When the injured man was carried into the Yao-Clinic, Xingyu had already cleared the table, sweeping herb jars and vials into the corner to create a makeshift operating bed.
The floating board came to a gentle halt. Luo Ye panted, wiping sweat from his brow. "Is this guy made of lead? Does he eat boulders for breakfast?"
"Quiet," Sang Qi snapped, directing them to transfer the man to the long table. "Luo Ye, get the alcohol and the hemostatic bandages. Lin Lie, get the bottle of Azure-Yao Ointment from my bag—not the red one, the azure one!"
"You sure have a fast mouth..." Luo Ye grumbled, but his hands moved like lightning.
Xingyu stood nearby, her eyes fixed on the stranger. His face was rugged but not cruel, with features carved as sharply as mountain stone. There were scars and calluses on his forehead and arms—marks of long-term labor or battle.
Suddenly, her hand flared with heat.
She looked down. On the watch's ring of icons, the symbol for 'Earth Yao' was glowing with a steady, grounding light, like silt refracting the sun beneath deep water.
So... he is the Bearer of Earth? Xingyu held her breath. She didn't say it aloud. She knew better than to reveal their identities before understanding their characters. She needed to see who this man was first.
Her gaze shifted to the young doctor. His hands were steady, his commands clear. He handled the wounds with the focus of a surgeon.
"You..." she began.
The doctor didn't look up. "If it hurts, hold on. I'm busy."
"No, I was going to ask your name," she said, blinking.
He paused for a heartbeat, glancing up with a look of surprise before sighing. "Goodness, girl, you should have asked ages ago. Why wait until now?"
Though he was chatty, his tone wasn't cold. "I'm Sang Qi. A dashing doctor and currently the reluctant 'healing cheat-code' for this lot. I treat their wounds, bury their dead, and fix their messes. And you?"
"Gu Xingyu."
"Ah, Xingyu. A gentle name. Too bad it's the opposite of your personality—standing there on a bum ankle trying to help. Do you always live life in such a hurry?"
"Do you always talk this much?" she countered, rolling her eyes.
"What? It's just the truth. Deal with it, because if you sprain that leg again, you won't be walking until next month."
Xingyu started to retort, but noticed that while he talked non-stop, he had quietly adjusted a stool behind her to support her injured leg at a better angle. She smiled secretly.
The 'Wood Yao' icon on her watch was glowing a deep, tranquil emerald.
Fire, Gold, Water, Wood... she counted in her head. Only one left.
"Earth Yao is you, isn't it?" she whispered to the sleeping man later that night.
Unlike the others, the Earth icon didn't flare or flicker. It hummed—a silent, low-frequency vibration like the pulse of the planet itself. Unobtrusive, yet impossible to ignore.
Xingyu leaned in. "Who are you? Why were you alone on that mountain?" She didn't expect an answer. She just needed an outlet for her anxiety. "The others all leave traces of Yao-Qi... but you? You're a void. Yet the watch says you're the one."
As she touched the watch face, the man's brow furrowed slightly, as if sensing her presence even in his coma.
"Can you hear me?" she breathed.
"Oi! This guy is as heavy as a side of pork! Glad he's still kicking though." Sang Qi yawned as he walked in. "Hey! Why are you up again? Didn't we agree you'd rest?"
Xingyu offered a wry smile. "Just checking on him."
Sang Qi leaned against the wall, sliding down to rest. "If I hadn't taken that uphill path today, he'd be wolf bait by now... I am never picking herbs on a cliffside again..."
"I've stitched the wounds. No internal ruptures. Just blood loss," he continued, eyes sharp despite his fatigue. "He's a soldier or a mercenary. The way he was cut... it was professional. Even his unconscious state is 'stable.' He's a fighter."
"You can tell?"
"Kid, I talk a lot, but my eyes are sharp." He pointed to his eyes.
Xingyu had an idea. "Sang Qi, can I ask a favor?"
"A favor? Already? We just met, and you're asking me to go through fire and water for you? I mean, I am talented and handsome, but you're making me blush..."
"I just want you to check his Yao-Qi flow," she interrupted, rolling her eyes. "I can't detect it myself, but you can."
Sang Qi turned serious. "You suspect he's... a Bearer?"
She nodded. "Earth."
Sang Qi knelt and placed his fingers on the man's pulse, closing his eyes. After a moment, his eyes snapped open. "His Yao-Qi is incredibly deep... like an underground mineral vein. It doesn't leak, but the intensity is terrifying. You're right. It's Earth."
Xingyu took a deep breath. "The fifth one... found."
"Found what?" Sang Qi asked.
Xingyu pulled out the bronze watch and clicked it open. "I think it's time you knew."
The totems spun in the dim light. Sang Qi froze. "What is this?"
"I'm not from the Yao Realm," she said, her voice steady and honest. "I was brought here by this watch. It senses Yao-Qi and guides me to the five Bearers. It reacted to you the moment you treated my foot."
"Ha..." Sang Qi let out a dry laugh, scratching his messy hair. "And you didn't say anything?"
"You were talking too much. I couldn't get a word in."
"Hey!"
Xingyu's expression turned earnest. "I didn't ask you immediately because I had to be sure... that you were someone who would walk this path. Sang Qi, the Seal needs all five. I want you to come with us."
Sang Qi stood up and looked out the window at the breaking dawn. "I always thought a chatterbox like me wasn't meant for 'great things.' I just wanted a small pharmacy, tea, and patients."
He turned back, his gaze uncharacteristically somber. "But if this journey can make the Yao Realm a little better... I suppose I can tag along. On one condition—don't complain that I'm noisy."
Xingyu nodded, smiling. "I won't. In fact, it's comforting."
"Fine. Then this mouthy doctor is officially in the party!" He slapped his medical bag. "From now on, headaches, sprains, heartbreaks, or hemorrhoids—I've got you covered!"
"Wait, I don't need the last one!" Luo Ye's voice yelled from outside.
The sun began to rise, casting long shadows across the room.
"You guys see his face?" Luo Ye complained, sitting in the corner. "Even unconscious, he looks like he's saying 'Stay away from me.' He's even harder to read than Lin Lie."
"Are you talking about me?" Lin Lie asked without looking up from his board.
"Yeah. If you two stood side-by-side without talking, I'd think I was in a statue gallery."
Xingyu chuckled. "He doesn't look like the trusting type."
"He's like a cliffside," Sang Qi added. "Immovable, silent, and incredibly durable. People like that are either defensive or they don't believe in anyone."
"Or," Xingyu whispered, "their hearts are trapped by something."
The group turned to her.
"I'm a psychology major," she shrugged. "Sometimes, silence isn't coldness. It's just not knowing how to ask for help."
"Heh," Sang Qi smirked. "Fine. We have a mind-reader. Maybe we won't have to rely entirely on my talking."
Shui leaned against the doorframe, twirling a porcelain vial. "So, let's see the roster: a brooding wall, a firecracker, an ice block, a chatterbox, and our Lady of the Watch."
"And what are you?" Xingyu asked.
"Me? I'm the eye candy, obviously," he winked.
"Can we change that to 'thick-skinned'?" Sang Qi rolled his eyes.
Xingyu watched them—this chaotic, mismatched group of men. They seemed impossible to manage, yet in the heat of the rescue, they had found a rhythm.
I'm just a psychology student? she thought, clutching the watch. No. I am the one who sees through them. I am the guide. These Bearers might be difficult, but they are the strongest weapons chosen by fate. I just need to find the right keys to unlock them.
A faint smile touched her lips. This grand experiment in group psychology was only just beginning.