Various streets passed quickly around me as I moved through them. I still carried the bag with the jewels to my great disappointment. I had tried to visit other pawnshops and moneylenders, but guards were swarming them by that point so I decided that caution was a better part of valor. I did not need to cause an incident with guards. It was not the only surprise of the day

It seemed the money lender had some sway within the city, which was rather problematic, because I still needed the money. My attempts to woo a husband were a failure even before I began and my attempts to raise even a meager amount of money was now foiled by my impulsiveness. I needed a new source of money, but I was running out of options fast.

I had other options of course, but all of them were problematic. I could earn money by fighting, but repeated ventures out to the fighting arenas would certainly reveal my true identity and thus bring shame to my family and other options like going to work in docks or helping guard carried the same issue. Daughter of the Silverhand clan could not be seen working manually, at least not in the city.

Another problem was that all the ideas I had would take time, even finding a husband getting dowry was a slow process, but all the others were not much quicker. To get the money my parents needed I had to get a large haul at once, but my skills were not conducive to making a quick buck.

I faced one truth. I was only good at fighting, but fighting was not a good way to get money quickly. It would take time to work out towards a large payout and the Silverhand clan had no use for my fighting skills. We could always hire more muscle. The clans sponsored cultivators because of their connections. It was the connection which made cultivators worthy to the clan ,but their skills were not that useful, especially if they were bound to the sect for most of the time.

Of course I could always write to Ann and ask her for cultivation resources, which I could then sell later. I doubted Anna would refuse me and even the resources given to her by the sect would be more than enough to boost the purse of my parents significantly, not to mention the resources she would gain by visiting the Shadowstar forest.

I detested the thought that I could not ask her for resources .She needed to pursue the path to immortality and for that she would need every scar of resources available to her. I could not rob her of the opportunity I lost, but I had to repay my parents for their care. It was frustrating.

If only I was still cultivator, I could get the resources myself, but I was now mortal. It was then I froze in mid-step.

I remembered my encounter with the hunters. They were not cultivators and still hunted Beasts. I was stronger than them and I had at least as much experience hunting Beasts as they did. While I could not use my techniques, I had my strength and the Beasts hunters hunted were often small prey, who would not present a threat to me, even in my diminished condition.

This brought a smile to my face, when I registered a bunch of guards pointing at me. I sped up, and the guards followed. I had no intention of figuring out what they wanted and so I sped up followed by their shouts.

“Halt, thief!” they shouted as I ducked behind the corner. It seemed the money lender Adra recommended me was not on the level and called the guards to hunt me down. I was not afraid as I pushed against the ground and jumped to the nearest roof. I was out of practice and so my landing was not graceful, but I pulled myself up before the guards moved in and their angry shouts grew very confused.

I smiled and moved along the roofs towards the clan compound.

As I was jumping across the roofs, I considered my plan to hunt some Beasts further. I knew of a location where Beasts would appear in great numbers soon. I had the skill necessary and I would have strength to pursue this course of action.

On the other hand, I could go and still end up with no money in my purse as I would get unlucky and gain no cultivation materials from the low tier beasts which I could hunt. That was a problem, but the chance I would pay more for equipment and provisions, than make in selling was low, so it was worth it.

The bigger issue was the fact I would have to persuade my parents that I was healthy. With my cultivation method I could stop self-devourment syndrome in its tracks and so I was technically healthy. The problem before me would be persuading my doctor his “cure” worked so miraculously well.

I doubted it would go so easily as just informing him that I was healed, but it should not be impossible to do so. I would just need some evidence to help with my case.

I stopped and slid back on the ground. I had apothecaries and doctors to visit and hopefully still enough money to get their attention.

I walked back to the city evading the patrolling guards, but my sudden disappearance cooled their enthusiasm and I saw less and less frantic searching and running around the city looking for their thief as the day progressed.

I could visit three doctors of various quality and get them to give me a certificate of good health, although the looks they gave me when I explained my request to them was strange. I had enough coin with me, so they deigned to consider my request with little due respect.

I secured the three certificates of good health with me, but this took the better part of the day as I had to wait in every waiting room each practitioner of medicine had set up from rooms to streets for my turn and their waiting spaces were rather full. I returned home as the sun was closing on the horizon.

The guards at the clan compound paid me no heed when I walked in and went to my rooms. I heard voices of my father and mother and stopped before I opened the door.

“I am sure we will make do. I still have some jewels to sell,” my mother said and my heart sank.

“I am sorry,” my father apologized, “My luck had been rotten lately:”

“It is not your fault, caravans get into trouble and natural disasters happen. I am sure the next investment will make enough profit to cover your losses from this venture.” My mother tried to reassure my father.

