Zhou Hongda and his wife were the first to return to the Yan Residence with the vegetables and food they bought. As soon as they both arrived, they started cooking before Yan Liqiang even needed to say anything.
Soon after, Zhou Yong and Liu Qiang also returned with some gauze and the alcohol they bought, and Yan Liqiang got to work too. He placed the purchased gauze into a big pot at the blacksmith workshop, boiling them for sterilization. After that, he hung them out in the courtyard, air-drying them to store later on, then went to change Yan Dechang’s bedsheets with fresh, clean ones.
By noontime, Zhao Qifeng returned at last, along with Physician Hong from Jirentang Medical Hall, which operated on the eastern street of the Qinghe County’s town.
As the saying goes: ‘When a high reward is offered, the brave fellows are bound to come forward’. Yan Liqiang had really spent a fortune. Physician Hong had come to the Yan Residence and was doing his best to treat Yan Dechang.
When it came to treating wounds caused by sabers and swords, Physician Hong’s trump cards were the two types of medicine that he had personally concocted. One of them was a translucent salve to be applied to the wound. It was said that the salve could speed up the rate the wound healed and dulled the pain. The other type was a dark red-colored medicinal pill. Physician Hong said that after the pill was ingested with water, it replenished the person’s Qi and blood loss.
Using the two different methods at the same time, Yan Liqiang changed the salve on Yan Dechang’s wound and fed him the medicinal pill. He soon discovered that Yan Dechang’s deathly pale lips were finally regaining their color and that his breathing had also stabilized slightly. Yan Liqiang couldn’t help but feel a lot calmer in his heart.
Just like in his past life, a Grade A county hospital may not necessarily be able to treat the ailments that a village hospital couldn’t treat. However, a Grade 3A hospital [1] might be able to treat the ailments that a Grade A county hospital couldn’t treat. Everyone had different levels of capability. Thus different doctors would have different judgments. Just because the physicians in town who’d arrived earlier had lacked the ability to help, that didn’t mean it was the same for other physicians.
By noontime and after everyone had their lunch, the sounds of horse carriages rang out again from the garden outside of the Yan Residence. Yan Liqiang, Zhou Yong and the rest came out of the courtyard and saw Qian Su, Lu Peien, Zhou Tiezhu and Lu Wenbin, as well as seven or eight guards from the Lu Clan, all of which had arrived on rhinodrake steeds.
"Uncle Qian, Sixth Master…" Yan Liqiang hurriedly welcomed them.
Yan Liqiang wasn’t surprised that Qian Su had turned up. Any grudges between him and his father had long been put to rest the moment he arrived at the Weaponsmiths Quarter. However, Yan Liqiang hadn’t expected the Lu Clan to send someone over too. Furthermore, the person who came was the Sixth Master of the Lu Clan, along with his steward and guards. He was quite an influential figure within the Lu Clan. Yan Liqiang took a look at the few people that the Lu Clan had brought and discovered that at least two of them, both with calm demeanors and keen eyes, seemed to be experts.
When these people arrived at the Liuhe Town on their rhinodrake steeds, they had already alarmed many folks in town. Even at this moment, there were a fair amount of people poking their heads around to take a look inside the Yan Residence’s courtyard.
"How’s Dechang?" Qian Su, who seemed a little exhausted from his journey, grabbed Yan Liqiang’s arm and questioned him as soon as he leaped off his horse.
"I have just found a physician from the county town to try their medicine on Father. Father seems to be doing slightly better than he was this morning…"
"Let’s go into the room. I hope we are not too late…" Lu Peien murmured.
Yan Liqiang shot a look at Qian Su and saw the signal in his eyes. Yan Liqiang nodded and led the two of them into Yan Dechang’s room. The others tactfully stayed outside and didn’t follow them inside.
Qian Su’s eyes turned red when he saw Yan Dechang lying on the bed. Lu Peien checked Yan Dechang’s breath and pulse, then assessed his dressed wound. He then breathed out a long sigh of relief, and his tense and solemn face finally relaxed. He nodded at Yan Liqiang, "Good, it seems like we’re not too late. We managed to make it in time by rushing over. It’s all thanks to Brother Qian promptly informing the Lu Clan that something had happened at Young Master Yan’s home!"
"What do you mean by that, Sixth Master?"
Lu Peien smiled and then fished out a cloth from his chest. He unwrapped the cloth, revealing an item half a fist in size, that was fully sealed in wax. Beneath the layer of wax that he scraped off was a box made from white jade. He opened the jade box, which contained a fiery red medicinal pill about as large as a dragon’s eye. At the same time, a sudden wave of a strange fragrance permeated the air in the room.
The scent was light and ethereal. Just one breath of it made one feel invigorated and refreshed.
Yan Liqiang’s eyes widened all of a sudden. In that very moment, even an idiot would know that the medicinal pill was definitely unusual. "Sixth Master, t-this… What kind of medicinal pill is this?"
"This is a Revival Pill from the Lu Clan’s collection. It is the world’s most famous panacea. Legend has it that as long as the person still breathes, and their heart still beats, then consuming this Revival Pill will bring him back from the brink of death. This pill is a gift from an old friend of the Old Master on his sixtieth birthday. That old friend of his is an inner disciple of one of the four major sects, the Soul Mountain Sect. He obtained this panacea for all his past contributions to that sect!" Lu Peien gave Yan Liqiang a meaningful glance. "As soon as the Old Master heard that something had happened at Young Master Yan’s home, he immediately sent me on my way with this Revival Pill…"
"I call the Heaven and Earth as witnesses today. I, Yan Liqiang, swear to remember the great kindness shown by the Lu Clan and Old Master Lu for as long as I live, and I will certainly repay this kindness one day!" Yan Liqiang solemnly swore as he cupped his fist towards Lu Peien. He was so emotional that his eyes flowed with tears.
