Chapter 47: Back to the Lin Family

5 February 1228 of the Ziyun era.

As night fell, Zhou Donghuang’s horse carriage entered the capital city of Yunfeng county. Within the carriage, Lin Lan pulled open the curtains as she gazed at the hustle and bustle along the streets and alleys of the capital. Her eyes seemed to be filled with emotion. “Donghuang, look at that street. I used to love eating the candied haws from an old lady’s stall at the end of that street.”

“Donghuang, that old man’s roast stall has been open for more than twenty years.”

“Donghuang…”

As they passed through the streets of the city, Lin Lan introduced them as if she were showing off her family treasures. Zhou Donghuang listened patiently, nodding and smiling.

“Young Master, we’re going to the Lu family first?” Fu asked from outside the carriage.

“Yes,” Zhou Donghuang replied. He said to Lin Lan, “Mother, it’s late today, we shall rest for the night at the Lu family household. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the Lin family together.”

“To the Lu family? Won’t that be too troublesome?” Lin Lan frowned. “Shall we find a guest inn for the night instead?”

“Mother, don’t worry. Lu Qinghu can’t wait for me to trouble him.” Zhou Donghuang laughed.

Just as he had predicted, when Lu Qinghu knew of Zhou Donghuang’s arrival, he came out immediately to welcome him. Alongside him was the Lu family head elder, Lu Pinglan, and the second elder, Lu Bao.

“Young Master Donghuang.” Lu Qinghu and the two of them bowed deeply to Zhou Donghuang, and they hurriedly bowed in greeting to Lin Lan. “Madam.”

“Uh…” Lin Lan was not used to this. Not long ago, she had learned that Lu Qinghu had reached grade four of the gathered qi, leading the Lu family to the ranks of a preeminent family. Lu Qinghu’s present status in Yanshan county was similar to that of the Lin family chief. Yet such a figure was now bowing to her?

It was then that she realized that her son’s capabilities had far exceeded her imagination.

Lu Qinghu arranged for two large adjacent courtyards for Zhou Donghuang and his party. Each courtyard had a few rooms. Lin Lan and Granny Lian would stay in one courtyard, while Zhou Donghuang and Fu would stay in another.

“Son, kneel and admit your mistake to Young Master Donghuang.” Lu Qinghu brought his son, Lu Yuan, to see Zhou Donghuang. Although Lu Yuan’s leg had been joined back together, he still needed a crutch to walk.

As the old saying went, injured muscles and broken bones take a hundred days to heal. Later, Fu had been compassionate enough to find a doctor to help him join Lu Yuan’s leg back together, but he could still barely walk and could no longer exert power.

“No need.” Just as the pale Lu Yuan was about to kneel down on Lu Qinghu’s orders, Zhou Donghuang stopped him. “If you kneel using this leg that has not even healed, even I will hardly be able to heal it.”

“Heal?”

Zhou Donghuang’s words seemed like a bolt of lightning that lit up Lu Yuan’s dim eyes. He asked, “Young Master Donghuang, you… you can heal my leg completely?”

After he had returned, Lu Yuan had looked up an intermediate-level doctor, but that doctor could only assure that he would be able to walk like a normal person. Lu Yuan still wouldn’t be able to use his strength. For a adept, if one leg could not exert power, it was no different from being an invalid.

“Young Master Donghuang.” Lu Qinghu was also excited. His son’s leg could be healed completely?

Zhou Donghuang said evenly, “Not just your leg, even your father’s arm can be healed.”

The last two times he had seen Lu Qinghu, his broken arm was still in a plaster cast, but now the cast had been taken off. The right arm which he had joined back together after Zhou Donghuang had cut it off would seem stiff whenever he walked, and it could only be used for daily activities. For a adept, such an arm was useless.

“Young Master Donghuang.” Lu Qinghu bowed. He begged, “If you can treat my son’s leg, my life is yours.” Lu Yuan was his only son. Even if he exchanged his life for his son’s, he was willing.

Zhou Donghuang ignored Lu Qinghu and looked at Lu Yuan intently. “I will only treat either your leg or your father’s arm. Make a choice.” Zhou Donghuang looked at Lu Yuan with interest.

“Young Master Donghuang!” Hearing what he had just said, Lu Qinghu was anxious. “Please just treat my son’s leg. As for my arm, I deserved it for offending Young Master Donghuang, there’s no need for you to treat it!”

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“Father, stop.” Lu Yuan laughed. “If I had not offended Young Master Donghuang first, you would not have had the conflict with him. It is me who got what he deserved. Young Master Donghuang, please treat my father’s arm. For my leg, just leave it as it is.” Lu Yuan looked at Zhou Donghuang determinedly, without a glimmer of doubt.

