028 Healing Hand

  Elder Pan Xia didn’t stay for long.

  The moment Jia Yun colpsed, he bolted from his seat—rushing from the VIP se to the arena floor below. It was almost ical how deyed his rea was, as if he only just remembered his responsibility as an Elder at the st sed amidst his panid fusion.

  I couldn’t bme him.

  It must have been a shock to his system.

  The crowd stirred as he made his way down, whispers rippling through the stands.

  "The Elder of the ist Sect is moving!"

  "Elder Pan Xia himself is stepping in—"

  The murmurs grean Xia reached Jia Yun and crouched beside her, his hands glowing faintly with energy as he performed a diagnosis. His expression twisted—whether from genuine or lingering shock, I couldn’t tell.

  I let my gaze sweep over the audience. Reverence, curiosity, unease—all of it mixed together at the sight of a true Elder of one of the Three Major Sects taking a.

  It was strange, really. Ba LLO, healers weren’t treated with this much respect.

  I turo g Fan. “How are healers perceived in this part of the world?”

  g Fan bli me, momentarily caught off guard. “Master? Uuh… Highly respected. Healers are highly respected, but it differs from one cultivations to another.”

  Huh.

  That gave me an idea.

  I turo Ren Jin. “Lord Ren, what do you think Elder Pan would feel if I were to offer healing?”

  Before Ren Jin could answer, Long Xieren scoffed. “You would offer a treasure for free to someone from another Sect?”

  I rolled my eyes. “I am a somewhat capable healer. I may know a healing spell or two.”

  Ren Jin, ever posed, studied me for a moment before nodding. “I believe Elder Pan would wele it.”

  “Is Elder Pan a healer?” I asked.

  From the way he ressing down on Jia Yun’s body and the careful movements of his fingers, I half expected him to start monologuing about how he had stopped this and that meridian, staunched her internal bleeding, and provided first aid with a mystical-sounding teique.

  Long Xieren scoffed. “What made you think so? The ist disciple simply fumbled hard this time. If only she knew her limits, she wouldn’t have ended like this.”

  Okay. So that was a no, then.

  A misception on my part.

  Long Xierehe full text though.

  Regardless, I should offer my aid. I artly responsible, though the fault didn’t ultimately lie with me.

  Down in the arena, medics hurried onto the stage, carefully carrying Jia Yun away on a stretcher while Pan Xia apahem. His expression was unreadable—probably trying to process what the hell had just happened.

  Well, whatever. I could deal with him ter.

  I turo Ren Jin. “Before I go and joio offer my aid, surely none of you have fotten about the bet?”

  Ren Jin smiled knowingly before raising a hand. “I gracefully accept my defeat.” At his signal, an attendant stepped forward, carrying a small tainer. Within it, led ly in separate partments, were three distinct treasures.

  Long Xieren smirked. “gratutions on your victory, fellow Daoist.”

  I took my time iing them, not wanting to risk some underharickery.

  her Ghost Fmes? Check. A swirling mass of eerie blue fmes, flickering within a jade vial.

  Molten Bck Steel? Check. A dense lump of jet-bck metal, radiating faint traces of heat.

  True Royal Divine? …Check. A pristine flower tained within an ortle, its petals swirling in hypnotic patterns.

  Satisfied, I carefully pocketed my winnings in my Item Box.

  Then, just as the st of the medics carried Jia Yun away, Enforcer Liang Na’s voice rang out across the arena.

  “The victor—Fan Shi!”

  Xianxia medbays were different from the sterile, ical enviros I was used to.

  There were no beepi monitors, no aic smells, and no fluorest lights. Instead, inse burners filled the air with the st of medial herbs, while glowing talismans fluttered softly on the walls, providile illumination. The room was a mix of wood and jade, with beds carved from spirit-enhang materials desigo accelerate healing.

  It didn’t take much effort to find Jia Yun. I simply used Divine Seo track them down.

  Divine Sense was quickly being my favorite skill. It tio evolve at an arming pace, to the point where I was starting to rely on it more than I should. What had started as a simple awareness skill was steadily transf into something far more potent.

  The only patient in the facility was Jia Yun, unscious on a bed surrounded by a formation that pulsed with healing energy.

  Pan Xia stood at her bedside.

  “If it isn’t Senior Da,” he said without turning around. “e to gloat about your winnings?”

  I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not so crass as to do something like that.”

  Pan Xia finally looked at me, eyes narrowed. “Was it you?”

  Ah. No way in hell I was admitting to that.

  But he seemed sure.

  I kept my expressioral, preparing for aion. I had already mapped out an escape route with Gu Jie’s sel. If things really hit the fan, I kly where to run.

  Then, just as suddenly, Pan Xia withdrew his hostility. He let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples.

  “Never mind,” he muttered. “In the end, the Riverfall ti is just a small world for experts like you.”

  It seemed he had fully aowledged my strength now.

  “So,” I said, ging the topic. “How is she?”

  Pan Xia exhaled sharply. “Terrible. Internal damage. Ruptured meridians. I might have he rising star of our Sect just because of my greed.” His fiightened into a fist. “My cultivation will probably be crippled by the Sect Master upon my return.”

  I blinked.

  No way. He was this subservient?

  Yeah. This guy was done for.

  It was surprising how calm he was.

  My impression of cultivators from the tropes was rather one sided and unfavorable to them. I imagined Pan Xia to have been raging right about now or venting his frustration to whichever poor mortal crossed his path.

  I turo the patient.

  Jia Yun looked… vulnerable.

  The raging force of a three-tailed berserker was o be seen. Now, she was just a girl, unscious on a bed, her face pale, her body still. Her breathing was shallow, ae the healing formation surrounding her, her qi flow remained in disarray.

  I stared at Elder Pan Xia.

  I had a principle—or maybe just a habit— to see the good in people. Pan Xia was no exception. Maybe it art y, but it was also part of human nature. No one saw themselves as the vilin of their own story, right?

  I sighed.

  It was amazing, in a way. It had been over half a week since I arrived in this xianxia world, and I still hadn’t killed a single human being.

  And here I thought this genre was teeming with murder hoboes.

  I met Pan Xia’s gaze. “How about a deal, Elder Pan?”

  Pan Xia hummed, looking weary. “Hmmm…? Unfortunately, with the current state of affairs, I no longer hold any influen the Sect. The only way for me to redeem myself is to win the au, which is now impossible, sihe her Ghost Fmes I po use have already bee up by you.”

  “Frankly, you have nothing that I want,” I admitted. “This ‘deal’ is more of a… social experiment. Yes, let’s call it that.”

  Pan Xia narrowed his eyes. “What kind of deal?”

  I gestured toward Jia Yun. “I will heal this girl—though I make no promises of success. However, if I do mao heal her, you have to promise me something… that you won’t ever cheat again.”

  He blinked, fusion flickering across his face. He robably w how I inteo enforce such a thing.

  I tinued before he could object. “I have a skill that allows me to detect lies with nearly absolute certainty.” I smiled. “Who knows? We might just cross paths again iure.”

  Pan Xia’s expression turned unreadable. He hesitated. “That is to no be to… you…”

  “Yeah, you’re absolutely right,” I admitted, shrugging. “That’s why I’m also willing to accept payment—preferably a cultivation teique for reference. I’ve grown curious about the methods of this ti.”

  Pan Xia studied me carefully. He probably didn’t fully believe my lie-deteg cim, but there was no harm in hum me.

  Sadly for him, I did have the means… All hail Divine Sense, which I’ve been using for a long time io sniff out NPd hostile monsters on the map.

  Still, Pan Xia seemed wary.

  Good.

  In truth, this wasn’t really about him. Establishing a pretense of wanting friendship was just a ve excuse.

  The person I was truly befriending here if anyone, was Jia Yun.

  After all, she was the one receiving my healing.

  Elder Pan gave me a small nod.

  That was all the permission I needed.

  I raised one hand, and golden light gathered on my palm before slowly suffusing into Jia Yun. The glow pulsed gently, sinking into her broken body like rays of dawn pierg through the dark.

  With our level difference, something of this scale should be fine.

  “Cure.”

  There was h bar to cheo damage ig down, no UI indicator firming success. But I didn’t hem. Jia Yun’s plexihtened ever so slightly, her ragged breathing evening out.

  I spammed Cure a few more times, my palm glowing with each cast, until I felt satisfied.

  Pan Xia’s eyes widened. “This is… incredible.”

  I tried to recall the skill’s fvor text, hoping to avoid any potential side effects. “It’s a healing spell that uses the natural vitality of the person it’s cast on and the belief of the caster to empower the healing.”

  In other words, magic.

  And magic had no rhyme or reason.

  Pan Xia bent down, pg two fingers on Jia Yun’s wrist to check her pulse. His brows furrowed, then rexed. “Her meridians are still in a terrible state, but she will heal.” He exhaled, seemingly relieved. “Senior Da, you have my gratitude.”

  The old man cupped his fists and bowed.

  I didn’t return the gesture.

  He still pissed me off.