Chapter 37 - Chi Medicine

As expected, Ling didn’t come to spend the night with me. It was both disappointing and relieving. Maybe I should heed the Goddess’ advice and let things be.

I woke up early the next morning, feeling almost as good as new. Still, the girls from last night came in to hand me a cup with medicine and another with tea to swallow the first.

I gulped the first and nearly threw it up. But one of the women placed her hands on my mouth and the other pinched my nose, forcing me to swallow. Once I did, I drank the tea as fast as I could.

“What was that?” I asked grimacing at the terrible aftertaste. It tasted so bitter that I was afraid my tongue would fall off.

“Medicine” one of them answers, trying to hide her smile.

“Give a drop of that medicine to anyone and I’m sure they’ll swear off getting sick ever again.” I took a deep breath, but even that gave me an awful aftertaste.

Both girls laughed and then offered me another cup of tea. I used it to wash out the aftertaste rather than drink it. Once I had finished the new cup, they bid me farewell and I smiled at them, making them blush.

Just as they were leaving, the old woman from the bonfire came in to see how I was doing. I said that I was feeling fine but, instead of paying heed to my words, she took my head in her hands and began moving it in this and that direction, like a chiropractor.

“Take off your shirt.”

I raised an eyebrow, but only got a glare back. Shrugging, I took it off.

Again, she began prodding and moving my body every other way. I could feel some soreness, probably from spending so much time in bed, but nothing seemed particularly painful.

“If I hadn’t seen it before, I would say it was impossible.” She grumbled, taking a seat before me.

“What do you mean?”

“Your body healed faster after you regained consciousness.” She stared hard at me.

I have been using wood-breathing since I woke up, so it was to be expected.

“You said you have seen it before?”

She nodded solemnly “I met another cultivator in my youth.” I detected a fair share of nostalgia from her. The old woman sighed “I will give you an ointment for the burns, but I can’t promise they will heal. At best, the skin will look paler than the rest”

I nodded and shrugged “A price I’m willing to pay for a well-learned lesson.”

She gave me a small smile and nodded. “Your other friend is awake; do you wish to see him?”

“Of course.” I followed her into another small cottage, where I found no other than Fa Min being tended by the same two girls from before. His chest and right arm were bandaged. He managed a tired smile when he saw me.

“H-hey.”

I blinked in confusion, kneeling on the ground beside him “What happened to you?”

“That bad, huh?” his chuckling became a coughing fit. One of the girls offered him a cup of herbal tea.

The old woman butted in then “He received some burns too, but he isn’t healing as fast as you.”

I nodded. “I see. Then let me do something about it” It was my fault that Fa Min was in this state, therefore, I reasoned it was also my responsibility to help.

I sat cross-legged at Min’s side and meditated for a moment while maintaining my wood-breathing. I extended my senses toward him and immediately saw how his body was working hard to heal itself.

Using a technique I had read once before in a book, I “breathed” healing chi into him.

The change was immediate.

Min’s face relaxed and he became drowsy, falling asleep not long after.

Still, in my trance, I heard the old woman giving orders to the girls to bring clean, cold water and a balm for the burns.

I ignored the rest and kept sending him waves of healing magic until I began feeling faint.

Carefully, I withdrew my conscience from my friend’s body and, when it entered mine, I felt immediately dizzy.

A hand holding a cup of tea entered my vision. I took it and drank the contents greedily.

“I wish I knew more people who could do what you did just now.”

I looked up to find the old woman smiling down at me.

I smiled and thanked her. “He will heal faster now. But he will still need your help to recover. I’ve saved us a week of treatment, or so.”

“Good. Now go back to your room, you will need the rest and food waiting for you there.”

“Thank you Zumu.”

One of the girls accompanied me back to my quarters and kept me company while I ate. She left soon after, and I decided to regain some energy by sleeping.

We made this a routine for the following five days until Fa Min and I were good to go. I saw Ling every day, but she kept herself away from me most of the time. Unless I called her specifically for something.

But I avoided doing that as much as I could. Giving her ample time to calm down.

On the ninth morning after arriving at the camp, Fa Min, Ling, and I thanked our host and her helpers before making our way to the other side of the circle of trees.

Once outside, I turned back but could no longer find the trees from before.

I sighed and ran to catch up with my companions.