The Great Worm Lich

“Don’t tell me that you’re a savior whose purpose is just to save lives? You can’t be giving out your chiropractic skills for free when you’re depending on it for a living. I’ve no idea how much a hospital would charge me for these four dislocated bones. I’ll give you $400 then, don’t tell me it’s too little,” Zhang Lisheng took out a few $100 cash out of his pocket and passed them to Dr. Song after counting.

Dr. Song did not reject seeing the young man’s generous behavior. “I’ve never expected to have such a great business on a cold day like this. But kid, charging you $400 isn’t too much. If you go to the Americans, you won’t be walking out of the hospital without being ripped off including getting an anesthetic pain relief shot, X-ray and physiology. We can’t compare with Western medicine when it comes to tumor-removal surgery but they’re far behind of us when it comes to chiropractic and treating our body and vitality.”

It was late, Zhang Lisheng nodded while smiling without chatting further with Dr. Song. He thanked him and walked out of Spicy Chicken Restaurant with Maddie. Half of the street lights along Chinatown were out by then, the Chinese business owners who preferred running their business in a simple manner would hardly allow neon lights to be on all night.

It was close to midnight, the streets were getting colder and strong wind began blowing. Zhang Lisheng got into the car strenuously while saying to Maddie who was shaking in the wind, “Why aren’t you getting in the car yet? I’m sending you home.”

“Let me drive you home, I’ll take the last bus home after that. Your shoulder…”

“My shoulder’s fine now, it’s just that I can’t put much weight on it but I can totally drive. Get in the car.”

Maddie hesitated for a moment and got into the Explorer’s passenger seat.

“I’m lucky to have you with me today,” Zhang Lisheng started the car engine and turned the heater to the highest as he drove slowly. He took out all of the cash that he had with the injured arm strenuously and handed them to Maddie. “Consider this money as my gratitude…”

“Who do you think I am? Do you think that I’ll accept money that comes my way just because I accepted $300 to be a stranger’s date?”

Zhang Lisheng was stunned for a moment. “I didn’t think too much into it, I just thought you seem to need money so…”

“I’m saving money for college and my dad’s dentist fee, that’s why I would take whatever job. However, working and taking donation are two different things. You know what? I feel better about you when you were scaring me than how you’re behaving now,” Maddie had no expression on her face. It was hard for one to imagine that she was so scared of Zhang Lisheng that she could not even speak earlier. “Pull over, pull over here…”

Faced with the American girl’s unique values, Zhang Lisheng did not explain further. Instead, he mumbled ‘pst shh…’ softly. As the witchcraft incantation came, a giant lizard which had its body curled at the Explorer’s boot showed itself. It extended its neck while its head appeared between Zhang Lisheng and Maddie as it breathed slowly. Breathing was not required for a wizard worm to live. Naturally, it was Zhang Lisheng who controlled Island Dragon to do that to shut Maddie up.

As expected, Maddie stopped making noise sensing the giant lizard’s cold scales that were moving right next to her face as it breathed.

“Where do you live?” Zhang Lisheng asked calmly.

“West 57th Street, Jasmine Avenue,” Maddie said while shaking, “Don’t… don’t be mad…”

“Shut up,” Zhang Lisheng turned on the GPS and keyed in West 57th Street, Jasmine Avenue for the destination. He drove towards New York’s Chinatown silently. Following the GPS, he arrived in a community that looked a little old and filthy. The roads were narrow, the ground was dirty. There was a devastating cat purring and dog barking on the streets.

“You’re arriving at West 57th Street, Jasmine Avenue, be careful when you pull over…” Zhang Lisheng pulled over slowly hearing the GPS’ reminder.

“Thanks, I… I’ve arrived home. Can I get off the car now?” Maddie asked cautiously. Zhang Lisheng looked at the girl in the dark, he handed the cash on the dashboard into her hand. He thought about it and opened a $2,000 cheque. “I don’t like owing anyone a favor. To be honest, you’ve been a great help to me tonight. This is what you deserve, don’t think too much into it.”

Maddie was stunned for a moment, her mouth was opened. She opened the car door and gotten off with the cash and cheque while being a little panicky.

