Fortunately, Chen Nuo's Middle Level Medicine seemed to be pretty decent.
Under everyone's tense gaze,
COUGH! COUGH!
The old man blearily opened his eyes.
"He's awake! Great Uncle is really awake!"
"Good heavens, is that kid Chen Nuo really that skilled?"
"Then why couldn't he cure the livestock? Can he only treat people?"
"Hard to say."
"Great Uncle!"
"Third Uncle!"
"..."
The air filled with greetings and cries of joyful surprise.
Chen Nuo struggled to help the Great Uncle sit up, sweat already beading on his forehead.
'This body... it's just too weak!'
COUGH. COUGH.
The old man looked around, then at Chen Nuo, and immediately understood what had happened.
"Ah Nuo, it's all thanks to you. Otherwise, this old life of mine would have been forfeit."
Chen Nuo shook his head. "It was my duty. If it weren't for you, Great Uncle, my family wouldn't have made it this far."
The old man said no more words of thanks, merely patting Chen Nuo's hand gently before looking at the crowd. "What are you all gawking at? Shoo, shoo! Get back to what you're supposed to be doing. The sky hasn't fallen."
The surrounding clan members—some solemn, some respectful, some grinning—bid the Great Uncle farewell and then dispersed.
Although it wasn't the busy farming season, life was difficult. Everyone had other jobs to make ends meet: gathering wild vegetables, hunting, driving carts, carpentry, and so on.
As they left, however, they all made a point to greet Chen Nuo warmly.
Chen Nuo understood their change of heart and didn't find it strange. No one wants to associate with a person who has no skills. Besides, even after he'd "treated" their chickens and ducks to death, they hadn't even asked him for compensation. So, Chen Nuo simply returned their greetings with a smile.
Seeing the clan members disperse, the old man summoned Chen Nuo, Chen Yong, and Chen Li to the ancestral hall.
The old man sat on a chair that had been worn black and shiny from years of use and let out a deep breath that sounded like a wheezing bellows.
"I don't think I have much longer to live."
The words struck them like a thunderclap.
The three of them paled in shock.
"Great Uncle, don't say that! You're only fifty-eight. How could your time be up?"
Chen Li said urgently. He was the son of a Hunter from the manor, twenty-one years old this year. His family had once been relatively well-off, but after his father was beaten to death, they lost everything. With no means of survival, it was the Great Uncle who gave him money to buy a bow and helped him on many other occasions. After all these years, he had come to see the old man as his own grandfather.
"Yeah, Great Uncle's still young! I... I think Great Uncle can live. I'm not good with words, but... I... I want Great Uncle to live," Chen Yong, who was usually rather simple-minded, managed to force out.
"Is it an illness? Brother Nuo, Brother Nuo, quick, take a look!"
But Chen Nuo simply pursed his lips, his gaze heavy as he looked at their Great Uncle.
He had already seen it.
The old man's Primordial Qi was severely damaged. Even with restorative tonics, his body would not be able to handle them.
'By my estimate, he has two years at most. Perhaps not even that.'
"Heh, this isn't an illness. My time is simply up. It is the natural cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. There's no need for this. Ah Nuo must have realized it."
Chen Nuo nodded.
"What... this... how can this be!"
"Brother Nuo..."
Panicked and grief-stricken expressions appeared on their faces.
"Enough. Both of you, be quiet and listen to me."
The old man silenced them with a sharp command.
"My nephew died at the hands of the Hu Family. He had no sons, but the position of Clan Leader cannot remain vacant. After observing for the past half-month, I've concluded that you three are the most outstanding members of the Chen Manor's younger generation."
"Therefore, I intend to pass the position of Clan Leader to one of you."
'The position of Clan Leader?'
Chen Nuo was stunned.
While he did want to become the Clan Leader, he never expected the old man to bring it up now.
Besides, this "younger generation" thing...
'Aren't we too young? Shouldn't someone from our fathers' generation be the one to become Clan Leader?'
"Chen Yong, your Talent is exceptional, and your strength is boundless. In an era like this, which may well descend into chaos, martial might will be incredibly important. But you lack wisdom and strategy, and you are prone to recklessness."
"Chen Li, you are both brave and cunning, and you value loyalty, so you wouldn't let the clan fall into chaos. But you are indecisive and short-sighted."
Finally, the old man looked at Chen Nuo.
