Watching these red-eyed people, Qi Yue felt a mix of urgency, annoyance, and sadness.
“It’s not because of that,” she had to shout, raising her hands to drown out the chaotic clamor.
“Then what is it for?” the Heir of Dingxi Hou asked.
“This medicine.” Qi Yue snatched up the vials of anesthetic and held them up for them to see. “This is medicine to eliminate pain during surgery, and now it’s all used up…”
She even managed a small, strained smile when she said this.
“There was some left, but you used it for experiments…” she said, glancing at Yuan Bao beside her. “It seems that he who harms others will ultimately harm himself…”
“Enough of your nonsense!” The Heir of Dingxi Hou suddenly roared, his face instantly turning grim.
Since arriving at the Qianjin Hall, he had always maintained a calm demeanor, even smiling when he killed someone. This was the first time he had displayed such sternness, and had even sworn—at someone…
That roar made every heart in the hall skip a beat. They already knew this man’s status was high; he was the Heir of the Dingxi Hou Estate, the foremost noble family in Yongqing Prefecture. Not to mention verbally abusing someone, if he had killed someone, no one would dare treat him this way.
“Young Master…” A’Ru’s eyes welled up, and she dropped to her knees, kowtowing.
“You dare shout at me? And you still have the nerve to scold me?” Qi Yue slapped the vials onto the table. Contrary to everyone’s expectation, she did not cover her face and weep, but instead glared, raising her eyebrows and shouting, “You brought this upon yourself, you deserve it!”
The heartbeats of everyone in the hall, which had just returned to normal, stopped again. A’Ru was so frightened she even stopped crying.
“You…” The Heir of Dingxi Hou stared at her, his face clouded over, veins visibly throbbing on his forehead.
“Am I wrong?” Qi Yue did not back down, glaring back at him. She had never seen such family members, never seen such medical protestors. When treating patients, this was the doctor’s domain, and she would not be easily controlled by others! Fear him? Hardly!
“Alright, stop arguing,” a man said, shaking his head. While pulling the Heir of Dingxi Hou back, he offered Qi Yue a gentle smile. “Madam, if there is no medicine, can the surgery truly not be performed?”
“Of course not. If you have to use needle and thread to stitch up veins, flesh, and skin, how much pain would that cause? Without anesthetic, the person simply cannot endure it.” Qi Yue’s expression softened as she spoke, offering a smile in return for his courtesy. She sighed, then looked towards the senior apprentice, “Oh, right, you all, do you have any anesthetic?”
“Anesthetic?” The senior apprentice looked conflicted.
“What do you call it? Ma Fei San?” Qi Yue asked. “The kind even Hua Tuo and Li Shizhen invented…”
“I know of Hua Tuo, but who is this Li Shizhen?” the senior apprentice asked.
Qi Yue was momentarily speechless.
“Regardless of who he is, you traditional Chinese medicine practitioners should have something to numb the pain. Hurry and give it to him,” she said, brushing aside the question.
“We have no access to the Ma Fei San created by the Divine Doctor Hua Tuo. We only have Shui Sheng San—would that not suffice?” a voice drifted in from outside.
Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound.
“Master!” The apprentices of Qianjin Hall cried out in surprise and delight.
It was an old man around fifty, with white hair and beard, wearing a long gown, possessing a benevolent countenance. This was Liu Pucheng, the master of Qianjin Hall.
He had arrived unnoticed. At the moment Liu Pucheng stood there, everyone’s attention had been riveted on Qi Yue, and no one had perceived his approach.
As Liu Pucheng spoke, he rose from beside Yuan Bao, smoothing his sleeves, clearly having just examined Yuan Bao’s wound.
“You’re back?”
“Master, when did you arrive?”
The disciples flocked forward to greet him.
“Let’s not discuss that now; saving this person is urgent,” Liu Pucheng waved away their chatter, stepped forward, and said, “Madam, may I try?”
Qi Yue looked at the old man and nodded.
With the elder’s return, the apprentices in the hall found their anchor. They quickly fetched the medicine according to his instructions.
Qi Yue stopped the blood transfusion and watched as the old man personally fed the medicine to the injured man, then waited for it to take effect.
“Madam, please try now,” Liu Pucheng said, stepping aside to yield space.
Whether it would work or not, Qi Yue took a deep breath and cut open the dressing.
The bloody, mangled wound made A’Ru panic, and she quickly looked away.
Qi Yue slowly brought the scissors closer to the non-viable tissue. As the scissors moved, the patient suddenly let out a piercing scream, but he quickly bit down, enduring it, though his entire body involuntarily began to tremble from the pain.
Qi Yue gritted her teeth and cut away the piece of flesh, then slowly approached a severed blood vessel with the needle holder….
The agonizing cries were uncontrollable; the patient thrashed violently.
“No. No,” Qi Yue dropped the needle forceps and cried out, shaking her head.
Only then did everyone witness the extent of the pain. They couldn't help but look at Yuan Bao on the side, recalling how he seemed unfazed when having his own wounds stitched up earlier.
“What an incredible anesthetic…” someone couldn't help but murmur, looking at the empty vial Qi Yue had tossed carelessly onto the floor.
Following the recent movement, and with the restraint of the tourniquet now released, blood began to surge from the patient’s wound again.
