Chapter Thirty-Six: The Healer

“You’re finally awake.”

Ye Sansi opened his eyes slightly and saw a young boy, his face smudged with dirt, staring at him with wide-eyed curiosity.

It seemed he had startled him. Ye Sansi sat up abruptly, and the boy grinned, saying, “Ha! You don’t look like someone who’s been unconscious for three days. You seem lively enough.”

“Three days? You mean I’ve been out for three days? No wonder my head feels so dizzy.”

“That’s because you sat up too quickly. But our family’s medicine is second to none! Your injuries were serious—an ordinary healer wouldn’t have managed it. But in our hands, you’re cured in just three days. Get up and move around, see if you’re not good as new!”

Ye Sansi got out of bed, stretching his limbs. “Indeed, when I was wounded, my chest felt tight and painful. Now, there’s nothing at all. Remarkable.”

The boy beamed. “Of course! Our family’s medical skills are the best in the world!”

Before he could finish, a young woman entered from outside. Hearing the boy boast, she laughed. “You rascal, always exaggerating.”

She turned to Ye Sansi, smiling kindly. “Young hero, don’t listen to his wild claims. Though our family has practiced medicine for generations, we dare not call ourselves the best. Your constitution is unusual—damaged meridians, weak blood; ordinarily, you’d need a full month’s rest to wake. Yet you’ve recovered in only three days. It’s truly wondrous.”

“Sis! It’s because our medical skills are outstanding—why be so modest?”

Ye Sansi scratched his head and laughed. “Ha, well, big sister, you saved my life. I owe you a debt I can never repay.”

She laughed. “What? You call me ‘big sister’? I’m likely no older than you. That won’t do.”

Ye Sansi chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his head.

The young woman covered her mouth, amused. “Look at you. I’ve never had a name since childhood—folk here just call me Medicine Girl since I practice healing. Later, after learning to read, I thought the characters for that name didn’t look nice. So, I changed it to Yi, as in ‘dependent as a little bird’. From now on, just call me Yi.”

The boy chimed in, “I’m two years younger than my sister, so just call me Xiao Ye.”

Ye Sansi smiled. “Xiao Ye, Yi, thank you both for saving my life. My name is Ye Sansi, but you can call me Sansi.”

Yi said, “Young hero Sansi, there’s no need for thanks. Healing the sick is a healer’s calling. You must be hungry after three days without food—wait here, the meal is nearly ready.” With that, she went out.

Ye Sansi turned to Xiao Ye. “Xiao Ye, you don’t have much food yourselves. I’m ravenous and will need a lot to be full—I can’t let you go hungry because of me. I should find something to eat elsewhere and not trouble you.”

“Xiao Ye, help me lift the curtain,” Yi called from outside.

Xiao Ye hurried to help. He lifted the curtain, and Yi entered, carrying a basin of roast meat. She set it on the table. “Ha! Young hero Sansi, don’t worry. Though our grain is limited, we’ve been eating well these past few days, all thanks to you.”

“Thanks to me?”

“You’ll understand in a moment—we’ll talk while we eat.” She went out again, returning with another large basin piled high with roast meat before going out once more.

Ye Sansi’s eyes widened as he sat at the table, nearly drooling. Xiao Ye grabbed a piece of meat and handed it to him. “Brother Sansi, all of this is from the beasts you hunted! No need to be polite—you must be starving, so eat up.”

Ye Sansi made no further protest, grabbing a chunk of roast meat and tearing into it with gusto. Yi returned, carrying two jars of wine. She poured Sansi a bowl, filling it to the brim. Sansi ate and drank down the wine in one gulp.

Yi laughed. “Young hero, you drink well! That’s strong wine, yet you down it so cheerfully. I must keep up with you.” She filled a bowl for herself.

Xiao Ye said, “My sister’s the wine sage of the village—no one can outdrink her! I’m still young, but in a few years, maybe my drinking will match hers.”

