Chapter 29 Wisdom points
The day dawned heavy with mist, shrouding the cold palace grounds in a gray veil that made the surroundings feel even colder. Li An, a strong and determined seven-year-old, sat cross-legged in her chamber, deep in meditation with Seedee. It had been her steadfast companion, teacher, and guide through countless hours of practice in the arts of music, poetry, chess, and calligraphy. But Seedee needed something more this time—wisdom points, as it put it, which would increase its strength and extend its reach.
For a while now, after their rescue of Concubine Su last time, Seedee had shared visions of things outside the cold palace, of people struggling and starving in ways she couldn't fully comprehend. She had heard of poverty before, but nothing like the scenes Seedee showed her of the slums outside the cold palace walls. On their last journey, she had briefly glimpsed the outskirts and the desperate conditions in which people lived. But Seedee's quiet urging had drawn her back to these images, filling her with the strange ache of pity.
"It's time to apply your learning, Li An," Seedee's voice whispered within her, calm but firm. "You've learned much in the arts and healing. Let's go to the slums and see what good we can do."
A mix of excitement and trepidation filled her. Li An was no stranger to difficult challenges—she had mastered many disciplines under Seedee's guidance. But to venture out on her own into unknown lands filled with strangers, not to hunt but to help? It was a daunting task. Still, the thought of helping others in pain stirred something profound in her.
The feeling she had while helping the kid Jian last time still lingers in her mind. It was— a good feeling.
With quick, silent movements, she dressed in dark, unassuming clothes and wrapped herself in a rough woolen shawl that one of the maidservants had given her before. Her small frame was easy to conceal, and she slipped unnoticed past the guards, moving through shadows until she reached the narrow passage that led outside the palace walls. With one final look behind her, she disappeared into the streets.
The slums were only a bit of a distance away, and it felt like a world apart. As she entered the outskirts, she was met by a sharp, foul odor she'd never encountered before. The air was thick and stale, and the roads were packed earth that quickly turned to mud in the early morning dampness. Narrow alleyways twisted in every direction, like veins through an unfamiliar body. Shabby huts, cobbled together from wood, scraps of cloth, and even discarded palace refuse, stood shoulder to shoulder, each one housing families who peered out from dark windows with haunted eyes.
Li An took a steadying breath. This was no time for hesitation. She'd come here with a purpose.
"Look for those who are ill," Seedee encouraged. "I'll guide you."
Though she has knowledge of medicine, her experience and her confidence are still lacking.
Steeling herself, Li An moved through the alleys, her keen gaze taking in every detail. Soon, she saw a woman leaning against a wall, her face drawn and eyes feverish, clutching a bundle of rags to her chest.
"Miss… miss, can you help me?" the woman rasped, her voice thick with sickness. "My daughter… she won't stop coughing."
Though Li An was a little girl, it seems that the mother was too desperate that she would grab just anyone for help.
Li An knelt beside the woman and carefully unwrapped the bundle, revealing a little girl no older than three, her small face pale and gaunt, her lips cracked. Her shallow breaths rattled in her tiny chest, and a raw cough escaped her lips, as harsh as a death rattle.
Gently, Li An placed her hand on the child's forehead, feeling the fever that burned beneath her skin. It was something she had never felt so intensely before—a body struggling, a tiny heart fighting against an illness it couldn't overcome on its own.
"What does she need? Can you diagnose it?" Seedee asked in her mind as if testing her knowledge.
Li An frowned while still checking the child.
"Her lungs are filled with phlegm, and her body is weak," she explained. "We'll start with a simple remedy. Ginger and honey will ease her breathing, while warm water and salt will clear her throat. If we can find these ingredients, I can make a poultice for her fever."
She was muttering. Her words seem to be sure but also seems to be asking for confirmation.
"Correct… We got some wisdom points." Seedee's voice echoed in her mind with confirmation.
The mother who heard her mumblings was astonished. She did not expect that this little girl would be able to determine the condition of her child. Her hope immediately rose up. She did not care about the age of the little girl, all she knew was that she is now her hope to heal her child.
Li An straightened, scanning her surroundings. Food was scarce here, and such remedies, though simple, were not within reach for many of the people. But she had learned the art of observation and deduction through her studies, and her mind quickly spotted a nearby vendor with bundles of ginger roots among his wares. She approached, tugging at the vendor's sleeve.
