The World's Number One Medical Hall

Chapter 71 Dislikes fighting, but is not afraid

At dusk.

Inside the inn room, Mo Bai still held a lotus flower in his hand, his expression solemn and dignified, sitting cross-legged on the bed without moving.

Although there has never been clear evidence that the great master of Taoist Qi cultivation truly ascended to heaven, the fact that this Qi cultivation technique has been passed down for so long must have its reasons.

After a whole afternoon of hard work, Mo Bai's complexion, though still pale and sickly, was noticeably better than before.

The room was quiet when suddenly footsteps came from the doorway. Mo Bai frowned slightly and opened his eyes to look at the door.

"Knock knock!" Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by a waiter's polite voice: "Sir, it's dinner time. Would you like our food delivered?"

Mo Bai's lotus flower vanished, and he glanced back at the window. The sun had already set, and his eyes lingered slightly; Tie Xiong seemed not to have returned yet.

After a slight hesitation, he looked up at the door and said, "Bring over a few light side dishes!"

"Alright, we also have some excellent aged wine..." The waiter, without permission to enter, stood at the door and began promoting his wares.

"Alright, bring a pot!" Mo Bai couldn't drink alcohol, but he didn't refuse and said softly.

"Alright, sir, please rest. The finest wine and dishes will be here shortly!" the waiter announced loudly before walking away.

Mo Bai stretched out his arms, slowly got out of bed, looked around at the slightly dim environment in the room, then went to the window, opened it a crack, and looked outside.

Tie Xiong has not yet returned, but he is not in a hurry.

Through these days of getting to know each other, he had come to understand Tie Xiong somewhat, and he figured that as long as nothing went wrong, Tie Xiong would not break his promise.

Standing by the window, watching the vendors and laborers passing by below, a figure suddenly appeared in his mind: a simple little girl with two pigtails, dressed plainly, waving to him with tears in her eyes: "Brother..."

Mo Bai was startled, then slowly came to his senses, feeling the strong ripples in his heart. His eyes gradually calmed down, and he slightly opened his mouth: "This Ming King may seem chaotic, but he actually has someone he cares about."

When he woke up in Beihe that day, he had some fragmented images in his mind, perhaps just some of the deepest obsessions in Mingwang's heart that remained in the end.

The clearest image in his mind was of the little girl. A glint flashed in Mo Bai's eyes, and he murmured again, "Once I'm settled and feeling a little better, I need to go and find Qingqing."

Just as he finished speaking, another set of footsteps came from the doorway.

Mo Bai's eyes flickered, and he turned to look at the door. He recognized the voice; it wasn't Xiao Er, but Tie Xiong.

We waited for him to knock on the door and come in, but to our surprise, when the footsteps reached the door, they seemed to hesitate and did not knock immediately.

Mo Bai paused for a moment, but didn't say anything, thinking there was something going on at the door.

But after waiting for a while, nothing happened.

Instead, he could vaguely hear Tie Xiong pacing back and forth at the door. Although his footsteps were light, Mo Bai was focused on the scene and could still hear them.

A hint of doubt flashed in Mo Bai's eyes. After thinking for a moment, he slowly took a step and walked towards the chair by the table.

Sure enough, as soon as he started walking, the sound of light pacing outside the door stopped abruptly.

Mo Bai calmed down, pulled out a chair and sat down, just as Tie Xiong's voice came from the doorway: "Sixth Master!"

"Okay, come in!" Mo Bai said softly.

The door opened, and Tie Xiong's figure appeared. Mo Bai glanced at his face and saw nothing unusual at first glance. However, Mo Bai was good at reading people's expressions, and when he looked closely, he could see that there was a trace of unconcealed sorrow between Tie Xiong's brows.

"You're back!" Mo Bai picked up the teapot, poured a cup of tea, and said softly.

"Yes." Tie Xiong nodded, turned to close the door, but just then saw the waiter coming towards him, saying, "Hey, sir, your food and drinks are here!"

Tie Xiong paused.

Mo Bai raised his head and said softly, "Yes, I ordered it!"

Tie Xiong did not let the boy in. He took the wine and dishes, closed the door, and brought them in himself.

"Sixth Master, you look much better. Are you able to drink alcohol now?" Tie Xiong placed the tray on the table, his gaze lingering on Mo Bai's face before he spoke.

Mo Bai smiled slightly, picked up his teacup, and shook his head, saying, "You can't touch alcohol for a year!"

One year!

A bitter look flashed in Tie Xiong's eyes again. Of course, he hoped that Mo Bai's health had improved, so that he could face the situation more easily.

"Have you eaten yet?" Mo Bai asked softly, seemingly oblivious to what he was thinking.

"I've already eaten." Tie Xiong nodded. Although he had already eaten, he still picked up a pair of chopsticks and tried the dishes for Mo Bai first.

