Chapter 10: The Wolf Demon Xiedan
The next day, after having breakfast together, Xiaoyao and Baozhu pushed open the door and headed toward Huichuntang. Seeing the two of them walking out side by side from the courtyard next door, Asheng and Old Mu, standing at the entrance, kept their heads down in silence, deep in thought.
Today's situation was indeed much better. The number of patients was still substantial, but with the experience of the past few days, Huichuntang was orderly both inside and out, no longer as chaotic as before. There were no longer any patients lying on the ground at the entrance desperately needing life-saving care, and Xiaoyao let out a long sigh of relief. She sat next to Asheng at the consultation table to see patients. Occasionally, when a patient needed acupuncture, Xiaoyao would pull Asheng along and teach him meticulously. Asheng's acupuncture technique had improved tremendously, which brought great comfort to Xiaoyao's heart. In the future, having Asheng hold consultations at Huichuntang would also be a blessing for the people of the region.
Huichuntang was still distributing medicine pouches. With these pouches, the transmission and spread of the epidemic in Qingshui Town and the surrounding villages and towns were greatly reduced. Doctor Liu's reputation for saving the people and bringing the dead back to life spread far and wide, becoming a celebrated tale for a time.
After lunch, Baozhu came over and sat down beside Xiaoyao, lowering his voice:
"There's a big fellow outside. He's been wandering around all morning, and he's still wandering out there now. He's from the Demon Clan, probably a wolf demon, and his spiritual power is not low."
"Here to make trouble?" Xiaoyao asked.
"Doesn't look like it. Seems like he has something on his mind, but he doesn't dare come in."
Xiaoyao called Liuzi and had him bring the person into the house. The newcomer was very tall, a good two heads taller than an ordinary person, with a robust build, dark skin, and striking features. Inconsistent with his appearance, the visitor was somewhat fidgety and lowered his head as if feeling rather shy. Xiaoyao secretly found it amusing, thinking to herself whether all these demons were so awkward. Despite their rugged, burly exterior, why were they still acting like coy little girls?
As soon as the big fellow entered the room, he stared around with wide eyes. When his gaze met Baozhu's, he shuddered all over and lowered his head even further, as if trying to bury his entire head inside his clothes.
Finding him rather comical, Xiaoyao asked, "Is something the matter? Are you ill?"
The big fellow raised his head slightly, cast a stealthy glance at Xiaoyao, then glanced at Baozhu, before turning to look at the people around them, hesitating to speak.
Asheng chimed in from the side, "Or is someone in your family ill?"
"It's... my wife and children are ill. I wanted to ask... ask Doctor Liu to come to my house for a consultation," he stammered, his voice very small, as if he lacked all confidence.
"Go to your house? Then what about all these patients here? You can bring them over for a consultation, or if that really doesn't work, ask someone to help carry them over." Seeing the troubled look on his face, Asheng continued:
"You don't need to worry about the consultation fees and medicines. Saving lives comes first, we can talk about all that later."
The man fell silent again, his face turning beet red as he kept staring fixedly at Xiaoyao. Xiaoyao exchanged a glance with Baozhu, and Baozhu nodded. Whereupon, Xiaoyao stood up and said:
"Come with me!"
Xiaoyao led the man to Baozhu's courtyard next door and sat down at the table in the yard. The man stood on the ground while Baozhu turned around to close the courtyard gate and sat down beside Xiaoyao.
Seeing that there was no one else around, the big fellow dropped to his knees with a thud, looked up at Xiaoyao, and said, "Doctor Liu, I beg you to please save my wife and three children."
"Get up and speak slowly, there's no need for such a grand bow! Tell me your name first."
"My name is Xiedan."
"Xiedan? That fierce wolf-like monster from deep in the mountains?" Xiaoyao was somewhat surprised.
Xiedan looked a bit embarrassed, scratched his head, and said:
"Actually, it's just a kind of wolf, just better-looking than ordinary wolves and faster at running."
With that, he secretly glanced at Baozhu again, the implication roughly being: Given that you can sit so nonchalantly next to this person here, you probably shouldn't be afraid of me, right?
"Then tell me what the situation is at home."
