033: Two Gold Coins an Hour (Please Keep Reading!)

Inside the carriage moving steadily forward, Li Cha still felt a bit dazed.

In the nobility hierarchy of the Loren Continent, a Knight is the lowest tier—possessing neither land nor hereditary rights. A Baronet, however, ranks above a Knight; while not as well-known as a Baron, the title is hereditary. With enough money to purchase a plot of land, that estate can be passed down through generations along with the title. Lord Kevin of Saint-An City is one such example. The Kevin family owns a small town, two farms, a timber yard, and a mine, making them prominent landowners.

The steward, Cade, who sat opposite him, finished his introduction and sat upright.

Li Cha: "..."

As the saying goes, fame invites trouble just as a fat pig invites the butcher. His clinic had been open for less than ten days, yet it had already caught the eye of a Baronet. This investment by the Intelligence Division 6 was certainly not a loss. Furthermore, even before doing anything today, he had already received a deposit of one gold coin and six silver coins. The six silver coins were left by three customers at the shop, while that single, gleaming gold coin was the house call fee provided by Steward Cade of the Kevin family. Cade had made it very clear: as long as Li Cha adhered to the non-disclosure agreement, that gold coin was his.

"Tsk, tsk."

A doctor—a lucrative profession indeed. One trip and he earns a gold coin. The only catch is that the more one knows, the higher the risk. Who hasn't signed a non-disclosure agreement after visiting Charlie's Clinic? Yet, Li Cha's reputation had already veered down a path from which there was no turning back. Fortunately, beyond his profession as a doctor, Li Cha also had his background with Intelligence Division 6. Even a noble lord would not be willing to offend the minions of the Inquisition for something trivial.

The journey passed in silence. About half an hour later, Li Cha arrived at an estate located in the heart of the inner city. The wealth gap in this otherworldly realm was as vast as that between a man and a dog. Back then, Li Cha would have sold his conscience for a few copper coins, yet the area of the Kevin family estate was not much smaller than the Saint-An Adventurers' Guild.

"We have arrived, Dr. Li Cha. Please, this way."

Guided by the steward, Li Cha stepped out of the carriage, entered through a side gate, and walked through corridor after corridor, finally stopping in front of a three-story building.

The middle-aged steward said, "Dr. Li Cha, just continue walking forward. Someone will take you to see the patient."

Hearing this, Li Cha asked with a hint of doubt, "My patient is not Lord Kevin?"

The steward shook his head with a smile. "Lord Kevin is sixty-two years old this year."

"..."

Fine, it was Li Cha’s own fault for not doing his background research. People of advanced age usually have very low requirements for "that" sort of thing, especially noblemen. Even if they aren't careful, their wives and sons will remind them to be. After all, sixty doesn't mean they can't still sire children, and the birth of a new heir could bring disaster to the family.

Li Cha nodded. "I understand."

With that said, he adjusted his white coat, picked up his medical bag, and entered the building. Watching him leave, Steward Cade didn't idle; he immediately informed the Lord that the doctor had arrived.

The old Baronet asked, "Is it truly possible that this Li Cha is a member of the Black Fog Church?"

Cade replied, "It cannot be confirmed, but his appearance was far too sudden, and his rise far too rapid. Therefore, Li Cha is at the very least not an ordinary doctor."

The old Baronet said, "Hmm. Keep an eye on him. Regardless of whether he can cure Susan or not, make sure he stays."

"Yes, my Lord," the steward replied.

...

On the other side, Li Cha pushed open the building door only to have his path blocked by two burly maids. He showed them his credentials and allowed them to inspect his medical bag before they finally let him pass. In the second-floor hallway, there were three more maids and an elegant, noble-looking woman. This was Lady Vina, one of the Baronet's wives.

After surveying Li Cha with a piercing gaze, Lady Vina said slowly, "Dr. Li Cha."

"That is I, my Lady."

"The subject of your treatment today is my daughter, Susan, the only daughter of Lord Kevin. If you have no confidence, you may leave now."

Li Cha was at level 6.5, with sharp senses. He could hear abnormal movements from a room on the second floor. Consequently, he said, "Fine."

As the 108th successor of the "take-advice" school, taking advice when faced with a situation was a traditional virtue. If it had been Lord Kevin who had some personal trouble, Li Cha would have been happy to look into it to earn his gold coin. But it wasn't the Baronet. He was meeting the Baronet's wife, and there were strange noises. Was Li Cha insane enough to keep walking in?

Clearly, his choice caught everyone off guard. Even as Li Cha walked back downstairs, no one reacted. However, since he had come, leaving so easily was clearly not going to be simple.

Li Cha walked out of the building, and before he had gone a hundred meters, Steward Cade appeared before him once again.

"Dr. Li Cha, has the treatment finished?" Steward Cade asked.

Li Cha said, "Oh, it's like this: I met Lady Vina on the second floor, and she asked me to leave."

The middle-aged steward: "..."

He hadn't expected Li Cha to be so literal. Shortly after, a second gold coin found its way into Li Cha's hand. The steward said apologetically, "Dr. Li Cha, to be honest, it is my young mistress Susan who is ill. Lady Vina has been in a very poor mood ever since. I apologize to you on her behalf; please, I beg you to help examine Miss Susan."

Li Cha replied, "...Alright then."

The Kevin family was truly wealthy; they just tossed gold coins around at the slightest provocation. Who could resist that? What was Li Cha's trump card for survival? [Freya’s Time]. However, a level 30 rare elite experience card cost 30 silver coins. Previously, no matter how bold Li Cha was, he could at most afford two. But here at the Kevin estate, he had gained nearly eight experience cards in less than an hour. Li Cha felt that with these eight cards, he could probably slaughter the entire Kevin family if he wanted to.

And so, he chose to return to Miss Susan's building with the steward.

Inside, Lady Vina was throwing a tantrum. "What? He just left like that? What kind of doctor is he? Does he have any medical ethics at all? Cade, your timing is perfect. Where on earth did you find this amateur physician? Can I really trust him to treat Susan?!"

The maids attending to Miss Susan trembled in silence. But the middle-aged steward, Cade, bowed respectfully and said calmly, "My Lady, inviting Dr. Li Cha was done with Lord Kevin's consent."

Lady Vina began, "Consent? Consent is—" She wanted to say that consent didn't matter, but she swallowed the rest of her words halfway. This estate was the Kevin family's property, and everything was ultimately decided by Lord Kevin. While Vina was the woman the Baronet loved most, she dared not defy her husband's decisions.

"Follow me."

Lady Vina led the maids and pushed open the door to the largest bedroom on the second floor. The strange noises Li Cha had heard earlier were coming from exactly this room.