"...Will it really work?"
Liu Yianfei felt quite troubled. His condition had been chronic for many years until even he almost felt hopeless once. That was one reason he never once asked Bai Fanxian about this himself.
He was afraid of feeling disappointed if it truly couldn't be cured.
"I think I can diagnose it... but right now I don't have any equipment." Divine Doctor Wu Jia himself wasn't ridiculously talented like in cartoons. He couldn't just look from afar or touch a patient once and immediately know all symptoms and treatment approaches.
He needed complete tools and equipment.
And all those were back in that other world. He right now could be said to be nearly penniless.
"Right. The village head asked me to tell you that all your old equipment has been kept well at Village Beneath the Clouds."
Marshal Zhang Xianyuan suddenly interrupted. But it was really good news for Wu Jia. He thought they'd probably been damaged by time completely.
Must be his disciples who preserved them.
"By the way, you still won't go back there?"
Zhang Xianyuan when mentioning this couldn't help wondering. Because after returning to this side, several days had passed. Even the Village Beneath the Clouds head went back from day one. But Wu Jia who should've returned to the village together still chose to keep bothering Bai Fanxian at this house.
"...Feeling awkward?"
Liu Yianfei just glanced and immediately understood Wu Jia's thoughts. For a young man who suddenly left a place for many years, plus when he could return, he still felt he wanted to leave again - it must be a strange feeling.
"Ah... I feel so guilty."
Wu Jia laughed dryly. He inhaled herbs deeply to change this gloomy mood. He still cared about things in that world until he felt he'd truly wronged those waiting for him at Village Beneath the Clouds.
"That child must've grown up a lot?"
"..."
"...Yes. I've grown up a lot, Doctor."
Cough cough!
The sweet voice suddenly rising from the dining room door made Divine Doctor Wu Jia choke on smoke. He turned sharply with disbelieving eyes.
At the dining room door appeared a young girl in a neat white outfit looking clean and proper. She looked like a girl around seventeen or eighteen whose beauty was blooming. But on her face and eyes carried coldness while staring at Wu Jia.
"Xiao...Xiaoting?"
Wu Jia stared at the young girl making a pouty face unbelievingly. Though he called, she refused to answer. Plus her cheeks puffed slightly and she still avoided his eyes.
"You still remember me?"
"..."
The man called Divine Doctor Wu Jia was speechless. He glimpsed Liu Yianfei trying his best to hold back laughter until his condition almost relapsed. As for Marshal Zhang Xianyuan, he laughed openly without hiding.
"I brought her. Since you refused to go back with the village head."
Zhang Xianyuan explained. After the Village Beneath the Clouds head returned, he quickly called to say his granddaughter or Wu Jia's "disciple" had already traveled to Eastern A City by herself.
Making him have to pick up his friend's granddaughter himself. Plus bring her here.
"...Didn't you say outsiders can't enter the Border?"
Wu Jia muttered. And at the same moment Bai Fanxian set down her teacup.
"I saw her standing pitifully at the door. So I let her in."
Bai Fanxian's answer made the Divine Doctor turn sharply to stare at her for several seconds. His eyes were complex and strange.
Since when did she have sympathy for strangers like this!?
But no matter what he complained, it couldn't change anything now. He turned to face his disciple he hadn't seen for years.
In his head many things swirled mixed until he didn't know what to say. The person he felt most guilty toward after disappearing without telling was this child. But finally the words that came out unknowingly were:
"...I'm back."
It might not need apologies.
Because they were simple words that the one waiting wanted to hear most.
The girl called Xiaoting stopped making a sour face. A beautiful smile came from her heart like blooming flowers.
"Welcome back, Doctor."
.
.
.
Because there were many unexpected guests visiting, lunch became a big meal. Huang Zihuan had to frantically call the Tang Clan to come help prepare food.
"Thank you for helping bring Doctor back, Lady Bai."
Lin Xiaoting who held the position of Village Beneath the Clouds head's granddaughter had already heard everything from her grandfather. Even that Bai Fanxian was just Marshal's "adopted daughter" in name only, she knew well. Plus it wasn't like she didn't follow news - the matter where this woman battled the "dragon" intensely in the sky several days ago, she knew it all too.
