n

n

nTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

n“Sure, I will go up the hill. Please keep this a secret for me,” Wang Yao reminded his mother, afraid that she would say too much.

n“Don’t worry.”

nWang Yao left home and went back up to Nanshan hill to tend to those newly planted trees. After planting the trees, the dog became very cheerful and no longer stayed in his kennel contemplating his dog life. He had taken to gamboling about Nanshan hill, marking his territory.

n“San Xian, stop peeing everywhere!”

nWoof, woof, woof!

nWhile Wang Yao was busy here at the hill, at another area, some people at their home were seething with rage.

n“What? No more? How is it so coincidental that when my relatives want the medicine, there is no more? Is it because he doesn’t want it to give us?” Wang Yao’s third aunt heard her husband’s words and was enraged.

n“It’s not that he doesn’t want to. If he really doesn’t want to, he won’t have cured my illness. He already said he’s out of the medicine, why are you nagging so much!” Wang Yao’s third uncle lost his temper. It was his nephew after all, and his illness was cured thanks to him. To him, his wife’s words were too unreasonable.

n“I think he just doesn’t want to give us the medicine. Will it help if I pay for it?”

n“Do you think he needs your money?”

n“What do you mean by that?!”

nCrack! A cup smashed onto the floor.

nA small matter and needless suspicion had caused a family conflict.

nWang Yao’s third uncle slammed the door and left the house, not wanting to stay in there.

n“Go and don’t come back!” A sobbing sound rang out from the room.

nIn the evening, when Wang Yao came down the hill to have dinner at home, he noticed his father did not look at ease.

n“What happened? Dad looks troubled,” he whispered to his mother.

n“Don’t worry about him. Your third aunt called this afternoon. She wants your father to make a trip to her place. She claimed that your third uncle hit her and she wants to divorce him.” Zhang Xiuying was furious. “He wanted to go, and I stopped him!”

n“What is she kicking up a fuss over, this time?” Wang Yao was dumbstruck.

nHis third aunt and uncle have threatened to divorce several times before, especially when Wang Yao’s grandfather was still alive. At that time, the commotion was bigger. Simply put, the root cause was money. His grandfather was a retired teacher who had a good income. His third aunt and youngest aunt were both eyeing the old man’s pension. Each time they had huge arguments over small matters, they would call the old man. Of course, Wang Yao’s mother grumbled as well but was suppressed by Wang Fenghua. Ever since Wang Yao’s grandfather passed away, the commotion between the two families had petered out.

n“Don’t tell me they were arguing because of the medicine?”

n“Possibly,” Zhang Xiuying answered.

nWhen Wang Yao heard her, he was dumbfounded. Subsequently, he laughed; he was so riled that he was laughing in anger! To argue over such a small matter—what kind of life was that? Some kind of child’s play?

n“If not, let’s get the medicine to them?” Zhang Xiuying tested the waters and asked.

n“Mom, what are you thinking? Don’t be like Grandpa, spoiling them. If they want to argue, let them. Dad should interfere less. Bickering over such useless stuff—is this what adults do?!” As Wang Yao spoke, he got more infuriated. For some time, he had been reading scriptures daily and hardly got rankled. Yet, this time his fury was stoked because of his own relatives.

n“And these people are my relatives; it’s ridiculous!”

nThe dinner was awkward. Wang Yao did not say much during the dinner. He went up the hill soon after finishing his food.

nSitting on his stool outside his cottage, Wang Yao quietly looked at the starry sky. Beside him was his dog who was also staring at the sky. San Xian looked at the sky for a moment, then twisted its head to look at its master and then went back to staring up at the sky.

nWhoosh. A gust of wind blew.

nWang Yao extended his hand and seemed to have grasped something.

n“San Xian, do you feel anything? It seems the hill breeze has changed.”

nWoof, the dog replied, not understanding what its master was trying to say.

nThe night passed uneventfully.

nThe next day, before the day brightened, Wang Yao woke and started to get busy.

nTending to the herbal field and using the diluted ancient spring to water the trees, he was busy with these chores until daybreak. He then walked further uphill.

nEh? As he was approaching the summit, he halted suddenly and turned around to look at the trees behind him.

n“Is that an illusion?”

nHe turned and walked downhill a few steps, then turned and walked uphill, repeating this a few times.

n“No, this is real. Within just a few meters, there is a minute change.”

nHis spirit gathering battle array arrangement was barely completed; it was only a framework and was far from the actual arrangement. There were a lot of items that needed to be added, improved and polished. Even so, he could already sense some effects. Apart from the framework, with just a few meters’ gaps, the temperature and the air circulation had undergone some changes.

n“Very good,” Wang Yao muttered. The array that he had contemplated for some time seemed effective. Therefore, he could continue this course of arrangement. He stood there and soaked in the feeling, then went up the hill to a rock. Facing the east where the light shone, he sat cross-legged, closed his eyes in concentration and directed his inner Qi to circulate throughout his body endlessly.

nThe light of the early morning sun was gentle, yet full of vigor and vitality.

