Chapter Nine: To Do Good Is to Accumulate Virtue (Part II)

Just as Deng Fangcheng received his orders and stepped out, a terrified cry rang out from the hospital bed in the intensive care ward: “Ah… no, please…” The outburst immediately drew the attention of everyone present in the room.

Perhaps it was Zhao Changshan’s forceful table slap that had startled Liu Ningxiang awake. Now, Zhao Changshan was overcome with guilt for his rashness. Seeing that Liu Ningxiang was awake, he hurried over, his voice filled with concern, “Ningxiang, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I’ll call the doctor right away.”

“Secretary Zhao, before you arrived, I conducted a preliminary examination of Miss Liu. Though her body is still in recovery, with proper rest and care for about half a month, she’ll be as good as new. Miss Liu has just regained consciousness, and she’s still affected by the trauma of the car accident, which explains her fright,” Qian Sen interjected. He had noticed Liu Ningxiang’s panic and the look of guilt in Zhao Changshan’s eyes. As a seasoned old hand in the hospital, he could easily discern what was weighing on Zhao Changshan’s mind, so he offered these words to ease the man’s conscience.

Sure enough, Zhao Changshan’s expression softened considerably after hearing Qian Sen’s explanation. Self-interest is universal—even high officials are not immune. As long as one holds fast to their principles, a little self-interest is of no consequence.

“Dad… why are you here? Where is this place?” Liu Ningxiang was gradually coming to her senses. Seeing her father-in-law sitting on the chair beside her bed, she spoke up.

“I… I was just driving…” she faltered, panic suddenly dawning. “Ah! Xiaoni, where’s Xiaoni? Dad, where is she? Is she alright? Oh…” As the memory of fetching her daughter from school and the ensuing car accident returned, her emotions surged. The thought that her daughter’s fate was uncertain caused her to break down in tears.

“Ningxiang, please don’t worry. Xiaoni is fine—she’s resting in the bed next door. Don’t be anxious, just try to rest.” In truth, Zhao Changshan was far from adept at offering comfort. His words only made Liu Ningxiang more unsettled; her sobs grew more intense, her voice thick with remorse, “Dad, this is all my fault. If only I had reacted more quickly, Xiaoni wouldn’t have been hurt. I’m not a good mother. Zhipeng is already gone, and if anything happens to Xiaoni too, I’ll have no face left to see him again in the next life…”

Zhao Zhipeng was Liu Ningxiang’s husband, Zhao Changshan’s youngest son, a soldier who had died tragically on a mission two years before. It was a shattering loss for Liu Ningxiang; her daughter had become her only emotional anchor. If anything happened to her as well, it would be a fatal blow.

“This isn’t your fault. It happened so suddenly—no one could have foreseen it. If anything, our Zhao family owes you far too much.” At the mention of his late son, Zhao Changshan felt a bitter mix of emotions. His heart was filled with guilt towards his daughter-in-law. His son had died less than three years after getting married, leaving behind a widow and orphan. After her husband’s passing, Liu Ningxiang had only grown more filial and considerate toward the elders. It had indeed been a hard road for her.

“I’m alright, Dad. As long as Xiaoni is safe, nothing else matters. Please, let me see her,” Liu Ningxiang replied, her mood steadied somewhat by his words. She tried to rise from her bed.

“Don’t move—lie down. Ningxiang, you need rest most of all. The doctor said Xiaoni was just frightened, nothing serious. Look, she’s right there, sleeping,” Zhao Changshan hurriedly stopped her, gesturing toward the white screen across the room. Qian Sen, ever cooperative, pulled back the screen to reveal the little girl.

Seeing that her daughter was truly unharmed, Liu Ningxiang finally relaxed and lay back, her gaze never leaving her child.

At that moment, Deng Fangcheng returned from his errand. He approached Zhao Changshan quietly and spoke in a low voice, “Secretary Zhao, Guo Minghui and Chen Guoxiong have arrived. I’ve settled them in the office next door. Would you like to see them now?”

“Yes, let’s go. Xiao Qian, have a nurse come in to look after them,” Zhao Changshan instructed, then slipped cautiously out of the ward.

In the adjacent office, Chen Guoxiong was anxiously pacing. In the hours before his arrival, he had endured tremendous pressure. Both the Deputy Mayor and the Secretary of the Municipal Political and Legal Committee had called to inquire about the accident and demanded the release of the culprit, but he had refused. Not long after, he was suspended from duty, and the driver, Tian Bin, was set free. He’d just received Deng Fangcheng’s call, saying Secretary Zhao wanted a report. Chen, who had never been skilled in currying favor, found himself both nervous and excited.

As Chen Guoxiong was lost in thought, the door opened and in walked Zhao Changshan and Deng Fangcheng.

“Comrade Guoxiong, tell me about the details of this traffic incident and how those responsible have been handled,” Zhao Changshan said sternly as he entered.

