Mythical Version of Three Kingdom

”Ah!” Chen Qun, who had been shoved aside, immediately saw the silver needles embedded in Xi Zhicai’s head and broke down. ”Seize this assassin!” Chen Qun was beyond furious. If Xi Zhicai were killed in his presence, there would be no way to explain this to Cao Cao.

”Stand aside! If you delay for even the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, not even the gods can save him,” retorted the elderly man who had tossed Chen Qun aside. Despite Chen Qun being a strong young man in his twenties, he was no match for this small old man. As Chen Qun lunged forward, the old man easily kicked him away.

”Elder, where is my medicine box?” Hua Tuo asked from outside the room. Just as he had entered the inn, someone had called out for a doctor, and his strong sense of duty led him inside. Upon arrival, he found someone who was practically dead, their vital essence nearly extinguished, and barely holding on to life. Whatever had happened to cause this must have been catastrophic, but Hua Tuo didn’t care about that. Saving lives was his responsibility. So, without hesitation, he quickly inserted three silver needles to prevent the patient’s life force from slipping away any further.

”Master, please calm down!” Liu Yan hurried over, carrying a medicine box like a dutiful assistant. ”Oh, isn’t this Changwen? Long time no see. Wait, wait, stop! He’s saving a life here. With Master Hua on the job, the man on that bed is as good as saved. Changwen, stop!”

As soon as Liu Yan entered the room, he saw Chen Qun preparing to have Hua Tuo surrounded and subdued. He called out to Chen Qun and squeezed his way inside. During the journey from Yongzhou, Liu Yan had witnessed Hua Tuo’s medical miracles and knew they couldn’t afford to lose him.

”Weishuo?” Chen Qun was confused for a moment, then remembered who Liu Yan was. ”You say he’s a doctor? Silver needles in the crown of the head—how is that medicine? He’s trying to kill him!”

”I’ve never seen a doctor as skilled as him,” Liu Yan replied, handing the medicine box to Hua Tuo. ”I worked hard to bring this doctor here. You have no idea how incredible his skills are. Rest assured, as long as he’s involved, the man on that bed won’t die. Trust me, just relax.”

Although Chen Qun hesitated, he still ordered the guards to step back. ”Weishuo, are you sure he can do it? Zhicai has already coughed up blood twice, and even though I don’t know much about medicine, I can tell his time is almost up.”

”Don’t worry. He’s not dead yet, is he?” Liu Yan, now full of confidence in Hua Tuo, reassured Chen Qun. ”Back in Yanzhou, he revived a man who was practically a corpse. This is nothing compared to that.”

”That man wasn’t dead; I’ve said it many times,” Hua Tuo interrupted without turning around.”Don’t mind him. To this old master, there’s no such thing as a life he can’t save. When we were in Yanzhou, I took him to a tavern. While we were eating, a beggar came dragging his father’s body, ready to bury him. The man had no breath, no heartbeat, and his body was already cold. Yet, Hua Tuo brought him back to life,” Liu Yan explained, still marveling at the memory. That experience had made him truly believe in Hua Tuo’s abilities.

”He wasn’t dead; his heartbeat and pulse were just faint,” Hua Tuo said as he carefully inserted another needle, briefly explaining to Chen Qun between treatments.

”You see? Truly skilled people like to downplay themselves,” Liu Yan shrugged.

”The situation is stabilizing. Get me paper and ink,” Hua Tuo instructed as he began removing the needles one by one. He then turned to Liu Yan and spoke.

”Doctor, how is Zhicai?” Chen Qun asked, watching as Hua Tuo gently laid Xi Zhicai flat on the bed. Although Chen Qun wasn’t a doctor, he could tell that Xi Zhicai’s face looked much better now than it had before. Earlier, it seemed like the end was near, but now it appeared he might hold on a little longer.

”I can only say that he won’t die. He’s suffered two major injuries, the first weakening his vitality, and before he could recover, he sustained even greater damage, affecting his very foundation. However, his life is no longer in immediate danger,” Hua Tuo explained as he wrote out a prescription.

”When will Zhicai regain consciousness?” Chen Qun asked, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. As long as Xi Zhicai wasn’t dead, things could be managed.

”Waking up is only a matter of time. He’s very determined, likely due to some unfulfilled desire. I misspoke earlier; if you had rushed over, he might have stopped breathing or his heart might have stopped beating, but otherwise, he would have been fine,” Hua Tuo’s explanation left Chen Qun bewildered.

”You see? This old master’s views on life and death are completely different from ours. Who knows, he might even be able to reattach a severed head,” Liu Yan joked with a hearty laugh. ”But your friend here really has it rough. The old master usually heals people with ease, but this time, even he sounds uncertain.”

”Thank you, sir,” Chen Qun exhaled deeply. Knowing that Xi Zhicai could wake up eventually was a great relief. Earlier, he had looked like he was at death’s door, but now he was actually fortunate to have survived.

”I can’t say exactly when he’ll wake up. Just take good care of him,” Hua Tuo said as he handed the prescription to Chen Qun. ”If he’s lucky, he’ll wake up in a month. If he’s unlucky, he might wake up just before he dies.”

Hua Tuo seemed to have no sense of taboo, but Chen Qun’s face darkened at the remark. It was as if he had taken a step into paradise only to be kicked back down into the depths of hell.

”Pay up,” Hua Tuo said, noticing the awkward silence between them. When neither of them moved, Liu Yan sighed and spoke up.

”Huh?” Chen Qun was caught off guard. ”Go, fetch a hundred gold coins for Master Hua as compensation.”

Hua Tuo took the money without a word of complaint, slinging the coins over his shoulder and heading for the door. Before leaving, he casually remarked, ”If he wakes up or his condition worsens, come find me. I’ll be next door.”

”Ahem, Changwen, don’t take offense. He’s like that. If you’re poor, he doesn’t charge a thing and even pays out of his own pocket. But for people like us, well, it’s his way of ’robbing the rich to help the poor,’” Liu Yan explained, trying to prevent Chen Qun from harboring any grudges against Hua Tuo.

”What’s there to be upset about? Spending a hundred gold to save Zhicai’s life is well worth it,” Chen Qun replied with a smile. ”Those with abilities make the rules; that’s always been the case.”

”I’m glad you understand. If there’s any issue, just look for him. I just got back to Taishan and need to report to Zichuan. By the way, is Zichuan really a member of your Yingchuan Chen family?” Liu Yan asked, changing the subject as he prepared to leave.

”Yes, he is from our Chen family,” Chen Qun replied without elaborating, merely nodding.

”Oh, well, I’ll take my leave. If your friend has any more health issues, be sure to find Master Hua. Aside from his high fees, his skills are top-notch. And don’t even think about using guards to intimidate him. He’s a special guest we invited to Taishan,” Liu Yan warned with a final nod before departing.

Chen Qun watched Liu Yan leave and sighed. The Liu Yan he had once looked down upon was now a renowned scholar across the land. It seemed that in Taishan, everyone could find their place.

After some thought, Chen Qun decided to buy a few maidservants to care for Xi Zhicai. The guards, after all, were too rough, and even something as simple as changing the bedding had been a hassle. A few maidservants with decent looks would only cost forty or fifty thousand coins, which was a small price to pay for peace of mind.

However, as Chen Qun stepped out of the room, he felt as if he had forgotten something important. He paused to think, but nothing came to mind. Little did he know that due to the series of distractions and his own mental strain, Chen Qun had completely forgotten about Xi Zhicai’s final request.