“At least you still have some filial piety.” Zhou Donghuang looked at Lu Yuan, stood up from the stone bench and turned to go into the room. “The two of you can come together.”

“Thank you, Young Master Donghuang.” Both Lu Qinghu and Lu Yuan had realized by now that Zhou Donghuang intended to treat both father and son. In the moment, they were extremely touched.

“Yuan’er, when you see Young Master Donghuang in the future, you must bow as deeply as me. If not, I shall cut your leg off myself!” whispered Lu Qinghu to Lu Yuan before they entered the room.

…

In that era, the level of medicine was so high that broken limbs could be almost completely healed after an operation. Not only Western medicine could do this, but Chinese medicine could also do it, and sometimes even better too. Of course, this was because Chinese medicine relied on qi to use acupuncture to heal the injury.

“Done.” After a whole night’s work, Zhou Donghuang only finished acupuncture session for Lu Qinghu and his son at dawn.

Luckily, their wounds were simple, and the limbs had been rejoined in a short time. Using his qi to do acupuncture on their nerves and veins, Zhou Donghuang was able to help them to heal completely.

“You should count yourself lucky that it was Ma Jin who attacked Fu, and not you.” Zhou Donghuang looked at Lu Yuan. If he had had his leg crushed like Ma Jin, even he could not heal it, because there was simply no way for that injury to return to its original state, much less to heal.

“Thank you, Young Master Donghuang.” Lu Qinghu and Lu Yuan kowtowed to Zhou Donghuang, then left, afraid to disturb his rest.

“Young Master, after this, the Lu father and son will be totally loyal to you,” said Fu after Lu Qinghu and Lu Yuan had left.

“I hope so.” Zhou Donghuang nodded. A faint glimmer crossed his eyes. “If they are honest, I can give them a prominent life ahead. But if they choose to betray me, just as I can heal their limbs today, I can break them again any other day!”

…

Early the next day, Zhou Donghuang and Lin Lan brought Fu and Granny Lian to leave the Lu family household, and they headed to the Lin family household.

Lu Family Chief Lu Qinghu brought his son, Lu Yuan to personally send the four of them to the main door.

“Young Master Donghuang, you really do not need me to prepare a carriage for you?” Lu Qinghu asked.

“No need,” Zhou Donghuang shook his head. They had their own horse-drawn carriage, and it was a carriage drawn by a treasured horse, but his mother did not want to return in such a high-profile fashion, so he had chosen something to suit her. Furthermore, both the Lu and Lin family households were not far from each other in the city, and it would take only half an hour even if they walked.

After half an hour, Zhou Donghuang and the three of them arrived at the main door of the Lin family household. Right there, they were stopped.

“Lin Lan?” The two men standing guard at the main door recognized Lin Lan immediately. Although they were also children of the Lin side of the family, they had more martial art talent than Lin Lan, so they had stayed there and were not sent away.

“Lin Lan, what are you doing here?” One of the men in a long gray robe frowned. “Chief has already ordered that you are not to step within the Lin family household unless ordered.”

Lin Lan was at a loss. Zhou Donghuang stepped forward and was about to speak when the other man in a long green and brown robe smiled. “Lin Nan, we’re all from the side family, why put her on the spot?”

As he said this, he smiled at Lin Lan, “Sister Lin Lan, you must be here to collect something, right? You may go in, but you’ll have to come out quickly.” With that, he stepped aside.

“Lin Hua, you…” Just as Lin Nan was about to say something, Lin Hua pulled him to the side and opened the path for them.

“Thank you, Brother Lin Hua.” Lin Lan thanked him and led Zhou Donghuang and the rest into the Lin family household. Her face was filled with emotion as she walked towards her former home in the Lin family.

At the main door, Lin Nan frowned. “Lin Hua, if anyone finds out that we allowed Lin Lan in, Chief will definitely blame and punish us!”

“Who said we let Lin Lan in?” Lin Hua said calmly. “Did you see Lin Lan? Well, I didn’t… but, we can’t be sure that some other people didn’t listen to Chief’s orders and snuck into the household secretly.” Lin Hua smiled craftily. “Lin Nan, if you’re my brother, then don’t betray me.”

Lin Hua turned to go into the Lin household. “Now, I’ll report to Second Elder that someone barged into the Lin family house against Chief’s orders.”

Along the way, Lin Hua’s smiled craftily. “That slut ignored me when I tried to chase you back in the day. This time, watch how I destroy you!”