nDown the hill, where the chickens were crowing and the dogs were barking, smoke from the chimney was seen wafting through the air. Although many homes used liquid gas, there were still some homes that preferred using the traditional iron cauldrons for cooking.

nHaving had breakfast, the villagers started to leave their homes, either for work or to make their way up the hill, in preparation for a busy day ahead. At this point, Wang Yao had completed his daily breathing exercises and had gone downhill to his cottage.

n“What are those trees that Fenghua’s son planted?” This was not the first time villagers who came up the hill had discussed the trees that Wang Yao planted.

n“Eucalyptus tree, pine tree, banyan tree—there’s no order to it!”

n“Is it profitable to plant these trees?”

n“No way! It’s better to plant chestnut trees!”

n“I think he must be possessed!”

nThe villagers’ gossip went unnoticed by Wang Yao. Even if he did hear them, he treated them like a gust of wind, blowing past quickly.

nClose to noon, Wang Yao received a phone call. It was He Qisheng, who asked where he was, as he had matters to discuss with him. They arranged to meet up on the hill. Within an hour, He Qisheng drove into the village and stopped at the southern part of the village and walked up the hill.

nEh??

nHe gazed at the hill and noticed the planted trees.

n“I haven’t been here for a short while and it’s changed again.” He Qisheng walked up the winding hill path. On the way, he closely examined the trees and felt more and more puzzled.

n“The species are so miscellaneous and random?!”

nWoof, woof, woof. He barely got near the herbal field before hearing the dog’s barks.

n“You got here so quickly!” Hearing the dog’s barks, Wang Yao walked out the cottage and saw a stupefied He Qisheng staring at the trees up on the hill.

n“When I called you, I was already in Lianshan County,” He Qisheng said. “I haven’t seen you for a few days; your hill has changed and you’ve planted so many random types of trees?”

n“I was unoccupied and felt like it, so I planted some to try it out,” Wang Yao smiled and replied.

nInside the cottage, Wang Yao made him a cup of tea.

n“I came this time because of the matter I was helping you with. On qualifications, I have resolved that. On the examinations, I have also helped you register for it. I will inform you soon of the exact time. Here are some materials I’ve brought for you. Take a look when you have time,” He Qisheng said and placed a package full of books on the table.

n“I see, thank you so much!” Wang Yao was elated upon hearing him.

nIn his mind, he had thought this matter was difficult to accomplish, yet to He Qisheng it was easily resolved.

n“No problem,” He Qisheng smiled and responded. This was a small matter to him.

n“When do you intend to leave the hill? Is it when you obtain the certification?”

nWhile chatting, He Qisheng enquired a little more. A few days before coming, he spoke to his friend on the phone and found out that his friend’s son’s condition had improved tremendously with Wang Yao’s treatment. The extremely problematic insomnia was also resolved. Hence, before he came to Wang Yao’s, he had seen the child and had examined him. Needless to say, he was astounded by the child’s improvement.

nTwenty days had not yet passed and the child’s illness had taken a fundamental turn for the better. It should be noted that this illness had befuddled countless experts. Therefore, there was clear evidence that the young man before him possessed top-notch medical skills. Except that his personal rules were strange; even though he had amazing abilities, he would rather live in the wilderness and live a life akin to a hermit. In ancient times, this unwillingness to be sullied by the corrupted world would be an honorable conduct. However, set in the context of a modern society, most people would think he was not right in the head.

n“Anytime,” Wang Yao smiled and replied.

nHe had a mission in hand. A hundred days, already past a quarter of the time, and he had only acquired about ten people’s recognition. If he wanted to, there were plenty of people who wanted to seek his help as a doctor, and this mission could be completed easily. However, he wanted to complete the mission in a way that would not bring unnecessary trouble. Some people’s illnesses he was willing to see and treat them, yet there were others, if he could avoid seeing them, he would rather do so.

n“Really!?” He Qisheng was shocked upon hearing him.

n“Yes.”

n“In that case, can you accompany me to a place to see a patient?” He Qisheng followed with a query.

n“Where?” Wang Yao was not in a hurry to accept his request.

n“Jing city.”

n“No!” Wang Yao declined without hesitation.

n“Why?”

n“I’m not willing to go, also I don’t feel like going,” Wang Yao frankly answered.

nJing city, the country’s capital, was a place where the privileged and powerful gathered. It was also where instability arose, in a mixed company of good and bad people.

nIf the purpose was to visit some places of historical interest, he did not mind going. However, considering He Qisheng’s social standing, and his companion, Ms. Guo, if he were to go to Jing city, there was a strong likelihood that he would be meeting someone influential. When that time came, if all went well, it would be fine. If he got into trouble, though, he doubted he would be able to get out of it easily.

n“That’s fine!” He Qisheng heard his reply and smiled. His expression returned to normal.

nHe could understand Wang Yao’s contemplation. If it were him, he would be similarly concerned. He stayed at Wang Yao’s cottage for a while, drank a cup of tea, chatted a bit and then he got up and departed.

n