Chapter 8: No One Meant Well

Words : 1855 Updated : Jan 15th, 2026

At Derlon Hospital, inside the specialist clinic on the second floor, Zachary Cath had just finished seeing his last patient. He pushed up from his chair and a dull weight clamped across his chest. It had been nagging him for days. Did that fool really hit the mark-was there a clot jammed in his chest? Impossible. With all his years in traditional medicine, he would have sensed it himself. How could a fool take one look and know there was a clot? He was just raving. Thinking that, Zachary felt a notch calmer. The tightness in his chest eased a lot. His granddaughter Wrenley Cath, though, was rattled. That "fool" had described her condition without a single misstep. She had suffered from Uterine Cold for years. Because it felt embarrassing to talk about, she hadn't asked her grandfather, a traditional medicine expert, to treat her. Instead, she went to various hospitals in secret. After all these years, nothing had worked. If that fool could spot her illness, maybe he wasn't talking nonsense. Wrenley told herself that if she got the chance, she would head out to the countryside to find him and ask how to treat it. Maybe-just maybe-he could cure her Uterine Cold. Meanwhile, Della Sowden rode the electric scooter, taking Joseph Lyson back to Hertzi Village. It was already eleven in the morning. They went straight to Jessica Looske's place to return the scooter. Jessica had lunch ready, several dishes simmering. The smell of meat drifted out of the kitchen, making Della and Joseph's mouths water. "Della, Joseph." She greeted them at the door. "It's already lunchtime, and you're only just back from the town hospital. You must be starving. Why not eat here? I cooked the bighead carp Joseph gave me yesterday. Come taste my cooking." Della tried to refuse; she felt awkward about eating at Jessica's. But Jessica's warmth was hard to withstand. She kept saying that if not for Joseph saving her yesterday, she would have drowned. In the end, they went inside. They were hungry, and once the three sat down, they dug in. As they ate, Jessica kept sneaking looks at Joseph. He seemed thinner, and his face clearly lacked healthy color. She weighed it in her mind. Had this rascal been drained by Della? It was entirely possible. After lunch, Jessica said to Della, "Della, my well's broken. I wanted to ask Joseph to fix it, but you two just got back from the town hospital and must be tired. Let Joseph rest for a while. I'll call him over tonight to help." Joseph did look a little off, and Della felt too embarrassed to turn Jessica down after eating at her house. She nodded. "All right. Joseph will come by tonight and take a look." "We'll head back first." Della and Joseph left Jessica's and walked home. After they were gone, Jessica couldn't hide her delight. Back home, Joseph said he was a bit tired and went to rest. He didn't plan on actually sleeping. He wanted a quiet place to cultivate. The Lyson family's Heavenly Emperor's Legacy stated that before practicing the core techniques, the body had to be strengthened-start with foundational Body Refinement. A strong body could accomplish more. The environment mattered too; places rich in Spiritual Energy were best. Joseph immediately thought of Fairy Mountain behind the house. So Della wouldn't notice, he slipped out through his bedroom's rear window. Soon, he was on Fairy Mountain. The mountain was awash with Spiritual Energy, and rare medicinal herbs grew everywhere. He didn't pick any yet. He needed to build his body first. He found a spot where the energy felt thick and began cultivating with the technique he'd mastered. His progress was blistering. In just five hours, he broke through Body Refinement. His solid muscles came back; blood and qi surged through him. His cheeks glowed ruddy, and the sickly look vanished. When he finished, he discovered his vision had stabilized-he could see through soil and stone as if they were glass. He quickly spotted a clump of Wild Ginseng. Wild Ginseng fetched high prices, especially older ones. A larger plant could sell for thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. He thought it over. He and Della were flat broke. Tomorrow, Della's younger sister, Reina Sowden, would arrive in Hertzi Village; without money, how would they host her? He'd harvest the ginseng and sell it in town. With cash in hand, life would get easier. With that, Joseph moved. He sprinted over and dug the Wild Ginseng up with his hands in short order. It was over fifty years old. At current market rates, it would sell for at least around $10,000. The thought of money coming in made him giddy. He slipped the ginseng into the cloth bag he carried and headed back, humming a tune. "Help! Help!" "Help! Somebody!" A woman's cries reached him from ahead. Joseph didn't hesitate. He ran toward the sound. A burly man had a petite woman pinned and was trying to force a kiss. She fought, but he only grew more excited, clawing at her clothes and ripping them open. "Penny." "My brother Gerard's been dead for over a month. You must be craving a man every night." "Let me satisfy you today." The man was Cole Lyson. Last month at the mine, Guazi, Gerard, and Tizi-his three older brothers-had died. With his brothers gone, he set his sights on their three beautiful widows. Half an hour earlier, he had tricked Gerard's widow, Penny Lapwood, saying there were loads of wild vegetables on Hertzi Mountain and they could make good money picking them. Penny believed him and followed him into the mountain. He dropped the act and tried to assault his second sister-in-law. "James Hickton, you can't do this to your second sister-in-law. Your second brother just died," Penny pleaded. "If you bully me like this, heaven will strike you with lightning." Cole laughed. "Lightning? If anyone's getting struck, it'll be you, you slut." "You think I don't know? Two nights ago, Ben Lyson, that old bastard, grabbed your ass in my brother's house, and you didn't resist. Now you're playing coy with me? Let's see how I ruin you." He yanked, and Penny's clothes tore away in shreds. Then he reached for her waistband.

Chapter 8: No One Meant Well

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