Chapter 302

Chapter 302: Can’t Keep Going

Xia Ming Xia blinked and repeated in a daze: “Me? Go to Capital City to build a future?”

She knew every word, but when they were put together, she couldn’t quite understand.

Rumor said Capital City was a grand and splendid city-the liveliest and most luxurious place in the whole Great Sheng Empire. People joked that if a brick fell from the sky and hit four people, three of them would be officials or their family members.

Capital City was the place everyone in the Great Sheng Empire longed for. People of the Martial World longed for it too, yet they didn’t dare step foot there. Because Capital City held not only power and wealth, but also strict order.

A picture formed in Xia Ming Xia’s mind-an extreme scene of luxury where every woman was graceful, noble, and elegant, and at the same time pure as snow.

She lowered her eyes and started, “I don’t…”

Yu Zhi Yi, as if not noticing the other’s hesitation and worry, spoke calmly: “A friend and I co-founded a charity that takes in people who have no one to rely on. Many of them are sick; some live with disabilities.”

The refusal on Xia Ming Xia’s lips vanished. She stared at Yu Zhi Yi and blurted: “A charity? It takes in people with disabilities?” [Am I hearing a story from the heavens? Does a place like this really exist? Is it not… heaven?]

Yu Zhi Yi laughed lightly: “It’s not only for people with disabilities, but quite a few we receive are. Ordinary physicians can treat basic illnesses-colds, coughs, sore backs and legs-but they often can’t cure them.”

She added, calm and sure: “I have a way of healing that uses inner power to strike the body’s meridians and to activate the medicine’s effects. But I’m busy with official duties and can’t stay long at the Quehan Institute to treat patients, so I need someone who can inherit this path and carry it forward.”

When Xia Ming Xia heard “using inner power to impact the meridians and trigger the medicine,” her eyes lit up at once. This-this was exactly the method she had been using to treat injuries and illness. It was her own hard-won approach, yet her family did not accept it. Her father had even scolded her, saying she was being reckless and would cause disaster one day.

These days she had grown more and more discouraged, even thinking she should choose the safe road like other physicians. She never expected the gloom to part and a guide to appear right in front of her.

She leaned forward and asked, bright and urgent: “Is all of that true? Do you really think using inner power to drive the medicine is workable?”

Yu Zhi Yi nodded: “Of course.”

In truth, she preferred using spiritual energy to stir the medicine’s power, but people who possessed spiritual energy would never be content to serve as ordinary physicians.

Yu Zhi Yi said gently: “Miss Xia, you don’t need to answer right away. I’ll remain at the Martial Alliance for a little more than half a month. You can think it over.”

Xia Ming Xia’s eyes shone, firm and clear: “No need to think about it: I’ll go.” She would prove to her father that the path she had chosen was not wrong.

Yu Zhi Yi smiled suddenly: “Welcome, Physician Xia. From now on, you’ll be the resident physician of our Yiluan Charity. I believe before long you’ll make your name known and earn a fine reputation.”

Xia Ming Xia lowered her gaze and said, steady and serious: “I don’t need a fine reputation. I just want everyone to see that a woman serving as a physician is nothing shameful. The difference between men and women should not shackle a physician. Sooner or later, I will… break that shackle!”

Yu Zhi Yi’s smile bloomed: “I believe in you, Physician Xia. You can do it.”

Suddenly, the carriage stopped. From outside, Jiang Liu Yun called out: “Sister, it looks like a landslide up ahead. Rocks and fallen trees are blocking the road. I’ll take some men to clear it.”

Yu Zhi Yi lifted the curtain. Sure enough, the road ahead was piled high with stones and trees lying this way and that. Jiang Liu Yun had already taken people to clear the path, but it looked like it would take a while.

Xia Ming Xia muttered, confused: “What’s going on today? First the ground at the racecourse collapsed and killed so many people, and now the road under Juxian Manor is blocked by rocks.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but inside the quiet carriage it sounded extra clear.

Yu Zhi Yi glanced up at the faint, reddish light shield overhead and said softly: “Maybe someone did something bad, and Heaven couldn’t bear to watch, so it decided to punish them.”

Xia Ming Xia froze.

Everyone knew that the unluckiest person in the racecourse disaster was Ji Guang Dai, the manor lord of Juxian Manor. Dozens had died-among them Pang Yi Qi, the young lord of the Mystic Heaven Sect. The others were Ji Guang Dai’s vassals and not nameless nobodies either.

Ji Guang Dai was in a panic over it. After all, who would hollow out a giant trap under a busy racecourse? It looked like a conspiracy from every angle. If Ji Guang Dai couldn’t prove he hadn’t meant to kill Pang Yi Qi and the others, he would face crazy revenge from dozens of forces led by the Mystic Heaven Sect!

[If, as Second Miss Jiang says, Heaven is punishing someone… is it punishing the manor lord of Juxian Manor? No… that can’t be right, can it? The manor lord is known far and wide as a good man.]

Yu Zhi Yi shrugged: “Maybe.”

Xia Ming Xia: “…”

Just then, a guard shouted, sharp and urgent: “Enemy attack! On guard!”

Xia Ming Xia flinched, staring toward the noise in fear. Yu Zhi Yi also looked over. The guard had drawn his weapon and was staring hard in one direction.

They turned that way too. A woman stood with her back to the carriage. She turned, and everyone saw a short arrow in her hand.

Xia Ming Xia gasped: “Miss Han?” She hadn’t seen what happened, but seeing the arrow in Han Lian Qiao’s hand-and remembering how Han had targeted Yu Zhi Yi earlier in the stands-she tensed up and demanded: “What are you trying to do?”

Han Lian Qiao’s face shifted. She raised her hands and said quickly: “Don’t misunderstand. I mean no harm!”

Xia Ming Xia eyed the short arrow, doubtful. Han Lian Qiao pointed toward the front guards and said: “They can testify. That arrow was shot from over there. I just happened to pass by and happened to block it.”

Yu Zhi Yi patted Xia Ming Xia’s shoulder and said with a small smile: “Miss Han isn’t lying. That’s what happened.”

Xia Ming Xia let out the breath she was holding.

Watching this, Han Lian Qiao felt a strange tug in her chest. She and Xia Ming Xia had grown up together. But a few years ago, when Xia Ming Xia began taking patients on her own, her reputation got worse and worse. The elders of the Han Clan warned Han Lian Qiao more than once to stay away from her former friend, because the other girl’s name had become ugly in people’s mouths.

At first, Han Lian Qiao pushed back hard. She believed she understood her good friend. Her friend was a good person, a good physician. She was sure her friend wasn’t wrong.

Later…

She still didn’t think her old friend was wrong. Yet she couldn’t keep going anymore.