Yi filled Sansi’s bowl again, raised hers, and together they drank it all in one go.

“This is excellent wine,” said Ye Sansi, wiping his mouth, “but I mustn’t drink too much. If Lingshuang were to know, she’d be upset. I’d better focus on the roast meat—it’s even more delicious than what I used to make in the mountains.”

Yi smiled. “If it’s good, have more—there’s plenty. The Lingshuang you mentioned, is she the one you love?”

Ye Sansi chewed his meat, shaking his head as he replied, “No, she’s a friend—very dear to me, almost like family. But we were separated a few days ago. I don’t know if she’s safe. I’m truly worried.”

Yi took a sip of wine and comforted him. “So that’s how it is. Don’t worry—the world isn’t so large. You’ll meet again.”

“Oh, Yi, where did you find me? And you said this roast meat is from my hunt? I lost consciousness and can’t remember what happened after.”

Xiao Ye answered, “You forgot? Here’s what happened: My sister and I were gathering herbs in the woods behind the village. As soon as we entered, we smelled thick blood. We thought two beasts had fought and both died, so we went in, hoping to skin them and sell the pelts. We crept deeper into the woods.”

He paused to gnaw a piece of meat, and Yi continued, “We hadn’t gone a hundred steps before we found several dead wolves and trails of blood on the ground. We followed the bloodstains toward the main road and found a field of dead beasts. Even at noon, the blood hadn’t dried, and there were so many carcasses you could barely find a place to step. Beyond them, we found you. Realizing you still had breath, we brought you back.”

Ye Sansi nodded. “So that’s how it was. That night, it must have been Heaven’s Wrath that protected me.”

“Heaven’s Wrath? Who’s that?” asked Yi.

Ye Sansi picked up his sword, waving it proudly. “This sword is called Heaven’s Wrath. It’s a divine artifact left to me by my father. It’s slain demons and evil spirits and saved me from peril many times—it’s like family.”

Xiao Ye, eyes shining, gently stroked the sword. “Such a powerful sword! So all those beasts were killed by it? Incredible.”

As they spoke, the two basins of roast meat were emptied. Yi laughed, covering her mouth, “Young hero Sansi, your appetite is astonishing—and so is your speed!”

Ye Sansi scratched his head, embarrassed. “Sorry, I was too hungry to restrain myself.”

Xiao Ye piped up, “Restrained? Why restrain yourself? Brother Sansi, with all the beasts you hunted, the pelts alone could buy you hundreds of feasts. Besides, the meat was frozen until you woke—if we didn’t eat it, it would have spoiled.”

Yi added, “That’s right, and there are fewer than fifty people in our village—everyone got two pelts, and some even more. We sold the rest for grain. The whole village is grateful. If you’re not full, there’s more—I’ll fetch it now.” With that, she took the empty basins and went out.

Ye Sansi sipped his wine as Xiao Ye refilled his bowl. “Brother Sansi, eat and drink your fill. You’re the village hero! There are already stories going around about how you single-handedly fought off a hundred beasts without a scratch.”

“Haha, it was all Heaven’s Wrath’s doing, not mine.”

“Come on, it’s your sword—you get the credit. A weapon is only as good as its wielder!”

Ye Sansi laughed and took another small sip of wine. “By the way, do you know the branches of the post road?”

Xiao Ye grinned. “Of course! My sister and I go to the city often—we know the roads of Jianzou and Qingyang like the back of our hands.”

“You rascal, boasting again,” Yi called from outside.

Xiao Ye hurried to open the curtain, and Yi entered, setting another basin down. “Young hero Sansi, we really do know the roads well. If you need to go somewhere, we can lead you.”

Ye Sansi, chewing roast meat, shook his head. “No need to see me off, Yi. I’m heading to a village that doesn’t welcome outsiders. I just need you to draw me a map—I’ll find my way from there.”

