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Dao of Healing - Chapter 12
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 10:39:42 +0000 UTC<< Chapter 11 | Index | Chapter 13 >>
My second stay in a roadside inn with Xiao Cui was much less eventful than the first. A soft bed, two warm meals, and a glaring lack of lusty bandits rejuvenated me for the final leg of the journey.
As we drew nearer to Three River City, the roads grew wider and at a certain point the packed dirt paths gave way to thick slabs of stone. Merchant caravans, farmers, and all kinds of travellers joined us in our pilgrimage.
Occasionally I stopped for a brief conversation with those we passed, but other than tidbits of gossip that I had no context for or the odd bit of advice for someone new to the city, these conversations were of little importance.
Having already seen the majesty of the Cloudy Falls Sect, Three River City fell short in my mind. However, that didn’t mean it wasn’t impressive in its own right.
Even compared to some cities on Earth it was a sprawling metropolis. Towering walls almost fifty feet high ran the full circumference and beyond that there was a wide moat that fed a colossal river.
On the river’s surface I could see countless barges and rafts travelling in both directions. This river was the reason for Three River City’s prosperity and status as a major trading hub in the Celestial Jade Empire.
It was fed by three slightly smaller rivers that flowed into the city from the opposite side. We couldn’t see the tributaries from here, but I had no doubt I would visit them during my stay.
In some ways this place reminded me of London—a vast trade centre with a colossal river splitting it down the middle. Except in this case it was three rivers.
There was a winding queue to enter the city, with every single person requiring a check and approval from the city guards. For most it was a formality—if they’d visited the city before the guards simply glanced at their papers and gave their goods a cursory check before waving them through. After they paid the entrance fee, of course.
Luckily my meagre funds covered the two silver required to pay for Xiao Cui and I to enter.
I was entranced by the unique architecture of the city. Unlike the sect, where almost everything was built in harmony with nature even if it was the hovel of an outer disciple, the city was sheer chaos.
Buildings were stacked against each other and in many cases packed so close it was as though they were trying to devour their neighbours. I was shoved constantly, the endless crowds surging and swelling as they rushed from one task to the next.
It was a hive of productivity. With that came the deafening clamour of the crowds, the overpowering stench of mortals—which was made worse by my improved senses—and the endless array of vibrant colours the city was painted in.
Suddenly I felt something brush against my waist. With a smile I whipped my arm out and grabbed the little thief by his wrist.
The boy’s eyes widened in shock but he was tenacious. He kicked out at my knee and pulled his arm simultaneously, but instead of the cunning escape he expected, his foot met steel.
He cried in pain as his ankle twisted unnaturally and his wrist popped from its socket. My coin purse fell into my palm and I tucked it safely inside my robes.
Instead of shock he was staring at me in resolute terror, crying from the pain of his injuries. Though he had done this to himself, trying to rob a Body Tempering cultivator, I wasn’t heartless.
A quick pulse of my healing technique was enough to cure his wounds, though the miniscule rush of essence I received in return was a trickle compared to the torrents I’d grown used to. Perhaps my rapid gains so far had spoiled me.
Even this trickle was more than Zhao Dan had managed to accumulate in over a year of desperate struggle. Though I now knew it wasn’t a lack of talent but rather a mismatched technique that had held him back.
After healing the boy I released him. He vanished into the crowd without a whisper, eager to escape my clutches. I watched him go with a chuckle, before realising my other hand was being held in a closing vice.
Xiao Cui looked terrified, sporting a pale face while grasping my hand tight enough to make her knuckles white.
“Relax, little Cui. No one can hurt you while I’m here and you’re going to hurt yourself if you hold my hand any harder,” I assured her. Her face gained a little colour and her grip loosened, but I saw she was still uncomfortable.
That didn’t surprise me. Most of her life had been spent in a tiny village where she knew the names and faces of every single person.
