"Sister Banxia, you liar! A big, fat liar!"
Bailu's voice rang out, sharp and indignant, her small fists trembling with rage.
Treating wounds, healing the sick—it could never cleanse the rot festering in a person's heart. Bailu had thought, perhaps naively, that someone would step forward to help her escape the clutches of the Alchemy Commission. Yet in the end, it was all lies, all pretense. Banxia had her own hidden motives.
"Oh? So you figured it out after all."
Banxia's voice drifted lazily from an empty room. Her silhouette leaned into view—eyes tired, her head tilting in resignation as she gazed at Bailu, who sat perched like a tiny empress on Felicity's shoulder. A quiet sigh slipped from Banxia's lips.
The moment Felicity had strolled fearlessly back from her rendezvous, unharmed, Banxia had known she couldn't keep the truth buried any longer.
"Yes... I am one of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus," she admitted, her voice hollow, bitter. She paused, then hurried to add, as if grasping for some last thread of dignity. "But... I never had any intention of harming Lady Bailu!"
Her voice wavered, barely above a whisper. "I have my reasons... many reasons... I had no choice."
Felicity, standing quietly, shook her head with a long, disappointed sigh. No matter how many excuses Banxia piled up, none of it justified the harm she'd caused.
But Bailu saw it differently.
"Hmph! She might be hiding things from me, but I already promised to save her lover. That's that!" Bailu announced, crossing her arms in a huff. "I've been a doctor for so many years, and I still can't stand seeing people suffer!"
She gave Felicity's head an authoritative pat to show her stance.
Felicity let out a small chuckle, raising an eyebrow. She didn't mind playing along with Bailu for a while longer—but that didn't mean she'd let Banxia steer the course.
"Lady Bailu..."
Banxia's voice trembled, a sheen of tears in her eyes. Overcome by gratitude, she turned quickly to Felicity, desperation coloring her words.
"I wanted to ask the Dragon Lady to rescue my lover... so I used the promise of freeing her from the Alchemy Commission as my bargaining chip..."
"Tch. Love-brained fool."
Felicity raised her hand and pointed at Banxia with a smirk, a spark of mockery in her gaze.
Banxia faltered, her breath catching in her throat. After a pause, she mumbled timidly,
"I... I didn't want to be interrogated by the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, or the Ten-Lords Commission... We have to find a way into Starskiff Haven without drawing attention..."
"Ha! Not interested."
Felicity turned on her heel, carrying Bailu along like a cat with its precious cargo. Her eyes gleamed with mischief, but her heart stirred with curiosity.
The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus... Those who dared to shout slogans like "The Merciful Medicus's compassion, the Ambrosial Arbor's growth"—there had to be a link to the Aeon of Abundance, the very source of her power.
But their reputation... was far from clean.
Even so, Felicity couldn't help but want to see for herself. After all, she bore the title of the Emanator of Abundance, didn't she?
"But... I..."
Banxia's words faltered. Her breath hitched—then she abruptly clutched at her chest, eyes widening in shock. Her face twisted in pain as her breaths came in ragged gasps.
The instability of her breathing, the tremor in her expression... it was unmistakable. The Blessing of Abundance within her had begun to corrode her soul—a clear, irreversible sign of Mara's onset.
"I... don't have much time left..."
Banxia's voice cracked, her tone barely a whisper, her plea trembling on the edge of desperation.
"Sister Feli..."
Bailu hugged Felicity's head tightly, her little voice pleading for Banxia's sake. Compassion shone in her eyes, a healer's instinct refusing to let suffering pass unheeded. Even when treating wounds, she would squeeze her eyes shut, unable to watch the pain.
Felicity's lips twitched in amusement. She tapped Banxia's forehead with two fingers, casual and precise.
A small shimmer of power drew back into her fingertips, a ripple in the flow of Abundance. The symptoms of Mara receded like a wave retreating from the shore.
"Let's walk and talk," Felicity said nonchalantly, as if she'd merely swatted away a fly.