“That might be true, but the next caravan will not arrive before the end of the year and debt collectors will demand money in three months' time. I think we will have to take another loan, my dear,” my father said.

I opened the doors and walked in, ”Or we could sell all the things I no longer need,” I interrupted their discussion.

My mother looked at me for a moment before she chastised me, ”Mei Silverhand listening to other people's conversations is not proper.

My father was more collected and addressed my offer without an emotional outburst, ”We cannot want this from you. They are your things and we cannot force you to part with them.”

I closed my eyes trying to parse the ancient truth, that trying to help people who cared about you before themselves was pain.

“I want you to take the things and sell them for money,” I said and waited for the response I knew was coming.

“We cannot do that, Mei. It would not be proper,” my mother said, showing why I was visiting shady money lenders and brokers.

“It is my wish and I do not need most of those things, anyway. They were perfect for the seven years old me, but I am not seven years old anymore,” I pointed out.

“We bought those toys and clothes for you. You should not deprive yourself just for our sake,” my father tried to reason with me completely ignoring what I was telling him.

“Why would I need those things father? I am not a little girl anymore and have outgrown them. What would you do with them normally, if I stayed in the house?” I asked him. I had to get through their thick heads the need to sell those jewels, for their sake alone.

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“We would have probably gifted them to other families in the clan, or…” he trailed off.

“Or what father?” I pushed him.

“Or we would have sold them,” my mother finished for him when he was hesitating, her voice defeated.

“Then nothing prevents you from selling them,” I said looking at the guilty-looking pair in front of me. ”I will certainly not blame you.”

“Are you truly okay with this?” My mother asked, “You love the jewels. They look so pretty on you.”

It was at that moment that I understood the chasm between me and my parents, which I was trying to ignore. I was away for a very long time and was part of society, which had nothing in common with the Silverhand clan. I had nothing in common with my parents at all. It was a sobering thought.

“I do not think it is wise to change your environment so drastically. Doctor Francos said you might need a familiar environment to speed up your healing. I am sure we can wait at least some time before we have to resort to selling your things and who knows what will happen before that?” my father said

I nodded at this small blessing of the Ancestors. My father just offered me a perfect opening, which I would not waste.

“I have great news. The miraculous drugs prepared by the doctor Francos were incredibly potent. I felt incredibly well this morning and so I went to the city to get the opinion of various doctors and to my great surprise they all gave me a clean bill of health,” I explained smiling. I knew it was a dirty thing to lie to my parents, but it was perfect for the narrative I had weaved. It was a perfect solution.

“I do not think such quick recovery is possible. The doctor believed the treatment would take much longer than that,” my father said, looking at me full of suspicion, while my mother shared his opinion and gave me rather dark looks.

I kept my smile on, ”I know it sounds impossible, but it happened. My recovery surprised even the doctors I spoke to. They even refused to believe I was sick in the first place,” I explained as I pulled the documents confirming my health from my tunic,” They even gave me certificates of my good health.

My parents studied the references I had prepared for them dutifully and carefully. I was sure they were still suspicious, but I had indisputable evidence in front of them and it was true to boot, so even if they tried to get confirmation in the town I knew they would find it. It was a perfect plan, which carried a hidden flaw I failed to consider.

“I do not doubt veracity of their words, Mei, but I do not know any of these doctors and by the look of their seals of practice, they do not seem to be,” my father fumbled on his words for a time, ”... reputable,”

“You mean they were not rich doctors,” I pointed out the truth he was hesitating to say. I simply had no money to visit more “reputable” doctors in the city, so I went to practices around the trader quarter, ”I do not believe the doctors around the clan compounds are not so incompetent, that they would fail basic examination.”

“We know, but it would be better, if a more reputable doctor still had looked at you. I think it would be better, if we let doctor Francos check on your progress. We just want the best for you Mei,” my mother offered.

I really hoped I would not have to speak to the “doctor”, but I saw no way out. My parents believed him and his clean bill of health would make everything simpler. I just doubted he would give me one, that easily.

“I will let him examine me, but I will go to the clan’s medic to get another clean bill of health, before he arrives,” I informed my parents.

“You do not have to go anywhere, Mei. We call the medic to us,” my father pointed out and left to do as he said, leaving me with my mother for a moment.

She went and sat next to me, “Mei you do not have to sacrifice your things for us. It is not something we want,” she said to me and raised her hand to hug me.

“It is something I want to do, mother. I wish to repay you for your care no matter how hard it is,” I said to her and hugged her back.

I was silent, letting her heat warm me. I remembered doing this when I was little. It was a nostalgic feeling and so I sat with her in silence until the clan’s medic entered.

The examination was quick, as were the examinations with the professionals in the town, although this medic examined me after my battle with my cousin and so he knew how bad I was beforehand.

