THE SWORDSMAN NEEDS A HEALER

Li Ming is in rough shape. He survived his duel with Shazha Kui, but has definitely seen better days. 

Let's check in on our favorite grumpy swordsman hero: 

A door panel slid open from behind him, and he could tell from the footfalls on the wooden portico that it was Luoying. She sat next to him and smiled, and he smiled back, turning slightly in a clumsy attempt to hide his trembling hand from her gaze.

The smile dropped from her face, and her eyes narrowed.

“Is your hand still trembling?”

“No,” he lied, trying to tuck his hand behind his back.

“You know better than to lie to me,” she said, reaching for his hand.

“I’m not lying to you,” he said, snatching it away.

“Li Ming,” Luoying said again, her voice taking a stern note.

He sighed and extended his hand towards her tentatively. She took it, felt the tremble of it and glared at him. She then flipped his hand over and brought two fingers to his wrist. His heart raced from her touch, and he almost blushed from embarrassment. He coughed, clearing his throat to cover it up.

“Shhhh,” she chided. “Now I have to start over again.”

It hadn’t been that long ago that he almost lost her, that his fear and paralysis cost Luoying her life. He remembered the gasp she uttered as the assassins from the White Crane strangled her, and in his fear-induced stupor, he just watched.

What he did not remember was killing the men that attacked her.

I almost lost her. I can’t lose her too.

Especially after everything—Rong Fei, Xulin, Master Guo, and now Shu Yan—he couldn’t lose her as well.

“Your pulse is irregular,” she pronounced.

“What does that mean?”

“Do we use another treatment of the Rising Soul Elixir? Or do I stabilize it with—” her eyebrows furrowed, and she muttered under her breath as she drifted into her own thoughts. It was a quirk of hers to mutter while deep in thought, one he found endearing. It also made him feel as though he were a puzzle that she was trying to solve, as though to find a solution to his current state would yield a prize of some sort.

The door panel slid open again. This time he heard the light clattering of a teapot and cups on a tray. Granny Chen.

“I brought you some winter melon tea, young master,” she said, stepping down the steps of the portico and placing the tray next to Luoying.

“Thank you, Granny Chen,” he said. He attempted to smile at her, but it turned into a grimace when he caught her glare.

She’s still angry at me.

When Yilin made known to Granny Chen the roles that Tao Jun and Li Ming played in Shu Yan’s departure from Blue Mountain, the true master of Blue Mountain showed her power. They found they weren’t too old to be disciplined by her, and she made liberal use of her favorite wooden spoon in doling out punishment. His hands still hurt thinking about it.

“If you’re going to act like a stupid child and drive a wonderful young woman like Miss Shu Yan out of here, then you deserve a beating far worse than this!” Granny Chen scolded.

She’s probably why my hands tremble, he thought ruefully. He almost voiced the thought as a joke but knew that he would likely be thrown off a cliff if he did.

“What is it, Miss Cha?” Granny Chen asked. “Is the young master behaving badly again?”

Again? Li Ming glowered.

“Granny Chen, I need another opinion. Could you please read Li Ming’s pulse?”

The old woman frowned and held out an expectant palm. Li Ming glanced at Luoying, who nodded at Li Ming to turn his wrist over to the old woman. When he didn’t move fast enough, Luoying grabbed it and placed it in the old woman’s palm. The swordsman didn’t mind so much as he noticed that Luoying had stopped calling him Master Li Ming and just called him Li Ming. He hoped that familiarity meant something good.

Granny Chen held two fingers on his wrist and closed her eyes. He stared at her hands, wondering when they got so old? He didn’t remember a time where they looked young at all, but he didn’t remember so many liver spots or her knuckles so swollen. He wondered why she was still serving them at Blue Mountain when she should be well into her retirement years.

I probably can’t ask—she’ll want to hit me with the spoon again.

“How is it?” He asked.

“Shhhh,” Luoying hushed him.

“Shhhh,” Granny Chen hushed him. Under her grip, his hand trembled, and he wanted to pull away and hide it. The old woman pursed her lips. She exchanged a look with Luoying, and they both shook their heads at the same time.

“Wait, what just happened? What’s wrong with me?” Li Ming asked.

“Do you think it’s—?” Luoying asked.

“What if it’s—?” Granny Chen replied.

“Of course, but that would mean—”

“Let me check again.” This time, the old woman snatched his wrist before he could extend it.

It was then that Yilin and Tao Jun wandered into the training courtyard, looking like they were bickering again. At least, that’s what he thought they were doing. Right now, they were busy sticking their tongues out at each other like children.

Some things really don’t change.

“Hold on, what’s going on here?” Tao Jun asked, pointing when he saw the women gathered around Li Ming.

“Is something wrong with Li Ming?” Yilin asked, hurrying over.

“We’re not quite sure,” Granny Chen said to Yilin and handed Li Ming’s wrist to her.

