Saving an Important Life
Chen Luxian had only traveled about 20 li from the capital when his sharp martial senses, honed over months of training, detected the sound of clashing metal coming from within the forest. Curious, he leaped onto a tree for a better view.
From above, Luxian spotted a group of four surrounded by over twenty men dressed in black, blocking every escape route.
The four were barely holding on, their breaths labored and their movements sluggish. One of them, a soldier in uniform with only his left arm intact, was supporting another man who couldn’t stand on his own, likely due to a leg injury. The other two were riddled with sword wounds, their bodies smeared with blood.
“This is just bullying!” Luxian muttered to himself, unable to tolerate the sight. Moreover, the besieged group appeared to be significant figures—judging by their fine attire, they were either wealthy merchants, noble scions, or high-ranking officials. Perhaps even all of the above, given their numbers.
Luxian’s taunting voice interrupted the concentration of the men in black, who failed to notice as he tossed a powdery substance at them. Within moments, eight of them collapsed to the ground.
Jumping down from the tree, Luxian grinned with satisfaction. “That powder works perfectly,” he said smugly. Dr. Chen took pride in the anesthetic he had spent months refining, adapting it for this era of martial strength and qi energy. His confidence was written all over his face.
The four injured men turned to stare at Luxian, who was clad in all-black clothing similar to their attackers, save for the white mask covering his face.
Their gazes, filled with questions, seemed to scream, Who is this person? Friend or foe?
Noticing their gazes, Luxian grew annoyed.
“Are you going to keep staring at me, or are you going to fight back?!”
Without waiting for a reply, Luxian pulled a crossbow from the satchel slung across his body and quickly shot down three of the men in black. His precise aim and unflinching demeanor in battle were reminiscent of his mafia upbringing—something that would surely make Chen Mu, the mafia boss, proud if he were to witness this.
While two of the uninjured men in the group fought to fend off the remaining enemies, Luxian calmly reloaded his crossbow. However, one of the remaining attackers seized the opportunity to target the injured pair.
One was crippled, the other missing an arm—neither could defend themselves. Without hesitation, the one-armed man shielded his companion with his body.
The blade pierced straight through his chest!
The two uninjured men, having just defeated six attackers, turned around at the sound of their comrade’s cry. Upon seeing the sword buried in their friend’s torso, they lost all composure.
“Shaochang!” one of them shouted, his voice echoing through the forest. Distracted, they failed to notice the remaining enemies charging toward them.
Luckily, Luxian quickly shot down the rest with his crossbow. All twenty attackers were now either dead or incapacitated.
However, the three remaining men were too distraught to care. They gathered around their fallen comrade, their faces etched with grief and guilt.
“Shaochang...”
“Xiao Chang...”
“This is my fault... Let’s take him back... and give him a proper burial...”
Their cries of anguish filled the air as they blamed themselves for failing to protect their friend.
“Brothers, listen to me. If you don’t stop panicking like this, your Xiao Chang will definitely die,” Chen Luxian said, sighing deeply.
How did it turn out like this? I just wanted to explore the martial world, build connections, and forge alliances, but here I am—less than a day in, and I’m already in trouble.
The three disheveled men, looking like half-dead ghosts, turned to Luxian in unison, their faces etched with desperation.
“What do you mean? Xiao Chang... he... he isn’t breathing,” one of them stammered.
“Not breathing doesn’t mean he can’t breathe again. There’s still a fifty percent chance to save him. But if you keep wailing like this, he’ll really cross over to the underworld. If you want him to survive, listen to me!” The strange man’s tone was firm and commanding, snapping them out of their daze.
Without hesitation, he lit an emergency signal flare to summon his four maids, just as he had instructed them before. The three men watched in confused silence as the flare streaked into the sky. Ignoring their bewildered stares, Luxian repositioned the injured man on flat ground and rummaged through his medical pouch for basic first-aid supplies.
Chen Luxian began administering CPR, muttering under his breath,
“His pulse is faint...” He abruptly turned to the injured man’s companions.
“I know you’re all men, but for Xiao Chang’s sake, you’ll need to do this. Have any of you ever visited a brothel?”
“...”
“Answer me!” Luxian shouted.
“I... I have,” the man who had called Xiao Chang by his nickname earlier admitted softly.
“Good. Do exactly as I say. Use one hand to press his forehead, tilt his chin upward, and open his mouth. Pinch his nose shut, lean in, and blow air into his mouth slowly.”
“...”
“Are you going to do it or not? Is your pride worth more than his life?!” Dr. Chen snapped, his voice rising.
Truthfully, Luxian had adapted well to life in this ancient world, and he was fully aware of the cultural taboo surrounding such physical closeness between unmarried couples, especially when they were both men. But he had no choice. Explaining that this was a medical procedure called mouth-to-mouth resuscitation would take too long—by the time they understood, Xiao Chang would already be knocking on the gates of the underworld.
