~~~


    For a moment, everything is silent. It is as if all sound has been sucked out of the room. The words that came out of Liu Jianguo''s mouth are simply that shocking. However, the one who receives the biggest shock is not Liu Jianguo''s son, Liu Jin.


    The one who receives the biggest shock is Xiao Nan.


    Xiao Nan is someone who was born lucky. That is not to say the person known as Xiao Nan is purely the result of luck, but it would be foolish to deny he was born with many advantages over ordinary people. Xiao Nan was born into the Xiao Clan. His mother is the current Patriarch''s sister. The next Patriarch of the Xiao Sect will no doubt be his cousin, Xiao Fang.


    His is without a doubt an enviable position.


    There is also his natural talent to consider. Even though he is still a teenager, his talent has caught the eyes of many elders within the Xiao Sect. During next year''s Eastern Port Tournament, there is no doubt in anyone''s mind as to who will take the first place. His cultivation keeps surpassing expectations, and it is widely accepted by the Xiao Sect that Xiao Nan will keep on growing and become an elder in the future.


    Yes, Xiao Nan is someone truly blessed, and it is due to all those blessings that he can understand how ridiculous the scene before him is.


    Liu Jianguo is a man who cannot use Qi. He is a man who cannot cultivate.


    Yet it is Liu Jianguo who is unaffected by the presence of someone in the Emperor Realm, and it is Liu Jianguo who calls the man master.


    Liu Jin may find the sight shocking, but he lacks the experience and knowledge to truly grasp the magnitude of the feat. It is like trying to speak of the ocean to someone who has never seen it. No matter how much you try to describe it, mere words are not adequate if the person''s only frame of reference is a small pond. A person who has only seen hills cannot imagine the tallest mountains. Someone who has looked down all his life cannot imagine the sky.


    Liu Jin is a smart kid. He is talented and will grow even more in the future. Of this, Xiao Nan has no doubts.


    For now, however, he lacks the experience to understand how ridiculous Emperors are, and how significant it is for his father to call one of those fabled few by the title of master, how impossible it should be.


    Yet the man known as Old Jiang smiles.


    "Ho, so you were still alive," Old Jiang says at last.


    "Yes, master," Liu Jianguo replies, keeping his head low. "It seems the heavens still have things for me to do."


    "Obviously, the heavens have kept you alive for the purpose of mocking me," Old Jiang notes dryly. "To think someone my age could still be surprised by life."


    "Life is always the most surprising thing there is, master," Liu Jianguo replies. "Those are the words you taught me."


    "If I said those words, they must obviously be true," Old Jiang replies, chuckling.


    It is a casual conversation. The two smile like old friends who have not seen each other in years yet...


    Yet neither Liu Jin nor Xiao Nan can bring themselves to intrude. Even though there are questions burning inside of them, they cannot bring themselves to voice them.


    "Tell me then, what became of you after we parted ways?" Old Jiang asks, stroking his beard. "I thought for sure you were headed to your death."


    "As you can see, that was not the case, master," Liu Jianguo answers. "As for the tale of my journey, I am afraid it is not something particularly exciting. You would find it quite boring. Suffice to say, I am nothing but a simple doctor now."


    "A simple doctor," Old Jiang snorts. "No disciple of mine, even one I threw out, could be anything as uninteresting as simple. If you are a doctor here, then..."


    Old Jiang trails off. Realization creeps over his aged face. "If you are a doctor here," he repeats, his gaze wanders over to Liu Jin. "Then this brat is your son."


    Liu Jianguo nods. "That he is, master. I would tell you not to call him a brat, but I know that to be a waste of breath."


    "Brat, look at me," Old Jiang orders Liu Jin, deciding to ignore his former disciple''s last sentence. "Yes, I can see it. He has your eyes and your jaw, but thankfully not your light. I should have noticed right away. I truly am old."


    Old Jiang laughs.


    "I can''t believe you found a woman!"


    "She was a good woman," Liu Jianguo says. Liu Jin''s ears perk up at that. Since his mother died when he was young, he has no memories of her. It is rare to hear his father mention her.


    "Was, huh?" Old Jiang notes. "A pity. I would have liked to meet the woman who managed to put up with you. Oh well, if this brat is yours then it is no wonder he was able to prepare the antidote."


    At this, Liu Jianguo''s eyes flicker over to Liu Jin. "Antidote?"


    Old Jiang grins. "It is a long story, and unlike yours, it is quite exciting. Care to hear it?"


    "Even if I say no, I think master would tell it to me anyway."


    "Good. Good," Old Jiang says, laughing. "If you can say that type of thing to my face, then I have nothing to worry about. Hey, you two!"


    Xiao Nan and Liu Jin straighten their backs once they realize he is addressing them. "You may as well leave now. We are going to be talking for a while, and it''s not something that would interest you."


    It is a dismissal if they have ever heard one. The two have no choice but to comply.


    "Doctor," Xiao Nan says to Liu Jianguo, mustering the will to open his mouth. "I do not mean anything bad by this, but-"


    "You have to tell Xiao Zheng about this," Liu Jianguo finishes for him. "I understand. I would expect nothing less. Master understands as well."