Nine Paddy Village could fit inside this single street and there were more people in every restaurant and pavilion dotting the pavements than the whole population of her home.
I’d allowed her to stay with me on the condition that she became my assistant and worked for her keep. As things stood there wasn’t much for her to assist me with.
My first order of business was to have a look around Three River City and figure out what the locals did for healing or medicine. If I wanted to stand out from the competition I needed to find the right angle.
Mortals were wary enough of cultivators to begin with and I doubted they would easily accept the idea that one was willing to exert their strength to heal mere mortals. Before that however, I needed to get out of this crowd.
****
After what seemed like an endless series of barging, petty arguments, and attempted thievery, we made our way out of the throng of people surging into Three River City and found a more secluded district. The streets here were paved with darker stone and the buildings no longer melded into one another.
I figured it was one of the classier areas of the city, whereas the spot right by the gates housed the less fortunate alongside enterprising businesses trying to capitalise on the extra footfall. Though how anyone could read a sign or hear someone hawking their wares over the infernal racket was a mystery.
Xiao Cui was tired and hungry and I wanted information, so we stopped at the first teahouse we saw. The patrons threw her a few disgruntled looks but upon noticing my robes, tattered as they were, most turned away and pretended they hadn’t seen anything.
A cute waitress soon arrived at our table, a beaming smile and shining eyes lighting up the room. The conversations picked up once more and she led us to a booth.
It wasn’t so secluded that we were hidden from the other customers, but it afforded us a little privacy. I think Xiao Cui appreciated the break from people.
“Is every city like this? I think… I should’ve stayed in the village,” she sighed in exasperation, taking slow sips of water.
“You made your choice, little Cui. I’m going to work you to death and you can’t change your mind,” I replied with a malicious smirk. “Perhaps you should’ve thought about what it meant to follow me before you decided to run away from home… again.”
I was only half serious, of course, but she didn’t know that. The sooner she understood what her decision entailed the better it was for both of us.
When I told her she’d be my assistant it wasn’t just an empty title. I truly couldn’t do this alone and having someone to do the small tasks I couldn’t focus on while building my hospital would make a world of difference.
Well, I hadn’t told her the extent of my plans yet but just my cold gaze seemed to do the trick. She swallowed the mouthful of water and shrank in her seat.
“Sorry…” she mumbled. “I just… don't want to stay in that tiny village for the rest of my life. I know there’s more to life than farming and barely surviving through the winter each year.”
“Of course there is. Far more. But not everything life has to offer is good for you. And not everyone you meet has your best interests at heart.”
“I know that,” she sniffed, balling her fists. “I’m not an idiot. But isn’t it better to be hurt while experiencing everything the world has to offer than to hide away in my tiny, idyllic corner of it?”
My gaze softened and I let a hint of a smile creep onto my face. I didn’t expect to hear such profound wisdom from Xiao Cui. It seemed she was more mature than I gave her credit for.
Though she hadn’t exactly cultivated a stellar image with the various tantrums she threw…
With her reply I was confident she had the mindset necessary to follow me. Even putting aside the fact I was a cultivator through and through, approaching the Qi Gathering Realm and bound to seek out bloody conflict in my journey to expand the art of healing, mortal medicine could be a gruesome affair.
Surgery, sickness, violence—all these and more were just another part of my daily routine. Perhaps even more so since arriving in this world.
The waitress returned with impeccable timing and we ended up ordering braised pork buns in soup along with a pot of Three River Tea, a local specialty.
It arrived quickly, the buns steaming and the soup scalding my mouth. However, I didn’t care. The pork was soft and melted in my mouth, the spices in the soup elevating it to a new dimension.
The tea was a perfect compliment, floral and delicate. A single sip was enough to cleanse my palette after the fatty meal.
I baulked at the price. 3 silvers and 4 copper coins for a single meal!
