Surgery-

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Leroy was surprised at the level of malnutrition most of the Family members had. A few in the town were the same way and he made a note to let the Nun Clarissa out to talk with them. Just was so odd considering they had Qi to help them with matters with all the herbs to boot.

Or maybe the problem was the constant mistreatment and hard lifestyle that beat down to this state.

Chu Xue had treated a few of his Members with his Life Qi. Not really thinking much of it since they were his family. He wouldn't tell them yet how strong he grew. Especially with him having healed injuries that an older Life Martial Artist of a higher realm couldn't take care of with little effort.

"Leroy.." A young man walked over with a box from the family blacksmith. Inside were the tools that Leroy requested upon arriving. Old Chu Quan was checking on other matters. ".. will you really be able to treat Granny Chu Ki?"

"Yes. It is a small surgery. If you don't want the help, I cannot do it if you like." Leroy had a tiny segmented mirror. With the help of his qi circling his visual was as good as he performed Laryngoscopy. Looking down an old woman's throat, he continued the exam. 'Doing the basics is not that bad. But she needs more work done for the long run.'

The old woman he worked on sat nervously. The energy used to heal her husband did not take care of everything. And Chu Xue was too tired to treat her. Her hope was that she could be treated soon.

"Alright, all done." Leroy finished his check-up and wrote a few things down for the couple. "Just severe scar tissue. As well as slight burns. What have you eaten lately? Or drink for that matter?"

"Just some of the lake water." The old wife said. "Usually we drink some warm tea every few days to offset and chill from the cold of the Herbal Mountain. But lately just been too busy to take care of ourselves. This old fool just can't take a break enough due to the harvest last time."

Chu Xue, as well as the one who brought the tools over just stared with mixed feelings. On one hand, Leroy was an Official Noble that caused so many problems for them if he reported wrongly. On the other, he was currently helping the family as well as being a Teacher of the Akademy and his Senior Brother.

"What was that called just now.." Chu Xue asked somewhat scared by the low level in his voice. ".. Leroy?"

"Well, you remembered to address me correctly so that is good." Leroy told them earlier not to keep calling him young master or for the others to mention they were martial brothers despite Old Jin claiming Chu Xue was. It was just ... annoying to hear. "But as for what I was doing, it is called a Laryngoscopy test. Used by doctors to look at the back of your throat, your voice box, and vocal cords with a scope called a Laryngoscope."

Waving the segmented mirrors that he received at them he waited till the wife finished reading things over before readdressing the situation.

"Direct Laryngoscopy uses a rigid metal tube to look at the voice box and the back of the throat, but with the help of Qi, this can work a little better. This is usually also done under general anesthesia to allow for manipulation of these areas, such as biopsies and careful inspection for tumors or other abnormalities." Leroy placed his hands around the man's throat. Circulating a little qi to check one other matter. Clear there he relaxed a little. "Do you have any questions?"

"No, I will make sure he follows these instructions." The old wife stood up escorting her husband out. "Thank you so much for this." Her husband couldn't talk about how bad it was. 'Now I need to find out what all the youngins were up to about earlier.'

Moving back home, she would find old Chu Quan to find out what happened.

'Hmm, the old man used to be a cultivator but his Dantian is dried up. Overall health is almost spent to.' Leroy thought everything over after the couple left. Chu Xue looked over all the different rags in the room with different medicines applied to them. 'I wonder if I can observe several more of the older ones to find a pattern or insights?'

"Umm, Leroy.." Chu Xing asked after some time. "..were you serious about taking an apprentice from the family?"

"Umm, yes." Leroy answered absentmindedly. He needed to find out more about the effects of cultivation on all ages and an apprentice would be able to help with things. Well, help bring people close to him anyway since the young man was a Life Martial Artist as well. "To be my apprentice, however, you need to listen to me more and trust my word. Your family situation would have to be put on the back burner when my matters come about. Can you do that?"

"I don't know." Chu Xing had his head down while thinking it over. "We put our hopes on Xue and that did not go over too well. I just don't know what will happen if our family takes more setbacks."

"That is very easy, you will die horribly and in a very bad fashion." Leroy had another person come in. In a very basic wheelchair made of mostly wood. Not a member of the Light Lion-ice Family by the way the person escorted them in. "And who might you be?"