    "It is a pity when an old man cannot go anywhere without raising a fuss," Old Jiang says. "Do your duty, brat. You will earn no enmity from me as long as you do only that."


    "Thank you," Xiao Nan says, bowing low. "By your leave then."


    Liu Jin imitates the gesture and follows him out, leaving master and disciple alone.


    ~~~


    Liu Jin and Xiao Nan make their way out of the house and keep on walking. They are at least seventy meters away before either of them dares to speak. Liu Jin is the first to open his mouth.


    "That was odd."


    "Little Brother has a gift for understatement," Xiao Nan says, laughing. He keeps laughing for a while before abruptly letting himself fall to the ground. His face is pale and sweaty. His heart hammers against his chest. It is a pathetic sight that many would simply not be able to reconcile with the prodigy of the Xiao Sect. "Ah, I thought for sure we were going to die for a moment there.


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    Liu Jin blinks. "Surely Elder Brother is exaggerating?"


    To Liu Jin''s surprise, Xiao Nan shakes his head. "It is natural for Little Brother not to have noticed. There are certain sights you can only appreciate when you are at a high enough altitude. The same applies here. You cannot grasp how utterly terrifying that man is yet."


    A worried look appears in Liu Jin''s face. "If he is that dangerous was it really fine for us to leave my father alone with him?"


    "They got along well enough. I do not think there is anything to worry about," Xiao Nan says. The words that come out of his mouth are far more optimistic than the ones inside his heart. In his heart, there is just one truth.


    Even if they stayed, they would not be able to do a thing to help should Old Jiang decide to kill Liu Jin’s father.


    Against an Emperor, the only defense is another Emperor. It is that simple.


    "Your father called him master. That''s not something a normal person can get away with," Xiao Nan adds. The man who called himself Old Jiang had not only not denied it but also gone as far as to refer to Liu Jin''s father as his disciple.


    "That is true," Liu Jin says with a troubled look on his face. "Father rarely talks about his past. I had no idea he knew a person like that."


    "Hey, Little Brother," Xiao Nan starts as an idea occurs to him. "I''m going to ask a question about a touchy subject. If at all possible, I''d prefer if you didn''t get angry at me."


    "What is it, Elder Brother?" Liu Jin asks, confused.


    "I had assumed your father''s condition was something he was born with."


    Liu Jin freezes at the question. It is common knowledge Liu Jianguo is someone whose meridians are crippled. He cannot cultivate no matter how much he tries. It is a fact that has caused Liu Jin much suffering, having to endure the taunts and jeers aimed at his father. It is why Xiao Nan has not even once brought up the subject, not even when it is his turn to guard them while they are out gathering herbs.


    Because of that, Liu Jin is certain his interest in the matter is not to mock his father like so many other people had.


    "I do not know," Liu Jin replies honestly. "I never asked, and father never told me. Since he has always been like that, I never really thought about it. Is it important?"


    "It is," Xiao Nan says. "I''ll freely admit Little Brother knows more about me when it comes to medicine. However, when it comes to the number of injuries I have seen, Little Brother cannot compare yet."


    There is no boast in Xiao Nan''s words. It is simply the natural result of years of training and fighting.


    "I have seen a person lose an arm fighting a Spirit Beast. I have seen a person stabbed through with a spear and another shocked by lightning. I have seen someone beaten in such a way that he had more wounds and bruises than flesh. However, provided a skilled enough doctor could save their life, those people were never in a position where their meridians were rendered completely unusable. Meridians grow and are powered by our very lifeforce. As long as we exist, they can be mended to some degree. That is why I was certain your father''s condition had to be something he was born with. I''m certain I am not the only one who thinks like that."


    Xiao Nan paused letting the information sink in Liu Jin''s mind.


    "What does that have to do with the old man?" Liu Jin asks.


    "I cannot imagine someone in the Emperor Realm training someone who cannot cultivate," Xiao Nan states. "Someone who catches the eye of an existence that great cannot be anything less than extraordinary."


    "Elder Brother, are you saying my father was a cultivator in the past?" Liu Jin asks. The notion is so alien to his mind it takes a while for the idea to sink in.


    "Perhaps," Xiao Nan says. "Or perhaps I have said too much. It was not my intention to trouble your thoughts."


    "No," Liu Jin says, shaking his head. "Elder Brother has nothing to apologize for. This is something I needed to think about eventually."


    "I see," Xiao Nan says. "Very well then, I''ll leave you to your thoughts for now. I must inform uncle about this. If anything, I have delayed this too much already."


    "Is it that important?"


    "Of course it is," Xiao Nan says. "Uncle will not miss the presence of another Emperor in the city for long. However, if I get to him first, I''ll be able to properly explain the situation to him."


    Xiao Nan laughs as he gets up and walks away. "We wouldn''t want to lose the city now, would we?"


    ~~~


    Liu Jin waits about half an hour before returning home. By the time he gets there, the sun is already starting to set. His father waits for him at the door.


    "Come in," his father says. "There is much to talk about, and you are bound to have questions."


    His father leads him inside, and even though the place is his home, Liu Jin''s steps are apprehensive. After all, that presence is still there. That man has not left yet.


