HEIFEIGU -Chapter 57

Upon hearing Longshan, everyone gathered around. “What happened?”

“My uncle got injured in the mountains. We don’t know the exact situation yet. I want to go check on him.”

“Then let’s go!” Fei Zhehan immediately called everyone. “We’ll go together. Maybe we can help.”

Longshan hurried back, and the others struggled to keep up. Only Duan Yanming, waddling slowly, fell far behind. Reluctantly, the director had one staff member stay with him.

On the way back, they contacted the old military doctor to meet them in the village.

The old military doctor arrived first and inspected Longshan’s uncle’s injury, his expression grim.

“What happened?” The director, almost out of breath, leaned on his knees and panted heavily.

The doctor frowned, smoking a cigarette, and replied, “He was pricked by a porcupine while collecting herbs in the mountains. At first, we thought it was minor, but it got worse as he walked. When we checked the wound again, we realized he was poisoned.”

“Porcupine quills aren’t poisonous themselves. They must have picked up toxins from other animals or plants. The quills have already been removed, so it’s hard to determine exactly what toxin it was. We can’t use the serum we brought recklessly.”

Hearing that it was poisoning, the director’s face went pale. “Can it be treated?”

“It can,” the doctor said casually. “Debride the poisoned tissue, suture the wound, apply a herbal dressing, change it regularly, and he’ll recover.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.” The director exhaled.

“Except…” The doctor continued nonchalantly, “I don’t have anesthetic on hand. It might hurt him badly.”

The director’s heart raced like a roller coaster. “What?! Send him to a hospital immediately!”

“No, if we wait until then, there’s a risk of amputation.” The doctor exhaled smoke. “I’ll give him a cigarette to calm him down first.”

“There’s a shaman with herbs that can induce sleep. I can go find the shaman!” Longshan had just inspected his uncle. The porcupine quill had pierced the calf, creating a bloody hole. The surrounding skin was swollen and dark purple—ominous and alarming.

But his grandmother pulled him aside, saying something, leaving Longshan anxious, head in hands. “The festival is coming soon, and the shaman isn’t on the island. What do we do?”

His uncle wasn’t only a caregiver but also a key laborer for the family. If he needed amputation, it would be a fatal blow for them.

The doctor exhaled the last puff of smoke, stubbed it out, and said, “Then we’ll take a risk and try. Move quickly.”

Xie Jixing looked at the plump ginseng in Qian Shuyun’s hands. “Should I take the risk?”

“What are you planning?” The director watched him warily.

“Make anesthetic!” Xie Jixing took the ginseng. “The ingredients are ready.”

“Don’t mess around!” The director wanted to kneel in desperation. “The sponsors already threatened to withdraw funding because of digging this. And now you want to make medicine for someone?!”

The director, completely losing his composure, vented, “We’re just here to film. This is an accident. We’ve already done enough handling. If Longshan’s uncle is amputated, the production will provide regular support for the family. Let’s not risk this, okay?”

Xie Jixing remained silent, as if considering the director’s words.

The viewers online were conflicted as well.

【Hope Xingxing tries, but also hope he doesn’t. Who understands my feelings?】

【If he tries, the responsibility is too heavy. If he fails, he might really be criticized into quitting.】

【The director is right, but I still feel sad.】

【Stop thinking, sincere and brave people only exist in literature. In reality, everyone weighs their interests.】

Some casual viewers who had seen the posts recently chimed in to critique.

【Bro, stop showing off. The director already set it up for you—just go. Is making anesthetic that easy?】

【Before, diluting with saline was lucky. This time, it won’t be that easy.】

【I don’t understand why fans have such high expectations for an amateur idol.】

【This is something even professionals can’t do without equipment. You think he can just wing it?】

“You’re right.” After thinking a moment, Xie Jixing gave the director a confident answer.

The director was about to relax when Xie Jixing continued, “Oral use isn’t ideal; general anesthesia is too risky. I should make it topical. It’s an external wound, so local anesthesia works. That way, the risk is lower and the effect is achieved—two birds with one stone.”

He went to his backpack to find his mortar and filtered jars to start preparing the medicine.

The director panicked, physically blocking him. “If something happens, can you take responsibility?”

“What if the show is suspended? Tens of millions in breach-of-contract fees—are you going to pay?”

“Xie Jixing, this isn’t the time to be reckless. If something goes wrong, neither of us can take responsibility. Who will?” the director said gravely, almost threatening.

Before Xie Jixing could respond, Qian Shuyun spoke. “I’ll take responsibility. Okay?”

“If anything goes wrong, Tingyun Entertainment will bear all subsequent responsibilities.”

“Now, can he go?”

Qian Shuyun made it clear he was now speaking as a behind-the-scenes investor, not just a guest.

Once the investor had spoken, the director had no choice but to agree, crouching anxiously in silence.

“How confident are you?” Qian Shuyun asked, same as before.

Xie Jixing thought for a moment. Since his main specialty was ghost control and alchemy was just an elective, he stayed humble. “About ninety-eight percent.”

Qian Shuyun smiled and patted his back reassuringly. “Then go quickly.”

Once in serious mode, Xie Jixing became extremely focused. He cleaned and separated all parts of the recently harvested ginseng—the roots, flowers, and leaves.

