Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 12

Fang Qiao patted her head: "You'll see more and more things like this. You'll get used to it after a few sad moments."

Han Xiao, head down and looking dejected, went back to retrieve her medicine box and then went with Fang Qiao to the north room to meet the Cloud Mist Elder. The Cloud Mist Elder was still drinking tea, and Han Xiao sat to the side waiting, taking the opportunity to jot down notes in her little booklet. The Cloud Mist Elder told Fang Qiao and the others a few points about the antidote for the Gu poison and how to treat the arm injury. Han Xiao remained silent, desperately trying to remember everything, whether she understood it or not.

After Elder Yunwu led everyone out to examine Li Mu's patient with stomach bleeding, they were having lunch when a servant suddenly came to report: "Divine Doctor, General Mu is back. The carriage was almost at the foot of the mountain when he suddenly changed his mind. He said he wanted to come back. Su Mu has already been sent back to Qingge."

Upon hearing this, Han Xiao was overjoyed. She swallowed the steamed bun in her mouth, stuffed the charcoal pencil and notebook she was using to take notes into the small bag at her waist, turned around, slung the old man's large medicine box over her shoulder, and said loudly, "Miracle Doctor, I'm ready."

Amputation to save life

The old man of the clouds and mist ignored her, only asking the servant the current time, before slowly finishing the last two bites of his meal. Han Xiao didn't dare urge him, so she stood and waited. The old man of the clouds and mist rested for half a cup of tea before getting up and leading them back to the Green Pavilion.

Mu Yuan lay quietly on the bed with his eyes closed. Hearing someone enter the room, he opened his eyes and looked at Han Xiao. He stared at Han Xiao and said softly, "I think if I lose to you, I will laugh at myself. I would rather let those villains laugh at me than despise myself."

When Han Xiao saw him return, she was so excited that she almost cried: "No, no, the young general is much more remarkable than me. Once the young general recovers from his injuries, he will be a hero who protects the country."

The old man in the clouds looked at Mu Yuan and asked only one question: "Have you thought it through? Do you want your arm or your life?"

Mu Yuan took a deep breath: "I still have my left hand and left arm."

Han Xiao nodded vigorously to the side. The old man in the clouds glanced at her, then turned to Fang Qiao and the others and said, "Light incense, boil water, and get ready."

Fang Qiao accepted the order and went out to instruct the servants. Li Mu took out the bewitching incense, lit it, and placed it by Mu Yuan's bedside. Xue Song took out a pill and gave it to Han Xiao, saying it was the antidote for the bewitching incense. The old man of the clouds and mist carefully examined Mu Yuan's injuries again, took his pulse, and then quickly wrote a prescription. Xue Song handed the prescription to the physician outside the door and ran to the pharmacy as fast as he could.

The old man in the clouds said to Mu Yuan, "You don't have much time left. I need to expel the insects from you before the poison takes effect. There are some things I need to tell you now."

Mu Yuan nodded, and the old man in the clouds continued, "The incense that you are burning now will keep you conscious but paralyzed. This will reduce some of the pain you will experience when you are cut, but because you are still conscious, you will not be able to avoid the pain. However, if you fall into a coma, the worms will not be able to wake up, and the expulsion of the worms will fail."

"Mu Yuan understands. Doctor, just do it. I can bear this pain."

The old man in the clouds nodded, then continued coldly, "To completely remove all the poison, I need to cut off your forearm first, clean out the rotten flesh, and I'll start the incision here." He gestured to the middle of Mu Yuan's forearm, and Mu Yuan's eyebrows twitched, but he still nodded. "To protect your heart, the worms in your shoulder and arm will be expelled through the cut in your arm, while the worms below the ventricle will be removed through an incision in your lower abdomen." The old man in the clouds gestured again, then said, "That's all. I'll finish this before nightfall. You can go home in ten days."

Mu Yuan gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "Thank you, Divine Doctor." He glanced at Han Xiao, who gave him an encouraging smile. She found everything the old man in the clouds and mist said to be amazing. Cutting off an arm and then making an incision in the stomach, how could a person still live?

Seeing that Mu Yuan understood, the old man in the clouds said, "In that case, you should rest quietly for a while. We will come back after the incense has burned out." After saying this, he led his disciples and Han Xiao back to the north room.

Upon arriving at the north room, the old man from the clouds unfolded a piece of paper containing a frontal human figure drawing, with various acupoints marked on it. He took a pen and began drawing on the figure. He would perform the arm incision, Xue Song the abdominal incision, and the deworming above the heart was more dangerous, so he would do it himself. The incision below the heart would be handled by Fang Qiao and Xue Song. Li Mu and Yan Shan were responsible for fumigating the affected area with medicine, one starting from the head and the other from the feet. Han Xiao was a novice; frankly, she didn't participate in the entire treatment, only being told to stand by.

