Lu Qian watched the display, his eyes shining with admiration as he gazed at Ethan Gu. The young man in white—Sanctuary Heir—wore a gentle smile and praised, "Your medical skills have improved yet again!"
Ethan Gu nodded slightly, his voice carrying a hint of coolness. "Thank you for your praise, Master."
The man in white was none other than Kieran Kong, Galen Gu’s junior and Ethan Gu’s master.
Kieran Kong nodded in satisfaction and said, "Sanctuary Heir, spend some time with them, then choose two you like." His gaze lingered on Maxwell Jing, hoping Ethan Gu would select him—he trusted his own judgment, and Maxwell Jing truly was a rare talent.
Following his master’s gaze, Ethan Gu met Maxwell Jing’s eyes. Most of the children looked at him with awe, some with envy, and others with nervousness—no doubt impressed by his earlier demonstration.
Those gazes, no matter the emotion, were all quite normal—except for Maxwell Jing’s, which was filled with disdain and a hint of challenge. It seemed he found Ethan Gu disagreeable. Having grown up in Healer’s Sanctuary as the Sanctuary Heir, this was the first time Ethan Gu had ever been looked at that way, and strangely, he didn’t mind it.
Seeing Ethan Gu fixated on Maxwell Jing, Kieran Kong felt reassured; it seemed the Sanctuary Heir had good judgment too. He left with the guards, confident in leaving Ethan Gu alone with the children. He wasn’t worried about them escaping—none could leave Healer’s Sanctuary. Nor was he concerned about Ethan Gu’s safety, for he knew better than anyone what Ethan Gu was capable of.
But this time, he had miscalculated.
As Kieran Kong and the guards disappeared from sight, the children still didn’t dare act out. They seemed afraid of offending Ethan Gu—perhaps it was his cold aura, or simply the knowledge that this boy, not much older than themselves, held the power over their very lives.
Ethan Gu strode directly toward Maxwell Jing and asked coldly, "Do you dislike me that much?"
Maxwell Jing curled his lips and shook his foot as he sized Ethan Gu up. Such a gesture from a child should have been either cute or comical, but Maxwell Jing managed to make it neither—nor did he seem like a street ruffian. There was something uniquely striking about him. He laughed and said, "It's not that serious. I just don't really like the look of you, that's all!"
The other children stared at him wide-eyed, thinking how bold he was! He’d already dared to shout for food before, and now he even spoke to the Sanctuary Heir this way. Didn’t he fear Ethan Gu would stick him with a few needles?
Just as they marveled at his nerve, Maxwell Jing did something even bolder—he swung his fist straight at Ethan Gu’s chin. For some reason, Ethan Gu actually got hit.
Maxwell Jing grinned at him, provocatively blowing on his fist.
Ethan Gu narrowed his eyes. He knew martial arts, but perhaps for fairness, he didn’t use them. He lunged at Maxwell Jing, and in an instant, the two were wrestling on the ground!
The others were so stunned by the sudden fight that they instinctively retreated, afraid of getting caught up in it. Lucas Lu, however, ran forward, trying to pull Maxwell Jing away.
At that moment, Ethan Gu was pinned beneath him. Maxwell Jing landed two heavy punches, then glared at Lucas Lu and shouted, "Get lost!"
To be fair, his shout was rather intimidating. Lucas Lu stepped back two paces, startled. Maxwell Jing, satisfied, turned to continue pummeling, but Ethan Gu seized the chance—suddenly, the tables turned, and Maxwell Jing found himself underneath, taking the blows!
Lucas Lu snapped out of it and cried, "Go get someone! If this keeps up, something bad will happen!"
Ethan Gu swept him a cold glance. "Shut up!"
Lucas Lu retreated another step. Maxwell Jing took advantage of Ethan Gu’s distraction, exerted himself, and the two rolled several times before Maxwell Jing managed to pin him down again.
Lucas Lu didn’t dare intervene again and could only watch the two wrestle, his face full of anxiety. The others were just as lost about what to do.
At last, Maxwell Jing shouted, "Stop!"
Ethan Gu’s fist paused, then landed quickly on Maxwell Jing’s face. Seeing Maxwell Jing grimace, Ethan Gu offered a half-smile and said, "This is my turf—only I get to call a stop!"
With that, he rolled off Maxwell Jing, lying beside him on the ground, both chests heaving from exhaustion. Glancing at Maxwell Jing’s bruised face, Ethan Gu couldn’t help but smile. He knew Maxwell Jing had no inner strength, yet he’d lasted so long—truly impressive.
Maxwell Jing didn’t have the energy to complain about that last punch. Seeing Ethan Gu smile, he rolled his eyes, kicked him lightly, and gasped, "You should look in a mirror before laughing at me!"
He thought Ethan Gu was mocking his bruised face, but there was nothing funny about it—Ethan Gu looked just as battered!
Ethan Gu didn’t say anything more. He just gazed up at the sky, steadying his breath. Truthfully, this sky wasn’t so dull—there was white as well as blue.
Seeing the two finally stop fighting, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But now, watching them both lying there, faces bruised and motionless, worry crept in—especially for Ethan Gu. If anything happened to him, they’d all be in trouble. Though they hadn’t been here long and were just children, everyone understood one thing: as Sanctuary Heir, Ethan Gu’s status was special. Nothing could happen to him!
Lucas Lu hurriedly said, "Go get a doctor!"
A doctor? Ethan Gu’s lips curled coldly—wasn’t he one himself? He didn’t bother to stop them, letting the children scurry off in a panic. Then he turned to Maxwell Jing and said, "Stay with me."
Maxwell Jing turned to look at him, meeting those bright, dark eyes now softened from their icy chill. Maxwell Jing curled his lips, "Well, there’s plenty of good food and drink here. I’ll stay, then!" He couldn’t help thinking, is this guy a masochist?
Still, to hit someone so impulsively—especially on their own turf—wasn’t wise at all! He vowed never to do such a thing again; it was himself who suffered for it.
Ethan Gu’s lips lifted in a smile, his eyes flashing so brightly they could dazzle. He stood, brushed the dust from his clothes, and offered Maxwell Jing a hand.