Dao of Healing - Chapter 157

The crowd were silent even once Feng Mei and Xiao Cui had shot to their feet

<< Chapter 156 | Index | Chapter 158 >>

The crowd were silent even once Feng Mei and Xiao Cui had shot to their feet, indicating that they’d finished their treatment and thus completed the final challenge of the healing competition. That was because from the crowd’s mortal perspective, the two girls had shot up at the same time.

Even to me, the difference had been so miniscule it was almost impossible to spot. In fact I’d thought at first the two girls had tied. However, as I ran the final moments through in my head I realised there was a slight discrepancy.

Despite that, I still wanted a second confirmation. I wouldn’t make this important of a decision based purely on my own senses, even knowing how precise they were.

I jumped up to the box. “What a spectacle that was! Facing four infections, three toxins, and a parasitic fungus, the disciples gave it their all to fight their inevitable deaths. All of them have succeeded, albeit some slower than others,” I announced, glancing at Zhang Wujin and Chen Jing who had managed to treat the mix of diseases and toxins, but slower than their competitors.

And with less efficiency. I would need to heal them both of the lingering remnants of disease once the competition was finalised and the first inner disciple announced.

“Disciple Feng and Disciple Xiao finished at almost the exact same time. However, there can only be one inner disciple emerging today! Despite appearances, one of these two disciples was actually a breath faster than the other. I have confirmed this with my own senses, but for the benefit of the crowds and the disciples in question I will use the recording stone to display the final moments in slow motion!”

This wasn’t simply for the crowd’s benefit. It was also for the sect. I doubted Feng Mei or Xiao Cui had been able to tell which of them was a hair faster and would develop a heart demon or grudge without irrevocable proof. Then again, I trusted the character of the two girls after their experiences in the past year.

What worried me more than them were the factions among the other disciples. I thought back to the time one of the disciples was almost murdered a year ago. If another conflict emerged because of the results of the competition I could never forgive myself.

So, I nodded to Yu Chun who took out the controller stone for the various transmission jades. Closing her eyes and focusing for a moment, she caused the central stone to summon a large screen above the central stage of the arena.

The screen split in two. One half showed Feng Mei focusing on her Body Restoration Technique. The other half displayed Xiao Cui sitting in peaceful meditation as the healing pill restored the final parts of her flesh that were damaged.

Most of the crowd couldn’t see the blood essence or qi moving through them, or the spiritual energy of the pill. However, they could see the flesh visibly healing.

The actions were slowed down a thousand times. The final moments began. What they’d seen with their naked eyes were the two girls leaping to their feet at the exact same time.

What the screen showed was a different story. Xiao Cui opened her eyes as the final knot of damaged flesh was healed. Just a single breath’s time after, Feng Mei’s technique completed and she also began to stand up.

They reached their feet at seemingly the same moment, but the replay had made the results clear.

Xiao Cui had won.

For a second, the crowd remained silent. Then the entire arena erupted into deafening cheers and roars of celebration. I heard the enormous crowds outside cheering too, the same events displayed to them on the various screens.

The various disciples in the front rows cheered the loudest of all. One of them suddenly leapt over the edge into the stage, rushing towards Xiao Cui and lifting her into the air. That started a stampede of disciples all gathering to celebrate her victory. They also congratulated Feng Mei on her exceptional performance, along with Zhang Wujin and Chen Jing.

Xiao Cui was a gracious victor. When her brothers and sisters finally put her down, she approached Feng Mei. Mei seemed nervous and offered a martial salute. “Congratulations on your victory, Senior Sister Cui. It seems your exile led to many fortunate encounters and insights for you,” she said.

“Don’t give me that, you silly girl!” Xiao Cui exclaimed, pulling the startled Feng Mei into a hug.

I smiled, seeing how far they’d come from the two squabbling brats I’d returned from the Blossoming Heavens to encounter. After giving everyone time to celebrate the results, I raised my hands to silence the crowd.

“As you’ve seen, Disciple Xiao was unquestionably the victor, with a difference of a single breath!” I announced, stepping down to the stage. The other disciples parted before me, leaving a clearing with just myself and Xiao Cui in it. “As her reward for her incredible victory, Disciple Xiao will now be elevated to the status of inner disciple of the Grasping Life Sect. But she won’t just be any old inner disciple. She is the first! The shining star of the sect. Disciple Xiao, kneel to receive your reward.”

She did so. At that moment, I flicked a sleeve. In that instant, I yanked her green robes off her body and replaced them with another set from my storage ring.

To the crowd and the gathered disciples, it would have seemed as if I simply waved my sleeve and her robe suddenly changed. I wasn’t going to embarrass my disciple by stripping her in public, after all.

Instead of the verdant green robe that the rest of the disciples wore, Xiao Cui was now dressed in the newly designed robes of the inner sect. They were milky white, with wispy flame patterns embroidered down the sleeves in the same verdant green of the regular sect robes. Alongside that, there was the character for ‘Life’ embroidered on the back in the same green silk thread.

They were a true work of art. The general design was from myself and Yu Chun, while the actual tailoring had been handled by one of the most talented artisans in Twisting Ridge City.

“Now rise as Inner Disciple Xiao of the Grasping Life Sect!” I said with a smile.

