Chapter Twenty-Six: An Ancient Proverb

The congregation gathered around the sickbed. Old teacher Jorun spoke in a magnanimous tone, as if arranging his final affairs; the more casually he spoke, the more sorrowful the others became.

Just as the atmosphere turned mournful, Lin Bo suddenly offered to examine him, causing everyone to freeze. The lighthouse keeper looked around at the crowd, who in turn stared back at his expression. Lin Bo displayed neither the frantic deceit of a charlatan nor the rash impatience of a young man eager to prove himself. It was precisely because of this that, despite their shock at his words, no one spoke up to scold him.

Stone Tower Town was in dire need of a physician. Years ago, there had been an elderly herbalist who understood a bit of ancestral medicine, could brew decoctions, and treat simple sprains and fractures. After he passed, the town was left without any real healer. That herbalist had worked hard to educate his son, who had since graduated from medical school and remained in the big city, rarely returning home. Now, if a townsman needed medical attention, they had to walk several kilometers to the tram station and ride into the city to find a clinic or hospital. If the patient could not travel, the family had to pay extra to hire a doctor to come to the town. Jorun’s elderly wife had once hired a cheap clinic doctor, but the man had been vague after the diagnosis, first claiming the symptoms were rare, then insisting on bed rest, and finally prescribing some painkillers before taking his fee and leaving. To the elderly couple, that had felt like a death sentence.

"Watchman, do you truly know how to heal? When Old Tim died, did you treat him?" the mayor asked, his tone relatively mild.

Lin Bo gazed at him and said earnestly, "You all know I survived a shipwreck, an accident that took my past memories. During the time Old Tim cared for me, I could never recall my past. Only last week, perhaps through the blessing of the Elder, did I gradually begin to remember. In my hometown, I studied medicine under a witch. I can taste the properties of herbs and perceive internal ailments through touch. I know how to treat many injuries and illnesses. If there is no other doctor here, let me try."

His words once again filled the fellow believers with wonder, much like the heavy fog that had vanished so suddenly that morning. That the Elder's protection could help an amnesiac recover his past—such things sounded too magical.

The mayor’s tone became enthusiastic. "So, you were a doctor before?"

"I still am."

Amidst their skepticism, everyone felt a spark of excitement. Stone Tower Town was desperate for a real physician. The mayor looked at Jorun and his wife. "Why don't we let him try?"

The old woman studied the watchman's face for a long moment. Her previously gloomy mood seemed to ease, and she asked softly, "Who is this?"

"He is the new lighthouse keeper," the mayor said. "A new member of the congregation as of last Sunday."

"No wonder. I’ve been caring for Jorun and missed the service. May the Good Mother forgive me," the old woman said, bowing with hands pressed together toward the small statue of the Good Mother in the wall niche.

The old teacher on the bed spoke up: "Since he is a follower of the Elder, he would surely not harm me. Let him try. I have nothing left to lose."

As he spoke, everyone braced themselves, watching the watchman’s movements intently.

"Please, everyone, be silent."

"Understood."

Lin Bo sat by the bed and reached out to press his fingers against the patient's wrist, feeling the pulse beneath his fingertips. Using the "Surface-Touch Internal Inspection" technique—just a step away from Level 3—he used these minute vibrations to construct the patient's blood, flesh, bones, and organs within his mind. These organs seemed to whisper their suffering to the mage, clearly revealing the root of the illness.

The watchman remained solemn and silent. As time passed, the onlookers grew restless; someone murmured, only to be hushed by a neighbor. They maintained their silence. A moment later, Lin Bo began to nod slightly, his thoughtful expression leading everyone to guess that significant progress had been made.

He then carefully observed Jorun’s face, checked his eyelids, and had the old teacher stick out his tongue.

"What is he doing?" "Shh!"

Lin Bo was communicating with [Starry Eyes]. Since this was his first attempt at treating a patient, he did not dare act alone, even though he had reached a verdict with ten parts certainty. If he lacked the ability to heal, it would be mere public embarrassment. But if he misdiagnosed, it would harm a precious life. Thus, from the start, he had contacted the Soul-Calling Witch. The game’s communication channel could transmit real-time video, using the player’s senses as a camera and microphone to send what they saw and heard to a friend. Lin Bo described his diagnostic results, and [Starry Eyes], through observation and description, reached the same conclusion. The two then discussed the treatment process in detail and finalized the plan.

After thanking the witch repeatedly for her help, Lin Bo left the chat channel. He looked around at the expectant faces. Even Jorun, who had been so indifferent to life and death, could not hide his visible nervousness.

"Mr. Jorun, do you often feel nauseous, suffer from a lack of appetite, and experience frequent abdominal pain?"

"Yes, that is exactly it," the old woman quickly replied.

Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief, like relatives watching a game show contestant score a point. To the layman, a doctor accurately identifying the illness was a sign of hope.

Lin Bo smiled and said, "The problem is with your gallbladder, and it requires medicine. I will prepare the decoction at the lighthouse and bring it to you."