The old man in the clouds explained all the precautions, possible patient reactions, each step of the arm-cutting and worm-expelling procedure, and all the necessary medicines, decoctions, ointments, incense, powders, knives, and needles. Everyone took careful notes. The old man in the clouds checked the time and announced that they should prepare by fumigating with medicine and washing their hands.

Returning to Mu Yuan's room, Han Xiao was surprised. In such a short time, a cloth had been hung at the door, some herbs were burning outside, emitting smoke, and a basin of medicinal soup was placed there. The old man of the clouds and mist was the first to wash his hands in the medicinal soup, then dried them with a towel handed to him by a servant. He then put on a robe given to him by a servant, spread his arms, and another servant quickly brought over herbs to fumigate his entire body. Xue Song and the others followed suit in turn. Han Xiao was secretly curious. When it was her turn, she looked closely and saw that the herbs appeared to be Atractylodes lancea, Artemisia argyi, and Acorus calamus. Han Xiao secretly memorized them, thinking she would ask about them in detail when she had the chance.

She entered the room and found it also fumigated with herbs. Four basins filled with medicinal soup were placed at the four corners of the bed. The old man in the north room had mentioned that after catching the venomous insects, they should be immediately thrown into these basins, otherwise they would seek another host, which would be very dangerous. At that moment, the old man and his four disciples were carefully examining Mu Yuan's wound, double-checking the surgical procedure. Han Xiao consciously didn't squeeze in, not wanting to disturb them. She looked at the old man's medicine chest and began to lay out all the pills, ointments, powders, knives, and needles he had mentioned, in order. Servants had also prepared two large stacks of cloths, a sterilizing lamp, hot water, etc., which she quickly sorted and arranged on the long tables against the walls on both sides.

After Elder Yunwu and his team finished their study and were about to begin, they looked back and saw that everything was neatly arranged as needed. Even the knives, needles, and medicines were categorized and arranged in the order that Elder Yunwu had described for the treatment process. Elder Yunwu paused only briefly, his expression unchanged, and said, "Let's begin."

The other doctors were surprised. They had thought this girl would just stand aside and run errands, but they hadn't expected her to remember all the complicated procedures her master had described. Even without being asked, she had managed to prepare everything so efficiently.

Han Xiao didn't pay attention to any of that. As soon as the divine doctor said to begin, she lit the prepared insect-repelling herbs and handed them to Li Mu and Yan Shan. The two seemed taken aback by Han Xiao's initiative, but quickly took them and focused on fumigating Mu Yuan's acupoints with the medicinal vapors. Fang Qiao and Xue Song bound Mu Yuan's limbs to prevent him from struggling in pain and affecting the treatment.

Han Xiao stood by the bed, watching Mu Yuan from afar, silently praying for him. The fumigation quickly took effect, and the worms inside Mu Yuan's body began to stir. Han Xiao could even see the bulges under his skin moving. Mu Yuan started to scream, and Han Xiao quickly handed him a rolled-up cloth. Fang Qiao took it and put it in Mu Yuan's mouth for him to bite on. She then took the blindfold from the pillow and covered Mu Yuan's eyes.

The old man in the clouds heated the knife, Fang Qiao applied ointment to Mu Yuan's injured arm, and Han Xiao waited by with a cloth and medicine powder. The old man in the clouds turned around and nodded to Xue Song, then swiftly cut off the arm before Mu Yuan's expression showed that he hadn't even noticed. Han Xiao held the severed arm, not thinking of anything else, and quickly put it aside, handing over the medicine tools the old man in the clouds needed. Fang Qiao noticed that her expression was calm and her hands didn't tremble, and couldn't help but glance at her a few more times.

The next step was to expel the worms and detoxify. The old man of the Cloud Mist and Xue Song moved with lightning speed; tiny worms darted out of the wounds, which they accurately caught and quickly tossed into the medicine basin. Fang Qiao was also steady, while Li Mu and Yan Shan skillfully adjusted their acupoints according to the old man of the Cloud Mist's instructions, changing them as the expulsion progressed. Han Xiao watched from the side, filled with both respect and envy. The divine physician's skills were indeed extraordinary; such treatment hadn't caused Mu Yuan to lose too much blood. She had heard other doctors say that emergency treatment techniques were crucial; improper handling or slow application could lead to blood loss, hypothermia, and irregular heartbeat, all of which could delay life. Now it seemed that the old man of the Cloud Mist truly deserved the title of divine physician.

