Chapter 55: The Overly Proactive Lingsha (Patreon)

【You were at a loss, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at her antics, and gently flicked her on the bridge of her nose.】

【"You silly girl, what nonsense are you thinking now?"】

【"Then why did you have that little old man recommend me to Lady Yanting?" Lingsha persisted, staring at you.】

【Exasperated, you explained, "I'm entering a state of semi-retirement. You're so young, are you planning to do the same as me?"】

【"I recommended you to Lady Yanting because I hope you will follow her and continue your medical studies. Lady Yanting heads the 'Golden-Scale Burning Rhino' lineage at the Zhuming's Alchemy Commission. This lineage is known for its acupuncture, aromatherapy, and moxibustion—specialized medical arts and masterful techniques you can hardly learn on the Luofu."】

【"You're still young. It's never wrong to learn more," you advised earnestly.】

【Lingsha then realized she seemed to have misunderstood you. Her little face flushed bright red as she stammered, "I'm sorry, Teacher. It was my misunderstanding. It's just... not being by your side every day from now on, I'll feel a bit lonely..."】

【You immediately reached out and gently tapped Lingsha on the head.】

【"Don't be so dramatic. It's not like we're parting forever. You can come back from the Alchemy Commission every day. I'm almost always at home, so we can see each other daily."】

【"Ehehe~" Lingsha stuck out her tongue and made a funny face.】

【With General Huaiyan's recommendation, coupled with her own exceptional talent, Lingsha was smoothly accepted as a disciple by Lady Yanting and began to study the specialized medical arts of the 'Golden-Scale Burning Rhino' lineage.】

【Meanwhile, you secretly began your own plan...】

【Gold will always shine. Lingsha quickly distinguished herself among Lady Yanting's disciples with her outstanding talent, earning her master's appreciation and praise.】

【As everyone knows, ostracism and bullying are ubiquitous, whether in the workplace or at school. Having traveled from the Luofu across the sea of stars to the Zhuming, Lingsha was seen as nothing more than a 'damned outsider' by the people of the Zhuming's Alchemy Commission.】

【What's more, she had caught Lady Yanting's eye and was directly parachuted in as a disciple of the High Elder. The flames of jealousy were instantly ignited.】

【Thus, it wasn't long before someone set a trap, framing Lingsha for stealing precious medicinal ingredients from the pharmacy.】

【Lingsha had only just arrived on the Zhuming, and with her former beloved teacher having been demoted to a commoner due to political strife, she instinctively disliked complex social interactions. Consequently, no one stood up for her, leaving Lingsha unable to defend herself.】

【Seeing the situation, some who didn't know the truth also followed the crowd in accusing Lingsha, making her the target of public condemnation.】

【Suppressing her grievances, she threw herself into your arms and cried her heart out as soon as she got home.】

【You said nothing, merely comforting her continuously. Only after she had calmed down did you speak to her with profound meaning.】

【"Wherever there are people, there is conflict. Unless you become a shut-in like me, never stepping out the door, you can't avoid these things as long as you interact with others."】

【"They want to drag you down to their level, but you can choose to constantly improve yourself, break free from them completely, ascend to a higher plane, and then look down upon them from above."】

This advice was quite in line with his forbearing nature. It wasn't that revenge shouldn't be taken, but that one should wait until reaching a higher position to simply crush the opponent.

As for now, the others were local bullies with accomplices, and they held the moral high ground. Trying to fight them with no evidence, no proof, and no backing would just be a waste of time and energy. That effort would be better spent on self-improvement.

To put it plainly: for a gentleman, ten years is not too late for revenge.

【Lingsha heeded your advice and also came to a small epiphany: to live in this world, one must understand its ways. Before, Teacher protected me; now, it's my turn to protect Teacher!】

【And then... Lingsha threw herself directly onto you.】

【"Teacher, I've been wronged today. Shouldn't you comfort me properly~?" Lingsha cooed.】

【As she spoke, she gently blew into your ear.】

【You instantly felt a warm fragrance enter your nostrils, and your body seemed to become light and floaty.】

【"..."】

【Shouldn't you be the one taking the initiative? How did the roles reverse? This is completely backwards! For a moment, you were speechless.】

【Without waiting for your reply, Lingsha went wild and began tearing at your clothes.】

【Alright, you're tired from the tedious experiments; it's time to relax a little. You could only console yourself with this thought.】

【Just as you braced yourself, Lingsha pushed you down...】

【Special plot triggered. Enter Reality Simulation?】

【Yes.】

...

The next day, after a night of wild passion, Victor sat quietly on the edge of the bed, thinking.

'Something feels off. Why do I feel like I was the one who got screwed?'

'Wait, I think I know why.'

Victor touched the tip of his nose.

It must be because his scumbag-like attitude of neither refusing nor initiating caused a misunderstanding in Lingsha, so she decided to take the initiative herself.

Speaking of which, Lingsha had always had a fiery personality, loving and hating with passion.

It was only later, for the sake of social etiquette, that she put on a mask of affability and gentleness.

Even so, she still couldn't control her explosive temper, which is why she often had to remind herself, "Don't get angry, don't get angry..."

Just as Victor figured it out, Lingsha, having vented her frustrations all night, woke up. After pestering him for a while longer, she finally left, refreshed and invigorated.

【Lingsha's situation did not improve. The pervasive ostracism, cold stares, and gossip... were enough to crush an ordinary girl.】

【However, Lingsha's mindset was completely different now. In her eyes, they were nothing more than insignificant clowns.】

【As Lingsha continued her dedicated studies, her medical skills improved at a speed that left everyone else in the dust.】

【When Lingsha combined the alchemical arts of the Luofu with the aromatherapy of the Zhuming to create her own unique path of medicine, she effortlessly swept away all doubt and ridicule.】

【Lingsha's original aromatherapy techniques even astonished Lady Yanting, who, against all opposition, unconventionally promoted Lingsha to the rank of Senior Physician in the Zhuming's Alchemy Commission.】

【The Physician Head of the Zhuming's Alchemy Commission had already stepped down, and everyone began to speculate that Lingsha was Lady Yanting's hand-picked successor. There were even rumors that Lady Yanting intended for Lingsha to one day take over her position as Head of the Commission.】

The Alchemy Commission generally has three professions: Physicians, Alchemists, and Medical Assistants.

Physician = Doctor, Alchemist = Pharmacist, Medical Assistant = Nurse.

The Head of the Commission is equivalent to a hospital director.

Below the Head of the Commission are three chiefs. Except for the Medical Assistant, which is a support role with little power, the authority of the Physician Head and Alchemist Head primarily depends on their relative importance.

For example, the Luofu excels at alchemy, so the Alchemist Head's power far exceeds that of the Physician Head. This is also why, with the Luofu's Head of Commission position vacant, Danzhu was able to control the entire Luofu Alchemy Commission as the Alchemist Head.

The Xianzhou Zhuming is different.

The 'Golden-Scale Burning Rhino' lineage, led by Lady Yanting, is more skilled in acupuncture, aromatherapy, and moxibustion. Therefore, the Physician Head holds more power and is essentially groomed to be the next Head of the Commission.