Urban Martial Saint

The python was beside the elder, staring intently at An Hongyuan. In this darkness, there was no light at all; the brightness in the stone chamber fully depended on the pair of yellow eyes of the python to see everything around. Therefore, the snake’s head was the most conspicuous thing in the stone chamber.

Upon opening his eyes, the first thing An Hongyuan saw was a hovering snake head. Snakes are inherently creatures that easily evoke fear, especially in such a situation, when a python’s head is staring directly at you, anyone would probably collapse in fright.

However, An Hongyuan was not panicked, not even a little afraid. He sat up directly, wiped the bloodstains off his face, turned to look at the elder standing beside him, and quickly bent down to kneel, saying, ”Grandfather.”

If someone were here to hear such words, they would be greatly amazed. This An Hongyuan actually called this elder grandfather. What generation is this? With the elder’s age, could he be a grandfather? Moreover, what exactly is An Hongyuan’s identity, how could he have a grandfather hidden in the belly of Medicine King Mountain?

The elder smiled softly and said, ”How are you feeling?”

”A bit weak, probably due to excessive blood loss earlier. However, I took your Recreation Pill, Grandfather, I should be fine soon.” An Hongyuan answered truthfully.

”That’s good!” The elder nodded, saying, ”How are the arrangements outside?”

An Hongyuan said, ”Everything is arranged; my older uncle should have taken my mother and Little Duoduo and Xiao Hua’er away. With your Recreation Pill, Grandfather, they will certainly be fine!”

If Ye Qing heard these words, he would be even more astonished. So this was An Hongyuan’s arrangement? He had arranged for people to take his mother and two daughters away? What exactly is going on? Wasn’t he a disobedient son? What exactly is he doing?

”That’s good!” The elder sighed softly, patted An Hongyuan’s shoulder, and said in a low voice, ”All these years, you’ve been wronged.”

”Grandfather, this is what we ought to do!” An Hongyuan quickly and respectfully said, ”No one in the An Family can inherit your legacy, we must choose the most suitable person to inherit it so as not to dishonor your reputation, Grandfather!”

”Alas!” The elder sighed, turning to look at Lin Tianyou on the ground, saying, ”A healer’s benevolence is the most basic requirement. Unfortunately, there are so few people in the world who can achieve this. I, An Shiping, have lived a life of integrity, I have no guilt upon my conscience, and I absolutely must not let my legacy be exploited by evil people. Setting up this situation was also a last resort, Hongyuan, you’ve borne so much blame over the years, truly wronging you!”

An Shiping!? This elder is actually Divine Doctor An Shiping? How... how is he still alive? Wasn’t it said that he had passed away a long time ago? That’s why his legacy was left behind. But now what’s going on? How is he still alive? Considering this, how old would he be? Certainly older than Luan Ping!

”Grandfather, working for the family, I have no regrets!” An Hongyuan said with a resolute expression; at this moment, he was no longer that beastly disobedient son, nor was he a useless man indulging in vice, but a man with a firm will.

”Good!” An Shiping nodded with a slight smile, patting An Hongyuan’s shoulder, saying, ”Alright, you should go back first, take care of the family. I’ll handle the rest!”

”Yes!” An Hongyuan responded, retreated three steps, then suddenly knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing three times in succession to An Shiping, saying in a low voice, ”Grandfather, then I’ll be leaving.”

An Hongyuan’s voice trembled slightly because he knew, this farewell would be eternal.

An Shiping gently nodded, also slightly sorrowful. However, he said nothing more; he witnessed the cycle of life and death more than anyone.

An Hongyuan turned around and walked straight out through the previous passage, and soon, his footsteps fell silent in the darkness, having moved far away.

Meanwhile, An Shiping kept staring at Lin Tianyou on the ground, and after a while, he resurrected Lin Tianyou just as he did with An Hongyuan.

Upon waking, Lin Tianyou was very much shocked. The surrounding darkness, along with the enormous snake head, startled him so much he almost fainted.

An Shiping stood beside him, observing Lin Tianyou’s reaction, a faint smile appearing on his face as he asked softly, ”Are you very afraid of snakes?”

It was only then Lin Tianyou noticed someone was beside him. Seeing this elder, he was also stunned, looked around in amazement, and said, ”This… what is this place?”

As he spoke, he touched his face, discovering the bloodstains on himself, feeling even more astonished, he said, ”Wasn’t I falling off a cliff? Am I… not dead?”

An Shiping did not answer Lin Tianyou’s question, only asked again, ”Are you very afraid of snakes?”

Hearing this, Lin Tianyou remembered the python beside him, hastily retreated a few steps, and said tremblingly, ”Old gentleman, please, step aside, this snake is aggressive!”