City life wasn’t for the faint of heart… or slim of wallet. My plan to acquire startup capital for my medicine sect was even more of a priority. I wasn’t even sure I had enough money left to afford our stay at an inn that evening.
****
I’d been exaggerating. In the end I found a reasonably priced inn not too far from the teahouse. It came highly recommended by our waitress, though the smirk she wore as she waved us goodbye told me she and the owner of the inn had likely cut a deal on the side.
I wasn’t fussed if she received a cut, because the food was good and the beds soft. They even had a self heating bath, which was a luxury I could get used to.
The next morning I woke before the sunrise, hoping to get out and start researching my competition. And I still needed a way to make money.
My best bet was to lean on my healing technique, but commoners were too poor to afford a luxury like that. So either I had to undervalue my services or seek wealthier clients.
The latter was probably a better option, but I didn’t want to get the attention of anyone remotely close to the city lord until the recent incident at Nine Paddy Village wasn’t fresh in his mind.
I doubted they knew the full details yet, given that there were no survivors, but it was better to be safe than sorry. So I figured I’d keep my head down and get to work.
Leaving a note for Xiao Cui, instructing her to look for anywhere that sold medicinal or toxic herbs, pills, and the like so I could continue refining the first layer of my physique, I made my way into the heart of Three River City.
Wandering aimlessly I soon found my way into a market buzzing with activity. Merchants competed to see who could shout the loudest, most exaggerated slogan while thousands of people weaved their way through the stalls in search of culinary or artistic delight.
For a while I only observed, but soon I found myself drawn into one of the stands. The middle aged man was selling spiked red fruits that looked dangerous to eat, but the queue spoke for itself.
After waiting for a while I found myself at the front and purchased one. When he saw my struggle he laughed and showed me how to peel it so the spikes didn’t cut my mouth as I bit into the soft white flesh.
It was deliciously sweet, reminding me of a plum. Plus, it only cost two coppers. Expensive for a single fruit, but a bargain compared to yesterday’s meal.
After my distraction I stood in the centre of the market and came to a realisation. The purpose of setting up a hospital was to have my patients come to me. Until I could afford a permanent place to set up shop, why not sell my services in the market?
****
As it turns out, setting up a market stall wasn’t as easy as choosing a spot and setting up a sign. There were dozens of bureaucratic hoops to jump through.
After asking the fruit seller for a little help, which he was more than happy to provide—after I bought two more fruits—I knew where to go and which officials to speak to. Unfortunately for my dwindling fortunes, getting a stall as quickly as possible would require me to grease a few palms.
So, five meetings with viciously corrupt officials who knew how to tear me apart with a single sentence later, I was two gold poorer and exhausted.
But, I was now the proud owner of a market pitch!
I could only hope that I could drum up enough business to earn back the money. Frankly, I wasn’t too hopeful but the first days of a new business were always the toughest.
Once people knew that what I offered was the real deal, they would flock to get a taste of my essence. Though I had no doubt the alchemists and healers of this city—if there were any—wouldn’t take too kindly to me undercutting their services.
I had just five copper coins left. The small fortune I’d left the sect with had rapidly dwindled and I’d only been in the city for a single day.
I ended up spending three of those coppers on a few planks of wood to construct my sign. And the final two went on a brush and some ink.
Now, I was well and truly broke. I’d staked everything on this little venture of mine. I had great faith it would succeed.
Even if it didn’t, I wasn’t too bothered. The life of a vagabond wasn’t the worst. Though I also had Xiao Cui to think of.
Speaking of little Cui, she’d been hard at work while I was struggling through excruciating meetings.
“How could you!?” she exclaimed upon seeing me walk through the door of the inn.
“What are you talking about? What have I done now…” I sighed.
“You- You heartless bastard. I woke up and you were gone and I panicked and almost broke down until I saw your note,” she spluttered, tripping over her tongue. “I’m not a servant!”
“Well…” I chuckled. “I’m sorry for not waking you up, but I wanted to get a lead on making money.”