As the sun began to set, the entire treatment concluded. Mu Yuan's severed arm was bandaged, his abdominal wound was stitched up and medicated, and the worms had been eradicated. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The old man of the clouds fed Mu Yuan a pill and then gave him some medicine that had been prepared beforehand, instructing him to get a good night's sleep. Fang Qiao led the medical servants from Qingge to continue caring for him, while the other doctors could leave.

Xue Song led Han Xiao back to the clinic with the old man in the clouds. Han Xiao was still carrying the large medicine chest. Now that the initial tension had subsided, she truly felt tired. Looking at the old man's back ahead, she began to worry about Nie Chengyan in the cave. She hadn't been back all day and wondered if her master had lost his temper, whether he had eaten properly, if he had gone to the toilet smoothly, and if he had slept soundly. Thinking about all this, she unconsciously sighed.

Hearing this from the side, Xue Song quickly comforted him, "It's always a bit tiring on the first day, but you'll get used to it afterward."

Han Xiao shook her head: "Thank you, Dr. Xue. I'm not afraid of being tired. I used to carry my younger brother on my back for a whole day and climb a mountain."

Xue Song glanced at the old man in the clouds ahead, then smiled at Han and said, "Master has examined Lele's pulse and is trying to find a solution, so don't worry."

"Yes, with the divine physician and Doctor Xue here, I'm not worried. Lele will definitely get better." Han Xiao smiled gratefully, unaware of the worry that flashed in Xue Song's eyes. Even his master couldn't find the root cause of Han Le's illness after examining him personally. Several days had passed, which made Xue Song worry. He had never seen his master in such a difficult situation in all these years.

Han Xiao, of course, was unaware that when she returned to the Nie courtyard of the medical hut, the old man of the clouds and mist went back to his room without saying goodbye. Xue Song led Han Xiao back to the room from that morning and helped her pack up the medicines and equipment.

"Dr. Xue, is everything in this room for the miracle doctor's own use?"

"That's right, the rest of us each have our own medicine kits. We get our medicine, knives, and needles from the pharmacy's records."

"But the bottles are all the same, won't they get mixed up?" Han Xiao looked carefully. Different medicines have different colored bottles, but the refreshing ointment that Fang Qiao took from her own box and the refreshing ointment in the old man Yunwu's box had the same bottle.

"Of course I know what's in my own possessions. I tidy them up after each use so I won't mix them up." Xue Song patiently told Han Xiao that the first thing a medical servant on the mountain has to learn when formally becoming an apprentice to a doctor is how to tidy up.

Han Xiao nodded, finding it quite reasonable. She could actually learn a lot from tidying up like this; there were specific rules for arranging medicines, naturally based on pharmacology. The maintenance of knives and needles also varied, as did their usage. Following along as she went through the process, she felt she had benefited immensely. But she was still preoccupied with that question: "Dr. Xue, those are all the same things, what if they get stolen?"

Xue Song was taken aback. He glanced at the doorway, seemingly wary of the word "theft." After a moment's thought, he said in a low voice, "The rules on Cloud Mist Mountain are strict. Theft is a serious crime. If caught, one will have their martial arts and hands crippled and be sent down the mountain."

With such a severe punishment, why would anyone dare to steal Green Snow to harm their master? Han Xiao was completely baffled. Why not just steal all three at once, taking such a huge risk?

Xue Song seemed to have also connected the dots to the theft of Green Snow, and thus said no more. The topic shifted back to replenishing and organizing the medicines. Han Xiao took out a booklet and noted down what medicines were missing, then ran to the pharmacy to get them. It was lunchtime, and some medicines needed to be freshly prepared, so she waited quite a while. After getting them, she rushed back to the clinic, where Xue Song had already finished eating and was waiting for her. Han Xiao seized the opportunity to ask him about everything she didn't understand from her notes that day, and Xue Song answered her questions one by one. By the time Han Xiao finished organizing everything, it was already late at night. Han Xiao declined Xue Song's offer to see her off and hurried back to Yanzhu.

Inside the rocky courtyard, Gan Song and Shi Zhu, who were guarding the yard, seemed relieved to see Han Xiao return. Han Xiao assumed her master was angry at her prolonged absence, so she tiptoed inside, only to find Nie Chengyan asleep. She sighed in relief, lowered his bed curtains, and carefully tidied up. In the quiet of the night, her mind was blank; she then realized how exhausted and hungry she had been. Thinking of Mu Yuan's arm and Nie Chengyan's legs, she was overcome with grief.

