chapter 1 Delfina Dawson

"Ursula, I'm leaving!"
In the grand hall, the handsome youth knelt on the ground, giving a deep bow to the old man in front of him.
But the white-bearded old man did not even lift his eyes, silent as the grave.
The youth bowed again, his forehead pressing against the cold floor, "The first rule of salvation, just ten minutes ago, I healed the eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eighth patient."
"The second rule of body refining, I've achieved the third layer of the Basic Questions Scripture."
"The third rule of establishing oneself, I'm now worth over a hundred million, and Ham City's Heaven Corporation is mine."
"I've fulfilled the three conditions you set, so now, it's time for me to leave."
As the words fell, the old man suddenly opened his eyes, shaking his head with a sigh, "Delfina Dawson, you are my proudest disciple, supremely talented, unmatched in both medicine and martial arts, but why can you not let go of your hatred?"
Hearing the word "hatred," Delfina couldn't help but sneer, "How can I not avenge my mother's murder?"
"But to avenge her, you would have to kill your father!" the old man sighed again.
Emotions surged in Delfina's eyes, but they finally settled into a calm resolve, and he said through gritted teeth, "Then I shall kill my father!"
He would always remember that New Year's Eve ten years ago.
The festive Spring Festival Gala playing on the TV, the sounds of firecrackers outside, a young Delfina had just set off fireworks and was happily running home.
But upon arriving home and opening the door, he saw his mother, Poppy Dawson, stabbed by his father, Lyra Aiken.
Her blood had splattered on his tender face.
Poppy pushed Lyra away, shouting at Delfina to run.
Don't come home, run!
Don't come home, run!
He ran for his life, tears and snot smearing his face.
And behind him, his home turned into a sea of fire on New Year's Eve.
Afterward, Delfina was picked up by the old man and taken to Greenview Mountain, where he was personally taught for ten years. During this time, Delfina also uncovered the truth about that night.
It turned out his father, Lyra, was the second son of the capital's Aiken family, who had once lusted after the beauty of Poppy, abandoning his family to marry her and have a child.
But ten years later, unable to endure poverty, Lyra killed his wife and abandoned his child to return to the Aiken family!
Soon after, the returned second son of the Aiken family took a wife from a major family in the capital, and the following year, they had a son, a lovely child as white as snow.
From then on, he was no longer called Aiken he took his mother's surname and was known as Delfina Dawson.
Delfina lived and grew stronger with one belief over these ten years—to avenge his mother!
"Ursula, over these ten years, you've raised me, taught me, nurtured me from an ignorant child to what I am today. You are not my kin, but you are more than family to me."
"I'm leaving now; take care of yourself."
Delfina bowed again, the sound resonating crisply.
The old man sighed, "I can't stop you from seeking revenge."
"But remember, Delfina, before you seek revenge, you must first repay your debts of gratitude."
"Before you came to the mountain, when you were destitute on the streets for half a year, many people helped you."
"My rule is that gratitude is greater than heaven, so you must repay these people for their kindness."
Unable to persuade Delfina from seeking vengeance, the old man didn't want his proudest disciple to be so consumed by hatred, so he thought to temper Delfina's killing intent first.
Delfina paused, of course understanding the old man's deeper meaning, but he did not object, "Yes, I will first repay my debts of gratitude!"
With those words, he did not look back, descending the mountain.
The old man watched him leave, sighing deeply, "Only those with a penchant for killing harm others and themselves. I hope the worldly beauties can temper your nature."
...
On the misty Blue River in the early morning, a small ferry boat was slowly making its way forward.
Today the sky was overcast, the clouds thick, but thankfully there was no wind, and the river was calm.
"Dad, can grandpa's illness be cured?"
Sitting in the cabin of the ferry was a delicate and pretty young girl, at the age of blooming youth, so tender she seemed to drip with water, her long eyelashes drooping in apparent distress.
"It can be cured, as long as the cut-finger doctor is willing to come down from the mountain, the illness can be treated... but it's unknown if he's willing to descend."
The middle-aged man answering her had graying temples and a pair of authoritative tiger eyes harboring no small amount of concern.
The middle-aged man was Eddy Evans, the direct heir of the Evans family, a weighty figure in South Province, and the delicate girl was Daffodil Evans, his daughter.
They were crossing the Blue River to visit a reclusive doctor on the other side, at Greenview Mountain.
To think of the Evans family, a top-tier noble house of South Province, lacking neither wealth nor power, yet they too had troubles they couldn't resolve.
The old patriarch of the Evans family suddenly fell ill with a strange disease half a year ago. Every midnight, his body would turn cold as if encased in ice, unaffected by any form of warmth, his lips turning purple, his body pale as death, but as soon as daylight came, the symptoms disappeared.
For half a year, the Evans family had traversed all of China, seeking a cure to no avail.
This time, having located the cut-finger doctor, father and daughter came to personally request his help.
"Is the cut-finger doctor really that amazing?"