"Doctor, I am in such pain!" Jorun finally couldn't hold back; his magnanimity vanished in the face of this new hope.

"One moment, I will help alleviate it. Are there any sewing needles? Thin ones—bring a few, and fetch the whale oil lamp."

"Yes, yes."

Under the confused and slightly terrified gazes of the crowd, the watchman held the thin sewing needles over the flame of the whale oil lamp until they glowed red. While waiting for the needles to cool, Lin Bo explained, "I am going to use a special treatment method that can quickly dull Mr. Jorun’s pain. Please do not be afraid. This was taught to me by the witch; it is effective immediately."

"He’s going to pierce Mr. Jorun with those burning needles!"

Even though the men present were pale with fright, they braced themselves to observe the procedure. Lin Bo had the patient loosen his clothes and roll up his pant legs. He then inserted the needles into specific points: Yanglingquan and the Gallbladder point on the outer lower leg, the Riyue point on the upper abdomen, and several others, slowly twisting them. Having already mapped the patient's physiology through his inspection, he hit the points with extreme precision. Each insertion drew a gasp from the onlookers, as if they were the ones being pricked.

Old Jorun, however, found his brow smoothing out, letting out a sigh of contentment as if soaking in a barrel of warm water.

"Doctor, I don't feel the pain anymore. Much better."

"After you take the medicine and rest for a while, you will recover completely. However, you must mind your diet..."

He gave his instructions carefully. Seeing the watchman’s professionalism and kindness, the nearby townsfolk couldn't help but fidget with joy, and the excitement was evident in their glances at one another.

Lin Bo stood up. "I will return to the lighthouse to retrieve the medicine."

"Please, make haste, and take care on the road!" the mayor called out softly, the others echoing him in a chorus. They watched the watchman leave, and as soon as he crossed the vegetable garden, a heated discussion erupted.

Jorun wore a look of profound serenity as he met his wife’s eyes. She chided him, "Now that you aren't dying, stop saying those terrible things like 'I'm uncomfortable' or 'I'm leaving.'"

"Alright, alright. Weili, I’m hungry."

"Just wait." After praying before the small statue of the Good Mother, the old woman headed to the kitchen and shouted, "Everyone stay! Have some biscuits and coffee before you go, friends."

Before the coffee pot had even boiled, while the people were still immersed in the joy of finally having a doctor in Stone Tower Town, the watchman had already returned.

"How are you back already?!" the young teacher blurted out.

"I walk quite fast," the watchman smiled.

"But it’s only been a few minutes..." his voice trailed off.

Everyone began to realize that this lighthouse keeper was extraordinary. Yet, in this wondrous atmosphere, no one panicked; instead, they all implicitly treated this anomaly as a secret among their own, each feeling like a child with a piece of candy—joyful and excited.

Lin Bo had spent 1 Disaster Coin to buy several bundles of herbs from [Starry Eyes]. It was a price he had to pay, and he expressed his gratitude repeatedly until the witch happily accepted. He brewed one bundle of herbs into a decoction, and after Jorun drank it, he felt relieved immediately, his complexion regaining its color. Once the rest of the herbs were consumed, the illness would surely be gone.

"I’ll return to school tomorrow," the old teacher said with a radiant smile.

"Rest for a few more days! Haha," the fellow believers teased him. The heavy air from earlier had vanished entirely.

"Doctor, your fee." The old woman returned the donated funds to the congregation and took out her own savings to pay him.

"There is no need," Lin Bo declined. "This was a charitable consultation for a fellow believer. If you truly wish to thank me, give me that object instead."

Following his finger, the old woman looked at the small statue of the Good Mother in the niche. Despite her reluctance, she agreed. "Take it, Doctor. This stone Good Mother will bless you to meet the girl of your dreams soon."

"That is too far off," the watchman said, tucking away the remnant artifact with a hearty laugh, which the others joined in on.

The followers of the Elder ate their biscuits, drank their coffee, and bade farewell to the enthusiastic couple before heading out. The mayor gripped Lin Bo’s hand fervently, promising to resolve his residency status and issue official employment papers as a lighthouse keeper soon—a mere piece of paper, but one that meant Lin Bo would no longer be an undocumented inhabitant.

Lin Bo nodded and said goodbye to each believer individually. He followed the gravel path toward the lighthouse. Along the roadside, wild grass grew thick, interspersed with sparsely blooming wildflowers. The air was fresh and pleasant, and the high-altitude clouds were torn open by the wind, allowing shafts of pale, golden sunlight to fall upon the sea. It was, indeed, a pleasant day.

The hooded followers of the Elder watched the lighthouse keeper’s retreating figure for a long time.

"A miraculous person has come to our town," the mayor whispered.

Some could not help but imagine how the watchman would walk back to that solitary lighthouse on the headland, and how he would shroud the already quiet white tower in an air of mystery. It was just like the old Kuning proverb: The moon hides in the clouds, and the whale returns to the water.