Joe Di knew that even after comprehending the Second Loom of Time, he still had to undergo reincarnation. It wasn't that he was determined to repair his Dao Heart—it was that he simply had no choice.
It's like how many people yearn for peace, yet cannot enjoy it, because there are always those filled with hostility. If you don't resist, they'll crush you. If you want peace, you must first become strong enough to trample those who would oppress you. In Ji Family Village* (大蓟家村, transliterated for accuracy), most people shared the Ji surname—local customs were deeply tied to family names, and outsiders were rare.
The Second Loom of Time still couldn't suppress Du Bu. Joe Di calmed himself, then carefully took out a jade pendant and hung it around his neck. Cassie Cao had given it to him before she left. He suspected his Dao might be tied to Cassie Cao, so he had to bring something of hers. Now, he didn't have the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, and after reincarnation, whether he would meet Cassie Cao again was something Joe Di couldn't be certain of.
Since he was perfecting his Dao Heart, he couldn't retain his memories. Memories would leave traces—deliberate traces—which would prevent his Dao from becoming complete.
He absolutely couldn't lose his memories. His memories, together with his Dao and intent, would remain on the Lethe Bridge. After the Lethe Bridge carried him through reincarnation, they'd attach themselves to his sea of consciousness. When he regained his first shred of divine sense, that would be the moment his memories returned and merged with the Dao resonance on the Lethe Bridge.
Having gained his first shred of divine sense didn't mean his Dao was perfected or his Dao Heart was repaired. But Joe Di was certain that after reincarnation, once he regained divine sense, whether or not he met Cassie Cao, his Dao would gradually become complete. He chose to reincarnate and do what needed to be done. Doing it didn't guarantee success, but it would leave him with no regrets.
Joe Di gazed at the Lethe Bridge still floating before him. His heart grew calm, and he no longer cared about anything else. He stepped forward onto the Lethe Bridge, his Dao resonance dissipating as he moved.
The moment his first foot touched the Lethe Bridge, Joe Di's body began to fade. With each step deeper into the bridge, his form grew fainter, until he vanished completely, merging with the Lethe Bridge and disappearing into the void, leaving no trace behind.
……
Ji Family Village* (大蓟家村, transliterated for accuracy).
This was just a small village in Yemen County* (冶门县, transliterated for accuracy). Despite the 'Da' (big) in its name, it was still a small village. Villages like this numbered at least five or six hundred in Yemen County, if not a thousand.
Ji Family Village had nearly three hundred households, and ninety percent of the people bore the Ji surname. That's why it was called Ji Family Village, though there were a few families with other surnames.
The Di surname was considered foreign in Ji Family Village. Healer Di* (狄百医, standardized for consistency; see footnote) was never ostracized. On the contrary, during festivals, many people would bring him gifts, a gesture of respect for his skills and kindness.
The main reason was that Di the Healer's medical skills were excellent. Whenever villagers had headaches or fevers, they'd seek him out. His nickname came from his reputation—people said he could cure any illness, so everyone called him Di the Healer. Over time, his real name was forgotten, and he became a beloved figure in the village.
The main reason was that Di the Healer's medical skills were excellent. Whenever villagers had headaches or fevers, they'd seek him out. His nickname came from his reputation—people said he could cure any illness, so everyone called him Di the Healer. Over time, his real name was forgotten.
Healer Di* never married. His only family was his disciple, who was also his adopted son, Joe Di. More than twenty years ago, Healer Di was gathering herbs in the mountains when he discovered Joe Di, still an infant swaddled in cloth. Moved by compassion, he brought Joe Di home and gave him the nickname 'Shanlai'* (山来, transliterated for accuracy)—a name that echoed the mountains where he was found.
With no other relatives, Healer Di treated Shanlai* as his own child and taught him medicine. Whenever villagers came for treatment, they'd say, 'One day, Shanlai will be another Healer Di.' Healer Di would just laugh, 'If he can master even a tenth of my skills, I'll be content.' Their bond was close, though Shanlai always seemed distracted and slow to learn.
