Chapter Five: A Physician’s Compassionate Heart, Virtue, and Moral Duty

Three hours later.

Xiao Zizai had regained some strength and climbed out of bed.

At the same moment, the door opened, and Xia Ye brought in a bowl of medicinal soup. “The recovery time is about what I expected. Drink this; it will promote the integration of your body with the medicine’s properties and eliminate the side effects of weakness.”

Xiao Zizai stared at the soup in his hands but did not drink it immediately. Instead, he looked up at Xia Ye and asked, “How exactly did you do it?”

This was beyond his understanding.

“Heh, didn’t I tell you? I come from the Danjing Sect of Mount Sanqing—alchemy is our hallmark skill,” Xia Ye replied with a smile. “But unlike other alchemists, my understanding of elixirs runs a bit deeper.”

He pulled up a chair and sat down, continuing, “You yourself are aware of the changes after taking the Ashura Pill. That alone proves what I said wasn’t a lie. You don’t need to worry anymore.”

“Since you’ve made your decision and severed ties with your past to come here, I will naturally do my utmost to help you. This is only the beginning. You are far from reaching the ‘Ashura’ realm; at best, you’re an ‘Ashura Infant.’”

“So, why are you helping me?”

This was the question burning in Xiao Zizai’s mind. They were strangers with no prior connection; he certainly didn’t believe in the so-called ‘benevolence of a healer.’

“It’s simple. I have things I want to accomplish, and I need powerful allies. Your situation suits me perfectly. I cure your illness, and you work for me. We each get what we need,” Xia Ye responded without hesitation.

Seeing the sincerity in his words, Xiao Zizai’s expression grew serious as he began to ponder...

After a moment, he suddenly asked, “What about those guys earlier? Are they your helpers too?”

“No, they were all my patients... former patients. You’ve probably heard of their origin—the ‘Quansheng’,” Xia Ye shook his head and smiled.

“Quansheng?”

Although Xiao Zizai had never truly ventured into the world of the extraordinary and had mostly stayed within the Lingyin Temple for cultivation, he had still heard of the Quansheng.

The Quansheng doctrine, originally established by Yang Zhu during the Warring States period, advocated the principle: “Not plucking a hair for the benefit of the world, not taking a single thread for the detriment of the world.” It was intended as a guide for governance but was later distorted, with only the first half taken, gradually evolving into a heretical sect.

To this day, those affiliated with the Quansheng aren’t necessarily all heinous criminals, but they are extremely selfish and self-serving, regarded as pariahs in the world of the extraordinary, hunted and despised by all.

“So you’re also ‘Quansheng’?”

That thought sparked suspicion in Xiao Zizai. He suddenly felt Xia Ye’s methods resembled those of the Quansheng. After all, to force him to take the pill, Xia Ye had just sacrificed a dozen lives!

“Heh, of course not,” Xia Ye said, shaking his head again.

“I told you, they’re my patients. Since I opened this clinic, I never refuse anyone.”

“A healer’s compassion compels me to save those severely injured or near death. But I have a rule: I must know the cause of their wounds. And all of them were hunted down because of their crimes,” Xia Ye’s eyes flashed sharply.

“So after curing them, I personally kill them. That’s the true moral code of a healer!”

“Ugh...” Xiao Zizai inhaled deeply at those words, suddenly recalling the couplet beside the “Medicine” sign at the door: “A healer’s compassion, a person’s morality and righteousness.”

“So you mean... they’re all dead?”

“Not exactly.”

Xia Ye smiled.

“They’ve all taken the Soul Lock Pill I concocted. Though their bodies are dead, their souls remain trapped inside and are controlled by me. With some simple physical modifications, they exist in a half-living, half-dead state—what you might call the living dead.”

With a wave of his hand, several figures shuffled in from outside, their faces blank, bodies covered in dirt.

Xiao Zizai looked closely and found their auras indeed matched those of the previous men, lifeless and utterly devoid of vitality.

“Normally, I bury these guys underground, letting them feel their bodies decay bit by bit, the invasion of insects, and the suffocating darkness,” Xia Ye explained, then looked at him again.

“These guys lived wicked lives and don’t deserve the usual rites in death. I don’t believe in hell, so I made my own. What do you think?”

“...”

“Heh, not bad. I like it.”

After hearing the explanation, Xiao Zizai remained silent for two seconds before smiling. A flash of red light gleamed in his eyes—an expression of admiration.

Without hesitation, he picked up the soup and drank it all. He wasn’t afraid Xia Ye was deceiving him—otherwise, he would have died long ago. Besides, he had no other choice now.

Gulp, gulp...

Moments after swallowing the medicine, a crimson glow spread across Xiao Zizai’s body, his temperature rising instantly, but he felt no discomfort—instead, he felt quite comfortable.

“Rest well. It won’t be long before you have to work. Your body needs both the medicine to consolidate its strength and the bloodshed to mature. Only through continuous battle can you truly grow!”

Taking the empty bowl, Xia Ye motioned for him to lie back down, then left the room and closed the door behind him.

Clang!

After washing the bowl, Xia Ye entered another room—it was both a treatment chamber and his study. He sat at the desk and opened a drawer.

With a flick of his hand...

Whoosh!

The space inside the drawer twisted, revealing a computer—a spatial secret compartment he had crafted by mimicking the Devourer’s pouch.

There was no internet here; the computer never connected. It was purely a tool for record-keeping. He took it out and began to log:

[Experimental Subject File:]

[Subject 001—Ashura]

[Subject: Xiao Zizai]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 34]

[Experimental Stage: Initial (First Treatment)]

[Materials Used: Blood of the Lü family, Divine Mechanism Tempering, Essence of Fire from the Fire Virtue Sect, Vajra Qi from the Vajra Gate, Blood and Death Intent from the Mad Blade Sect, Flowing Cloud Ice Heart from the Ice Cloud Sect, Horizontal Bone Conditioning from the Chai Sect, Shaolin Eight-Armed Arhat Fist Intent]

All these materials were collected by Xia Ye during his travels over the years. Of course, they were not obtained by killing. The terms “bone” and “blood” are merely names; they are actually the essence of heaven and earth’s mysteries.

This is his innate supernatural ability, “Clarity of Reason,” which allows him to see through appearances to the true nature of all things, extract the mysterious essence with qi, and blend it into medicinal ingredients to forge “exotic pills” that seize the power of creation!

[Experiment Notes:]

[Record 1: The subject showed no adverse reactions upon first taking the Ashura Pill. His physique perfectly matched the medicine’s properties.

The “Lü family blood” took effect, successfully transforming the subject’s body into that of an Ashura.

The “Flowing Cloud Ice Heart” was notably effective; throughout the process, the subject remained fully conscious.

From the killing process, the “Blood and Death Intent” matched the subject’s red eyes; the “Blood and Death Qi” was successfully absorbed and strengthened.

The forging method of “Divine Mechanism Tempering” was applicable for body strengthening.

Post-killing fatigue occurred as a normal reaction to incomplete fusion of medicinal power, which can be consolidated with a medicinal soup brewed from “Essence of Fire” and “Horizontal Bone Conditioning,” expected to resolve within three days.]

“Phew...”

Having finished the record, Xia Ye exhaled deeply, a smile appearing on his face. This was a good start.

Without closing the computer, he exited the file for Subject 001 and opened another folder:

[Subject 000—Immortal]!