(Book 1&2 Complete!) Dao of Healing [Transmigration Healer Xianxia]

"Well, if my foolish master had informed me of this competition I may have arrived on time. It seems I am not too late. That's good. Feng Mei needs a challenge or she'll grow too conceited," Xiao Cui quipped, walking towards the central stage amidst confused cheers from the crowd and mixed reactions from the other disciples.

Her late arrival was a surprise, but a great one. I would allow her to take part despite her tardiness, but under one condition.

I waved over one of the nearby disciples who had been disqualified. "Bring one of the patients for Disciple Cui," I told them. They nodded and scurried off. Turning to the crowd, I raised my arms and began to address them.

"Disciple Cui was exiled from the sect for one year due to a private matter. Formerly one of the most talented disciples of the sect and my own first personal disciple, she has arrived late, wanting to join the competition. I will allow her to do so, under one condition." My gaze fell onto Little Cui as I said this. Her eyebrow quirked upwards as she awaited my condition. "She will only have until the final disciple completes their treatment to devise and apply her own! If she is still going by the time the last of the others is finished, she will automatically be disqualified."

The crowd erupted into a truly excited cheer at my declaration. Even though this might not be the same sort of excitement or rush as witnessing two cultivators clashing in combat, this sort of tension was a fantastic source of entertainment.

It was also my own personal test for Xiao Cui.

I wanted to know how my disciple had grown during her year in exile. I wanted to see if she'd truly changed and improved or simply wasted this year away from the sect.

"As the Sect Leader commands. I accept this condition," she replied with a bow, taking her place on the stage as the patient she would be partnered with was carried onto the stage beside her.

Good. Her personality had changed. Or at the very least, she was willing to behave in a more upright manner in public.

It gave me face in front of the crowds and the other disciples. Not that I really cared about such things, but it was important in this world for the relationship between a master and disciple to be respected.

More than that, it showed me that perhaps Xiao Cui had gotten over her childish tendencies. Our first meeting wouldn't prove such a thing—I would need to observe her over time—but it was a great start.

She took her place on the stage beside the other disciples who still remained. Many had applied their treatments to their patients. I'd only had to step in to stop a few.

Of course, all those patients involved had given their consent after the competition was explained to them. They also received my personal promise that no matter whether the disciples' treatment was one hundred percent effective or not, they would be cured completely.

It didn't take long for a patient to be carried onto the stage for Xiao Cui. Feng Mei appeared in the stands, taking a seat beside some other disciples who whispered in her ear as she arrived. Clearly someone had informed her of Little Cui's arrival.

I didn't bother returning to my seat in the box once everything was sorted out. I would need to be close to the disciples anyway, and I wanted to see how they worked first hand.

After all, it was one thing for me to have devised the two foundational healing techniques of the sect, but it was another to watch how other cultivators used them. The way they improved or applied them might give me hints on how to further refine the healing arts I was developing.

After my epiphany the previous night—courtesy of completely refining my five organs and completing the first layer of the Fivefold Medicine Forge Physique—I had dozens of ideas for new healing techniques I could create. In fact, right now I wanted nothing more than to go and study the ancient healing tome. I felt as though I might be able to read the second section now.

Alas, I was judging these brats.

Not that it wasn't a worthwhile use of my time, of course. The first healing inner disciple of the Grasping Life Sect would be a shining star for the others to follow. I would take the greatest talent here and make them into a healer on par with the Celestial Jade Emperor himself.

One day.

I would need to reach that level myself first. I was confident in doing so. All I needed was time.

I suddenly broke out of my own head and rushed towards one of the outer stages. A disciple had given a patient a tonic and was about to use the Disease Purging Technique—a fatal error.

Right before they finished the chants for the technique I appeared between them and the patient, striking at the acupoints along their arm. The flow of qi was immediately disrupted and the technique dissipated.

They stumbled backwards, spitting blood. Their eyes were distraught, an expression of betrayal stretched across the girl's face. "Sect Leader, why-"

I caught her before she fell over, applying my own healing technique to restore the damage that breaking her technique had done. Once she was back on her feet and stable, I turned to the patient.

"Apologies, sir. My disciple's treatment was not the correct course of action. If you'll allow me, I will demonstrate the correct treatment for her benefit. It will, of course, leave you in perfect health," I said, approaching the middle-aged man on the bed.

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He nodded and I then performed the Body Restoration Technique in place of the Disease Purging Technique. The man's body shimmered slightly, but the real magic of the interaction was internal.

The tonic the disciple had administered was actually the correct formula to treat the infection in the man's stomach. However, using the Disease Purging Technique would have also killed the beneficial organisms and left his stomach in a bad way, leaving potential for future complications.

Instead, the Body Restoration Technique kept him stable and healthy while the tonic purged the infection. The disciple's eyes went wide and they bowed to the old man.

"Apologies, sir. This lowly one almost caused you grave harm due to my lack of knowledge," she said.

A doctor should have that much respect for their patients. Good. Even though this disciple had failed in the competition, I had faith that she would become a great asset to the sect in future.