Everyone knew Di the Healer was being honest—Shanlai was simply too dull, always forgetting what he learned and seeming absent-minded. If he weren't so methodical in his work, people would have thought he was a fool. Over time, the villagers began to call him Joe Di, believing he would never match even a tenth of Di the Healer's skill.
Everyone knew Healer Di was being honest—Shanlai* was simply too dull, always forgetting what he learned and seeming absent-minded. If he weren't so methodical in his work, people would have thought he was a fool. Eventually, people figured he wouldn't even reach a tenth of Healer Di's skill, so they just called him Joe Di.
Everyone called him Joe Di, and Di the Healer couldn't be bothered to give him another name, so Joe Di it was.
Perhaps because Joe Di was so slow-witted, he always seemed a step behind others. By the time most people reached twenty-two, they had graduated college or become professional martial artists. At twenty-two, Joe Di had repeated his senior year several times but still hadn't gotten into university.
Di the Healer, growing old and frail, finally passed away after a lingering illness. By then, Joe Di still hadn't made it into college. With help from the villagers, Joe Di took care of Di the Healer's funeral. Since he was neither scholarly nor skilled in martial arts, all he could do was stay in the clinic Di the Healer had left behind.
Everyone in Daji Village and the neighboring villages knew the story behind Joe Di's name—it meant his medical skills weren't even one percent of Di the Healer's. And since he hadn't gotten into college, much less earned a medical license, no matter how famous Di the Healer had been, nobody dared come to Joe Di for treatment.
Fortunately, Di the Healer had left a considerable inheritance. Though Joe Di had little income, he could still scrape by for the time being.
Every day, he would leave the village with a contemplative look, heading into the mountains to search for herbs, and return under the moonlight with the same thoughtful expression. The villagers often wondered what weighed so heavily on his mind.
Sometimes, he'd spend the whole day out and come back with only a handful of herbs. Even so, Joe Di kept up his early-to-late routine, rain or shine—a quiet persistence that became part of the village's daily rhythm.
Day after day passed, and the villagers got used to Joe Di's silent presence and his steady way of life.
Day after day passed, and the villagers got used to it.
……
One day, under a slightly overcast sky, a car with an unfamiliar brand slowly drove into the village.
Several village women who were chatting by the entrance turned their eyes toward the car. Even if they couldn't recognize the brand, from its impressive appearance, they could tell that whoever rode in it was no ordinary person.
The car stopped in front of the chatting women. A stylish young woman wearing a fine platinum necklace rolled down the window and asked, "Aunties, could you tell me where Di the Healer's house is?"
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Di the Healer? Di the Healer has already passed away.
"Are you looking for Di the Healer? He died more than half a year ago," someone replied.
"Di the Healer is dead?" The young woman was stunned, then grew bewildered. She had come here to find Di the Healer—now that he was gone, who could she turn to?
The man in the front seat quickly asked, "Then does Di the Healer have any fellow apprentices or disciples?"
The woman who had answered earlier replied honestly, "Di the Healer does have a disciple, but he's quite young. Their house is over there."
After speaking, she pointed toward Di the Healer's small clinic. Her words subtly hinted that the disciple's medical skills weren't much to speak of.
"Thank you. Master Cheng, drive over," the man in the front seat said to the driver.
The driver responded and started the car. The stylish young woman frowned and said, "Paul Pang, Yixun's illness is so serious. Countless experts at home and abroad have been helpless. Even if we found Di the Healer, he might not be able to cure it. What's the point of looking for his disciple?"
Paul Pang sighed, "Lana Yan, if there were any other way, would we have come here? Di the Healer was recommended by Master Yi Ming of Radiant Temple. We might not trust this Di the Healer, but do you doubt Master Yi Ming?"
Lana Yan sighed and said nothing more. Just as Paul Pang had said, if there were any other way, who would willingly come to a small mountain village to seek out a village doctor?
……
The rumbling of the car snapped Joe Di out of his thoughts, but he didn't look up and kept fiddling with the herbs in his hands. For as long as he could remember, he'd always felt there was something important he had forgotten. Yet no matter how hard he tried for over twenty years, he still couldn't recall what it was.