Chapter 16 - A Sleepless Profession

The Ghost Doctor makes his way around the room along the walls. He stops at a corner and reaches up at a container sitting on the top shelf. After removing a pinch of herbs from the container and placing it into his basket, he places the container back where it was before. He continues along the wall before reaching into another container. Feeling around the empty interior, he sighs.

"How unfortunate," he mumbles as turns to look at the night sky through the window. "Perhaps her shop is still open."

The Ghost Doctor makes his way towards the center of the room. He places the basket down on the table before making his way down the stairs. Upon reaching the ground floor, he walks over to the counter and picks up a portable cabinet. He slides his arms through each of the handles, one after the other, before tightly securing the cabinet on his back.

Though deep into the night, the lanterns that line the city streets still shine bright. The orange glow from these lanterns casts shadows upon the streets as residents sparsely walk to and fro. 

Although he wasn't sure if he would make it to his destination on time, he figured there was no use in rushing. Either it'll open when he gets there or it won't. There's always tomorrow. With this leisurely attitude in mind, the Ghost Doctor takes his time with his steps, enjoying the night breeze as he walks. Upon reaching a large junction, he turns to his right and looks at a building a few hundred steps away. 

A small wooden beam protrudes from the second floor of the building and into the street. Beneath the pole, a sign board, marked with a white lotus, sways with the night breeze. Seeing an orange glow pass through the window above the signboard, the Ghost Doctor smiles.

"The path you're on is a long and sleepless one after all," he mumbles before walking towards the building.

A lady slowly paces back and forth across the room. Her brows furrow as she tries to make sense of the problem that had been plaguing her mind for the past few weeks. The lady had long, moon-white, hair that flowed all the way past her hip. The sides of her hair swept around the back of her head towards the middle where it was held together by two criss-crossing hairpins. A set of masterfully polished white, petal-shaped, stones hang from the head of each headpin, dancing back and forth as the lady paces across the room.

"What's keeping you up, child?" 

The lady snaps out of her thoughts as she turns towards the direction of the voice.

"Uncle Yi!" The lady greets the Ghost Doctor with a bright smile and a slight bow. "How are you?"

"Gyohoho! Good, child, good. What about yourself? Any progress with that experiment?"

The lady's deflates as she shakes her head defeat.

"Don't make that face child, you're making this old soul ache. It'll come to you in time." The Ghost Doctor tries to console her before changing the subject. "How goes things at the academy?"

"Uncle, please," the lady rubs her temple as she sighs. "Let's not talk about those arrogant children who fancy themselves as 'young masters'. Nobody worth your time."

"Is that so?" He laments. "I suppose I can't croak just yet..."

"Uncle," The lady, seeing through his facade, chuckles. "You think you can set me on this sleepless profession and leave me? You think I'd let you off that easily?"

"Gyohoho! Nothing gets through you, child. Can't say I didn't try." The Ghost Doctor laughs.

"What can I get you today?" She asks after finally noticing the wooden cabinet on his back.

The Ghost Doctor reaches into his sleeve and pulls out a short list of herbs before setting the cabinet on the floor.

"A quarter kilo of each, please, child."

"Anything for you, Uncle." The lady replies as receives the paper with both hands. She takes a quick scan through the list and tucks it into her sleeve. "By the way, will you be staying long? I can brew up some tea." 

"Tea would be nice, child." 

"The usual?"

"The usual." He replies with a nod.

The lady disappears into the storage room while the Ghost Doctor makes his way towards the window. He pulls out a seat, making himself comfortable before turning to gaze at the peaceful street below. Moments later, the lady returns with a porcelain tea set. She pours her uncle a cup before picking up the cabinet and heading downstairs.

"Uncle!" The lady calls out from inside the ground floor storage room. "I've no peony flower! Will roots be okay?"

"That'll do, child!"

The lady diligently organizes the herbs into different compartments while her uncle enjoys a cup of tea. Moments later, she returns with the cabinet fully stocked with the herbs listed on the note, setting it by the table before sitting down from across the Ghost Doctor.

"Something is off about the processing method we discussed," she sighs while pouring herself a cup of tea. "I've been fine tuning the amount of aura used during fusion, but the compounds continue to react poorly."

"You'll figure it out, child. Patience." The Ghost Doctor comforts her as he takes another sip. "The herbs you're working with are not easy to tame. Why don't you put it on hold for a while and revisit it later with renewed vigor? Who knows, perhaps the answer might come to you with a little bit of rest."

"Perhaps…" She sighs again. "How are things at the pharma-"

Before she could finish her question, a cold chill rushes through her body, from head to toes, causing her to drop her cup. The porcelain teacup shatters as it hits the floor. The Ghost Doctor's pupils shrink as he looks at the lady. The lady looks back at him, checking to make sure that it wasn't just her who felt that terrifying presence just now. 

"Child… You felt it too?"

She nods as they both jump to their feet, rushing downstairs and into the street. They look around as they try to pinpoint the location of that aura. The Ghost Doctor squints his eyes as he turns his head towards the entryway that they had just stepped out from.

"About six or seven streets over..." 

The Ghost Doctor leaps into the air and lands on top of the building, glaring towards the direction of the frightening aura.

"Stay here, child." He warns before flying off.

As he passes the third road, the aura disappears. He continues forth anyways, his eyes scanning across the streets below as he passes over them. His toes gently touch down atop the roof of a building as he looks down at the scene unfolding below.

And who might you be, child?