Chapter 530: Five-star, or Six-star?

Chapter 530: Chapter 494: Five-star, or Six-star?

Below the towering, cliff-like walls of Demon Suppression City, word that they were “recruiting Medical Cultivators” spread from the front of the queue to the back, traveling farther and farther.

The buzz of discussion swelled like a surging tide, rising in wave after wave.

Zhou Mu and the others stood stunned for a moment. Then, the gazes of the entire nine-person group suddenly fell upon Song Ciwan.

Song Ciwan and Zhou Mu were near the front of the line, with Liu Tantan and Liu Qingqing following closely. The group had been chatting in low voices, the atmosphere lively and harmonious. But when the news broke, everyone stared blankly for a moment. Then, Zhou Mu suddenly spoke. “Recruiting Medical Cultivators,” he said. “The front line must be in dire straits.”

Liu Tantan whispered, “Fairy, Demon Suppression Pass has never been short on Medical Cultivators before. For them to be lacking them now means there must have been massive casualties on the front line.”

As she spoke, she gave Song Ciwan a hesitant look, as if wanting to say more but holding back. Her gaze revealed a deep, unspoken anxiety.

Her unspoken words held a dual meaning. First, with massive casualties at the front, answering the call to Demon Suppression Pass would mean facing twice the danger. Second, if the front lines were in peril, how could the rear remain safe?

Although Demon Suppression City wasn’t on the front lines itself, as the city protecting Demon Suppression Pass, it was impossible for it to remain unaffected by events at the front.

Everyone looked at Song Ciwan, a complex mix of emotions in their eyes.

After a moment, Zhou Mu secretly gritted his teeth and sent a voice transmission to Song Ciwan. “Fairy, if you have no intention of going, we will all remain silent. We won’t breathe a word about you knowing the healing arts!”

Song Ciwan finally understood the complex worry in their eyes.

She was about to respond when she saw someone near the city gate step forward. “I’m a Medical Cultivator,” the person declared. “I’ll answer the call!”

The man wasn’t tall and his back was slightly stooped. His wrinkled face featured a long, flowing beard. Though his physical appearance was unremarkable, he exuded a gentle, steady aura that inspired trust.

The moment he stepped forward, someone in the long, dragon-like queue at the gate recognized him. “That’s Mr. Liu from Lingshu Mountain! He works at the Nine Needle Medical Clinic, and his acupuncture skills are miraculous. But I heard Mr. Liu’s own Cultivation isn’t very high—he’s never managed to break through to Divinity Transformation. I can’t believe he’d volunteer to go to the front lines!”

The speaker’s tone was a mixture of worry and admiration.

A Medical Cultivator’s healing ability isn’t entirely dependent on their Cultivation level. If their medical skills are sufficiently advanced, they can ignore the restrictions of their own Cultivation to a certain degree, allowing a lower-level practitioner to treat a higher-level one.

Mr. Liu was clearly such a highly skilled physician.

But in this world, Cultivation is fundamental. As a Medical Cultivator, even if you possess the ability to heal those far beyond your level—for instance, someone in the Qi Refining Stage treating someone in the Divinity Transformation Stage—healing ability is not the same as combat prowess.

In moments of true crisis, the only things that can protect you are your own Cultivation and combat strength.

It’s fine if one is stationed in the rear. In the heart of the Nine Provinces, most Cultivators wouldn’t dare to offend a Medical Cultivator, especially within cities where the Court provides special protection to those who are registered.

But on the front lines, many things are beyond one’s control.

Some in the crowd voiced their concerns. “The front lines are nothing like the rear. Even if the West Wind Army dispatches guards for special protection, who can predict what will happen on a battlefield? Mr. Liu volunteering to go is admirable—such courage and selflessness are truly respectable—but… it’s also deeply worrying!”

But others dismissed the worries. “Tch, you people are just overthinking it. Going to Demon Suppression Pass doesn’t mean he’ll be on the front lines. He can stay inside the pass and treat the soldiers who come back from the battlefield. Since Mr. Liu’s medical skills are so superb, you really think the West Wind Army wouldn’t do everything to protect him?”

As the crowd murmured, a West Wind Army officer by the gate, who was in charge of the notices and holding a bamboo scroll, began questioning Mr. Liu. “You’re a Medical Cultivator? What’s your name? What’s your Cultivation? Do you have an Identity Token? Are you registered with Willow Leaf Hall?”

While the West Wind Army officer up ahead asked his questions, Zhou Mu leaned in and whispered an explanation to Song Ciwan. “Fairy, Willow Leaf Hall is a Medical Cultivator Alliance jointly established by the Court and the major Upper Sects. Nearly all Medical Cultivators who operate within the Four Great Demon Passes register there. It’s said that Willow Leaf Hall has many resources you can’t find anywhere else. Having a Willow Leaf Hall identity makes getting around out here much easier, too.”

Having traveled together for some time, Zhou Mu and the others were well aware that Xing Lan Fairy was unfamiliar with many things concerning the Demon Suppression Pass region. They surmised she was likely from some reclusive Sect and had only recently emerged to gain worldly experience, which wasn’t all that surprising.

The Nine Provinces were simply too vast—people from every imaginable background could be found.

As a lower-ranking Cultivator, Zhou Mu had his own philosophy for survival. He never pried into Song Ciwan’s specific origins, contenting himself with being a thoughtful and dedicated guide.

Often, Song Ciwan didn’t even need to ask. Whatever they encountered, saw, or whatever popped into his head, Zhou Mu would voluntarily provide an explanation.

Song Ciwan nodded slightly as she heard Zhou Mu continue, “Fairy, since you’ve never been to Demon Suppression Pass before, you’ll need to get an Identity Token after we enter the city.”

An Identity Token… Song Ciwan recalled that she had, in fact, gotten one before, back when she was in Guangling City under her true identity.

Song Zhao was her real name and her true appearance, which meant that she did, in fact, have an Identity Token.

And it was a Celestial Pride Level Token, at that. It was said to grant passage through any city in the Nine Provinces, and was even valid for entry at the Four Great Demon Passes on the border.