In just one week, the reputation of the Heavenly Hall of Benevolent Healing and the Benevolent Leader with gifted needles spread across the streets of Lake Valley like wildfire.

Wei Shi Lan did nothing but treat women who could afford his services, and his treatments were so satisfying that many returned desperately for more. There were two sides to the rumors about him that circulated through the little town.

In an exquisite restaurant with fine wooden tables and a pool in the center of the hall, many finely dressed men and women from distant lands — merchants and nobles who had business in Lake Valley — sat and enjoyed their meals.

Each table held a different conversation.

"I’m telling you, my friend, they say he has the hands of heaven. He can heal any pain with acupuncture. This man is very good, and even a shrewd businessman, making a hundred copper coins per session. It is said you can’t just see him — you have to book three days in advance."

"He is that good?" another man asked with a doubtful tone as he sat across from the middle-aged speaker.

The middle-aged man nodded.

"I don’t know..." He leaned in, lowering his voice. "They say he is able to make women feel very relieved. I don’t know what that means, but every woman keeps going back to him."

The listening man smiled somberly.

"That’s a shame. He doesn’t treat men?"

The middle-aged man shrugged.

"No man in Lake Valley is willing to pay a hundred copper coins to get poked with needles by another man. Besides, why go to him when we can just heal ourselves with the flower ladies in the Great Gambling Den?"

The man pulled the jade beauty seated beside him closer and smiled lewdly at her. She wore a flowing pink hanfu and listened quietly to their conversation. She chuckled lightly and poured him some wine at his request, though she could not stop thinking about those gifted hands.

In the kitchen of the restaurant, the workers gossiped as they waited for their turn to serve customers.

"That Benevolent is not benevolent at all. I’m itching to try his services, seeing how women always walk out of his place glowing. But what’s the point? He is always fully booked, and he charges a demon’s price for healing."

Another maid, her hair tied in a neat bun, looked down with a faint smile.

"Indeed. But if it takes a demon to heal my mother’s broken back, then I won’t hesitate." She looked up, hope shining in her eyes. "If I’m paid by the week’s end and save my earnings, I would like to use his services for my sick mother."

The other maid looked at her with pity.

"That’s right, Yuna. Is your mother’s condition worsening?"

Yuna sighed.

"The medicine from the Medicine Hall is becoming ineffective. The Benevolent Leader might be able to heal my mother. But it will take all my savings from working here and operating the shop for an entire month just to gather a hundred copper coins."

She shook her head dejectedly.

The other maid spoke with rising frustration.

"See? This is what I’m talking about. These are the ways of a demon. Only a demon would charge like this. Even the perverted Medicine Hall leader knows how to show mercy. Who even is this man Madam Chang’e has brought into Lake Valley?"

A young woman wearing a flowing bamboo-green hanfu and a deep green scarf trailing behind her walked into the wide kitchen, which looked no different from a polished parlor. She heard them speaking about the Benevolent Leader, though they quickly fell silent and turned away the moment they noticed her.

At first she said nothing, only fixing them with a hard glare from her resplendent purple eyes. She hated when people talked while they were meant to be working, yet she also disliked scolding her staff.

The petrifying look she gave them was enough to send them back to work.

She turned away, holding a feathered fan and lightly tapping it against her back. Behind her stood another maid.

"Who is this Benevolent Leader? Suddenly everyone in my restaurant is talking about him."

The maid lowered her head.

"They say he is very skilled, even able to heal pains people never knew they had."

The lady scoffed.

"What nonsense. These people are being scammed by a clever foreigner, I can tell."

The maid added cautiously,

"I also heard he is a guest of Chang’e, whose husband owed the gambling den and fled. He was also the one who seemed to have broken Bao Bao’s hand."

The lady stopped walking when she heard that. A calculating frown crossed her face.

"Oh? I’m spending all this extra money because of him, am I?"

She glanced sideways at the maid.

"Have you sent a message to that shameless Elder?"

The maid nodded.

"Yes, I have. I also sent word to the Patriarch, just in case. Since the Peach Blossom Sect is greatly indebted to our Gambling Den, and the Patriarch has his eyes on you, I’m sure they’ll treat this as urgent."

The lady seemed satisfied and continued walking.

*

*

*

On the streets of Lake Valley, a rare sight unfolded. People lined the stalls and stepped aside as a group of ladies and gentlemen passed through, all wearing deep pink and white flowing robes that marked them as inner court disciples of the Peach Blossom Sect.

It was rare for anyone to see an outer court disciple of the Peach Blossom Sect not to talk of the inner court disciple. They were either cultivating or out on missions, slaughtering the vicious demonic beasts that surrounded Lake Valley.

Women offered them fish and gifts. Some even tried to make a good impression, but none of the offerings were accepted. The cultivators politely refused the gifts and advances until they reached a narrow alley.

The surrounding neighborhood reacted the same way — amazed and dazzled by the robed disciples.

But people soon noticed one odd figure among them.

"Hey, isn’t that one of Bao’s thugs?"

"I’m sure it’s him. Has he come here for another beating?"

"Wait, he’s with the disciples of the Peach Blossom Sect."

"Have they come to avenge Bao?"

"I don’t think so. Bao is insignificant. The Lady of the Gambling Den has many connections. She must have pulled her strings to have these men come and destroy Chang’e’s business."

"Oh no... this is sad. I haven’t even saved enough to climb the legendary bed yet."

"Truly unfortunate."

The disciples ignored the gossip and continued walking until they reached the fence of a house.

It was Chang’e’s house.