Chapter 31: A Fisherman Can Catch Anything—Except Fish!
That "trouble" didn't really need to be said aloud.
Chu Xingchen could see it clearly himself. The blood qi had latched onto the young healer's spiritual energy, climbing along it like vines, wrapping and striking back at her.
That energy might have been trivial to him, but to a Qi Refining cultivator like her, it was dangerous and overwhelming.
Her small face was tense, her hands trembling slightly as she pressed against the patient's acupoints.
Seeing that she was reaching her limit, Chu Xingchen reached out and lightly took hold of her arm, channeling his own spiritual power carefully to support her.
He deliberately suppressed his cultivation aura, lowering his output to about the early Foundation Establishment level.
Sometimes concealing one's true strength was the best way to avoid unnecessary complications.
With his help, the violent blood qi finally stabilized, allowing the young healer to guide it safely out of the body.
Her forehead was already covered in sweat. Relief flickered in her eyes as she looked up at Chu Xingchen gratefully.
"Thank you, ah. Without you, I might've been done for."
"No need for thanks," Chu Xingchen replied mildly. "But these silver needles might not be easy to remove. My cultivation's limited—I might not be able to pull them all out."
The young healer gave him another long look. She had thought he was just a handsome face, but now realized his cultivation wasn't low at all—at least Foundation Establishment.
In Yuzhou City, that was already a respectable level. Even a squad captain in the Demon Suppression Bureau wouldn't be much stronger.
Still, she didn't overthink it. The man had genuinely helped and saved a life, and that was enough for her.
As for who the injured man was or what case he was tied to, those matters weren't hers to worry about.
Once the patient woke up, the truth would come to light anyway.
"Forget it," she said, shaking her small head. "Even if you could, I can't. It's too draining. I'll bring him back and treat him slowly. Thank you again. If you've got time later, go to the Demon Suppression Bureau for your reward—just report my name. I'm Ah Nian."
Ah Nian gave him a small, kind smile as she finished speaking.
"Alright, Miss Ah Nian," Chu Xingchen said with a polite bow.
At the word "Miss," her smile brightened even more. Most people she met treated her like a child, calling her "little girl" or "kid." Hearing someone speak to her properly for once felt surprisingly pleasant.
"You're quite something," she said with a laugh. "Got a bright future ahead of you. Thanks again."
"It's nothing. Since I've nothing more to do here, I'll take my leave. Miss Ah Nian, take care."
"Alright, you go on then."
With her permission, Chu Xingchen cupped his hands in farewell and turned to leave without hesitation.
The chair wasn't worth much; he left it behind as a donation to the Bureau. As for the fishing rod, he never bothered carrying it around—he simply hid it by his usual fishing spot.
All things considered, this trip hadn't been too troublesome.
If anything, he might have earned himself a bit of goodwill from the Demon Suppression Bureau. That could come in handy someday.
Not a bad trade.
Behind him, Ah Nian's crisp voice rang out: "What are you two waiting for? For this lad to die? Get him up and take him to the Bureau already!"
For all her small stature, the girl certainly had a commanding presence.
But Chu Xingchen wasn't about to involve himself any further.
If he hadn't fished that boy out himself, he wouldn't have cared in the first place. Truly a fated mess.
After turning down several streets, he finally arrived back at the house he had rented.
Pushing open the gate, he saw Li Yingling in the courtyard, casually waving a small wooden sword—sometimes slashing, sometimes thrusting, lost in her own rhythm.
Just a glance told Chu Xingchen she was meditating on sword intent—a rare sight, since she usually wandered the riverside or browsed markets for strange trinkets at this hour.
"Master, you're back?" Li Yingling turned her head, putting away the wooden sword. Her eyes darted to her master's hands, noticing the absence of fish.
"Master didn't catch anything today?" she asked curiously.
Chu Xingchen sighed. "Didn't catch any fish… but I did catch a person."
"A person?" Li Yingling blinked in confusion.
He briefly explained what had happened—that he'd somehow managed to fish a living man out of the river.
"As expected of Master," Li Yingling said, bursting into laughter. "Even fishing, you're extraordinary!"
Ignoring her teasing, Chu Xingchen spoke calmly.
"As your master, I'm convinced it must be that cursed wooden fish. Bring it out and burn it at once—to soothe the fury in my heart," Chu Xingchen said flatly.
"Master, didn't you once say, 'A true fisherman can catch anything but fish'?" Li Yingling replied with a grin. "So, if you caught a person instead, isn't that perfectly reasonable? What does that have to do with the wooden fish?"
Chu Xingchen sighed helplessly. "Funny how you never remember the important things I say—only the ridiculous ones."
"That's because your ridiculous ones are always the most interesting," Li Yingling said, laughing. Then she cleared her throat and blinked innocently. "By the way, Master, are you free tomorrow?"
"What is it? The Lantern Festival isn't for a few more days yet. Don't worry—I haven't forgotten."
"No, not that." Li Yingling tugged gently at his sleeve. "There's a small temple fair before the Lantern Festival. I heard it's really lively. It starts tomorrow evening—won't you come with me?"
She clasped her hands together and gave him a pleading look. "If you don't go, you can't expect me to wander around alone, right? Surely you wouldn't have the heart to let me do that?"
Chu Xingchen's expression remained indifferent. "To be honest, I'm quite capable of that."
"Master~" Li Yingling drawled sweetly, her tone dripping with charm. "You're the best master in the world."
Having spent so much time with him, she'd come to understand him quite well.
When it came to his disciples—whether it was her or Li Xingtian—he always had a soft spot.
Especially for harmless requests; he could never bring himself to refuse them.
Besides, he never put on airs or acted coldly toward his disciples, which made him all the more difficult to resist.
For Li Yingling, her master was definitely at the top of her personal rankings.
Chu Xingchen shook his head and flicked her hand away, sighing in resignation.
"Fine, fine… At this rate, you'll be the one running the sect soon enough."
Seeing her request granted, Li Yingling's face lit up with pure delight. "Yingling will always stand by Master's side! Master's word is law!"
Chu Xingchen, however, remained perfectly calm. Counting himself, their "sect" only had three people. Even if Li Yingling didn't stand on his side, she'd have no choice but to stand with Li Xingtian—who was obedient to a fault and unquestionably loyal.
So by process of elimination, she'd still end up on his side.
Her declaration, therefore, meant absolutely nothing.
——————————
Inside the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Ah Nian's face was tense as she looked down at the young man Chu Xingchen had fished from the river.
This was bad—seriously bad.
Not because of the boy himself, who still lay unconscious on the bed.
His condition hadn't improved yet, but as long as he made it into the Bureau alive, Ah Nian was confident she could save him.
The real problem stood beside the bed—a woman in a black captain's uniform of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Heavens above.
How could this young man possibly be her younger brother?!
"You're saying his meridians are completely destroyed? That he might become a cripple?!"
Ah Nian's back stiffened at the woman's cold voice. The captain was tall, her waist adorned with a short blade, and her long black hair fell like a curtain down her back—smooth, dark, and as chilling as her tone.
Even from behind, her presence exuded pressure, a suffocating dominance that made Ah Nian hesitate to breathe.
"Cough, cough…" Ah Nian tried to choose her words carefully. "Not… not exactly a cripple… it's just… just that—"
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