“This is remarkable. To heal with such speed is not a thing of mortals. You were much worse off last time I met you,” he said as he finished listening to my breath through my tunic as proprietary recommended and to my great annoyance. I did not know how he could find out anything like this.

“I know. It is thanks to the medicine doctor Francos gave me, that I could recover so swiftly,” I lied and this time the lie came easily to me, although I was rather sure I could not convince the medic as he looked at me.

“Doctor Franco's medicine helped you so swiftly? I know he has a reputation, but this is beyond anything I had seen,” he said and looked at me, his eyes piercing my soul.

“I admit it might have more to do with my constitution as a former cultivator, but I took the medicine he prepared to me dutifully,” I added a bit of truth to my lie and in a hushed tone added , ”And my parents place great trust in the “doctor” and his methods. I am sure it would be easier, if it was his medicine that worked, especially as he will have to give me a clean bill of health.”

The clan’s doctor rolled his eyes, “That makes much more sense and I am glad that you are getting wise in the ways of the clan. Now stand up and do a cartwheel for me,” he said.

I looked at him full of doubt, but I did as he commanded, yet my curiosity was too strong, ”Why would you want me to do this exercise?” I asked him.

“To see how big a fool you are,” he said smiling and turned to my parents, who were anxiously waiting the arrival of doctor Francos, “I cannot find any problem with her health, expect that I fear she suffered few too many blows to her head during her training, which might have caused permanent impairment of her senses,” he said to my parents, who looked at him horrified.

“I am joking, Xun. Mei is absolutely okay and in perfect health. You have nothing to fear.” the medic said and packed his things.

“The nerve of the man,” my mother said, while my father chuckled.

“You know him, my dear wife. He was always like that,” he said smiling.

“You know the clan’s medic?” I asked them.

“My beautiful wife recommended him to the post, after an adventure she dislikes explaining. He is a very good medic, but he has little education about diseases and conditions of the body.,” my father explained. I nodded, not daring to think of how easily my ruse could crumble, if the clan medic talked about my condition with my father he might reveal details, which would not fit with the details doctor Francos crafted and I supported. I sent prayer to the ancestors, so that my ruse would hold, but my prayer was cut short as doctor Francos entered our rooms.

He bowed to my father! Honored one how is your daughter? Does she require further assistance or advice? Has she found a fault with her medicine? ” he asked once more, ignoring me. What I found intriguing, that despite the speed with which he arrived he was meticulously clothed without fault or crevasse on his robes. It was an achievement although I did not know whether to condemn him for it or praise him for it.

“No, honored doctor. Your medicine was extremely effective and my daughter is now completely healthy,” my father said to him smiling, but I require a professional opinion from you.

I could see dismay on his face, which swiftly morphed into a mask of concern, ”I doubt such speedy recovery is possible. My skills are undoubtedly great, but I am no miracle worker. Nevertheless, I shall examine your daughter thoroughly and see her progress, if you permit me to do so and with her mother’s supervision,” he said.

As my father granted him permission I used the time and arranged the three documents confirming my clean bill of health close to me, so that he would have to see them closely, as he would examine me.

He was frowning more and more as his examination continued, but he could mask his disappointment under a polite smile. It was time to deliver the final blow to him and so once he finished I opened my mouth and said to my father.

“Doctor Francos is truly a genius among the doctors. His medicine had such a marvelous effect and just after a few doses. It is an indisputable showcase of his craft and confidence.Tell him ,father, that even our clan doctor confirmed how incredible a job he did.” My tongue nearly refused to let my words pass my lips as they burned with falsehood, but it was a way to freedom I had to claim.

As I smiled innocently at my doctor, I could see the annoyance war with greed on his face. I understood his dilemma. I had enough support for my claim and, if he now claimed that he was unsure about his success, he would not only go against the consensus of many other doctors but also undermine the confidence he had in his medicines, which if spread would cost him much money in the future, but he would lose access to my parents’ finances, which he undoubtedly wished to leech away as much as possible.

If he was focused on the patient’s health he would deny my statement, proclaim such a recovery an impossible act and demand further observation of me, but if he was after the money first he would agree with me leaving himself a way out and profit from my miraculous recovery. I was confident I knew the kind of man he was.

“I concur with my colleagues, honored Xun. Your daughter underwent a miraculous healing. I believe my medicines proved even more potent than I was expecting. I would suggest you finish the cure and call me in case young miss suffers a new malady, so I can once more treat it, but I certainly conquered her disease through my skill,” he said to my father brimming with confidence.

Both my parents smiled and thanked the doctor profusely. I did the same as he gave me an annoyed glare, when my parents could not see his face. Yet I smiled even more. The doctor would soon leave my life and stop draining my parents of money they desperately needed.

Now I had to continue with my plan.