The Canteen.

The two were now sitting in the restaurant on the second floor.

Xu Ke poked at his roast duck rice. "This used to be my favorite dish at school."

"Yeah." Qiu Mingli chuckled. "I often saw you and Siao Jia eating in the canteen..."

His words trailed off as his face stiffened. "Xu Ke, I'm sorry..."

Silence fell once more. Clearly, he also knew what had happened between Xu Ke and Siao Jia.

"It's fine, Teacher," Xu Ke said, laughing in spite of himself. He didn't care anymore!

Qiu Mingli sighed. "Xu Ke, I heard about what happened with you and Siao Jia. A while back, a former student came by and told me that Siao Jia had broken up with you, making a huge scene and even accusing you of cheating."

"You were my student. I knew you hadn't done anything wrong. In the end, that was proven true, and now her reputation within our circle of classmates is ruined."

Xu Ke said nothing.

Qiu Mingli hesitated for a moment before finally biting the bullet. "But I really never expected you'd get involved in something like this with that person from the Wang Family. It might sound harsh, but I don't think you should be with her. As your teacher, I obviously don't want you getting mixed up in the affairs of these powerful families, but now... what's done is done."

"When you reach a certain position, you're bound to bear the burdens that come with it. I know it must be very hard on you. But my words carry little weight, and I can't help you much, not even enough to protect your reputation in Tianhai."

At this, Xu Ke shook his head. "Teacher, you don't have to say that. I don't really care about my reputation."

"Sigh." Qiu Mingli let out another breath, then continued, "But I want you to understand that no matter what, we'll always have your back. If you ever need anything, your classmates and I will be there for you!"

Looking at Qiu Mingli's determined expression, Xu Ke nodded. "Okay. If I can't handle it, I'll know who to turn to."

"That's good." Qiu Mingli smiled.

With that, the two resumed their meal.

Halfway through, Xu Ke suddenly recalled Qiu Mingli's words and looked up abruptly. "But, Teacher..."

"What is it?"

"Qi Fu is a wonderful woman," Xu Ke said earnestly. "And I want to be with her."

Qiu Mingli was taken aback for a second, then broke into a laugh. "If you think she's wonderful, then that's all that matters!"

...

After lunch, Xu Ke parted ways with Qiu Mingli.

Once in a taxi, Xu Ke opened the email his Master had left for him. Ren Gu hadn't left him any secret martial arts manuals or divine artifacts.

It was a medical license.

According to his Master, practicing medicine in the city without a license was just asking for trouble. His Master didn't have much to give him, but he could at least arrange for a license.

Although Xu Ke hadn't gone to medical school, those who studied traditional medicine through an apprenticeship could become eligible to take the practitioner's examination after being assessed and recommended by designated individuals. For someone of Ren Gu's stature, it was no problem to have someone come and administer the exam for Xu Ke.

In the end, up on the mountain, Xu Ke took the medical exam under the supervision of several health department officials his Master knew. At the time, Xu Ke couldn't help but grumble about why his Master, the great Medical Saint, always did things in such an unfitting manner. As the Medical Saint, shouldn't he have been able to procure the license with a simple wave of his hand?

In response, Ren Gu had beat a lesson into Xu Ke, emphasizing that things had to be done by the book.

...

It was already past two in the afternoon by the time Xu Ke got back to the urban village.

The reporters downstairs were still gathered in bustling groups. It wasn't the height of summer, so waiting outside wasn't too difficult. Besides, these reporters had been hired, and since they were getting paid just to wait here, it wasn't as if they were suffering.

However, the reporters had grown a bit lazy by the afternoon, so after slipping past a few lines of sight, Xu Ke easily made it upstairs.

Back in his room, Xu Ke looked down from the balcony, a cold smirk touching his lips. "You're all working so hard in the middle of the afternoon."

Just then, he received a call from Wong Qifu.

"What's up?" Xu Ke answered.

"I hear the area downstairs from you is swarming with reporters. Your injuries haven't fully healed yet. You haven't gone out, have you?" Wong Qifu asked lightly.

Detecting a hint of hidden danger in her tone, Xu Ke's heart skipped a beat. "I haven't gone out."

"Good." Wong Qifu's reply was airy.

Xu Ke swallowed hard. He had a sinking feeling that Wong Qifu already knew everything.

"So how are your injuries?" Wong Qifu changed the subject.

"They're fine. I've recovered a lot," Xu Ke lied without skipping a beat.

In reality, between instantly defeating Yi Ju and treating Duan Chongfeng, his injuries had actually worsened somewhat, though they were still within his ability to manage.

"Alright." Wong Qifu's voice betrayed no emotion.

"You go get back to your work. I'm going to get some sleep; I'm feeling a bit drained," Xu Ke said. He needed to conserve his energy for what was to come.

"Okay," Wong Qifu replied.

After they hung up, Xu Ke breathed a sigh of relief. He checked the situation downstairs one more time, then drew the curtains. He turned to decoct his medicine before sitting cross-legged on his bed to recuperate.

...

Evening arrived at six-thirty.

The golden sunlight on the horizon had been gradually devoured by the night, leaving a sky that looked as if half of it had been bitten away. The entire city of Tianhai seemed to borrow that missing light, bursting into a sea of brilliant illumination.

After drinking his medicine and finishing his recuperation, Xu Ke got up and looked down. From his vantage point, he could see the situation in the urban village below. The area was starting to get busy as people returned from work.

And as people began to get off work, the reporters started their "shifts." They began grabbing passersby to question them again.

Seeing this, Xu Ke smiled, a cold glint in his eyes.

At that moment, a few people ambled over—two men and two women, their faces etched with fatigue. They were heading straight for Xu Ke's building.

"Hello, excuse me, are you residents here?" a few reporters asked, instantly surrounding the group.

"N-No, we're not," one of the men denied at once, waving his hands.

"Oh?" The reporters exchanged a look, their instincts telling them something was off. The group's evasive attitude was a dead giveaway. Something's fishy!

They immediately pressed on. "In that case, do you know Xu Ke?"

Hearing the name, one of the women reacted as if she'd been deeply provoked, shrieking, "What in the world do you people want? Why won't you leave Xu Ke alone?"

As soon as she spoke, the other reporters who had been harassing other locals instantly perked up. Like sharks that had smelled blood, they swarmed in. Judging by their reaction, the reporters would bet their lives there was a story here.

Video cameras, still cameras, and even independent journalists recording with their phones—in an instant, the crowd swarmed the two men and two women, trapping them in the middle.

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