Treatment

At sunset, this patrol squad that could be called survivors of a bloody battle finally staggered into the small town at the foot of Nanshan.

At the town's main crossroads, a dozen or so patrol inspectors had clearly been waiting for a long time. Doctor Li of the town stood nearby with seven or eight apprentices, evidently having been notified in advance as well.

"Quick, save my uncle!"

"My uncle is the worst wounded!"

"Save me... I don't want to die yet..."

"Mother, I don't want to die..."

In an instant, the previously gloomy procession erupted into clamor.

Xu Yuan moved swiftly as well. Supporting Chu Mu, he squeezed past several patrol inspectors blocking the way and began shouting.

"Doctor Li, hurry and take a look at my brother Mu! He's the worst wounded..."

"My brother Mu is almost done for, Doctor Li..."

Hearing Xu Yuan's cries, the corner of Chu Mu's mouth twitched. But at that moment, he truly had no spare strength to speak.

Right then, he had only one feeling: exhaustion unlike anything he had ever known. If he had not gritted his teeth and held on, he really would have wanted to collapse where he stood and sleep like the dead.

But he truly was not sure whether, once he fell asleep, he would ever wake again.

Perhaps because they had met several times before, when Old Li Doctor saw Chu Mu covered head to toe in blood and grime, he actually passed several wounded patrol inspectors and hurried over to him.

"Help him sit over there first. Take off his clothes!"

Doctor Li glanced at the bloodstains on Chu Mu's abdomen, then pointed toward a bonfire that had already been lit nearby.

"Doctor, is my brother Mu going to be all right?"

The moment he had removed his armor and thick padded coat, Xu Yuan impatiently asked.

"The wound is all right. It didn't damage any internal organs; the main problem is that it was left untreated for too long."

"It's not a major issue. This old man will treat it for you first, then prescribe a formula for you to take."

"In two days... the day after tomorrow. Come to this old man's Medicine Hall to have the dressing changed. Rest and recover for a month or so, and you'll be fine."

After saying that, Doctor Li raised his hand and began treating the wound on Chu Mu's abdomen.

Only upon hearing Doctor Li's words did Chu Mu finally let out the breath he had been holding.

Though he knew nothing of medicine, he at least knew what infection was.

With a wound like this, there was no need to think about it—it would certainly become infected.

In this era, with medical conditions like these, infection probably meant death more often than not.

Yet Doctor Li kept saying it was not a major issue. Clearly, he was very confident.

Chu Mu... could only hope that Doctor Li's "not a major issue" truly meant what it said.

"Doctor Li, what is that?"

When he saw Doctor Li pull out a short needle threaded with silk, Chu Mu could not help but freeze.

"Stitching."

Doctor Li looked up at the startled Chu Mu and explained, "A large wound like yours must be stitched first so it can heal better."

"Don't worry. The thread is made from Azure Tree Silk. As the wound grows, it will meld into your flesh and blood. Once the wound heals, there'll be no need to remove the stitches."

After saying that, Doctor Li smiled. "In any case, your Patrol Inspectorate isn't short of money. Good things won't be withheld from you."

Hearing that explanation, Chu Mu was even more astonished. Stitching—and stitching that did not need to be removed at that. Such treatment did not fit this era at all.

Unable to hold back, Chu Mu asked, "Do other doctors stitch wounds like this too?"

"Medicine is broad and profound. This old man spent his entire life studying it, yet has learned only a superficial scrap of its principles."

"This stitching is merely one method for treating the severely wounded."

At that, Doctor Li looked up and glanced at Chu Mu. "Had your injuries been more severe, and had you still lived long enough for this old man to treat you, the wound would first need to be cleaned, and then your Qi-Blood would need to be invigorated to disperse the stasis..."

"If you practice martial arts and your Qi-Blood cultivation has reached fruition, then injuries like this are even simpler to treat."

"You would only need a formula to replenish Qi and nourish essence. In daily life, you could circulate your Qi-Blood properly yourself, and the wound would naturally heal..."

Chu Mu's surprise turned into amazement, and he hurriedly asked, "Is Qi-Blood really that miraculous?"

"The human body is itself a treasure trove. Martial arts nurture Qi-Blood, and they are the key that opens that treasure trove."

"When you come into contact with martial arts yourself someday, you will naturally understand."

"Martial arts are only a key?"

Chu Mu paused slightly. Instinctively, he felt there was something unusual in those words. Just as he was about to ask more, a sharp tug of pain abruptly cut off the words at his lips!

Looking down, he saw that Doctor Li was already threading the needle through the wound in his abdomen. The waves of pulling pain came from the short needle passing through flesh again and again, tugging the wound along with it.

Chu Mu gritted his teeth. "Is there... no medicine... to lessen the pain?"

"There is, but those who use that medicine all have grave injuries!"

Old Li shot Chu Mu a glance, his tone carrying far more displeasure. "In this Nanshan Town, the only ones with grave injuries are from your Mine."

"This old man's pharmacy hasn't used it in a long time, so I never prepared any. It's too late now anyway. Just endure it!"

Hearing this, Chu Mu could only clench his teeth tightly and dare not speak again.

If he spoke again, he truly feared he would bite through his own tongue! A slight tug on the wound was already enough to cause piercing pain, yet now, every time Old Li passed the needle and thread through it, he tugged the wound once more! Each second dragged on like a year!

That indescribable, heart-piercing agony lasted for about a quarter of an hour before it finally ended.

"Hah..."

Having clenched his teeth the entire time, Chu Mu's jaw had gone stiff by the time the pain eased. He could barely even make a sound.

"All right. I'll apply some medicine now, and then you'll be fine."

Old Li handed the needle and thread to an apprentice nearby, then took the prepared medicine jar and once again got to work on Chu Mu's wound.

Inside the jar was a pitch-black paste, clearly made from various medicinal materials ground and mixed together.

The seemingly unremarkable medicinal paste covered Chu Mu's wound, and in that instant, the faint calm that had returned to his face was utterly shattered, his features twisting violently! "The medicine is the key. It can suppress the wound's decay and promote healing!"

"The pain will generally last for around a quarter of an hour, then gradually weaken as time passes."

Old Li packed up his things. His words immediately made Chu Mu's already twisted face turn several shades more ferocious.

A quarter of an hour of that pain! This treatment was simply more torturous than punishment!

When he caught the faint smile at the corner of Old Li's mouth, Chu Mu's heart trembled. Thinking of what Old Li had said earlier, how could he not understand?

What "no pain-relieving medicine had been prepared"—it was probably all just an excuse.

Old Li simply wanted to make them patrol inspectors suffer a little!

Under the searing pain, Chu Mu could no longer speak.

Around them, as Old Li continued his treatment, cries of pain gradually rose one after another, overlapping and echoing, almost forming a chorus.

Only some time after a quarter of an hour had passed did Chu Mu finally barely recover from that tide-like, heart-piercing agony.

His entire body was as if he had been soaked in water, sweat streaming from head to toe.

"Help... help me back..."

Chu Mu spent tremendous effort just to force out those few simple words.

Supported by Xu Yuan, Chu Mu moved his feet with difficulty, stumbling at every step like a tottering old man.