A Healer's Journey | Read Free Preview

Read chapters 1–3 of A Healer's Journey free. Unlock the full ebook when you are ready to keep going.

Chapter 1

“Your lung cancer has been completely cured. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you'll be able to smoke freely for another thirty years.”

Deep within a certain primeval forest, inside a wooden cabin, a handsome young man was washing his hands as he spoke.

In a corner of the room, against the wall, a gaunt man propped himself up on a simple sickbed. His gaze fixated on the dark substance now resting on the floor, freshly extracted from his lungs, then he exclaimed in awe, “This is truly miraculous! You are indeed the famed mischievous doctor, Finnegan Larkin, whose treatment methods are unheard of. If those orthodox scholars and professors were to see you directly removing cancer cells and tar from my lungs with your bare hands, they would surely be astounded!”

The man appeared somewhat excited, and as he spoke, he habitually lit a cigarette and took a satisfying puff. According to Finnegan, he could enjoy this pleasure for at least another thirty years.

The air was thick with the smell of secondhand smoke.

Finnegan frowned slightly in annoyance. “You talk a bit too much. Also, the treatment is already done. You may leave now.”

“You're kicking me out already? How heartless.” The man shrugged, swiftly getting out of bed.

Despite his grumbling, he still obediently opened the door and stepped out.

He knew of Finnegan's whimsical nature, understanding that even he, hailed as the Northern Border Ares, would not hold any special privileges in front of him.

Outside, a light rain was gently falling. Amidst the drizzle, over a dozen individuals from the Langdon family, the wealthiest in Nuthana, were kneeling before a small wooden cabin, completely exposed to the elements.

Upon seeing the door of the wooden cabin open, Mandy Langdon, who was kneeling at the front of the crowd, lifted her head in anticipation. However, she did not see Finnegan, which immediately filled her with disappointment.

Yet, she recognized the Northern Border Ares before her, the one who commanded millions of soldiers. She quickly said, “Sir, could you please convey a message to Dr. Larkin for me? We have been kneeling here for a whole day and night, begging for Dr. Larkin's forgiveness!”

The man looked at these people, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. “How much respect do you think he will show me? Since you've offended Finnegan, you might as well kneel and wait. When he's in a good mood, he'll naturally forgive you.”

After uttering those words, he walked straight past these people and left the wooden cabin.

Once the Northern Border Ares had departed, Mandy finally mustered the courage and called out, “Dr. Larkin, we have been kneeling for a whole day and night. We beg for your forgiveness for our sudden offense. Please, come with me to Nuthana to save my grandfather!”

However, after she finished calling out, there was no response from within the wooden cabin.

Just as Mandy was steeped in disappointment, a small black bottle flew out of the cabin window. Finnegan said, “I'll let you off the hook today. I'll cure your grandfather's illness!”

Mandy picked up the small bottle and opened it, revealing seven pills enveloped in a rich, herbal fragrance. Her face lit up with joy, and she turned toward the wooden cabin to express her gratitude. “Thank you, Dr. Larkin. Thank you, Dr. Larkin!”

“After you return home, have your grandfather take one pill daily for seven consecutive days to help condition his body. Within ten days, I will personally visit the Langdon family to completely cure your grandfather. As for the consultation fee, please transfer one hundred million to my public account in advance. Do you have any objections?”

The Langdon family, being the wealthiest in Nuthana with assets amounting to hundreds of billions, considered a hundred million as mere pocket change. Moreover, this matter concerned the life of Howard Langdon. The Langdon family was willing to spend any amount of money necessary.

“No objections. We, the Langdon family, are eagerly looking forward to welcoming you, Dr. Larkin!”

“You may leave now!” Finnegan said coldly.

After the departure of the Langdon family, the wooden door slowly swung open. Finnegan stepped out, standing tall with a gentle demeanor. His eyes were profound, and a subtle hint of mischievous charm lingered at the corner of his mouth.

“Nuthana, huh? I suppose it's time to return home. It's been five years, and I have no idea how Mom, Dad, and Rhiannon are doing.”

Nostalgia filled Finnegan's eyes, and then, opening an umbrella, he stepped into the storm.

Unlock the full story →

Chapter 2

Two days later, Finnegan arrived in Jadeborough, Nuthana.

Five years had passed, and Jadeborough, already a significant economic hub, had become even more prosperous.

Despite this, Finnegan's home was located on the outskirts of Jadeborough, an area still undergoing urban planning.

Five years ago, Finnegan was just an ordinary high school student. He bravely stepped in to save a girl, but as a result, he offended a wealthy heir named Killian Chomsky. He was severely beaten, which landed him in the hospital.

To evade the impending retaliation, Finnegan had no choice but to flee under the cover of night.

