Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

Intentionally spoke again: "Why have you all gone silent? I’ve been trapped here for many days, finally seeing outsiders. You don’t talk to me, making me terribly bored."

As he spoke, the wind howled ominously. The fishermen swallowed hard, not daring to respond. The old fisherman said, "Fine, talk if you want. What do you want to say?"

Li Xian asked, "I’ve been here for a long time. What’s today’s date?" The old fisherman looked troubled and said, "The fourth day of the eighth month, so what?" Li Xian replied, "A good day, a good day indeed. It’s a good day for a full meal."

The fishermen felt a sudden chill in their hearts; if not for the lack of a way out, they would have fled in panic long ago. Realizing he had gone too far, Li Xian leapt from the cliff, stepping the Seven Stars Step, his feet glowing with starlight.

The fishermen suddenly cast their nets simultaneously, while harpoons and iron rods were aimed towards him. Li Xian moved gently, his figure shifting nimbly, already behind them. The old fisherman felt an icy chill, crying out, "Alas, my life is over!"

Li Xian patted the shoulders of the eight lightly, then moved aside, cupping his hands and smiling: "Just a little joke earlier, apologies, apologies. I’m not a devourer, nor will I eat you." The fishermen were stunned, and when they turned around, the monster was gone, instead seeing a handsome young man with bare shoulders, unusually striking, unlike a demon, more like a mountain immortal. Their fear drastically reduced.

Li Xian proactively explained, saying every word was true, soothing the fishermen’s emotions. His sincerity and kindness made the fishermen slightly displeased, but after looking at each other, they no longer disputed.

Li Xian inquired about the fishermen’s situation. The old fisherman hesitated for a moment and then narrated today’s encounter. The fishing boat grounded here, although utterly anxious, there was truly nothing they could do.

Li Xian pondered, "Since I’ve stumbled upon this, why not help them? I can then conveniently leave on this boat."

Looking around, he saw the fishing boat wasn’t heavily damaged; there was timber aboard. The old fisherman was experienced, skilled in repair abilities. Li Xian smiled and said, "Since we’ve arrived, let’s settle here. We’ll rest in the mountain first. In the next couple of days, we should repair the boat."

The old fisherman replied, "That’s all we can do."

They followed Li Xian up to a place atop with his palm. Seeing Li Xian’s wooden cabin was simple, yet it exuded warmth. The campfire burned slowly, and the fishermen sat around it, none feeling sleepy. Occasionally, they would walk to the cliff to look out, deeply fearing water bandits passing by.

The old fisherman worried about the boatload of fish. Every half hour, he would go down the mountain to sprinkle water to protect the fish. Li Xian asked, "It’s said that in August and September, the heat is unbearable, and lake fish dive deep. Fishing on the lake is hot and tiring, with few fish caught, making it unrewarding. Is everyone urgently needing money?"

The old fisherman said sorrowfully, "Even if it’s unrewarding, we must do it."

It turned out that these eight fishermen were all surnamed Zhang, all having blood relations, forming a fishing team to cast in the lake. The old fisherman Zhang Chishui’s daughter suddenly fell ill with a strange disease; they scoured for doctors, all to no avail, even spent all their family wealth.

Under heavy pressure, Zhang Chishui kept fishing frequently to maintain, so regardless of heat or cold, day or night, he never stopped. Li Xian’s mind turned, and he said, "I happen to know some medicine."

The old fisherman was pleasantly surprised, "Ah! You...you really know medicine?" Seeing Li Xian’s youthful and handsome appearance, he was disappointed, "That strange illness is quite tricky, forget it, forget it, let’s not bother you. Once the boat is repaired, you can go back with us."

He looked at the simple wooden cabin and sighed, "Living alone here must be quite lonely."

Li Xian, possessing the heart of a healer, was very willing to try his hand at treatment. But recalling the Ghost Doctor’s rules, never actively treating people, otherwise it would demean his lineage’s medical skills. He must find a way for Zhang Chishui to request treatment before acting. So he said, "Well, I happen to be very good at treating strange illnesses. There’s a saying: ’Treat a dead horse as a living horse,’ why not give it a try?"

Zhang Chishui said, "This...this makes sense." Seeing Li Xian’s exceptional demeanor, he said, "You go check my daughter, whether cured or not, I’ll give you some reward?"

Li Xian replied, "There’s no need for a reward. Your request is enough."

Zhang Chishui hesitated, thinking despite his age, with younger generations watching, to lower himself to ask for treatment might harm his dignity. If she’s healed, it’s good, dignity remains intact. If not, it greatly diminishes authority. Though the fishing boat is small, and the fishermen few, it still carries hierarchy, rules of status and order; otherwise, it’s hard to manage. If he loses authority, the young fishermen will no longer follow orders, which could be disastrous. Hence, he said sternly, "You’re too young; your medical skills must be lacking. I think it’s better to forget it."

Li Xian was neither annoyed nor insistent. He arranged a flat grassy area for the eight to sleep. The next day, before dawn, the eight were already repairing the boat, patching its damage.

Zhang Chishui looked troubled. Last night, the lake surged, and the boat grounded on the rocks. This morning, the tide receded, and the boat was caught in the crevices of the rocks. Even if the boat is repaired, it’s difficult to free it from the rocks.

Bracing himself, they repaired. Li Xian watched from the cliff without assisting, seeking a secluded spot to diligently practice martial arts. The eight were fortunate; they repaired for two consecutive days without encountering any water bandits. Only the scorching heat made it hard for the fish caught on board to survive.

Every half hour, the lake water must be poured on the fish using buckets to sustain their vitality. By noon on the third day, all boat leaks were patched. The eight tried pushing the boat out together, but it was wedged deep between the rock crevices.

During low tide, it couldn’t be moved; during high tide, there was no place to stand. They were desperate, unable to come up with a good solution. Li Xian waited quietly until nighttime, when the lake water swelled, then before the eight, he executed "Jade Palm" to push the waves.

With the powerful move "Vast Green Waves," the fishing boat was flushed out of the rock crevice, back onto the lake surface. The fishermen were amazed and awestruck, infinitely admiring Li Xian. Li Xian casually withdrew.

Zhang Chishui witnessed Li Xian’s prowess and immediately knelt before him, kowtowing thrice. He earnestly pleaded with Li Xian to treat his daughter. Li Xian was surprised but did not hold a grudge, gladly agreeing. He said, "When I said ’request me,’ I meant to ask verbally, no need for such solemnity."