Chapter: Shifting powers

“I heard that little brother suffered a loss upon your glorious return," a burly looking man laughed as Wren was entering a bar with his gaggle of followers.

"Older Brother Yui," Wren grit his teeth and greeted his older brother.

A number of his followers looked at the large burly man with interest, the women trying to entice him.

He took in the sights, but seeing the awkwardness of his younger brother made him snort.

"Don't tease little Wren like that," a faint voice carried through the place from a curtained off VIP area.

The curtains were parted by servants as Domonos, their eldest brother, who was being served wine and grapes, looked up from his activities.

"Elder brother," Yui said, his face solemn, not daring to slight his older brother. He might look kind but he was a vicious person and fighter. Going against him, one had to guard for hidden wounds that would affect them later on in life.

He truly didn't show mercy to his enemies or those that stood in his way.

Wren perked up, a joyful smile appearing on his face, after all his tendencies were the most similar to his oldest brother. Wren might be the youngest and his fighting abilities might be the weakest, with his eldest brother's backing, no one would dare to slight him. Wren was called the Young Master as he would inherit the Silaz business, Domonos was called the Young Lord as he would be the one to bring the Silaz family to new heights. He  had already been selected by a sect in the second realm and he was waiting for them to descend for a nearby challenge before they would ascend, taking him with them and bringing him into the sect.

"Aren't we all of the Silaz family here, should we not pick one another up?" Domonos asked lightly, his smile seemed carefree and gentle, making those that didn't know his nature smile, while other shivered, Yui cupped his fists to Domonos and bowed deeply.

"Eldest brother's words truly bring new light to my eyes. I was blind before," Yui said.

"Wren, it has been some time since we drank together, won't you share a drink with your eldest brother?"

"Certainly Eldest brother, it would be my Honor," Wren said, still looking up to his brother as all young brothers would, seeing them as the ruler of all.

A calculating flash passed through Wren's eyes as he moved to his brother's private curtained off area.

It wasn't long until they got on the subject of the two men and their audacity to verbally spar with Wren and how they had been able to escape Wren's hands.

Wren was filled with joy as he saw Domonos frown slightly.

"Father might be scared with you confronting them, but if I was to do it then it would cut out the problem at the root," Domonos said.

"Thank you, brother, I will surely look for some way to pay brother back, I hope that you were able to enjoy the gifts that I sent you up on hearing that you made it into the Wilful Sect," Wren said, the two brothers shared a smile with Domonos letting out a short laugh.

"Indeed you might be the youngest but your mind is sharp," Domonos praised.

His friends had dark smiles on their faces, it looked like the Young lord would be moving again.

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***

Grand master Eri was the leader of the Healing Moon House, as such he was not expecting someone to barge into his own study as he was taking his afternoon tea.

"I am sorry, Master, but I couldn't stop myself anymore," Xui Deng, one of Grandmaster Eri’s direct disciples declared as he dropped to his knees in front of his master, prostrating himself before him.

Eri had no time to try and stop or question him as Xui Deng's words came out like a river.

"A number of the peasants have been talking about a man that is healing their wounds without asking much in the way of compensation. They say that he is a healing Grandmaster like yourself. Even going so far to say that your grand healing spells look powerful, but they are not as good as the healing that this man provides," Xui, Deng said, his anger and frustration suppressed, his master was the most powerful healer in all of Chonglu and the surrounding region. The other healing houses might try to compete but he knew that his grandmaster was the greatest of them all.

Grandmaster Eri's expression darkened slightly.

"I have heard that there was a slight commotion. I did not think it would reach to the stage that they were questioning our healing house!"

His face turned red as his beard quivered in anger.

He took a few moments to compose himself.

The truth was that Grandmaster Eri knew his own faults, he was a high leveled apprentice healer, in the first realm that might count for something, in the higher realms that was barely passable. Instead of relying on his abilities, he took on a greater managerial role, only with relying on a few mana potions was he able to cast powerful healing spells for longer to shock the younger generation. Establishing him as a Grandmaster that sought to improve their skills instead of flaunting his own.

He and the other healing house elders would get into confrontations but the simple fact was that they wouldn't dare to try and overthrow the other. It would bring the people's retribution and the strength they would lose would be even greater. Instead they looked to put on displays of their healing power to awe the masses and draw greater patronage from the nobles for their exclusive services.

Now this man had come along and he was throwing them all in the dirt. Not only was he charging just a few coppers. He was doing it in the market without needing any grand scheme.

From what Eri had learned, this man wasn't just come kind of hoax, he was the real deal.

That was much harder to deal with.

"Use the Black Blood poison, if he wishes to say he’s a healer, lets see what happens when he comes up against a truly life threatening issue," Eri said.

"Yes, Grandmaster," Xui Deng said, the fervor in his eyes only increasing.

Grandmaster Eri nodded. The boy might not be the brightest but his loyalty was one of the best, making him the most appropriate student who would ignore his shortcomings and look to extolling his virtues to all that he met.

***

Xui Deng acted quickly, he found out where Erik and Rugrat had been staying and then sent out some of the guards from the Moon healing house to watch the location.

He himself moved into the crowd that was around the healing stall.

Not only was there the previous man proclaiming himself as a healer, there was a second larger man with him.

Healers, they look more like brutes. Xui Deng sneered to himself as people lined up to get healed, the two moved through them too quickly to be real healers, taking only the smallest donations and making sure that they weren’t bankrupting those that came to see them.

They even grabbed subpar ‘medicines’ from the apothecaries. This further affirmed Xui Deng’s beliefs. No healer in their right mind would rely on apothecaries or alchemists. Alchemists and healers were at odds with one another through the realms.

One using the aid of the other was practically unheard of.

Xui Deng looked over their primitive ways and couldn’t contain himself anymore.

He quietly called up one of his people.

“Go and use this on that shorter one,” Xui Deng said, holding out a needle covered in black blood poison

“How will I get close to them?” The guard asked.

“You’ll need an injury, don’t worry I’ll be sure to heal you,” Xui Deng promised.

The man had a grim look on his face hesitating.

Xui Deng glanced at the other guard.

He stepped forwards and grabbed the other man’s arm.

“Grit your teeth,” a sickening cracking sound appeared as the man let out a scream between his clamped lips, his arm bent the other way now.

He grabbed his now broken arm, Xui Deng waved his hand towards the two healers.