Chapter 21

The Divine Physician (21)

“What?”

“No, why?”

“Why?”

The three people looked at each other with incomprehension.

However, they were left speechless by Dan Aoxian's subsequent answer.

"If I choose one, the other two will feel left out. I don't want that. I prefer to be with all of you as we are now."

The three people couldn't believe it.

If they announced that they were taking on disciples in the martial world, geniuses from all over would vie to join them. Their martial arts were so powerful that anyone who practiced them could become the best in the world.

Yet, Dan Aoxian rejected them outright.

Thus, they could only feel bewildered.

At that moment, Han Xuehua's eyes sparkled. Dan Aoxian looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"What? You can learn without becoming a disciple?"

Chao Aoliang and Fan Jiewei's faces stiffened, having realized that Han Xuehua had sent a secret message.

"Wait!"

"Me too!"

Fan Jiewei glared at Han Xuehua.

"What are you up to?"

Chao Aoliang also frowned deeply.

"Are you in your right mind? You want to teach martial arts to someone who isn't a disciple?"

Han Xuehua responded coldly.

"What's the problem? I can teach my own martial arts as I please."

Fan Jiewei tilted his head.

"Huh? Now that you mention it…?"

Then he nodded nonchalantly.

"Come to think of it, you're right. We don't have to make them disciples, do we?"

Chao Aoliang scowled.

"That's ridiculous! Aren't you ashamed of your master?"

"What's there to be ashamed of? In the end, Master only wanted one thing: to complete the martial arts. Dan Yiyuan can do that. Master would be happy, even in the afterlife."

Chao Aoliang, at a loss for words, felt awkward.

Han Xuehua pressed on.

"You call me a benefactor? What's so special about that martial art?"

"What's so special about it? It's like my life!"

"Who saved your life?"

"…!"

Fan Jiewei chimed in.

"Now that you mention it, you're quite despicable, Chao. I never thought you'd be so low."

Chao Aoliang, suddenly labeled as despicable, couldn't find the words to respond. Meanwhile, Fan Jiewei excitedly shouted.

"Do you want to learn from the witch or me? You don't have to be a disciple."

Chao Aoliang gritted his teeth.

"I don't have to be a disciple either!"

In the end, Chao Aoliang gave in. He felt something was fundamentally wrong with clinging to the master-disciple relationship in this situation.

The priority was to secure Dan Aoxian.

"Then how about this?"

Dan Aoxian, realizing the situation was untenable, proposed a compromise.

"I'll make the decision later, carefully. Please give me some time to think. This is about my future, after all."

Though not entirely satisfied, the three people reluctantly nodded. It was better than her initial refusal to learn martial arts.

Besides, they felt a bit embarrassed.

Still, they were renowned experts in the martial world.

It was unbecoming to bicker like children in front of them.

On the other hand, Dan Aoxian was secretly amused. Now, she could make the decision whenever she wanted, whether in ten years or a hundred.

She believed they could maintain a good relationship until then.

But that was a naive thought.

Dan Aoxian overlooked the fact that her opponents were seasoned villains from the treacherous martial world.

In reality, the three people had very different thoughts.

Thus, the four of them had different dreams.

* * *

That night.

Dan Aoxian, who had been asleep, woke up feeling strange.

She felt a strange heat inside her body, which suddenly made her feel hot all over.

"Huh?"

At that moment, she noticed a large shadow looking down at her.

She stared at it for a while in the faint moonlight that seeped through the window.

"Uncle Fan?"

Fan Jiewei smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Dan Yiyuan. It's me."

"What are you doing…?"

"Shh. Don't speak now. Just let me guide your body and focus on the flow of energy."

Suddenly, the heat inside her body stirred and began to race through her meridians.

For a while, Fan Jiewei carefully guided the energy of the Dao Companion Three Yang Technique he had infused into Dan Aoxian. When the energy completed one cycle, it settled in her dantian.

Fan Jiewei, confirming this, asked Dan Aoxian.

"How about it? Can you remember the sequence of the flow?"

Dan Aoxian, to his surprise, nodded.

Fan Jiewei, astonished, asked.

"Really? We only did it once?"

Dan Aoxian slowly practiced the Dao Companion Three Yang Technique.

Though her internal energy was much weaker compared to Fan Jiewei's, the flow was accurate and unobstructed.

"Our Dan Yiyuan is truly a genius. Even I, a genius, took more than five tries to memorize it…"

Fan Jiewei looked at Dan Aoxian with pride.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you other martial arts whenever I have time."

With that, Fan Jiewei turned around, moving cautiously to avoid being detected.

As a result, Dan Aoxian missed the chance to mention the two people who had visited her earlier.

The next morning.

The three people started their breakfast with the herbs Dan Aoxian had brought. The atmosphere was different from the previous day. It was hard to believe they had been fiercely competing the day before, as a peaceful air surrounded them.

Especially Fan Jiewei seemed in a particularly good mood.

"Chao, try this. At least this one is edible."

Though suspicious, Chao Aoliang smiled and took the herb.

"Thanks, you should eat more too."

"Why are you in such a good mood today? I thought you'd find it disgusting and push it away."

"Well, there are days like this too."

Chao Aoliang smiled, feeling guilty for secretly teaching Dan Aoxian martial arts the previous night.

However, Fan Jiewei felt the same way.

"By the way, what's with your complexion? You look like you didn't sleep well last night."

Chao Aoliang hesitated but Fan Jiewei didn't pay much attention.

Instead, he smiled at Han Xuehua.

"Witch, do you want one too?"

"Sure, why not."

Han Xuehua unexpectedly accepted the herb from Fan Jiewei. Fan Jiewei was puzzled.

'What's going on? Something seems off today.'

The other two felt the same way.

Though they couldn't pinpoint it, their attitudes toward each other were unusually suspicious.

The awkward silence was broken by Dan Aoxian.

After carefully observing Chao Aoliang's complexion, she sighed and spoke.

"I told you last night. You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard when your internal energy wasn't fully recovered."

"…!"

Chao Aoliang was startled.

"You're only at the stage of self-cultivation. Using external force to guide energy is…!"

Dan Aoxian couldn't finish her sentence.

Chao Aoliang had covered her mouth with his hand.

"You don't mean…?"

"Could it be…?"

Fan Jiewei and Han Xuehua asked, shocked.

Chao Aoliang, sensing their suspicion, forced a bitter smile, unsure how to respond to their impending questions.

Finally, he sighed.

"I've wronged the two of you."

But what could he do? The rice was already cooked.

Last night, Chao Aoliang had taught Dan Aoxian his Mixed Yuan Wuji True Energy.

He had infused the energy directly and guided her through the cultivation process.

He had even confirmed that she could successfully complete the cultivation according to the techniques.

Now, all she needed to do was refine it.

However, he suddenly felt strange.

He had expected the two to scold and blame him, but they sat silently, their pupils trembling as if an earthquake had struck.

Chao Aoliang was suddenly filled with foreboding.

'Could it be…?'

He looked at Dan Aoxian.

"No, right?"

"What?"

Dan Aoxian, looking puzzled, asked.

"Did the other two visit you last night too?"

Dan Aoxian nodded calmly.

"Auntie Han came first, then Uncle Chao, and finally Uncle Fan."

"…!"

Chao Aoliang, flustered, stammered and then shouted.

"You crazy fools! Are you out of your minds? Trying to kill a child? What if she falls into the abyss of inner energy imbalance?"

Chao Aoliang's rebuke made Han Xuehua and Fan Jiewei's eyes flash with anger.

The three of them stood up simultaneously.

"Don't fight. She doesn't have enough internal energy to fall into the abyss yet."

Dan Aoxian calmly intervened.

"Knowing the cultivation techniques, I can better understand your physical conditions. It will also help with treatment."

"Hmm…"

Chao Aoliang sighed and sat down.

"Don't try to use the cultivation techniques together. It will definitely twist your meridians."

"Don't worry. I'm a doctor. I won't do anything to harm myself. Besides, I have an interesting idea."

The other two finally sat down.

"Let's research together."

"Research? You mean study martial arts together?"

"Yes, exactly."

Dan Aoxian's eyes sparkled.

"A