Banxia stared, eyes widening in disbelief.
That searing, suffocating pain... it was gone. Just like that.
As a doctor from the Alchemy Commission, she knew better than anyone that Mara was irreversible. The only known methods of delaying it were the prescriptions of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus—or the tears of the Vidyadhara. She had never heard of any other cure.
But she couldn't afford to dwell on it.
If she wanted to see her lover again... she had no choice but to follow the commands of this enigmatic 'Sister Feli.'
"I... I know a few hidden locations of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. Would you like to take a look?"
Banxia's voice softened, her hesitation slipping into a quiet, almost deferential tone.
"Lead the way," Felicity replied with an easy smile, as if she had all the time in the world.
--+--
As they walked, Banxia explained everything—why she'd done what she did.
Her story was simple, yet foolishly tragic.
Her little boyfriend, a wanderer from the outside, had come to Xianzhou seeking the 'secret of immortality.' When Banxia learned of his quest, she had promised him the impossible: an elixir of life, a chance to become a true Xianzhou native like herself.
To fulfill that promise, she had joined the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, hoping to steal their ancient secret medicine.
But soon, she'd learned the terrible truth: the so-called immortal blessing was nothing more than a madman's fantasy. The leader of the Disciples had never succeeded in creating true immortality—he simply treated short-lived races as ingredients, test subjects to be used up and discarded.
And yet, Banxia had clung to her vow, tricking Bailu into leaving the Alchemy Commission, striking a deal with her to keep her lover safe.
"Tch. Love-brain, I swear..."
Felicity couldn't help herself—she pointed again, her tone a mix of exasperation and amusement.
Love was meant to be mutual, a give-and-take. But in Banxia's tale, it seemed only one person was doing the giving—while the other took, and took, and took.
If this wasn't a textbook 'love-brain' situation, then what was?
"Liangmu... he's actually a really good person..."
Banxia's voice faltered, barely a murmur. She tried to defend him, but the words dried up in her throat—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to think of a single virtue her lover possessed.
"We're here."
Her voice trailed off as Felicity came to a halt in front of a low, unassuming building.
The air around it was heavy with the scent of Abundance. A few faces peeked out, drawn by the sound of footsteps. Their eyes locked onto Banxia and Bailu—and widened in recognition.
Their gazes then shifted, scrutinizing Felicity with a hint of suspicion. Her rugged clothes, the casual air of someone who had no business in these parts... she didn't fit the mold.
Still, their expressions quickly shifted when one of them, a man dressed much like Banxia, stepped forward.
He cleared his throat, putting on a veneer of politeness, and asked in a measured tone,
"My dear friend, what brings you here?"
"I hear you're with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus."
Felicity's brow arched, her interest piqued.
The man's heart skipped a beat. He'd seen that look countless times—foreigners seeking immortality, hungry for secrets they couldn't grasp.
"Ah... so we're kindred spirits, are we?"
A grin blossomed on his face as he gestured toward the building.
"Please, come in, make yourselves at home."
Healer Lady, a traitor, and now a stranger? He'd make sure they were thoroughly questioned. After all, this was the Disciples' secret branch. What could possibly go wrong?
"No need."
Felicity waved him off, her voice cool and dismissive.
"Just tell me—what exactly do you people do here?"
The man hesitated, a flicker of unease crossing his face. He forced a smile, shaking his head.
"Ah, well... I can only share that once you've joined the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus."
"Pah! Join you, you big-headed idiot!"
Bailu finally couldn't take it anymore. She scrambled up from behind Felicity, making a fierce face as she shouted,
"You're so useless, I'll whip you so hard even your parents won't recognize you anymore!"
--+--
T/N: Lowkey I have a theory that Felicity is a Throne Level Emanator. Like she was in the gaze of Yaoshi and asked for "as much as they could give" and seeing as Yaoshi is merciful and indiscriminate, she probably got a shit ton of imaginary power.
Also, I can think of a lot of characters that could be healed by Felicity like Jingliu, Blade... I can't think of more.
--+--