Chapter 14: Amputation

When Wei Xin woke up it was already late in the morning. He also was more sleepy than usual and had a hard time getting out of bed. The result of the sleepless night he had full of thinking and excitement; the second made the first completely fruitless.

With his eyes half-open Xin slowly crawled toward the window and rested his chin on the sill.

Good thing it was summer so the wind was enjoyable, for the window frame was completely empty.

This house was one of village's so-called "dead houses".

Meaning that its original owner was dead. Not unusual considering the occupation of people in the village. What's more, this particular house was close to the forest (Xin could see it right now, spanning into the distance). Actually, while the death rate of Azure Lake village was huge, it was mostly newcomers who were dying. The villagers were living at the edge, but they had qualification for that.

Still, there wasn't much of them so many houses were empty. It wasn't forbidden to occupy them and Xin took the one close to the house of Tong Hao, brother Hao.

"He's a good person", thought Wei Xin, blinking from the sun that had just passed the layer of clouds.

He and brother Ji were hunters, they were supplying the village with Spirit Beasts' meat. In addition, time to time they were doing requests from the noticeboard for a specific animal or plant.

Ton Hao himself was a middle-aged man in the later part of the middle. He was quite friendly with Xin, with everyone actually.

"A person with a young spirit" as doctor Shi once described him.

Wei Xin could neither approve nor disapprove these words, he was just a kid, but he could see some sparkling radiance in Tong Hao's eyes. They were full of life, unlike many other people he's met here.

Unlike doctor Shi.

Unlike Ying Zheng, though he looked somehow younger.

Like Sister Li Hua, right...

Xin was still looking around, breathing fresh air while trying to get rid of his drowsiness when suddenly he saw something. Something coming out of the forest.

At first, it was just a shadow. The sun made it so. He concentrated, trying to distinguish what it was exactly, still unsure how to feel about the thing. It was strange, three hands, four legs, two heads… It was crawling slowly, slower than the sun that hid behind another cloud and then…

"Brother Hao!"

Wei Xin screamed and ran out of the house. Brother Hao, how could this happen? He was relying on a big, muscular, and bald man with rough skin and a childish round face. It was brother Ji. They were slow, and there was a distinguishable track of blood behind them.

Xin was worrying. The Qi surging in his legs was getting out of control.

Only recently he has entered the Second Stage of Qi Gathering and still wasn't proficient with his new power. His steps were long and high, he almost fell down while being in the air, but barely managed to keep his footing.

"What… what happened?" He was breathing hard, he couldn't calm down. But he should, now.

"Let me help." These were the right words, no time for explanations. He has to take brother Hao to doctor Shi, he could see the blood oozing from a large terrible wound on his leg, and many, many other wounds on his chest. He was completely red save for his face.

Ji looked at the boy, his gaze hollow and without focus. It lasted for a second, then he shook his head and resolutely nodded.

Soon they were carrying him together. Ji had Tong Hao's hand on his shoulder, Xin was supporting him from the waist. It was hard, too hard. He had to change his grip several times, he couldn't find a spot without a wound. The breath of Tong Hao was weak, at times it was almost completely silent and Xin felt an urge to run even faster. He was overtaking Ji and he, in turn, was overtaking him when trying to catch up. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they've reached a house on the lake's shore.

Xin saw pure blue water, a bench and an old man in a dark-blue gown sitting on it. His long white hair slowly waving in the wind.

"Doctor Shi!"

The boy shouted with all his voice, the old man turned. He looked at them and then vanished. Wei Xin couldn't comprehend what had happened; next second Shi Lang was standing just before them. Ji was also confused.

Within a span of few seconds, several fingers landed on Tong Hao's body. Xin could see the trace of a vague blue shine following them, like some sort of smoke that was immediately vanishing in the air.

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"Bring him into the house, hurry."

Wei Xin did as he was told; he couldn't think a word right now, his body was acting on its own. A moment of great clarity followed. They entered the house. It was brightly lit, made of pale wood, much tidier place than his home or Ying Zheng's home. Also a bit bigger.

Shi Lan, somehow, was already there; wait, haven't they left him outside? He was browsing through his drawers. With a wave of his hand, followed by the same gentle blue, the board lying to the side turned into a table.

"Place him on." He said.

Xin felt strange; that person was completely different from the old man he remembered. He was frowning, so there were many more wrinkles on his face, but his actions and voice were resolute, firm, and fast.

He took a thin blue knife from somewhere, then swiftly sliced clothes off Tong Hao; the knife was moving so fast that Xin couldn't even see it. Then he started checking Tong Hao's torso and legs with his palm. Ji wanted to say something, but Shi Lang showed him to be silent. Gradually, his face became even sterner. He sighed and said:

"It's a poison, very grave. It has dug deep into the bone, even leg's meridians. We have to amputate."

Suddenly the blue knife vanished from his hand, only to be replaced by the same, only a bit longer. Then Shi Lang struck Hao Tong several times with his finger, so his breath became steadier.

"Hold him there," he pointed to the upper part of the leg. "First, we'll cut off the rotten part. Then, when I will say, start pulling his skin until I say stop. The bone should be exposed. Start."

"Wait!" Ji suddenly raised his voice. It was trembling, and he was trembling. His voice was deep, but there was no maturity.

"Brother Hao… He… Can we save him without cutting his leg?"

"No."

There wasn't even a shadow of hesitation. Shi Lang's answer was as fast as lightning. As fast as the knife. It became radiant blue and dug into the flesh without resistance as if cutting a butter.

The first half of leg, then second. In two moves it went through, and then the blood gushed out.

Wei Xin felt numb. His face was hot, hot because of red blood: it was on his cheeks, his hairs, he could taste it with his lips. His hands wanted to tremble, but he couldn't let them. His eyes were shut tight. He was trying to control the Qi in his hands. Can't hold too tight or will harm brother Hao. Can't hold to light, can't…

"Now, pull!"

The time stopped. Xin had to open his eyes, to see. But it was hard, he feared what he might to see, he feared that terrible sight, he…

"Wake up."

Someone's voice rang in Xin's head. His eyes opened at once.

"What are you doing, pull!"

He saw bone, white and shiny; he saw blood, meat, he saw a leg and the vast gap from it to the body. And he was pulling now. The blood was seeping between gaps in his fingers. They were red, redder than that of a butcher. He felt sick; he felt the pain that wasn't his own. Stupid imagination, stupid…

"Aaaagghhg!"

A sharp scream from hell dug into his ears. Brother Hao woke up, that... NNo, Wei Xin kept enduring; he was pale, but no one could see it behind all the blood. The convulsing leg in his hands was striving to get out, now he was pressing it with his chest. He was feeling the blood, its scent, and he was pulling the meat. His Qi was running out.

"Stop." At last, he was freed. With one more motion, Shi Lang cut the long exposed bone. It wasn't white inside like what Xin imagined. It was still some shade of red.

"Let go."

A gentle elderly voice declared his liberation. Xin almost fell down, his legs went weak; he barely supported himself with back on the wall. Ji was still standing, he was pale, he knew Hao Tong better, and still, he could endure. He was holding him, trying to speak, to calm his screams down.

At that moment, Xin once again felt the immense weakness of himself. Sides of his vision went dark. He saw Shi Lang working with a needle, moving like a fast blue bee. Soon, the leg was closed. The other part was placed to rot outside.

Everything was fast, Xin felt his head spinning. He went out of the house and to the lake. He looked at his face, pale and red until the blood started dripping off, disordering the image. That lasted for too long.

Smooth hand patted his hair.

"You did well." Said a nice, light voice. Was she still smiling? He tried to look but fell into darkness.