The road west led Li Yu to the Mushroom Plateau. The local flora here was dominated by massive, springy fungal pads that grew flat against the earth. A type of mushroom that was unique to this region.

For the local people here, traversing this terrain was a test of ingenuity. Li Yu watched a group of merchants traveling on heavily modified caravans. The caravans had massive glider wings on top. They would use the mushroom to bounce and then glide a long distance before repeating again. Li Yu could see that the entire caravan was reinforced to withstand the constant impact and strain from flight and bouncing.

He saw one cultivator at the body refining stage trying to impress a nearby girl. The cultivator stood on a rock above one of the mushrooms with his robes fluttering in the wind. He jumped and then attempted to clasp his hands behind his back and glide from the bounce up. He did look quite impressive but then he mistimed his landing. The cultivator hit the edge of a particularly rubbery toadstool and was launched spiraling into a tree.

"The Law, no… the Dao of Bounce is unforgiving," Li Yu noted quietly while suppressing a smile.

He chose to walk on the solid earth between the fungi. It was spongy and required constant micro-adjustments of balance. It was an excellent passive training method for his core stability while only using mortal powers.

He arrived at the village of Spore Rest. It was a humble settlement where the houses were carved directly into the petrified stalks of giant ancient mushrooms. The village had a very unique charm and was relatively well known in the area for it.

Li Yu decided that he needed a break from focusing on just laws. He had spent too much time as of late on them. He found a spot near the village well, an area that seemed to be somewhat of a gathering point for the village. A table was taken out of his storage ring and quickly set up and then he hung his reliable sign but added a few new words: "The Quiet Physician. Beast Consultations. Payment in Stories, tea or anything else you have."

Business arrived quickly. The first patient was a farmer dragging a reluctant Cloud Wool Goat.

The beast was small and fluffy but it held its head with an air of supreme arrogance. It refused to walk on the dirt, hopping from stone to stone. When the farmer tried to pull it, the goat planted its hooves and let out a bleat that sounded suspiciously like a scoff.

"He won't graze," the farmer lamented while looking exhausted. "He just stands on the roof of my barn and stares at the clouds. If I try to feed him, he spits at me. I think he has gone mad. Please see if you can tell what is wrong with it."

Li Yu looked at the goat. The goat looked back, narrowing its rectangular pupils with judgment. It then shook its head and looked away as though it was disgusted by Li Yu.

Li Yu couldn't use his Koi to communicate with it as the goat wasn't aquatic. However, with his years of experience and now heightened Soul Law perception, the animal's emotions were practically screaming at him. It wasn't madness at all. It was sheer, unadulterated snobbery. A pride that a beast king would have but in a tiny goat.

He placed a hand on the goat’s head and sent a pulse of Qi to investigate. He found the problem after a moment of probing.

"This goat has a trace amount of Qilin bloodline that has miraculously awakened," Li Yu diagnosed. "Very faint. Not enough to actually give it any abilities or power I don’t think. But it must have recently eaten some fire related natural treasure or similar. That awakened that trace just enough to make him insufferable."

"Qilin?" The farmer gasped. "Is he a spirit beast?"

"No," Li Yu corrected. "He is a mortal goat with a superiority complex. He is suffering from what I can only call 'Bloodline Delusion.' He believes the grass is too filthy for his noble tongue but with no real power I am afraid."

"What do I do? He'll starve!"

"I’ve never dealt with something like this before. My guess would be you need to treat it like the supreme beast it believes it is. You have to give him face," Li Yu said solemnly. "Do not throw the grass on the ground. Wash it. Place it on a clean wooden platter. Maybe bow slightly when you offer it. Make him feel like a Young Master receiving tribute."

The farmer looked skeptical but desperate. He grabbed a handful of hay from his pocket, wiped it on his sleeve and placed it on Li Yu’s table. The farmer then bowed his head but it was clear he was embarrassed to do it. "Please, Young Lord."

The goat sniffed the hay. It glanced at the farmer, and then at Li Yu. Seeming satisfied with the display of servitude, it began to eat with delicate and seemingly regal bites. It took its time to eat and it seemed like nothing in the world would speed it up.

"Heavens," the farmer muttered. "I'm a servant to my own livestock."

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"Fear not, I think it should just be for a week or so," Li Yu advised. "The energy will dissipate and he will go back to being a normal, non-judgmental goat. Until then, indulge his ego to keep him alive. It is cheaper than buying new livestock."

The farmer thanked Li Yu by telling him a story from his childhood. Of how he left the town thinking he could make a name for himself but how life told him otherwise. He returned to this village in shame but was able to marry and have grand kids now. Afterwards, he thanked Li Yu again and left. It wasn’t a dignified retreat, he was carrying the goat so its hooves wouldn't touch the mud.

The next patient was a young boy holding a crate that was vibrating.

"Master Physician! My hen is possessed by demons!" the boy cried.