They were all outstanding individuals, yet they were framed by treacherous people. She was perfectly capable, but utterly useless. She truly wished she possessed extraordinary abilities so that no one in the world would suffer from illness. She must have been traumatized by today's harrowing rescue; her mind was in turmoil, and as she thought about it, tears streamed down her face.

Afraid of disturbing Nie Chengyan's sleep by crying inside, she covered her mouth and went to the outer room. Just as she was wiping away her tears, she heard the bell by Nie Chengyan's bedside ring. She quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve and ran back into the room as if nothing had happened: "Master, you're awake?"

On the bed, Nie Chengyan pulled up half of the bed curtains himself, sat up against the headboard, and saw her forced smile. He sighed helplessly, "Why are you crying?"

The softness in his voice touched her heart, and she couldn't help but tell the truth: "Master, I am sad."

Nie Chengyan frowned: "Were you bullied today?"

"No."

"Then what's there to be sad about?"

"This servant can't explain it either."

Nie Chengyan rolled his eyes. This strange girl. "Don't be sad. You've had a long day. Go and rest."

Han Xiao stood there motionless, as did Nie Chengyan, who leaned against the headboard. After a long while, Han Xiao asked in a low voice, "May Master comfort this servant?"

Nie Chengyan glared at her, but asked, "What strange idea do you have now?"

With tears in her eyes, Han Xiao said in a pitiful and awkward voice, "My father used to pat my head and say to me, 'Xiao Xiao, you have to be brave.' Master, you're just like my father. Please pat my head and say the same thing to me, okay?"

be terribly upset

Like her father? Nie Chengyan's brow twitched. This girl, having gotten away with it once, was now acting all innocent. He was nothing like a father. He'd never really received any fatherly love in his life, and he barely remembered how his father treated him. Now this girl was really pushing her luck, not only mistaking him for her father but also demanding that he act like one.

His displeased glare made Han Xiao shrink back, looking down at the tips of her shoes. She knew she had overstepped her bounds; he was the master, and she was the servant. She must have been out of her mind to make such a request. Han Xiao reflected and examined herself; she really shouldn't have done that.

Han Xiao mumbled an apology in a low voice, then lowered her head and left. The room was quiet, but Nie Chengyan, with his sharp ears and eyes, still heard her secretly sobbing outside.

Nie Chengyan closed his eyes, trying to ignore the irritation in his heart. She had been out all day, and he had been worried all day. He wondered if she would be silly and keep arguing with others, what kind of patients that old man saw today, how many there were, which apprentices he had, and whether he would give Xiaoxiao a hard time or ostracize her. Clinic days were hectic, sometimes there was no time to eat or go to the toilet. He wondered if this girl could handle it.

He hadn't seen her all day, and his heart was in turmoil. Even after she returned, he was still troubled. The sounds outside were soft, but they wouldn't stop. Nie Chengyan opened his eyes, looked at the black bell tied to the headboard, and finally couldn't resist reaching out to pull it.

Soon, Han Xiao entered with bloodshot eyes. Her emotions were exposed, and she stopped forcing a smile. She sniffed and asked, "What are your orders, Master?"

Nie Chengyan, with a stern face, pointed to the bell: "You're back now, why are you still wearing the black one? Change it back." He was annoyed by black; purple was much more pleasing to the eye.

"Yes, Master." Han Xiao replied, taking a purple bell from the small cabinet. She walked to the bedside, first removing the bell, then changing the bell belt, and finally hanging the bell back up. Nie Chengyan watched her skillful and efficient movements, knowing that she always carefully removed the bell first to avoid making too much noise and disturbing him. At this moment, she was close to him, and he could clearly see the tears still clinging to her eyelashes, her eyes revealing sadness and vulnerability. She had been on this mountain for several months, and she had clearly grown taller, her complexion had improved, and her small frame had gained some weight. In fact, he knew that he was not an easy master to serve. With his limited mobility and needing to eat, drink, and relieve himself all in bed, her hardships were self-evident. She was busy from the moment she opened her eyes until nightfall, and she still had to squeeze in time to read medical books and memorize medicine recipes. How could she possibly get proper rest?

Even so, she still grew up strong and healthy, which shows how difficult it was for her to get through the previous few years. Huo Qiyang investigated her background, and she was indeed as she said, carrying her younger brother alone, crossing mountains and rivers, going from city to city and village to get here. This required a lot of perseverance and courage, but she was still just a child. Her vulnerability was evident in the dream she had of crying to her father when she was sick last time.

