"Where's Xiao Feng?"
Lin Zhiyan asked urgently as Lu Yao and the little girl ran in.
"Zhiyan, don't be upset. Brother Xiao Feng had no choice but to knock you out," the little girl explained on behalf of Xiao Feng.
Lin Zhiyan shook her head like a rattle, "That's not what I ant. Where did he go?"
"Zhiyan, did you have a nightmare?"
It wasn't the little girl asking, but Lu Yao.
Influenced by the little girl, and given the undeniable trustworthiness of her deanor, Lu Yao decided to call Lin Zhiyan 'sister' despite the age difference.
Lin Zhiyan rubbed her neck and said, "I dreamt Xiao Feng got shot."
The little girl and Lu Yao exchanged a glance, both a bit surprised by how accurate Lin Zhiyan's dream was.
"Zhiyan, don't worry. Soone did get shot, but it was not Brother Xiao Feng, it was Hui Yi. He got shot in the rear, but it's not life-threatening," the little girl explained.
"That's good, that's good."
As she spoke, Lin Zhiyan let out a long breath and pinched her thigh.
Yes.
She could feel the pain.
Not a dream.
However, her gaze then fell upon her sister lying opposite her, and her previously cald heart instantly rose to her throat again.
Lin Zhiyan reached to pull back the blanket, ready to put on her shoes and get down.
"Zhiyan, you can go over but don't touch Xuanxuan," the little girl blocked her, speaking earnestly, "I know you're worried, we all are.
Now, Brother Xiao Feng has already had the dicine delivered. I checked the list beforehand, and all the dicines are over a hundred years old. Xuanxuan will certainly wake up."
"I understand." Lin Zhiyan nodded.
Lu Yao poured a glass of water and handed it to Lin Zhiyan.
Lin Zhiyan took the glass and placed it on the bedside table, holding Lu Yao in one hand and the little girl in the other, saying seriously, "Thank you, it's so good to have you with !"
"Zhiyan, it's too distant for you to say that, we're good sisters!" the little girl replied with a smile.
Just then, Sun Shijie ca in briskly carrying a bowl of dicine, muttering, "Hope it's not too late, hope it's not too late..."
He said at most two hours, but he hadn't considered that Xiao Feng would arrange to have the dicine delivered so precisely.
Counting the ti to boil the concoction, it was already over two hours; he couldn't really guarantee that the ginseng could keep Lin Jiaxuan's life hanging by a thread.
Little did he know, if it weren't for his loyal Scholar's Assistant causing trouble in the middle, it wouldn't have taken so long.
The little girl and Lu Yao went over to feed Lin Jiaxuan the dicine, while Sun Shijie, freeing his hands, approached Lin Zhiyan, hesitating several tis but unable to speak.
"Doctor Sun, speak freely, I can take it," Lin Zhiyan said seriously, though her tone seed to hold a hint of helplessness.
This helplessness was due to the fact that she had to bear it even if she couldn't; escaping reality was never the way to solve problems.
"Then I'll be frank," Sun Shijie said, "these dicines are still ant to keep your sister's life hanging by a thread.
Next, I need to set her bones, and the process is extrely risky. I can't guarantee it will go smoothly."
At this point, Sun Shijie sighed, "If only my grandfather's notes were more detailed.
I originally thought with the Eternal Darkness Flower, one could just endure it, but now it's clear that's not the case at all.
The broken bones can compress internal organs; if not reset tily, there's always a risk to life."
Lin Zhiyan fell silent, now deeply understanding the conflicted position Zhen Jinghan had been in when deciding to let Zhao Guo'an have the snake gallbladder a few nights ago.
However, she was not an ordinary person, and after a brief silence, got up and bowed deeply to Sun Shijie: "Doctor Sun, you can put down all burdens and do your utmost to save my sister."
"Alright!" Sun Shijie nodded in agreent, "I will give it my all."
The simple logic was that not setting the bone would definitely lead to death, while setting it entailed a fifty-fifty chance of survival, so Lin Zhiyan had to make a decisive choice.
Watching Lin Zhiyan following closely, Sun Shijie reminded once more, "Rember, no matter if your sister cries or screams next, you must not act rashly."
"Alright." Lin Zhiyan nodded.
After his instructions, Sun Shijie returned to his room, bathed, changed his clothes, and burned incense to pray, hoping for the blessing of the ancestral master.
When he went out again, the old man was in a white outfit, with part of his forearms exposed, walking with a perfectly straight back, looking full of spirit.
Just from the montum of these few steps, he rivaled the movie portrayal of Huang Feihong, showcasing a grand master's style.
Upon entering the room, Zhao Guo'an approached: "Senior Sun, I just tried taking her pulse, and the pulse shows..."
But before he could finish, Sun Shijie waved him off, "No need to say this, go back to the kitchen and continue boiling dicine, I've written the recipe, deliver it in an hour."
Zhao Guo'an paused but ultimately didn't say anything and obediently went out.
The bathing, clothing change, incense burning, and praying process was more like a ditation routine.
Adjusting his mindset to its best to ensure he could be fully committed to the work ahead.
Based on this, Sun Shijie chose not to learn about Lin Jiaxuan's current condition, or rather, he didn't want any other factors interfering.
If he constantly thought about how the patient might die from his next action, he would inevitably hesitate.
There's a saying that the more you fear sothing, the more likely it manifests; a state prone to mishaps.
Taking a deep breath, Sun Shijie grabbed Lin Jiaxuan's ankle with one hand and supported her foot with the other, applying simultaneous force towards the middle.
"Crack!"
The bones reset, but Lin Jiaxuan showed no reaction whatsoever.
Lin Zhiyan, Lu Yao, and the little girl exchanged glances, now left hoping that "no response is the best response" for reassurance.
Sun Shijie continued setting the bones, and within less than a quarter of an hour, the old man was drenched in sweat as if he had just washed his face.
It was unavoidable; who knows the imnse pressure he carried during this ti?
Just like crossing a river while stepping on stones, not knowing which stone might slip and cause drowning.
Furthermore, controlling the force was crucial; too much was dangerous, too little wouldn't suffice, making this one of the few tense monts in Sun Shijie's professional life.
Wiping his face with his sleeve, Sun Shijie stepped out to grab his smoking pipe, squatting on the step while puffing away.
He needed rest, and Lin Jiaxuan too required so ti to recover.
Inside, the little girl and Lu Yao watched Sun Shijie's back, their eyes carrying a hint of remorse.
Lin Zhiyan keenly caught the unusual looks in their eyes, frowned and asked, "What happened?"
"Zhiyan, we didn't have ti to tell you earlier, Sun Zhong, Doctor Sun's Scholar's Assistant, he's dead," the little girl replied.
"How did that happen?" Lin Zhiyan pressed for details.
The little girl and Lu Yao exchanged a glance, then recounted Hui Er's narration thoroughly to Lin Zhiyan.
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