Chapter 25- The Strength of a Doctor

They retired for an early dinner. Tian felt like a bully, and kept his head down. The others from Ancient Crane Mountain were all still barely concealing their anger. Tian suspected they shared his confusion. How was it possible for immortal cultivators to exist without knowing how to fight? He was sure they weren’t just relying on Ancient Crane Mountain for their defense. If they were, they would have been overrun centuries or millennia ago. Or annexed. The Monastery could always use more servant disciples, and doctors take a long time to train.

Tian begged off any more touring and asked if there was a quiet tree or something he could cultivate under. They found him a nice one by the side of a little river. Wide branches, softly rushing water, and the sound of insects singing in the grass as people worked contentedly in cultivated fields. It was about as far as you could get from the Redstone Wastes. Tian tried to do what he was taught and focus on his breathing. The thoughts would come, but they wouldn’t stay.

It didn’t work. He wound up running in circles inside his mind. There was nothing wrong with the sect being peaceful. Wasn’t this the goal? The ideal? Maybe not for him and his brothers, but a peaceful home was in no way a bad thing. And when you got right down to it, if you were going to be making medicine and training doctors, you probably wanted to be far away from any fighting.

He was mad anyway. So mad he felt nauseous. His brothers were fighting and dying even now. Tian sat under a tree and enjoyed the cool air and tasted the freshness of the river on the breeze while they bitterly struggled through the poisonous desert. And some random girl who was just trying to be nice asked him if it was terrible. “Why yes, Daoist Shu, it was extremely unpleasant. I don’t think referring to it as “terrible” would be excessive. While it wasn’t without opportunities for growing and learning, on balance, I wish we had all just stayed home.”

Tian breathed in and out, letting the wood and water qi flow through him. Subtly breaking up the earth qi and drawing it in. Accepting and channeling the fire qi, letting that fire of compassion in him grow a bit warmer with every breath.

She really was trying to be nice. She didn’t understand. It was just, he really didn’t want to explain it. Tian wasn’t sure he could explain it. You had to have been there. You had to have seen the tiger to know its terror. You had to survive the tiger to know the pain of living when others didn’t.

Meditation didn’t seem to be calming him the way it usually did. There was a tightness in his chest, a growing sense of anxiety that the breathing wasn’t overcoming. He sighed and stood, dusting off his robes. It really was a very pretty spot. If he lived here, he would love cultivating under this tree.

“Did you cultivate well, Daoist Tian?”

“Well enough, thank you, Daoist Shu. Were you waiting long?” He smiled at the girl with soft flowers trimmed into her hair and who loved to organize her plants so they all got along and helped each other.

“Not long. I thought you would cultivate for longer, actually. I just… wanted to show you something.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Our hospital.”

They walked quietly to a long and low building set well away from the fields. It was quite a bit larger than the hospital in Depot Four, and there was a subtle sense of power around it.

“I don’t recognize the array.”

Shu nodded. “You wouldn’t. It’s not the kind of thing you can set up just anywhere.” She started pointing at various hills around the sect, then drew his eyes over to the meandering rivers and streams running through the farmland. “The hospital was situated on a geomantic node that provides both balanced qi and improved qi density. Thanks to the specifics of our sect, the land favors earth, wood and water qi, but our array masters are able to balance it out. Besides, those are nothing bad in a hospital.”

“Amazing. I have heard of that kind of land… magic… but I have only heard of it.” Tan shook his head. His knowledge of arrays wasn’t deep enough to even qualify as “pathetic.”

“I got permission to bring you in. You will see even more on the inside.” Shu led Tian into the building. Close set tile floors, Tian noticed approvingly, with smooth, wide tiles. Easily mopped.

“It’s much greener than I would have imagined. And… ornamental fountains? Really?”

It was rather amazing. Plants were potted and growing on, or even in, some of the walls. There were fountains and tiny indoor ponds scattered seemingly everywhere, many with plants growing in them. No lamps here- lighting was handled by spirit crystal powered arrays. This no doubt contributed to the fresh, sweet, air circulating through the hospital, though nothing was going to overcome the harsh smell of soap. Tian smiled a bit at that. Some things were a constant.

“Yes. It is the Art of Wind and Water. We use water to gather and direct the qi, and specific plants to help nurture healing qi. It all helps stabilize the chaotic qi and encourages tranquility for patients and staff. And all of it is tied into the greater geomantic formation the hospital is built on.” Shu was practically vibrating by the end of her explanation, her eyes bright and her hands waving happily. She rushed over to a little fountain at the intersection of two large corridors.

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“See what we have here, Daoist Tian? Do you recognize it?”

“It’s a lotus…” A sudden memory jolted him. “A Dustless Lotus?!”

“Haha! You got it. I don’t know where you get your perfume, but it smells exactly the same as Dustless Lotuses!”

“Perfume? Daoist Shu, I’ve never worn perfume a day in my life.” Tian leaned over, carefully checking the water for snakes. There were little fish darting around in the pond, but he didn’t recognize them. It appeared to be snake free.

“But… forgive me, Daoist Tian, but…” She groped for words. Tian smiled and took pity on her.

“It’s just how I smell. I actually have the Dustless Phisique.”

Shu’s jaw dropped.

“Thank you for showing me this, by the way. I haven’t seen a Dustless Lotus since I was ten. And none were as nice as this one. It’s almost at the Heavenly Person level, isn’t it?”