Chapter 518 - 516: Sometimes, There Is No Choice

Chapter 518: Chapter 516: Sometimes, There Is No Choice

"A decision completely unaffected?"

"Does Li Renren have some kind of powerful intuition?"

Su Qing frowned.

Even Standardization couldn’t calculate it.

’It must be his intuition, then?’

"Is intuition really that accurate?" Su Qing watched Li Renren, puzzled.

After he finished his Inference.

His clone downstairs also spoke up, "Fine, you can see the patients in my stead."

"But I have nothing to teach you."

"And I won’t be paying you," Su Qing said, agreeing to the arrangement.

His clone remained lying on the rattan chair.

He hadn’t moved.

"Then I must thank you, Divine Physician Su," Li Renren said with a smile.

He wanted to stay here.

The feeling this place gave him was wonderful.

"Isn’t your wife with you?"

"You’re actually staying in the County City?" Su Qing asked, puzzled.

"You’re giving up a cozy life with your wife and child just to learn something here," Su Qing said with a nonchalant look.

"It’s fine. I just want to follow my intuition."

"My intuition is never wrong," Li Renren chuckled.

"My wife is at her parents’ home, so I’m not worried. I just told them I was returning to the County City."

"Alright then. Your food and lodging are your own problem. Just sit over there and see patients. When someone comes, you can handle them."

"The money goes to me," Su Qing added indifferently.

’If this guy wants to work for free, let him work for free.’

’Let’s see how long he can last.’

"Thank you," Li Renren said.

Su Qing, however, felt it was strange.

But he had no desire to respond.

...

...

「One month later.」

Li Renren’s wife arrived at the Qingsu Medical Clinic.

She didn’t cause a scene.

Instead, she said she wanted to stay with Li Renren.

Su Qing could see how moved Li Renren was. ’With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?’

In any case, they put on quite a show of affection.

But Li Renren still remained at the Qingsu Medical Clinic.

When Li Renren’s wife saw Su Qing, she felt a strange sense of awe. Su Qing didn’t know why.

But many people came to see a physician.

Li Renren saw all of them, while Su Qing remained lying on his rattan chair.

Only when too many people showed up would Su Qing see patients himself.

...

「One day.」

Su Qing picked up a book from this world and started reading.

He particularly enjoyed reading biographies and poetry.

Not for any particular reason, but simply to see what other people’s lives were like.

Poetry was the treasure of civilization.

Su Qing was especially fond of it.

"I really admire you, Su Qing. Your desires seem to be few and far between."

"Hahaha~" Su Qing chuckled lightly.

He shook his head, a smile on his face. "It’s not that they’re few. It’s that my desires are too great—so great that I can’t possibly fulfill them. That’s why I prefer to do nothing."

"Are you satisfied with that answer?"

Li Renren was taken aback for a moment, then he too started to laugh. He didn’t believe Su Qing’s words.

In Li Renren’s eyes, Su Qing was a man of action. Whenever he had an idea, he would act on it.

He would generally act immediately, do what needed to be done, and then revert to his lazy demeanor.

"These are my medical texts. Do you want to read them?"

"Just put them aside. I’ll look at them later," Su Qing said with a smile.

In these boring times, reading books could soothe Su Qing’s mood.

’This guy, Li Renren...’

’I don’t know if he’s lost his mind or what, but he insists on staying here.’

Just then, a horse-drawn carriage arrived outside.

A man dressed in loose, black robes stepped out of the carriage.

He held a golden, rolled-up brocade scroll in his hand.

He shouldn’t be considered a man, however.

The Yin Qi within his body was extremely heavy, his face was somewhat pale, and his bearing and gait told Su Qing that this was a eunuch.

"Li Renren, someone’s here for you." Su Qing didn’t get up.

Instead, he just watched.

"The Holy Decree arrives~"

A junior eunuch beside the main one shouted.

Li Renren hurried over.

He asked, extremely puzzled, "Eunuch Zhao, what brings you here?"

Eunuch Zhao glanced at the unfazed Su Qing, his expression full of displeasure.

’They’ve already announced the arrival of the Holy Decree, yet he’s still just lying in his chair.’

"Li Renren, attend to the decree~" Eunuch Zhao said in a high-pitched, effeminate voice.

It made Su Qing extremely uncomfortable.

