"A black octopus monster?" Wang Jian's heart skipped a beat as he asked, "What exactly does it look like?"

"Like this."

Wang Xiang once again used his ability to alter the environment and created a monster.

The moment Wang Jian saw it, he furrowed his brow. "When did you encounter it?"

The monster looked exactly like a Black Soul Monster. It was incredible that Wang Xiang had survived an invasion from one.

"Just a few years ago," Wang Xiang pondered for a moment before replying, "not too long ago."

Wang Jian asked, "And you've been here ever since?"

Wang Xiang's expression changed. He hesitated, then stammered, "More… more or less."

Observing Wang Xiang's strange demeanor, Wang Jian considered a possibility, his expression also growing grim. "You're not pretending to be crazy, are you?"

Wang Xiang narrowed his eyes, remaining silent.

With such a tacit acknowledgment, how could Wang Jian not know the answer?

The two brothers fell silent for a long while before Wang Xiang cleared his throat softly and continued.

"It's normal for you not to understand, and that's why I had to lie to you. If I didn't act this way, I would lose this ability. Once my soul leaves this place, it loses its vitality and I descend into madness. Rather than go out and be a lunatic, I'd rather stay here and be the Creator God.

"You don't understand!"

Wang Jian rolled his eyes, feeling that his brother was still, to some extent, unwell.

"Have you tried leaving?" Wang Jian asked.

"Of course," Wang Xiang said. "As soon as I go out, I'm overwhelmed by a violent urge that I just can't suppress."

Wang Jian voiced his guess, "It seems you've developed some side effects from eating that monster."

Nevertheless, it's a reasonable explanation. Those monsters could indeed be devoured by a Yang Soul, but Wang Xiang ate one as an ordinary person. Wang Jian had no idea what consequences an act like that could have. After all, none of their ancestors had ever encountered such a situation.

"Maybe," Wang Xiang shrugged. "When you visited me last time, I hinted that you should stop worrying about me. Why did you come back? I'm doing quite well in the mental institution."

Wang Jian's mouth twitched. "You're my brother. I can't just ignore you."

"Then just take good care of my body," Wang Xiang said. "I'm not really sick now, I just can't leave. But who knows, maybe I'll be able to leave in the future. Anyway, I don't want you and Dad to keep worrying about this. I can handle it myself. Just you wait."

"Alright, alright."

The two continued to chat for a long time.

In reality, even if Wang Jian wanted to intervene, he couldn't; he could only offer advice. So, after Wang Xiang expressed his desire not to become an ordinary person again, Wang Jian had no choice but to leave.

Upon learning of Wang Xiang's situation, Cai Qiong had a sudden realization. No wonder the treatment never worked, and new symptoms would always appear after a while. He was doing it on purpose.

"So, what are your plans for him now?" she asked.

Wang Jian shrugged. "What else can I do? I'll just do as he said and arrange a comfortable environment for him. We'll have to wait and see when he's willing to come out on his own."

Cai Qiong nodded. "Don't worry. He won't lack for food or drink in his room, and he'll have people looking after him."

"I'll have to trouble you, then," Wang Jian said with a smile.

"Why be so polite?" Cai Qiong rolled her eyes.

Wang Jian chuckled. The two spent some tender moments in the director's office before Wang Jian passed through the glass and sped off toward the village.

He was unaware that after he left, Wang Xiang opened his eyes in the hospital room. His gaze was exceptionally clear, devoid of any hint of madness. After confirming that he was alone, Wang Xiang held out his right hand. A tiny Black Soul Monster floated above his palm, its tentacles flailing about energetically.

"Just a little bit more." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Wang Xiang murmured to himself before lying back down. When he next opened his eyes, he had reverted to his insane facade.

* * *

Wang Jian didn't tell anyone what had happened with Wang Xiang, choosing to process it alone.

When he arrived home, he discovered that Chairman Kang, who had gone to Beijing, had returned. With him was an elder of his family.

Wang Jian was surprised to see he'd met this elder before; he was one of the members of the National Medical Group. He had heard that Chairman Kang's family came from a long line of doctors, but Wang Jian had assumed they were simply physicians. He never expected one of them had made it into that esteemed group.

It was Chairman Kang's grandfather, Kang Yuan.

Chairman Kang's features bore a strong resemblance to his grandfather's. It was clear their family's lineage was powerful and hadn't been diluted by outside influences. As the host, Wang Jian naturally treated the Kang family guests with great hospitality, giving the city dwellers a taste of rural life.

When they had a moment to relax, Kang Yuan revealed his reason for coming.

"I would like Chairman Kang to formally become your disciple."

"Hmm?"

"Mr. Kang," Wang Jian said, puzzled, "if you want Chairman Kang to learn Medical Skills from me, he's already doing that. There's no need…"

Before Wang Jian could finish, Kang Yuan interjected, "No, that's not what I mean. If it were only about learning Medical Skills, I wouldn't have needed to come here personally. I mean that, in accordance with the ancient rites of China, I want Chairman Kang to formally take you as his master."

"Oh?"

Only then did Wang Jian truly understand the old man's intention, and he began to take his words seriously.

He noticed that although Kang Yuan was quite old, he radiated vitality. At his current level of cultivation, Wang Jian could generally discern the essence of a person's spirit at a glance. Chairman Kang's grandfather was no ordinary man; despite his age, there wasn't a hint of decline or decay about him. Among all the elderly people Wang Jian had met, this was the first time he had seen such a phenomenon in anyone other than his own master. Clearly, this Mr. Kang was an expert in the art of nourishing one's health. No wonder he had personally traveled to this small mountain village, unafraid of the long journey or the risk of some fatal mishap along the way.

Wang Jian couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Kang, you must be over seventy now, aren't you?"

Kang Yuan nodded with a smile. "I am indeed seventy-six, an age considered rare in ancient times."

This confirmed Wang Jian's suspicion. For a person to maintain such vigor and spirit at seventy-six meant that, barring any accidents, living past a hundred would be commonplace.

"If I'm not mistaken," said Wang Jian, "your own Medical Skills and health practices are exceptional, Mr. Kang. Why would you have me teach him instead of doing so yourself?"

Upon hearing this, Kang Yuan laughed even louder. "That's where you're mistaken. Just because I want Chairman Kang to take you as his master, does that mean he can't learn from his own family? Surely, at your age, you don't cling to the same old rigid rules and formalities as us old scholars?"

Wang Jian shook his head. When he became Xu Changqing's disciple, he hadn't heard of any strict school protocols, and at his current level, it was even more unlikely for there to be any. Previously, when his cultivation was weaker, there might have been physical constitution requirements like Peng Pingan's. But now that he had inherited the legacies of the ancient masters, he possessed methods to circumvent that. Therefore, even the constitution requirement was gone.

So, after Kang Yuan spoke, Wang Jian had no grounds for refusal.

Consequently, the matter of Chairman Kang's discipleship was settled on the spot.

Wang Jian had no reason to refuse. Ever since Chairman Kang began practicing medicine with him, he had completely transformed from his former sycophantic self. Wang Jian had long since accepted him in his heart, so taking him on as a disciple felt entirely natural.