I was back on the mountain path, leaving the forest behind.
When I arrived at the entrance there was a person standing beside the gate and despite the dark sky above, something about his posture was not that of a guard.
Although I could not tell who he was until he took a few steps towards me hesitantly.
"Wei Feng?"My former roommates?
"Fu..Yang I mean Senior Brother Fu."
I stopped a few paces away and looked at him with a neutral expression. "?"
"I..." He struggled with the words. "I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have believed what others have—"
"It's fine." Keeping my voice calm. "Everyone was confused during that time. I don't blame you."
Hearing these words a relief flashed across his face briefly before the anxiety returned, stronger than before.
"Actually... Senior, I need help and I've been waiting here since evening, I didn't know when you'd return but I couldn't just leave and—"
"What kind of help Wei Feng?"
"My friend got injured badly during training today, his leg..." Wei Feng's voice dropped. "It's bleeding and won't stop, but I..."
"Didn't you take him to the Medical Hall?"
His face flushed red and his voice became barely audible."We… we don't have enough spirit stones to take him there."
"Ah," I nearly forgot that medical treatment was never free in cultivation sects, every service was charged, especially spiritual healing techniques that required a Cultivator's personal time and energy.
It made sense even for me because spiritual healing was a rare knowledge that took years to master, and healers guarded their techniques carefully just like Elder Han because it was their source of income and a reason standing within the sect, so why teach others when you could charge instead?
I stayed silent for a moment. "You should have brought him to the Medical Hall, I can treat him there since the facilities are better equipped for serious injuries."
Wei Feng's embarrassment deepened and his eyes wouldn't meet mine. "I tried, but they quoted me a hundred spirit stones just for the examination…"
He trailed off.
Following the image I had created, I sighed "Show me where he is."
Wei Feng's head snapped up. "Really? You'll help him?"
I nodded.
His eyes sparkled."Thank you. Thank you so much. I didn't know where else to turn and—"
I stopped him."The sooner I see the injury, the better."
"Yes, this way."
We entered the sect together as Wei Feng led me toward the outer disciple residential area.
Because it was night time, there was no one in the pathway, most of the disciples were inside their rooms, either meditating or sleeping.
Finally, we arrived at one of the buildings and walked in. Wei Feng stopped at one door near the end before he knocked.
"It's me. I brought help."
The door opened immediately from inside, and a girl stood there with blonde hair and wide eyes, maybe seventeen years old. Her expression shifted with surprise when she saw me standing behind Wei Feng.
"Senior Brother Fu!"
Behind her I could see two more people in the room, a boy standing near a bed and another lying on it. The injured one.
His face was pale and tears streaking down his cheeks with one of his legs wrapped in torn cloth since there were no proper bandages.
Wei Feng caught the blonde girl's eye with a quick look, which I noticed.
The girl instantly lowered her voice, and bowed quickly. "Thank you for coming, Senior Brother. We're very grateful."
I stepped into the room, which was small, crudely-built with four beds and nothing more.
"Let me see the injury."
I crouched down beside the boy, who was probably younger than me. He was breathing with short quick breaths because of the extreme pain and loss of blood.
"Relax," I said softly, starting to unwrap the home-made bandages. The cloth stuck to dried blood and the boy whimpered but tried to stay still.
After exposing the wound I assessed the deep gash along the shin( the front part of the lower leg.) where the bone was visible through torn flesh, fractured at an irregular angle.
I could tell just by looking at the injury, that someone's weapon technique has landed harder, but how. Questions raised in my mind but for now…..
I placed both hands on either side of the wound and let my spiritual energy flow from my immature core into the boy's leg.
I could sense everything through that connection. And slowly and methodically, I guided my spiritual energy to where it was needed most as I started the treatment.
The bone then vessels and lastly the skin.
After about five minutes, the boy's breathing began to slow as the pain eased.
I stood up, and the blonde girl rushed forward immediately. "Senior Brother Fu, you saved him!"
She bowed deeply, as I could see the neckline of her robe shifting forward, and when she straightened, her eyes met mine with that soft smile, the kind that lingers a second too long.
" I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't come for help."
I smiled awkwardly.
"No, no, anyone would do that."
"Not everyone would." The standing boy spoke up and bowed as well.
"It's okay, really."
The blonde girl gestured toward a chair.
"Please, senior brother, sit for a moment since you must be tired after using so much spiritual energy for healing."
I hesitated but sat down.
"I'm Cin Tian," the girl introduced herself, still smiling. "And the one you just saved is Chen Bao, and we're all outer disciples from the same training group."
"Fu Yang. Though you probably already knew that."
"Of course we do." Cin Tian's smile widened.
"Everyone knows about you, the only disciple of Elder Han. And the…"
I waved my hand dismissively. "Fame isn't what's important, what truly matters is only helping others when they need it."
"True." She said with a look that seemed like genuine admiration.
We talked for a few more minutes.
Cin Tian was attentive throughout the chat, leaning forward when I spoke and laughing sometimes while holding eye contact just a beat longer than necessary, and my gaze also lingered on her face a little too long.
Finally I stood. "I should go since Chen Bao needs proper rest now, and make sure to change the bandages daily with clean cloth, and if there's any sign of fever or if the wound starts bleeding again, come find me immediately."
"We will," Cin Tian promised. "We can never repay this kindness."
I then looked at Wei Feng. "I want to speak with you for a moment?"
"Of course."
We both stepped into the corridor and I closed the door quietly behind us, the hallway was empty and silent.
Wei Feng looked nervous again, uncertain what I wanted to discuss privately.
However, I pulled out two small bags from inside my robe and held them out toward him.
"What's this?"
"Spirit stones, take them to buy proper medicine for Chen Bao."
Wei Feng's eyes went wide with shock. "I can't... that's too much and I can't possibly acc—"
"Accept it," I said firmly. "If you still think we're friends."
He stared at the bags in my outstretched hands and then at my face, the conflict clear in his expression.
"I... of course we're friends and we've always been friends, but this is too generous and a hundred spirit stones is—"
"Then take it." I pushed the bags into his hands and closed his fingers around them.
Wei Feng held the spirit stone bag close to his chest. "I'll pay you back, I swear it, and as soon as I earn enough from missions—"
"Don't worry about it." I said with a smile. And walked out of the outer disciple building into the cold night, heading toward the inner disciple residential area where I lived now….
I entered my private room and lit the spiritual lamp on my desk as a soft warm glow filled the space, then I sat down on my bed and leaned back slightly.
But just before I fell into comfortable sleep a thought crossed my mind that made me laugh.
"Mm, do I like Cin Tian?"
…. Heh….Maybe.