“Hmmmm,” Yilin said, placing two fingers down and closing her eyes. Her fingers were cold and clammy.

“What are you doing?” Li Ming hissed.

“Shhhhh, I’m trying to listen,” Yilin said.

“What are you talking about? You don’t know anything about reading pulses—ahhhh!” Li Ming started to protest before he was flicked on the forehead by Granny Chen.

“You be quiet,” Granny Chen warned.

“Are we all taking turns feeling Ming’s pulse? I want a try,” Tao Jun said.

“You definitely don’t know anything about reading pulses,” Li Ming growled, keeping his wrist away from his martial brother.

“What? Of course I do!” Tao Jun insisted. “They call me the Magistrate of the Pulse!”

“No one calls you that, Jun,” Yilin said, shaking her head as she let go of Li Ming’s wrist.

“Hmph, they could,” Tao Jun said.

“No one.”

“What do you know?”

“I know something,” Yilin said. “You know nothing.”

“I know at least as much as you do.”

“If you two are going to bicker, can you at least do it elsewhere so I don’t have to listen to you?” Li Ming muttered.

“Shhhh,” both Tao Jun and Yilin shushed the swordsman.

“Now, let me see what this is all about,” Tao Jun said, reaching for Li Ming’s wrist.

“Young master Tao Jun, could you please fetch Master Hua Tu? We should consult with him,” Granny Chen interrupted.

“But…” Tao Jun pouted, pointing at Li Ming’s wrist.

“Please magistrate, we’d be so grateful if you could help us out,” Luoying added.

“Fine…but I want a turn when I get back,” Tao Jun said over his shoulder as he entered the manor.

“What is this nonsense?” Li Ming grumbled. “I’m not some kind of pony ride for children.” He clenched his fist and tried to tuck his hand in his sleeve so the others wouldn’t see the slight tremble.

“Well, it is interesting,” Yilin agreed. “What do you two think?”

“Let’s take this conversation away from listening ears,” Granny Chen said with a suspicious glance at Li Ming. Li Ming felt the gaze of the three women narrowing on him, and he grimaced again.

They retreated some distance away to whisper about Li Ming, leaving the swordsman glowering on the portico step. This was getting ridiculous.

“Hey, you can’t just walk away and whisper about me!” Li Ming grumbled but wilted under their combined withering glares. The stab of alarm he felt earlier grew in intensity.

After another few moments, Tao Jun returned, supporting the old Master Hua Tu. From the way the old man walked and stared directly at Li Ming, this was one of his moments of lucidity.

Oh good.

“Master Hua Tu, could you read Li Ming’s pulse?” Luoying said. “I have some suspicions I’d like another opinion on.”

Master Hua Tu nodded at the girl and approached the swordsman. He held out an expectant palm. Li Ming grimaced and extended his arm for the old man, who snatched it when he wasn’t fast enough.

“Interesting,” the old man said, two fingers on the wrist.

“Isn’t it?” Yilin said.

“I thought it was a case of—” Luoying began.

“That’s a good diagnosis, Mistress Cha. In a normal set of injuries, that would have been the correct way to treat the problem. But this is far from normal. His meridian system is severely damaged, his qi isn’t pooling in the right places.”

“It’s not just the damage from the injuries, is it?”

Master Hua Tu placed two fingers on two meridian points on the swordsman’s chest and right shoulder, then on another two points on his lower back. “No, this is something else. The remedies you’ve given him have mostly healed him. He should be almost back to normal.”

“Interesting,” Luoying said again.

“Okay, will someone tell me what’s so interesting?” Li Ming asked.

They all ignored him.

“I thought it was a case of—” Granny Chen suggested.

“And we thought it would be—” Luoying added.

“That’s an excellent thought,” Master Hua Tu said, nodding. “Well done, you two.”

Granny Chen and Luoying beamed.

Tao Jun reached for Li Ming’s wrist, and the swordsman snatched it away. Instead, the old man grabbed it and listened to his pulse again.

“Unfortunately, healing this type of injury isn’t my specialty. You need a real gaoshou to heal this.”

“And where do we find one of those?” Li Ming grumbled.

“Where are we again?” Master Hua Tu asked.

“Blue Mountain, the Sapphire Pavilion,” Tao Jun said helpfully. He watched the old master like a dog waiting for scraps, waiting for him to drop Li Ming’s wrist so he could have a turn. Li Ming, on the other hand, watched Tao Jun, waiting to keep it away from him.

“Hmmm, actually, that will work quite nicely.”

“Do you know something, Master Hua Tu?” Luoying asked.

“An old friend of mine—the Hermit Song Shanyuan—lives close by on the eastern side of Dong’shui in the Ping’he Valley.”

“Another hermit?” Tao Jun asked. “You hermits all know one another. Is there some sort of hermit society?”

Yilin smacked him in the back of the head. “You idiot.”

