Chapter 110

Hu Xiaotian saw she was unmoved, couldn't help reminding her again: "Hey, I need light! Help me out, lend me light, lend me light!"

Murong Feiyan then reacted, stumbled to get the bronze mirror, and with difficulty focused the light on the blood hole on Wan Ting Sheng's head. Don't look at her usually being bold, having killed many villains while eliminating evil, but now she couldn't bear to look closely no matter what.

Hu Xiaotian looked at the wide-eyed Wan Ting Sheng, indeed saw a hematoma, and delighted said: "Indeed it's an epidural hematoma, fortunately not serious."

Murong Feiyan secretly sighed, what epidural hematoma she couldn't understand, isn't the skull just hard? Whose skull is soft? Now the Wan family's second son's head has been struck with such a large blood hole, what to do? Hu Xiaotian, using the light, examined Wan Ting Sheng's cranial injury, confident that cerebral contusion and subdural hematoma were not combined, so he should wake up soon. However, judging from the hematoma's location, this nearly fatal injury has nothing to do with me; I struck his forehead with a stick, but the hematoma occurred at the temple, indicating that besides me, someone else also struck his head several times. How much the Wan family's second young master is hated, even in his own home he has so many enemies; just who is the person who secretly took advantage to strike a dark blow?

The next task was to completely remove the hematoma and stop bleeding; lacking modern surgical equipment like suction devices, the difficulty and time naturally increased considerably, but this didn't faze Hu Xiaotian. During the operation he monitored the patient's vital signs, finding no anatomical difference, yet the people of this continent seem to have greater tolerance and stronger vitality than those in the previous world.

After successfully removing the hematoma and stopping the bleeding, Hu Xiaotian began suturing; the removed bone flap was not repositioned, to avoid secondary infection.

After finishing the final suturing, Hu Xiaotian let out a long breath, turned to Murong Feiyan who was assisting him. Yet he saw her pretty face pale, bloodless, obviously shocked by the bloody procedure. Hu Xiaotian smiled: "It's fine!"

Murong Feiyan nodded, then a strong urge to vomit surged up. She turned and ran out.

Hu Xiaotian washed the blood from his hands in a bronze basin, glanced at Wan Ting Sheng on the bed; although he hadn't awakened, his breathing was even and pulse stable, today's operation was fairly successful.

Coming outside, the Wan family swarmed up, surrounding Hu Xiaotian in the center; Wan Bo Ping said: "How is my son?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The hematoma in the skull has been removed; he will gradually recover." He waved the white object in his hand—a piece of skull pried from Wan Ting Sheng's head. Those around saw the skull; most covered their mouths and fled, Hu Xiaotian deliberately disgusting them.

Among the Wan family, the one with the best psychological fortitude was Wan Bo Ping; although he was rich but unkind, at critical moments he bore the bearing of a great general in this era. It's not common to dare let a stranger young doctor perform a craniotomy on one's beloved son; of course this relates to Wan Ting Sheng's critical condition—if Hu Xiaotian hadn't intervened, he would surely die, and the notion of treating a dead horse as alive played a big role.

After obtaining Hu Xiaotian's permission, Wan Bo Ping followed him inside to check on his son, confirming the son's breathing and pulse were present; his heart eased considerably, at least his son was still alive.

Wan Bo Ping gazed at his sleeping son, unable to help feeling worried: "I don't know when he'll wake up."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Soon in a day, later in two or three days."

Wan Bo Ping, hearing him speak with such confidence, finally relaxed a bit.

Hu Xiaotian shifted tone: "Although I removed your son's intracranial hematoma, treatment is only the first step; further treatment is still needed."

"Further treatment?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "You should know humans have seven souls and six spirits; the souls and spirits reside within the body. Opening a window on his head to extract the hematoma was unavoidable, but I cannot guarantee the souls and spirits won't escape through this opening." Hu Xiaotian was purely talking nonsense. Yet his words were quite believable in today's society; the continent's science and technology haven't developed to a certain level, people's understanding of life is still limited, and the notion of souls and spirits prevails, giving it strong persuasive power.

Wan Bo Ping, somewhat flustered, asked: "What should we do then?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "We must summon the soul!"

"How to summon the soul?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since I promised to help cure your son, I naturally want to see the good deed through to the end."

Wan Bo Ping said: "Then it's trouble for you, Mr. Hu!" He now trusted Hu Xiaotian eighty percent.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I always keep things clear—ding is ding, mao is mao!"

Wan Bo Ping understood, this guy was raising the price! "Damn, so crafty, how can a youngster be this deceitful?" Just now he clearly said two hundred taels of gold, now he added a soul-summoning business. Wan Bo Ping gritted his teeth: "Mr. Hu, just say it straight—how much does summoning the soul cost?" Having said this much, no need to beat around the bush; it's just money. For my son's life, I'll go all out.

