Chapter 32: Chapter 31: A Smile is all that I Live for.
"Right now, we've distributed your "cards" to the majority of the common people in the city, even the homeless and orphans, just as you asked."
"Thank you, Jing; I owe you one for this." I replied to one of my few friends in this world, and definitely my only male friend.
I didn't actually know much about him as a person, only that he was a cultivator, his name was Jing Yun, and that he was a decent enough person to not talk about unsavory things around me, which was more than I could say about most people I've met.
He still hadn't objectified anyone else in front of me, which was good enough for me.
"Don't worry about it; it's the least I could do for you, Doctor." He replied with a small smile on his face.
"Great, I can finally leave this city now without worrying too much about the people. Thank you, truly." I thanked him once more.
This felt weird to me, though. I had to find a way to give him my gratitude; I didn't like not repaying a favor, and he had helped me a lot during my stay in this city, making the distribution of the cards the last in a long line of favors.
Oh yeah, I could do that!
"Jing," I said as I took a small stone from one of my drawers and passed it to the man, its entire surface etched in runes that illuminated the moment I flowed some of my energy through it, displaying Jing's Vein Network. "I was told that this could be very useful to you; this is your cultivation, the exact layout of your Profound Veins, but it will be up to you to make this useful."
Because I had always been using these as a guide on how to flow my energy, I hadn't the slightest clue how normal cultivators learned their techniques and proceeded in their cultivation; maybe they were going blindly by reading books about Feng Shui.
"This, Doctor, is incredible." He muttered as he analyzed my gift intently. I hoped that he could do what Jasmine said was possible with that, but that was up to him.
"Don't worry about it; you've helped me a lot, and this doesn't cost me much. I hope you'll have success on your path." I told him.
He stood up and looked at me with great intent, then he bowed down to me and said, "Benefactor, you've saved my hand, my cultivation, and gifted me this incredible opportunity. I, Jing Yun, will never forget your glorious grace."
I sighed, but now that I knew just how important such a thing could be and how fundamental cultivation was for these people, I couldn't blame him. "In that case, there is something you can do to repay me."
"Anything, Benefactor, just say the world, and I will move my entire family to make your will come true!" He explained with flames dancing in his eyes, a passion that I couldn't understand reflected in his voice.
"Live a good life, be kind, help people who need help because you want to, not to gain anything, and live a life that you can be proud of, no matter how long it might be. Be happy, my friend." I said.
Since when am I this emotional? Was it because I was going to leave this city, maybe forever? Was I still affected by understanding the main cause of the problems in this world?
I didn't know, but I was saying goodbye to a person that I've known for close to a year, and it's always sad to say goodbye to a friend.
"Yes, Doctor, I'll do my best to live a life worth living." He calmed down; I could see some confusion in his eyes, but I just hoped that my words would stop him from bringing more misery to this already damned world.
I didn't want my friend to become a monster like all others, but then again, maybe he already was, and he just hid it better than most.
It didn't matter.
That same day, I packed up my things: my machine, my floating chairs, my bathroom appliances, my bed—everything that I owned was sent into my green realm to be preserved.
I had prepared a lot of medicines to leave to the people of this city; based on how much I used to consume, this much should be enough for at least a year.
"Miss Yang, are you home?" I asked as I knocked on my old neighbor's door, and it didn't take long for an aged but still energetic lady to open the door.
"Oh my, Doctor, what brings you to my door today?" She said this as she invited me inside.
"I'm going to leave New Moon City, but I have something to ask you—one last favor, if you wish to call it so." I told her as a new card appeared in my hand.
She fell silent and didn't seem to care about the tea she had been brewing, but soon enough she sprung up and hugged me, saying, "Doctor, thank you very much for everything that you've done for us. I haven't felt this good in decades, and all the other people in this place feel the same. Thank you."
My eyes widened. I wasn't expecting this much of a reaction, but I just slowly hugged the woman back.
"Miss Yang, this card has the knowledge on how to produce more antibiotics, as well as when to use what and why. Other than a lot of other things, please take it." I said the moment she released the hug, the only thing it lacked was anything on my runes.
They were far too dangerous to be spread around like this.
"Doctor, I'm an old lady; you should give something this precious to someone younger. I'm already fifty years old; I don't have much longer to live." She said it in a soft tone, a wry smile on her face as she rejected my gift.
I felt a pang of pain just thinking about how low the life expectancy of the common people was when cultivators could live for millennia. It felt weird, if anything.
She was a nice lady, and I hoped that the few practices I'd taught her might help her live for a few more decades, but fifty years was already above average for most people in this world.
"That's exactly why I'm giving this to you; you have a lot of experience; you know many people; find a good person or a group of good people and give this to them; I want someone to continue my work." I looked her in the eyes; this was basically my legacy that I was passing on to the people.
