Chapter 3

Fang Jun stood there with a blank expression, staring at Cheng San. He was completely at a loss. "Third Brother, when did you learn to treat people?"

How to explain this? Cheng Chubì, who had only exposed his medical skills because he saw Fang Er’s injury, was also a bit confused.

His mind was frantically calculating and considering a response. However, before anything else, he couldn’t reveal his identity as a穿越者 (time traveler). So, Cheng Chubì decided to use the enemy's strength against them.

"Guess how I learned medicine."

"..." The room fell into a dead silence again. The faces of the two divine doctors turned slightly dark, Cheng Yaojin had tears in his tiger-like eyes, and beside him, Yuchi Gong sighed deeply. Li Ke, the Prince of Shu, also looked guilty.

Fang Jun was almost in tears. "Little brother doesn’t know, Third Brother. Should we just not treat it?"

Cheng Chubì firmly rejected Fang Jun’s suggestion. "No, we can’t give up on treatment. Am I the kind of person who shirks responsibility?"

As a technical backbone of the town health center and a model of medical ethics dedicated to serving patients, he couldn’t just watch a patient give up on treatment due to various difficulties.

"Trust me, you’ll be fine. Even if the King of Hell wants you to die at midnight, I can delay it until dawn."

Fang Jun stared blankly at the wound on his arm, unable to understand how such a small wound could be described so terrifyingly by Third Brother.

It was a canine, a primary carrier of rabies. If not treated carefully, what if he got infected with rabies?

Although there was no rabies vaccine, thorough cleaning could still reduce the risk of infection.

Cheng Lao San had already called the servants to bring the necessary items. Cheng Yaojin looked at Sun Simiao.

"Let’s see how he handles it. For a minor injury, if there’s a problem, Daoist Sun and Daoist Yuan will step in."

With that, Sun Simiao and Yuan Tianzang exchanged a glance. Sun Simiao silently took out a needle case from his robe and pulled out a three-inch silver needle.

Yuan Tianzang took out a bottle of carefully prepared calming pills from his sleeve. The two of them quietly observed Cheng Chubì’s every move, like experienced hunters ready to pounce.

"…Father, does Lao San know medicine?" Cheng Lao Er asked in a daze.

Cheng Yaojin slapped the back of Cheng Lao Er’s head. "Shut up, or I’ll throw you in the pot and stew you with wolf hearts and dog livers."

The Cheng brothers nodded their heads faster than chickens pecking at rice. All the famous and not-so-famous figures of the Tang Dynasty were stunned...

This was the real *extremely vicious* Cheng bully.

###

Cheng Chubì’s subsequent cleaning operation with the prepared saline solution was so proficient and dexterous that it truly impressed Sun Simiao and Yuan Tianzang.

Fortunately, although the wound was deep, it was a longitudinal cut along the arm, and the muscle tissue was not severely damaged, making the cleaning process simpler. Cheng Chubì cleaned the wound while considering how to suture it.

"General Cheng." Yuan Tianzang, who had put away the calming pills, asked Cheng Yaojin in a low voice.

"His technique is very proficient, as if he has given it deep thought. There’s no sign of recklessness; every move he makes has a purpose."

Sun Simiao, putting the silver needle back into the needle case, agreed. "I have practiced medicine for decades, but I never thought that a needle could be bent to suture a wound. This technique is truly unheard of."

"Are you saying that my Lao San isn’t being reckless?"

"It doesn’t seem like it. He really seems to know medicine." Yuan Tianzang and Sun Simiao exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.

Cheng Yaojin was confused, his mind in a mess. What kind of person was this Lao San? As his father, could he not know?

He was just like his two older brothers, always drinking, boxing, and practicing with axes, or hunting and playing with the sons of nobles. The typical template of a martial family’s spoiled son.

Now, the two authorities in the medical field of the Tang Dynasty and the Daoist masters actually thought that the deranged Lao San had become a self-taught medical genius. Was he seeing ghosts in broad daylight?

Cheng Yaojin didn’t know how to describe the overwhelming emotions he was feeling.

Cheng Chubì threaded the needle, which he had bent into a crescent shape, through the skin and deftly tied a surgical knot with the cotton thread.

Uncertain whether the wound would be free from infection after cleaning, Cheng Chubì decided to play it safe and use a simple interrupted suture technique suitable for skin and subcutaneous tissue.

After tying the knot, he looked up at Fang Jun, who, despite his pale face and cold sweat, was gritting his teeth in silence. Cheng Chubì gave him a thumbs up. "You’re a real man."

Everyone watched in shock and confusion as the neatly spaced, standardized, and regulated sutures were completed.

"Brother Chubì, have you learned embroidery? Your stitches are as good as a top-notch seamstress, really impressive." Prince Li Ke of Shu said with admiration.

The elder brother, on the other hand, patted Li Ke on the shoulder with a satisfied smile. "Don’t look at my Lao San being sick; he still has his skills."

What embroidery, what skills? Cheng Chubì’s face turned black. He really wanted to give these two rascals a cut on their faces and sew a beautiful bow.

To let them experience the beauty of surgical suturing techniques at the A+ level.

After suturing and bandaging, Cheng Chubì instructed Fang Jun to come back for a check-up to see if there were any changes in his condition.

Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Yaojin, with a loving expression, pulled Cheng Chubì over, who was about to clean up after the surgery.

Cheng Chubì was numb. His father must have liked capturing enemy generals on the battlefield; otherwise, why would his technique be so proficient and impossible to resist?

"Sanlang, come over. These two Daoists are rare medical experts in our Tang Dynasty. If you feel any discomfort, be sure to tell them."

While suturing and hearing the discussions around him, Cheng Chubì had already learned the identities of the two great Daoists.

Cheng Chubì looked at these well-known figures of the Tang Dynasty with a reverent gaze, especially Sun Simiao, the famous medical expert in history. Although Cheng Chubì specialized in surgery, it didn’t stop him from admiring his medical predecessors.

Sun Simiao asked kindly, "Nephew, have you felt any discomfort since you woke up?"

"Too many... I can’t remember many things, even my family..."

Cheng Chubì couldn’t force tears, so he focused on his expression, trying to look as sad and helpless as possible.

Seeing Cheng Chubì’s dejected and gloomy face, Cheng Yaojin, as a father, couldn’t help but comfort him.

"It’s okay, blame your two older brothers. Don’t worry, I’ve already punished them for you."

"..."