“I’ll do it,” said another man, the one who was wearing military armor.
“Good. Keep going until he starts breathing on his own. This spot isn’t far from the capital. Does anyone have a way to get him to the Ming Yue Inn at the San Chang Market as quickly as possible? He won’t last more than half an hour in this condition.”
“Our carriage was ambushed about one li from here,” said the calmest and most composed of the group, the one Xiao Chang had shielded from the sword. “It’s damaged, but it should still be able to reach the market within one ke[1].”
“You, go get the carriage now,” Dr. Chen ordered with a nod. “Your Shaochang’s arm was severed. Judging by the wound, it hasn’t been long. If you find his arm, wrap it in a clean cloth and bring it back. In the carriage of the noble families like yours, there should be a brazier, chamber pot, or some kind of unused ceramic vessel. If you don’t have one, clean whatever you can find thoroughly. Judging from your stable qi power, you must use your energy to stabilize the condition of the arm as much as possible, and put it in the container. Make sure it doesn’t get contaminated.”
Within moments, a battered carriage riddled with sword and arrow marks arrived. Chen Luxian and the two remaining men carefully lifted the injured into the carriage.
“The Ming Yue tavern has been converted into the Hall of Lu Yue, and it’s quite busy at this hour. Take the alley behind the tavern where it’s less visible,” Luxian instructed the coachman, whose name he still didn’t know, before focusing on the injured man again.
In less than one ke, they arrived at the Hall of Lu Yue.
Chen Luxian led them to the hidden third floor of the hall. As soon as the door opened, three young nurses dressed in plain white cotton uniforms were waiting for him.
“You don’t need to worry—just follow what I’ve taught you,” Dr. Chen instructed the young nurses. “The patient has lost a lot of blood. Quickly test his blood type and that of his companions.”
The doctor then turned to the injured man’s companions to explain.
“I need blood now. Are you three companions of the injured willing to donate? I know you might not trust me, especially since you’ve probably never seen anyone do this before. But given the current situation, you don’t have much choice but to trust the doctor. Donating blood poses no life-threatening risks to you, it will only cause fatigue. For you, who are already worn out from battle, the fatigue might be more intense, but it won’t endanger your lives. Now, are you willing”
“We are!” two of them answered loudly, their voices resolute. The third, too weak to stand, leaned against a chair and nodded.
Chen Luxian nodded in acknowledgment and headed straight into the operating room, leaving the rest in the capable hands of his young nurses. His priority was checking on Shaochang.
Thankfully, the operating room had been outfitted with glass imported from a distant kingdom, which had cost him hundreds of silver taels. This allowed him to observe what was happening outside while those outside could also see in, all without the interference of sound or contamination.
The surgery took over four hours. During the procedure, Chen Luxian experimented with something new, which was incorporating healing qi into the process. The results exceeded his expectations. He had spent months testing the methods on injured birds and fish he had captured and treated.
Over the past months, the eldest son of the Chen family had bought quails and various types of fish from the market to experiment with his healing qi techniques. Birds with broken legs and fish hooked with injuries had been successfully healed and released back into nature.
“He’s safe now,” Chen Luxian said simply. Yet those few words brought tears to the eyes of the injured man’s companions.
“Your Shaochang is safe. But now, if you don’t receive treatment, the three of you might just be the ones visiting the underworld tonight.”
“...”
The trio, realizing the truth of his words, glanced at one another and then at their own battered states. They weren’t faring much better than Shaochang, who was now lying unconscious.
“Please, sirs, have a seat,” Lu Lu said respectfully, gesturing toward the chairs.
“Earlier, you were Shaochang’s companions. Now, you’re patients yourselves,” Luxian said firmly. “I need you to tell me your names first. Once I’ve treated you, you can ask me whatever you want. But for now, your job is to answer my questions.”
The three exchanged glances, silently discussing. When the man who couldn’t walk nodded, they began to speak.
“My name is Muwen,” said the man who had performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Shaochang.
“I am Shaoqi, Xiao Chang’s elder brother,” said another.
“Rongqi,” the man unable to walk replied curtly.
Luxian nodded in acknowledgment. “Bai Li, go fetch some saline and let Li Hong know to prepare three nourishing meals. Also, bring three glasses of sweetened chrysanthemum tea. If the staff downstairs are busy, feel free to help them prepare it yourself.”
“Yes, Young Master,” Bai Li responded and quickly left to carry out his instructions.
“There are two rooms here, each with five beds. Since Young Master Shaochang has just undergone surgery and is highly sensitive to disturbances, let him rest alone for now. The rest of you may choose whichever beds you prefer. Your bodies must be exhausted. I’ll administer saline to help...it’s, well, good for your health.”
