Chapter 38: Chapter Fourteen [Has a Problem] (Part I)

Li Yifeng clearly saw with his own eyes him treating Murong Feiyan's illness, yet now he claims not to know medicine, taking it as modesty, he hehe laughed: "Master Hu, you're being too modest." His expression clearly said, "Who are you trying to fool, you bastard? I saw it myself."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since I was young I've never known what modesty is, Mr. Li. I see you're an honest elder, so I won't hide it from you: I've never had a teacher, and I've never studied medicine."

Li Yifeng said: "When Master Hu treated Constable Captain Murong's injury, this old man was right there beside you." He added, "I have to expose you, kid—you're too slippery."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Speaking of this is really hard to bring up; if I don't say it, Mr. Li will surely think I'm lying. Mr. Li, I'll tell you the truth, but you must absolutely keep it secret for me."

Seeing his solemn expression, Li Yifeng felt both curious and doubtful, so he nodded and said: "Master, go ahead—I will definitely keep your secret."

Hu Xiaotian deliberately glanced around, then moved closer to Li Yifeng and lowered his voice: "Actually I don't know any medicine; the reason I can help others set bones and pull the arrow from Constable Captain Murong's body is because I'm familiar with human anatomy."

Li Yifeng said: "How could you be familiar without studying medicine?"

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "I've got a problem!"

Li Yifeng blinked in surprise; he really hadn't met many who said that. He blinked his eyes, face full of bewilderment: "A problem? What kind of problem?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Since childhood I've had a secret fetish—I like to dissect small animals with a knife. At first it was chickens, ducks, cats, dogs; later it developed into pigs, horses, cattle, sheep……" He paused deliberately, laughing grimly: "You know what dissection is?"

Li Yifeng, how could he not understand dissection? Hearing this, his heart went cold: "You mean… like Ding the butcher dissecting an ox?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Pretty much, but not the same—Ding the butcher dissecting an ox only deals with its bones, joints, and muscles; I don't spare the organs and meridians, I call it anatomy!" His gaze turned blazing, showing great excitement.

Li Yifeng, however, felt a chill: "Like… ah……"

"Not just that—later I felt dissecting pigs, horses, cattle, and sheep wasn't enough, so I shifted my interest to……" Hu Xiaotian fixed his eyes on Li Yifeng.

Li Yifeng felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up; he knew what Hu Xiaotian was hinting at, and trembled as he said: "You mean dissection……" The word reached his lips but he ultimately held back, for to him this was already a shocking, grotesque horror; he didn't want to believe it, yet Hu Xiaotian spoke with such conviction that it seemed very possible.

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "You guessed it."

Li Yifeng felt his stomach churn, something rising up; he barely managed to suppress the nauseous feeling: "But that's intolerable by law."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I certainly know that, so living wouldn't do; thus I spent a lot of money buying corpses, hauled them to a secret place, and dissected them bit by bit, studying them bit by bit."

Hearing this, Li Yifeng seemed to see that bastard waving a small knife, in the act of dissecting a corpse, blood spraying, a sight too horrible to behold; suddenly an irrepressible nausea welled up, and Li Yifeng clapped a hand over his mouth and rushed to the backyard at astonishing speed.

Not long after, Hu Xiaotian heard that bastard's painful retching—this really screwed Li Yifeng over, he might even vomit bile. In the past it was regarded as a natural science discipline, but in this era people see it as a prehistoric beast, absurd and terrifying—no wonder those who studied anatomy in the past were met with scorn or even sacrificed their lives. What Hu Xiaotian said had truth and falsehood; here he has never performed a single dissection experiment. If he doesn't give Li Yifeng some shocking material, how could this old coot abandon the idea of letting him treat the Prince Jin? Once Li Yifeng knows he has this ** fetish, he'll surely keep his distance should they meet again. Hu Xiaotian realized image management is important; this conversation will instantly repackage him from a benevolent, skilled doctor into a ** bloodthirsty dissection maniac.

