"Naturally. I will help you," Ethan said with confidence. Then he added, "But I have one condition. I want you to convince your master—and as many faculty members and disciples as possible—to join the library. If you can help me with this and assist in solving my problem, then I will naturally make you my assistant, if you wish."
He continued calmly, "If you become my assistant, you can enter the library whenever you want. Your monthly contribution points will be reduced by another fifteen points. That means you'll only need to pay ten contribution points to access the library."
This was Ethan's plan.
He intended to use Jenny as a bridge—to attract the attention of disciples and even faculty members to the library. By doing so, he wouldn't just complete his main mission; he could also complete the Special Mission. This was precisely why he was taking advantage of Jenny's cultivation issue involving her liver.
Jenny was naturally thrilled. The opportunity was too perfect. She already understood the true value of the library, and this chance would allow her to become an assistant librarian before others realised what they were missing. If she played this right, she would benefit more than anyone else.
As a staff member of the library, she would gain access to forbidden sections—areas filled with deeper knowledge. This would be an immense boon to her future growth if she utilised the library properly. The academy might be in decline now, but two hundred years ago, it had been a dominant force within the sect. She was determined to take advantage of this opportunity.
"I want to become the assistant librarian," Jenny said excitedly.
Ethan shook his head. "You still don't understand. I said you can become the assistant librarian—but only after you convince staff members and disciples to enrol as library members. The more, the better. My target is at least five thousand disciples. As for faculty, the more who enrol, the better. I hope you understand."
He added, "I don't need any payment for curing your condition. All I want is your help in increasing the number of members in the library. You'll benefit from this too, right?"
Jenny nodded immediately. "Fine. I'll help you, Big Brother. But… will you treat me first?"
"I can do it right away," Ethan sighed, "but there's a small problem. I need acupuncture needles. Only with those can I extract the chaotic energy from your body."
"That's not an issue at all!" Jenny said with relief. "I'll get them from the Medicine Hall right now. Please wait for me."
"If that's the case, I'll wait," Ethan replied nonchalantly.
Jenny smiled and hurried away. Ethan watched her departing figure and smiled inwardly. Today's harvest had been excellent. He had gained far more than expected. He was one major step closer to completing his quest, and the chances of finishing the Special Mission had risen dramatically. Most importantly, he had successfully activated a side profession.
The Doctor profession might well be one of the most important professions in the cultivation world.
Naturally, he was pleased.
"System! Show me my statistics," Ethan commanded.
The system responded instantly.
Name: Ethan Hunt
Daoist Name: Fool
TALENT POOL
Spiritual Roots – Mortal Grade
Physique – Mortal Grade
Spirit – Mortal Grade
Cultivation Level: None
Cultivation Techniques: None
Level: 1
EXP Points: 5 / 30
POINTS PANEL
Skill Points: 0 (Credit: 101,185)
Attribute Points: 0
Golden Points: 0
System Currency: 20
ATTRIBUTES
HP: 50 / 50
QP: (Locked)
Strength: 30 / 30
Stamina: 25 / 25
Endurance: 15 / 15
Speed: 10 / 10
Agility: 7 / 7
Spirit: 0.3
Luck: 1
SIDE PROFESSION
Profession Name: Doctor
Level: 0
EXP: 0 / 100
Skill Level: Beginner
Description: A Doctor is treated as a God in the world of cultivation
SKILL SET
HOPE: When you place your hand on the patient's head, they place their hope in you and enter a tranquil state.
Ethan nodded in satisfaction. The side profession had been added to his status panel. That was excellent. It even had its own experience system—meaning that by curing more people, he could level up his Doctor profession and advance further.
As his professional level rose, so would his reputation and demand. More people would seek him out. That would help him build both fame and wealth.
However, as he reflected more seriously, Ethan realised a problem.
He would never have true freedom to treat people within the academy. Few disciples would trust him, and faculty interference would limit him. His professional growth would stagnate here. If he wanted to truly advance as a doctor, he would eventually need to leave the academy—at least temporarily. For now, that was the only viable solution he could see.
At that moment, Jenny returned, carrying a rectangular wooden box. She entered the library, opened it, and revealed its contents.
Silver needles.
Ethan nodded. "These will do. I'll begin extracting the chaotic energy now. Please sit on the ground."
Jenny obeyed without hesitation and sat down. Ethan crouched near her, holding four needles taken from the box.
"This will be very painful," Ethan warned gently. "I hope you can endure it. If you do, your future will be bright."
"Hm," Jenny replied. She shut her eyes tightly, mentally preparing herself for the agony to come.
The pain had plagued her night after night, stealing her sleep and shattering her concentration. Since an opportunity had finally appeared to rid herself of it, she was prepared to endure anything—even hell itself. Compared to that, this pain meant nothing.
Ethan took a deep breath.
No matter how much knowledge the system had transmitted to him, this was still his first treatment. If anyone claimed they wouldn't be nervous in his position, they would be lying.
He calmed himself carefully. Only once his mind was completely steady did he take out the first needle—
—and begin the treatment.