Chapter 3：The Good Doctor

It was early in the morning, and there weren't many people in the town. When Mu Xuyang arrived in the town, the two guys chasing after him had long been left far behind.

"Before, I thought this beggar's body was really useless, but now I know that although he may not have any other skills, he seems to be specially suited for running away. When running, there's a feeling of progress and speed as if flying. Could this be a special ability he acquired from his usual wandering?" Mu Xuyang looked back at the road he had come from, but there was no sign of the two pursuers. He breathed a sigh of relief and calmly carried the old yellow dog towards a medical clinic in the town.

The beggar was very familiar with the doctor at the clinic. If it weren't for the doctor's care, giving him some ointments, and treating his injuries from falls, the beggar would have long been covered in bruises and missing limbs.

Mu Xuyang arrived at the clinic just as the doctor was opening the door. The doctor saw Mu Xuyang carrying the old yellow dog and dressed in ragged clothes and quickly said, "Hey, it's been a long time since I've seen you. How did you end up like this? Come in, it's warm inside."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhen." Mu Xuyang didn't know the doctor's first name, but he remembered the surname from the beggar's memories. He casually said thanks and then carried the old yellow dog into the clinic.

Once inside, Uncle Zhen asked Mu Xuyang to put the dog down and go wash up in the backyard. He didn't pay much attention to the dog and went straight into the inner room to find some old clothes and shoes that would fit the beggar.

Not long after, Uncle Zhen found some old clothes and shoes that fit the beggar. He noticed that Mu Xuyang was still holding onto the old yellow dog and hadn't washed up yet, so he turned his attention to the dog.

After examining the old yellow dog, Uncle Zhen realized that something was wrong with it. He asked, "Did someone hit this old yellow dog?"

Mu Xuyang nodded and said, "Uncle Zhen, please save Ah Huang. It can't bark and is weak all over, it doesn't even have the strength to stand up."

"This doesn't seem like a sign of being hit by someone," Uncle Zhen said after checking the dog's condition.

Seeing that Uncle Zhen seemed helpless with the dog's illness as well, Mu Xuyang explained in detail what happened to him in the mountain hut. He thought that maybe Uncle Zhen didn't understand the cause of the old yellow dog's symptoms.

"Oh, so that's what happened. But I can't cure this disease. We need to find someone as powerful as the cultivator who attacked Ah Huang to have a chance of curing it with treatment." After listening to Mu Xuyang's story, Uncle Zhen shook his head repeatedly, indicating that he was unable to help with this situation.

"Are you saying that if we can't find someone like that, we'll just have to watch Ah Huang suffer and die?" Mu Xuyang asked anxiously.

"Yes," Uncle Zhen nodded affirmatively.

"Do you know where we can find someone like that?" Mu Xuyang asked.

"They appear in Huayin County," Uncle Zhen replied.

"Huayin County is hundreds of miles away from here. Even if we could get there, Ah Huang would already be dead. What should we do now? Do you really have no way to save it?" Mu Xuyang asked anxiously.

"After I gave you money to go to Huayin County to study Taoism, you secretly used the money to buy food instead. As a result, you didn't successfully become a disciple and begged your way back here. If you hadn't been greedy for food back then, you wouldn't have ended up in this situation now!" Uncle Zhen looked at Mu Xuyang with both pity and suspicion. He didn't know how to treat this person who had been given an opportunity but didn't cherish it.

After Uncle Zhen's words, Mu Xuyang's mind suddenly had some fragmented memories, all of which were scenes of a little beggar stealing things from others because of his greed for food and being driven away and beaten by others. There were also memories of Uncle Zhen giving him many benefits, but the little beggar didn't appreciate it and thought that Uncle Zhen's help was only natural. Now he finally understood what Uncle Zhen's strange gaze meant.

"So the little beggar had so many bad habits, no wonder this good person in front of me would feel disgust and contempt for him." Mu Xuyang smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "Uncle Zhen, please don't be angry. I was young back then, only eight years old, and didn't know any better. If you give me another chance, I will work hard and never give up until I achieve my goal."

"I hope you're serious this time and can keep your word," Uncle Zhen sighed and said, "Put down Ah Huang, wash up, change into these clean clothes and shoes, and take Ah Huang to Huayin County. If you meet a kind-hearted person who can give you a ride in their carriage along the way, perhaps Ah Huang can still be saved."

"Okay," Mu Xuyang nodded, put down the old yellow dog, took the clothes and shoes from Uncle Zhen's hand, and headed straight to the bathhouse in the backyard.

As a former little beggar who had been here many times before, Mu Xuyang naturally knew where the bathhouse in the back of the clinic was located through his memories.

Mu Xuyang finished washing up and changed into clean clothes and a pair of shoes that were a little too big and didn't fit well. He hurried back to the clinic's front hall and saw that Uncle Zhen had already packed up the old yellow dog in a backpack and was waiting for him to finish washing up so they could leave. He quickly thanked Uncle Zhen, "Thank you, Uncle Zhen. I will always remember your kindness and repay it in the future."

Uncle Zhen handed him a bag of coins and said, "This is some money for your journey. Save it and use it wisely. I will be happy to see you live a good life. You don't need to repay me." Mu Xuyang was not used to accepting charity from others, but in this situation, he had no money and had to accept it to survive. He promised to repay Uncle Zhen in the future when he had the ability.

After thanking Uncle Zhen several times, Mu Xuyang left the clinic in a hurry. About half an hour later, Zhan Yaoguang, Dong Qing, and others searched for Mu Xuyang and arrived at the clinic. They acted like bandits and drove away the patients who came to the clinic for treatment. Then Dong Qing coldly looked at Uncle Zhen, who was scared and confused, and asked, "Are you the only country doctor in this town?"

"Yes," Uncle Zhen nodded and said, "May I ask what brings you here?"

"Did the little beggar carrying the old yellow dog come to you?" Dong Qing asked aggressively.

"These people are fierce and evil. If they find the little beggar, he will surely be in danger. I cannot say, I cannot say," Uncle Zhen sighed and shook his head. He said, "I have not seen the beggar you are talking about. Only a few patients who were driven away by you earlier came to me."

"You despicable man, you are not being honest. After we find evidence, we will make sure your head rolls," Dong Qing was annoyed by Uncle Zhen's lack of cooperation. He immediately ordered the disciples from Feijian Hall who had followed him, "Brothers, search carefully and find that little beggar. We cannot let him escape with the treasure right under our noses."

"Yes, Brother Dong," the disciples responded respectfully and quickly spread out to search for Mu Xuyang in the clinic.

After a search, they did not find Mu Xuyang, but they found the old clothes that Mu Xuyang had changed out of in the backyard garbage pile. With this physical evidence, Uncle Zhen could not deny Mu Xuyang's presence. However, he did not compromise with Zhan Yaoguang, Dong Qing, and others. He did not reveal any information related to Mu Xuyang.