“Indeed, it’s not working,” Liu Pucheng’s face showed disappointment as well. “Back then, the Divine Doctor Hua Tuo performed abdominal surgery and the patient swallowed a bowl of Ma Fei San, feeling no pain or sensation. It seems to be true, but it has been lost to time…”
Qi Yue looked utterly dejected. Without equipment, she was like someone deaf and blind; without medicine, she was like someone with no limbs. She truly had nothing to use…
Father, I truly have nothing to use…
Father, away from those instruments, away from that environment, I really can’t do anything…
“Doctor…” the injured man called weakly, “It’s alright, I can bear it. Just give me a stick to bite on. As long as I don’t bite my tongue, I can endure it. Don’t worry about me, continue stitching…”
“It won’t work. This pain is not something you can simply bear through sheer will,” Qi Yue said in a low voice, crouching down in front of him.
Bending down, she saw the patient's face clearly for the first time. He was very young, perhaps only seventeen or eighteen. People in this ancient era matured so quickly; at seventeen or eighteen, even students who were supposedly sheltered by society…
“The Doctor is so beautiful. Isn't it said that beauty can satisfy the appetite? If I look at the Doctor, perhaps the pain will stop,” the injured man grinned, revealing two neat rows of white teeth.
No one expected him to say that. The crowd was first stunned, then burst into laughter, except for the frightened A’Ru and the still-stern Heir of Dingxi Hou.
This… was flirting? In front of the Heir of Dingxi Hou, he dared to flirt?
“You damned brat… still trying to be slick even at a time like this…” a burly man laughed and chided, rubbing his own red eyes.
Qi Yue couldn't help but smile too.
“If only that worked,” she said, then sighed again.
“Regardless, we should still try,” Liu Pucheng advised.
“But it really won’t work; he’ll be tortured to death,” Qi Yue shook her head, looking at him.
“No, we might be killed by others, but we certainly won’t die from pain,” the Heir of Dingxi Hou said slowly.
“That’s a fine sentiment, but it’s not scientific,” Qi Yue retorted somewhat irritably.
“Madam, please try. If there is any chance of saving him, then try,” Liu Pucheng said again. “If we don’t try, won’t that mean there’s absolutely no chance?”
Qi Yue looked at his expression and couldn't help but freeze. Why would this suddenly appearing old man encourage her so much? Was he also a TCM practitioner? Did he truly not harbor any skepticism?
“I have seen this child’s wound,” Liu Pucheng seemed to sense her thoughts, smiling faintly, and pointed his finger toward Yuan Bao beside him. “If you can guarantee a result similar to his previous injury, Madam, that would be a great service to humanity.”
He said solemnly.
“But, there is no anesthetic…” Qi Yue hesitated.
“Treating illness doesn't always rely on medicine; there is the human will. Won’t you give it a try?” Liu Pucheng interrupted Qi Yue with a smile, his expression both encouraging and firm.
That expression was like her teacher—the teacher who guided them through their first practical lesson, their first surgery. It’s alright, don’t be afraid. Be bold, be meticulous, keep your hands steady. Come on, let’s try.
Qi Yue bit her lower lip and picked up the needle holder and forceps once more.
The pedestrians outside Qianjin Hall were terrified.
“What’s happening? Are they murdering someone inside?” They asked, frightened by the groans and screams drifting out. Those who were braver tried to look inside but were stopped by the apprentices, who shut the doors.
“It’s nothing, nothing, we’re treating an injury,” the apprentices maintained order, dispersing the onlookers.
With the doors and windows closed, the sounds of screams and painful cries still leaked out, causing even the apprentices, who had witnessed many severe injuries alongside their master, to tremble.
How much pain must that be…
Qi Yue’s tears couldn't be stopped; she quickly wiped them away with her shoulder.
Gradually, her initially slow, trembling hand became steady. It seemed she could no longer hear the patient’s agonizing cries. Four or five people helped hold the injured man down to prevent violent, unconscious struggles from affecting Qi Yue’s movements.
Qi Yue lifted her shoulder and wiped away the tears blurring her vision with her mask. Stitching, knotting, cutting, threading…
Sweat formed layer after layer on her forehead, blurring her eyes. She had to blink, and a hand holding a handkerchief suddenly reached out, somewhat clumsily wiping her forehead.
Qi Yue was slightly startled. Finally, an assisting nurse! A’Ru had truly grown up this time. She raised her head to give A’Ru a grateful smile, only to see that the person wiping her brow was the Heir of Dingxi Hou.
Seeing her look, and noticing the surprised gazes of those around her, the Heir of Dingxi Hou awkwardly withdrew his hand.
He didn't know why he had done that. He had just been watching… it seemed the sweat was really affecting her, causing her to blink constantly and occasionally wipe her face with her arm… that might affect her treatment of the patient…
“Over here,” Qi Yue uttered a muffled sound from behind her mask, slightly twisting her head to expose her right forehead to him.
This… The Heir of Dingxi Hou glanced around somewhat unnaturally, hesitated, but then stretched out his hand to wipe it for her.
“My Lord, let me do that,” A’Ru finally reacted in a daze and quickly stepped forward, saying softly.
The Heir of Dingxi Hou threw the handkerchief to her and stepped back.
The injured man indeed went into shock due to the intense pain, but this time, Qi Yue did not stop.
“A’Ru, bring more saline solution,” she called, then looked at Physician Liu, who had been watching intently beside her. “And boil some more of your… that…”
“Boil Dang Gui Si Ni Tang,” Liu Pucheng finished her sentence, instructing his apprentices.
Qi Yue looked at him gratefully.
“Madam, please continue,” Liu Pucheng said to her with a gentle smile. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to subscribe and reward it at Qidian website. Your support is my greatest motivation.) Is generated by]. div> BAIDU_CLB_LT_ID = "519311";