Nie Chengyan sighed, finally suppressing his pity. He stroked her head and whispered, "Xiaoxiao, you must be brave."

Han Xiao put away the bell and saw a lace ribbon that had come loose from the headboard. She was climbing over it to fix it when she heard Nie Chengyan's gentle words. She was suddenly startled. His tone and gestures were just like her father's.

Seeing her tears falling again, Nie Chengyan frowned: "Didn't I comfort you? Why are you still crying?"

Han Xiao finally couldn't hold back and rushed over to hug his arm: "Master, Master, you are such a good person, the best master I have ever met. I will definitely treat you even better in the future."

Nie Chengyan wiped away her tears: "It's so good that you have this intention. You must not be so stubborn in the future, and you must not talk back. That's all."

“I’m not being stubborn, I just like to reason. My father said that reason prevails everywhere.”

Nie Chengyan flicked her forehead: "Isn't this just talking back?"

Han Xiao pouted and rubbed her head: "Then what does it mean to not talk back?"

"Why don't you just agree with whatever your master says?"

“I often agree with what you say, but when it’s time to reason with someone, I still have to do it.”

Isn't this another instance of talking back? Nie Chengyan glared at her, then, remembering that this girl was never afraid of being glared at, he patted her head and, mimicking an old man's tone, said, "Xiaoxiao, don't talk back."

Han Xiao chuckled and stood up straight, replying, "Yes, Master." Her smile was radiant, and she thought to herself that her master was actually quite adorable.

Nie Chengyan felt a surge of warmth in his heart when he saw her smile, but he quickly straightened his face and said, "Why do you smell so strongly of medicine? Did you have surgery today?"

"Yes, Master."

"You didn't wash or change your clothes before you pounced on me and rubbed against me, making me stink."

"I'm sorry, Master, I'll change your sheets and blankets right away," Han Xiao quickly replied, just as her stomach rumbled. Nie Chengyan frowned even more: "Have you eaten?"

"I didn't eat dinner tonight." Han Xiao answered softly, and seeing Nie Chengyan's fierce glare, she quickly added, "I've hidden two steamed buns. I can just roast them over the brazier."

Nie Chengyan scolded, "Tell Gan Song to run to the kitchen and tell them to make a bowl of noodles and a couple of side dishes."

"Master, it's so late, the stoves in the kitchen are probably all turned off. I don't need to heat up the noodles, I'll just bake some steamed buns."

Nie Chengyan glared at him again: "Did I say I'd give you food? You're so stupid, you might as well starve to death. If I wanted food, I told them to make it."

Han Xiao obediently agreed, ran out to give instructions, and then came back. Nie Chengyan then told her, "Go take a shower, and then come back and change my sheets."

Han Xiao shivered; it was so late, there was definitely no hot water left. But she still agreed, turned around and went to the small box in the outer room to get her clothes, intending to go to the servants' bathhouse. Just as she was walking out, she heard Nie Chengyan call her: "Where are you going?"

Han Xiao stood at the doorway of the inner room, holding clothes: "Master, I'm going to take a bath. Should I change your sheets first?"

"Go to the hot spring pool in the backyard to bathe."

Han Xiao was startled: "That, that's the master's pool."

"It's so late. What if you go outside and come back frozen solid, and I catch a disease from you?"

Han Xiao was about to refute that he couldn't, but Nie Chengyan scolded him, "You were sick a few days ago, why are you being so stubborn now? Go away, if I can't even order this around, what kind of master am I?"

Han Xiao stood there for a moment, clutching the clothes, before finally saying, "Thank you, Master." She rushed to the backyard as if fleeing. In the corner of the yard was a pavilion, behind which was a natural hot spring pool. Several sloping steps led up to the edge of the pool, and a rockery was built on top, obscuring half of the water. Han Xiao often came here to fetch water for Nie Chengyan to cleanse himself, and each time she envied it greatly, but she never imagined that she herself would one day be able to soak in such a pool.

Without further hesitation, she took off her clothes and jumped in. The warm water caressed her skin, so comforting that she wanted to sigh. She simply let her hair down and washed it as well. Afraid of keeping Nie Chengyan waiting, she moved quickly, but as she washed, she couldn't help but recall the way Nie Chengyan had gently stroked her head earlier, his eyes so tender, and her heart was pounding.

The moonlight was beautiful, but she had no time to appreciate it. However, she couldn't stop the feeling of Nie Chengyan calling her "Xiaoxiao" echoing in her mind. The water must have been too hot; she felt very hot, and her face was burning.