Cotton Is a Flower Too [Two-in-One]

Elder Physician Dong had assumed his partner would be an old acquaintance. He hadn't expected to see an unfamiliar face, and when he noticed the man was lame, his professional instincts kicked in. "How long has your leg been injured, Household Registrar Luan?"

Luan Xin remained calm in the face of the question.

"Ten-odd years, I suppose. I can't quite remember."

Elder Physician Dong stroked his beard. "I've practiced medicine for most of my life. I wouldn't claim I can cure every rare and stubborn illness, but I've learned a thing or two about the art of healing. If you don't mind, Household Registrar Luan, let me take a look. I could prescribe some medicine to help you manage it."

Faced with Elder Physician Dong's enthusiasm, Luan Xin didn't refuse. He thanked him in a quiet voice. "In that case, I'll trouble you, Elder Physician."

When Elder Physician Dong saw Luan Xin's injured leg, his expression changed noticeably. A brief examination was enough to tell him how much the leg had suffered. It had been kept out of the light for years, leaving the skin pale and delicate. A grotesque, twisted scar clung to it like a centipede.

Burns covered his lower leg, especially the calf, where they were most severe. But the sight that made one's blood run cold was his knee: the flesh was uneven, and nearly half of it was missing. Luan Xin smiled gently, as though nothing were wrong. "This ugly sight must have frightened you, Elder Physician Dong."

Elder Physician Dong replied gravely, "As a physician, what sort of wound haven't I seen? This is nothing. Household Registrar Luan, your leg doesn't look as though it was simply run over by a carriage, as our lord said." What carriage wheel came with an attack of