C7 Berserk

"Make way, everyone! Please, don't crowd the doorway."

Two nurses in white coats emerged from the clinic, parting the throng of people. It was clear they were making preparations to transport someone who had been injured.

A wave of sympathy washed over the onlookers at the sight.

The town was small in every sense, with medical care and other services lagging far behind more developed areas. It was a neglected, remote place where getting the injured to the city would take at least three to four hours, not to mention the treacherous journey.

"Doctor, please, I'm begging you to save my dad."

"I'll repay you however I can, even if it means being a beast of burden in my next life."

"Please, I'm begging you."

Inside the clinic, a towering young man in his twenties, standing at two meters tall, knelt on the floor, repeatedly bowing his head to the ground before the attending physician, his pleas accompanied by tears that tugged at the heartstrings of all present.

"Poor Liuzi, his family's had it rough enough, and now this tragedy strikes them," someone sighed.

"What bad luck has Elder Lee brought upon himself?"

"Elder Lee is so stubborn. Why is he so set on keeping that land?"

Xiao Ming pieced together the story from the murmurs of the crowd.

The injured elder, surnamed Li, made his living selling vegetables and had a late-in-life son, the young giant known as Liuzi. His real name was forgotten, but it was said that an illness in his youth had left him a bit slow, though he was a formidable presence with incredible strength.

Elder Lee owned a valuable piece of land that the Wang family, a prominent household in town, had their eyes on. They wanted to buy it, but Elder Lee wouldn't sell.

The Wangs were known for being troublemakers, harassing the Lees every few days. Normally, it was just smashing up their vegetable stand and hurling insults, as few could physically stand up to Liuzi. But today, words had escalated to violence, and knives were drawn with disastrous consequences.

"Wang Dabiao?"

Xiao Ming's brow furrowed as he recalled his own run-in with the aggressive Wang Dabiao, who had tried to seize his family's home.

He had intended to stay out of it, as meddling in others' fates, especially when it came to life and death, was a sure way to attract negative karma in his pursuit of cultivation. Yet, faced with this situation, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

"Excuse me, excuse me, let me have a look."

Xiao Ming immediately made his way through the crowd, intent on helping. His intentions were good, but he was met with misunderstanding and rebuke from the others.

"Don't add to the chaos. Didn't you hear the doctor? The ambulance is on its way. Don't block the road."

"Yeah, and weren't you the one cursing him earlier? Now that he's in bad shape, you're pleased?"

"I..."

Xiao Ming was momentarily speechless. He knew these people meant no harm and were actually trying to help, but it still didn't feel right. With a life hanging in the balance, he raised his voice, "There's no time. You can't just try to stop the bleeding forcefully. If he's saved, it might cause damage to his other organs."

His words caught the clinic doctor off guard with a look of surprise.

The doctor knew Xiao Ming was correct; the facility's limited resources made treating such a severe injury virtually impossible.

Forcibly stopping the bleeding could inflict permanent damage on other organs, yet he had no better solution. He couldn't just stand by and watch someone die.

All he could do now was pray for a miracle.

The doctor grasped the situation, but the onlookers didn't. Stirred by Xiao Ming's words, they became agitated.

"Kid, do you even know how to talk?"

"Shut it. Why curse someone like that?"

"Back off!"

In rural areas, people are particularly superstitious about words. Xiao Ming was merely stating facts, but to them, it sounded like a curse. Several emotionally charged individuals moved to confront him.

Xiao Ming steeled himself, ready to channel the spiritual energy within his dantian to break through the crowd. Any more delays, and it would be too late to save the man.

But just then, a commotion arose.

"Step aside, Deity Zhao has arrived!"

"Thank goodness, Elder Lee might have a chance now."

"Let's clear the path for the old master."

Xiao Ming paused, following the crowd's gaze.

He saw two young men helping a sprightly elder in his sixties stride forward. Despite his age, the old man moved with vigor, his hair and beard tinged with white, yet his complexion was remarkably healthy.

"Cultivator?"

Xiao Ming was taken aback. A distinct layer of spiritual energy clung to the elder's body, with signs of internal spiritual transformation. Clearly, he had practiced some foundational techniques, but that was the extent of it—likely limited by his innate talent.

"Wow, I never expected Old Immortal Zhao to show up. Now there's hope."

Chen Xiaoxiao's excitement was palpable at the sight of the old man.

Xiao Ming's mind was flooded with memories. Old Immortal Zhao, known as Zhao Hongyu, was a renowned figure across the neighboring villages. Rumored to be a former medical university professor, he had settled in this small town under an assumed identity. Locals often sought his expertise for ailments that the clinic couldn't resolve.

To the simple rural folk, unversed in the ways of the world, 'Old God' was a title of the utmost reverence.

Elder Zhao made his way through the crowd to the injured person, his brow furrowing in concern.

The clinic's attending physician urgently implored, "Elder Zhao, please, we need your help. A life hangs in the balance."

"Humph," Elder Zhao snorted with disdain. "After all these years as a doctor, you still can't prioritize? How could you attempt to stop bleeding like this? What was the point of all your studying—did it go to the dogs?"

The physician blushed at the rebuke, unable to muster a response, and muttered, "I... I was out of options."

Elder Zhao paid him no mind, pulling a healing pouch from his chest and swiftly administering treatment.

Meanwhile, Chen Xiaoxiao looked on in awe. "Ming, Old Immortal is just as you described."

Xiao Ming offered a noncommittal smile. The elder clearly had some skills. With the situation now in capable hands, he decided not to intervene.

He could sense the deep karmic ties binding the injured father and son. Meddling without caution could invite unnecessary complications.

After all, the journey of cultivation defies the natural order, and even the smallest actions can have profound consequences under the weight of the cosmos.

If not for Elder Zhao's intervention, Xiao Ming would have reluctantly been forced to step in. Now, with less hassle on his hands, he was quite pleased with the outcome.

With that in mind, Xiao Ming took Chen Xiaoxiao by the hand, ready to leave and find another way to sell the peaches.

But before they could make a move, a fresh wave of chaos erupted from the clinic.

"You killed my father. I'm going to kill you!"

Xiao Ming glanced over to see the hulking Liuzi seizing Old Immortal Zhao, poised to hurl him outside. On the ground lay Elder Lee, whose breath had been faint just moments before, now ashen-faced and lifeless, clearly beyond help.

Bystanders rushed to intervene, attempting to pull Liuzi away, but they were no match for his strength.

With a thunderous bellow, Liuzi hoisted Old Immortal Zhao overhead and hurled him mercilessly toward the exit.