Seeing this, Mo Bai didn't say anything more. Earlier on the way, Tie Xiong had used silver needles to test the dishes for him, and Mo Bai had smiled and shook his head, saying that it was useless, as many poisons could not be tested with silver needles.

Mo Bai is a doctor, and Tie Xiong acknowledges his statement, but he doesn't stop doing nothing afterward; instead, he starts artificially testing the food.

This was even more useless, since how could anyone detect a slow-acting poison? But Tie Xiong insisted, and Mo Bai didn't say anything more after that.

"Have you seen Ning'er?" Mo Bai asked softly.

"I've met him, and Ajiu is here too," Tiexiong said, nodding after tasting the dishes.

"Hmm, has Ning'er's injury healed yet?" Mo Bai picked up his chopsticks and continued to ask.

"Don't worry, Sixth Master, he's fine now," Tie Xiong replied softly from the side.

"That's good. I'll take a look at her when I see her. It's just an external injury, and with proper care, there shouldn't be any problems," Mo Bai said while eating.

"Thank you, Sixth Master!" Tie Xiong said.

The room fell silent, and Mo Bai stopped talking. He seemed to have forgotten to ask about Tie Xiong's friends and quietly ate his food.

After a long while, when he finished his meal, Tie Xiong still hadn't spoken.

Seeing that he had finished eating and was about to clear the table, Mo Bai smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No rush, sit down first."

Tie Xiong paused, but did not sit down. His eyes swirled with thoughts, but he finally gritted his teeth, bowed, and said, "Sixth Master, there's something I need to say..."

Mo Bai, still smiling, said, "No need to worry, speak!"

From Tie Xiong's posture at the door, he knew that something must have happened. Tie Xiong was very calm and composed, and he was very measured in his actions. He would not usually show such a hesitant attitude.

However, at this moment, Mo Bai had a misunderstanding. He thought that Tie Xiong's friends were unwilling to get involved in his affairs anymore, which was why Tie Xiong felt embarrassed.

Unexpectedly, after hesitating for a long time, Tie Xiong suddenly said, "Sixth Master... all the valuables we brought out of the Ming Prince's Mansion, and... and those two cartloads of medicinal herbs... are gone!"

Mo Bai's smiling face froze abruptly at his words.

Seeing Mo Bai's expression, Tie Xiong's eyes immediately filled with bitterness. Without saying a word, he knelt on one knee: "Sixth Master, please rest assured, no matter what, Tie Xiong will take responsibility for this. I only beg Your Highness to be lenient for a while and allow us to think of a solution..."

"Wait!" Before he could finish speaking, Mo Bai's voice rang out, still so calm.

Tie Xiong lowered his head and shut his mouth.

"Get up first!" Mo Bai said again.

Tie Xiong remained silent for a moment, but still stood up. After all, he couldn't bring himself to kneel on the ground and act shamelessly.

Mo Bai picked up his teacup and took another sip, but didn't speak immediately. He waited a while until both of them had calmed down before softly asking, "Tie Xiong, do you think my life is more important, or those things?"

Tie Xiong paused, then looked up and said decisively, "Of course your life is more important, but one is one, two is two. As a guard, protecting your safety is my duty."

Mo Bai put down his teacup, not refuting his words, and raised his head with a smile on his face again, saying, "Alright, your friends also protected me. They had no obligation to do so. Consider those things as payment. They're not as important as my life."

Mo Bai was unaware that Tie Xiong was able to help his fellow disciples during those two years because he had entered the Prince's Mansion, which allowed them to have a slightly better life during those two years.

Therefore, Tie Xiong and his fellow disciples believed that they owed the Prince's Mansion a favor, which is why their fellow disciples stepped in to help him.

Tie Xiong wasn't thinking about any of that at the moment. Instead, his expression suddenly tightened, and he quickly said, "Sixth Master, please don't misunderstand, my master..."

He paused, but at this moment, he seemed to have let go, no longer needing to hide anything: "Those people are all my fellow disciples. Even if they starved to death, they would never do such a despicable thing as embezzling your property. It's just... it's just..."

Tie Xiong was anxious, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. In fact, his fellow disciples had used Mo Bai's money for everyone's safety. How could they say that they wouldn't do it even if they starved to death?

But when Mo Bai heard Tie Xiong speak like that, his eyes suddenly relaxed. In fact, he had been worried just now, but not about the money. It was because these people were capable of doing such a thing that he must have been wrong to think that Tie Xiong had confidence in them. Now, if these people were not loyal and righteous, he might not be able to live in peace even after arriving in Mingzhu. Who could guarantee that they wouldn't sell him out and leak the information?

Hearing that there was another reason, Mo Bai felt much more relaxed and said, "Don't rush, tell me slowly!"

Perhaps it was because Mo Bai was at ease that Tie Xiong did not encounter the embarrassing situation he had already imagined. He finally calmed down and explained the whole story from beginning to end.