He thought his life was over, but unexpectedly, on the path of escape, he encountered someone unimaginable, or rather, a demon—Mephisto.

Finnegan signed a pact at the cost of his soul, acquiring knowledge of the arcane medical arts. In a single night, he transitioned from a typical high school student to a contentious personality, a doctor both admired and scorned for his unconventional practices.

He was admired because his medical skills were indeed miraculous. Rumor had it that as long as one wasn't brain-dead, even if their heart had stopped beating, he could still bring them back to life.

On the other hand, he was scorned because of his complete disregard for the professional ethics of a doctor. He acted on his whims, and if anything displeased him even slightly, he would refuse treatment, even if the patient was the president of the country.

Consequently, Finnegan was conferred with the title of mischievous doctor.

He gazed at the Larkin residence, a place that felt simultaneously familiar and alien. A hint of a smile surfaced on his face.

He had never imagined that one day he would long to return to this place so fervently. Perhaps this was the homesickness felt by a wanderer who had been away from home for many years.

He was unsure of how his younger sister and parents were faring. He hadn't been home in five years after all. He wondered if, after such a long absence, they would still be able to recognize him.

Finnegan quickened his steps, his eagerness to reunite with his family palpable. Within a matter of seconds, he reached the front door of the Larkin residence.

At that moment, the Larkin residence was no longer the peaceful haven it once was. Instead, it had transformed into a backdrop for a terrifying incident.

“This is our house. Who are you to make us move?”

Quiana Lane, Finnegan's mother, was desperately tugging at a burly man, who was carrying the only television set they had in their home.

The burly man turned around, sneering contemptuously. “D*mn it, let go of your grip. If you don't let go, I assure you, my patience will run thin.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he flung Quiana away with a swift motion of his hand. Quiana landed harshly on the floor.

Quiana was already over forty years old. She could not possibly withstand such a fall. Yet, the next moment, she fiercely lunged forward, attempting to wrestle her television back from the burly man's grasp.

She just won't give up, huh? The veins on the forehead of the burly man bulged. A surge of fury erupted from within him. He roared, “You old fool, I'm going to kill you!”

With those words, he tossed the television aside and picked up an iron rod from the ground. The rod was solid, and if it really hit Quiana, it would spell more harm than good.

“You b*stard, stop!” Finnegan shouted, arriving in front of Python at an extremely fast speed. He couldn't suppress the rage in his heart when he saw that his mother was about to get hit.

He seized Python's hand, which was clutching the iron rod, and twisted it. A clanging noise echoed as the iron rod hit the ground.

“Finny!” Upon closer inspection, Quiana noticed that Finnegan's appearance had somewhat changed over the past five years. However, blood is thicker than water, and Quiana recognized him in an instant.

“Finny, you must go quickly. Leave this matter to me,” Quiana said to Finnegan anxiously, her hands clutching her head.

Finnegan turned his head to glance at his elderly mother and said to her in an extremely gentle voice, “Don't worry. I'm back now. Leave everything in our household to me.”

As he turned back, his eyes were ablaze with intensity. He said coldly to Python, “Regardless of who you are, if you dare to harm my family, don't expect to walk out of the Larkin residence unscathed.”

“Haven't you asked around? In the entire Jadeborough, no one dares to speak to me in such a manner! Who do you think you are, daring to bluster in front of me?” Python said disdainfully.

“Oh? You're Python? Even if you're Python, you can't mess with the Larkin family!”

From a young age, Finnegan had often heard of Python's reputation. Had this been five years ago, he might have been shaking in fear. However, things were different now. With his current abilities, he viewed Python as nothing more than a common thug.

“Do you have a death wish?” Python had revealed his identity, yet Finnegan still appeared nonchalant.

He was inherently a hot-tempered individual, and now, due to a blow to his pride, his anger was even more intensified.

He fiercely exerted his strength, aiming to break free from Finnegan's grasp. However, upon applying his force, he discovered that Finnegan's grip was as unyielding as concrete. Even though he was using all his might, Finnegan's hand remained unmoved.

Finnegan felt the strength coursing through his hand. He looked at Python and said, “No matter how powerful you are in Jadeborough, you are now in the Larkin family's territory. You've hit my mother, so you must kneel and apologize!”

After speaking, he began to grip Python's wrist tightly.

Unlock the full story →

Chapter 3

“You—” Python was about to speak, but an overwhelming force exerted on his wrist abruptly cut off his words, turning them into a shrill scream. “Let go of me. Let go of me, you little rascal!”

He hastily struck Finnegan's arm with his other hand, but it was to no avail.

“Remember this,” Finnegan said, “anyone who dares to cause trouble in the Larkin residence will be crawling out from now on.” With that, he landed a punch on Python's stomach with his left hand.

Python felt as if he was hit by a truck.

