Chapter Eleven: Rescue

Qin Qiong had practiced the most rigorous martial arts since childhood, training in the harshest winters and the sweltering summers. Though he had been ill in Wang’s Inn at Taiyuan for some time, after so many days, his strength had recovered to eighty percent of its former state. The force behind his punch was at least a hundred pounds.

His fist landed squarely on Qi Guoyuan’s instep. Qi Guoyuan let out a loud shout, his body staggered backward several steps, and then he collapsed onto the ground, unable to be supported by the nearby henchmen. With a heavy thud, he sat down hard.

A quick-witted henchman helped Qi Guoyuan up and removed his cloth shoe, which had been split open by the blow. Qi Guoyuan’s instep was swelling rapidly, visibly rising, and within moments, a lump the size of an egg had formed, with signs of further expansion.

Qi Guoyuan, to his credit, endured the pain without a sound, his face pale as death, beads of sweat streaming down his cheeks—his agony was evident.

Green-eyed Tiger, seeing Qi Guoyuan’s state, was so frightened he nearly fell himself. Having fought in the streets for years, he knew that Qi Guoyuan’s tendons and perhaps bones had been shattered by the force, an injury that would cripple him unless treated by a master bone-setter.

It was for helping him that Qi Guoyuan suffered such a fate. The debt Green-eyed Tiger now owed was enormous; not only could he not afford to provoke the bandits on Mount Shaohua, but even the cost of medicine would ruin the four brothers.

Yun Hao watched wide-eyed; it was his first time witnessing a real martial contest. The modern martial arts of later generations were mere routines—national champions could be beaten bloody by street brawlers. He hadn’t expected that ancient fights were nothing like the elegant duels described by famed novelists. Life and death were at stake, and matters weren’t settled in rounds. Problems were resolved in three blows or less. Qin Qiong felled Qi Guoyuan with a single punch, and though the henchmen from Shaohua Mountain clamored, none dared face Qin Qiong.

Yun Hao grew anxious. Qin Qiong had cowed them for now, but if someone led a charge, even if Qin Qiong had extra hands, he couldn’t fend off so many. Yun Hao noticed that after the bout, Qin Qiong’s sallow face was tinged with red, and his chest heaved slightly. Though it had been only a handful of moves, it was clear that Qin Qiong had spent tremendous effort.

A shriek of pain drew Yun Hao’s attention to Qi Guoyuan. A henchman, apparently with some medical knowledge, was attempting to set Qi Guoyuan’s bone, but as soon as he touched the injured foot, Qi Guoyuan cried out in agony.

Yun Hao recalled his neighbor from his previous life, a renowned bone-setter, with whom he’d shared many games of chess and watched many bone-setting procedures. Qi Guoyuan’s injury looked familiar; after some thought, Yun Hao remembered exactly what it was.

With everyone’s attention on Qi Guoyuan, Yun Hao hurried to Qin Qiong’s side, holding onto his arm and whispering a few words in his ear.

“Little brother, this matter is serious. If it’s not handled well, he’ll be crippled. He’s a man of iron, and if he’s maimed, I’ll feel uneasy,” Qin Qiong said, admiring Qi Guoyuan’s fortitude in silently enduring such pain.

“Let that fool keep treating him and he’ll be crippled for sure. There’s a saying, ‘Treat a dead horse as a living one.’ Better you try—he’ll have a chance. If I weren’t so young and weak, I’d do it myself!” Yun Hao hadn’t expected the famed Qin Qiong, the hero known on both banks of the Yellow River and throughout Shandong, to hesitate at the crucial moment.

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Qin Qiong was still wavering when another agonized cry came from Qi Guoyuan. Whatever the henchman was doing, it had made the usually stoic Qi Guoyuan scream.

That cry seemed to steel Qin Qiong’s resolve.

Seeing Qin Qiong’s decision, Yun Hao ran to the center of the crowd and shouted, “Stop! You’ll cripple him if you keep this up!”

His voice was young and sharp, cutting through the shouts of the rough men. The strongmen from Shaohua Mountain eyed the boy, and one, apparently the leader, barked, “Kid! Go home, this is none of your business. If you keep making noise, I’ll break your neck!”

“If you keep this up, your Third Chief will be a cripple. If you don’t listen to me, you’ll have no one to blame when it happens,” Yun Hao shouted back, emboldened by Qin Qiong’s protection.

The strongman was about to retort when he saw Qin Qiong looming behind Yun Hao, club in hand.

“Wang Xiao’er, fetch some well water—deep well water! Quickly, or the foot will be ruined!” Yun Hao shouted at Wang Xiao’er, seizing the moment.

The group, thrown into confusion, latched onto this suggestion. They didn’t care that the advisor was a child; immediately, a big man dragged Wang Xiao’er to the backyard to fetch water.

Moments later, a basin of cold well water was brought.

“Pour it on his foot—the swollen area—quick!” Yun Hao pointed. The henchman, thinking water couldn’t do any harm, followed his instructions. If it worked, good; if not, they’d deal with the child.

Yun Hao knew what he was doing. There was no ice to be found, and even if there were, it would be too late. Deep well water was the best pain relief available. Ideally, it would be wrapped in plastic and applied to the wound, but in these times, plastic was nowhere to be found.

Sure enough, as the cold water was poured over Qi Guoyuan’s foot, the pain eased considerably. He shouted, “More! More!”

Seeing the method worked, the henchmen were invigorated. As soon as the first bucket was emptied, seven or eight rushed to fetch more.

The leader watched Qi Guoyuan’s relief and scrutinized Yun Hao. The child’s red lips, white teeth, and jade-like face, with jet-black hair tied in a topknot, gave him a scholarly air that was immediately likable.

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In these times, scholars were rare and respected. Even these rough bandits were no exception. Seeing Yun Hao’s method work, the leader was convinced the boy could cure Qi Guoyuan.

He bowed to Yun Hao and said, “Young master! My words earlier were harsh. If you cure my brother, all past grievances will be forgiven. What do you say?”

“To heal your brother, you must trust me completely.” Yun Hao was unsure, but having offended these ancient underworld figures, he and his mother could not safely leave Luzhou. The problem had to be solved before they could travel on. If it failed, they’d have to follow Qin Qiong to Shandong. With Qin Qiong as a bodyguard, they’d have nothing to fear from bandits.

“Brother, the cold water feels so good on my foot. Let him treat me. If I end up lame, so be it. If Wu Lao’er treats me, I’m almost certain to be crippled,” Qi Guoyuan said, feeling much better after the cold water.

Yun Hao now realized that the strongman was the gang’s leader—no wonder he spoke with such authority!

“Very well, young master, please do your best. If you cure my brother, you’ll be rewarded,” said the leader, bowing again.

“Gladly. Cover his eyes with a cloth and help him stand.” With the leader’s permission, Yun Hao took charge, directing the henchmen.

At the leader’s signal, they lifted Qi Guoyuan and tied a black cloth over his eyes.

Once everything was ready, Yun Hao said to Qin Qiong, “It’s up to you. Mind your strength—don’t break his bones.”

Qin Qiong strode swiftly to Qi Guoyuan, and before the henchmen could react, he brought his foot down like lightning, stamping hard on Qi Guoyuan’s injured foot.

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