Feng Feiyang stared. “You won’t even wait for me? You’re just leaving?”
Ignoring him completely, Jiang Chan urged her white horse faster. Despite riding hard, they reached the clinic only a day and a half later. The maid had long since become thoroughly dizzy.
Back at the demonic sect, Feng Feiyang’s fire had thrown everything into disorder. Later, members found their leader Xiao Yan dead from poison and Madam Liu’s face slashed.
After questioning her fruitlessly, an elder killed Madam Liu with a palm strike. A struggle for the leadership followed, plunging the sect into internal conflict.
Its strength suffered severely. The righteous factions seized the opportunity to attack together. Nearly crushed, the sect retreated to a remote corner.
Life at the clinic was comfortable. With the demonic sect gravely weakened, the hidden threat to the Song family was finally gone. The Bai family still watched hungrily, but Jiang Chan did not intend to deal with them personally.
She had not originally meant to attack the sect either. They had repeatedly troubled her. If they wanted to make her cry, she could only make them cry first.
Banxia brought a bowl of tremella soup. “Miss, Xiao Feng just made this. I brought you some.”
“Leave it there. I’ll drink it later.”
Banxia was the maid she had brought from the sect. Jiang Chan had named her and put her in charge of the children’s food and daily needs.
That freed Jiang Chan to enjoy leisurely afternoon tea. More than half a month had passed since their return. The Feng party finally left yesterday, and the departure of those troublemakers relaxed her considerably.
As for the Bai family, the Songs could worry about them themselves. She was no savior. Could she save the whole world?
Xianyue’s original request was to cure Song Bingqing, which she had done. As for bringing her and Feng Feiyang together, they were the leads and would meet eventually. Jiang Chan was not worried.
The third request was to see the outside world. But looking around at all these children gave her a headache. If she left while they were so young, who would protect them?
Perhaps travel should wait a few years. Once they were older and could defend themselves, she could explore in peace.
And so she remained in Yun City for five years. Her clinic’s fame spread throughout the martial world. Although she never appeared there herself, stories of her circulated everywhere.
People respectfully called her the Medical Immortal. Whatever the illness, her treatment cured it. Her disciples were extraordinary too, already displaying masters’ bearing despite their youth.
Even the youngest, Xiao Xue and Xiao Yun, were now eleven and capable of caring for themselves. Travel finally returned to Jiang Chan’s plans.
The disciples had long known she wanted to travel but had stayed to care for them. Watching her slowly drive a carriage out of Yun City, they all grew tearful.
Xiao Feng, the oldest, sniffed. “Let’s go back. Master told us to look after ourselves. Don’t make our venerable master worry.”
Rendong protested, “Master isn’t old! Senior Brother Xiao Feng, don’t talk nonsense.”
He looked sheepish. It was habit. People usually attached a respectful reference to age when mentioning a master, or seemed insufficiently respectful. Her reminder made him realize their master was only eighteen.
Over those five years, the clinic had flourished into another major power in Yun City. It formed no alliances and seemed detached from worldly struggles, yet no one dared offend it.
Even her disciples received courtesy everywhere. Such were the benefits of strength.
With a flask of wine in hand, Jiang Chan leisurely drove her carriage. Before New Year, Feng Feiyang and Song Bingqing had married. They truly were a perfect match, affectionate before marriage and deeply devoted afterward.
Every time she saw them, she remembered Xianyue’s expressionless face. Gradually, she stopped visiting them.
She set out from Yun City. The desert lay north, and that would be her first destination. She had never seen it in person and wanted to witness its desolation.
Ten days later, she lodged at an inn north of the desert. Traveling meant more than admiring beautiful scenery. Experiencing human relationships and worldly affairs made a journey through this world worthwhile.
Perhaps the desert’s stark grandeur had shaped its people. Most were generous and hospitable, eating great chunks of meat, drinking heartily, and treating others openly.
She stayed over a month, seeing the desolate desert and terrifying sandstorms, and riding camels deep into the sands with traveling caravans.
There she understood humanity’s insignificance. Only when surrounded by endless yellow sand did one discover what a wonderful place it was to cleanse the heart.
Power, position, money, everything became meaningless here. Only reverence for life remained.
After a month in the desert and exploring the whole northern city, she reluctantly departed.
She loved it. It lacked Jiangnan’s beautiful hills and waters, but possessed a magnificent desolation absent from the south’s gentle elegance. The self-proclaimed tomboy found it intoxicating.
Unfortunately, despite exploring the whole city, she found nothing Qingyuan needed. The journey had to continue. Taking one last look, she drove her carriage back inside the pass.
She traveled for two years without once returning to Yun City. Her fame grew still greater. A doctor inevitably met patients everywhere, and Jiang Chan was not hardhearted.
Whenever she encountered someone in need, she never stood aside. Her disciples eventually needed no letters telling them where she was. The rumors of the martial world revealed her whereabouts.
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