“Hehehe,” the sound of laughter echoed through the rows of display cases.
The young girl wearing a blindfold turned toward the source of the sound with a frown. “How can you laugh at a time like this? Duihaiguo is on the verge of all out war,” Ming Jia Ying chided.
“How can I not Cousin? Crown Prince Ku Xue was able to copy my handwriting and Cousin Zemin just reported back that Little Shen found it just as entertaining as I'd hoped.” Seeing Ming Jia Ying's sour expression Ku Wei quickly added, “This was Duihaiguo's fate long before we arrived. It is a reminder that we need to improve our cultivation realm so that we might be strong enough to stop events like this in the future.”
Before Ming Jia Ying could argue against Ku Wei's apparent apathy, she felt fluctuations beside her. A heavy hand landed gently on her shoulder as Tomo's soothing voice entered her ear, “Wei isn't wrong. But that doesn't mean there isn't anything we can do. Our new friends are in trouble and in need of a guide. Over these last few months you've learned to sense the movement of elemental energies and combined it with your mother's Breath of the Earth technique, you're ready. Make sure they reach us safely.”
Ming Jia Ying could hear the urgency in Tomo's voice. “At once teacher,” without another word she quickly made her way out to the alley in front of Tomo's Treasures.
Tomo could already feel the pulses traveling through the earth in time with the young girl's breathing. Turning to face his other disciple, Tomo stated, “Your expertise will be needed as well, it seems one of them was wounded.”
The normally aloof Ku Wei suddenly turned serious, “Grandfather, do you know who was injured? Where? And how serious is the injury?”
“My ability to sense the situation through my pages is limited. Liqin and Tsubame seem to be in a bit of a panic, so it should be Liqiu that was hurt. As for the severity, I'm unsure, but she seems to be unconscious,” Tomo reported as he observed his disciple's response.
“Hmmm. One of the twins is ideal, there is a better chance of the sibling being a match if we need a blood transfusion. Unconsciousness could be from head trauma or she simply passed out from the pain. Either suggests the wound is serious. I'm heading back to the library to clear a space to operate. Make sure Cousin Jia Ying sends them through as soon as they arrive.”
Tomo was slightly taken aback, “You intend to perform surgery in my library?”
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“Yes Grandfather. I've noticed that dust never accumulates there. I'm assuming it's free of other debris and... what were they called... right, germs. It's probably the closest thing to a sterile environment we're going to find on such late notice,” Ku Wei explained as he stepped through the door standing in the middle of the back room.
Ming Jia Ying was standing in front of Tomo's Treasures. She was holding a page from The Encyclopedia and was constantly updating it with the information she was receiving through her Breath of the Earth technique. She had harbored some doubts regarding her teacher when her cultivation realm had stagnated despite training with him for nearly a year. But now, what she could 'see' blew her away. Despite her low cultivation realm she was capable of scouting feats greater than any her mother had ever described and it was all thanks to Tomo's elemental sensing practice.
Ming Jia Ying could sense that Tsubame, Lin Liqin, and Lin Liqiu were just around the corner from the alleyway. At that moment she received a message from Tomo stating that Wei was all set to treat the wounded and she was to bring them to the library immediately. She held the gate open as they entered the alley. She could sense Tsubame's hesitation when she caught sight of her, but Lin Liqin continued with confident strides as he carried his sister across the threshold of Tomo's Treasures.
“Please hurry, Wei is prepared to treat the patient,” said Ming Jia Ying as she opened the strange door and motioned for them to enter.
Lin Liqin was worried for a moment when he heard that Ku Wei would be the one treating his sister, but before he could dwell on it or contemplate the door made of stars or the grand library it hid, Lin Liqiu let out a whimper. She sounded so weak and so frail, two things he'd never associated with his sister before. All hesitation was gone as he proceeded through the door, Tsubame following close behind. Ming Jia Ying entered after them and shut the door, the sound of the latch echoing with finality. There was no turning back now.
What was once Tomo's coffee nook was now a makeshift operating room. Lin Liqin could see the youth from before, he'd removed his blindfold once again and was currently washing his hands and forearms. Seeing Ku Wei taking things seriously relieved some of his nerves. He quickly approached the table and gently laid Lin Liqiu on it. The nearby tray full of small knives made his blood run cold, but he recognized them as the tools of a healer.
Ku Wei glanced at Lin Liqin. It was obvious he was physically and mentally exhausted, but it was equally apparent that he had no intentions of leaving his sister's side. Ku Wei urged him, “Jia Ying will show you to the dormitory, please try to get some rest. Liqiu is in good hands. You can check on her when you've recovered.”
Lin Liqin looked like he was about to object when Tsubame took his hand and whispered, “You've done enough. We'll just be in the way if we stay.” She gently led him away as they followed Jia Ying to the new wing Tomo had added to the library after deciding to take in disciples.
Tomo quietly observed Ku Wei, ready to lend a hand at any moment. Ku Wei began assessing Lin Liqiu's wounds. It was clear that whatever had pierced her left cheek was incredibly sharp, this was a small mercy as it meant the cut had smooth edges and would be easier to stitch up. Lin Liqiu had also been very fortunate that the weapon had missed both the lower and upper jaws.
Ku Wei began cleaning the laceration, probing it with his chi as he did so. He discovered that at it's deepest point the cheek bone had been chipped. Using a pair of tweezers and his chi as a guide, he removed the small bone fragment to prevent future complications. Afterwards he began stitching up the wound using a long curved needle and thread. Tomo assisted by keeping the area clear of blood so Ku Wei could see what he was doing.