Chapter 147: Those Closest to Us

Gao Wangjun agreed to let Xiao Ding help treat her sprain, so Xiao Ding stopped hesitating. He grabbed her injured ankle and circulated his spiritual energy into the affected area. Gao Wangjun immediately felt a warm, tingling sensation rippling through her ankle, and the previous pain vanished instantly.

Following that, the warm, tingling sensation continued to wash over her, sinking deep into her soul and making her feel so wonderfully comfortable that she almost cried out. Her cheeks flushed a rosy red. It was the first time an unfamiliar man had ever held her foot, and the sensations radiating from her ankle made her whole body tingle delightfully. A wave of bashfulness rose within her, turning even the tips of her ears red.

The swelling and redness on her ankle vanished at a visible speed, leaving the accompanying physician sitting nearby staring in utter astonishment. Having served as a military doctor for many years, he had never witnessed such a rapid method for treating sprains.

In truth, for Xiao Ding, treating a sprain was far easier than treating internal or external wounds. A sprain was merely an injury to the tendons and bones, where poor blood circulation and obstructed meridians led to swelling and pain. Xiao Ding only needed to clear the blocked meridians and mend the injured tendons and bones. Once the blood circulated freely and the meridians were opened, the swelling naturally subsided, and the pain disappeared along with it.

After a few cycles of circulating his energy, Xiao Ding cleared the damaged meridians in Gao Wangjun's ankle and repaired the injured tissue, then slowly released his grip. At that moment, Gao Wangjun was still flushed and intoxicated by the soul-stirring sensation she had just experienced.

"General Gao, it's done now," Xiao Ding said.

"Ah? The treatment is finished already?" Gao Wangjun snapped back to reality, too embarrassed to admit that she wanted to continue experiencing that wonderful feeling.

"Does your ankle still hurt? Use the herbal prescription from this physician first; it will aid in your recovery. I'll come back tomorrow to treat you once more, and the day after tomorrow, you'll be able to walk around," Xiao Ding instructed.

"General Tian, what kind of cultivation technique are you using? It's so miraculous! Could you teach it to me?" Seeing that Xiao Ding's technique was indeed extraordinary, Gao Wangjun changed her form of address and spoke to him with a hint of courtesy.

"This technique was passed down to me by an eccentric master of the mundane world. He once told me not to impart it casually to others, except for those closest to me," Xiao Ding blurted out nonsensically.

"Ah, it seems I have no affinity with this technique!" Gao Wangjun said with a trace of disappointment.

"Not necessarily. I have already taught this technique to my wife, as well as my younger brothers and sisters. If you were one of those closest to me, I could teach it to you as well." Hearing Xiao Ding speak thus, his intention to flirt was glaringly obvious, his wolfish ambition completely bare for all to see.

"I knew you always had ulterior motives! Hmph, your fox tail is showing now, isn't it? By the way, you just said you passed the technique on to your wife—are you already married?" Gao Wangjun asked, looking at him with an expression that said she had seen right through him all along.

"Yes, I am married," Xiao Ding replied.

"And yet you're still out here flirting and leading women on? One look at you tells me you're no good—a total profligate!" Gao Wangjun scolded, putting on a stern face once more.

Xiao Ding thought to himself that in Gao Wangjun's eyes, his image was likely that of an unredeemable playboy, and it was probably impossible to change her mind now.

The next day, Xiao Ding treated Gao Wangjun's ankle a second time. Once again, she experienced that peculiar, warm, and tingling sensation of absolute comfort spreading through her entire body. Aside from marveling at the miraculous nature of his technique, she couldn't help feeling a tinge of envy toward it.

Through this treatment, the relationship between the two eased considerably. Although Gao Wangjun still secretly considered Xiao Ding a scoundrel who lusted after her beauty, she no longer felt the same hostility she had harbored before.

The two even chatted idly for a while. When Xiao Ding learned that Gao Wangjun had indeed never studied any internal cultivation methods, he felt a twinge of pity and almost ended up passing his own technique on to her.

"If you had studied internal cultivation before practicing martial arts, your strength, speed, and mastery would all reach a whole new level," Xiao Ding told her.

"What a pity. Since childhood, I've only learned the Gao family spear techniques and swordsmanship from my grandfather and father, and I've never studied any internal cultivation," Gao Wangjun said with genuine regret.

"I would have thought that with the influence of your estate, acquiring an internal cultivation manual would be effortless!" Xiao Ding remarked.

"None of my family members ever thought about it before, so no one bothered to collect any. Tell you what, General Tian, take me as your disciple! If you accept me as your student, we'll be among those closest to you, and then you can teach me your technique!" Gao Wangjun said suddenly, a clever idea striking her.

"That simply won't do, General Gao. You come from a prestigious background and hold a high status, while I am merely a country bumpkin. How could I wrong you by making you my disciple? Besides, I've never thought about taking on apprentices," Xiao Ding repeatedly waved his hands in refusal. He certainly didn't dare to accept such a high-status disciple.

"What does status have to do with anything? This isn't an arranged marriage where social standing matters. Is it really that much trouble to take on a disciple?" Gao Wangjun said dismissively.

"It won't do, it really won't do, absolutely not!" Xiao Ding shook his head like a rattle-drum. He was firmly resolved not to accept her as a disciple.

"You really are a man with the heart of a thief but the courage of a mouse! I've given you such a proactive chance to get close to me, and you don't even know how to seize it properly. Yet you still dare to harbor crooked thoughts about me—a good-for-nothing man like you is completely beneath my notice!" With that, Gao Wangjun proudly lifted her chin.

Xiao Ding thought to himself that here she went again; his reputation in her eyes was now thoroughly ruined. Just what kind of experiences had this young mistress of the Gao family been through to make her view other men in such a light?

Leaving Gao Wangjun's quarters, Xiao Ding arrived at the county office's conference hall, where he met Huang Wenlong, Magistrate Yang, and the others as usual. Whether there was business to discuss or not, they gathered in the hall every day to debate military strategy or simply chat idly.

Hearing that Xiao Ding had just come from treating Gao Wangjun's injury, Huang Wenlong patted Xiao Ding's shoulder knowingly and said, "Young man, seize the opportunity! Good chances are hard to come by!"

With that, he cast a look that clearly said, *I've been down this road before, nothing gets past me.*

It made Xiao Ding's skin crawl, leaving him wondering what on earth Huang Wenlong was talking about.

Just as Xiao Ding was feeling baffled and completely lost by Huang Wenlong's insinuations, a soldier hurried in to report, "Reporting to Lord Fei, Lord Huang, and Lord Magistrate Yang: outside the city gates, there are people claiming to have come from the capital, requesting the lords to go out and welcome them."

The group froze in surprise, each thinking to themselves: *Who could this be?*