“What? I didn’t do anything.” Tao Jun protested.

“Ping’he Valley is about a four-day journey,” Li Ming commented. “Close.”

“He will be able to heal him?” Luoying asked.

“I believe so. He’s a master of dianxue in healing. A few strikes and he can redirect the flow of his qi and get it back in order. At least that’s what I’m assuming.”

“Aiyah, that this were the old days,” Granny Chen lamented. “There were those who were skilled in dianxue here on Blue Mountain. Another lost art.”

“No, Jun ge. You are not skilled in dianxue like that,” Yilin cut Tao Jun off before he could speak.

“I wasn’t even going to say anything.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So we go to Ping’he Valley, and find the Hermit Song Shanyuan?” Luoying asked. “But dianxue is risky for healing. You’ve said so yourself, Master Hua Tu.”

“But there are times that the benefits outweigh the risks. We could wait until things resolve naturally, and it might happen, but at the rate his body is deteriorating, we don’t have that time.”

Deteriorating?!

His words hung heavy in the air, silencing even the antics of Tao Jun and Yilin. Everyone knew that they didn’t have years to wait. It was only a matter of time until the ongoing war between the White Crane and the Black Tiger found them on Blue Mountain—and next time, they might not be so lucky as to survive an assassin attack. The weakness of all martial masters, after all, was the sheer crush of numbers. There were only so many blades that were humanly possible to deflect before one slipped past.

“I can figure this out on my own,” Li Ming shook his head. He would be fine.

“No, you can’t. Granny Chen, Master Hua Tu, and I have reached the limit of what we can do for you,” Luoying said.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Oh, so you’ve survived a mortal blow from your sworn enemy and lived to tell the tale?” Luoying snapped.

“Well, I…”

“And you were able to nurse yourself back to health after a coma?” Luoying glared at the swordsman.

“No…” Li Ming withered.

“Then you can’t just ‘figure it out on your own.’”

“Young master, you’re being a fool again,” Granny Chen sniffed.

“Wow, don’t get in Luoying’s way when she’s mad,” Tao Jun observed.

“She’s kind of awesome,” Yilin said.

“She’s kind of scary,” Tao Jun muttered.

“Then we leave for the Ping’he Valley,” Luoying said.

“Wait, before anyone goes anywhere, give me a straight answer. How bad is it? None of you have given me the truth. I need to know,” Li Ming asked, glaring at everyone making decisions without his input.

“The connection between your eight extraordinary meridians is broken,” Luoying said without a moment of hesitation.

Li Ming, Tao Jun, and Yilin’s eyes all widened.

“I didn’t think it was that bad,” Li Ming muttered. While he was no expert on the meridian systems in the body, he knew enough to know he was in a very bad situation. They were the main pathways of qi that ran deep in the body, connecting all of the body’s functions together.

If the connection were broken, then…

“That’s because you don’t think,” Granny Chen chided. “You didn’t see how difficult it was to even bring you back to this state.”

“Isn’t this bad—really, really, REALLY bad?” Tao Jun asked.

“He’ll die if he doesn’t get it fixed, right?” Yilin added.

Luoying nodded.

“Ahhhh!” Tao Jun gasped.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Li Ming asked Luoying. She hung her head down. “This seems like something I should have known.”

“You weren’t in any state for news like that, young master,” Granny Chen sniffed.

Li Ming grimaced. They had a point.

“I thought that as you gained strength after you woke, you would be able to heal. I hoped that as you practiced, those connections would heal naturally. Unfortunately, it’s having the opposite effect. The more you practice your forms and cultivate, the more likely it is to kill you,” Luoying said.

“And it will kill you, eventually,” Master Hua Tu emphasized.

A long silence fell between them as Li Ming considered this new death sentence. This was nothing like facing a powerful opponent or being outnumbered. To have his own body fail like this felt like the greatest betrayal. A bigger betrayal than the girl—

“I guess I’m going to find Master Song,” Li Ming said.

“We’re going,” Luoying corrected. Before Li Ming could protest, she added, “Blue Mountain isn’t much safer. The assassin attack made that very clear.”

The swordsman didn’t have a good answer to that.

“And besides, I can’t let my patient go on a trip like that on his own.”

“I’ll need to make the trip with you. It’s been a long time since I have seen Master Song, and I should introduce you,” Master Hua Tu said.

“The three of you? I should come too,” Yilin said.

“A party of four would be too many people,” Li Ming complained. “I can handle protecting the two of them.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Of course I’m sure,” Li Ming sneered. “My skills haven’t degraded that much.”

“Uh-huh,” Yilin said.

“Yes!” Tao Jun shouted triumphantly, finally getting a hold of Li Ming’s wrist.

“What do you think you’re doing, young master?” Granny Chen said, smacking Tao Jun’s hand. “Young Master Li Ming’s wrist isn’t some kind of toy.”

“But I wanted a turn,” Tao Jun pouted.

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