Mo Wen's mind seemed to paint a vivid picture—a young girl rolling up her sleeves, her movements so swift and precise that it was impossible to look away. First, she soaked a clean strip of linen, wrapping it around the wounded man's thigh. Then, using a bamboo tube as thick as a thumb, she gave it a gentle twist, expertly stopping the gush of blood from the leg. Afterward, she reached into her bag and pulled out several silver needles, which darted into key acupuncture points around the wound with lightning speed. A slight twist of her fingers, and the relentless bleeding began to slow and eventually stopped.
"You two! Stop staring and help me!" Sora barked at the two stunned senior apprentices standing nearby, her tone brooking no argument. The two young men snapped out of their daze and, following her directions, slowly but firmly pulled the injured man's thigh downward to align the dislocated bone. The wounded man let out a piercing scream, his voice filled with agony, but as the bone gradually shifted back into place under the skin, his cries softened to low moans. Just as the apprentices hesitated, unsure whether to stop, Sora bent down abruptly. With a decisive grip on the injured leg and a sharp twist, there was a loud "crack" as the bone was reset.
The sound made everyone present flinch, and the young man rolled his eyes back in pain before passing out. His breathing, however, soon became steadier.
Sora didn't pause. With a deft motion, she twisted the bamboo tube to release it, and the wound started to bleed afresh. Taking a small, glowing-hot silver hook, she waved it gently in the air to cool it before using it to tease out the severed muscle and ligaments from the wound. In the process, she uncovered a blood vessel, as thick as a thumb, that had been punctured and was still gushing blood. Fortunately, the villagers, accustomed to living in the mountains, had tied off the thigh tightly with a strip of clothing when they brought him here. Otherwise, with such a massive wound, he would have already bled out long before reaching the base of the mountain.
"Thud!" One of the villagers assisting her collapsed in fright, fainting at the sight of Sora's grisly procedure.
"Lift him onto a bed, keep his head lower than his feet, and he'll be fine in a moment!" Sora said without even looking up, as if she had handled similar situations countless times before. She then took a sewing needle, sterilized it over the flame, and threaded it with a fine strand of silk. With extraordinary speed and precision, she stitched the torn blood vessel closed. After applying a mixture of medicinal herbs and ash to the wound, she covered it with clean cotton cloth and secured the leg with a long bamboo splint.
The young man's breathing visibly steadied, though his face was still frighteningly pale. Sora poured out a small amount of bamboo sap and began preparing a decoction of herbs. Before long, she tipped the warm medicinal broth into the injured man's mouth. The heat spread through his body, and gradually, his pallid complexion began to regain a hint of color. His breathing grew more even, and a soft groan escaped his lips as if he were finding relief.
Sora finally wiped the sweat from her brow and stood up."All done. Sir, is there anything else you think I should do?"
Mr Yi squinted his eyes, as though struggling to believe what he had just witnessed. Stroking his beard, he spoke with a hint of astonishment,"Prepare a few doses of blood-nourishing medicine and feed them to him on time. As for his life... don't worry, it's saved."
The villagers, who had never seen a body stitched up like a piece of torn cloth, were utterly awestruck. They stood in silence, looking at Sora as though she were a deity, bowing and nodding their gratitude. Before anyone could stop them, they left behind a pile of mountain delicacies and disappeared like the wind.
"Sora, follow me." Mr Yi's tone turned serious.
Once the bamboo door closed behind them, he could no longer contain his curiosity."Where did you learn acupuncture? And that incredible needlework?"
"Master, I just studied acupuncture charts, oh, and experimented with the techniques a little. That's all."
"That's not possible! The technique you used—Dan Needle Technique—is only described theoretically in the texts. How did you master it?"
"I practiced on my senior brothers," Sora replied matter-of-factly.
Mr Yi suddenly understood why the boys who used to hover around Sora now went out of their way to avoid her, taking detours whenever possible.
"And that vascular hemorrhage? How could you dare to sew it shut?" Mr Yi asked, both incredulous and impressed.
"If a piece of clothing has a hole and the stuffing leaks out, you sew it shut, don't you? It's the same principle. Fix it, and it's fine," Sora said with a burst of laughter. Her youthful, radiant face brimmed with pride, and Mr Yi felt a stir in his heart. There are those who learn through study, and those who are born with talent, he thought. Could it be that I've discovered a true gem?
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Proudly, Sora turned to her two new companions."Mr Yi says I'll make a great doctor someday because I have lot of patience. Do you think that's true?"
"You saved someone's life," Mo Wen replied earnestly."That's more than most could do."
Sora led Mo Wen and Little Hong down a winding forest path, sunlight filtering through the bamboo leaves to dapple their faces. Her warm smile felt like a beacon of hope after the tense events earlier.
At the base of the mountain, a small village came into view. Built along the slope, this was Taoyuan Village, its surroundings lush with dense bamboo forests. The gentle rustling of bamboo leaves in the breeze sounded like whispers from an unseen world. For Mo Wen and Little Hong, who had spent their days wandering the wilderness, it was a sight both unfamiliar and comforting.
"Is this Taoyuan Village, sister?" Little Hong couldn't hold back his excitement.
"Yes, and it's safe here," Sora replied, her voice full of confidence. She patted him on the shoulder."Stick with me, and you'll finally have a home."
The village's houses were painted in black and white, arranged in patterns that, from a distance, looked like protective symbols. At its center stood an ancient temple, where villagers were starting to gather, their faces somber.
Overlooking the scene, the Hundered Thousand Mountains rose in the distance, shrouded in mist, their verdant peaks stretching endlessly into the horizon. The morning clouds rolled down the slopes like rivers flowing from the heavens. Sora spoke softly, her voice tinged with awe,"In the rainy season, the streams up there are like white spirits dancing along the cliffs. They cascade into waterfalls with names I gave them, like 'White Dragon Leaping to Heaven' and 'Phoenix Playing in the Water.'"
For Mo Wen and Little Hong, this seemed like a place from a dream—a place where hope and warmth awaited after years of wandering.
But peace is a fragile thing, and as they approached the village, a group of young men stood on a moss-covered stone bridge gripping bamboo spears. Their expressions were tense.
"Sora, you're back! Who are these people?" one of them called out.
"They're friends I met in the mountains," Sora answered quickly."What's going on?"
"The bandits are back," one of the guards said grimly."They've come to extort us again… and worse, they want to take people this time."
Sora's face darkened. She quickened her pace toward the village, a new determination flickering in her eyes. The peace of Taoyuan Village was under threat, and she knew all too well that no one else could be counted on to protect it.