He, a hulking man who weighed nearly two hundred pounds, was astonishingly sent flying with a single punch.

Python slowly propped himself up against the wall, his right hand still clutching his stricken belly. A ferocious look appeared on his face, yet his body couldn't help but shudder involuntarily.

“Kid, where are you from? I work for Mr. Killian! You've ruined his plans today. I'll definitely report this back to him. You're as good as dead!” Python shouted, his neck stiff.

The chill in Finnegan's eyes intensified. It was this very Mr. Killian who had forced him into leaving his home in the first place.

“Kneel and apologize!” Finnegan commanded, staring into Python's eyes.

“You—” Python wanted to say something else, but suddenly he saw a fruit knife pressed against his own throat, which scared him into swallowing his words immediately.

“I said, kneel and apologize!”

Python hesitated for a moment, but upon seeing Finnegan's icy gaze, he could only kneel on the ground.

“I'm sorry...”

“Get lost!” Finnegan waved his hand dismissively.

Python gave Finnegan a malicious glance, then limped away.

Finnegan dropped the fruit knife, turned to look at his mother, and said, “Mom, I'm back.”

“You're finally back.” Tears welled up in Quiana's eyes. Seeing such a drastic change in her son, she had many questions. But no matter what happened, it's no longer important as long as my son is back.

Even though their family was in dire straits, they believed that as long as they were together, they could overcome anything.

“Right, you haven't met your dad yet. Hurry in.” Quiana quickly released Finnegan. “Desmond! Finny has returned.”

Pulling his mother into the courtyard, Finnegan was just about to greet his father, Desmond Larkin, when a jolt went through his heart. He rushed over, crouching down. “Dad, what happened to you?”

In his recollections, his father was a gentle and sophisticated schoolteacher, always thorough and organized. However, now his hair had whitened and his body had become frail and thin. He reclined on a lounge chair, his face bearing the signs of illness.

“You're back!” Desmond was overcome with tears of joy, wanting to reach out and touch his son's face but he couldn't. “That's all that matters. Don't ask or worry about anything else. Let's live our lives well as a complete and happy family.”

Finnegan grasped Desmond's hand and placed it on his own face. He wanted to understand the whole story.

“Dad, tell me, how did you end up like this? And what's the deal with Python?”

When he left home, his family was in good health and the house didn't exhibit the current signs of poverty and desolation.

“Desmond, Finny will find out sooner or later. Just tell him,” Quiana said, wiping her tears.

As it turned out, after Finnegan was forced to leave, Killian still refused to let things rest. He brought people to the Larkin residence, demanding that they pay one million for the medical expenses incurred from the injuries Finnegan had inflicted on him.

Under the pressure of the Chomsky family's influence, the Larkin family had to sell their possessions and borrow money and managed to gather over four hundred thousand. For the remaining five hundred thousand, they could only beg Killian for an extension of the deadline.

However, Killian later proclaimed that the outstanding debt could be settled by the father on behalf of his son. As a result, Desmond was assaulted to the point of incapacitation and remained paralyzed for the past five years.

The Mr. Killian that Python mentioned was none other than Killian Chomsky, the very person who had forced Finnegan to leave his home and brought about the downfall of the Larkin family. The company developing this area was Tristan Properties, a subsidiary of the Chomsky family's Tristan Group.

For this reason, while other families had fifteen thousand, their family only had four thousand.

Finnegan did not expect Killian to not give up after his departure. In frustration, he slammed his fist onto the small table next to him, causing it to crack instantly.

“He's trying to kill us. I won't let him get away!” Pausing for a moment, Finnegan added coldly, “And that girl is such an ingrate. If I had known, I wouldn't have saved her!”

“You mean Bernice Zimmerman from Firebird Group?” Quiana, holding Finnegan's hand, explained, “You've misunderstood! She came looking for you, but you weren't home. She wanted to give fifty million as a token of gratitude, but you know how your father is. He doesn't want to force her to reciprocate your kindness. Apart from accepting her financial support for Rhia's education, he rejected everything else.”

“She's the daughter of the Zimmerman family from Firebird Group?”

Finnegan could only recall that the girl he had saved was very beautiful, but he was unaware of her identity.

Quiana nodded. “She's a good girl. Seeing that we didn't want her money, she would come to visit us almost every month, helping us solve some troubles. She's far from being an ingrate!”

Realizing that he had misunderstood, Finnegan said, “At least she has some conscience.”

“But good people often don't get rewarded.”

Over a month ago, Bernice suddenly fainted and had not awakened since.

Finished the preview?

Unlock the full ebook now and continue the story right away. Get instant access after purchase — no shipping, no waiting. Delivered as PDF and EPUB for reading on phone, tablet, or desktop.

👉 Unlock the Full Story — A Healer's Journey ($15.99)