Back at the manor, Feng Jin ordered the East Courtyard to be completely surrounded, allowing no one to enter.
"Lu Shi, spread the word that the young general was ambushed and is in critical condition upon his return to the manor."
"Your subordinate obeys."
Feng Jin's intention in doing this was to make the enemy believe that Ling Mo Han was already severely wounded, thus lowering their guard.
"Cai Qing, go fetch some hot water."
Although Ling Mo Han had been given an antidote in time, the wound on his back was too deep, and the poison had already spread. The necrotic flesh had to be removed first to save his life.
Feng Jin placed her hand on the man's pulse. The pulse was short and weak; the poison was spreading rather quickly.
Unfastening the man's robes, Feng Jin had no choice but to use silver needles to seal his heart meridian first, controlling the poison.
"Young Madam, the hot water is here." Cai Qing placed a basin of boiling hot water on the table. "Is there anything else Young Madam needs? Your subordinate will fetch it."
"Everything is here. Cai Qing, it's getting late; you should go rest."
"Young Madam, why don't you let me stay and help care for the General? You've been busy all day. The young general's condition is severe, and he requires constant attention. Can Young Madam's body endure it?"
She hadn't rested well last night and had been busy all day. The young general's condition was serious, and he couldn't be left alone all night. Could Young Madam's body handle it?
"I'm fine. You staying here won't be of much help. Go back and rest. You can attend to him once Ling Mo Han's condition stabilizes."
What she had to do next was to thoroughly clean the necrotic flesh from Ling Mo Han's back. Cai Qing couldn't help with that, and she couldn't bear to see the bloody scene, which might frighten her and cause more trouble.
Cai Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Then I'll be going. Young Madam, if you need anything, be sure to call me."
After Cai Qing left, Feng Jin used scissors to cut away the clothes stuck to the flesh on his back.
The black flesh was a bloody mess. Feng Jin gently wiped it with a hot towel.
The intense pain caused the man to twitch violently, pulling at the wound on his back. Black blood flowed out.
"Ling Mo Han, I'm going to clean your wound. The flesh on your back is deeply poisoned. I'll have to cut it away. If I use anesthetic, I'm worried the wound might fester and worsen. Please bear with it."
"I can endure it. Proceed," the man's deep, hoarse voice responded.
Feng Jin scalded the surgical knife in boiling water, then held the knife in one hand and cotton balls in the other to clean away the blood.
This was her first time performing surgery without anesthesia, and Feng Jin felt a sense of panic. Her hand holding the scalpel trembled slightly as she gripped it tightly.
The sharp blade sliced through the skin, and blood flowed out bit by bit. Feng Jin quickly wiped it clean with cotton balls.
She repeated the same steps, clearing away all the blackened, necrotic flesh.
She then sprinkled a special wound healing powder onto the wound and carefully bandaged it.
By the time she finished, Feng Jin's forehead was covered in sweat.
Ling Mo Han clenched the bedsheet tightly, leaving a large, sweat-soaked patch.
"It's done. Take your medicine, and I'll continue to detoxify you." Feng Jin fed Ling Mo Han the decoction she had prepared.
What followed was the most difficult part. She had to use the Thirteen Needle Technique to expel all the remaining toxins from his body. During this process, the patient would experience stinging pain all over, and after the needles were removed, they would be paralyzed for an hour.
Feng Jin held a silver needle between her fingers. "Please bear with it. I will insert the needles very quickly to minimize your suffering."
As soon as she finished speaking, Feng Jin's needle insertion technique was extremely peculiar, with each needle penetrating about seven-tenths of the way into the flesh.
With every needle inserted, Ling Mo Han felt a pain like his bones were being shattered, as if the needles had pierced his bones.
After Feng Jin completed the thirteen needles, she used a small knife to make an incision on the man's middle finger, and black, poisoned blood spurted out.
She then massaged his Baihui and Neiguan acupoints, promoting the flow of toxins from his blood.
Only when the black blood stopped flowing did Feng Jin remove the silver needles from the man's body.
"The poison has been completely expelled. Please rest now." Feng Jin helped the man lie down.
Although the toxins in his body had been cleared, Ling Mo Han was not completely out of danger. The most dangerous complication after surgery was post-operative infection.
Even with advanced modern medical care, post-operative infections were the most troublesome complications, let alone in ancient times with rudimentary medical conditions and poor sanitation.
Feng Jin dared not relax for a moment all night, checking Ling Mo Han's condition every half hour.
In the latter half of the night, Ling Mo Han began to develop a fever, speaking incoherently, and was completely unconscious, unable to even swallow medicine.
Feng Jin had no choice but to resort to the most primitive physical therapy, repeatedly wiping the man's burning body with a wet towel.
As dawn approached, his fever finally subsided.
Feng Jin let out a sigh of relief. Caring for the man all night was something even an iron man couldn't endure.
Finally unable to hold on any longer, Feng Jin collapsed beside the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
...
"Master, all our men have been killed..."
The man hidden in the darkness clenched his fist. "Useless trash. What is the situation at the Ling manor?"
"Those sent to gather information reported that Ling Mo Han is severely injured and not recovering well. The entire Ling manor is surrounded by soldiers, and no one is allowed to visit."
The man frowned. Ling Mo Han, severely injured and not recovering... If the situation was true, it was indeed a good opportunity.
As long as Ling Mo Han was eliminated, the Ling family would lose power, and there would be no one left in the court to obstruct his ascension.
"Go to the Ling manor and see." The man said in a deep voice, lifted the curtain behind him, and walked forward gracefully.
Chu Yan Xi's face was filled with the joy of a successful scheme. Ling Mo Han had been opposing him from the shadows, secretly supporting Chu Chen Yi. The ice curse had failed to kill him on the battlefield.
He wanted to see if Ling Mo Han could be so lucky to escape this time.
Chu Chen Yi was already crippled. If Ling Mo Han died, no one would be able to stop him from ascending the throne.
...
As dawn broke, the dazzling sunlight streamed through the window. The room was silent. The two people sleeping on the bed appeared exceptionally harmonious and beautiful.
Feng Jin rubbed her eyes, stung by the sunlight. The first thing she saw was the man's enlarged, handsome face. She hadn't slept on the bed last night; how did she end up on the bed now?
Startled, Feng Jin quickly got off the bed. Her movement was too large, and she directly woke the sleeping man.
A hint of embarrassment crossed Feng Jin's face. "I was sleeping here yesterday. I don't know how I ended up on the bed."
She didn't have a habit of sleepwalking. What happened yesterday?
"Oh..." the man responded in a low voice, his downcast eyes concealing his awkwardness. In reality, he had carried Feng Jin to bed last night. He wouldn't say anything, as no one would know anyway.
"I'll change your medicine for you."
To prevent the wound from becoming infected, the wound had to be cleaned and dressed every few hours.
Ling Mo Han endured the pain of his wound and struggled to sit up, unfastening his robes and exposing his back.