Chapter 103: Lacking Character [Seeking subscriptions and monthly tickets!]

"This..."

Yao Tianci faltered. Yes, there had only been one sound-transmitting paper crane. He could not explain why they had arrived three days late after knowing that trouble had befallen Mount Qingcheng; the more he tried to justify it, the worse it sounded.

For a moment, he stood frozen, and the young disciples behind him exchanged awkward glances.

Just then, an elderly voice drifted from outside the mountain gate.

Before the speaker appeared, his voice seemed to ring right in their ears. Then, he drifted slowly toward them—it truly felt as if his robes didn't even flutter as he arrived. Once he came to a halt, he tucked away a palm-sized paper kite; clearly, that was what he had used to travel.

"What disaster has befallen the mountain? Why was I not informed?"

Zhou Yi’s gaze settled on the old man.

He was a classic case of male-pattern baldness, with white eyebrows, white hair, and a white beard. He was short and stout, his face as wrinkled as an immortal star-god's, and he carried a peach-wood cane.

He approached Yao Tianci, coughed twice, and looked at Zhou Yi.

Ye Qing hurried forward, though she did not descend the steps, opting instead to cup her hands in a respectful salute.

"Greetings, Elder Xu."

The old man chuckled and poked the ground with his cane. He didn't even reach out his hand, simply staring at Ye Qing.

"And who is this..."

"This is the new Sect Master chosen by the Master. The situation was dire; several elders had already perished, and you were away from Mount Qingcheng, so the Master directly passed the mantle of the Sect Master to him."

As she spoke, Ye Qing took out a sound-transmitting paper box and handed it to Xu Shiqing.

"The Master was besieged by demons and was forced to activate the Demon-Suppressing Array. In his final moments, he sent out a sound-transmitting paper crane. I believe Elder Xu received it; otherwise, the crane would have flown back to the correspondence hall of Mount Qingcheng."

The implication was clear: whether you received the message or not, you know the truth in your heart. We aren't fools; we checked the hall long ago, and your crane never returned.

Playing this charade here is pointless.

To everyone’s surprise, there wasn't a hint of embarrassment on Xu Shiqing’s face; instead, he began to laugh.

Witnessing such a benevolent-looking man lie to their faces and flatly deny the late Sect Master’s final message—such despicable conduct left even Zhou Yi in disbelief.

"Oh, I am getting old, and my mind is not as sharp as it once was. It seems I may have received something, but at the time, I truly did not think Mount Qingcheng was in such danger. Furthermore, we are merely healers with no strength to bind a chicken; what could we have done if we returned? Joined them in death, or helped my senior brother collect the corpses? The Sect Master once said: 'Gold and stone may determine life and death, but the apricot grove can only sigh at the brevity of life.' We healers are merely scraping by, filled with helplessness."

"I know you lot in the cultivation world look down on us. Are you trying to use this opportunity to expel our branch from Mount Qingcheng?"

The meaning behind his words was: you practitioners can calculate the disasters of life and death and defy the heavens, while we healers are filled with despair, often powerless to change the inevitable.

The smile never left Xu Shiqing’s face, but his eyes, locked onto Zhou Yi’s, were like a snake waiting to strike and deliver a fatal blow.

Zhou Yi laughed—a sudden, sharp laugh that left Xu Shiqing baffled.

"I do not know how your medical skills fare, but a healer is defined by character, medical ethics, and a benevolent heart. You possess neither of the latter two, so do not call yourself a healer, for you are unworthy of the title."

Once these words were spoken, Xu Shiqing exploded.

This was his most prized possession, the very thing he constantly paraded. "Interesting! I have lived for over eighty years, and you are the first to say my character and ethics are lacking. Let’s put everything else aside and settle this: how am I unworthy of being called a healer?"

Zhou Yi shook his head.

"I haven't finished. It is not just the title of 'healer' that you are unworthy of; it is the title of 'master' as well. A teacher is meant to impart the truth, teach skills, and resolve doubts, is that not so?"

The old man was livid, yet he managed to control his emotions and nodded. "It is!"