"About seven days ago, it started with my wife coming down with a sudden high fever. At first I thought it was just a regular fever and didn't pay much attention, so I just channeled some spiritual power into her. But before long, all three children developed fevers as well, and their high fevers wouldn't break; they were nearly unconscious. I could only keep channeling spiritual power to them, but in the end that was no solution. Hearing that you possess supreme medical skills and can bring the dead back to life, I came here. But seeing that you were always busy, I didn't dare to disturb you rashly."
"Judging by the refined way you speak, are you educated?"
"Yes, I once followed a master who treated me very well and taught me to read and write. Later, after my master passed away, I kept watch by the grave for three years before returning to the mountains."
Xiaoyao nodded and continued to ask:
"Xiedan is not an ordinary minor demon. Since you have already taken human form, how did your wife catch the plague?"
"My wife is human." At the mention of his wife, a foolish smile appeared on Xiedan's face.
"Human? An ordinary human girl dared to marry you?" Xiaoyao was greatly astonished.
Xiedan looked somewhat displeased, but he didn't dare say anything, and continued:
"Asking you to come to my house is mainly because my three children are half-human and half-demon, and they are too young to fully transform yet. I see there are some demons in town too, but they have all fully transformed, and I'm afraid they might frighten people. Besides, there are also some demons with low spiritual power in our mountain who have also contracted the plague. I was wondering if we could ask Doctor Liu to examine and treat them as well?"
He paused for a moment, then went on:
"It's just that none of us have much money. But please rest assured, demons have demon cores. As long as you can save my wife and children, I am willing to offer my demon core to you. The other demons will certainly not treat you unfairly either."
Xiaoyao waved her hand and said:
"What would I want a demon core for? I am a physician to begin with, and curing illnesses and saving people is my duty. As the saying goes, medicine makes no distinctions; demons are the same in my eyes."
Xiedan looked unconvinced as he glanced at Xiaoyao and said leisurely:
"Although you are of the God Clan, your spiritual power is far too low. With my demon core, it could certainly help you elevate your spiritual power. How can you look down on it?"
Baozhu chuckled and chimed in from the side:
"Her spiritual power cannot be elevated even with a demon core. She truly has no use for it; she didn't mean to look down on you."
Xiedan looked at Baozhu, deep in thought, and said:
"That's true. With you here, if demon cores were any use, it wouldn't be my turn." He shook his head regretfully as he spoke, then hurriedly added:
"However, with you by her side, who would dare touch her? You can certainly ensure Doctor Liu's absolute safety in all things."
Xiaoyao looked at Baozhu's relaxed brow and smiling eyes, and said with a smile:
"Xiedan, you looked all fidgety and dim-witted, but I didn't expect your mind to turn so fast and your mouth to be so slick!"
"Thank you for the praise, Doctor Liu. Otherwise, how could I have ever married such a beautiful human girl!"
Xiaoyao burst out laughing.
"Fine, I'll go with you and take a look at your beautiful wife by the way!" Xiaoyao put on a rakish air.
Xiedan smiled.
"My wife is naturally of exceptional beauty, but Doctor Liu, you're not bad either. Otherwise, how could you make the person by your side willingly follow at your flank?"
Xiaoyao's face flushed instantly.
"If you talk nonsense again, I'm not going!" Baozhu's expression also turned somewhat unnatural.
"Doctor Liu, I was wrong, I won't dare talk nonsense again," Xiedan apologized in a hurry.
"All right, wait for me a moment, I'm going to get my medicine box from Huichuntang."
A moment later, Xiaoyao returned to the small courtyard carrying her medicine box and that large package of Qingyu, with Asheng following close behind. Xiaoyao said to Xiedan:
"This is Doctor Asheng from Huichuntang. He is coming with me. You can carry him on your back, how about that?"
"Fine, no problem."
Xiaoyao instructed Shanhu to summon a Pegasus. She mounted and seated herself properly, then reached out her hand to Baozhu. Baozhu smiled, took her hand, mounted the Pegasus as well, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace.
Shanhu stamped her feet anxiously on the ground.
"Your Majesty... Doctor Liu, what about your safety?"
Xiaoyao glanced back at Shanhu with a smile and said:
"With him by my side, I am at my safest."
Shanhu stood alone, disheveled in the wind.