Chapter 110: Scraping the Bone to Cure the Poison

Liu Laoliu’s eldest son was about to intervene when Li Er, mounted on his warhorse, lashed him across the body with a whip. The black lacquered gate was tightly shut, but Li Er reined in his horse, which lifted its front hooves high.

“Boom!” The gate was forcefully smashed open as a group of horsemen thundered into the Yun family courtyard like a raging storm.

Hearing the commotion, Yun Hao was about to send someone to investigate when the main hall’s door was rammed open by a warhorse. Li Er galloped in, the cold wind howling past him. Blood stained his armor, and his crimson eyes gleamed like a ferocious beast. The murderous aura radiating from him was nearly unbearable to behold.

Without a word, Li Er seized Yun Hao, pressing him onto the saddle, and spurred the horse away. Zhang Miaoke and Mrs. Zhao were left stunned, unable to react as Yun Hao vanished from sight.

“Second Master! If you have business, speak up! What are you doing?” Yun Hao was frightened, his mind racing to understand what he had done to offend Li Er.

Li Er arrived like a gust of wind and left just as swiftly. Zhang Miaoke and Mrs. Zhao stood agape, only comprehending the situation when the cold wind swept through their bones. They cried out in distress, but Li Er had long since disappeared, leaving only the shattered gate to silently testify to the ordeal.

Yun Hao decided to remain silent, the wind whipping past his ears. It felt like riding a motorcycle, but cursedly, he was pressed against a horse’s saddle. His internal organs were tossed about so violently he feared he would not survive twenty minutes of this.

Thank heavens, Li Er did not ride for that long. After galloping just two or three li beyond the village, a carriage came charging toward them. Li Er tossed Yun Hao onto the carriage, uttering only “Turn around.” The carriage swiftly changed course, retracing their path.

Yun Hao felt an indescribable discomfort in his stomach as he lay back on the carriage floor, trying to steady his breath. Though the carriage was bumpy, it was far better than the saddle. Luckily, he had not eaten that morning, or he would have surely vomited.

The carriage was lined with thick felt, and Yun Hao was just beginning to recover when the vehicle jolted, though its speed did not waver. The curtain swayed aside and Li Er entered, bringing a chill wind with him. His armor plates were icy to the touch, but sweat drenched his forehead.

“Second Master, what happened?” To see the Heavenly Khan this unsettled could only mean grave news.

“My father underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly, only to be ambushed by Wuduan’er’s forces. Fortunately, Father is a marksman; he alone killed over eighty enemy cavalry, holding out until reinforcements arrived. But he was also struck by a poisoned crossbow bolt. The medics say the bolt’s toxin is deadly. That’s why I came to find you,” Li Er explained as simply as he could.

Yun Hao’s eyes swam with stars. Good heavens! Li Yuan was so formidable—he had slain over eighty men single-handedly. Remember, these were bows and arrows, not AK-47s. To draw that many shots in succession was astonishing.

Huo Prefecture lay nearly two hundred li from Jinyang, yet Li Er had ridden back overnight with his guards. Yun Hao’s heart sank at the severity of Li Yuan’s wounds. His own expertise in antidotes was minimal; what was needed? Some sort of serum? Where could he possibly procure serum in these times?

“Second Master, perhaps we should inform Master Zhang, the divine physician, and have him accompany us—after all…” Yun Hao decided to seek external aid. If things took a turn for the worse, he would at least have someone to share the blame.

“It’s too late. Father’s condition cannot be delayed. I've asked those fools—none can help.” Having witnessed Yun Hao’s skills, Li Er dismissed all other medics as incompetent. Now, the family trusted only Yun Hao when illness struck.

Yun Hao was speechless—he could only take things as they came. Yet, thinking it over, if Li Yuan could found the Tang Dynasty and become its first emperor, surely he would not die in this battle. This thought brought Yun Hao some comfort as he pondered how best to treat Li Yuan.

They changed carriages several times, sometimes the vehicles sped along official roads, while Li Er would leap over obstacles carrying Yun Hao.

Near midnight, the carriage finally arrived at Li Yuan’s main camp in Huo Prefecture.

