Chapter 95

The next afternoon, Chen's father and mother arrived by horse-drawn carriage, delivering the recently purchased medicinal herbs to Chen Jue.

Chen's father, face streaked with rain, said, "This cart of herbs was a real pain to put together. It's raining in every village and town now. Nobody's gonna be heading up the mountains to pick herbs anytime soon."

He really had busted his ass these past few days for "Chen's Pharmaceutical," so Chen Jue thanked him too.

This cart of herbs really bailed him out.

Chen's father coughed. He felt Chen Jue was being way too polite with him. He'd figured Chen Jue would hold a grudge over being dumped at that Taoist temple all those years, but Chen Jue didn't resent him at all—he was super polite, like he was some kind of guest.

Now he was just a herb supplier to him.

That made Chen's father afraid to talk big to Chen Jue anymore.

What if Chen Jue decided he didn't need him anymore?

Chen Jue didn't have time to worry about what the old man was thinking. He wasn't the original Chen Jue, so he wasn't gonna pick a fight with the guy. To him, Chen's father was nothing but a herb supplier. So he checked the delivered herbs with all the formality of a business transaction, though to be fair, the old man hadn't tried to pawn off any junk this time.

Chen's father, knowing this "Chen's Pharmaceutical" was set up for Chen Jue by his son-in-law, the Regional Commander, was extra careful. Back in the day, he'd sell crap to regular pharmacies, but for Huo Jilin's shop, he only picked the top-shelf stuff.

He was a man who cared a lot about saving face, especially in front of his big-shot son-in-law.

Chen's mother had already come over to pick up Huo Yu. She'd been coming by with the herb deliveries lately, so Huo Yu knew her and didn't mind being held by her.

She told Chen Jue, "If you've got things to do, go on."

Chen Jue really did need to go help. Huo Jilin was short-handed on emergency medics.

The flood had wrecked tons of houses, leaving civilians hurt and a bunch of soldiers wounded from rescue work.

There were only two army doctors, and that was nowhere near enough.

With the rain like this, it was only gonna get worse.

A flood wasn't just dangerous when it hit—what came after, the rescue, the treatment, the recovery, mattered just as much.

Huo Jilin didn't want to put Chen Jue in harm's way, but he really needed him.

The two makeshift med tents at the Taoist temple were already packed, and more people were likely on the way.

The two of them said bye to Huo Yu, who had no idea they'd be gone for days. Chen's mother was holding his hand, making him wave goodbye.

Before, when Huo Jilin and Chen Jue went to work, they'd be gone for a day, so he figured it was the same deal this time, grinning at them.

Chen Jue looked at that little face and felt his heart tug. This time, they'd be gone for two or three days.

He'd already stashed his bag in the carriage ahead of time, scared Huo Yu would throw a fit if he saw it.

Special circumstances—he hoped the kid would understand.

He and Huo Jilin were probably gonna be busy a lot from now on. Huo Yu might as well get used to it early.

Zhang Xiuer told him, "Don't worry. He might fuss a little at bedtime, but he's a good kid. You can talk to him, and with his grandma here, he won't cry."

Huo Yu's parents were meant for big things, which meant less time with their kid.

The little guy was used to it, pretty sensible. As long as they weren't gone for days at a time, he could be calmed down.

Chen Jue turned around without looking back. No time to waste.

There was a faint glow outside—time to hit the road.

Just as Chen Jue had figured, the flood got worse. The rain just kept coming, and the sky was so dark you couldn't tell what time it was.

Muddy water roared down the channels, drowning the fertile fields on both sides. The rice and wheat, which would've been ready to harvest in two weeks, were now flattened in the water.

There were still stubborn villagers who wouldn't leave—grabbing sheep, chasing chickens, hauling quilts, and dead set on dragging their pots along.

Huo Jilin stared at the gloomy sky, his face just as dark as the clouds.

He gave the order: "Everyone evacuates before morning."

But the villagers in these two towns just couldn't bear to leave, dragging their feet the whole way. They wouldn't quit until they saw the Yellow River with their own eyes—they wouldn't leave until the water was lapping at their doors.

Some even yelled, demanding to know why their village had to get flooded, why the flood gate was pointed at them, and why not drown the next village over instead.

It'd been over ten years since rain this heavy, and their village hadn't had a flood discharge in ages.

They were stubborn, dawdling and refusing to go. The soldiers sent to evacuate them couldn't lay a finger on civilians—some of them were even fellow villagers—so the whole thing dragged on and on.

