"Who are you?" Little Fairy Doctor asked warily.
"Apologies—I haven't introduced myself." Xiao Ting smiled warmly. "I am Xiao Ting of the Xiao Family in Wu Tan City. I'm not sure if you've heard of me."
"Xiao Ting of the Xiao Family?" Little Fairy Doctor looked thoughtful. "I recall the Xiao Family is one of the three major clans in Wu Tan City. Since arriving here, I've heard people mention that the Xiao Family has produced two talented young masters, Xiao Ting and Xiao Yan—both said to have the bearing of future Dou Emperors."
"I am the Xiao Ting they were talking about." Xiao Ting nodded lightly, his smile growing wider. "Recently, the clan has put me in charge of managing one of our marketplaces. The resident physician at the pharmacy there is getting on in years. He's been short on energy lately, so we need a new physician to take his place."
"I heard Miss Ya Fei of the Miteer Auction House mention that among the Thousand Medicinal House caravan, the one supplying them with medicine was a young physician with excellent skills, beloved by mercenaries back in Qingshan Town."
"So, I took it upon myself to set up this little scene."
Upon hearing that, Little Fairy Doctor actually felt relieved.
Xiao Ting's arrangement had been so crude that she hadn't known whether to "see through it" or "pretend not to."
If she saw through it, she wouldn't be able to smoothly join the Xiao Family and become one of his people.
If she pretended ignorance, she'd look stupid and suspicious to him.
"Set up this little scene?" Little Fairy Doctor's face cooled slightly at just the right moment. "That wounded patient just now—was he someone you arranged to test me?"
"Please don't misunderstand. It wasn't a test—more like an evaluation." Xiao Ting calmly explained, "That old woman was carefully selected from among our pharmacy's patients. Her illness was complex and difficult to treat—even experienced physicians struggled to cure her."
"I promised her that if she let you examine her, I would give her a first-tier healing pill to ease her condition."
"Only if you didn't know anything beforehand could I properly evaluate you as a physician."
"Both your medical ability and your willingness to help a stranger have earned my approval."
"Evaluation? Approval?" Little Fairy Doctor's expression softened, but her tone carried a hint of sharpness. "This matter of me becoming a resident physician should be a mutual choice. You may approve of me, but I may not necessarily agree. You're not planning to force me, are you, Young Master Xiao Ting?"
"And if I did force you, what then?" Xiao Ting asked with a serene smile.
Little Fairy Doctor froze, thinking, This man really doesn't play by the usual script. Even so, she answered with a hint of defiance, "If your strength surpasses mine, Little Fairy Doctor can only agree. But if I end up harming several patients because of my young age and lack of skill, ruining your pharmacy's reputation and hurting your marketplace's business, I hope Young Master Xiao Ting won't blame me."
Nice—now they were on the same wavelength.
Little Fairy Doctor's exterior was soft, but she had a firm core. There was no way she'd let herself be pushed around.
"No, you wouldn't." Xiao Ting smiled, radiating confidence, as if he had her completely figured out. "You would never harm patients just to spite me. If you did, you wouldn't be a true healer, and you wouldn't have earned the love of mercenaries in Qingshan Town."
"In the Xiao Family, you'd enjoy better protection. You could focus on treating people and save far more lives."
"Whether from the perspective of your own future or the ideal of a benevolent healer, you have no reason to reject me."
Little Fairy Doctor had to admit—Xiao Ting understood her very well. His angle of attack was spot-on.
Even without the Journal copy, she would have been moved by this speech alone.
Of course, that was under the assumption that she didn't know she possessed the Woeful Poison Body.
And right now, she technically "didn't know."
"I need time to think about it." Little Fairy Doctor put on a hesitant look.
"Of course." Xiao Ting took out a token and tossed it to her. "Once you've decided, you can bring this token to the Xiao Family and ask for me by name—or go directly to the Xiao Family Pharmacy in the Third Marketplace on West Street and look for the shopkeeper."
"I believe you'll make the best choice—for yourself and for others."
Of course I will.
Little Fairy Doctor caught the token and turned to head back into the inn.