“Thanks,” Zhang Lisheng thanked her while smiling after winding down the window before leaving. The girl shouted from the back when the Explorer drove less than 100 meters away, “I won’t deposit your cheque, I have my principles! Hey, what kind of man are you that you threaten a girl with… with a reptile! You coward…”

Zhang Lisheng ignored Maddie’s indignant condemn. He spent more than two hours to drive to the car park close to his house since his left arm was hurt. He had gotten three calls from Lili urging him to come home while he was on the way. He pulled up his jacket’s zipper after getting off the car and pretended to look exhausted when he got home. He returned to his room after settling his mother’s questioning that did not take long.

He took off the jacket carefully and took a hot shower clenching his teeth in pain. He sat at his computer desk and turned on the computer, typing ‘China Yuehai Group New York Division Company’ on the search engine after launching the webpage. Very soon, the search engine gave results that he was satisfied with after clicking the browse key.

Among the countless results shown, not only Yuehai Group really had division companies in New York, the model of the business was pretty big. That included a large wholesale boutique store in Manhattan, 76-level business building with 37% equity, normal wholesale stores everywhere in Brooklyn, a business office building in the Bronx and two cargo lots at Queens’ port.

Zhang Lisheng glanced through the properties Yuehai Group possessed in New York on the computer screen and eventually mumbled, “Queens’ cargo port… no matter what, Queens is the best hiding place for the conceited, lunatic Mountain Cat. Queens… Queens… I’m pretty fated with that place…”

He turned off the computer after memorizing the details of Yuehai Group’s lots at Queens’ cargo port. He then got into the bed and opened the window. He began chanting witchcraft incantation to control Mountoad out of where it was hiding. It hopped onto the window on the second floor, he began cultivating in determination after quieting down his mind.

He digested the sea of negative emotion coming from Dr. Fracture’s devastating death from the night of cultivation. Zhang Lisheng realized that there was close to one-third of wizard power boost in his body from the cultivation. Looking at the progress, he might be able to break through to Rank-4 Wizard if he killed two more people with supernatural power like Dr. Fracture.

“The boost in witchcraft coming from Dr. Fracture is equivalent to over ten ordinary people. Although that killing machine Rudolph from the slaughterhouse the other time was nothing like him, but…” Zhang Lisheng mumbled to himself while bathing in the dazzling sun after he snapped back to his senses.

“Lisheng, are you up? Come down quickly if you’re already up, we’re going to the hospital. It’s Christmas Eve today, we’re planning to spend the day with Michelle at Queens Hospital as a family.”

“I’m up mom, I’ll go down after I washed up,” Zhang Lisheng replied loudly after hearing Lili’s urging outside the door. He got off the bed as he spoke. He did not expect a pain that was more severe than last night to come from his left shoulder. He touched his shoulder in puzzlement, he had just realized that his shoulder blade was so swollen that it had the thickness of two fingers.

The reason why his injury got serious was due to his persistence in using his left arm despite the injury. Zhang Lisheng thought about it looking bitter as there was no way that he could hide this at all. He realized he could only admit his shoulder injury to Lili on his own.

Naturally, he would say that the injury came from falling in the snow last night while hitting his shoulder on the tree. “I thought it’d be minor and it would just be some pain that would go away after a night of rest. Never had I thought my shoulder would be swollen when I woke up today.”

“Oh my god, we must go to the hospital now baby,” Lili shouted in shock seeing Zhang Lisheng’s injury.

“Calm down mom, aren’t we going to Queens Hospital later? We’ll go after packing the stuff…”

“No, your Uncle Lavin, Randy, Riley and the rest will stay to pack. I’ll get you to the hospital right now.”

Sullo who was standing aside nodded and said in agreement, “Your mom’s right Lisheng, it seems like you’ve fractured your bones, you must go to the hospital right away.”

Zhang Lisheng could only obey since both his parents voiced the same opinion. Very soon, Lili sent him to Queens Hospital. After some regular check-up, the doctor admitted him into the ward with the reason because of muscle and soft tissue contusion as well as suspected shoulder joint dislocation. He laid on the bed with the sling for his left shoulder for a full three nights. He finally discharged from the hospital as the bruises on his shoulder subdued.

It was the middle of the Christmas holiday by then. Most of the wealthy families in New York Brooklyn were spending the rest of the holiday out of the country. Some of the families chose to go back to their hometown and gather with their family who they had not seen for a long time while waiting for the New Year to come. Lili’s family had to stay in New York because of Michelle who was still in the hospital this year. The kids seemed bored since most of their friends were away.