Hu Xiaotian gave a hehe smile, extended one finger: "One hundred taels of gold, a friend's price!"

By now Wan Bo Ping could only let him have his way, resentfully thinking: "Whatever, I'll agree first and talk later; after my son wakes I'll decide, then I'll send you to the officials to accuse you of extortion—one hundred taels? I'll make sure you can't take even a single tael, you'll have nowhere to cry." He didn't know Hu Xiaotian was the newly appointed county magistrate; without a diamond drill he wouldn't dare take on this porcelain job.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Summoning the soul has its own rules, Wan Yuanwai; I must first inspect the layout of your residence to decide where to perform the ritual." This guy even laughed at himself—he didn't know anything about soul-summoning arts.

Wan Bo Ping nodded repeatedly, having no doubt about this. He personally led Hu Xiaotian through the inside and outside; finally Hu Xiaotian arrived at the southeast corner of the east wing, which happened to be Le Yao's residence.

He originally wanted to go in, but Wan Bo Ping stopped him: "This courtyard is where my third daughter-in-law lives; my third son recently died, and the widowed young woman resides here—going in would be inconvenient."

Hu Xiaotian secretly chuckled, "Old man, I've come and gone countless times, now you say it's inconvenient? If it's inconvenient, why are you three father and son shamelessly coming to disturb others?" He stopped, nodded, pointed to the neighboring bamboo garden: "This is the most suitable place for the ritual."

Wan Bo Ping stared, half-believing, half-doubting Hu Xiaotian's words. Hu Xiaotian saw his hesitation and deliberately said: "I don't know whether I should say this or not."

Wan Bo Ping said: "Mr. Hu, please speak freely."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am originally a physician; geomancy is not within my purview, I shouldn't speak, but if I don't say it I feel uneasy." This guy's bullshitting skills are improving day by day.

Wan Bo Ping knew this guy might be pulling his leg, but hearing him say that sparked his curiosity; if Hu Xiaotian truly didn't speak, he'd probably lose sleep. Wan Bo Ping said: "Mr. Hu, go ahead, I'm all ears."

Hu Xiaotian turned and walked away: "It's not my duty, better not to say."

Wan Bo Ping saw him leave, felt anxious, caught up: "Mr. Hu, how much do you want?"

Hu Xiaotian stopped, inwardly cursing: "This old bastard is too blunt; even if he sees I'm trying to extort him, he shouldn't speak so plainly—you're shameless, I still need face." He put on a stern face: "Wan Yuanwai, your remark is off; you think I care about money?"

Wan Bo Ping shook his head, already cursing Hu Xiaotian's eight generations of ancestors in his heart: "You don't care about money? If you didn't care, you wouldn't seize the chance to squeeze me hard? Want to be a whore and also set up a chastity arch—do you think I'm a sucker?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled, brows relaxed: "Actually, nobody in this world is indifferent to money; money isn't omnipotent, but lacking money is absolutely impossible. Wan Yuanwai, what do you think?"

Wan Bo Ping, made dizzy by this kid, laughed and cried: "Mr. Hu, please name your price; since you're willing to help me with geomancy, paying you remuneration is appropriate."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I originally wanted to do you a favor, but since Wan Yuanwai is so enthusiastic, I really can't refuse. Usually, treating illness saves just one person, but examining geomancy can change the fate of an entire family. By the way, how many people are there in your household, Wan Yuanwai?"

Wan Bo Ping was stunned by the question; the Wan family counting servants, gardeners, maids and old women would be over 150 people, but he couldn't say that—just treating his son's illness had already cost two hundred taels of gold; if he told the truth, this guy would likely demand thirty thousand taels. Thinking this, Wan Bo Ping replied: "Fifteen people, old and young." This number excluded all servants.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I mean counting the servants and maids."

Wan Bo Ping said: "Then it would be over 150 people." Going around in circles was pointless; he figured out this kid wasn't easily fooled. His heart trembled—if this brat suddenly opened his lion's mouth and demanded thirty thousand taels, that would be like taking half his life; he couldn't agree no matter what.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Wan Yuanwai, actually your residence is a haunted house!"

Wan Bo Ping's heart sank at his words; normally if anyone dared say that to his face he'd have exploded, but today was different—Hu Xiaotian's performance had stunned him. He forced a smile: "Impossible; when I built the manor I especially invited Xichuan's most famous geomancer Zhu Kuiyong to inspect it."

Hu Xiaotian snorted: "In this world there are many who deceive and steal fame; have you ever wondered why the Wan family keeps suffering one misfortune after another?"