012. A Life Hangs in the Balance—Let's See What Happened

Lin Shan followed Xiao Qiang into the small courtyard. Inside, there was only a single modest room. Xiao Qiang asked, “Sir, do you require anything?”

Lin Shan shook his head. Beside him, the man with inverted eyes scoffed, “You don’t even use silver needles or surgical tools. Are you truly a physician?”

Xiao Qiang’s gaze also grew suspicious.

Lin Shan looked at the man with the inverted eyes. This fellow had provoked him twice now, and Lin Shan was not one to tolerate such insolence. He retorted sharply, “A mediocre doctor like you, even with a room full of tools, could you really cure Miss Xiao?”

The man with inverted eyes flushed angrily, stomping his foot. “How dare you, brat?”

Lin Shan continued mocking, “I have pressing matters to attend to and no time to waste arguing with you.”

With that, he grabbed his satchel and moved to enter the room.

At that moment, an elderly man who had been silent beside them finally spoke in a kindly tone, “Young friend, might I observe how you intend to diagnose and treat her?”

This old man had been quiet since the beginning. Now, as he spoke, he smiled gently upon meeting Lin Shan’s gaze.

“If it’s inconvenient, I won’t insist. Forgive me.”

Lin Shan shrugged. “If the elder wishes to watch, so be it.”

He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Within the room were two maidservants. Seeing someone enter, they quickly said, “Sir, this way, please.”

They led Lin Shan into a smaller chamber. Upon entering, Lin Shan saw a woman lying on the bed, covered with thick gauze, only her back exposed.

It was probably Xiao Qiang’s way of preserving his daughter’s modesty. Yet in this era, even letting a strange man see a woman’s back was scandalous. This could surely harm Xiao Xiao’s reputation—finding a suitable family for marriage would be difficult.

Lin Shan’s mind was calm as he approached the bedside. Xiao Xiao’s skin was as pale as snow, but on her exquisite back was a gruesome wound nearly thirty centimeters long, with flesh turned outward.

He noticed there was no necrotic flesh or pus. Looking toward the elderly man standing by the door, he asked, “Elder, did you remove the dead tissue and pus?”

The old man shot Lin Shan a curious glance, then shook his head. “It was done by the Xiao family’s maidservants. I only offered some guidance.”

The wound had been cleaned thoroughly. Lin Shan took out hydrogen peroxide from his bag. The elder watched with curiosity but said nothing, knowing the moment was critical.

Lin Shan began to cleanse the wound with the hydrogen peroxide. When his fingertips touched Xiao Xiao’s skin, she shuddered violently.

Lin Shan was taken aback.

This girl was not unconscious—she was awake.

The two maidservants nearby turned pale. One exclaimed, “How dare you touch Miss!”

Lin Shan was startled and glanced at the old man, who wore a look that said, “You really are something.”

Lin Shan said, “Do you not touch the patient when treating illness?”

The maidservant was flustered. “The previous doctor took her pulse with silk thread, but you… you…”

It turned out the previous physician hadn’t even seen Xiao Xiao’s back. Lin Shan was the first, and the two maids had been careless, assuming all doctors followed the same old methods. They hadn’t expected Lin Shan to break conventions.

Lin Shan felt a moment of unease, underestimating the old-world prudery between men and women.

Taking a pulse with silk thread—what good did that do?

No wonder she was barely alive now.

But Lin Shan swiftly composed himself and said gravely, “This is absurd. A life hangs in the balance. I am a healer. To me, young or old, male or female, stature or beauty—all are equal. Even if your lady was a celestial being, a century hence she would be but bones. When life is at stake, what does modesty matter?”

The two maidservants were too anxious to respond.

At that moment, a soft female voice sounded from within the room.

“Xixi, Lele, the gentleman is right. When life is slipping away, what use are such concerns? Sir, please, do your best to heal me.”

Seeing their mistress speak, the two maids fell silent.

Lin Shan steadied himself and finished cleaning the wound. Wherever his fingers had passed, the skin turned a tender pink. The stinging from the hydrogen peroxide caused Xiao Xiao to emit faint, fragmented sounds.

Lin Shan’s mind wandered slightly.

Once the wound was cleansed, he took out some anti-inflammatory medicine and handed it to one of the maidservants. “Give this to your lady to take.”

The maidservant hastened to accept the medicine and disappeared down a side passage.

Lin Shan then returned to the room’s entrance. The elderly man, seeing him come back, blinked and asked, “Is that all?”

Lin Shan smiled, “What else would there be?”

The elder fell into thought, then asked, “Young friend, what was the liquid you poured on Miss Xiao’s wound just now?”

Lin Shan felt no ill will toward the old man but was reluctant to explain. He chuckled lightly. “Elder, that is not something I can reveal.”

The elder bowed slightly and did not press further.

“Pardon my forwardness.”

The two then exited the room. Xiao Qiang immediately approached, nervous. “Mr. Lin, how is my daughter?”

He had already learned Lin Shan’s name from Zheng Yue.

Lin Shan replied, “The medicine has been given. We must wait a while to see the results.”

Xiao Qiang sighed softly. Beside him, the man with inverted eyes sneered coldly, having resolved that if Lin Shan failed to heal Xiao Xiao, he would make him suffer a great humiliation.

Xiao Qiang quickly composed himself and said to Lin Shan, “Thank you for your help. Please rest here for a while.”

“Then I shall trouble you,” Lin Shan said with a casual bow, curious to see how effective his anti-inflammatory medicine would be on injuries in this other world.

Soon after, Yin Ziwei escorted Lin Shan to the guest room. Yin Ziwei showed no trace of disrespect; instead, he repeatedly apologized for his earlier rudeness. Lin Shan paid no mind and consoled him gently.

As for Zheng Yue, he had already returned ahead to Zheng Family Village.

After resting one night at the Xiao residence, Lin Shan had breakfast early the next morning before returning to the small courtyard. Xiao Qiang was still there, eyes bloodshot, whether from sleeplessness or never having left.

The two elderly men had regained their composure. The elder who had spoken with Lin Shan was named Lu Yun, a renowned physician of this generation.

The man with inverted eyes was Zuo Heng, whom Xiao Qiang had hired from outside.

Upon seeing Lin Shan, Lu Yun nodded and greeted him warmly.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a maidservant hurried out. Xiao Qiang immediately stood and asked anxiously, “How is my daughter?”

The maidservant glanced at Lin Shan and whispered, “Since this gentleman treated her yesterday, Miss has been unconscious.”

Xiao Qiang had yet to speak when Zuo Heng, like a hound catching a scent, sneered, “Heh heh, Mr. Xiao, it seems you entrusted her to the wrong man. Young fellow, Miss Xiao is now in a coma. Let’s see how you explain that.”

At these words, Xiao Qiang, Lu Yun, and the maidservant who just reported the news all wore strange expressions.