"Chen Nuo, you are quick-witted and intelligent, a talented scholar. Perhaps you could lead the clan to survive. But your disposition is gentle and naive, and your body is frail."
"SIGH!" His sigh was filled with helplessness.
All three were dumbfounded.
Chen Nuo was secretly impressed. 'Age brings wisdom,' he thought. 'He's right on every count. That's exactly what I was like before my memories awakened.'
'Besides, in a feudal era like this—and during years of disaster, no less—a weak body is a huge problem. I have to fix this as soon as possible!'
"I won't hide it from you. The men of your fathers' generation are all mediocre. The elders of my generation who still have some prestige are no longer fit to manage affairs. The few talented individuals in the various branch families are unwilling to be the leader of this declining clan, and they lack the talent or prestige for the role anyway—like my unfilial grandson who ran off to the county seat to be a butcher!"
"So, the next Clan Leader can only be one of you."
There was another reason the old man left unsaid: of those closest to him—and to the direct line of succession—by blood, they were the most outstanding. This was also a major factor.
At that moment,
Chen Li's breathing grew heavy, Chen Yong stared blankly, and Chen Nuo was silent.
"The Clan Leader is the head of a clan, a father to its people, a person who shields them from wind and rain. Even if we keep things simple, there must be a proper process."
"Let's do this. The last two years have been years of disaster, and everyone is tightening their belts to survive. In times like these, grain is king. The autumn harvest is still over a month away. Therefore, whoever can acquire the most grain within one month and distribute it to the clan so that everyone can catch their breath—that person will be the next Clan Leader!"
Under the old man's calm yet authoritative gaze, the three young men nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, the old man's expression finally relaxed. Then, as if remembering something, he took three books from within his sleeve.
"Here. This is the Qi Blood Technique. One for each of you. Practice your Cultivation well. Consider it an extra bit of hope for our clan."
Chen Nuo was stunned.
'Qi Blood Technique?'
'What is this?'
'Wait a minute.'
'Father seemed to have vaguely mentioned before he died that there are Martial Artists in the cities, and they are elites, a cut above ordinary people!'
'Could it be...'
"Everything is explained within the Qi Blood Technique. Go home and read it for yourselves. As for me... I need to rest."
"Yes, Great Uncle."
He watched the three of them leave the ancestral hall.
With a sorrowful expression, the old man walked unsteadily into the rear hall.
The rear hall was empty save for rows of ancestral tablets. There were not many, however, with the lineage only going as far back as the great-great-grandfather's generation.
"Ancestors, please forgive me. Natural disasters have been constant in recent years, Martial Artists abuse their power and run rampant, and the Imperial Court is corrupt. Great chaos may be on the horizon. At this critical moment, our clan is facing a generational gap in talent and has reached the brink of extinction."
"Your unfilial descendant, Chen Haiping, has today broken clan rules by passing our Cultivation Technique to three worthy scions, in order to prolong our clan's destiny. After death, I, Haiping, will personally come before you, our ancestors, to atone for my sin!"
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
The old man struck his forehead heavily against the floor three times.
On the altar, a faint light seemed to shimmer across the jet-black memorial tablets.
...
「At the crossroads.」
Chen Li suddenly called out to Chen Nuo and handed something to him.
"Here."
Chen Nuo took them reflexively, only then realizing they were two bird eggs. Together, they were about half the size of his palm, a rare find for this time of year.
"What's this for?"
"You're a capable man. You deserve this for saving Great Uncle."
Without waiting for a reply, he strode away.
"Brother Nuo, that guy Chen Li is such a blockhead. If he wants to apologize, he should just say it. So awkward and hesitant—not like a man at all," Chen Yong said with a pout.
Chen Nuo gave Chen Yong, who was arguably the bigger simpleton, a strange look.
"Alright, that's enough. Take me home."
"Oh."
Chen Yong obediently squatted down, letting Chen Nuo climb onto his back.
...
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
Carrying the small, thin Chen Nuo, the tall and sturdy Chen Yong ran all the way to Chen Nuo's home.
It was a small courtyard house.
After putting Chen Nuo down, Chen Yong grinned and held out his large fist.
Chen Nuo understood and bumped it with his own.
Chen Yong's grin grew even wider.
"Brother Nuo, if you need anything in the future, just call me."
With that, he turned and ran off.
Watching the tall, sturdy figure run off into the distance, Chen Nuo shook his head with a smile. "That big oaf."
Touching the book inside his robes, Chen Nuo pushed open the door and went back inside his home.