Extreme Yin physique was the mark of a life born under elemental imbalance.
Most children with it died in the womb. Those who survived walked a razor’s edge with only two endings.
The path to both was the same: unrivaled talent, rising like a comet above their peers, until the day their own body betrayed them.
Either they became living cauldrons, vessels for others to siphon Yin and "balance" it away, or their bodies turned to ice from within as Yin devoured them whole.
"Can you arrange an appointment?" Zhong asked at last, voice low and calm.
After hearing the condition and its origin, he could not let the chance slip.
A girl with Extreme Yin physique, handled correctly, might be the greatest fortune he had found since descending into this world.
The herbalist hesitated. His sudden eagerness unsettled her.
She folded her hands in her lap, lips pressing thin. "Perhaps I can, but I cannot simply walk into the Luo estate on your word alone. Their pride is higher than their desperation. If I am to recommend you, Master Zhong, show me something real."
"I understand." Zhong rose to his feet. "Allow me to demonstrate."
He moved behind her before she could object.
"Eh?" She flinched when his hand brushed her back
A soft gasp escaped her lips, color rising to her cheeks. "Sir, what are you—"
"Your back troubles you," Zhong said smoothly.
"Years bent over books, mortar bowls, drying racks," he said, as if it were obvious. His gaze flicked to her chest with a sly curve of the mouth. "And a burden heavier than most. I would be surprised if you were not in pain."
Her face turned crimson. She glanced down, embarrassed yet unable to deny it. "You truly are sharp, Doctor."
His fingertips pressed along her spine. To her it felt like firm, steady pressure. In truth, threads of qi probed through muscle and bone, mapping each joint and flaw.
What he found surprised him. Her organs were healthy. Her vitality was strong, better than the average mortal, healthier even than the body he now possessed.
The only flaw lay in her frame, a crooked posture decades old.
A problem he could fix.
"What I do now may sting," Zhong warned softly.
Before she could reply, his arm coiled around her torso and drew her against his chest.
CRACK.
Her body jolted as vertebrae realigned in a single brutal motion.
Pain flashed up her spine. For a heartbeat her lungs seized tight, breath locked in her throat.
Then the pain vanished.
Rank One Magic: Minor Heal.
Qi threaded into bone and tendon, soothing inflamed tissue, knitting torn fibers, guiding the crooked spine into a straight and balanced line.
The herbalist staggered forward, hands to her chest. Her next breath came deep and easy, freer than it had in years.
She turned to the wall mirror and froze.
The hunched shoulders she had carried half her life were gone. She stood tall, posture elegant, reflection almost unfamiliar.
"I... I feel..." Tears welled. "Lighter."
"Good," Zhong said, arms folding. "Now you have something to tell the Luo family. Tell them you witnessed my hand."
Her heart pounded.
For the first time in years, she stood straight, shoulders back, spine aligned, and felt strength settle into her stance.
In that instant she believed him.
"Please," she blurted, voice trembling. "Let me repay you. I have suffered for so long."
Zhong’s gaze drifted over the cramped shop. Shelves bowed under jars and drying bundles.
Rare roots and tinctures perfumed the air. Any alchemist would go wild here.
He knew his limits. Without a proper fire affinity, he could not work these herbs into anything worthwhile.
His eyes lingered a moment on the herbalist herself. Tall and curving, a serene face worn soft by patience, an aura gentler than Wu Haoyu’s sharp bitterness.
For a heartbeat he imagined simply taking what stood before him.
It would be wasteful. He needed her more as an herbalist than as a woman.
Besides, he already had one woman in progress. Focusing on one at a time was wiser.
He smirked and let the thought pass. Where was the fun in rushing?
"Repay?" he echoed, voice smooth. "You have useful things here, but what I need most is access. Bring me to the Luo family. That is payment enough for now. We can discuss the rest later."
"Then let us hurry." The shop owner almost skipped as she stepped out. For the first time in her life, standing felt effortless. Walking felt like flying.
To Zhong it was strange to see someone happy because of something he had done.
The feeling tickled his belly.
On the way, whispers and whistles chased them down the street.
"Hui Lian, you finally found a husband?"
"Wow, Hui Lian, you look so much better."
Aunties and uncles called out. She was the only herbalist in this part of town. Most of them had come to her for medicine at one time or another, and it had been ages since they had seen her walking with a man.
"No, not like that," Hui Lian said, flustered. "This is Doctor Zhong, a physician from a far land. He fixed my back. I am bringing him to treat a patient."
She waved both hands in frantic denial, trying to shake off the rumor.
"And besides," she added, stealing a glance at Zhong, "it would be rude to him. Doctor Zhong must have grandchildren by now, let alone a wife."
Zhong smiled, composed and handsome even in his supposed age.
His breath was steady with hidden strength. He looked every inch a cultivator. She, in contrast, was only a shopkeeper.
"Haha. I have neither wife nor children," he said kindly. "The path of medicine is long and lonely. I cannot settle with one family when I can travel and save many."
Every word was a lie. In truth, he had once traveled to erase families entirely.
"Wow," someone breathed. Townsfolk drew near, faces bright with hope. One old man went to his knees.
"Please, Doctor, my back has ached for years. If you would help, I can keep working for my family."
A woman stepped forward next. "My husband and I have tried for years and cannot bear a child. Is there any cure?"
A cultivator bowed stiffly. "Please, heal my son. He was injured in training. His arm has never recovered."
So many kneeling, begging for his help. The sight was new.
"I do not think Doctor Zhong can help everyone today," Hui Lian said quickly. "If he wishes, we can set up a clinic. Please understand."
Or not.
"It is fine, Hui Lian." Zhong took her hand and lowered it gently. He faced the crowd and let his voice carry.
"If you need healing, form a line and come to me. Today, any illness or injury is free."
To a dull mind, this would be a waste of time. To him, it was simply a different sort of harvest.
I can work with this, Zhong thought, and smiled.