Huo Jilin watched his soldiers helping the villagers haul chickens and pots, and his face went dark.

He wasn't the type to lose his temper easily, and he wasn't like the Grand General of Valor and those other guys who ruled by kicking and beating their men.

He was naturally cold and distant. Having been shoved into the Regional Commander role, he hadn't spent much time getting close to his soldiers these past few months, just sticking to routine drills.

His relationship with the soldiers really wasn't close.

Soldiers disobeying orders at a critical moment was a grave offense.

The military wasn't a place for sentimentality or personal rights—everything followed the Commander's orders, governed by military law.

And now, two soldiers had abandoned their duties to help those people chase chickens.

One of them was even a Squad Officer.

Huo Jilin couldn't touch the civilians, but his soldiers were his to discipline.

Huo Jilin said coldly, "Squad Officer of the First Battalion, Third Guard, step forward. As a squad officer, you have led the way in violating military orders. You will receive thirty strokes of the rod, to be carried out immediately."

The squad officer carrying the pot froze. Wasn't Huo Jilin being too ruthless? What military order had he violated?

Wasn't helping the villagers catch chickens and lead sheep the right thing to do?

"Drag him away!" Huo Jilin barked.

His adjutant immediately stepped forward, seized the man, and pressed him onto a bench in the alley, where the beating began at once, in front of everyone.

Huo Jilin didn't want to resort to force, but he had no choice.

These dawdling villagers wouldn't value their own lives, but he couldn't let soldiers' lives be sacrificed for them. They were already working to hold back the flood, while these people clung stubbornly to their belongings.

He understood their reluctance, but with the flood bearing down, he knew what mattered more.

This display of making an example finally cowed the villagers who had been about to carry their pots. They were naturally afraid of officials, and although Huo Jilin hadn't beaten them, it was clearly a warning meant for them.

Finally, the crowd began obediently evacuating toward the mountains.

The squad leader who had received thirty strokes of the military cane was brought to Chen Jue.

Chen Jue felt the wound with his hand—it looked brutal on the outside, but nothing was broken, no tendon damage.

The soldier kept his head lowered, and the man who brought him in quietly explained to Chen Jue that it was a military punishment.

Chen Jue hesitated for a moment. Huo Jilin had lost his temper—looked like the disaster was getting serious.

Chen Jue thought for a moment and said to the silent, head-lowered man, "Just flesh wounds. Take it easy for a while, keep them dry, and apply the medicine on schedule."

The soldier still said nothing, and Chen Jue didn't press further.

Mercy has no place in command.

Chen Jue didn't criticize Huo Jilin. The guy definitely had a ruthless side, but what he did was with the bigger picture in mind.

While the soldier sat there looking defeated, Chen Jue cut his clothes off, applied medicine, and bandaged the wounds. No need for soothing words—he was done in no time.

That soldier was a real man—didn't make a peep.

No sooner had he finished than more people were carried in from outside: "Bad news! A mudslide came down and smashed someone's leg. Doc, take this one first!"

"Mudslide?"

Chen Jue's heart sank. This was the mudslide he'd been worried about—and here it was. That's why he'd come to help out here today.

A mudslide was bound to cause injuries.

"Are there many wounded?" Chen Jue asked.

He wondered how Huo Jilin was holding up.

The soldier carrying the injured man said to him, "Thank goodness our commander had us retreat fast—all the villagers were evacuated up to the temple. The rear guard got scattered. These are the ones hit by the tumbling rocks. There are more injured coming, further back..."

Chen Jue nodded and didn't say anything more. He checked the wounded soldier's leg—he'd been hit by a rock, his whole left leg a bloody mess, shaking nonstop from the pain.

Chen Jue had him bite down on a towel and quickly cut his clothes off. Once he saw the injury clearly, he let out a small sigh of relief. It looked bad, but luckily it was all superficial—the femur wasn't broken. In these conditions, there was no way to set a bone; they'd have to hold off until they got to a clinic, but every day of delay added more risk.

So Chen Jue let out a breath first.

Still, the wounds were deep—the deepest was about four centimeters, bone visible. And of course, there were rocks in there too.

Doctor He drew in a deep breath. "Should we get all the gravel out first?"

Chen Jue grunted an acknowledgment. "Give him the anesthetic to drink."

Wounds like this need deep cleaning before stitching.

This soldier looked like he was afraid of pain—better give him the anesthetic.

Doctor He hurried off to fetch the medical apprentice.