The old man in the wheelchair said nothing. Moving only a feeble hand to direct the person behind them to speak.

This person seems strong but frail at the same time. A Life Martial Artist Cultivator by the looks and feel of it. The three by the old man happen to be all different kinds of Martial Artists. A Dragon, Turtle, and Phoenix emblem on their clothing so maybe they were BEast Martial Artists.

"You may call me Taishi Ci." The man gave a half bow. Voice completely even as he spoke. "We heard a strange doctor was in the area and wanted to see if he could look at our elder." Leroy did nothing but passed a sheet of paper for Taishi Ci to look over and fill out. "I will get this finished, but do you need to know what is wrong with him first?"

"Well... gonna assume it is something with the legs there and the arm." Leroy arched a brow while looking the old man over. The three guards took a defensive stance the moment he was within in three feet of him. "Filling that out is for long-term issues if he becomes a future patient. But for now, I just need you to pick him up and lay him down on the table. I won't use any medicine on him. And take off his robes and shirt to the waist."

Chu Xing had know idea who the people were but knew better than to cause trouble. For them to make it into the inner area where they were, someone had to let them in. When the guards removed the upper robes, it was enough to almost make him faint.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

All along the spine of the old man were cuts and burn marks that never healed by the looks of it. The area by the hip showed a really terrible gash. Possibly an animal cut of some kind that fester the flesh.

Leroy made sure to show his hands to the old man before he touched him after adding a new protective balm. Slowly he moved from the top to the waist. Not pushing down with any form of pressure or anything, just moving along the top of the surface.

He did this for fifteen minutes before saying anything.

"The skin is just done for. Basically a.." Leroy stopped talking and turned to Chu Xin ".. are you my apprentice or not?" The young man snapped to and walked over to stand a few feet next to him. Pulling out the paper and started writing what was said. "Anyway, the skin needs to be removed. The flesh is charred in a way I have only seen from intense heat and through chemical fires. Dead flesh that he is able to push back with his cultivation alone is keeping it from falling it apart completely."

"Chemical fires?"

"Medicinal, Poison, Metal Waste type of fires would be better to say." Leroy answered not looking away. "Certain areas of the muscle are still viable but the wheelchair and not moving is definitely not doing him any favors. Various sores have started to develop."

"From the sounds of it.. he can be treated." The guards were quite hopeful.

"Yes. Just will take a long time. The skin needs to be removed. This will allow a better look at his muscle condition while allowing better future treatment. Needs to be better for donors and ... what the heck?" Leroy paused at the weird movement by the L3 vertebra is in the middle of the five lumbar vertebrae in the lower back portion of the spinal column. This was not missed by those in the room either. "But.. mostly need to get to see further to check on the spine after that clears up a little.. So much needs to be done to allow him to walk again."

"I do not understand anything of what you said for the most part." Taishi Ci's face scrunched up a bit. He looks to the others who showed they did not understand as well. "What all needs to be done for our elder to survive?"

Leroy wrote down some treatment methods that they could do themselves. Aware that they would not let him do the work himself with how defensive they were of him. It was quite the sight really how they tensed when he touched over certain areas earlier.

"A lot of work and cutting." Taishi Ci's eyes narrowed reading over the fact the elder was in constant pain. Even more so than what they were told before. "We will see what we can do about this. If we have the time, we will find you once more."

"Sure, I should be back at the Heavenly Theocracy Akademy in a few weeks." Leroy took the paper that was filled out before for the record. Turning to his apprentice Chu Xin, he addressed some other matters while they checked the old man once more. "You heard me say donor right?"

"Yes, I did. What do you mean by donor?"

"Donor would be something or someone that provides a form of tissue or organ for another. In this case, it would be muscle tissue and skin." Leroy started to sketch a diagram on a piece of paper. "The donor area, which would be a patch of skin would be like this. Small segments at first to help with healing while monitoring the patient. Thin skin grafts usually take about 14 days to heal. For full-thickness skin grafts, the donor area only takes about 5 to 10 days to heal, because it's normally quite small and closed with stitches throughout. With the assistance of a Life Martial Artist helping, however. Shouldn't be long before they are at a better state."