Without having one’s family sink into a similarly hopeless situation, there was no way for a person to experience how it felt to be helped during a time of great need—like being given charcoal during a snowstorm. In that moment, he wouldn’t just repay their act of kindness—Yan Liqiang was willing to sell himself off as a slave to the Lu Clan if it meant saving Yan Dechang.
Lu Peien watched Yan Liqiang’s emotional face with a resolute expression. "Young Master Yan saved the life of a Lu Clan member back then. How can the Lu Clan possibly stand by and do nothing when the Yan Clan is in trouble now?"
"Liqiang, stop being courteous. You can thank him later. Let’s get your father to take this Revival Pill first. The most important thing is to let him recover as soon as possible!" Qian Su, who was standing at the side, spoke up.
"Right, right, right. Uncle Qian is right indeed!" Yan Liqiang wiped his tears away and asked Lu Peien. "How should this Revival Pill be consumed? Should I go fetch some water?"
"No need for water. Young Master Yan only has to prop your father up, tilt his head and open his mouth!"
Upon hearing Lu Peien’s instructions, Yan Liqiang carefully propped Yan Dechang up into a sitting position and had him lean against his chest. He then gently squeezed Yan Dechang’s mouth open.
Lu Peien picked up the Revival Pill from its jade box and placed it in front of Yan Dechang’s mouth. He then retrieved a tiny jade needle from the box and lightly pricked the Revival Pill. In just a split second, a trickle of glistening verdant liquid, as thick as a strand of hair, flowed out from the Revival Pill and dripped into Yan Dechang’s mouth. The moment the liquid trickled out, the fragrance in the entire room was instantly amplified by severalfold.
As the liquid drained, the Revival Pill shrunk down until it ended up looking like a deflated balloon. Lu Peien gently returned the red pill’s outer layer of skin, as thick as a cicada’s wing, into the jade box.
With care, Yan Liqiang once again laid Yan Dechang back onto the bed, unblinkingly observing his condition.
As miraculous as it sounded, a rosy color gradually returned to Yan Dechang’s pale face in less than two minutes after he consumed the liquid from that Revival Pill. His breathing had also become smoother and more stable.
Yan Liqiang’s heart, which had been gripped with suspense, finally seemed to settle into his stomach in that moment.
"Your father will wake up in as early as two hours, or four hours at the most after consuming this Revival Pill. His body will slowly recover as long as he rests properly. The skin of the pill in this jade box isn’t just any ordinary item. You can dissolve this layer of skin in hot water and let your father drink it after he is fully awake. It will speed up his complete recovery!" Lu Peien handed over the jade box in his hands to Yan Liqiang as he explained.
Yan Liqiang didn’t say anything. He only clasped his hands together and gave Lu Peien a very deep bow.
...
The three of them exited the room. When those who had stayed outside the room heard that Yan Dechang was safe after consuming the panacea, all of them cheered up. The tense atmosphere in the Yan Residence had instantly broken.
"Master is a great person. I knew he’d definitely be safe. Definitely be safe…" Zhou Tiezhu smiled while he wiped his tears away, feeling just as emotional.
"Brother Tiezhu, let us go to the living room. I have some questions I’d like to ask you!"
Yan Liqiang assigned two people to guard the entrance to Yan Dechang’s bedroom and to monitor the inside of the room for a while. He then called Zhou Tiezhu to the living room at the side and inquired about yesterday’s incident in detail, particularly on the facial features of the person who had hacked at both Yan Dechang and Zhou Tiezhu.
Zhou Tiezhu was able to recount the incident tirelessly and clearly, without leaving out any details. As for that person’s appearance, it was very difficult to give a clear description just through words. Zhou Tiezhu could only recall the person’s most prominent facial features, which were his slanted eyes and the black mole on his left cheek. As for the rest of his face, even if he could describe it with words, other people might not be able to picture it in their minds.
His inability to clearly describe the appearance of that person frustrated Zhou Tiezhu so much that he was covered in sweat.
‘A pair of slanted eyes and a black mole on their face’. To search for a person with such minimal information, it was like searching for a needle in the ocean.
Upon seeing Zhou Tiezhu having difficulty in describing that person’s appearance, Yan Liqiang had them wait for him in the living room as he went off to the kitchen. A few minutes later, he returned with a wooden board about a square foot in size, a charcoal core that had been peeled in his hands, along with a small erasing knife.
As Zhou Tiezhu described the person’s facial features, Yan Liqiang drew on the wooden board with the charcoal core while scraping with the small knife at the same time, continuously making changes on his drawing until a distinct sketch of a human face gradually formed on the wooden surface.
When Yan Liqiang made the final stroke with his hand, Zhou Tiezhu’s eyes instantly reddened like that of a fighting bull when he saw the sinister face that finally appeared on the wooden board. He pointed at the portrait that Yan Liqiang drew and hissed through his clenched teeth. "That’s him, that’s him! That’s the person who hacked at Master yesterday…!"
Beside them, Qian Su and Lu Peien had been left dumbstruck for quite some time upon seeing the extremely vivid face being drawn onto the wooden board. They were looking at Yan Liqiang in awe, as if he was an immortal...
Putting aside Lu Peien, the current Yan Liqiang was even more amazing in Qian Su’s eyes compared to the time he had witnessed his auspicious form passing the Horse Stance stage.
Had such a ‘supreme drawing skill’ appeared in this world before…?