Chapter 126: Zhang’s Father

"Cough, cough... thank you, brother." Chen Bo attempted to move his body, which had been still for so long, but the motion tugged at his wounds, causing an itch in his lungs that forced a few more coughs.

"It’s nothing! My family has practiced medicine for generations; saving lives is what we’re meant to do," Zhang Daniu replied with a simple, honest smile.

"You practice medicine?" Chen Bo scrutinized Zhang Daniu. Aside from his well-defined muscles, there was nothing about him that suggested he was a healer. He looked more like someone who spent his days working the fields—a fact made clear by his tanned, weathered skin.

Chen Bo’s surprise was evident. Seeing this, Zhang Daniu scratched his head in embarrassment. "Even though my family has been in the medical trade for generations, I don’t seem to have the talent for it. All those acupuncture points and symptoms just make my head spin. I’ve been studying for over a decade, and all I can do is treat simple wounds and minor ailments."

"Truth be told, it was my father who treated you. He’s the only doctor in Zhangjia Village and has been in this line of work for forty or fifty years. He makes his living by this trade. While he might not be a master-level physician, our clinic is the most renowned for dozens of miles around!"

*Damn, he’s that well-regarded?* You really can’t judge a book by its cover. No matter how Chen Bo looked at him, Zhang Daniu didn’t seem like a doctor at all, but he grew curious about the father. After all, the man had saved his life; he owed him a debt of gratitude.

"Brother Zhang, don't be so modest. You’ve been studying for over ten years—who would believe you can only handle minor issues? In a way, small ailments are often the hardest to cure," Chen Bo said.

He wasn't just being polite; he was stating a plain truth. Look at the common cold—even now, there is no medicine that can completely eradicate it; the so-called cold medicines only alleviate the symptoms slightly. Recovery ultimately relies on the human body's own immune system, and it has nothing to do with the pills that cost a small fortune at the pharmacy. When Chen Bo was a child, he would just take a little medicine to ease the discomfort and let the illness run its course. Sometimes you didn't even need medicine for a cold, though the headaches and runny nose were certainly unpleasant.

Flattered by Chen Bo’s roundabout compliment, Zhang Daniu didn't know what to say and could only scratch his head and grin foolishly.

*This guy is truly simple and honest, like a blank sheet of paper,* Chen Bo thought. Yet, people like Zhang Daniu were the most trustworthy.

Just then, another man walked through the door. He was a middle-aged man with a goat-like beard. Though he looked as if he were seventy or eighty, Chen Bo could tell from his gait that he was likely under sixty.

He appeared aged, but he possessed a strange, calm temperament that made one feel as refreshed as a spring breeze. This was the aura a true physician should have.

Looking at the deep lines on the man’s face, Chen Bo was reminded of Master Niu in Tianyang City—a man whose medical skills and cultivation were equally formidable, and who possessed that very same air.

As the old man entered, Zhang Daniu bowed respectfully. "Father, you're here!"

So this was Zhang Daniu’s father. Chen Bo found it strange how people in the Savage Continent tended to have children so late in life; the man must have been over forty when Daniu was born. It seemed even more extreme compared to Dean Yu Chenling of the Tianyang Academy, who didn't have his daughter until he was over a hundred. Among the people Chen Bo knew, his own father was the only one who had started young. He was sixteen now, and his father, Chen Zhenhai, was only thirty-two. That meant his father had become a parent at sixteen, and given his mother's pregnancy, he must have married around fifteen.

It was a humbling thought for the sixteen-year-old Chen Bo, who was still a lonely bachelor.

Setting those thoughts aside, he turned his attention to the father. The elder nodded at Zhang Daniu and turned to Chen Bo. "Young hero, you’re awake! That is much sooner than I anticipated. You must be a cultivator."

Chen Bo looked at him in surprise. The man’s eyes were sharp; he had seen through him at a glance. He truly was a skilled healer. Chen Bo nodded in silent confirmation.

"No wonder!" The elder stroked his long beard, suddenly enlightened. "When my son brought you back yesterday, your injuries were severe. An ordinary person would likely have perished within moments."

"Even though you were unconscious, your vitality remained strong. I knew then that you had to be a cultivator; only a cultivator could possess such life force."

Chen Bo gave a bitter smile. "And what if I am a cultivator? I still nearly died. Sometimes I think it would be better to be an ordinary person—build a small hut, chop wood, cook meals, and raise a family. Worrying about the price of meat and vegetables might be dull, but it would be peaceful."

"That way, I wouldn't have to live on the edge of death, fearing a knife in the back while walking down the road, or worrying about being murdered for my possessions, or being oppressed for lacking cultivation."

The elder smiled. "That is the perspective of a cultivator. For us simple folk, becoming a cultivator is a lifelong dream. It is a pity that my foolish son, while strong, has not a shred of talent for it. I tried to send him to a sect once, but they wouldn't take him. It was all because of his lack of aptitude. Sigh."

"Oh, right! The ointment on your wounds needs to be changed daily. I will return tonight to dress them for you."

Chen Bo quickly thanked him. He then reached into his spatial storage, pulled out a substantial amount of silver, and said, "This is all the silver I have on me. Please, take it as payment for the medical expenses."

He truly had no more gold or silver left; the rest of his stash consisted of spirit stones. But if he gave those to the Zhang family, they would surely attract greedy thieves, which would only bring them harm.