He sliced part of the roots, boiled them in water, and finding ordinary fire too slow to extract potency, added a burst of yin fire directly.

The medicine in the pot quickly boiled. Xie Jixing called Sister Yue over to hold the pot. The hot walls met the cool air, creating wisps of white smoke.

The temperature was now suitable to touch.

“Use clean long bamboo chopsticks to soak gauze in the decoction, then apply it to the wound. Cover a larger area and repeat several times to test the anesthetic effect,” he instructed Longshan, handing over the pot.

Due to Xie Jixing’s previous boldness, Longshan trusted him completely and obeyed without question.

The old military doctor, seeing that real anesthetic had been prepared, sniffed it carefully, touched a bit with his finger, and tasted it lightly.

Feeling the slight numbness on his tongue, he exclaimed happily, “It works! Quickly, apply it to the patient.”

The gauze was soaked several times. Meanwhile, Xie Jixing prepared clean yellow clay, burned it with yin fire to remove impurities.

He then mashed the ginseng roots, flowers, and leaves into a paste, mixing them with the clean clay in the right proportions.

When he brought the prepared medicinal paste inside, the old military doctor was already starting the operation.

A crowd gathered at the doorway, peeking inside, whispering among themselves, no one daring to speak loudly.

“Do you think Teacher Xie can really do it this time?”

“Hard to say. Making herbal medicine is difficult, but if it’s not taken internally, even if it doesn’t work, it won’t poison you.”

“I trust Xingxing. I feel like he’ll definitely be fine.”

The audience grew tense along with them.

【I didn’t expect that watching this variety show would have me this nervous for the second time, my scalp is tingling.】

【I’m so nervous, I can’t even sit still. I keep pacing around like a useless dad outside a delivery room.】

The old military doctor pressed the tip of his scalpel against Longshan Ah Jiu’s wound, first gently pressing down. “Does it hurt?”

The man shook his head. “I don’t feel anything.”

The tip pressed down further, the skin now cut slightly, with a few beads of blood oozing out. The old doctor asked again, “Do you feel it now?”

The man shook his head again.

The old doctor’s expression relaxed slightly. He nodded at Xie Jixing holding the herbal paste beside him, then curiously asked, “How do you use that stuff in your hand?”

“Spread it around the edges of the wound. It helps the numbing effect last continuously.”

“Good.” The old doctor used the back of the scalpel to draw a perimeter around the wound. “I’ll cut within this area.”

Xie Jixing carefully applied a layer of the herbal paste along the outer edge of the marked line, then brought over Sister Yue and unlucky ghost, applying yin energy above and below the wound to slow the patient’s blood flow, making it easier for the doctor to operate.

The military doctor’s movements were quick and decisive, slicing away a large section of necrotic flesh without hesitation.

Xuan Caiyan nearly fainted from shock, covering her mouth to stop herself from screaming.

It looked so painful!

Luo Feiang and Fei Zhehan also turned pale from the cut, their legs weakening. They supported each other and moved away from the doorway.

I can’t watch, can’t watch!

【Ahhh, why isn’t there a mosaic?! This hurts too much!】

【That last cut made my scalp tense up!】

【I dug my nails into my own palm out of nervousness, drawing blood.】

【I’m out, I can’t believe a variety show has this scene.】

【Medical student ecstasy! This old military doctor’s hands are so steady, obviously a veteran surgeon.】

【Did you notice the patient? His limbs are relaxed, not tensed from pain. His expression is calm, he’s not even gritting his teeth, just turning his head away. What does this mean?】

【It means Xie Jixing is freaking amazing; his anesthetic actually works.】

【I admit I was skeptical before, I actually thought he was showing off.】

With this first cut done, the old doctor relaxed halfway, his hands becoming more precise.

Seeing that the bleeding was much less than expected, he looked at Xie Jixing again. “Does this medicine also slow the blood flow?”

Of course not—that effect was mainly achieved with ghosts.

Xie Jixing nervously touched his nose and looked up. “Maybe… a little?”

With the anesthetic’s help, the debridement was quickly finished. After stitching, he applied hemostatic and tissue-regenerating powder, then bandaged the wound. The old doctor exhaled sharply. “Done. Just need proper aftercare.”

Xie Jixing divided the remaining paste into several uneven portions and asked Longshan to bring paper and pen so he could carefully explain how to use it.

Once the initial anesthetic wore off, the wound would hurt. These pastes were for follow-up pain relief.

Because the previous post had gone viral, the program’s live stream gained more attention.

Many viewers who normally wouldn’t watch the show tuned in today.

At that moment, an elderly Chinese medicine doctor, hair and beard all white, grabbed a young man in a suit, his voice excited: “Xie Zhengqing, find out—could this be your junior disciple?”

“Look at how he prepared the medicine and the paste… I even checked his previous live streams…”

The old man pulled up Xie Jixing’s video of the group collecting seafood on the beach. Slowed to 0.5x speed, you could vaguely see a stainless steel cup’s exterior discolored from being burned by his hand.

The young man replayed the clip multiple times. For the first time, a flicker of delight softened his icy expression and voice: “Alright, I’ll investigate.”