"Excuse me, sir," she said, her voice steady despite her small size. "Could I have a piece of ginger? It's for a sick child."
The man looked down at her, eyes narrowed, and laughed bitterly. "Everything costs money, little girl. This ginger isn't free."
Li An gritted her teeth. Money was something she had after taking down those assassins from before. But Seedee told her that knew she cannot flaunt it here. So she should act like a pauper.
Bargaining in the slums was different from the subtle negotiations of court politics. Her pride flared, but she swallowed it down as she needed to hide her money.
"Please, sir," she said.
She pretended to take out a single coin as if it was her last bit of money.
The vendor saw this and snorted, however, something in the child's eyes, perhaps a gleam of sincerity he hadn't seen in a while, softened him. He reached over and tore a small piece of ginger from the root, dropping it into her outstretched hands while taking the coin.
With Seedee's instructions, Li An returned to the mother and child. She pounded the ginger between two stones, forming a paste, then asked the woman to fetch a small pot of water from the well nearby. When it was brought, she mixed the ginger with a spoonful of honey a kind neighbor had offered, stirring until it formed a warm, soothing concoction. She helped the mother hold the little girl up, and with a spoon she'd borrowed, Li An coaxed the medicine between the child's cracked lips.
To hasten the effect of the medicine, Li An even brought out her acupuncture needles.
When the mother saw this, she was afraid at first, but she knew that the little girl before her was just helping, so she held her feelings and just watched from the side.
After the acupuncture, the effect of the medicine was almost immediate. The little girl's breathing grew easier, and though her cough didn't disappear entirely, the harshness of it softened, allowing her mother to cradle her with relief.
A group had gathered by then, drawn by the hope of healing. Word spread quickly in the slums, and soon others came forward, their faces gaunt, their bodies weak and feeble. Illnesses ran unchecked here, each one breeding and spreading within close quarters, where even clean water was a luxury.
When they saw that the healer was just a little girl, some looked at her with doubt in their eyes. However, there are those that were desperate like the mother, and so, one by one, they approached her, and one by one, Li An treated them as best she could, adapting each remedy with Seedee's guidance.
For sore throats, she fashioned poultices from herbs she asked some of them to gather in the nearby alleys. For children with coughs, she made mixtures of warm water and honey she had bought, her hands working tirelessly. In some cases, she used her knowledge of acupressure, pressing points on their wrists and throats to ease their pain.
As the day went on, Li An's small frame began to tire. Sweat beaded her brow, and her arms felt heavy, but her spirit didn't falter. These people needed her, and that was enough to drive her onward.
Then, just as she was finishing tending to an old man with a wheezing cough, she heard a child's scream. Turning, she saw a boy, his arm swollen and covered in red sores, the flesh around it mottled with angry blisters. It was unlike anything she'd encountered before, a sickness that threatened not just pain but danger to those around him.
"Seedee," she whispered in alarm. "What kind of illness is this? What should I do?"
"This is an infection that may spread if left untreated," Seedee replied gravely. "You'll need to cleanse the wound and use medicinal herbs that draw out infection. Look for marigold or garlic; they should help."
The challenge felt monumental. She had little experience of wounds like this, yet Seedee guided her with a steady calm. Gathering her strength, she went to work, cleaning the wound with water and applying crushed garlic she had in her bag to the sores. The boy whimpered, but Li An held his hand, offering words of comfort, even as her heart raced with worry.
Hours passed. Her treatments were small, temporary solutions, but for those in the slums, they offered relief they'd rarely known. She hadn't been able to cure everyone or offer anything close to a permanent solution, but her presence had brought them hope.
As the day faded into evening, Li An found herself seated against a wall, her body weary but her heart strangely full. She had given much, and she had learned even more—about compassion, resilience, and the power of simple knowledge applied with care.
"Thank you, Seedee," she murmured, closing her eyes as exhaustion finally took hold. "I never understood… how much people outside suffered. It's not… fair."
"No, it's not," Seedee agreed, its voice soft. "But knowledge gives you the power to change it, one life at a time. Today, you have planted seeds of hope… And we have gained a large amount of wisdom points… Hehehe…"
That last chuckle gave chills on Li An's back. She just shakes her head as she knows that Seedee is in its antics again.
As she lay against the wall, though she was too tired to move, a quiet determination filled her—a new purpose blossoming in her heart.
Seedee began to explain what they had gained today, but its words are like a lullaby making her want to sleep due to her fatigued body.