Meanwhile, at Callista's Manor...
Alder was still trying to digest everything he had witnessed.
"Young Miss," he said, unable to hide his admiration, "that young physician's medical skill is truly extraordinary."
He had doubted Zion from the beginning.
The age had seemed suspicious. The confidence had seemed excessive. Even the identity of the mysterious physician from Origin Medical Hall had raised questions in his mind.
But none of those doubts had survived witnessing Zion cure Vanessa.
The princess's condition had left every other physician helpless.
Zion had solved it.
That alone was enough to prove that his medical knowledge was extraordinary.
And if he could cure Vanessa's illness...
Alder's thoughts naturally turned toward Callista.
Could Zion also cure her legs?
The possibility was difficult to ignore.
Callista, however, remained composed.
She had already suspected that Zion was unusual from their first meeting. The moment he had touched her and accurately identified the nature of her condition, she had understood that his knowledge was far beyond that of an ordinary physician.
Even the Fengshen Physician had failed to diagnose her properly.
Zion had done it almost immediately.
Alder hesitated before asking, "Master, should we invite him to treat your legs?"
If Zion truly possessed a method capable of restoring Callista's legs, they would be willing to pay almost any price.
Wealth was not an issue.
Resources were not an issue.
Even loyalty could be offered if necessary.
Callista, however, merely raised one hand.
"No rush."
Alder looked at her in surprise.
"Not in a hurry?"
"I've waited for years," Callista replied calmly. "Waiting a little longer won't make much difference."
That was only part of the truth.
Her gaze drifted toward the direction of Origin Medical Hall.
Zion.
There was something about him that continued to interest her.
His medical knowledge alone was extraordinary, but it was not simply his skill that caught her attention.
It was the way he had acted.
Vanessa had humiliated and suppressed him for years. Their relationship had ended in an ugly manner, and Zion had every reason to resent her.
Yet when Vanessa fell ill, he appeared and cured her.
Callista's eyes narrowed slightly.
'That wasn't kindness.'
The timing was too precise.
Zion had remained obscure until the entire Imperial City had heard about Vanessa's incurable condition. Only then had he stepped forward, cured her, and revealed a medical technique that no one else could reproduce.
In a single stroke, he had gained enormous fame for Origin Medical Hall, earned two hundred thousand gold coins, demonstrated his medical ability to the entire city, and settled an old grievance at the same time.
It was an exceptionally efficient move.
Callista tapped one finger lightly against the armrest of her chair.
If her suspicion was correct, the poison had most likely come from Zion himself.
He had used Vanessa's suffering to create an opportunity and then ended the crisis at precisely the moment when his reputation would benefit most.
A single action had accomplished several goals.
Callista's lips curved upward.
Zion was becoming more interesting by the day.
***
At Vanessa's Manor within the Imperial Palace Compound, the princess finally regained consciousness.
The first thing Vanessa noticed was the absence of pain.
For days, every movement had been accompanied by unbearable discomfort. Her body had felt as though it were rebelling against her with every passing moment.
Now, that agony was gone.
Her breathing was steady.
Her body felt strangely light.
Vanessa slowly opened her eyes.
A vague memory remained from the period when she had been unconscious.
A blurred figure dressed in white.
A young man leaning over her.
Medicine being placed into her mouth.
Her vision at the time had been too unclear for her to recognize him. In her weakened state, the figure had almost seemed unreal.
Vanessa immediately called for a servant.
"Come here."
The attendant hurried over.
"When I was unconscious, did a young man in white robes come to give me medicine?"
The servant bowed.
"Yes, Your Highness. The physician who treated you was the one you remember."
Vanessa's eyes sharpened.
"Who was he?"
"The physician from Origin Medical Hall."
Vanessa froze.
For several seconds, she simply stared ahead.
Then the vague memory in her mind finally connected with a face.
Zion.
The young man she had encountered before.
Her eyes widened.
"So it was that handsome man..."
A smile slowly spread across her face.
"The one I met on the street."
Her thoughts immediately took a different direction.
Vanessa had always been confident in her own charm. Now that Zion had gone out of his way to save her, she naturally interpreted his actions according to the conclusion most favorable to herself.
'Of course.'
Her smile became increasingly satisfied.
'With my beauty and status, how could he not be interested in me?'
The fact that Zion had nearly killed her with poison did not enter her reasoning at all.
In Vanessa's mind, the matter was much simpler.
She had caught his attention.
He had come to save her.
That was all the proof she needed.
"Prepare my carriage."
The servant looked surprised.
"Your Highness, you have only just recovered..."
"I'm fine."
Vanessa sat up and adjusted her clothes.
Her eyes were filled with renewed confidence.
"Zion is waiting for me."
***
News of Vanessa's recovery spread through the Imperial City at astonishing speed.
And with it came the reputation of the young physician from Origin Medical Hall.
The title of Divine Physician began appearing everywhere.
Patients who had suffered for years reportedly recovered after receiving Zion's treatment. Chronic ailments that other physicians had been unable to resolve disappeared under his care. Conditions that had been considered incurable were suddenly being treated by a physician who had not even been known in the city a short while earlier.
The stories grew with every retelling.
In tea houses, people discussed him over cups of tea.
At taverns, travelers repeated the latest rumors.
Merchants spoke about the young physician while conducting business.
Nobles sent servants to inquire about appointments.
The name of the Divine Physician spread from one district to another until almost the entire Imperial City had heard it.
Origin Medical Hall, which had once been ignored because of its youthful owner, underwent an almost ridiculous transformation.
Only days earlier, Zion had struggled to attract ordinary patients.
Now, people began waiting outside before dawn.
The queue stretched down the street, with patients desperate to secure a consultation. Those who had already been treated by Zion spoke openly of his skill, while those who had not yet obtained an appointment pleaded with the attendants to find them a place.
The reputation did not remain confined to the capital.
News traveled along trade routes and through travelers returning to their hometowns. Before long, people from surrounding towns began making their way toward the Imperial City specifically to seek treatment from the young physician of Origin Medical Hall.
The once-overlooked medical hall had become one of the busiest places in the city.
And at the center of it all stood Zion, the physician everyone now called the Divine Physician.