A willingness to learn from one's mistakes was often more important than raw talent. Arrogant geniuses are as common as blades of grass, but a hardworking and humble cultivator was like a spirit stone mine—one in a billion.

The competition progressed. I kept watch of Xiao Cui from the corner of my eye. Unlike Feng Mei, who had been the first of the disciples to devise a treatment and administer it, she was taking her time.

However, the more I observed how she interacted with her patient, the bigger my smile grew. I had to check myself so that I didn't let it show on my face, but seeing her now I knew she had truly changed.

More than a clinical approach to treatment, she was taking her time talking with the patient and explaining her methodology. Her priority seemed to be making sure the patient was comfortable and receiving the best care she could provide.

And it wasn't just a way of wasting time—I noted that her treatments at each step were prepared almost immediately after she performed her tests. That meant she was actually slowing herself down for the sake of the patient's comfort.

In the end, she completed her treatment a second before the other disciple left on stage with her. They had been the final two, but now there were none.

With that, no one in the crowd nor any of the other disciples could claim that she'd broken the rules or competed unfairly. They exited the stage after bowing to me and the crowd.

The patients were carried away by the assistants and the other disciples who were assisting. Then, I turned to the crowds and prepared to address them.

I had to wait a moment for the final cheers to die down, but once they had I smiled and raised my hands. "I hope now that you've seen what our disciples are capable of, you might understand the goals of our Grasping Life Sect and how unprecedented they are. While we deliberate which of the disciples will advance to the next round of the healing competition, the martial disciples will return for the semi-finals of the knockout tournament! I'll let Elder Wang take over from here," I announced.

The reactions were mixed. To be honest, I'd already realised this earlier, but it wasn't hard to entertain mortals. Their lives were seriously dull and tedious—even more so than that of a modern office slave. They were simply pleased to see the 'immortals' competing with one another, no matter what the competition involved.

Wang Ren took my place as I returned to the box. The first semi-final match was going to be between Wen Guanbo and Pei Kexin. The saber-wielding disciple who used a similar style to Wang Ren against the elegant yet deadly ice- and wind-qi user.

While I was interested to see who emerged victorious, I had to say there was something I wished to do a lot more right now. Thus, I told Yu Chun I'd be back shortly and made my way towards the disciples' waiting area.

When I arrived, the scene which greeted me was chaotic. Disciples ran about, cheering for one another, crying, or making their way towards the stands to watch the battle.

I couldn't spot Xiao Cui anywhere, so I simply grabbed the nearest disciple to me and asked them where I might find her. They were startled at first.

"Sect Leader! You honour us with your presence. Shouldn't you be watching the semi-finals? What brings you here?" they asked with a bow.

"Don't worry about that. I'm looking for Disciple Cui. Have you seen her?" I asked, dismissing their worries with a flick of my sleeve.

"Ah! I see. I'm not sure, I think I saw her going that way after she left the stage," they replied, apparently nervous at being unable to give me a clear answer.

I looked the way they were pointing, smiling when I realised what was in that direction. "No, you were a great help. Thank you, Disciple…?"

"This one is Shui An, Sect Leader."

"Disciple Shui, keep up the good work," I said, before heading towards the temporary treatment centre that had been set up near the arena.

I heard the roars of the crowd fading away behind me as the battle between Pei Kexin and Wen Guanbo began in earnest. Cultivator duels were often fast-paced, so there wasn't much chance I'd be back in time to see the action.

However, an added benefit of the transmission stones we were using was that they recorded everything they showed on the screens. I could watch the battle while waiting for Yu Jin's match to begin.

Many disciples greeted me as I passed. They all treated me with the utmost respect, reverence, and some even showed fear on their faces.

It was a strangely unfamiliar, yet oddly nostalgic feeling. For a moment I wondered why I felt nostalgic for this sensation, and then it hit me. This was exactly how the people I treated in all those war torn nations began to behave around me after I stayed in the same place for a few weeks.

Those feelings were a heavy burden to bear. So was being the leader of a sect. The two were vastly different responsibilities, yet the feeling I had in both roles was similar. A strange dichotomy.

I reached the centre with that odd sensation in my head. However, as soon as I saw the smiles of cured patients and the hard-working disciples treating those who were still injured, a wave of pride washed away all my doubts and fears.

It took me a moment to spot Xiao Cui amidst the crowds. When I did, a smile crossed my face. She'd just delivered a stellar performance in the healing competition, but rather than take some time to rest or catch up with her fellow disciples, she'd come straight here to help treat more patients.

I was blown away by her dedication. She'd always been kind, but with an undercurrent of a spoiled brat when she didn't get her way. Now though, she seemed more like Florence Nightingale. All she needed now was a magic lamp.

I approached her silently. She finished treating a patient and turned around, jumping on the spot when she found me standing right behind her.

"Watch where- Master!? What are you doing here?" she exclaimed.

"Foolish girl. Can't I come to visit my own disciple after not seeing her for an entire year?" I replied with a smirk, tousling her hair. To my dismay, she didn't pout or huff, and instead had a smile on her face. "Wow. You really have grown."