And because she didn't know what status to call this woman, calling "Grandmaster Bai" like before seemed inappropriate. Because looking at her power, she should be far beyond that.
So just calling "Lady Bai Fanxian" would be more polite.
"...But I think he probably didn't want to come back here much?"
Bai Fanxian sipped tea and spoke without turning to look at Wu Jia who startled. He had to hurriedly explain for a long time until Bai Fanxian was too lazy to bother with him. The elderly butler Huang Zihuan who'd served her from the start secretly smiled faintly at the corner of his mouth.
He felt Grandmaster Bai changed a little.
"Is that the red dragon that appeared the other day?"
Lin Xiaoting widened her eyes surprisingly. After adjusting understanding with her teacher, she came to sit near Bai Fanxian.
She admired the "Alchemy Empress" greatly. Her alchemy abilities should surpass even the Divine Doctor who was her teacher. So for her who was determined to become a skilled doctor, Bai Fanxian's pill knowledge attracted her very much.
"...Yes."
Bai Fanxian answered while looking at the Dragon Queen who was bowing her head eating grilled meat served until the plate piled up. And three little ones surrounded taking turns serving food with bright eyes.
Don't know where all her dignity and majesty went.
No matter how you looked, Bai Fanxian only saw a young growing dragon happily eating.
It seemed the saying "you become what you look like" was true.
If she let the Dragon Queen stay in this form for ten years, the Dragon Queen might really change to have a child's personality.
But that was fine too.
"Lady Bai, actually I came today for another matter." Zhang Xianyuan who just swallowed whole grilled meat turned to talk with Bai Fanxian.
Liu Yianfei's matter was postponed until Wu Jia returned to Village Beneath the Clouds. Plus Bai Fanxian herself was still here. She could easily refine emergency pills to relieve the young general's condition anyway.
But importantly, it was the general himself who secretly sent qi to whisper with Bai Fanxian and Wu Jia.
He narrated the difficulties and terrible hardships of work he'd received recently. Plus added that opportunities for him to get vacation like this weren't easy. So until near the end of his vacation time, he wanted to rest and live relaxedly like this a bit longer.
Otherwise he'd definitely be dragged back to work immediately when healed!
Both Bai Fanxian and Wu Jia looked at the general wanting to shirk work with strange eyes. But finally both still agreed to Liu Yianfei's small request.
"What is it?"
"Both the government and military decided to officially reveal cultivators' existence."
Zhang Xianyuan explained.
"Isn't everyone already aware?"
These past days Bai Fanxian felt she'd become addicted to those convenience things. She was quite happy watching TV in the living room and opening computers to read news and various stories all day.
Especially in the "Cultivator Community," it was quite chaotic. Many new members who didn't even reach Qi Gathering stage overflowed in. Plus there was news of many cultivators revealing their identities publicly and using abilities to show off until famous.
They'd be called "Master" and started having disciples entrusting themselves until almost forming sects. But that was still a small part. At most they were still only Martial Master level. Those few Grandmaster level beings hadn't made any movements yet and watched the situation first.
"It's not the same. What I mean is after this, cultivators will be legally recognized as existing beings. There'll be a special cultivators' agency established. And cultivators' identities will be properly registered according to regulations."
Bai Fanxian nodded. She already expected the government must move on this matter. Because if left like this, cultivators would start gathering and forming factions clearly until possibly ignoring government authority.
So foundations needed to be laid first. Keep those cultivators within the country's laws. And try to have them coexist with ordinary people.
"And what do you want?"
She knew Zhang Xianyuan wouldn't just come tell her this for nothing.
"I want to nominate you as president of the National Cultivators' Association..."
Sudden silence occurred. The beings here all had extraordinary backgrounds. Hearing such things, they turned sharply to look at Bai Fanxian as their center simultaneously.
"...You handle that mess yourself."
She had absolutely no desire to get involved in such annoying matters!