“Secretary Zhao, after we received the report this afternoon, we rushed to the scene. Witnesses said the driver, Tian Bin, ran a red light and caused the accident. He was driving under the influence—his blood alcohol content was over the limit. I ordered his detention, but he was later released,” Chen Guoxiong explained, a mix of resentment and resignation in his voice. Such was the unwritten rule in the system—how many officials could truly uphold fairness and justice?

“What happened? Was there interference with law enforcement?” Zhao Changshan’s expression darkened, his tone grave.

“Secretary, before we came here, Chen Guoxiong was suspended for ‘overstepping his authority and uncivil conduct.’ I looked into it and found that the order came from Wang Guodong, Secretary of the Municipal Political and Legal Committee—he’s the one who released Tian Bin,” Deng Fangcheng explained, seeing his superior’s displeasure.

“Outrageous! Xiao Guo, investigate this thoroughly. I want irrefutable evidence.” Zhao Changshan’s anger was palpable as he issued the order to Guo Yongping.

“Yes, sir! I guarantee completion of the task,” Guo Minghui replied crisply, instinctively saluting before turning to leave.

“Xiao Chen, I heard there was a young doctor at the scene who saved the mother and daughter. What was the situation?” With Liu Ningxiang and her daughter now safe, Zhao Changshan’s mood had eased. His tone softened, his demeanor now gentle as he inquired about Liu Fan.

Chen Guoxiong, moved by Zhao Changshan’s kind address, collected himself and replied, “Secretary Zhao, at the scene, I instructed my men to rescue the two women from the wreckage. A young man stopped us, saying the woman had fractured ribs that had pierced her lung and moving her could be fatal. The little girl also had a brain hemorrhage—without immediate treatment, she could have been paralyzed or even died. Doctor Li Zhentang, the renowned physician on site, confirmed these diagnoses. After saving them, the young man quietly slipped away. He didn’t leave any information—only that he might be a student.”

Hearing this, Zhao Changshan realized that his daughter-in-law and granddaughter had truly escaped death by a hair’s breadth—if not for this young man, the consequences would have been unthinkable. A cold sweat broke out on his back as he resolved to find this young hero at all costs. In Zhao Changshan’s eyes, Liu Fan had already become a figure of great importance.

In the following days, the political arena of Linhang City was rocked by a massive upheaval. Deputy Mayor Tian Jianhao and Political and Legal Committee Secretary Wang Guodong were both investigated for abuse of power and accepting bribes totaling over ten million—they were placed under double regulation. More than twenty other officials of varying ranks were implicated. Tian Bin, recently released, was detained again by the police, his crimes exposed one after another, and he was ultimately sentenced to twenty years in prison.

Through all this, Chen Guoxiong emerged as the biggest winner, rising swiftly to become the city’s first deputy chief of public security. Guo Minghui also advanced, becoming both Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee and Chief of Public Security, thus entering the core of the municipal party committee’s power structure.

Truly, as the saying goes, every sip and bite is preordained; man acts, Heaven watches. Three feet above our heads, the gods bear witness. Heaven’s misfortune may be avoided; self-inflicted disaster is inescapable.

None of these events had anything to do with Liu Fan, who remained oblivious to the political earthquake his actions had triggered. Nor would he have cared. What did Liu Fan do after leaving?

At the scene, seeing the excited crowds and hearing someone call him “little miracle doctor,” Liu Fan realized he had stirred up too much attention. If people started seeking him out for treatment, how could he focus on his cultivation? Besides, he was naturally withdrawn; in this world, keeping a low profile was the best policy. So, he discreetly used a spell to make himself unrecognizable and slipped away unnoticed.

He then went to Chunhua Hall and sold them a thousand-year-old ginseng root he’d prepared in advance—the lowest quality from the Hetu Luoshu spatial realm, but even so, it astounded the pharmacy’s general manager, Li Huilan. In this waning age of magic, with spiritual energy so scarce and precious herbs rarer still, a thousand-year ginseng was beyond imagining. Liu Fan sold it for fifty million, but he didn’t much care—money meant nothing to an immortal like him. Were it not for wanting to improve the lives of his godmother’s family, he wouldn’t have bothered selling medicine at all.

With the money in hand, Liu Fan bought clothes for his godmother and Liu Yuting, and even purchased two iPhone 4S phones—one black for himself, one white for Liu Yuting. After all this, he found that it was getting late, so he boarded a city bus home, bags in tow.

Yet as the bus pulled away, Liu Fan was startled to see strands of golden energy descending from the sky into his body. His recently stabilized cultivation began to show signs of breakthrough. He thought to himself, “Could this be the merit energy Master spoke of? So it actually helps one break through realms… Truly, as the saying goes, perform good deeds daily, and fortune will follow.” Satisfied, he closed his eyes and rested, nourishing his spirit.