Seeing their puzzled expressions, Dr. Chen didn’t bother explaining further. After all, they have no choice but to trust the only doctor they’ve got right now.
“I’ve ordered nourishing meals for each of you, as well as sweet drinks to replenish your blood loss. The sweet drinks will help increase your blood sugar. Well, think of it this way: drinking it will make you feel better. Do you have any questions?”
Dr. Chen, now freed from the ethical codes of his former life, nonchalantly and vaguely gave the explanations.
“Um... what about Young Master Rongqi?” Shaoqi asked hesitantly, glancing between Rongqi and Luxian as if trying to voice a concern but unsure how to proceed.
“Although Young Master Rongqi hasn’t lost blood like you, Young Master Shaoqi, who donated for your younger brother, he is clearly fatigued. On top of that, his old injuries haven’t healed, and he’s had to escape the assassins.”
As he spoke, Luxian’s gaze stopped on Rongqi’s left side.
“From what I’ve observed, my treatment methods are unconventional, as you’ve already seen from the treatment Young Master Shaochang’s received. While none of your injuries are life-threatening, if left untreated, they could lead to permanent disability.
If you’d like, I can treat you. If not, once the saline is done, you’re free to find another doctor—I have no right to interfere. After all... I’m an unlicensed doctor. I’ve never passed the Imperial Medical Court’s examinations, and my methods are unlike anyone else’s. To put it plainly, whether you recover, worsen, or even die, no one will be held accountable. It’s up to you whether you’re willing to entrust your lives to a so-called unlicensed doctor like me or take your injured companions elsewhere.”
As he spoke, Luxian began setting up the saline drip, spinning a narrative of a mysterious and unconventional “unlicensed doctor.” His blunt demeanor and cryptic personality added to his mystique. And truthfully, by the standards of this era, his practices were indeed those of a rogue physician.
“Young Master Muwen,” Luxian continued, “the sword wound on your arm may have stopped bleeding, but the blades used by those men in black were rusty and contaminated with who-knows-what. The area around your wound is already red and swollen. If it’s not cleaned soon, your arm could rot.”
Muwen, who had been so caught up in his joy earlier that he had forgotten the pain, now looked down at his arm in silence.
“Young Master Shaoqi, you’re the least injured of all. You only have superficial wounds. Apply the ointment I’ll provide, and you’ll recover within a few days,” Luxian explained. Shaoqi nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
“As for you, Young Master Rongqi,” Luxian said, turning his attention to the last man. “I’ll be blunt. If you don’t start treatment now, it may be too late to restore you to your original state. From what I can see, your injuries are at least three months old. I suspect the doctor who treated you before told you that your arm and leg bones were shattered beyond repair, leaving you paralyzed on one side,” Luxian said in a casual tone, as though he were ordering a bowl of porridge rather than discussing a matter of life and death.
“Judging by your gloomy demeanor, it seems you’ve already sought help from several doctors. To be honest, your arm and leg bones are severely shattered—beyond what traditional bone-setting can restore. If you’re willing to let me treat you, my methods will naturally be unconventional and unlike anything you’ve seen before, much like the case with Patient Shaochang. The treatment I propose involves surgery to insert splints and stabilize the bones,” Dr. Chen explained, then spending another half-hour describing the surgical procedure to the group, though he wasn’t sure how much they could comprehend.
Finally, drawing on the life experience of someone in his thirties, Dr. Chen added,
“From what I can see, the people around you are skilled and formidable. For you to be their leader, you must be extraordinary yourself. Ending up in such a weakened state, relying on your subordinates to protect you, must feel terrible. But you shouldn’t give up. Look at how loyal your men are to you—they’re even willing to die for you. Then, why would you surrender your life so easily? As long as you’re still breathing, you have no right to give up. Doing so would mean dishonoring their sacrifices, wouldn’t it?”
He leaned back slightly and continued, “Think it over carefully. As for the treatment itself, it’s actually much simpler than what I did for Patient Shaochang. However, I’m the only one who can explain it—there’s no tangible proof or guarantee for such an unconventional method. I cannot promise the survival of someone as valuable as you. So, the choice is yours—whether or not you want to proceed. The same goes for you as well, Young Master Muwen. Please decide for yourselves.”
Standing up, he concluded, “I’ve said everything that needs to be said. Take your time to decide. But for now, you should clean yourselves up and dress your wounds; otherwise, they’ll become infected... uh, in simple terms, they’ll worsen.”
Pointing out the way, he added, “The bathhouse is downstairs, to the east of the kitchen. There are clean clothes for patients available, so you can change into those. If you don’t like them, the market is nearby—you can go buy something yourself.”
Dr. Chen’s long explanation left him parched. Clearing his throat with a small cough, he lastly asked,
“Do you have any questions for me?”
[1] Ke equals 15 minutes.