She stood up to another round of deafening cheers and was embraced once more by all the disciples nearby. I saw Feng Mei smiling, but there was a trace of frustration in her eyes. I could understand her well.

Feng Mei had spent the past year utterly devoted to not just her medicinal studies, but to healing an endless stream of patients and even teaching the other disciples. She was a perfect candidate for an inner disciple. She had worked hard to earn it.

Xiao Cui had been exiled. Banished as a punishment. Yet she had returned a year later and still managed to beat Feng Mei.

Mei wouldn’t cause a problem. I doubted she even resented Xiao Cui herself for her victory—she was too kind for that—however, she would no doubt always wonder if she could have done something different.

For that reason, I sent her a mental transmission while the disciples were celebrating. I have another reward for you, Disciple Feng. See me at the Grasping Life Palace this evening.

She looked startled, her eyes going wide. She turned to me and I raised a finger to my lips and winked. Nodding, she joined the celebrations. The frustration in her eyes was still there, but diminished.

I slowly ushered the disciples off the stage and soon it was empty. The cheers of the crowd followed them out, but slowly faded once it was only me left.

I stepped back into the sky. “The healing competition is done. The first inner disciple has been announced. However, the events of today are not over yet. The sun is still shining in the sky and there is an event that you’ve all been waiting for. The finals of the martial competition!”

Once the roaring of the crowd had died down I continued. “Disciple Pei and Disciple Yu fought hard and managed to win their way to the grand final. Both are exceptionally talented combatants. Either of them could emerge victorious and claim the second inner disciple position. There will be a brief break. Please make use of the many merchant stalls outside the arena. When you return, the finals shall begin!”

****

While combat wasn’t necessarily a primary interest of mine, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to witness the grand finals of the martial competition. A few of the earlier fights had caught my interest, with the disciples displaying techniques and moves I had never considered possible—not because of a lack of ability, but simply a lack of knowledge of this world. And perhaps martial creativity.

My talent was fairly singular: healing people.

However, Yu Jin had proven himself to be exceptional at not just constructing the many buildings of the sect—which itself required great manipulation of his earth energy—but also fighting.

Then there was the elegant and deadly Pei Kexin. She had two qi affinities, ice and wind, both of which she wielded with extreme precision and talent.

On paper, Pei Kexin might seem like the obvious victor between the two disciples. Many of the previous fights had proven that the obvious victor wasn’t always the one who emerged on top.

I had no real expectations, only that I was about to watch an incredible duel between two highly talented disciples, both of whom were a credit to my sect, and one of whom would become the second inner disciple, joining Xiao Cui in being a leader of the first generation.

There were no longer five stages in the arena. A few disciples had rearranged the stones and the sand so that there was simply a single stone platform that took up the majority of the space.

Guest Elder Li had even offered his services, inscribing a protective containment array around the outside of the stage so that the two disciples could battle to their heart’s content. I was also on hand to heal anyone who was too severely wounded for the healing disciples to make it to them in time.

Everything was prepared.

Pei Kexin and Yu Jin stood beside one another on the stage. Pei Kexin seemed utterly unbothered by the world around her, like a peony. Her somewhat imperious gaze was aimed directly in front of her and yet at nothing at all. On the other hand, Yu Jin was putting up a confident facade, yet couldn’t avoid throwing nervous glances around at the crowd and the other disciples every so often.

“Are you sure you don’t want to be the one to do the talking this time, Sect Leader? It would be your right, given the importance of this duel,” Wang Ren said for the seventh time in almost as many minutes.

I shook my head. “You can do the honours, Senior Brother.” He frowned at the honorific, but said nothing. “You are the one who has trained them since their induction into the sect. You are the one who taught them most of what they know. You are the one they look up to, as they become the warriors and guardians of the sect. You will do it, or I will never again call you anything but ‘Senior Brother Wang’ until the day one of us dies.”

Yu Chun burst out laughing. It was an open secret how much he valued propriety and hated my continued use of the ‘Senior Brother’ address when really I should be calling him ‘Elder Wang’ or simply ‘Wang Ren.’

“In that case, I won’t stand on tradition,” he replied, giving me a martial salute before stepping up to the edge of the box.

The crowd fell silent almost immediately. He had a commanding aura in that way. He remained quiet for a few seconds before addressing them.

His gaze was firmly glued to the two disciples on the stage in front of him, however, and not the endless crowds around us. The weight of his gaze made the unbothered Pei Kexin and the nervous Yu Jin snap to attention, returning it with determined fire in their eyes.

“Disciples Pei and Yu have fought dozens of their fellow disciples to earn their spots in this final duel. Through strength, cunning, and sheer determination they emerged victorious in a series of battles. Now, one final opponent remains before them. The victor of this duel will earn the honour of becoming the first martial disciple of the Grasping Life Sect. Give it your all,” Wang Ren said, ensuring his gaze lingered on each disciple for an equal amount of time. “Now, take your places, offer your opponent the proper respects, and await my signal.”

Pei Kexin and Yu Jin walked to opposite ends of the newly constructed stage. They turned to face each other, giving a shallow bow and a martial salute to one another. Once they had finished the ritual, Wang Ren nodded in approval. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, a great barrier of Glaive Intent appeared around the edges of the arena.

And the two disciples attacked.

<< Chapter 156 | Index | Chapter 158 >>