After leaving the square, they came to a pavilion in a garden. The moment Nie Donghai stopped, Nie Tian softly said, “I’m sorry, grandpa.”
Nie Donghai turned around and softly patted Nie Tian’s head. “It’s okay,” he said affectionately. “Grandpa is tired and it’s time for me to have a rest.”
“Grandpa,” Nie Tian quietly muttered, “if I didn’t mess up, you could have…”
“No.” Nie Donghai knew what he was going to say. He shook his head and explained warmly, “Even if that didn’t happen, I planned to step down anyways. All these years, I’ve been blinded by hatred and spent too much energy seeking revenge. Unfortunately, the Nie clan isn’t a strong and powerful clan. Even though I have wielded all the clan’s power, I still couldn’t track down that b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
After a pause, Nie Donghai let out a deep sigh and added, “Even if I could find him, perhaps, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. I know too well how the Yun clan treated your aunt, and yet the Yun clan is in Black Cloud City, so what can I do?
“I’m old, and my health... is also getting worse. Rather than wasting energy on useless things, I would like to spend more time with you.”
“Grandpa,” Nie Tian said firmly, “I’ll be more thoughtful in the future and I won’t fight Nie Hong anymore. When I become stronger, I’ll personally seek justice for auntie from the Yun clan!”
Nie Donghai smiled and nodded as he looked deeply at him for a moment. Then, his expression changed and asked, “Just now, you were clearly on the verge of losing. How did you suddenly obtain the strength to make Nie Hong suffer a big loss?”
“I also have no idea what exactly happened.” Nie Tian was quite confused himself. “Just when I thought that I was finished, it seemed… as if a violent and powerful force emerged from my flesh and blood. When that force rushed out, the lightning energy Nie Hong left in my body was completely wiped clean. Thanks to that, I had the strength to launch a counterattack.”
Nie Donghai excitedly pressed his hand onto Nie Tian’s abdomen and cast his senses inside.
A faint sc.r.a.p of spirit power roamed within Nie Tian’s body like drifting silk. After examining every corner of his body, Nie Donghai couldn’t find anything.
However to his surprise, as Nie Tian said, he found absolutely no trace of the lightning power left by Nie Hong.
“Strange...” He retracted his hand, confused, and asked, “Did you sense that force again after the fight?”
“I did try hard to sense it after battle, but I couldn’t find any trace of it.” Nie Tian thought for a moment and said, “But I’m certain that the force resides within me. It seems I’m unable to fully control it yet and it only comes out at the most dangerous moments.”
Nie Donghai remained silent, his eyes full of thoughts. After a long time, he said, “Don’t mention this to anyone else.”
Nie Tian nodded obediently. “Sure.”
“Everything’s settled then. Go find your aunt. Remember, from tomorrow on, I will no longer be the head of Nie clan. After today… don’t be too naughty. Next time you have a conflict with a child of our clan, do not strike too hard.”
“I understand,” Nie Tian said.
Afterwards, Nie Donghai went straight to the Nie clan’s library and buried his head in books. He dug out numerous rare books about cultivation practices in hope of finding the reason why Nie Tian’s body experienced that strange phenomenon.
Unfortunately, after going through more than a dozen books, he still wasn’t able to find a clue.
That night, Nie Qian’s maidservant Han Yue was in a complete panic as she rushed around looking for Nie Donghai. When she found him, she hurriedly explained that Nie Tian, for no apparent reason, had come down with a high fever.
Nie Donghai immediately left the library and followed Han Yue to Nie Tian’s room. As soon as he entered, he saw an anxious Nie Qian standing by Nie Tian’s bed, holding a cloth bag of ice on Nie Tian’s forehead to help him fight the fever.
Seeing Nie Donghai’s arrival, Nie Qian immediately called out like a drowning person spotting a rescue boat, “Father! I don’t know what’s wrong! Little Tian started to burn up after dinner and his body temperature has been rising higher and higher. I’m worried to death! I don’t know what I should do. ”
“Don’t panic. Let me see.” Nie Donghai rushed forward and put his big, rough hand on Nie Tian’s chest.
“So hot!” Nie Donghai couldn’t help but exclaim as soon as he touched Nie Tian’s skin. His face suddenly tightened and said, “Something’s wrong. His body temperature is so abnormally high!”
