"Chū Qíng poured the hemostatic powder onto the gauze, and after I pull the sword, you can directly cover the gauze on the wound."
"Yes, Madam."
Chū Qíng nodded hurriedly in response, her hands fumbling to pour the hemostatic powder onto the gauze. In her haste, a good amount spilled onto the floor.
"Don't be afraid, calm down first. My hand pulling the sword isn't shaking, what are you afraid of? It'll be alright."
Fèng Jǐn naturally noticed Chū Qíng's current nervousness and fear, comforting her softly. However, her actions didn't stop as she cleaned around the arrowhead, exposing it sufficiently.
Holding the tweezers to grip the exposed arrowhead, she glanced at Chū Qíng beside her. "Get ready, I'm starting to pull."
Chū Qíng took a deep breath. Her emotions had stabilized considerably, and she fixed her gaze intently on Fèng Jǐn's movements.
Fèng Jǐn herself was extremely tense, a fine sheen of sweat beading on her forehead. With all her might, she exerted a swift, precise, and forceful pull, drawing out the arrowhead in one go.
Instantly, a gush of blood spurted out as the arrowhead was removed, splattering onto Fèng Jǐn's fair cheeks.
The moment the arrowhead was out, Chū Qíng pressed the gauze, soaked with hemostatic powder, onto the wound. She didn't dare to move it without Fèng Jǐn's instruction.
Fèng Jǐn, equally unwilling to slacken, quickly bandaged the wound after the arrowhead was out. Once the wound was bandaged and everything was done.
Fèng Jǐn was so exhausted she could barely stand, collapsing onto a chair. Her back clothes were completely soaked with sweat, and her hands, due to holding the same position for so long, had gone numb and were trembling uncontrollably.
"Madam, is your hand alright? Do you want me to find a doctor?"
Seeing Fèng Jǐn's current state, Chū Qíng couldn't help but ask with concern, already thinking of finding a doctor.
Now that the young general had barely escaped danger, she couldn't just watch the Madam fall ill next.
"I'm fine, just too tired. I'll be alright after a rest." Fèng Jǐn waved her hand weakly, her voice devoid of its usual strength.
"Then I'll help Madam massage her hands." As soon as Chū Qíng finished speaking, she took Fèng Jǐn's hand and began to gently knead it.
If her hand remained numb, it could lead to restricted blood flow, so it was best to massage it promptly to loosen it up.
Fèng Jǐn was truly exhausted, her eyelids feeling dry and gritty. Yet, she forced herself to stay alert, drinking several cups of tea before managing to regain some energy.
"Madam, why don't you lie down on the bed for a while? I'll continue to watch the pot here. The young general will surely be fine."
After working for such a long time, even she, who was just assisting, felt exhausted. Let alone the Madam, who hadn't rested for long at all and must be utterly drained.
Fèng Jǐn yawned and rubbed her eyes, forcing herself to muster her spirit. "I'm fine. The next few hours are the most crucial. I need to stay here and watch personally. Chū Qíng, you go rest first. I'm enough here by myself."
The most worrying part was the next few hours. As long as Líng Mòhán didn't develop a fever or any complications, then it would be alright.
Fèng Jǐn reached out to feel the man's forehead. Confirming his temperature was still normal, she breathed a slight sigh of relief. Unable to resist her fatigue, she lay down beside the man and slowly closed her eyes.
In the middle of the night, Fèng Jǐn vaguely sensed movement beside her. She jolted awake from her sleep, her eyes blurry as she looked at Líng Mòhán.
"You're awake. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Fèng Jǐn's voice was full of concern as she anxiously inquired about Líng Mòhán's current condition.
"Thirsty... water..."
Mustering all his strength, he barely managed to open his mouth and force out these words from his throat. Instantly, his throat felt as if it were being scraped by knives.
"I'll get you some water."
Understanding his intent, Fèng Jǐn hurried to get a cup of water and used a spoon to feed Líng Mòhán a few sips. "You have a wound, and drinking water is not advisable within twelve hours. Just have a few sips to moisten your throat."
As expected, after feeding Líng Mòhán just a few sips, Fèng Jǐn stopped.
Líng Mòhán closed his eyes to conserve energy, but the pain in his shoulder was extremely pronounced. He bit his lower lip tightly, enduring the pain and preventing himself from making a sound.
"Does your wound hurt?"
The man didn't answer verbally but simply nodded slightly. His furrowed brow and the mist of perspiration on his forehead clearly betrayed his suffering.
"You were unconscious when I was treating your wound, so I couldn't administer any anesthetic. I only temporarily sealed the acupoints around the wound with silver needles. Now that their effect has worn off, it's naturally going to hurt more."
As she spoke, Fèng Jǐn took out a white bottle from her sleeve, poured out a pill, and placed it in Líng Mòhán's mouth. "Take this medicine, it will alleviate some of the pain."
"How is it? Feeling any better?"
The man nodded slightly, his tired gaze fixed on Fèng Jǐn. He slightly parted his lips but still made no sound.
"Don't talk for now, rest well. There's no rush for anything. We can talk once your wounds have healed."
Fèng Jǐn tucked the man's blanket in. While she desperately wanted to know what had happened, she knew it wasn't a matter of immediate urgency.
After a period of rest, the medicine she had given him began to take effect. The pain in his body had considerably lessened, and his throat felt more comfortable.
"How is Lù Shí?"
The man's voice was still hoarse but much better than before.
"Lù Shí's injuries aren't serious, just superficial. He's been treated and is asleep now. But how did you get so badly injured?"
Given his abilities, it was rare for anyone to inflict such severe injuries on him. She truly wanted to know who, and under what circumstances, had left Líng Mòhán in such a state.
Fèng Jǐn was genuinely curious about what had transpired.
"When I was returning to the manor, I encountered a group of assassins. In my carelessness, I was wounded by a hidden arrow."
Indeed, he had been too careless, forgetting that a visible spear is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against. He had been wounded by an assassin lurking in the shadows.
"Assassins... Do you know who sent them?"
"I don't know. I intended to leave a few alive, but they all committed suicide by taking poison. All leads have been cut off."
These assassins were all die-hard fanatics, desperate outlaws. After their mission failed, they chose to kill themselves. Now, there were no clues left.