Once inside her room, she finally let out a long breath, as though half of the heavy shackle on her heart had been lifted.
If she simply went along with his invitation and became a resident physician at the pharmacy, it wouldn't be long before Xiao Ting would find a way to turn her into his maid.
Her Woeful Poison Body would awaken, be upgraded, and fall under perfect control—under his guidance.
Safe—and without harming any innocents.
…
"Sister Little Fairy Doctor, congratulations."
A familiar, melodic voice floated over from the window.
Little Fairy Doctor turned her head and saw Xun Er in a blue dress, sitting sideways on the window ledge with a book in her hands. Her hair danced in the night breeze, and her profile was picturesque.
"When did you get here, Little Sister Xun Er?" Little Fairy Doctor smiled radiantly and walked over.
Xun Er closed her book and turned to meet Little Fairy Doctor's eyes, a faint smile on her lips. "When Brother Xiao Ting said that he approves of you."
Little Fairy Doctor: "…"
Was it her imagination, or did Xun Er's tone sound a little… sour?
"I never thought he'd use such a crude method." Little Fairy Doctor suppressed her stray thoughts and smiled. "But it really is simpler this way. I don't seem to have any reason to refuse."
Qingshan Town wasn't her hometown. There was nothing and no one she absolutely had to stay for.
Treating people was treating people—what did it matter where she worked? With the Xiao Family's protection, it would be safer and more promising.
"It is crude—and a waste of time, too." A sly glint flashed in Xun Er's eyes. "Sister Little Fairy Doctor, want to speed things up a bit?"
"How?" Little Fairy Doctor grew curious.
Clearly, she also wanted things to move faster.
"Come closer and I'll tell you." Xun Er crooked her finger.
Little Fairy Doctor obediently leaned in.
Under the moonlight, the two delicate faces were almost touching.
…
Blissfully unaware that "the lilies in his hometown were blooming," Xiao Ting returned to the Xiao estate in high spirits.
Everything had gone smoothly. He believed that someone as smart as Little Fairy Doctor would surely accept the olive branch he'd just thrown her.
Once she found out she had the Woeful Poison Body, she would definitely try to escape so as not to harm anyone.
But since he had two methods to resolve the Woeful Poison Body, it would actually become even easier to keep her.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ting wrote down everything he had done and thought into his Journal.
As a World Observer, a special lifeform like the possessor of the Woeful Poison Body was absolutely worth observing, recording, and changing.
…
[As long as Little Fairy Doctor isn't stupid, she'll agree to my invitation.]
[And from what I know of her, she's as clever as they come.]
[The day her Woeful Poison Body awakens will be the day she becomes my personal maid.]
…
All the girls with Journal copies: "…"
They'd thought he would set up some elaborate plan with intricate twists, yet he'd used such a straightforward approach.
But they had to admit—simple and direct really was the most efficient. Ultimately, it came down to how well Xiao Ting understood Little Fairy Doctor.
…
"What a pity." Yun Yun regretted it for the umpteenth time.
If she, as Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, had extended an invitation first, it would have been even harder for Little Fairy Doctor to refuse.
Then again, she never would have dared to actually do something like that. It might have made Xiao Ting suspicious.
"Better to spend the time capturing a Hall of Souls envoy."
…
[Little Little Little Fairy Doctor, easily handled!]
…
Little Fairy Doctor: "?"
Excuse me—who exactly did you "handle"?
And what was "easy" about any of this?
Without the Journal copy, do you really think I'd just care about you for no reason?
Is it just because you're handsome? Because you're blessed by planes?
Feeling Xun Er's teasing gaze, Little Fairy Doctor's face heated up. "Tell me—should I reject him once, make him invite me a few more times? Otherwise, I'll seem too cheap."
Xun Er blinked and smiled. "I see—you like a bit of push-and-pull."
Little Fairy Doctor: "?"
Whose side are you on, exactly?
…
In no time at all, midnight came and went.
As a new day quietly arrived, Xiao Ting suddenly felt his soul tremble.
A true, deep-level tremor.
..
Bonus chapter at 100 PS