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028 Healing Hand
🕑 Added 2025-02-21 10:36:51 +0000 UTCIt was a mess.
I had not expected it to turn out like this.
Elder Pan Xia did not linger. The instant Jia Yun collapsed, he bolted from his seat—rushing from the VIP section to the arena floor below. His reaction was almost comical in its delay, as if he had only just remembered his duty as an Elder at the last possible moment, panic overriding his initial shock.
I couldn't fault him.
The weight of realization must have struck him like a hammer.
Being hit by Divine Possession probably left him disoriented.
The crowd stirred as he descended, murmurs rippling through the stands like wind over water.
"The Elder of the Cloud Mist Sect is moving!"
"Elder Pan Xia himself has stepped in—"
The whispers swelled as Pan Xia crouched beside Jia Yun, his hands suffused with a faint spiritual radiance as he examined her injuries. His expression twisted—whether from genuine concern or lingering disbelief, I could not tell.
I let my gaze sweep across the audience. Awe, curiosity, unease—all mixed together at the sight of an Elder of one of the Three Major Sects taking personal action.
Strange.
In LLO, healers were never given such reverence.
I turned to Chang Fan. “How are healers regarded in this land?”
Chang Fan blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Master? Uuh… They are highly respected. But the degree of reverence differs from one cultivation lineage to another.”
Interesting.
I turned to Ren Jin. “Lord Ren, what would Elder Pan think if I were to offer my assistance?”
Before he could answer, Long Xieren scoffed. “You would offer a treasure for free to an outsider? What? Heal the lass with an elixir? I never though my fellow Daoist is such a magnanimous man.”
I rolled my eyes. “I am a somewhat capable healer. I may know a technique or two.”
Ren Jin studied me for a moment before nodding. “Elder Pan would not refuse.”
I glanced at Pan Xia again. From the way his fingers pressed down on Jia Yun’s meridians with careful precision, I half expected him to start a long-winded explanation about how he had sealed certain pathways, suppressed her internal injuries, and applied some profound first-aid technique.
“What made you think Pan Xia’s a healer?” Long Xieren snorted. “The Cloud Mist disciple simply overreached. Had she known her limits, she would not have ended up like this.”
So that was a no, then.
A misconception on my part.
Long Xieren, of course, did not have the full picture.
Regardless, I should offer my aid. I bore some responsibility for this outcome, though the fault did not ultimately lie with me.
Down in the arena, medics hurried onto the stage, carefully lifting Jia Yun onto a stretcher while Pan Xia followed in silence. His expression was unreadable—likely still trying to process what had just transpired.
I turned to Ren Jin. “Before I go and offer my aid, surely none of you have forgotten about the bet?”
Ren Jin smiled knowingly and raised a hand. “I accept my defeat with grace.” At his signal, an attendant stepped forward, presenting a small container. Inside, carefully separated into compartments, lay three distinct treasures.
Long Xieren smirked. “Congratulations on your victory, fellow Daoist.”
I took my time inspecting the spoils—one could never be too cautious with cultivators.
Nether Ghost Flames? Check. A swirling mass of eerie blue fire, flickering ominously within a jade vial.
Molten Black Steel? Check. A dense lump of jet-black metal, radiating faint waves of heat.
True Royal Divine? …Check. A pristine flower sealed in an ornate bottle, its petals shifting in hypnotic patterns.
Satisfied, I pocketed my winnings into my Item Box.
Just as the last of the medics carried Jia Yun away, Enforcer Liang Na’s voice rang across the arena.
“The victor—Fan Shi!”
I didn’t look back.
Xianxia medbays were nothing like the sterile halls of LLO.
There were no beeping monitors, no antiseptic odors, no harsh fluorescent lights. Instead, the air was thick with the scent of medicinal incense, while glowing talismans fluttered gently on the walls, casting a warm illumination. The room itself was a fusion of wood and jade, the beds carved from spirit-enhancing materials designed to accelerate healing.
Finding Jia Yun took no effort—I simply extended my Divine Sense.
The skill was evolving faster than I had expected, becoming something far more potent than a simple awareness technique. I was beginning to rely on it more than I should.
Jia Yun was the only patient in the facility, lying unconscious in a bed encircled by a formation pulsing with healing energy.
Pan Xia stood at her bedside.
“If it isn’t Senior Da,” he said without turning. “Have you come to gloat?”
I raised an eyebrow. “I am not so crass.”
At last, he turned to face me, his gaze sharp and piercing. “Was it you?”
Ah. No way in hell I was admitting to that.
But he seemed convinced.
I kept my expression unreadable, already mapping out an escape route in my mind. Gu Jie’s counsel had been thorough—I knew exactly where to go if things turned ugly.
Then, just as suddenly, Pan Xia’s hostility drained away. He sighed, rubbing his temples.
“Never mind,” he muttered. “In the end, the Riverfall Continent is just a small world for experts like you.”
