The Poor Youth

Xu Yan took the token and casually placed it aside, saying, "Many thanks, old sirs. May I know the surnames of the two gentlemen?"

He felt that these two old men should be cultivators with not very high cultivation levels. So, he didn't take the token too seriously. Perhaps, as the old man said, it could only deter troublemakers.

However, since it was a gesture of goodwill, he was happy to accept it.

"I am Qin Tian, Senior Xu."

"I am Jiang Taiyuan, Senior Xu."

Qin Tian and Jiang Taiyuan both stood tall, stating their names, trying to leave a good impression on Xu Yan.

Xu Yan nodded and asked, "Do the two gentlemen want another pot of tea?"

He didn't know what to chat about with these two old men. There was an age gap between them. Unless the two old men took the initiative to talk about calligraphy and painting, he might be able to offer some guidance.

"No need, no need. We'll take our leave. We'll come to visit Senior Xu another day!" Qin Tian quickly spoke up.

He had successfully made the acquaintance of Senior Xu, achieving his goal. Staying any longer might disturb Senior Xu and hinder him from painting or writing poems. Therefore, he planned to leave now.

Xu Yan didn't insist and said, "Alright, have a safe journey, three of you."

He was somewhat puzzled about what these two old men were up to. Were they just here to make his acquaintance? It was interesting. It seemed like they were not powerful cultivators; otherwise, why would cultivators with a strong cultivation base bother to know an ordinary person like him? He had heard that powerful cultivators spent most of their time cultivating and teaching the next generation, without specifically visiting people without cultivation.

After Qin Tian, Jiang Taiyuan, and Qin Yudie left Xu Yan's shop, they felt relieved from head to toe.

In Xu Yan's shop, they couldn't relax, always on edge. After all, they were facing an unfathomable senior.

Qin Tian recalled the Tao sentiments in the calligraphy and paintings in the outer hall of "What Are You Gazing At." He still felt amazed and smiled to Qin Yudie, "Yudie, you're truly a blessing to our Tianren Sect. To actually know such an unfathomable senior!"

He had never thought that there would be such a reclusive expert in Tianren City. If not for Qin Yudie, he would have missed the opportunity to meet Xu Yan.

Qin Yudie replied, "It's just good luck. Senior Xu is approachable and doesn't look down on a small cultivator like me. Otherwise, how could I have met him?"

For such a deeply mysterious reclusive expert, if he didn't want to be seen, outsiders wouldn't be able to see him. Qin Yudie's good fortune was apparent.

Qin Tian laughed and said, "You're right. Senior Xu's seclusion in Tianren City is a blessing for the entire Tianren Mountain."

Today, he was very happy, as if he had seen a brilliant future.

On the other hand, Jiang Taiyuan couldn't help but feel envious.

Xu Yan was in Tianren City. In the future, Qin Yudie and Qin Tian would have plenty of opportunities to visit Xu Yan. However, when he went back, visiting Xu Yan would be much more difficult.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. He even wished to move the sect to Tianren City, but that was simply impossible. Tianren City couldn't accommodate a large sect.

Xu Yan hung the token that Qin Tian gave him at the door and said, "Cultivators are indeed admirable. Even young cultivators seem more refined than ordinary people."

Initially, he wanted to become a cultivator capable of soaring through the skies, but since he couldn't cultivate, he had accepted his fate. He decided to be a mundane scholar instead.

As Xu Yan was about to enter the small shop, a hurried young man ran over and directly knelt in front of the shop, pleading, "Master Xu, Master Xu, please save my mother!"

Xu Yan's medical skills were more renowned in Tianren City than his calligraphy and paintings. After all, most ordinary people needed medical help from time to time, and not everyone appreciated calligraphy and painting.

Therefore, providing medical assistance was one of the things Xu Yan often did. It also brought in some income. Relying solely on calligraphy and painting to make a living was challenging, let alone buying occasional small items.

Xu Yan looked at the young man and said, "Get up and speak properly. A grown man shouldn't kneel easily."

Although he didn't know the young man, only the residents of Tianren City would call him a divine healer. Thus, the young man was likely a local.

The young man stood up and looked at Xu Yan, saying, "Master Xu, my mother suddenly fainted. Please, save my mother!"

His family was impoverished, and his father had passed away when he was young. It was only him and his mother barely making ends meet. Just now, his mother had suddenly collapsed, and no matter how he called, she wouldn't wake up.

So, he thought of the widely circulated divine healer Xu Yan in Tianren City. Rumor had it that Xu Yan was a kind young divine healer who charged very little. Therefore, he rushed to find him after asking for directions.

Xu Yan's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He urged, "Quickly, take me to your mother."

No wonder he knelt down without hesitation; it turned out to be for his mother. The young man was indeed filial, and Xu Yan's impression of him improved significantly.

The young man nodded and then led Xu Yan to his home, running along the way.

His home was on the old street of Tianren City, only two streets away from where Xu Yan's shop was. It didn't take long to arrive.

Looking at the middle-aged woman lying on the old bed in the dilapidated house, Xu Yan quickly walked over, gently touched her forehead, and then took her pulse for a moment. He sighed in relief.

Turning around to look at the young man standing beside him, Xu Yan said, "Your mother is not seriously ill, just fainted from exhaustion. After she wakes up, she needs to eat something nutritious and avoid overworking."

Upon hearing Xu Yan's words, the young man, who had been on edge, finally relaxed. Then, his expression turned troubled.

His family was very poor. Just filling their stomach was a luxury, let alone having a nutritious diet. He worked as a menial laborer in a teahouse, earning very little. He was also often bullied and had his wages taken by other menial laborers.

As for his mother, she worked as a weaver in a shop, weaving fabric for the shop owner. To earn a little more money, she worked twice as long as others every day.

But even so, without a primary breadwinner, their life remained poor, just barely scraping by.

Seeing the young man blush and lower his head without saying a word, coupled with the sight of the run-down house, Xu Yan understood the young man's situation. He asked, "Are you short of money?"

In this world, cultivators were highly regarded, while ordinary people were treated poorly. Everything centered around cultivators.

This kind of impoverished family was quite common in Tianren City. Once a sudden crisis occurred, the entire family might collapse.

Thinking that Xu Yan might want to charge a fee for his visit, the young man anxiously said, "Master Xu, I will have my wages in a few days and I’ll definitely pay for the medical fees. Please forgive me for the delay."

He couldn't afford anything right now. Finally, he had almost made it to the day when the teahouse would pay wages, but his mother suddenly fainted, almost making him collapse.

However, he couldn't afford to collapse. For his mother and for himself, he had to shoulder the burden of the entire family!