It was Yun Hao’s first time inside an ancient military camp. Towering gatehouses hung large lanterns as big as watermelons, and torches blazed everywhere, illuminating the vast camp as bright as day. Bands of armored soldiers patrolled with weapons drawn, and at the gate, barricades of chevaux-de-frise thwarted cavalry charges. At Li Yuan’s central command tent, guards had their bows strung and blades unsheathed, exuding a chillingly forbidding aura.

Li Er gripped Yun Hao like a giant rag doll and strode into the command tent.

Li Jiancheng, stationed at the command post, met them immediately.

“How is Father?” Li Er asked urgently.

“He’s already running a fever; the medics have no remedy. Hao’er, it’s good you’re here. Hurry inside.” Li Jiancheng grabbed Yun Hao’s other arm and, like pulling a reluctant dog, dragged him into the inner tent, ignoring Yun Hao’s cries of protest.

Li Yuan lay on a low couch, his face flushed and his forehead dotted with fine beads of sweat. Chai Shao held a cloth, wiping his brow. A strong smell of alcohol permeated the air, indicating that they had attempted some initial treatment following Yun Hao’s methods.

Seeing Yun Hao, Chai Shao immediately stepped aside for him to examine.

There was no time to quarrel with Li Yuan’s sons. Li Yuan was the Yun family’s stronghold—they could not afford to lose him.

“Bring more lamps!” Yun Hao commanded, the tent dimly lit.

Several oil lamps were quickly brought in, and the foolish Li Yuanba even fetched a brazier.

Yun Hao carefully opened Li Yuan’s tunic. The wound lay just above his heart and near the clavicle. Li Yuan had been fortunate; if the arrow had struck two inches lower, the Li brothers would already be mourning.

The wound was cylindrical, with torn edges nearby—clearly caused during the arrow’s entry. The bolt must have barbs and been coated with poison, likely tailored for the opposing general.

The ornate Bright Armor had drawn the arrow but also protected Li Yuan well. The bolt had penetrated only about an inch, missing vital vessels. The fever was likely the toxin’s effect.

The flesh around the wound was bruised black and purple. The heavy metallic scent of blood mixed with a faint fishy odor.

“Bring me the arrow!” After inspecting the wound, Yun Hao requested. A barbless crossbow bolt appeared immediately. This made sense—Li Yuan’s Bright Armor weighed eighty jin; ordinary bows could not pierce it. Only a crossbow could cause such penetration.

Smelling the arrowhead confirmed a faint fishy stench. Toxins of this era fell into two categories: mineral-based from ores and biological toxins from poisonous plants or animals. Yun Hao, having heard many tales, was familiar with these.

Examining the arrowhead, he found no hollow cavity or container—indicating it was likely a biological toxin, simply applied atop the metal.

Yun Hao breathed a sigh of relief; this toxin was relatively small in dosage and easier to treat. Had the arrowhead contained a hollow reservoir with mineral toxins, it would have been much worse—often fatal in rapid succession.

Treatment for such wounds involved excising the affected muscle and bloodletting, akin to the famous Guan Yu’s bone scraping detoxification. This was basic emergency knowledge; Yun Hao had even trained for snakebite treatment in Sichuan. Now, he could only imitate what he had learned.

“Elders, Second Master, I must remove the poisoned flesh around the wound. May I have your permission?” Such a procedure required prior consent; not everyone possessed Guan Yu’s courage.

“Are you sure?” Li Jiancheng and Li Er both froze at the mention of cutting flesh. Chai Shao looked worried.

“The toxin has invaded the muscle and must be excised, or it will spread to the organs and be fatal. Fortunately, Second Master rushed here promptly—had a day passed, I’d have no options,” Yun Hao explained honestly. Without serum in these times, blood poisoning meant death for Li Yuan.

“Then do it!” Li Jiancheng clenched his jaw like stone, while Li Er decisively told Yun Hao to proceed.

“Please bind His Grace’s limbs. If he struggles during the procedure, it could cause serious damage,” Yun Hao cautioned. He could not be sure Li Yuan had Guan Yu’s stoicism; a sudden movement might sever a major artery.

The sharp knife was sharpened on a whetstone, boiled in water, then soaked in alcohol for sterilization before Yun Hao picked it up. He sliced along the wound, and immediately a dark purple blood welled forth. Li Yuan’s eyes snapped open, and his roar resembled that of a tiger.