“That’s fine,” Yi agreed. “Xiao Ye, since you say you know the roads so well, this task is yours.”

“No problem! I’ll get right on it.”

Half an hour later, the basins were empty again. Ye Sansi was finally full, leaning back with a satisfied smile, patting his round belly. “So comfortable! I haven’t eaten so much meat in ages. And the wine—wonderful!”

“Brother Sansi, you must visit us often. All the kids in the village are jealous of me for having the hero stay at my house! Here’s your map.”

Ye Sansi examined it carefully. “This is excellent—far more detailed than any I’ve seen. I’m sure I’ll find the village now. Thank you.”

“I told you, I have a good memory. Right, brother Sansi, do you know martial arts? Can you teach me?”

“Of course I do. If you want to learn, I’ll teach you. The rest of my skills are family secrets, and I don’t have permission to pass them on. But the Thirteen Flaming Swords is my own creation—I can teach you that.”

“Great!” Xiao Ye was delighted, bouncing with excitement.

Yi shook her head. “You ought to focus on learning our family’s poison arts, but now you trouble Sansi to teach you swordplay. So mischievous.”

Xiao Ye protested, “People say using poison is the work of villains, but wielding a sword is a hero’s way.”

Ye Sansi laughed. “I don’t know much about worldly opinions, but I believe, whether with poison or sword, as long as you do good, you’re a hero. If you do evil, you’re a villain. My sword technique requires a strong body. You’re in good shape, but not quite enough. Start by practicing with a branch—when you’re stronger, you can switch to a sword. That way, you won’t get hurt.”

“All right.”

Ye Sansi continued, “It’s getting late. I’ll teach you now, for I must leave tomorrow.”

Xiao Ye glanced at Yi. She patted his head. “What are you waiting for? Bow to your teacher.”

Xiao Ye knelt before Ye Sansi and bowed three times. Ye Sansi let him finish, then helped him up. “Good, Xiao Ye. I’ll now teach you the Thirteen Flaming Swords. Pay close attention—I only have a few hours with you, so if you don’t master it, don’t blame me.”

“Yes, Master. I’ll learn diligently.”

After resting a while to digest, Ye Sansi picked up Heaven’s Wrath and demonstrated the Thirteen Flaming Swords in the courtyard, the sword flashes swift and fierce. Xiao Ye and Yi watched from a distance.

Xiao Ye was entranced. Each of the thirteen sword forms was exquisite—a killing move. The wooden fence around the yard was slashed by sword energy, and the stone slabs beneath split. On the second demonstration, Xiao Ye watched intently, memorizing every movement. His memory was excellent—after just two performances, he remembered every move.

On the third, Xiao Ye picked up a branch and practiced alongside Ye Sansi. But though his memory was strong, his talent for martial arts was not as great as Sansi’s. He remembered the forms, but didn’t understand the flow of power—when to release or restrain energy.

Night fell, and Xiao Ye had only grasped the basics, but that was already impressive for a beginner.

Ye Sansi said, “Let’s stop for now. It’s dark, and you can’t see clearly. You’ve learned the moves well. Now you must understand how to apply force, to merge with your sword. Every stroke must be lethal—then you’ll grasp the essence.”

“Master, can’t you stay a few more days, until I’ve mastered it?”

“Xiao Ye, you’ve learned all I can teach. From here, it’s up to you. Remember, don’t rush—train until you’re strong before switching from a branch to a sword. Otherwise, you’ll get hurt.”

“Yes, Master, I’ll remember.”

Yi called from inside, “Heroes, stop training—come eat! I’ve prepared plenty of food and wine.”

Ye Sansi went in to find another sumptuous meal. In addition to two basins of roast meat, there were four roast chickens.

He sat, and Xiao Ye quickly handed him a chicken. Sansi smiled and tore into it.

After eating and drinking their fill, sleepiness overtook Sansi. He went to bed and was asleep in the blink of an eye.