The Yao Emperor and His Human Doctor.

Chapter 18 - Like Threads in a Web.

Su Ning and the dragons began to ascend the river silently, paying attention to the flow of water. The land was relatively free, full of tall trees and with a good amount of space between them. The pure mountain air was fresh and cold.
Ren Shyu was walking along with his mother, but he suddenly decided to move forward and walk side by side with the doctor.
"Is just bathing in clean water now enough for the carp to get well? You didn't even consult them!" Ren Shyu, who had not spoken up until then, questioned the doctor.

"The gills are inflamed as a result of exposure to the pollutant. But in the case of fish, the purification of the body is faster if the medication is taken through the gills, going directly into the blood. So the solution was to first treat the water so that they can use it to heal themselves. Based on the Deshi family's symptoms, this will be more than enough." He explained as they walked alongside the river, observing the slightly murky water. His attention seemed completely focused on that.

"And what do you think contaminated the water?" Ren Shyu decided to conduct his own private investigation regarding the doctor's methods of action. He also wouldn't leave all the work to his mother.
"I don't know yet, I'm looking for anything different that might be in the water." Su Ning responded patiently.
Ren Shyu saw that his grandmother and mother were doing the same, assessing the water, a little behind them.

"But what if this river is really long? It's going to take us a long time to find it!" Ren Shyu complained.
"Actually, I know this river, it's not very big. Soon we'll be at the source at the foot of the mountain."
"Hmm... you know a lot of places for a doctor..." Ren Shyu furrowed his eyebrows, a little irritated by Su Ning's impassive appearance. Now he understood why his uncle couldn't stand this person. It was difficult to discern what he was thinking.
"I tend to answer a lot of calls outside the clinic." Su Ning finally responded, without thinking too much.

"And why do you answer yao?" Ren Shyu finally asked. This was a question that made his throat itch.
"Because one of them came to me once. I won't turn away a patient, be it human or yao. After that the news spread and more of them showed up to see each other."
Ren Shyu thought for a while before continuing to speak. His expression demonstrated extreme confusion of ideas and feelings.

"I-I don't understand. We yao consider humans as enemies. Why didn't they go to a yao doctor but you?"
"Ah, I wasn't the first patient's first choice. Of course he saw me as an enemy, but he was in a very bad way, dying. Faced with the possibility of death you look for every possible chance to save yourself."
The young dragon nodded begrudgingly. Wasn't it proof of this that Qiang Yong gave up his pride to save his mother? And wouldn't he do the same for Ren Loo?

"And would you help an enemy of yours? Someone you really hated?" Ren Shyu challenged the doctor with a threatening gleam in his eyes.
"Medical care must be above personal disagreements. If you one day become interested in medicine you need to keep this in mind."
Ren Shyu frowned slightly, he couldn't imagine himself as a doctor. He intended to pursue a military career and become a General, like his uncle.

However, he couldn't help but reflect on it. Should doctors really ignore these feelings and treat even those who have harmed them? This seemed impossible.
"Apparently you shouldn't have an enemy so hated that you want to eliminate him from the face of the earth then."
Su Ning hesitated for a bit, then responded slowly, his voice softer than usual. "Actually, I have one, but it doesn't shape like you think..."

Ren Shyu was shocked. He wanted to ask more questions about it when the doctor suddenly stopped. He had reached the source of the river and crouched down in front of it.
He took a gray glove from his sleeve, put it on and dipped his hand in the cold water, searching the shallow bed.
"There's nothing there." Ren Shyu commented as if this was something obvious.

Madam Ren approached her son, laughing until her eyes watered.
"A-Shyu, you need to exercise your senses." She covered his eyes from behind with both hands.
"Now stop seeing with your physical eyes and just feel the energy around you. Use your celestial eye [1] to see that which is not visible to the eye." Ren Loo instructed him.

Ren Shyu closed his eyelids and focused on the point between his eyebrows. Madame Ren had already taught him how to open the celestial eye, although the young dragon exercised it very little. At first everything was dark, and little by little, soft colors condensed into tall, elongated shapes. Ren Shyu recognized the spiritual energy of the trees around him. They were a little fainter than theirs.

Another color also stood out: the energy of the water flowing continuously, however, in a dark, brownish tone contrasting with light white nuances that originally came from previously pure water. The little dragon felt disgusted by that dark energy and he unconsciously pursed his lips.
His attention rose to the spring, where he saw a faint purplish blue outline in that current of dark energy.

It was the outline of a hand holding something very thin that emitted that dark energy into the water. He followed his gaze through that bluish energy, going back and forth through the meridians. Ren Shyu recognized that they were the meridians, as his mother once demonstrated. Her energy was such a bright red and gold color that it hurt even the eyes. However, this energy had a comforting glow that was pleasant to behold.

He then decided to take a look at the spiritual core. He expected the core to be a blue color like the meridians, but in fact it was both colors! Like two liquids that did not mix and oscillated between each other, one had a sky blue color and the other, violet. Now this vision made sense! The energy did not mix in the core but mixed in the meridians forming the original color.

How could such a core exist? Ren Shyu thought in astonishment. Then he would ask his mother about it in private. Using the celestial eye was very tiring so Ren Shyu opened his eyes again, which made him scared again. Su Ning had been using the heavenly eye to search the river this entire time???
He looked at the well-disposed doctor who had already stood up, pulling what appeared to be several thin, white threads connected together from the spring. On the wires there were small white spheres that dripped, although it was not possible to tell if it was water or something else.

"How strange! What could this be?" An Shu stretched out his snake head to get a closer look at the threads.
"It's a spider web...These are sacs of stinging venom." Su Ning responded by pulling out all the strands of water.
"Cobweb!" The Empress felt an uneasiness in her chest and Ren Loo's senses were immediately heightened. This could just be a trap all along!

"All of you stay behind me!" Ren Loo transformed into Dragon form by breaking several tree branches as he grew.
"Madame Ren, you'd better stay in human form, fighting in a closed space that size will only harm you." The doctor warned at the same time that countless wires were released simultaneously from several trees, closing the exits and trapping them at the foot of the mountain.

Following the advice, Madam Ren returned to human form just in time to avoid being hit by several sharp wires.
“Appear Hu Long!” She screamed, showing her claws. Countless small spiders came to surround them. Madam Ren released a barrier of flames stopping the spiders from advancing.

The spiders began to pile up on top of each other until they formed the figure of the servant.
"Long time. Madam Ren." Hu Long laughed, taking his human form.

Author's Note

Jeez! Ren Loo will have to face Hu Long in a terrible location. This is going to be a difficult fight...

[1] Also known as the third eye.