Daffodil Evans found it hard to believe that a so-called reclusive doctor could cure a disease that even the top hospitals couldn't treat.
Eddy Evans said, "At your age, you probably haven't heard of the name 'cut-finger doctor.'"
"When I was your age, the cut-finger doctor had already made a name for himself across China. He practiced medicine for twenty years and never once failed. As long as the patient was still breathing, he could save them. There were even rumors he could bring back the dead and mend bones!"
Daffodil Evans's red lips parted slightly, incredulous, "Really? That sounds unbelievable."
How could she believe such a fantastic tale?
Eddy Evans nodded, "Bringing back the dead and mending bones might not be true, but saving a life as long as there's a breath left—that's true. I've seen it with my own eyes!"
Saying this, he shook his head with a sigh, "The cut-finger doctor wasn't originally a cut-finger. If it weren't for his last mistake, he wouldn't have cut off his own finger and gone into seclusion in the deep mountains. After all, nobody lives a life without mistakes..."
He looked out the ferry window at the gloomy sky, "This time, I wonder if we can persuade him to come down."
Daffodil said nothing, hoping it would be possible.
At this moment, they had no other choice, as grandpa's health wouldn't last much longer.
The Evans family patriarch was like a stabilizing pin for the family, his passing would undoubtedly lead to turmoil within the Evans family.
As the ferry continued its slow journey, suddenly, commotion broke out on the deck.
Eddy's brow furrowed, "What's happening?"
With a bang, the cabin door burst open, and it was the ferry captain.
"It's bad, we're about to hit a reef, hurry, get to the lifeboats!"
Due to poor visibility and too fast a speed, by the time the captain noticed the underwater reef, it was too late to avoid it. The ferry was about to crash straight into it, and the impact would sink the ship.
Fortunately, the ferry was chartered by the father and daughter, with not many people on board, just the two of them and a few sailors.
The escape wouldn't be too chaotic.
Daffodil's face turned pale, she couldn't swim.
Eddy remained composed, quickly saying, "Daffodil, let's go! We need to get off the ship!"
As they hurriedly prepared to escape, a scream rang out from the deck.
What was happening?
"Dad! Look!"
Daffodil screamed too.
Eddy immediately looked towards the distance, only to see the once calm Blue River suddenly churning, the waves undulating as if a giant dragon was slowly passing beneath, countless white waves frothing and jumping.
And atop these frothing waves, someone was walking slowly, hands behind his back!
Crossing the river!
Someone was crossing the river!
Not by bridge, not by boat—but walking on the waves!
Daffodil's eyes widened in shock, almost dumbfounded.
And Eddy's lips trembled, "This, this is..."
Under the slightly brightening sky, a young man was walking through the surging waves, one step at a time, as if on flat ground. Although he moved slowly, he advanced quickly.
It was Delfina!
He had descended from Greenview Mountain and needed to cross to the south. Naturally, he had to cross the river.
But since it was still early, the ferry hadn't arrived yet. After a thought, he decided to simply walk across. The Blue River wasn't wide, just over a thousand meters. Relying on the Basic Questions Scripture trained by Ursula, Delfina could walk on air, and he would quickly reach the other side.
Halfway across, Delfina saw a ferry about to run aground just a few meters ahead.
He raised his hand slightly towards the ferry.
Whoosh, a wave of invisible force emanated from him as the center, quietly spreading out.
Creak, creak!
The ferry suddenly made a loud creaking noise as if an invisible hand was moving it, and it was forcefully pushed a dozen meters to the right!
It just so happened to make the straight-moving ferry avoid the reef ahead!
Daffodil on the ferry was completely dumbfounded.
Not far from the ferry, Daffodil saw it clearly—the young man walking on the river had sword eyebrows and eyes full of sharpness, thin lips, a deep contour, tall and sturdy but not bulky, like an eagle in the night.
Was all this done by him?
Is he a deity?
Several sailors were even more stupefied, hurriedly prostrating themselves on the deck, crying out to the 'deity.'
"Benefactor!"
After the shock, Eddy shouted, "We cannot repay you enough for saving our lives, please, come and talk!"
Delfina shook his head, it was just a casual help, and he continued to leave.
Delfina's figure was soon hidden by the morning mist, no longer distinct. Daffodil was still in a state of shock, "Dad... how can he... fly on water?"
"Ah—!"
Just then, Daffodil screamed again as if she had witnessed something unbelievable!
"Dad! Dad, look at the river!"
Eddy was startled and quickly turned his head.
The scene before him made him freeze in place!
In the clear waters of the Blue River, various fishes, shrimps, and crabs all floated to the surface, a dense mass, all aquatic creatures.
They shook their heads and waved their tails, at this moment, it seemed as if all the creatures in the water had surfaced to pay homage to the departing Delfina!
The sight was so stunning that one glance would leave a profound impact.
"What are they doing...?"
Daffodil was completely astonished.
Eddy was utterly determined, "Daffodil! We must find him! We must make friends with him!!!"
"He is our only chance for the Evans family to rise to the top class!"