Chapter 5: Two Helpers
Twelve days had passed by, considering there is still no reaction from the Yamen runners. It must have been a clean theft. Since so many luxuries weren't something an ordinary Yamen officer could possess. People won't say that something was missing. A corrupt officer's downfall leads to multiple benefits. On top of it, the hut Xu Nian lived in was secluded from the rest of the slum areas in the town. A thick jungle covered the hut's surroundings. As if this place has already been forgotten by many.
These past few days, Xu Nian has been going through physiotherapy. He did his best and persisted through. Out of the fifty lifetimes that he could recall. He once was a physiotherapist, but he didn't expect that he would be on the receiving side. Though there was no progress in terms of voluntary movement, his wounds and scars had started healing. He had thoroughly described medical scriptures in detail to his sister. Out of the hundred previously mentioned herbs, she seems to have done a great job at finding fifty-six of those. She currently mastered concocting medicinal soup and pill. Xu Nian thought, ' when she reaches the expert level, he would teach her to do elixir refining, which was the next stage for an alchemist.' Xu Nian wanted to make his sister into a medicinal goddess, but it wasn't possible as an alchemist requires a broad mind, while his sister was a muscle head with exceptional memory. Though she can move up to the expert level in terms of Elixir refining, she can't be an alchemist. Martial arts would suit her more.
Xu Nian was in a dilemma he wanted to teach his sister martial arts for safety, but he couldn't think of how to. These days, he had come to a realization that his body was not completely useless. Only his limbs were destroyed, and his core body parts were completely fine. Though he can not use his limbs anymore. He can certainly protect himself and the others through cultivation of inner arts. He doubted if there was any cultivation system in this world. If yes, it would be easy for him to teach his sister. But surely he couldn't gamble right now. Thus, he made sure that the one practicing inner arts of cultivation would be him, while the outer arts he would reserve it for his sister.
" Nian'er do you want to pee, " Xu Li asked him while thinking of his daily routine. She failed to notice that her brother's face had become cherry red out of embarrassment. " Oh my! is something wrong? Why is your face turning red? Did you perhaps injure your face?" Xu Nian hurriedly replied ," No... no." He has to deal with a lifetime's worth of embarrassment every day. Xu Li understood the way he felt, but it fell under her duty to take care of him.
After a long silence, they heard someone calling from outside. Xu Li went out to see a small skinny boy looking at her expectantly. She said, " Are you done with your remaining chores." The boy nodded his head. There was a tacit understanding between them. Xu Li looked at his skinny figure with pity. She told him to take a bath and went in. The boy ran off to somewhere and came back quickly. Xu Li came out with her hands full of things. She looked at the boy. He had short black hair, eyes resembling a puppy. His name was 'Wang' with no family name attached. When she saw him shivering in cold, she quickly gave him a few sets of clothes of his size that she had stolen previously. She smiled at him as he looked at her with tears in his eyes while saying, " I'll serve you my whole life, miss." Xu Li was pleased she gave him few taels of silver and told him food would be on the house. " You only have to look after my brother. Make sure to treat him well. He will be your master. " Xu Li then mentioned all of his duties.
After Wang wore the silk clothes, he looked like a young master of a well to do family. He was almost like a groomed puppy. Xu Li looked at him with a hint of sadness. If only her brother could run around happily like a normal child. She controlled her emotions and gave Wang two pairs of fine shoes. "From today, you will be living with us."
"Um.... miss, can you also take my sister under your tutelage. Her name is 'Min'. She is fifteen, and she used to work for a merchant. While I serve the young master Xu, she can be of help to you." Xu Li could feel his hesitation throughout his speech. " OK... bring her here," she clearly needed more manpower. But for now, two were fine.
Xu Nian heard all of it. He was somewhat relieved to know that they were orphans. He currently was lying flat after drinking the medicine his sister concocted. 'She has improved considerably,' he thought. Now that all of his wounds were healed. He felt less pain. His sister was working on erasing the remaining scars. ' Now that the pain is gone, it's not that bad to lay around the whole day doing nothing, ' Xu Nian was thoroughly enjoying his rest period. In his previous lifetimes, he was constantly chasing after something abstract. He decided to take it slow and easy this time around.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone