CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 56: BONE CARVING

Duanmu Nan dressed in white, his long hair slightly tied, the remaining strands cascading over his shoulders, his lips bearing a faint smile, appearing quite cultured and refined.

But this air of leisure and composure was interrupted by Long Yue’s cry of "Master."

The place was serene, even the slightest rustle of wind could be heard, let alone Long Yue’s urgent and sincere shout, making it impossible for them to feign deafness or ignorance.

His lips twitched slightly as he curiously looked at Long Yue, "Miss, have you mistaken someone?"

"I..." Long Yue opened her mouth, her face full of embarrassment and awkwardness, "I’m sorry, you look very much like my master, so in my urgency..."

"Pfft! I thought you were trying to make connections!"

Qi Jingyu was as sharp-tongued as ever, his words making one feel like hitting him.

"My master left me long ago, my apologies for the offense just now."

Long Yue felt guilty, so she fabricated a reason, though the reason was somewhat hard to explain.

"No problem, Miss seems to be a person of temperament." Duanmu Nan was very agreeable, his gaze skipped past Long Yue to Li Qingmu on horseback behind her, "Is this the patient?"

"Yes, my husband is gravely injured, I beg you, sir, please save him!"

Having said that, Long Yue was about to bow deeply.

"Ah, Miss, you mustn’t, healing and saving lives is my duty, you don’t need to be this courteous, quickly bring your husband inside."

"Alright!"

Long Yue quickly led the horse inside, Duanmu Nan, seeing Li Qingmu on horseback, couldn’t help but be startled, "This injury..."

"Is there a problem?"

Long Yue asked somewhat nervously, knowing her master’s medical skill was remarkable, thus she felt assured about A Mu’s injury upon seeing him, but seeing his reaction, was the injury untreatable?

She was so nervous that she could hardly breathe, staring straight at him.

Duanmu Nan felt a bit uncomfortable being watched like that, turned his face away, "Not exactly heavy, nor exactly light, how to treat it depends on your decision."

"Hmm?"

Long Yue froze, fortunately having worked with him before, knowing his style, often consulting with the patient’s relatives on these matters, thus she asked, "Then, sir, tell me, how should we treat it?"

Duanmu Nan said, "His injuries are mostly minor scratches, the critical one is on his right arm, the flesh on this side is severely rubbed, even the bone is affected. These bones are contaminated, and if not cleaned, will impair his future movement.

Of course, if he normally does rough work, I’ll clean out the impurities, applying Bone Healing Ointment, he’ll be up and about within a month. But if his work is more delicate, the rotten bone must be removed first, then aided with Bone Healing Ointment. This would take three to four months to heal...

"And the process will be very painful, won’t it?"

Long Yue lifted her head, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"Yes, bone shaving... is definitely very painful, and the Powder for Anesthesia may not be effective."

Speaking, Duanmu Nan looked at her a bit unwillingly, "Miss, make the decision! His injury can’t be delayed too long, or it will harm his foundation, leaving him crippled in the future."

Leaving him crippled... In his past life, Li Qingmu ended up with many ailments, it absolutely must not repeat in this life!

"A Mu... he writes beautifully, paints masterfully... If he were awake, he might choose the latter!"

Thinking of this, Long Yue clenched her fists tighter, breathing heavily, choosing the latter meant he must endure pain few could tolerate!

In the past life, she followed Duanmu Nan, witnessing him shave bone for a wounded soldier. The soldier’s screams could be heard through multiple tents, and he was one of the tougher ones among the soldiers.

Thinking of her husband’s frail scholarly physique... She suddenly felt a chill down her spine, wanting to choose the former but knowing she couldn’t!

"Mr. Duanmu, my husband is a scholar, his right hand is very important to him, so..."

"I understand." Duanmu Nan nodded, rolled a towel into a long strip, handed it to Long Yue, "Take it, I’ll give a large dose of Powder for Anesthesia, but can’t guarantee how long he’ll sleep... If he wakes, you know what to do, don’t let him bite off his tongue."

"Ah, alright..."

Long Yue somewhat dazedly took the towel, suddenly hearing the soldier’s cries from before, and couldn’t help but burst into tears.

"Hot water!"

"Light the lamp!"

"Medicine!"

"..."

Tears blurring her vision, Long Yue stared at the busy white figure before her.

Never did she expect to meet her past life’s master here, the couple who took her in.

Back then, homeless on the streets, they took pity on her and let her stay to help with work.

They opened a medical shop in Capital City and leased land in the suburbs to plant herbs, and it was there Long Yue learned to recognize herbs and how to cultivate them.

She always called him master, he never responded directly, but never denied it either, so she kept calling him that, living smoothly until one day when soldiers stormed their clinic, accusing her master of plotting rebellion...

At that time, Long Yue was confused, her master dedicated his life to medicine, healing countless people, how could he plot rebellion? Later, near death, she saw her ’good sister’ Pang Shuangyue, who explained how she had framed her, making Long Yue believe she had also implicated her master’s family...

But looking back now, it seems it wasn’t so.

Her master’s family living outside this remote bamboo grove was fine, but later went to Capital City, something must have happened, forcing them to go there.

While considering these matters, Long Yue suddenly heard a scream near her ear, snapping her back to reality as Duanmu Nan shouted at her, "Quick, what are you dazing out for?"

"Ah, oh!"

Noticing Li Qingmu had been awakened by pain and was struggling, she hurriedly pinned his wildly moving body, stuffing the towel into his mouth.

"Mmm—"

Li Qingmu moaned, then struggled again. Long Yue, strong and skilled, firmly held him down, preventing further movement.

Duanmu Nan, beside her, looked at her in surprise, then wore a satisfied smile.

"Endure a little longer, it will be fine soon!"

Duanmu Nan’s wife handed over a box of ointment and comforted, Long Yue nodded in gratitude.

"Mmm, mmm—"

Gripped by agonizing pain, Li Qingmu was fully awake, his eyes bloodshot, the bone pain unbearable; he wished to cut off his arm!

Struggling desperately, he found his body weighed down, unable to move and his mouth stuffed, preventing any sound.

"A Mu..."

The excruciating pain seemed to tear his soul, sweat covering his forehead, as he struggled again, a gentle, anxious call reached his ears.

Looking to the side in surprise, a delicate face appeared before his eyes...