He didn't even hide his family feud this time, and of course, he also mentioned his entanglements with the government. However, since it was Mo Bai in person, he didn't say it too bluntly. He only did it to explain why his fellow disciples would use his money when they thought he, Mo Bai, was dead.

It wasn't just because of Mo Bai's previous instructions; it was also because they had been at odds with the government for years and had suffered a lot of trouble at the hands of the government. Now that Mo Bai was dead, these things were ownerless, or rather, belonged to the government. They didn't feel that using them would be a disservice to the government.

Having heard so much, Mo Bai had grasped the general idea and nodded, saying softly, "I see!"

To be honest, looking at Tie Xiong now, he was even more moved. To have protected his life under such circumstances until now was something that ordinary people could not do. He had indeed not misjudged Tie Xiong.

At the same time, he also realized that Tie Xiong's fellow disciples were different from Tie Xiong.

They had never been inside the Prince's Mansion, and Mo Bai's life or death was of no concern to them. They were only drawn into this vortex because of Tie Xiong and Ning'er, and because of the favors they had received from the Prince's Mansion.

"Sixth Master, that's how it is. My fellow disciples are definitely not the kind of petty thieves. Don't worry, as long as we live, the debt will not be absolved. Even if we can't repay it in this life, our children and grandchildren will. If they can't repay it, our descendants will!" Tie Xiong raised his head, his voice solemn and unambiguous.

Mo Bai waved his hand gently and said, "Don't say anything more!"

Seeing his seemingly indifferent expression, Tie Xiong fell silent, saying nothing more, but that was truly what he thought.

Mo Bai stood up, walked to the window, looked out, and began to ponder the information revealed in the previous words.

He wasn't being pretentious at all. These valuables were indeed important to him, especially the medicinal herbs, as they were related to his recovery. Losing them would undoubtedly be a pressing issue for him.

But he wasn't the type to rely on others for everything; he was only doing so out of necessity. Now that he was free, he wouldn't be at a loss, even if Tie Xiong never returned.

Putting everything else aside, he still has a skill to offer, and if he simply wants to survive, he's not afraid.

After a long silence, he slowly turned around and looked at Tie Xiong. His eyes remained calm, but he said, "Tie Xiong, there were many things I didn't understand before. So, I came here this time intending to reunite with your fellow disciples. After all, they helped me, and I couldn't just stand by and watch them get into trouble. So, I thought that once I felt a little better, I would naturally give them peace and repay their kindness. When I heard you mention your family feud before, I had already made up my mind that I wouldn't stand idly by."

"Sixth Master, we are repaying a debt of gratitude," Tie Xiong said in a deep voice.

Mo Bai shook his head, smiled, and continued, "You all clearly distinguish between gratitude and resentment, so how could I be ungrateful? Therefore, even if your fellow disciples took those things, I won't mind. I'll just consider it as settling this debt of gratitude. To me, money is ultimately not as important as my life."

Tie Xiong didn't know what to say, but there was one thing he kept in mind: no matter what, he had to bear the debt.

Mo Bai didn't finish speaking. The smile on his face vanished, his expression turned serious, and his voice lowered slightly as he said, "However, now that we know how your fellow disciples feel about me, let's put an end to these entanglements between us. They shouldn't bring up any more debts, and I won't bring up any more favors. We'll only consider our relationship, not our grudges. We can both be at ease and no longer have to worry about this. What do you think?"

Tie Xiong opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to answer.

He would never shirk this responsibility, but it seemed that by taking on this responsibility, he was also making Mo Bai take on the responsibility.

After thinking for a long time, Tie Xiong finally found a clue. He raised his head and said firmly in a deep voice, "Sixth Master, it's not like that. If we're talking about gratitude, you were the one who saved Ning'er in the beginning. You've been kind to us. Later, when you were in trouble, we weren't able to help you..."

"Alright, that's enough." Mo Bai raised his hand to stop him from continuing, his voice carrying a hint of authority: "The relationship with them wasn't that complicated to begin with. The rest is between me, you, and Ning'er."

Tie Xiong was stunned again. He finally understood what Mo Bai meant. Clearly, after hearing the attitude of his fellow disciples, Mo Bai no longer wanted to be involved.

He remained silent for a while, but finally nodded. His fellow disciples were not close to the Prince Ming either, and it was better to keep things clear than to force them into a relationship. However, this did not mean that he wanted to shirk his responsibility. He said, "Sixth Master, you entrusted this matter to me. If there are any problems, I will definitely take responsibility."

Mo Bai turned around, opened the window a crack again, and gazed at the darkening night sky. His voice was somewhat ethereal: "Alright, I've also roamed the martial world before, and I've never truly suffered a loss... I don't like fighting, but I've never been afraid of it either!"