I Can See Your Combat Power

The Physicians obey seven rules to refuse treatment; no treatment for the arrogant and unreasonable; no treatment for the light-minded covetous; no treatment for those incapable of providing themselves with food and clothing; no treatment for those whose vital energy is unsteady; no treatment for those born with abnormalities; no treatment for those who believe in martial arts but disdain medicine; and lastly, physicians do not treat themselves.

These are the Seven Prohibitions of the physician, also known as the seven “Do not treat”.

Setting aside the others, in the era of the great clans, there were always some cases of incestuous relationships and no family was exempt.

Children born of such unions are often regarded as different.

The term “different” did not refer to being exceptional, but it’s a generic term used by physicians for such patients.

On the lighter end of the scale, these differents were simply born with some diseases, weak in body and spirit, but on the severe end, deformities or even early deaths were possible.

In treating the former class of people, physicians could gradually nurse them back to strength, but when it came to the latter, even the wisest physicians were left without any idea.

There are those born with three arms, perfectly capable of moving as though granted by the heavens; those born with extra legs who excelled at running; and even those born with two heads sharing a body but having two souls. Not only were these individuals physically unusual, but their life expectancies were significantly shorter than normal humans.

These differents are exactly the type of patients that a physician could not treat, as cutting off an extra arm from those born with them was injury, not treatment.

And for those born with severed or missing limbs, there’s absolutely no way for them to regenerate the missing pieces, as their imperfect bodies seemed naturally that way, perfectly sealed and unimpaired, making it impossible for even the best physician to regenerate a missing limb.

The current condition of Mi Bai is just like that of one born without a limb. The right arm, severed cleanly by Qi, revealed many bone shards and meridians which was quite horrific, but a simple hemostasis procedure was all that was needed. Even without Sun Jinfang’s intervention, provided there were sufficient spiritual medicines, any other physician could have easily regenerated the lost limb.

What worsened the situation was the large amount of Innate Qi that was infused, forcibly healing the wound where the limb was severed. This rush did not allow the meridians and muscles time to recall the missing parts, as they were commanded to seal themselves off immediately.

An area where the limb should take a significant amount of time to regenerate instead was forced to heal rapidly under the influence of the Innate Qi. The body discarded the missing right arm and reshaped itself into a perfect, self- contained system of meridians.

This cannot be declared as a total disaster, because without Tang Luo’s infusion of Innate Qi, Mi Bai would have been dead already. But this can definitely not be considered as a fortunate release either, because the generous dash of Innate Qi healed Mi Bai’s wounds, but also revoked his ability to regrow the severed limb.

What the saying ‘too much or too little is not ideal’ implies is that no matter if it’s excess or deficiency, both could generate unfavorable situations. But most of the time, the aftermath caused by surfeit is more serious than that caused by inadequacy.

A quiver ran through Tang Luo, and he didn’t dare to look back.

He remembered when he first entered the room, how staunchly Mi Bai had refused to accept his goodwill, turning him down again and again. Tang Luo had originally thought that Mi Bai was just frustrated due to the injury caused by Mi Chu, but now, thinking back, could it be possible that Mi Bai was actually trying not to make Tang Luo feel guilty, feigning that he didn’t want to regenerate his arm?

“Master,” Tang Luo faltered, his guilt causing his voice to shake, “Is there no other way?”

“Hmm, I am afraid I cannot do anything.” Sunjinfang shook his head. Regardless of the physicians’ instructions, handling regeneration of severed limbs is a formidable task since the body has completely lost all memory of the severed part. Even the bones disconnected. It seems as if it has formed an unbroken whole, with smooth and delicate skin covering the wound, just like it does on a newborn baby. He really does not have a solution for it.

When it comes to cultivation, Sun Jinfang could not even make it to the top three hundred in Xiling. But in terms of medical skill, if all the physicians in the Tang and Mi families were gathered together, they would still only be on par with him. Now that Sun Jinfang himself had declared that regrowth was impossible, even if another doctor was consulted, the conclusion would invariably be the same.

This vexing development posed a new question for Tang Luo, a man of such pride. How should he face Mi Bai now that his good intentions have unexpectedly led to a disaster? He couldn’t so easily let himself off the hook.

Observing the sudden despondence in Tang Luo, Mi Bai, who was sitting on the couch, was about to brace him when he heard the old man continue, “Maybe the Young Prodigy can inquire at the Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion on Zhou Kun’s holy mountain. That place is considered the holy ground for physicians in Longzhou. Maybe the physicians there have a way to solve this problem.”

Like a beacon of light appearing suddenly in the dark, Tang Luo hastily held onto this only lifesaver. “Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion?!”

“Yes.” The old man nodded. “Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion is a first-rate sect in Longzhou, and it’s a subsidiary of Martial Saint Mountain. It is said that every physician there has the ability to affect the natural order of life. To them, raising the dead and healing broken bones are nothing special. The strong ones among them even left behind legends in the world, inexplicably magical. Perhaps they have a way to treat Bai’s condition.”

“Thankyou, Master!” Tang Luo nodded secretly, making a mental note of the name Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion.

After giving Tang Luo one last look, Sun Jinfang nodded and departed. If the great battle against Xiling truly is inevitable, he has to prepare for it, on behalf of the people of Xiling.

Following the departure of the old man, Xiao Zheng also excused himself, leaving only Tang Luo and Mi Bai in the hall.

Once they were alone, Tang Luo collapsed desolately beside Mi Bai, remorsefully saying, “I thought that healing the wound first would facilitate the treatment, but I hadn’t expected that the result would be causing you to lose an arm… I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s not true.” Mi Bai said firmly, “If it weren’t for you, Brother Tang, I would have died on the spot today. Given the choice between living with a missing arm and death, I’ve already got the better end of the deal. For me, the art of painting and writing is essential, but being able to take care of those kids and see them grow up is even more significant. So, Brother Tang, do not blame yourself.”

“Brother Bai, please, don’t try to comfort me…” Tang Luo shook his head bitterly, “For a painter, losing an arm is equivalent to a martial artist losing his spiritual power. I am well aware of the pain and helplessness it causes. Luckily, Master Sun mentioned that physicians at Hundred Herbs Immortal Mansion might be able to heal you. I am thinking of arranging your departure as soon as possible. Zhou Kun’s holy mountain is located in the center of Longzhou, about 20,000 li away from Xiling. Don’t you think it’s better to leave early?”

“Don’t dissuade me. Now it is very clear that the reason your arm cannot regenerate is due to me, so I must make sure that your arm is fully restored.” Tang Luo waved his hand, declaring his decision very firmly.

“I am not avoiding it,” Mi Bai waved his lefthand, “I mean, currently Xiling is in chaos, and a war is imminent. I really can’t ignore the children and leave. Let’s wait for the situation to stabilize first.”

“Which war is imminent?” Seeing no outsiders, Tang Luo surprisingly spoke a few truthful words, “Given today’s situation, even Mi Yang and Mi Hai, if they had brains, would not dare let the two clans fight openly. Only someone like Mi Chu, who only trains in martial arts but not in brainpower, would boldly organize a joint strike to snatch the land. Just dealing with the collective condemnation from all the clan chiefs present at that time would have left Mi Clan in a disastrous state, let alone launching a full-scale war against the Tang family. Although usually, Xiling clans would ignore gatherings of the Mi family, this time the opponent is the Tang family. So, it is these Xiling families who would truly determine the final outcome.”