It seemed Li Renren had no choice but to return to the Capital City.

Li Renren knelt down.

"Your subject, Li Renren, attends to the decree."

"Our beloved subject, Li Renren, We are unwell. Return to the Imperial Palace at once to attend to Our health."

"This subject accepts the decree."

Kneeling on the ground, Li Renren raised his hands above his head and respectfully accepted the Holy Decree.

"Imperial Physician Li, His Majesty requires you to return within a month."

"Yes."

"This one will take his leave now."

"Take care, Eunuch Zhao." Li Renren walked him out.

...

After watching them depart into the distance, he returned inside.

His face was expressionless as he held the Holy Decree.

He sat in the physician’s chair for a long time before letting out a sigh. "I truly envy you, Su Qing."

"But you just offended Eunuch Zhao by not kneeling for the decree."

"You defied the Holy Emperor’s authority."

Su Qing laughed softly. "Hahaha~"

"This is the difference between you and me."

"If that one wants to capture me, I can run."

"But you?"

"You can’t run. Your wife is here with you, and she’d have trouble keeping pace if you fled. Meanwhile, your father-in-law’s family is in the Capital City."

"You’re tied down, Divine Physician Li."

"You have no choice. Go back."

After laughing for a moment, Su Qing’s expression returned to calm. He peacefully looked at the book in his hands, completely unaffected by what had just happened.

In Li Renren’s eyes, Su Qing possessed an immense confidence to face any unknown danger.

It seemed Su Qing didn’t fear anyone, not even the Emperor.

A Holy Decree is treated as the Holy Emperor’s personal arrival, so Su Qing’s refusal to kneel would surely be reported back to him.

"Brother Su Qing, you should run. Your life is in danger."

"The current Holy Emperor is known to be quite petty."

"It’s fine. If he’s petty, then..." Su Qing didn’t finish his sentence.

Su Qing wasn’t afraid of this Holy Emperor.

Kneeling was out of the question.

Flattering him would be one thing; that was just a matter of moving his lips.

But if they truly expected Su Qing to bow his body to a mortal,

then perhaps certain people no longer needed to exist.

They weren’t walking the same path, so why should he give them any face?

At worst, Su Qing could just place a curse.

"Su Qing, I’m starting to regret getting married," Li Renren said with a bitter smile.

He didn’t even pack his things.

He simply walked out the door with the Holy Decree in hand.

It seemed he was going home to pack before heading to the Capital City.

「After Li Renren left.」

Su Qing lay on the rattan chair.

Upstairs, his main body opened its eyes.

Its eyes pierced through everything, even the Stars.

It looked toward a certain old Emperor.

The moment its gaze fell upon him,

the Emperor in the Capital City suddenly breathed his last at his desk.

He could never have imagined it.

Why, just before death, would he lock eyes with some powerful existence? Those terrifying eyes had almost instantly extinguished his consciousness.

His last thought was, ’So... Immortals... really do exist...’

—

—

「After taking care of the trouble.」

Su Qing continued seeing patients at the medical clinic as always.

Without Li Renren,

Su Qing had to see patients himself again and could no longer slack off.

"How exactly does one awaken the Medical Dao Path?"

"I’ve been treating illnesses and saving people, so why haven’t I awakened it?"

Su Qing was puzzled.

’Could it be that my clone is hindering the awakening?’

Su Qing thought for a long time.

He vaguely arrived at an answer.

’Perhaps awakening the Medical Dao Path requires an utterly pure and sincere heart. If my goal is simply to awaken the Medical Dao Path, then I’ll never be able to awaken it in my entire life.’

’With impure intentions, how could I possibly awaken it?’

Su Qing was about seventy percent certain of his judgment.

Some Dao Paths do not inherently exist in the world; one cannot rely on things born from the Star Sea to possess them.

One must communicate with the power of the Star Sea personally to awaken the Dao Path within one’s beliefs.

For example, the Medical Dao Path, or paths like Pure Goodness and Pure Evil. Perhaps even a craftsman could awaken a Craftsmanship Dao Path.

’If you want to awaken a Dao Path...’

’Especially a unique Dao Path, you must possess a pure and sincere heart.’ Su Qing thought of Li Renren.

’That guy... it’s actually very likely he possesses such a heart.’

...