stood a man supporting her.

“I thought it was that old man,” Lei Yan muttered to himself.

“Gate Master!”

At that moment, a man holding a broom walked up to Lei Yan and greeted him respectfully.

A middle-aged man addressing a boy of about ten as “Gate Master” was a bizarre sight, drawing the attention of many in the courtyard to Lei Yan.

“And you are?” Lei Yan asked curiously, puzzled as to why, before entering the secret chamber, there had been no one here, yet upon emerging, the place was filled with people—and someone had even called him Gate Master.

“I am a second-generation disciple of the Ghost Doctor Sect, my name is Mo Yu,” the middle-aged man answered respectfully.

Seeing Lei Yan’s confusion, Mo Yu continued, “Master instructed me to wait here for your return.”

The man in the blue robe in the eastern hut seemed to notice the commotion as well. After a few words to the woman, he stood up and walked toward Lei Yan.

“Master!”

As Mo Yu saw the man in blue approach, he greeted him respectfully.

“Gate Master, I am Sun Ji, a first-generation disciple of the Ghost Doctor Sect…” Sun Ji bowed as he spoke.

“Wait!” Lei Yan waved his hand to interrupt. “What’s this about Gate Master? What’s going on? Explain yourselves first!”

“Back to your work!” Sun Ji instructed Mo Yu, then turned to Lei Yan and said, “Gate Master, Grandmaster told me about Master’s decision yesterday. Since Master has entrusted the Ghost Doctor Sect to you, I must, of course, obey his wishes.”

“Grandmaster? That must have been the old man from yesterday! So… that makes him the Ghost Poisoner!” Lei Yan was secretly astonished. Since Xue Dan had left the Ghost Doctor Sect to him before dying, he saw no reason to refuse. “Very well, tell me about the current state of the Ghost Doctor Sect.”

“You’ve seen it yourself—this is all that’s left. As for disciples, there are only two—yourself and me…” Sun Ji was about to continue when Lei Yan’s stomach gave a loud rumble. Sun Ji couldn’t help but laugh. “Gate Master, why don’t you eat something first? We can talk later.”

“Mo Yu, take the Gate Master to get something to eat,” Sun Ji instructed the man sweeping nearby.

“Yes, Master!” Mo Yu put down his broom and hurried to Lei Yan’s side. “Gate Master, please follow me.”

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lei Yan emerged, clutching his belly after wolfing down his meal. Most of the people in the courtyard had already left, but a youth in a white short robe caught Lei Yan’s attention. The young man had been standing in the same spot since Lei Yan left the secret chamber, and even now, after Lei Yan had eaten his fill, the youth hadn’t moved—not even his posture seemed to have changed.

Lei Yan rarely saw such perseverance in anyone. Curious, he asked Mo Yu, “They must be here seeking treatment, right?”

“Yes, Gate Master!” Mo Yu nodded.

“What’s the story with that one?” Lei Yan pointed to the youth in the white robe.

Mo Yu followed his gaze and sighed, “That’s Dong Jiu, a hunter’s son from a village on the other side of the mountain. His parents were murdered, and he himself is unable to cultivate any inner strength, so he came here seeking a cure! But Master has already examined him—his affliction is untreatable.”

“He wants revenge too? And his body can’t cultivate inner strength either?” In a flash, Lei Yan saw himself reflected in Dong Jiu, and could not help but feel a pang of emotion.

“It’s been three whole years! He has never changed. Master already told him there’s no cure, but he refuses to give up. Every morning, he comes here on time, and leaves at noon—perhaps because he knows we’re not here in the afternoons,” Mo Yu said, with a hint of sympathy in his voice.

“What he needs isn’t sympathy—it’s a chance!” Lei Yan said coldly, striding toward Dong Jiu.

Dong Jiu stood motionless in the courtyard of the Ghost Doctor Sect, as he had so many times before. He himself didn’t know why he kept coming—perhaps it was a sliver of hope that refused to die, or perhaps the disappointment spurred him to train even harder each afternoon.

One by one, the others in the courtyard left. Dong Jiu looked up at the sky, knowing it was time for him to go again. With a heavy heart, he turned to leave—when a voice stopped him, a voice he would remember for the rest of his life.

“I think I can help you.”

Dong Jiu turned to see a boy his own age standing before him, clearly the source of the voice.

“You can help me?” Dong Jiu looked at Lei Yan, disbelief in his eyes.

“That’s right. I don’t know the specifics of your condition, and I can’t guarantee a cure, but I can give you a chance,” Lei Yan replied with confidence.

“Gate Master!” Mo Yu exclaimed in shock. He was astonished that Lei Yan would make such a claim without even knowing the illness.

Dong Jiu, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised. At Lei Yan’s words, his eyes lit up. All his life, he had struggled alone, without help or recognition. But today was different—Lei Yan’s words made him feel as if he had finally found a kindred spirit. He nodded. “I believe you! As long as you give me this chance, my life is yours.”

“Then your life is mine,” Lei Yan replied coldly.

“These two are really taking this too lightly!” Mo Yu stared at them, his eyes wide as saucers.

(P.S.: Dear friends, flowers, stamps, VIP subscriptions, and favorites—any support is my motivation to keep writing!)