Chapter 69 - 67: Huge Harvest

「The rear courtyard of the Ruyi Square Sub-Department.」

Near the edge of the garden, next to the low-roofed building where constables took their breaks, stood a small infirmary.

The infirmary consisted of just two interconnected rooms. The one on the left was slightly smaller and simply furnished. A bed was tucked into a corner, and under the windowsill were a table, a chair, a stool, a teapot, and other daily necessities.

The rest of the space was taken up by several shelves laden with various medicinal herbs and medical instruments.

The other room was more spacious and served as a ward, with six patient beds arranged in neat rows.

Normally, when constables from the Ruyi Square Sub-Department were injured, they were all treated here.

At that moment, two young constables in gray uniforms lay on two of the beds, the ones near the window on the far wall.

These two were none other than Li Sheng and He Zhiling. Before the assessment was even over, they had both been carried to the infirmary by other constables to have their injuries treated by the doctor.

Li Sheng remained unconscious. After an examination, the doctor determined he had only suffered some internal injuries and was not in serious danger. He just needed to wake up, after which he would be prescribed a potent qi and blood-restoring formula. A few days of taking the medicine would see him fully recovered.

He Zhiling’s injuries were far more severe. His right arm had been severed at the shoulder, he had lost a great deal of blood, and several of his ribs were broken.

"Sigh... The one who wielded that sword was truly vicious. It’s been a long time since this old man has seen an injury this severe."

The doctor—a man of about fifty in a gray hooded physician’s robe, with a grizzled beard and a slightly stooped figure—remarked with repeated sighs as he stitched up the wound on He Zhiling’s shoulder.

He had already learned what happened from the constables who brought the injured men in.

Once he finished suturing the shoulder and had carefully wrapped it in bandages, the old doctor carefully palpated He Zhiling’s chest. He reset the displaced, broken ribs before wrapping them with several layers of bandages. By the time he was done with this flurry of activity, he was already covered in sweat.

Just then, a Chief Constable of about the same age as the old doctor walked into the infirmary. He wore a black uniform with a cloud-pattern trim.

The man was tall and brawny, but his hair was already half-white and his face carried a certain world-weariness. It was Su Chenglin, the oldest Chief Constable in the Ruyi Square Sub-Department.

"Old Tang, how are He Zhiling’s injuries?"

Su Chenglin asked as soon as he entered.

Doctor Tang glanced at the still-unconscious He Zhiling and sighed softly. "His life is saved, but his right arm was severed. I’m afraid the boy is crippled for life."

"Sigh..." Su Chenglin also let out a long sigh. He then took a large pipe from his waist, lit a bowl of dry tobacco, and started puffing away. PUFF, PUFF. He had barely taken two drags before he broke into a violent coughing fit.

He Zhiling was a subordinate he held in high regard. Now that he was crippled, Su Chenglin felt dejected, and the smoke tasted foul.

"Captain Su, you’ve worked in the City Guard Department for most of your life and have seen your share of life and death. How can you still not see past it?"

Doctor Tang glanced at him and tried to offer some comfort.

Su Chenglin shook his head, his aging face tinged with melancholy. "Old friend, we’re both old. We’re useless now."

Doctor Tang shot him a look, a hint of teasing on his face, and said leisurely, "You’re a Chief Constable, out there fighting life-and-death battles all day. Your qi and blood have waned with each passing year, so of course you’re useless.

But I’m different. I’m only fifty-two this year. I finally managed to outlast my master to become the head doctor. I’m in my prime!

My master worked as a doctor until he was seventy-two. I’ve still got another twenty years of work ahead of me."

Doctor Tang’s master was his own father. The position of doctor in the City Guard Department was passed down from father to son, so he could only take over after his old man was gone.

"Heh, you old coot. You really expect to live to seventy-two like Uncle Tang did?" Su Chenglin shot back with a glare.

Doctor Tang straightened his back, his face full of pride. "Of course! I might even live longer than my father!"

Perhaps because their voices were too loud, Li Sheng, who was lying in bed, slowly began to stir.

He struggled to sit up and lean against the headboard, only to retch and spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Mm... now that you’ve coughed up the stagnant blood, your injuries are mostly healed," Doctor Tang said, stroking his grizzled beard with a slight nod.

Li Sheng had just woken up, his mind still on the Fist Technique match with Chen Cheng. He couldn’t understand how he had been so severely injured by a single punch. Feeling utterly aggrieved, he clenched his fist and said hatefully, "Chen Cheng, for this punch you gave me, I, Li Sheng, will one day pay you back double! If I don’t get this revenge, I’m not fit to be called a man!"

As Li Sheng spoke, he suddenly noticed He Zhiling lying on the adjacent bed, barely breathing, and his face paled in shock.

"What happened to He Zhiling?"

Doctor Tang replied irritably, "Someone cut off his right arm, and he’s got several broken ribs."

Li Sheng gasped, sucking in a cold breath. He asked in astonished disbelief, "Was it Zhou Fang who hurt him?"

Doctor Tang nodded.

’It’s a good thing I didn’t fight Zhou Fang,’ Li Sheng thought, a wave of fear washing over him. ’Otherwise, I’m afraid I would have ended up just like He Zhiling—crippled.’

Then another thought struck him, and he felt a surge of vindictive glee. ’If Zhou Fang injured He Zhiling that badly, Chen Cheng must be in an even worse state!’

He quickly looked around, but he didn’t see Chen Cheng. Only Chief Constable Su Chenglin was there, leaning against the doorway, puffing on his pipe. Li Sheng hurriedly asked:

"Captain Su, what about Chen Cheng? Did Zhou Fang injure him too?"

Su Chenglin shot him a look and answered gruffly, "No."

"Not injured? How could he not be injured? Don’t tell me Chen Cheng beat Zhou Fang? Did he really dare to do that?" Li Sheng asked, bewildered.

Su Chenglin let out a long sigh. "Not only did Chen Cheng beat Zhou Fang," he said, "he cut his head off!"

"What?" Li Sheng’s face went white with shock. "Th-that’s impossible!"

It wasn’t just Li Sheng; even Doctor Tang was flabbergasted. He hadn’t yet had the chance to ask about the final results of the assessment. After a long, stunned silence, he finally asked, "Captain Su, are you telling the truth?"