NOVPUB"Ah!" Chen Qun was thrown to the side, and as he turned back, the first thing he saw was the silver needle sticking out of Xi Zhicai’s head, and he instantly panicked, "Seize that assassin for me!" Chen Qun was beside himself with rage. Xi Zhicai had been killed right in front of him; there would be no need to explain anything to Cao Cao upon his return.
"Make way! Any further delay, not even an Immortal descending to earth could save him." Despite Chen Qun being a young and robust man in his twenties, he was no match for the nimble old man; Chen Qun was kicked away the moment he lunged forward.
"Weishuo, where is my medicine chest?" Hua Tuo called out to the doorway. He had barely entered the post station when someone yelled for a physician. Being a man of strong medical ethics, Hua Tuo had immediately turned inside, only to be met with a man who was nearly a corpse, all Essence, Qi, and Spirit nearly extinguished, preserving only a breath, stubbornly clinging to life. What great misdeed had he committed to suffer such a terrible disease?
Whatever misdeed the other had committed was his own affair, saving people was Hua Tuo’s. Thus, he threw three silver needles without hesitation. If the Essence, Qi, and Spirit continued to fade, there wouldn’t be any hope for survival, not even worth saving.
"Elder Master, please calm down!" Liu Yan ran over like a pharmacist’s assistant, carrying a medicine chest, "Oh, isn’t that Changwen? Long time no see, long time no see. Oh my, stop, stop right there, he’s saving someone. With Elder Master Hua here, the person in your bed is sure to live. Changwen, stop!"
As Liu Yan stepped in, he saw Chen Qun ordering his men to surround Hua Tuo, looking as though they were about to attack Hua Tuo at any moment. Raising his voice to catch Chen Qun’s attention, he squeezed his way inside. The miraculous skills of this physician, which Liu Yan had witnessed on the journey from Yongzhou, simply could not be wasted.
"Weishuo?" Chen Qun looked a bit dazed at Liu Yan, taking a long time to recall that this person was Liu Yan, "You say he is a physician? The needle is on the crown of the head, you tell me he is a physician; he’s killing someone!"
"I’ve never seen a physician as capable as him." Liu Yan handed the medicine chest to Hua Tuo, "This is a physician of great skill that I went through a lot of effort to bring here. You have no idea how skilled he is. Tsk, tsk, tsk, rest assured, as long as he takes action, the person on your bed won’t die. Be at ease, be at ease, step back, step back."
Chen Qun hesitated but still ordered his guards to back off, "Weishuo, are you sure he can do it? Recently, Zhicai has coughed up blood twice, and this time, even though I’m no physician, I can tell Zhicai is nearing his end."
"Rest assured, see, he is not dead yet?" Liu Yan now had absolute confidence in Hua Tuo, "In Yanzhou, he revived someone who was as good as dead, so not to mention someone who hasn’t died yet."
"It was a case of suspended animation," Hua Tuo interjected.
"Don’t listen to him. In that old man’s eyes, there’s probably no such thing as an incurable case. When I was in Yanzhou, I took him out for a meal at a restaurant, and there happened to be a beggar taking his father to be buried, no breath, no heartbeat, probably already cold; yet he revived him," Liu Yan marveled, admitting his genuine admiration for Hua Tuo since that occasion.
"He wasn’t dead; I’ve said it many times." Hua Tuo gave Liu Yan a sidelong glance, quickly taking the opportunity between needle insertions to clarify to Chen Qun, "The heartbeat and pulse were there, just not obvious."
"See, a true master likes to make himself seem like an ordinary person," Liu Yan shrugged.
"The situation has stabilized. Give me paper and a pen," Hua Tuo said as he pulled out the needles, then turned to speak to Liu Yan. 𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝒎
"Physician, how is Zhicai doing?" Chen Qun watched Xi Zhicai, now lying flat and still by Hua Tuo. Although not a physician himself, he could see that Zhicai’s complexion was vastly improved compared to before. If earlier it seemed as if Zhicai was on his deathbed, it now seemed as though he could hold on for a while longer.