"To impart the truth, virtue must come first. If a disciple lacks integrity, one cannot teach. That is the mandate of a mentor. If a teacher lacks virtue, they must never teach, lest they poison their disciples. This is called holding a position without the merit to match. The 'medical skills' you teach are not about curing the sick or saving lives, but about the ways of commerce—how to inflate prices, how to curry favor with the powerful, and how to pass off inferior goods as quality. You treat medicine as a mere vehicle for gain. Do I need to judge whether your virtue is lacking?"

"Lacking in character, devoid of virtue, and possessing no benevolence—how can you be worthy of the titles of healer or master? Do you not feel a shred of shame?"

Zhou Yi’s voice was not loud, but every word was like a precious gem.

The Fatty was stunned. He hadn't expected his boss to be on such a different level when it came to insulting people. His words were so cultured, so scathing, yet so logically sound that they made one want to cough up blood. He was truly impressed; he wanted to pull out a notebook and write them down.

Xu Shiqing was equally dumbfounded. He never imagined Zhou Yi would be so utterly ruthless, launching such an attack the moment they met. But how did he know about the operations of the clinic? Was this something his senior brother had arranged in advance?

The thought made him pause, but Zhou Yi had no intention of stopping. He glanced at him and continued:

"Three days ago, you ignored the pleas of your sect-mates, perhaps even wishing for everyone on Mount Qingcheng to be slaughtered, only to arrive tardy three days later. Do you think I don't know your intentions?"

"Such greed is truly unsightly and beneath an elder. Your medical arts belong to the Mount Qingcheng lineage. The late Sect Master treated you as a younger brother and even prepared medical texts for you, hoping you would truly progress. But seeing you today, I realize these books are useless. Why should a group of people who use the guise of healing to swindle money possess them? It would be better to burn them to ash!"

With that, Zhou Yi raised his arm.

A pile of books fell to the ground before them. Without needing a command, Sophia tossed a ball of fire onto them, and the books instantly ignited. Among them were also several jars and bottles, their red paper labels unreadable from a distance.

Xu Shiqing panicked, stabbing his cane into the ground frantically.

"What are you standing there for? Put out the fire! These are the books of Mount Qingcheng, these are unique, priceless copies! Oh, the pain!"

Xu Shiqing was genuinely frantic. The dozen disciples behind him rushed toward the blaze.

Some reached out to grab the books, but this was no ordinary furnace fire; the flames clung to the pages, and no amount of stomping or beating could extinguish them—it was as if the fire would spread to them if they touched it.

Terrified, they froze. Xu Shiqing tried to rush forward several times, but Yao Tianci held him back.

"Master, we can't! I don't know if this is ghost fire; it's too evil!"

As they shouted, Sophia tossed several more fireballs onto the pile. The flames flared up instantly, and the books and bottles were reduced to ash.

Xu Shiqing collapsed onto the ground, his face pale and broken.

He had likely coveted those items for years, but the late Sect Master had always kept them from him. Seeing them burned now, he was speechless. Ye Qing was also shocked; these were the greatest treasures of Mount Qingcheng. Though she knew nothing of medicine, her heart ached to see them destroyed.

However, Ye Qing said nothing. If the Master had determined this man was fit to be Sect Master, he must have had his reasons. Obedience was all that mattered.

"You... you... how could you burn them? Those were the treasures of Mount Qingcheng! How dare you destroy them?"

Zhou Yi hummed, looking at Xu Shiqing with indifference.

"Yes, burning them saves you the trouble. I had intended to let you study them, but given your lack of virtue, you would only use them to fleece the people. There is no point. Besides, true medical skill isn't sustained by ancient texts alone; it comes from vast clinical experience—things that cannot be recorded in books."

Xu Shiqing flicked his sleeve, his face twisted in clear resentment.

"Fine, very well. Since that is the case, do not blame me for being ruthless. The Mount Qingcheng sect might as well be destroyed. Everywhere I, Xu Shiqing, go, I am honored as an Elder. But you? A wet-behind-the-ears, self-appointed Sect Master—is there anyone who actually accepts you?"