Chapter 184

Leaving the long-desired land of Luoyang, we headed towards the checkpoint. The distance to the checkpoint was twice that from Yiguan Pass to Luoyang, so we made Zhixian, located midway, our resting point.

Although we had cavalry to transport the wounded, the majority of Guan Yu’s central army was infantry, so the march was inevitably slow.

On the other hand, the rear army I led was composed of cavalry, allowing us to engage in battles with the enemy and still reach Zhixian to join the central army.

As soon as I entered Zhixian, I immediately sought out Guan Yu.

“How is the Supreme General’s condition?”

Guan Ping, who was caring for Guan Yu, shook his head anxiously and spoke gloomily.

“His body is burning hot, and he hasn’t regained consciousness. As Commander Wei instructed, we haven’t done any additional treatments, only wiped his body with boiled white cloth.”

Considering the eyes of the other soldiers, I responded to Guan Ping with a calm tone.

“You’ve worked hard. Then, what about the things I asked you to prepare?”

“I’ve gathered them all, but… will they really be of use? Perhaps it would be better to call a physician. I’ve inquired about a physician in Zhixian.”

“If he’s not a disciple of the Three Divine Physicians of Jian’an, it’s better to have nothing.”

Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, Dong Feng.

In an era without the concept of hygiene, these geniuses transcended their time, establishing systematic medical theories and even venturing into surgical procedures.

Without a physician from their lineage, it’s obvious that folk remedies would only worsen the condition.

“He is a disciple of the Three Divine Physicians of Jian’an. He introduced himself as Wei Yan, a disciple of Zhang Zhongjing.”

“What? You should have said that first! Bring him here immediately!”

Forgetting my composure, I inadvertently shouted.

Wait, is he really from here? Why would such a distinguished person be in this countryside?

“I anticipated your reaction and have already called him. The preparations Commander Wei instructed were also made by him.”

Speak of the devil. As soon as Guan Ping finished speaking, the door opened, and a neatly dressed middle-aged scholar stepped out.

“Ah, are you the esteemed Commander Wei of Han?”

“Yes, I am. Are you Master Wei Yan, who studied under the divine physician Zhang Zhongjing?”

“Yes, but please don’t be too suspicious. I am not here by coincidence but by intention.”

“Intention?”

Doesn’t that make it even more suspicious?

Although records of Zhang Zhongjing are scarce in later generations, and it’s questionable whether he truly held a position in Wei, having lived in this era and learned about the Three Divine Physicians, I know he did serve in Wei.

Despite my lingering doubts, Wei Yan smiled and said, “I am from the same hometown as the Supreme General. My master did not leave a will to serve Wei, so why would I harm a fellow townsman?”

This was an unexpected statement.

In a time when concepts like national or civic consciousness hadn’t even emerged, society was merely an extension of local villages.

Even in modern times, regional ties are crucial, and people share bonds with those from the same hometown. In this era, where hometown ties were even stronger, being from the same place was enough to form a special relationship.

My plan to escape through Hadong Province was also based on considering Guan Yu’s hometown. The unconditional favor towards a fellow townsman. In the worst-case scenario, I had planned to shake off the Wei army with the help of the local people.

As I set aside my suspicions about Wei Yan, he immediately brought up the measures I had taken.

“Commander Wei, have you studied medicine? I heard that Wu Bo and Fan A are near Xuzhou, but the orders you gave seem to follow the teachings of Master Hua Tuo.”

“Master Wei Yan, do you know what I intend to do?”

“Are you planning to perform sutures? Boiled cloth and thread, and needles sterilized by fire to remove disease. My master said that Master Hua Tuo considered these most important.”

Indeed, he had the insight and knowledge befitting a disciple of Zhang Zhongjing.

In an era where acupuncture and herbal decoctions were the norm, how many physicians would correctly use the term “sutures”?

There were physicians who performed bone-scraping surgeries on Guan Yu, so even without the lineage of the Three Divine Physicians, there might be skilled surgeons, but they would be extremely rare.

Honestly, this wasn’t entirely satisfactory. Ideally, I would have liked to perform proper sterilization. But the conditions didn’t allow it.

While it’s common knowledge that alcohol can be used for sterilization, if the alcohol content is too low, it’s almost useless.

To achieve proper sterilization, the alcohol content should be at least 60%, but in an era where grains were scarce, most drinks were only 3-4% alcohol. Obtaining such strong liquor was like reaching for the stars.

Even the liquor supplied to the imperial family wouldn’t have 60% alcohol. While pure alcohol could be obtained through distillation, where would we find the time and materials for that?

Regrettably, boiling water was the best option.

“Have you ever done this before?”

“I haven’t done it myself, but I’ve seen it many times. I’ve also learned sewing, and I can quickly pick up anything physical.”

After all, watching videos still counts as seeing it.

And as I felt when playing Go with Cao Biao, this body has an unparalleled ability to learn physical activities.

It’s not complex internal suturing, so this should be manageable.

“Good. I will clean the Supreme General’s blood with boiled white cloth and assist in the procedure, while preparing a herbal decoction to help recover lost blood and vitality.”

“Please do.”

Wei Yan and I divided our roles and, with determined hearts, stepped into the room where Guan Yu lay.

§

After completing the emergency treatment for Guan Yu in Zhixian with Wei Yan, we had to depart immediately. Not only had the Wei army sent pursuers, but there were also reports that Jian Chao from Bingzhou was on the move.

Although Guan Yu’s condition required rest rather than movement, we had no choice. At least we had to cross the checkpoint to get proper rest.

“Still, since the Supreme General has regained consciousness, shouldn’t we be relieved? The Supreme General is a great man of the world; he’ll quickly recover from such wounds.”

“Yes. Master Wei Yan has also agreed to accompany us, and he has the medicinal ingredients for the decoction.”

Although Guan Yu had regained consciousness, it was still too early to relax.

‘The fever hasn’t subsided. Perhaps there’s already a secondary infection.’

In an era without basic antibiotics, a secondary infection would be beyond help. All we could do was pray that Wei Yan’s decoction would be effective.

With anxiety for Guan Yu, we reached the checkpoint while fending off pursuers.

Wei Yan and Ma Dai kept their promise and opened the checkpoint wide, waiting for us.

Perhaps they hadn’t expected the checkpoint, located north of Luoyang and bordering Wei territory, to become a battlefield, as the defenses weren’t particularly strong. As they said, the checkpoint didn’t seem well-suited for defense.

Unlike other gates designed for defense from both sides, this checkpoint was one-directional. The pursuing Wei army could climb the stairs to the walls directly.

“We’ll have to abandon the checkpoint.”

After all, there was no need to rely on such a gate. I had already disrupted the Wei army’s pursuit several times.

Sima Yi, satisfied with inflicting a fatal wound on Guan Yu, didn’t push his pursuit beyond the checkpoint, where the terrain was narrow and mass attacks were impossible.

It would have been nice if Xiahou Shang had been forced into pursuit like Zhang He in the original history, but that’s a bit regrettable.

Confirming that no more pursuers were coming, I, along with Wei Yan and Ma Dai, caught up with Guan Yu’s central army.

Before meeting Guan Yu, I first spoke with Wei Yan. With a troubled expression, he said, “The prognosis isn’t good.”

“As I thought…”

“Herbal decoctions are meant to nourish energy and boost recovery, but giving the Supreme General a decoction now is like pouring a bucket of water into a dry field. His vitality is too low.”

Even by modern standards, he was well past sixty. Moreover, unlike my father or Liu Bei, Guan Yu had always carried numerous injuries, big and small.

Having undergone major surgeries that scraped his bones, his body, though outwardly muscular and healthy, was not so inside.

His natural recovery ability had significantly declined, making the decoction of little help.

“The sutures themselves were successful. The bleeding has completely stopped. But that’s only a temporary measure. The fundamental problem remains.”

“Would resting thoroughly in one place help him recover?”

Wei Yan closed his mouth for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

“I don’t know. If it were my master, he might have found another way, but with my shallow knowledge, I can’t guarantee the Supreme General’s recovery. But I will do my best to find a way.”

Leaving words of encouragement, I parted with Wei Yan and approached Guan Yu. His face, usually red with health, now had a dark, ominous hue, as if clinging to the last threads of life.

“Supreme General.”

At my call, Guan Yu struggled to lift his eyelids.

“…Is it you, Ran?”

“Yes, Supreme General. Please hold on a little longer. We’re almost at Wenxi County. A bit further, and we’ll reach Haixian. Once there, support from Guanzhong will come, and you can rest and recover fully.”

“…Haixian…? Haixian…”

For a moment, strength returned to Guan Yu’s voice.

“A nostalgic name…”

Hadong Province, Haixian.

Guan Yu softly repeated the name of his hometown.