She took the card and looked at it intently; her eyes then fixed on mine, and she teared up, saying, "Look at this; you're making this old lady emotional."
"So, do you accept?" I asked as I smiled at the old woman.
Yes, Doctor, I'll do my best to find the best person for this job, I swear." She replied as she hugged me again, her eyes still teary.
"Thank you, Miss Yang; I'm sure you'll do a great job."
And with that done, it was now my time to leave, probably for good.
I slowly made my way through the city, looking at the sights that it could offer me, and I had to admit that I didn't like most of them.
There was poverty, and many children were stuck on the streets. I could see them dressed in drag and stealing bread just to survive.
But while I could help the injured and ill ones, I couldn't really do anything about their habitations, their lack of families, or the bullies that took advantage of them; I couldn't even prevent them from getting ill or injured after I was done with helping them.
Maybe I could promote a few social programs with my connection to that princess that Lan Xueruo told me about, the one that had been keeping an eye on me.
I saw a kid stealing a loaf of bread, but he was caught by the shopkeeper, who said, "Let me go! I didn't do anything!"
"You little bastard, I saw you stealing; I will teach you not to steal from your betters." The shopkeeper replied.
He was middle-aged and a cultivator—a weak one, but still one—so his words weren't beyond my expectations, but this was a child he was dealing with.
"Hey there, don't touch the kid; I'll pay for whatever he took." I said with a carefree voice that even if this was just to make me feel better about my time in this city, if it helped this kid avoid a beating, then it was a good thing.
"Huh!" The man grunted as he turned to me, still holding the kid by the scruff, "You're one of this kid's little companions, huh! I'll give you a beating too."
Did this person not even look at me? I didn't look in any way even close to a homeless kid; I prided myself on having a great sense of fashion.
So I just released my cultivation's pressure to let this person see reason, and he did see reason as he immediately let the kid go and got on his knees.
I was plenty sure that I didn't release even closely to that much pressure: Please, senior, let go of this lowly one; I had eyes, yet I failed to see Mount Tai!"
Huh, this was kind of pathetic, so no self-respect at all. "Stand up and just take the money."
I took out a cyan-colored coin; it was far more than enough for a bit of bread. I hoped this amount of gain was enough for this man to close an eye whenever the kid would eventually steal from him again, or for any other kid that did the same.
I didn't trust that thought; the man just took the coin and returned to his shop.
I gave a hand to the kid and helped him up. "You're okay, kid?"
"You don't look much older than I am." He replied, not thanking me for giving him a hand, but it was okay; the kid probably wasn't even taught about manners.
His hair was awful, weak, and dry. I could almost see his ribs sticking out; he definitely hadn't had a good meal in a while.
"Sometimes, looks don't matter; you're a kid to me." I gave him a small pouch of coins. "Take this, don't steal for a while, maybe use it to get a better outfit and find a job; I can't help you more than this."
Then I left him behind, feeling better about myself. Any person that I helped was great for stroking my ego and making a positive impact on the world, a win-win for all parties involved.
"Hey, what is your name?" The boy asked.
"I'm the Doctor; I left my name behind long ago." I commented as I stopped, seeing if there was anything more that the boy wanted to talk about.
"Teach me how to be strong like you." He said, It wasn't a question, but a plea. He slowly walked toward me and looked up at me, filled with determination and hope.
I could see the desperation in his eyes; he looked twelve or thirteen, but he seemed to be just a step from death from hunger. It was an incredibly awful situation to be in, and his body was in a state so awful that I had only seen worse in cases of severe child abuse.
"I'm not a cultivator kid; I'm a doctor," I replied, my voice being the kindest I could manage. "I can't teach you to fight."
"But you scared away Old Meng, and he's a cultivator; you have to be strong!" The boy pleaded, his small, bruised hand taking hold of my clothes.
I supposed that this Old Meng was the middle-aged person over a whole realm of cultivation below me; my glasses showing his internal energy seemed like that of a firefly compared to many that I had encountered from cultivators belonging to any sect or clan.
"I have a cultivation, but that doesn't mean I'm a cultivator; I'm a doctor," I replied and followed my words with a short silence before continuing with genuine curiosity, "Why do you want to be strong?"
"I don't want to be hungry again, and they told me cultivators don't get hungry and always have a lot of food." He replied.
That was probably the most pitiful reply that he could possibly give me; the money I had given him was going to run out eventually. I told him to get a job, but he had probably already tried that, if it was possible in the first place.
"I'm leaving New Moon City right now; I can teach you to cultivate and more, but are you willing to leave with me?" I eventually said it after another long and uncomfortable silence.
I had packed many portions of food, more than enough for around a year, and since things didn't go bad while in my green inventory, I could more than take care of him as well.
What could I say? I was weak to children begging for help, and I had more than enough resources to help him, so why not?
And by my Devil, the boy's happy smile was enough to repay whatever problem he'll probably give me.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone