Chapter 5

The Demon's Selection (5)

As soon as it was light, Dan Aoxian went to find Fan Jiewei.

In the meantime, another house had been added, which was Fan Jiewei's abode made of intertwined logs.

Fan Jiewei was hanging upside down from the eaves of the place.

Upon discovering this, Dan Aoxian smiled quietly.

Chao Aoliang and Fan Jiewei.

Fortunately, the two followed Dan Aoxian's words well and did not cause any significant problems.

Fan Jiewei's eyes snapped open as he sensed someone's presence.

From his bloodshot eyes, a chilling light streamed down.

Dan Aoxian greeted him.

"Did you sleep well?"

Fan Jiewei's brows twitched.

"It hurts like hell. The inside of my eyes is so itchy, I feel like I'm going to go crazy."

Fan Jiewei rolled his eyes to point at his head.

"How long do I have to keep doing this?"

Instead of answering, Dan Aoxian approached Fan Jiewei.

On Fan Jiewei's shiny head, several needles were densely inserted. Dan Aoxian pulled out one of the needles, which was particularly dark.

Plop!

Blood gushed from the spot where the needle was removed.

It was thick, foul-smelling dead blood.

After a moment, when the blood flowing from Fan Jiewei's head turned bright red, Dan Aoxian inserted a new needle into the spot as if plugging a hole.

"How do you feel now?"

Fan Jiewei's face brightened.

"I've never felt so clear-headed in my life!"

His former ferocity had vanished, replaced by a peaceful smile.

"Stay there for another half an hour before you come down."

"An hour. No, even a whole day would be fine."

"Don't overdo it. Staying too long isn't always good."

Fan Jiewei nodded obediently.

"Understood. But when will my lower body be fixed?"

Instead of answering, Dan Aoxian pointed to a spot.

"……!"

Following the finger, Fan Jiewei's eyes widened. He had just noticed his prominently swollen lower body.

"Ooh!"

Fan Jiewei let out a cry of joy and shouted at Dan Aoxian.

"Thank you, Doctor Dan. Really, thank you!"

Smiling, Dan Aoxian then headed to Chao Aoliang's abode.

Chao Aoliang was sitting on the bed, practicing qigong. Noticing his visibly improved complexion, Dan Aoxian nodded.

"You're looking much better."

Chao Aoliang slowly opened his eyes.

"It's all thanks to Doctor Dan's efforts."

"Starting today, you can take a walk, but don't leave the compound."

Dan Aoxian added a few more instructions.

"Don't move too vigorously, and if you feel short of breath or dizzy, take a rest immediately. Absolutely don't overdo it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

After finishing his morning routine, Dan Aoxian returned to the hall and immediately went to this floor.

It was his bedroom and study.

Dan Aoxian pulled out two books from the bookshelves on either side of the entrance. One was the "Yao Shang" section of the "Chengshui's Record," and the other was the "Yao Ti" section of the "Life and Death Record."

Dan Aoxian carefully compared and checked the two books.

Whenever he noticed a blank space, he filled it in with a brush.

The vast clinical treatment records left by his parents in their lifetime.

For a long time, Dan Aoxian's daily routine had been to summarize and categorize these records.

While he was deeply engrossed in writing, a tremendous shock was felt, shaking the entire building.

Dan Aoxian frowned.

The brush shook, splattering ink on the pages.

As he carefully dabbed the ink with a cloth...

Boom!

Another earth-shattering explosion followed.

"..."

Dan Aoxian closed the book and stood up.

As soon as he stepped out of the hall, the first thing he saw was the house where Chao Aoliang had stayed.

It was half collapsed and half blown away.

Approaching to understand the situation, a loud voice tore through the air.

"You fraud!"

It was Fan Jiewei's voice.

Chao Aoliang immediately retorted.

"You ungrateful brat!"

"What gratitude? You just wanted my money!"

Fan Jiewei shouted even louder.

"Introducing you to Doctor Dan was to repay the favor you did me twenty years ago!"

"I saved your life. If I hadn't told the Wulin Alliance that they were looking for you, you would have been killed without knowing anything. Introducing you to Doctor Dan was a separate matter."

"I paid for my treatment in full. Any other doctor would have risked their life to treat me with that money!"

"If you're so confident, go find another doctor!"

"Hmph! Do you think I can't?"

Fan Jiewei, who was extremely agitated, huffed and turned around.

At that moment, he came face to face with Dan Aoxian.

"Are you really leaving?"

Fan Jiewei flinched at Dan Aoxian's worried face.

But he had already taken a step forward.

After making such a loud declaration, it would be too embarrassing to back down now.

"I'll come back if that guy dies!"

Perhaps due to his excessive excitement...

Squish!

A needle that had been inserted into his head shot out and embedded itself in the half-collapsed beam of the house like a hidden weapon.

"Uncle, wait a moment."

Dan Aoxian hurriedly went back to the hall and returned with something to give to Fan Jiewei.

"I'll return this to you."

It was the receipt Fan Jiewei had brought.

"Forget it. Use it for the house repairs. What's the point of money like that?"

"But you'll need money to get treated by another doctor."

Holding out the receipt, Dan Aoxian looked puzzled.

"What is this?"

Not just the receipt, but a small pouch containing pills was also given.

"Take this if you feel dizzy. It will help clear your head."

Dan Aoxian said with a worried look.

"But are you really leaving? The Wulin Alliance is looking for you..."

"Hmph! They should be worried, not me. I'll kill anyone I see!"

At that moment, Chao Aoliang interjected.

"It's not too late. Just stay here quietly."

Chao Aoliang's attempt to dissuade him only made things worse.

"Hmph! Who's it good for?"

With a cold laugh, Fan Jiewei shot off.

As his figure quickly turned into a small dot and disappeared, Dan Aoxian sighed.

Chao Aoliang shook his head.

"Phew. That guy's temper."

"But why did you fight? You seemed so close, even saving his life."

"Well..."

Chao Aoliang revealed an uncharacteristically perplexed expression.

"You don't have to say it if it's hard to talk about."

"No, it's not that. It's just a bit embarrassing."

Chao Aoliang smiled awkwardly.

"In fact, there's a ranking between us. It wasn't something we decided, but rather a ranking given by enthusiasts. That's why we're called the Ten Great Evils."

"Then what?"

"As I said, I'm the first, and that guy, Fan Jiewei, is the third, but he keeps insisting he's the second."

"So what?"

Chao Aoliang's face turned red.

"That's all."

"Excuse me?"

"All... I mean..."

"Is it really worth fighting over that?"

Chao Aoliang awkwardly turned his head to avoid Dan Aoxian's gaze.

"Things always get weird when I'm involved with that guy."

Dan Aoxian looked at Chao Aoliang intently.

Indeed, Chao Aoliang was clearly different when he was alone compared to when he was with Fan Jiewei.

"I understand. But he might come back, so let's wait and see."

"That guy? Forget it. You don't know him."

Chao Aoliang continued.

"If you tell him he's on the wrong path, he'll insist he's right and take four days to come back. His stubbornness is the best in the martial world."

"But still."

Dan Aoxian smiled.

"Without someone waiting for him, he won't come back."

* * *

Late at night, just before midnight.

Fan Jiewei, advancing through the thick darkness, suddenly clutched his head as a headache hit him.

"Ugh... Damn! Why is this happening again?"

During the treatment, his head had always been clear, and he had temporarily forgotten about it.

The current pain was his daily routine.

"I should have refused the treatment."

After experiencing a completely clear mind, the recurring headache was even more unbearable.

"Could it be...?"

Fan Jiewei lowered his head to look down.

Sure enough, there was no response.

This morning, it had been so vigorous, but now it didn't move at all.

"..."

Fan Jiewei was speechless.

The sense of loss was so overwhelming that he lost the desire to do anything else.

At that moment,

A foul, fishy smell invaded his nose.

"..."

Puzzled, he turned his head.

His gaze met a pair of bright yellow eyes.

It was a tiger, a massive one that could be called the "Mountain Lord." It had approached while he was distracted.

"Roar!"

The tiger's roar shook the cold night sky.

Without hesitation, Fan Jiewei swung his large saber and smashed the tiger's head.

Blood splattered on his face.

Wiping the blood off his face, Fan Jiewei hesitated as his vision began to turn red.

"Ugh..."

A suppressed groan escaped from Fan Jiewei's mouth, and then,

"Roar!"

His madness surged.

Fan Jiewei began swinging his large saber wildly.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Terrifying impact sounds shook the night air one after another.

How much time had passed?

The tiger, which had been as big as a house, was nowhere to be seen.

It had been crushed and mashed into a pulp.

Still unsatisfied, Fan Jiewei scanned his surroundings with bloodshot eyes.

Then he shot off into the darkness.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed from all over the mountain.

Fan Jiewei, possessed by madness, was a disaster itself.

He began destroying everything in his sight.

* * *

The next morning.

Fan Jiewei, regaining his senses, let out a deep sigh of despair.

The scene before him was like a hellish landscape. The once towering trees were shattered like sugarcane, and the ruins of the forest were littered with the bloodied carcasses of animals.

"Damn it!"

He felt nauseated.

He had suffered so much to avoid such a situation. But this was not a problem that could be solved by willpower alone.

The pungent smell of blood tickled his nose again.

The scent of blood began to stir his madness.

"Roar!"

Fan Jiewei let out a roar.

Just as his madness was about to resurface,

—It will help.

Dan Aoxian's words echoed in his mind.

Searching his pockets, he found the pills Dan Aoxian had given him before leaving the Demon's Selection.

Fan Jiewei hastily chewed and swallowed the pill.

Miraculously, the madness subsided.

Now, only two pills were left.

Of course, this was only a temporary solution. He couldn't escape this tedious curse without Dan Aoxian's help.

"Let's clean up first."

The priority was to wash off the blood scent from his body.

* * *

The Wangding Medical Family, located in Shaozhou, Shanxi Province.

Since the first patriarch established the foundation here, this renowned medical family had continued for three generations. The current patriarch, Wang Shiqi, was also well-known as a famous doctor.

For that reason, patients flooded in from early morning.

The four prepared beds were already full.

Wang Shiqi sighed.

He had skipped lunch to treat patients, but there was no sign of the number of patients decreasing.

What could he do?

He could only treat them to the best of his ability.

"So, how did you come here?"

As soon as Wang Shiqi asked, the patients on the beds answered all at once.

"I've been having trouble with my bowels lately..."

"I sprained my wrist while working."

"I keep coughing and breaking out in cold sweats."

Wang Shiqi's face brightened slightly after examining the patients' symptoms.

The treatments were not particularly difficult.

As Wang Shiqi turned to write prescriptions,

Whoosh!

A sudden fierce wind swept in from somewhere.

"Ah!"

Amid the thick dust and flying prescriptions, people's screams erupted. The sudden gust that swept through the clinic disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

The problem was that not only the wind had disappeared.

The patients lying on the beds had also vanished without a trace.