”I ask you, are you very afraid of snakes?” Divine Doctor An Shiping asked for the third time.

”Aren’t you afraid?” Lin Tianyou exclaimed, ”I...I’ve been afraid of snakes since I was a child. When I was little, I...I lived in the countryside and saw a dead snake on the road at the village entrance. Since then, I...I didn’t walk that road for more than a month...”

”So, you’re really afraid of snakes!” Divine Doctor An Shiping laughed.

Lin Tianyou nodded vigorously. Seeing Divine Doctor An Shiping standing next to the python, completely unpanicked, he also felt a little more at ease and said tremblingly, ”Old sir, is...is this snake not aggressive?”

”Hahaha...” Divine Doctor An Shiping laughed heartily, reaching out to stroke the python. The python’s head immediately rubbed against Divine Doctor An Shiping, just like a pet being affectionate, very intimate.

Lin Tianyou was dumbfounded. In his understanding, snakes were always the most terrifying creatures. It took great courage just to look at one. Who could have thought that this python would be so tame in front of Divine Doctor An Shiping? It was simply amazing.

”Since you’re so afraid of snakes, why did you save that person just now?” Divine Doctor An Shiping asked with a smile, ”Do you know that if you fell, the python would swallow you up?”

”Eh, how do you know I saved someone?” Lin Tianyou asked curiously.

”Answer my question first,” Divine Doctor An Shiping smiled.

Lin Tianyou, who had a rather easygoing personality, didn’t show impatience even when repeatedly questioned by Divine Doctor An Shiping. He immediately replied, ”If I didn’t save him, he would have died!”

”Is it worth risking your own life to save someone?” Divine Doctor An Shiping asked.

”When saving someone, who has time to think about that much!” Lin Tianyou said, ”I’m a doctor, and to me, life is what’s most important!”

Divine Doctor An Shiping’s eyes lit up as he looked at Lin Tianyou and said, ”But this person is a notorious criminal, who killed his own mother and daughter, worse than a beast. Is such a life still considered a life worth saving by risking your own?”

”What’s worth or not worth saving?” Lin Tianyou shook his head and said, ”Old sir, when saving a life as a doctor, the most crucial principle is to treat everyone equally. Lives have no distinction of good or evil, high or low, nor is there any talk of worthiness. As a doctor, my job is just to save people, while judging good or bad is the responsibility of morality and law, not mine. It’s like the police arresting a criminal; even if the criminal is injured, they must be treated before making a judgment, because it’s still a life!”

”Hahaha...” Divine Doctor An Shiping laughed heartily, seemingly very satisfied, leaving Lin Tianyou thoroughly confused.

”Old sir...” After waiting for a while, as Divine Doctor An Shiping’s laughter gradually subsided, Lin Tianyou asked softly, ”Where is this place? Didn’t I just fall off a cliff? How did I end up here?”

”This is the center of Medicine King Mountain, the innermost part of the mountain!” Divine Doctor An Shiping looked at Lin Tianyou and smiled, ”And I am the Divine Doctor An Shiping you are looking for!”

”Divine Doctor An Shiping?” Lin Tianyou stared at Divine Doctor An Shiping for a moment, then suddenly said, ”Oh, I remember, you’re the skilled doctor Ye Zi mentioned. Yes, indeed, I came to find you. Ye Zi told me a lot about your self-developed treatment methods, they’re really effective. Mr. An, could you tell me about some other methods as well?”

”Ye Zi?” Divine Doctor An Shiping was taken aback, not having heard Ye Qing’s name, he naturally had no idea what happened.

”Why aren’t you surprised to hear my name?” Divine Doctor An Shiping asked in astonishment.

”Surprised about what?” Lin Tianyou asked curiously. Ye Qing hadn’t explained clearly when telling him, and he also didn’t know the specific deeds of Divine Doctor An Shiping.

”Isn’t it surprising?” Divine Doctor An Shiping looked at Lin Tianyou, somewhat bewildered, and asked, ”Aren’t you wondering why I’m still alive?”

”Ah?” Lin Tianyou widened his eyes, looked around nervously, and said tremblingly, ”Aren’t you... are you not alive right now?”

”Do you really not know about me?” Divine Doctor An Shiping frowned slightly and asked in surprise. Do people coming to Medicine King Mountain not know that the Divine Doctor An Shiping is already dead? Now the Divine Doctor An Shiping stands before them, shouldn’t they be surprised?

”I don’t know much, what’s wrong?” Lin Tianyou asked curiously.

”It seems you really don’t know anything!” Divine Doctor An Shiping suddenly smiled and said, ”I was wondering what kind of successor I would find. I never expected to find someone who knows nothing. It seems you really love medicine, and that’s why you came to Medicine King Mountain!”