"I can only say he won’t die. He was injured twice. The first time, it damaged his Vital Energy, and before he could recover, he suffered an even greater injury, this time reaching the foundation. However, his life is saved," Hua Tuo explained while writing out a prescription.
"When will Zhicai be able to wake up?" Chen Qun breathed a sigh of relief; as long as he wasn’t dead, things could be managed.
"Waking up is just a matter of time. He’s very persistent, likely due to some unfinished obsession. So, I misspoke earlier. If you had rushed over to him, he would have only stopped breathing or his heart would have stopped beating, nothing else." Hua Tuo’s words seemed utterly nonsensical to Chen Qun.
"See, this gentleman’s view of life and death is completely different from ours. Maybe even if his head fell off, people could just reattach it," Liu Yan laughed heartily. "But the one on your bed is quite pitiful. The elder master always cured his patients upon administering medicine, I never expected he would say such things this time."
"Thank you, elder master," Chen Qun let out a long breath of relief. It was even better if he could wake up. Just a moment ago he looked as if he were about to die, and now to not be dead was indeed fortunate.
"I can’t guarantee when he will wake up. Take good care of him." As he spoke, Hua Tuo handed over the prescription to Chen Qun. "If he’s lucky, he might wake up within a month; if not, he may wake up at the moment of death."
Hua Tuo seemed to have no taboo about the topic, but upon hearing this, Chen Qun’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. The ups and downs were like stepping into heaven with one foot and then being kicked down to hell with the next.
"Time to pay up." Seeing Hua Tuo standing next to Chen Qun, not speaking, and with Chen Qun himself showing an unmoved expression, Liu Yan sighed and spoke.
"Huh?" Chen Qun was stunned, then said, "Go, fetch a hundred gold pieces for Physician Hua as his fee."
Hua Tuo accepted the money without saying anything like "you gave too much," simply slinging it over Liu Yan’s body and then turning to leave. Before he left, he instructed, "If he wakes up or if his condition worsens, come find me. I’ll be next door."
"Cough, Changwen, don’t take it to heart. He’s just like that. Who told you to be wealthy? He provides free treatment for the poor, even at a loss, but for people like us, he acts as if he’s robbing the rich to help the poor," Liu Yan explained, fearing Chen Qun might impulsively seek trouble with Hua Tuo.
"What’s unworthy about spending a hundred gold pieces to save Zhicai back?" Chen Qun laughed and said, "People with the power have always been the ones making the rules."
"As long as you understand. If there’s any issue, go find him. I just got back to Mount Tai today and I need to report to Zichuan. By the way, is Zichuan really part of your Yingchuan Chen Family?" Not seeing Chen Qun fuss over the medical expenses, Liu Yan struck up a casual aside.
"Yes, he is from our Chen family," Chen Qun replied without saying much else, just nodding in confirmation.
"Oh, I should be leaving then. If the one on your bed falls ill, go find Physician Hua. Aside from charging a bit high, his medical skills are guaranteed. Just don’t think about using your guards against him; he’s a special person specially invited by Mount Tai," Liu Yan advised Chen Qun before preparing to leave with a cupped-hand salute.
Chen Qun watched Liu Yan leave with a sigh. Liu Yan, whom he did not used to think highly of, had now become a noted scholar, renowned across the land. It seemed Mount Tai had a way for everyone to find their place.
After some thought, Chen Qun decided to buy a few maids to take care of Xi Zhicai. Guards after all were clumsy, and even changing a bed covering was such a hassle now. A maid with decent looks cost only forty to fifty thousand coins; buying a few would save him some worry.
He resolved to act on his thoughts, but as Chen Qun stepped out the door, he felt as though he had forgotten something. He paused to think but couldn’t recall what it was, not realizing that due to Hua Tuo and Liu Yan’s interruptions and his own state of tension, panic, and turmoil, he had cast Zhicai’s last words to the back of his mind. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with a recommendation ticket or monthly ticket on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