So he had fully acknowledged my strength now.
I changed the subject. “How is she?”
Pan Xia let out a sharp breath. “Terrible. Her meridians are ruptured, her foundation damaged. She may never recover fully.” His fingers curled into a fist. “All because of my greed. When I return, the Sect Master will likely cripple my cultivation.”
I blinked.
No way. He suddenly became this subservient?
Yeah. This guy was done for.
It was surprising how calm he was, though. My impression of cultivators—shaped by tropes—was rather one-sided and, frankly, unflattering. I had expected Pan Xia to be raging right about now, venting his frustration on the nearest unfortunate mortal.
But instead, he just stood there, resigned.
I turned to Jia Yun.
She looked… vulnerable.
The raging force of a three-tailed berserker was nowhere to be seen. Now, she was just a girl, unconscious on a bed, her face pale, her body unnervingly still. Her breathing was shallow, and despite the healing formation enveloping her, her qi flow remained chaotic.
I studied Pan Xia again.
I had a principle—or maybe just a habit—of trying to see the good in people. Pan Xia was no exception. Perhaps it was naïve, but it was also human nature. No one saw themselves as the villain of their own story, right?
The same went for me.
And yet, as I reflected on how careless I had been, I resolved to do better. Next time, I wouldn’t be so hasty. Next time, I would exercise forethought.
I sighed.
It was strange, really. I had been in this xianxia world for over half a week, and I had yet to kill a single person.
I had expected bloodshed at every corner. Murder hoboes running rampant. Unfathomable experts slaughtering mortals with a flick of their sleeves. But perhaps I had been looking in the wrong place.
With the power I wielded, I could do more than just kill.
I met Pan Xia’s gaze. “How about a deal, Elder Pan?”
He hummed, looking weary. “Hmmm…? Unfortunately, I no longer hold any influence in my Sect. The only way to redeem myself was to win the auction. But now, that is impossible, for the Nether Ghost Flames I had prepared are already in your hands.”
“Frankly, you have nothing that I want,” I admitted. “This ‘deal’ is more of a… social experiment. Let’s call it that.”
Pan Xia’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of deal?”
I gestured toward Jia Yun. “I will heal this girl—though I make no promises of success. However, if I do succeed, you must swear never to cheat again.”
He blinked, confusion flickering across his face. He was probably wondering how I intended to enforce such a thing.
I continued before he could object. “I possess a skill that allows me to detect falsehoods with near certainty.” I smiled. “Who knows? We may cross paths again.”
Pan Xia’s expression was unreadable. He hesitated. “That is of no benefit to you…”
“True,” I admitted, shrugging. “That’s why I’m also willing to accept payment—preferably a cultivation technique for reference. I’ve grown curious about the methods of this continent.”
Pan Xia studied me carefully. He likely didn’t fully believe my claim about lie detection, but he seemed to think there was no harm in humoring me.
Sadly for him, I did have the means.
All hail Divine Sense. It had served me well in PvE, sniffing out hostile NPCs and hidden monsters. Now, it was proving useful in ways I had never imagined.
Still, Pan Xia was wary.
Good. He’d better be…
In truth, this wasn’t really about Pan Xia.
Establishing a pretense of friendship was just a convenient excuse.
The person I was truly befriending here—if anyone—was Jia Yun.
After all, she was the one receiving my healing.
And, if I was being honest with myself, guilt played no small part in this decision. I had enabled the betting, nudged things toward this outcome. Now, I was cleaning up my own mess.
Elder Pan gave me a small nod.
That was all the permission I needed.
I raised a hand, golden light gathering on my palm before slowly suffusing into Jia Yun. The glow pulsed gently, sinking into her broken body like the first rays of dawn piercing the darkness.
With our level difference, this much should be easy.
“Cure.”
No health bars to check. No floating numbers ticking down. No UI indicator flashing success.
But I didn’t need them.
Jia Yun’s complexion brightened ever so slightly. Her ragged breathing evened out.
I spammed Cure a few more times, watching the glow ripple from my palm with each cast, until I felt satisfied.
“This is… incredible.” Pan Xia’s eyes widened. “I’ve met healers from the main continent who could mend wounds with a wave of their hand, but never with such speed.”
“I humbly accept your praise.” I smirked, then added, “It’s a healing spell that draws upon the natural vitality of the recipient and the belief of the caster to empower the restoration.”
In other words, magic.
And magic had no rhyme or reason.
Pan Xia bent down, pressing two fingers against Jia Yun’s wrist to check her pulse. His brows furrowed, then slowly relaxed.
“Her meridians are still in a terrible state, but she will heal.” He exhaled, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Senior Da, you have my gratitude.”
The old man cupped his fists and bowed.
I didn’t return the gesture.
He still pissed me off.
But deep down, I knew the truth.
I shared a good portion of the blame for what happened.
