Yang Qi’s heart sank. He asked, "Is it acute or chronic?"

"The doctor said it’s something called acute lymphoblastic leukemia."

Bao Shun exhaled, calming himself. "She’s been in treatment for half a year. Chemotherapy, medication... the kid has suffered terribly. Look how thin she is. Her hair has almost all fallen out."

"The doctor said that for a real cure, a bone marrow transplant is the best option. But her mother is only a partial match, so the risk is high. We’ve been waiting for a suitable match from the bone marrow registry, but there’s been no news."

"The girl’s mom is handling it all by herself. She has to take care of the child and work to earn money. It’s really not easy. I felt so bad for them, I had the girl come stay with me for a while to make things easier on her mom. Now her mother is working three jobs a day... I don’t know if she can keep it up."

"The kid loves animals, loves birds, so living at the Zoo is perfect for her, but I have to watch her closely. Just now, while I was on the phone for a moment, she ran over here by herself and attracted all these birds..."

As Bao Shun spoke, his expression was a mixture of heartache and lingering fear. "Thank goodness nothing happened. The birds wouldn’t hurt her, but what if a tourist accidentally bumped into her, or if she fell? The child is so weak right now. Her body can’t take any more hardship!"

Yang Qi listened quietly, his gaze occasionally drifting to the little girl.

Fate could be truly cruel.

It had given Bao Tutu a special gift, only to make her endure such a devastating illness.

’Fortunately, her luck was good—she’d run into me again!’

’The Profound Yellow Blood Transformation Pill!’

This Antitoxic Treasure Pill, obtained from the system’s lottery, couldn’t cure a complex malignant blood disease like leukemia. However, it could absolutely alleviate her symptoms and might even cause a stunning short-term improvement in the little girl’s physical condition!

The pill was certainly precious, but Bao Tutu’s talent of "affinity with all birds" was equally special and rare.

’If this little girl can survive, then my "special ability" to bond with and communicate with animals will no longer be an isolated case.’

For Yang Qi, this point was of immeasurable value.

’It provides both cover and a kind of "plausibility."’

’When there’s more than one "aberration" like you in the world, your own "strangeness" doesn’t stick out as much.’

’As for taking Bao Tutu as a disciple?’

’There’s no need for that right now.’

First, the girl was too young, her body was extremely weak, and her mind wasn’t yet developed. Cultivation Techniques were profound and obscure; she wouldn’t be able to comprehend them at all.

If she couldn’t even get started with a Cultivation Technique, how could she possibly cultivate?

Let alone taming Guardian Beasts.

Second, cultivation required resources.

This world currently had no Spiritual Qi. The Spirit Rice, Qi Condensing Pills, and Spirit Stones that Yang Qi used for his own cultivation were all obtained from the system’s lottery. His supplies were limited, and it was already a tight squeeze to support himself and his few Guardian Beasts. Taking on a "disciple" with absolutely no foundation was something he simply couldn’t afford.

Third, and most practically, Yang Qi’s current social identity was just a zookeeper, with the titles of "Animal Expert" and "graduate student" at best.

’Take on a disciple?’

If word got out, people would just treat it as a joke, and it might even attract unnecessary speculation and trouble.

Therefore, the most urgent task was to save the little girl’s life, stabilize her condition, and give her a chance to grow up and discover the potential of her own talent.

As for her future path, he would wait until her health improved and she was a bit older to see how things developed.

...

Seeing Yang Qi remain silent with a neutral expression after he finished speaking, Master Bao’s old face flushed slightly, and he looked somewhat embarrassed and awkward.

He knew that suddenly pulling Yang Qi aside to talk about all this could easily be seen as complaining in hopes of getting help.

His lips moved a few times before he mumbled, "Uh... Xiao Yang, I... I was just rambling, I didn’t mean anything by it. You... if you’re busy, you can go ahead. I’ll sit with Tutu for a little longer, then we’ll head back."

"It’s alright, Master Bao. I’m not busy."

Yang Qi snapped out of his thoughts. Seeing Master Bao’s hesitant and mortified expression, he understood everything and felt a pang of sympathy.

He knew this honest, down-to-earth old master would never ask anyone for help unless he was absolutely desperate, let alone from him, his former "apprentice."

Yang Qi didn’t beat around the bush. He said directly, "Master Bao, I might not be able to help much with other things, but thanks to Xiaojiu, I’m fairly well-off right now. I can provide some support."

He paused, then named a figure. "I can give you three hundred thousand to start, for Tutu’s emergency use. If she needs more for later treatments, we’ll figure something out."

"I..."

Bao Shun’s face instantly turned an even deeper shade of red. It was partly from the embarrassment of having his unspoken wish exposed, but even more so from being moved and at a loss for words.

He had indeed been holding on to a sliver of hope, but he never expected Yang Qi to be so direct and generous with his offer—and to start with three hundred thousand!

For Bao Tutu, this was undoubtedly a lifeline in her time of need!

"Xiao Yang, I... I can’t accept this! It’s too much!"

Bao Shun instinctively waved his hands to refuse, even though his eyes were filled with longing.

"Master Bao, don’t be so quick to refuse."

Yang Qi cut off his protest, his tone sincere. "If I didn’t have the means and was just pretending to be well-off, then of course, there’d be nothing to say."

"But I have this money right now, and it’s not earning much interest just sitting in the bank. Using it to support Tutu’s treatment will have no real impact on me, but it can genuinely help the child."

Looking into Bao Shun’s eyes, his tone grew serious. "Master Bao, when I first started at the Zoo, I didn’t know anything. You were the one who taught me everything, step by step, and showed me the ropes. Now my master’s family is in trouble, and I, the apprentice, have the ability to help. It’s only right and proper. If you still consider me your ’apprentice,’ then accept this money so Tutu can get better treatment!"

"But... this..."