    "About time you got here, brat," Old Jiang says to him. The old man is sitting at their table like it is the most natural thing in the world.


    "You are the one who told him to get out, master," Liu Jianguo is quick to remind him.


    "It has been over ten years, and you still do not know the proper way to do things," Old Jiang says, exasperated. "Listen carefully, you too brat. I know I am wasting my breath with this one, but you''re still young enough to learn. When your master says something, you are supposed to agree with him without giving it a second thought. That is the proper way for a disciple to act."


    "I can only say that if I ever have to choose between my son and my master, I''ll cheerfully kick master down a cliff," Liu Jianguo says, prompting a snort from the old master.


    "See?" Old Jiang says to Liu Jin. “To my utmost regret, that is my greatest disciple."


    Liu Jin does not answer. The boy merely stares at his father with something akin to shock and disbelief. For Liu Jin, his father has always been the picture of calmness and maturity, someone who manages to be courteous even with those who scorn him. He is the standard to which Liu Jin holds himself up to. It is why he possesses considerably greater self-control than most kids his age.


    Never in his life has Liu Jin seen his father talk to someone the way he talks to Old Jiang.


    "So it is true then? You are father''s master?" Liu Jin asks at last.


    "Of course, it is true," Old Jiang replies. "For twenty long years, I taught him everything from medical knowledge to the secrets of cultivation."


    "It is true," his father adds. "It is thanks to master''s teachings that I am able to earn a living as a doctor here. Everything I know, I learned from him."


    It is obvious in hindsight. His father''s knowledge could not come from nowhere. Still, knowing he is in front of the one who taught his father how to be a doctor is nothing short of shocking.


    "You''d have learned more if you hadn''t been a fool," Old Jiang says while Liu Jin is still processing the information. "No one told you to cripple yourself, idiot.”


    "What?" This time Liu Jin cannot control himself. The words leave his mouth before he can stop them. The words casually said by Old Jiang are that shocking. His father''s condition, the reason why he has suffered prejudice at the hands of others, not even once had Liu Jin considered it could be self-inflicted. Like a lost child, his gaze seeks his father''s face.


    "I guess you had to find out eventually," his father says. "Yes, it is true. I am the one who crippled myself. I know you have many questions, but do not ask me the reason. I will tell you the full story one day, but not today. For now, just trust I had my reasons."


    "''I had my reasons,'' he says," Old Jiang scoffs. "Unbelievable."


    "I misused your teachings, disgraced them," Liu Jianguo says. "There was no other way to atone."


    "Yes, yes, yes," Old Jiang says with a tired voice. "We have had this argument countless times, my stubborn disciple. Nothing is going to change if we have it once more. Besides, that is not what we should talk about now."


    "True," Liu Jianguo says. He turns to face Liu Jin. "Son, know that I never expected to meet my master again. I never expected that he, of all people, would ever be in need of a doctor. I certainly never expected for you to be the one to save him."


    A rare smile appears on Liu Jianguo''s face. "Master told me everything. As your father and teacher, I am proud of how you handled yourself today."


    Warmth spreads across Liu Jin''s face upon hearing his father''s words. He lowers his head, trying to hide the smile on his face.


    "You did good work," Old Jiang adds. "Be proud of yourself. You have saved the life of the greatest doctor in all the lands. For now, at least."


    "Master''s condition is not so easily cured," Liu Jianguo says, pre-empting Liu Jin''s next question. "He is better now thanks to the medicine, but he will need further treatment. To that end, I have invited him to stay with us until his treatment is finished."


    "Unfortunately, there is no other doctor I can trust with my condition," Old Jiang says, shaking his head.


    "Is it truly so serious?" Liu Jin cannot help but ask.


    "Quite," replies Old Jiang. The old man flexes one of his hands experimentally. "Right now, I am but a shell of my former self. What a disgrace."


    The words almost sound like a joke to Liu Jin. After all, he had felt the man''s Qi. A man in the Emperor Realm saying that about himself cannot be anything other than a joke. However, something in his voice stops Liu Jin from dismissing the comment as a simple exaggeration.


    "However, the heavens have not abandoned me yet," Old Jiang adds with a smile. "To think the man who took my best and only disciple by crippling himself would end up providing me with another one to pay off his debt."


    "Master!" Liu Jianguo''s voice is like a whip, and even though the words are not aimed at him, Liu Jin flinches. "I would appreciate if you did not try to manipulate my son."


    "If he is even half as stubborn as you were, it is the only way," Old Jiang replies. "Why? If I straightforwardly offered him the chance to be my apprentice, this kid may have the gall to say the only man he wants to learn from is his father or some other inane thing. It is much better to frame it as debt you owe that he must pay."


    Liu Jin is left blinking at the exchange, and a part of him cannot help but think Old Jiang is not wrong in what he said.


    His father opens his mouth to reply but quickly snaps it shut. "We will talk about this later," he says as he stands up and heads towards the door. Liu Jin can already feel the reason why. The presence nearing their house is unmistakable.


    The Xiao Sect’s Patriarch, Xiao Zheng, has arrived.


    ~~~