"We think you for this." Taishi Ci turned and passed over a small bag of coins. "Do keep everything quiet. "Chu Xue take us to old Chu Quan. Something to discuss with him still."

The five of them left as Leroy sat down taking a few notes about the odd patient he just saw. Something dangerous in the man's skin was on his fingertip. The smallest of skin samples that turned out to be a type of poison.

*Fwish!* With a pass of fire, it was extinguished entirely. No time to study it as it was a pretty aggressive type of poison. But no match for his fire. A few more notes then it was time to look for something in the place.

He had come across the poison once before. The same as what affected the River Dragon member he fought.

.

Not long after-

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Leroy finished his search around the Light Lion-ice Family. Not much was found as expected besides they need help. The Patriarch must have hidden the important things in his room or somewhere else as not a single reaction of an Artifact was felt.

Let alone any type of important key. So he went to the records area.

Checking the records of the family created a bit of a problem, however. The guard that stopped him had his arm broken and tossed to the side like a piece of trash.

"Has to be more in here." Leroy continued to look around the place. His Flame Vortex Core not responding to anything and his reading gave nothing of note really. He read everything quickly with his Spatial Sense but still nothing. "This is disappointing."

*Bam!* Someone rushed in throwing the doors open. It was Chu Xue, old Chu Quan, and a few others following behind. They thought the worse looking around the room. Old Chu Quan checked to make sure nothing was destroyed. Chu Xue checking nothing that didn't belong was placed with his eyes glowing.

"Haa, nothing here either!" Leroy just put a book back and stepped further in. Ignoring the presence of the others altogether. "Such a weird situation as older parts that contain History are not here."

"Offical Leroy, don't you think this is improper?" Old Chu Quan asked. Not too demanding or servile. Considering the grain and meat that would be delivered, the man was grateful. But this made him think the worse still. "Are you trying to destroy the records of our family?"

"I am a Flamelighting Martial Artist, if I wanted to destroy anything, it would all be gone in the blink of an eye. So do not be foolish." Leroy picked up a book and glossed over it. Nothing important but a few ties with other families. "Useless information that no one seems to be honoring. The Light Lion-ice family must have pissed some people off in the past royally." He continued to flip through the pages taking note of only a little here and there. "I mean... this is so odd."

"This area is only for members of the Family.." Chu Xue started to say.

"This is an Inspection and any area I deem necessary to check is not off limits." Leroy looked over his shoulder for a moment. His eyes carried an intense look in them from a circulation of his Qi. "..that means everything you have and own is under the purview of myself right now. Try not to forget that."

"So you are no better than the others then." Chu Xue bit back a retort barely.

"I am better in some ways and worse in others." A particular passage that was worded really badly caught his attention, he looked it over a few times again and again. Trying to figure the passages out. Rotating did not help in the least or reading it backwards. "I have not exerted any real authority over you all. I gave you food to feed your scraggy children and people as per what is allowed. Haven't abused any of your members either. Starting to get a little angry though.."

"This is still..." Chu Kon started to protest. He was Chu Xue's father and caught the problem between his son and the other. How that came to be he would ask later. "..a different matter."

"We would like you to stop!" Chu Mu shouted. Some girl or boy that was not an important member of the Family spoke out. Leroy looked back at her with a brow raised. "I know you are looking for something but it is not here!"

"Chu Mu.." Chu Kon had an inkling of what it might be.

"And what am I looking for?" Leroy closed the book. Giving up on finding anything at all. He moved towards her, ignoring the members still. "Is it something good?"

"A map of the lakes." Chu Kon stood his ground looking at him.

"You have one?"

"No, it was sold a year ago." Chu Mu answered quickly. "But I remember some of it. If you...."

"I have nothing else to do in the Light Lion-ice besides going to the Herbal Mountain later." Leroy cut her off quickly enough. "The Steward Lancelot and myself do not have to meet for me to finish my report. Be careful of any of his machinations and desires to rob you somehow." He said towards old Chu Quan. "If you have the chance, I suggest you kill him before he makes things worse for you all."

Leproy walked pass Chu Kon. A note was passed to Chu Xin to gather some herbs.

"I will have some of it ready for you tomorrow. I swear!" Chu Xin was conflicted but understood the Family needs more pillars of support. 'No matter what happened between Chu Xue and Leroy, I need to earn some benefits.'