HIC.

A small fireball, no larger than a walnut, shot out of the crate and singed the edge of Li Yu’s table. Li Yu peered inside the crate. A Red-Comb Hen sat there and was looking terrified. Every few seconds its chest would spasm and it would burp fire.

"Did she eat something strange?" Li Yu asked.

"My father is... an aspiring alchemist," the boy admitted while looking down. "He failed a batch of 'Yang-Gathering Pills' and threw them in the yard. The chicken was faster than the broom."

Li Yu nodded. "Qi Deviation caused by medicinal overdose. A classic cultivation tragedy but one rarely seen in chickens."

He placed a finger on the hen's beak and channeled his Qi. He used his understanding of the Law of Water, specifically the gentle and dissolving aspect of water. He guided the energy down the hen's throat and wrapped the volatile fire energy in a cool bubble. It quickly dispersed harmlessly into the bird's body.

The hen burped one last time but only a puff of black smoke came out. It shook its head, clucked normally and immediately tried to peck Li Yu’s finger.

"Cured!" Li Yu said. "Tell your father to bury his failures deeper. Next time the chicken might explode and take the coop with it. Then there won’t be enough tears in the world that can bring it back."

The young boy thanked Li Yu and took his chicken away. He had forgotten to tell Li Yu a story in his joy that the chicken was going to be okay. Li Yu didn’t have the heart to stop him and let him go without a word.

As the sun began to lower and was casting long shadows, the crowd thinned. He had helped a lot of people already and heard various tales. None of the tales had any real value but Li Yu enjoyed hearing about them. It let him live a bit of the story teller's life for those brief moments. Li Yu was preparing to pack up when he saw a small figure lingering at the edge of the square.

It was a little girl, perhaps seven years old. Her clothes were patched with different colored fabrics, creating a quilt-like appearance. Her shoes were woven from reeds. She was twisting her hands together and was staring at Li Yu’s sign.

Li Yu pretended not to notice her at first, giving her time to work up the courage. When she finally stepped forward, he smiled warmly.

"The shop is still open," Li Yu said gently. "Do you have a beast in trouble?"

"Sir," she whispered. Her little voice was trembling. "I don't have a beast. Well, I do. But she's... she's big. Too big to bring here. And Grandma said we can't pay."

"I accept payment in stories," Li Yu said, tapping his sign. "Or tea or anything else you have. Even a simple rock from the ground. However, I am quite thirsty right now and would take water as payment."

The girl’s eyes widened. "I have water! Our well is very sweet!"

"Then lead the way," Li Yu said as he swiped his hand, storing the table and sign. He then shouldered his pack. This small gesture amazed the little girl as she was dazed by how everything had just disappeared, much to Li Yu’s amusement.

Her name was Mei. She led him away from the village center to a dilapidated farm at the very edge of the fungal forest. The soil here was rocky and poor. The house leaned to the side and was propped up by thick logs.

An old woman sat on the porch and Li Yu instantly saw that her eyes were clouded with blindness. She was feeling the kernels of corn on a cob and deciding which were good enough to keep.

"Mei?" the grandmother called out sharply. "Who is walking with you? The step is too heavy for a child."

"It's the Physician, Grandma!" Mei chirped. "He said he'd help Bessie for a cup of water!"

The old woman stiffened. "Charity has a hidden cost, child. We want no trouble. I am sorry sir if this young child has bothered you. We really have nothing to give, please go back."

Li Yu stepped forward. "No charity, Elder. Just a fair trade. I have walked a long way and my throat is dry. Looking at a beast takes no effort on my part. I have been sitting in the middle of the town helping others in the village."

The grandmother hesitated but she sensed no malice in his tone and his aura. Even though she was blind she was a good judge of character. "Bessie is in the field," she rasped. "She fell this morning."

Li Yu walked to the small plot of land behind the house with Mei. Lying in the half-tilled furrow was a Moss Ox. It was clearly old. Its green fur was graying and its ribs showed through its skin. It wasn't sick; it was simply spent. It had given every ounce of its vitality to this land and now the well was dry.

Li Yu placed a hand on its flank. He sent a gentle stream of Life Law energy into it. Not enough to forcefully rejuvenate it, that would violate the natural order but enough to soothe the pain in its joints and ease its breathing.

"She is resting now," Li Yu told Mei, who was watching anxiously. "But Mei... she cannot pull the plow anymore. Her working days are done."

Mei’s face crumpled. "But... the planting. Grandma can't do it. I'm not strong enough. If we don't plant the Spirit-Grain before the rains..." She began to cry but was able to stop herself. It was clear that she was a strong child.

Li Yu looked at the untilled field. It was maybe two acres. To a mortal it was days of backbreaking labor. To a cultivator, it was a trivial exertion of force.

“I always did want to try my hand at farming a bit.” Li Yu said as he was smiling at Mei.