Published: March 8, 2025
Chapter 18: Gathering of the Nine
Several little brothers came up to pay their respects, and Chu Yang received them with a smile; soon after, two little lolis walked over.
"This is your third uncle's daughter, Le'er. That one is your fourth uncle's daughter, named Xiao Xiao." Yang Ruolan's eyes were filled with a sense of pity.
Chu Yang looked over and saw that Le'er was around eleven or twelve years old, while Xiao Xiao appeared to be only five or six.
Xiao Xiao was adorable, with a rosy complexion and a cute demeanor. Upon receiving Chu Yang's red envelope, she jumped up with joy, her big eyes squinting into crescent shapes.
As for Le'er...
Chu Yang didn't know what to say.
This younger sister had slightly yellow hair, lifeless eyes, and looked frighteningly thin. The pale skin revealed faint blue veins. She had barely walked a few steps and was already panting heavily.
She bent down slightly and nearly fainted.
Chu Yang quickly supported her and said, "Le'er, no need for formalities." He then asked, "Is there something wrong with you, Le'er?"
Le'er forced a faint smile and replied, "I'm fine... Big Brother, don’t worry."
Chu Yang was about to ask further when Yang Ruolan discreetly shot him a glance. He had no choice but to swallow his questions.
A middle-aged woman emerged and carefully helped Le'er back, her face full of sorrow.
Chu Yang stared at Le'er’s retreating figure, lost in thought.
Although Le'er was young, there was an aura of utter despair in her gaze. Moreover, her demeanor and aura were strikingly similar to that of Mo Qingwu during the time he had rejected her in his previous life.
It was a kind of complete hopelessness, dark and dejected.
Chu Yang couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart.
On the way back, Yang Ruolan sighed and said, "Le'er’s life has been so hard. Such a talented and lovable girl, yet she suffers from this strange illness."
"Strange illness?" Chu Yang asked.
"Yes," Yang Ruolan replied, "When your third aunt was pregnant with Le'er, she encountered an ambush and fought with someone, which harmed her pregnancy. At that time, no one thought much of it, but after Le'er was born, she had a persistent high fever and cried all night. Later, when someone examined her, they discovered that the fetus had been affected."
"Congenital deficiencies." Yang Ruolan was silent for a moment before uttering those words.
"But if it's just a simple congenital deficiency, it shouldn't be this severe." Chu Yang had been working hard to digest the memories of the first-generation Nine Calamity Sword Master, which included medical knowledge; combined with his understanding of medicine, especially after receiving the medical texts from Du Shiqing, he realized there was more to Yang Ruolan's words.
"Congenital deficiency... Yes, she suffered a shock in the womb, and somehow, it injured her brain. She experiences daily headaches, sometimes leading to full-body spasms and rolling in pain. Occasionally, she suddenly falls into long periods of fainting, and generally, she is very drowsy... This poor girl has been tormented by this strange illness, sigh..."
Yang Ruolan sighed deeply.
"With so many 'divine doctors,' is there really no way?" Chu Yang furrowed his brow.
"At their wits' end!" Yang Ruolan responded angrily, "Those quack doctors didn't even identify the cause of the illness. They could only watch the child suffer without any means to alleviate her pain, unable to find even a way to lessen her suffering. Your third uncle has spent years searching for spiritual medicine for this child's illness; he only returns home after finding some. Your third aunt... she looks older than me, even though she's younger."
"Even when she's not experiencing an episode, she still suffers from headaches. During episodes, the pain is multiplied several times. In other words... Le'er is eleven years old this year, and for almost eleven years, she has been in constant pain."
"I see." Chu Yang murmured, furrowing his brows.
No wonder Le'er had that expression; she had been enduring this pain all the time. The longer her life was, the more suffering she had to bear!