Murong Feiyan arrived punctually at noon at the Hall of Easy Origin; Hu Xiaotian's surgery was timely and exquisite, Li Yifeng's Golden Trauma Medicine was also highly effective, and with Murong Feiyan's own good physique, her body recovered quickly; when she reappeared before Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan had already regained her former vigorous and spirited bearing.

However, seeing Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan still gave him no pleasant look; every time she saw that bastard's frivolous smile, she felt he harbored ill intent—how could someone grow up like this? Though he is actually quite handsome, no matter how you look at him his face is full of wickedness, and he looks like a villain.

Hu Xiaotian hehe laughed: "Constable Captain Murong has arrived—I've been waiting for you a good while."

Murong Feiyan said: "Sorry to keep you waiting, Master Hu; I just went to handle some official duties, so I'm late."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Constable Captain Murong is truly dedicated—despite a work injury, she insists on staying on the front lines; truly she lives by 'light wounds don't leave the battlefield'."

Murong Feiyan had grown accustomed to his strange way of speaking; to say Hu Xiaotian is truly hiding his talents—previously everyone thought he was an unlearned playboy, yet they never expected he actually knew some medicine; one could say his medical skill is quite impressive. In the whole capital, few can successfully extract a barbed canine-arrow, but Hu Xiaotian not only pulled out the arrow, he also treated her wounds on both sides so beautifully that hardly any scar remained.

At that moment Murong Feiyan also heard the retching from the backyard; she looked over and saw Li Yifeng bracing himself against a column, bent over and vomiting nonstop, she frowned and asked: "Mr. Li, are you ill?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "He's seriously ill!" He secretly chuckled, thinking, "It's just a story about human dissection, yet it scared Li Yifeng into this state."

Murong Feiyan came today in official uniform; she bore a rare neutral demeanor for this era, vigorous and spirited, appearing very capable—this temperament could be called distinctive and independent.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Sit!"

Murong Feiyan sat in the grandmaster's chair beside him, placing her long sword on the side table. Because of her status as a constable, her sitting posture leaned masculine—she sat sprawled, legs spread wide, utterly unlike ordinary women; Hu Xiaotian had recently seen women keep their legs tightly pressed together, with not even a gap visible, so Murong Feiyan's manner was truly rare.

Murong Feiyan noticed that bastard's gaze constantly darting toward the space between her legs; although her outer robe covered it, knowing he couldn't see anything, she still reacted instinctively, her legs snapping shut and pressing together.

Hu Xiaotian happened to sip some tea; seeing Murong Feiyan's move, he found it highly amusing and couldn't help laughing—then the tea made him cough, and he turned and spat it onto the ground.

Murong Feiyan's pretty face flushed crimson; she silently cursed that bastard's shamelessness—"Don't look at what's improper"—you're staring at me there, what's the point? Just as she was about to erupt, she saw Li Yifeng walk in, face ashen and weak; Li Yifeng, having been worn down by Hu Xiaotian, gave her a feeble fist‑palm greeting.

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Mr. Li, you all right?"

Li Yifeng nodded.

Hu Xiaotian opened the brocade box; Li Yifeng saw those surgical instruments, and for some reason the image of that bastard waving tools to dissect a human body flashed before his eyes—his mouth twisted, he hastily covered it with both hands and turned to run toward the backyard.

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "He's seriously ill!"

Murong Feiyan also now believed he was ill, and softly said: "Mr. Li, your skillful hands and benevolent heart, your concern for patients—really you've been overworking yourself."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Nobody's life is easy." He thought to himself, "I'm the one who saved you—I'm the truly skilled and benevolent one, right?"

Murong Feiyan glanced at him dissatisfiedly and said: "Not necessarily—there are always those who reap without labor, sit idle in their posts, squander recklessly, and know nothing of the world's suffering."

Hu Xiaotian certainly knew she was referring to him; his smile suddenly faded: "Take off your clothes!"