The Yao Emperor and His Human Doctor.

Chapter 23 - Court Hearing.

Qiang Yong was led through the winding corridors inside the Water Palace by Lang Ko's servants.
The prisoners still under suspicion and without proof of their crimes were on the first two floors and the condemned were below. As the severity of the crime increased, the cells were placed downwards in the mountain until reaching the underground, where natural light no longer entered.

Dr. Su was on the first floor. The cells only had a bed and space for personal hygiene. On this floor there were barred windows, which gave a view of the rocky, sharp cliff of dark stone. Needless to say, this sight and the sound of the eagles near the nests was in itself too discouraging for anyone to think about escaping through the window.

Qiang Yong found the doctor sitting in meditation on the bed. He had two bracelets attached to his wrist, whose functions were to track him if he ran away and block his spiritual energy. He didn't even move when he entered, just lifted his eyelids gently when he heard the sound of the door being unlocked.

Qiang Yong  thought that this time the human would throw stones at him since the reason he was arrested this time was the displeasure of the yao doctors for curing the Empress Dowager. Fame has its price, after all. But the doctor showed a sincere smile when he saw him. "Good morning Emperor, it's been a while since we last saw each other." He saluted him casually while bowing.
"But I didn't expect to see you here."

Qiang Yong  sat facing him. "Do you imagine why I'm here?"
"Hmmm... you came to see if they had discovered any of my mistakes so you could tell the Empress that I'm a terrible person, haha." Su Ning laughed.
Qiang Yong "........"
"Never mind I was joking. The Empress asked you to come here  but there really is nothing to worry about. The yao of the Medical Sect are known for being strict and so they would never do anything wrong."

"Unless they are under the control of that individual who planned the attack at Koi Pond." Qiang Yong retorted.
Su Ning became serious. "Hu Long managed to remember something? I didn't expect that, the control of the golem should have left her unconscious from so much pain. If she forced herself that long her mind could have fragmented, it would be good for Dr. Han ..."

"Hu Long is fine. The Empress's servants are not porcelain dolls. The problem now is what our assassin wants with you!"
Su Ning did not respond immediately, thinking carefully about this new information.
"This person doesn't have time to play around with childish revenge for me getting in the way of his plans."
"Hu Long said he probably wants to manipulate you into doing something."

"I imagine it's not healing a sick relative." Su Ning snorted in exasperation. It was the first time the Emperor had seen him angry. His expression was icy as when he was about to give the Empress's diagnosis. Qiang Yong's lips suddenly pursed.
"You know what he wants from you, don't you?" Qiang Yong grabbed his arm, forcing he to face him.

"It could be many things... there are many possibilities, I can't be sure which one it is." Su Ning responded slowly.
"I can't believe it! How dirty is your past that someone would want you to do something bad?"
"Who said my past is dirty?! I just have issues like anyone else."

Qiang Yong opened his mouth but was interrupted by the guards entering. They came to get Su Ning for the hearing. Before leaving, Dr. Su turned to him.
"Anyway, Emperor, this person did a lot of harm for me to come after me. I'm not someone who can be manipulated easily..."

The Emperor felt a shiver run down his spine. Talking to Madam Ren, they concluded that Dr. Su was not a beginner. If he was caught, the killer would have to completely destroy his willpower to control him. Qiang Yong followed them. He would just watch the testimony, hiding in one of the corners. He did not expect that the Sect's main hall would be so crowded!

Thus, it was difficult to identify any enemy among so many gifts.
Hiding in the highest part of the hall, he could see the board of doctors gathering in their places while the defendant was already sitting in his place in the center of the hall, waiting with his usual impossibility for the doctors to organize themselves.

As everyone sat in their seats and the buzz subsided, Lang Ko began the inquiry.
"We are starting the hearing against Dr. Su Ning, accused of practicing medicine in Yao without being duly accredited to this Sect. Dr. Su, you not only confirmed this accusation but also provided evidence of your work over the years However, no irregularities were observed in the treatments applied and none of the patients worsened or died. Given this, as there were no victims, the jury present demonstrated that and willing to allow you to accredit yourself to this Sect so that you can continue to serve. Are you opposed to this?"

"I have nothing to disagree with." Su Ning  replied calmly.
The side conversations returned in the room, apparently some doctors still did not agree with this even after having followed the entire process and seeing that there was nothing wrong.
“Sect Master!” Someone spoke up in the audience. "It's not fair that this human joins the Sect so easily without even having the slightest formal study for it! The knowledge of the human Medical Sect cannot be applied to the yao!"

Another person supported the first.
"Yes! If I may ask, when Dr. Su sees a yao does he compare us to animals or humans?" More people complained then. Qiang Yong observed the human silently below. To say that he looked like a lone bamboo being whipped by the wind was to minimize the situation. One of the jurors intervened.

"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! We see the notes on the treatments applied. Dr. Su did not study here in our Sect but he knows very well that human medicine is not the same as that applied to a yao!" Although I would also like to understand how he knows this, the doctor reflected to himself.
"Dr. Su, how do you explain this informal knowledge?" Another juror decided to clarify this situation to calm the public.

"I just read a lot. Any medical material could be useful. I disagree that human medicine is not useful for yao. It is not true in all cases. The anti-fungal paste I used on amphibians works very well on humans too. There are no effects collateral in none of them."
"Are you going to use your patients as guinea pigs then?" Someone shouted angrily in the crowd. Su Ning could very well have rolled his eyes but he didn't.

"Of course not. The anti-fungal could only be applied to frogs because there was no salt in its composition. I don't go around testing theories without a safe theoretical basis. Furthermore, I didn't apply the treatment and left, in one case like these I was monitoring the patients until I was sure they were cured."

More buzz began and phrases like "Why don't you just send him to study here like everyone else??" were repeated.
Lang Ko was not willing to let the doctor have to study from scratch along with so many enemies. His life would become hell. And the doctor didn't seem like a bad person.

“Sect Master!” A yao that resembled an owl that was part of the jury called out to her. "I have a suggestion because it doesn't make sense for a doctor with this experience to have to study like a beginner! Give him a test, if he passes he will join the Sect and that's it."
Lang Ko considered the proposal for a while and nodded.

"Sounds good. Would Dr. Su be willing to do a test?"
Su Ning nodded. Lang Ko then mentally searched for some cases that were under the Sect's jurisdiction. The Sect master reflected a little, thinking about the cases that the doctor had seen, some were very difficult to solve, so it made sense to apply something that was a little more... challenging.

Lang Ko dismissed the session and Su Ning was taken back to the cell.
She stayed in the room for a while, meditating while little by little a case insisted on haunting her mind. A case that not even she was able to solve. She sighed helplessly, while this could harm Su Ning it could also be another's salvation. Could this doctor... help that yao...?

Author's Note

Uhmm....dr. Su has pending issues in the past... now curiosity has struck hahaha. But now he has this new issue in the present. Who will be your new patient, Dr. Su?