The Way to Save Him

"Big Brother, how are you? Rest for a while. This physician will treat your injuries at once."

The bearded man knelt beside the stretcher and helped the man lying on it sit up. The latter's face was as pale as gold paper. He coughed weakly twice, then said in a trembling voice, "Daniu... cough, cough, cough... come here. Come..." Upon hearing this, Zhao Daniu leaned close, only to hear his big brother give a weak, cold laugh.

"Your friend and brother—can he drive away a reputable physician?"

Before his voice had even faded, his fan-sized hand rose and viciously slapped Zhao Daniu across the left cheek. Though he was gravely injured, the blow was brutally fierce, leaving Zhao Daniu seeing stars, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The man himself seemed to have aggravated his internal injuries as well; he broke into violent coughing, spraying blood-flecked foam from his lips.

"Captain!"

The two soldiers on either side hurried over to support him, but he raised a hand to stop them. His hawk-like eyes glared fixedly at Zhao Daniu's deathly pale face, and he spoke again in a trembling voice.

"Cough, cough, cough... Daniu, come here. Come..."

Zhao Daniu steadied himself, then leaned close again. The man backhanded him with another slap. This time, his other unharmed cheek swelled red as well. The man grabbed Zhao Daniu by the collar and struggled to his feet. Panting like an ox, he nevertheless scolded him in a harsh, furious voice:

"Zhao Daniu! I've led you for seven years—seven years! Did I ever teach you to bully the innocent? Did I ever teach you to threaten people with reckless words? When did I, Tie Bingwei, ever issue such a military order? Huh?! Why don't I know about it?!"

Zhao Daniu dropped to his knees with a thud and kowtowed like a pestle pounding garlic, weeping as he said, "Big Brother, please don't lose your temper. I only wanted this physician to save you. I'll accept the military cudgel myself. Daniu's death would mean nothing, but please, Brother, take care of your health. Don't lose your temper, don't lose your temper!"

"Impudent!"

The man shouted angrily and shoved the two soldiers aside. He hunched over and swayed, then said with bitter disappointment, "Foolish, foolish! My death is a small matter. The reputation of our army is paramount!"

He staggered several steps. He was tall and wore black armor, but much of the armor around his waist and abdomen was dented, as though it had been smashed by heavy weapons. Yet upon closer inspection, those marks were plainly fistprints—even the lines on the backs of the fists could be seen clearly. It was terrifying to imagine what kind of monster could possess such frightening strength.

The man's body swayed. Pretending not to see Zhao Daniu, he clasped his fists and bowed deeply to Li Kangsheng, who was dressed in nothing more than white robes.

"I have failed to govern my subordinate strictly and have made a fool of myself before you, sir. Cough, cough, cough... I-I will certainly keep him under much stricter watch!"

Li Kangsheng's expression relaxed slightly. He reached out to support the man as he bowed, but the latter was wearing armor and insisted on making the gesture. How could Li Kangsheng hold him up? With a clank, the man dropped straight down onto one knee, the iron armor over his knee pressing a crack into the bluestone. His expression was solemn, with not the slightest hint of pretense. Li Kangsheng sighed inwardly. He had always been an upright man, and with the other party treating him so courteously, he could hardly lose his temper. Thus, he said:

"General, you're too polite... I was also somewhat in the wrong just now. However, I truly can do nothing about your injuries."

The man clasped his fists and replied, "I'm merely a Captain and hardly worthy of being called General. Cough, cough, cough... Please, please speak plainly, sir."

Li Kangsheng stroked the few long strands of beard beneath his chin and said:

"If these were ordinary injuries, I could naturally treat them. However, your pulse shows deep stagnation and knotting. Clearly, this is an internal-force injury, and the needles must be guided by internal force. But I'm only a humble physician, with barely enough strength to truss a chicken—let alone any internal force cultivation. Besides, besides, this method of using internal force to guide the needles is a secret technique passed down through my wife's family. Her ancestor explicitly stated that it could not be taught to anyone outside the family or its disciples..."