“It’s got to be Nie Hong!” exclaimed Nie Qian. “With his cultivation reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining, he was able to release spiritual power from his body, yet he shamelessly fought Little Tian! It must be the residual lightning he left in Little Tian’s body that caused the fever. Yet, second uncle had the nerve to denounce Little Tian, which led to father giving up his high position as clanmaster. I’ll go and get even with them!” Nie Qian wanted to pour her towering rage on Nie Beichuan.
“You’re not going anywhere!” Nie Donghai shouted.
“Father!” Nie Qian yelled back. “They bullied Little Tian and took advantage of your condition, because they knew that you were wounded and your cultivation was degrading! All these years, they have been pus.h.i.+ng you little by little. They didn’t truly respect and treat you as the clanmaster so they acted unruly. Today, they even used a conflict between children to make you leave your position! This is outrageous! I can’t simply swallow it!”
“Curing Little Tian’s fever is our most important task at the moment!” Nie Donghai glared at her and said, “All other matters need to be put on hold. You need to go find the best doctors in Black Cloud City now. I need them to bring down Nie Tian’s fever as quickly as possible. I can tell that his temperature is still climbing!”
“What? His temperature is still rising?” Nie Qian panicked and forgot about finding Nie Beichuan to settle their dispute. Sounding very anxious, she said, “I’ll go right away!”
Saying these words, she rushed out of the Nie clan, her heart tearing apart from anxiety.
Two hours later, three renowned doctors from Black Cloud City were gathered around Nie Tian.
The three famous doctors tried various methods including medicine decoction, acupuncture, and ice compresses, all in the hopes of bringing down his fever.
Soon it was midnight, yet Nie Tian’s high fever didn’t show any signs of improvement.
Even though the three reputable doctors had already exhausted all of their methods to bring down his fever, Nie Tian’s body temperature didn’t reduce in the slightest.
“Good-for-nothing!” Nie Donghai cursed, so enraged that he was panting. “None of you can cure a simple fever. How dare you call yourselves reputable doctors!”
The doctors didn’t dare to disagree and left the Nie clan in shame.
The following afternoon.
Both Nie Donghai and Nie Qian’s eyes were bloodshot as they watched another doctor from Black Cloud City pick up his medicine chest and walk out of Nie Tian’s room, likewise unable to do anything.
Nie Donghai hadn’t shut his eyes at all that night. He gently caressed Nie Tian’s forehead and discovered that his body temperature was still at a dangerously high level.
“Spread the word,” Nie Donghai shouted. “whoever can bring down Nie Tian’s fever, from Black Cloud City or not, will receive a handsome reward from me!”
“Understood!” came the reply.
Another day pa.s.sed.
Every renowned doctor in Black Cloud City and other nearby cities came upon hearing the news. They all spared no effort in their attempts to bring Nie Tian’s temperature down in exchange for the significant reward from Nie Donghai.
However, night fell and Nie Tian’s fever hadn’t gotten any better.
Hearing that Nie Tian suddenly got sick, Nie Beichuan and other elders in the Nie clan had also come to visit. However they didn’t push Nie Donghai to give up his position at that moment.
Deep into the night.
Nie Donghai and Nie Qian helplessly looked at Nie Tian, whose body had turned red due to the fever, their faces filled with despair.
Nie Qian sobbed as she mumbled from time to time, “My poor little sister wouldn’t be able to rest in peace if she knew that I failed to take care of Little Tian. Little Tian is only ten. If anything happens to him, I don’t want to live either. Those clan members want us to suffer anyways, we might as well die together... ”
“Shut up!” Nie Donghai raged. “If you dare say another ominous word, watch me slap your mouth!”
“Father, you have to think of a way to save him!” Nie Qian yelled.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing!!” Nie Donghai said with a dark look. “Over the years, I could say that I’ve dedicated myself to the Cloudsoaring sect. Now that I am old and ready to step down, the Cloudsoaring sect’s immortals might give me some face and save Nie Tian!”
“You get ready, we take Nie Tian to the Cloudsoaring sect now. I’ll kneel in front of the sect’s gate and plead for their help!”
“Very well. I’ll make arrangements immediately!” Nie Qian’s eyes suddenly burned with hope.
She knew very well that the advanced Qi warriors of the Cloudsoaring sect possessed incredibly divine abilities. If they were willing to spend some energy to help Nie Tian, he might live.
Just as Nie Donghai and Nie Qian were about to leave for the Cloudsoaring sect, the maidservant Han Yue barged in and yelled loudly, “Clanmaster! Clanmaster! There’s another docter here who claims to be able to save Little Tian!”