I took the empty coin purse out and shook it.
“So, we’re flat broke. Did you at least spend it on something important?”
“I think it’s probably going to buy some lazy bastards a trip to a broth—inn,” I coughed, catching myself. I didn’t want to be the one to poison her mind.
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.
“Whatever. Let’s eat. I need to tell you what I discovered.”
We sat down and I waved to the innkeeper, who nodded and ducked into the kitchen. There wasn’t a menu here, just whatever they had that day. But it was quality food, so I didn’t mind the lack of choice.
“So, what did you discover? Are there a lot of healers here? What about alchemists?” I asked eagerly. The outcome of my venture could hinge on what she’d discovered.
“Healers? A few… but they mostly serve the wealthiest merchants and the city lord’s cronies. There’s nothing for the commoners except hope and shoddy family recipes-”
“And the alchemists?” I interrupted, already excited.
“Again, a few. Similar story, though there were one or two shops selling cheaper herbal remedies and foraged ingredients. Not sure how reliable they were but the old ladies running them seemed nice enough.”
This was the best case scenario. Other than praying to the heavens or spending their meagre savings on a homebrew remedy, commoners had no choice when it came to healing.
Which meant a cheap alternative that guaranteed results might be exactly what I needed to take the city by storm. Once word got out, I might be able to lure in some wealthier clients. And then… the sky was the limit.
“You look creepy,” Xiao Cui giggled.
Realising I’d been smiling to myself I schooled my expression. “Don’t be rude to your master,” I scolded her.
“Master? Since when?!”
“Since you decided to sell yourself into my services. Now, listen closely. Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ve secured a market pitch to sell my healing. Your job will be to drum up business…”
****
Our strategy set, Xiao Cui and I made our way to the market nice and early. I’d painted a simple sign—’Cultivator Zhao’s Miracle Medicine’.
It was cheesy. Really cheesy. But it would get the job done. All I needed was one patient. Once people saw that my technique truly was as miraculous as advertised, they would flock to me like sheep.
While I sat cross-legged on the ground, trying my best to look as scholarly as possible, Xiao Cui rushed around the market spreading rumours about the new miracle healer. Rather than directly draw customers, it was best to let the buzz spread organically and wait to see who took the bait.
Plenty of market-goers wandered past and almost all of them raised a brow or widened their eyes at the sign, but none took my offer. The morning went by without a single customer.
I hadn’t even spoken to another human since leaving the inn.
Fuck. Realising the problem, I cursed my stupidity. Markets were amazing for a new business—high footfall and lots of visibility. However, my target audience were those wounded or sick.
What wounded or sick person was wandering around a market in the middle of the day!? Then again, many mortals didn’t have the luxury of skipping a day’s work just because they’d caught a little fever.
So, despite my horrible realisation I was still hopeful that my venture would work out. And eventually it did, but not in the way I expected.
<< Chapter 11 | Index | Chapter 13 >>
Comments
Ariana Q
The scale of economy in a city versus a village is quite large, also most of the gold went on bribes as mentioned in the chapter. Those bureaucrats are greedy fellows
SomeFan
So, firstly, how did Xiao Cui catch up to a cultivator in terms of distance? Secondly, he had more at least 3 gold coins, that much is obvious (well, probably. He spent two and had some left after that, as far as we know, he didn't get any money from any sources (as in: he only spent money). So it means he had more than 2 gold coins after leaving the sect (he also had a spirit stone but lets pretend he doesn't want to sell it or isn't able to. Considering the value of golden coins (100 silver coins or 1000 copper coins), it means he should have pretty many coins left. Well, he could've spent one on food in the village and inns... So yeah. Also, I know he didn't go the way it's supposed to go, but isn't 2 gold coins for a stall place a little too much, considering that some inn owners didn't even have a single gold coin in their entire lives? Just how much did he overpay? Well, that's all. just some things I think are strange in this chapter.