The Captain opened his mouth, but ultimately fell silent. Internal force was difficult to cultivate. Local guards like them generally practiced simple external martial arts. And even if they managed to find someone who cultivated internal force, how could that person possibly pass down a family secret merely for the sake of an outsider like him? As for traveling to another city, setting aside whether they could find a physician with such skills, there simply was not enough time.

For a moment, he felt that death was closing in. Though he was broad-minded and heroic by nature, at this moment he was chilled and defeated, feeling that all the things in the world would turn to emptiness when he died. Li Kangsheng sighed as well and turned his head away. Nearby, the bearded man seemed to realize that there was no longer any hope. He lay on the ground and wailed bitterly, repeatedly slamming his injured right hand against the earth until blood smeared the dust, making him seem all the more pitiful. But just then, another hesitant voice came from the side.

"Uncle Li... may I ask whether this needle technique requires a certain level of internal force cultivation?"

Li Kangsheng's expression froze slightly, while a faint light also kindled in the big man's eyes. He turned to look at the youth dressed in a blue short jacket. Amid all those gazes, the youth raised his right hand. As he circulated his inner qi, waves of fierce, scorching heat immediately surged forth. He clearly possessed internal force—and had certainly not cultivated it in just a few days. His attainments were already quite profound!

Li Kangsheng's eyes brightened. He paced back and forth several steps, then slammed his right fist into his palm and gritted his teeth. "Wait here for now. I'll go ask my wife."

As soon as he finished speaking, he hurried into the back room. In the medicine shop, Wang Anfeng withdrew his right hand. After this sudden turn in events, the Captain felt as though he were in a dream. In the inner room, Li Kangsheng told his wife what had happened, then said hesitantly:

"Madam, although I said I could treat this injury, this needle technique is ultimately your family's inheritance... Anfeng, Anfeng isn't your family's descendant after all. This..."

After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "If it isn't possible, I'll say Anfeng's cultivation is insufficient and that he can't use this needle technique."

Upon hearing this, the woman furrowed her brows and gave her husband a reproachful look. She chided him:

"Making decisions on your own again. When did I ever say I wouldn't teach him?"

"Then... what do you suggest, Madam?"

"My Taisu Needle Technique may be crude, but it was still passed down from my great-grandfather. Since my generation had only daughters, he passed it on to me. On his deathbed, he said it could not be taught to anyone outside the family or its disciples. I would certainly hesitate when it came to anyone else, but if it's Feng'er, I have not the slightest hesitation."

Li Kangsheng froze slightly, and then heard his wife continue: "That child has only been here for a day or two, yet he has already helped us solve so many problems. He's handsome, courteous, upright, and knows how to advance and retreat. I like him immensely. Even if you hadn't said anything, I was already planning to pass this needle technique on to him. Traveling the martial world, one is bound to get injured. How could he possibly go without knowing medicine?"

"It's only a pity that he's a little too old. Otherwise, he would make an excellent match for Yanan."

While Li Kangsheng was still staring blankly, the woman had already swiftly tied up her hair and taken a rolled-up white cloth from the carved lattice beneath the bed. She glanced up at her husband and smiled. "Why are you standing there like a fool?"

"The Great Physician's Integrity by the Medicine King says: 'Whenever a great physician treats an illness, he must first calm the spirit and settle the will, harboring neither desire nor pursuit.' The way you look now, you're worse than that little apprentice you once were."

After saying this, she rolled her eyes at her husband and pushed open the door first. Her black hair set off her snow-white neck even more strikingly, and her every movement now carried a hint of youthful girlishness. For a moment, Li Kangsheng almost thought he was seeing his junior fellow apprentice from years ago. When he came to himself, his heart filled with joy—both because a life could now be saved and because of his wife's understanding nature. With a sweep of his sleeve, he hurried after her.