Chen Jue had come with the medical apprentice and Doctor He. Imperial Physician He was getting on in years—in this rainy weather, he couldn't make the climb up to the temple halfway up the mountain, so he sent his eldest son, Doctor He, to help in his place.

Doctor He was actually already over forty. He'd been working with Chen Jue for a few months and had learned surgical bandaging and other medical skills from him.

He already had a basic grasp of surgical concepts.

The two quickly cleaned the gravel and dirt out of the wound.

Then the rest was up to Chen Jue alone.

The anesthetic had kicked in for the soldier. Doctor He stood by, passing gauze and scissors, watching uneasily as Chen Jue used his razor-sharp scalpel to peel back the flesh and pick out all the mud, gravel, and wood splinters from the flesh, then stitch it back up little by little.

Bloody and precise.

Only after Chen Jue had finished bandaging the seriously injured man did he straighten up.

The man who'd taken thirty strokes of the cane started raising a fuss again: "Help me up—I'll go help settle things too. I know I was wrong. It was my soft-heartedness that held up the main force's retreat. It was my fault..."

Chen Jue shot him a glance. "Getting better is how you stop being a burden. Take care of that wound, and you should be up and around in about five days."

As he finished, another patient came in from outside.

"Doctor Chen, this... this guy has a piece of wood stuck in his leg. Can we just yank it out?"

"No, you can't just pull it out—it's hit the main artery." Chen Jue said grimly after examining it.

"But... we can't just leave it in there, can we?" Doctor He asked.

Chen Jue tied a band three inches above the wound while telling Imperial Physician He, "This is an arterial tourniquet. Tying it here slows the bleeding."

Then Chen Jue had the soldier bite a towel, and quickly yanked the broken wood out. Blood sprayed all over Chen Jue's clothes, but he didn't bother to worry about it. He knelt down and quickly cleaned and stitched the wound.

Imperial Physician He's hands were shaking at first, but steadied as he watched Chen Jue stitch faster and faster, layer by layer. In the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, the wound was stitched up.

Imperial Physician He wiped the sweat off his face and caught his breath. Then, remembering something, he hurriedly wiped Chen Jue's face—blood had splattered on his face too.

Chen Jue's blood-streaked face was eerily calm in that moment, and it put Doctor He's mind at ease.

After that, they barely had a moment to rest. The wounded kept being brought in one after another, and the makeshift medical tent was getting more and more crowded.

"Doctor Chen, come quick—this guy's passed out!"

Besides the wounded, there were also drowning victims being brought in. Judging by the numbers, they'd started releasing the floodwaters.

Chen Jue had taught rapid CPR techniques, and both medical apprentices knew how to do it.

"It's shock—being trapped in water for too long caused temporary shock from drowning. Keep an eye out—for any patients like this coming in later, clear the mud and sand from their mouths before starting CPR."

This time, the fainting was different from before. These were soldiers from the flood-fighting front line, with mud and sand in their mouths and noses.

Chen Jue went first to demonstrate, carefully clearing the soldier's mouth and nose, then doing round after round of compressions and rescue breaths, never giving up. Only when the man finally coughed up a mouthful of mud and water did everyone finally breathe easy.

Outside, the rain hadn't let up at all. Through the rain, the mountain forest loomed like some giant beast, its jaws open wide, ready to swallow everything at any moment. The roar of the rushing water could be heard even from this far away.

The echoes in the mountains made it even more terrifying.

The people who'd taken shelter in the temple were all huddled quietly, no one complaining about anything anymore.

Because they'd just seen a mudslide—right in front of them, the mudslide had come roaring down right beside them...

If they'd been even one step slower and hadn't made it to the temple, the mudslide would have cut them off.

That scene would be burned into their memories for life.

Trees as thick as a man's waist were torn out by the roots—not a single grown man among them could survive that.

Some of the rear-guard soldiers had been hit by the tumbling rocks of the mudslide, turning into a bloody mess in the blink of an eye...

Chen Jue checked on everyone, brewed ginger and poria cocos tea, and lit mugwort to keep the mosquitoes and bugs at bay, as the rain brought them out in droves.

An elderly man, trembling, clasped his hands toward the mountains outside and said in a shaky voice, "I haven't seen rain this heavy in decades... It's like the heavens are angry..."

"Heavens, please calm down..."

Chen Jue listened quietly, wishing that prayers could indeed help.

Once he'd seen to everyone, Chen Jue went back to man the medical tent.