Chapter 95: Rebreaking the Bone

“Indeed, I wasn’t truly suffering from a chill. But does Esteemed Lady believe that after over a month of relentless work on the tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder, nothing would go wrong? These days, I’ve slept less than two hours each night. Sometimes, I was so exhausted I could barely walk. Yesterday, I genuinely felt dizzy and nearly fell—it wasn’t deliberate.” Ji Rong grew increasingly emotional as she spoke, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes and choking back sobs. “But I never imagined that you’d rather believe Jiang Caiping than me.”

Lady Wan remained unmoved by her pitiful display and responded indifferently, “I only trust what I see with my own eyes.”

Ji Rong took a deep breath and said, “In that case, please allow me to show you.” With that, she pulled out a silver hairpin and painfully drew a fresh wound on her palm. Then, retrieving a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve, she sprinkled some white powder onto the wound. The blood quickly coagulated, ceasing to flow.

Ji Rong explained, “Esteemed Lady, as you can see, if I had used Ah Mu to test the medicine, the wound on its abdomen wouldn’t have looked like that, given the efficacy of the tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder.”

Lady Wan’s expression softened slightly. She gestured for Ji Rong to come closer and carefully bandaged the wound with a handkerchief from her sleeve, speaking gently, “It was just an offhand question. Did you really need to hurt yourself like this?”

Ji Rong’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I only wanted you to know that I didn’t kill Ah Mu.”

“I understand,” Lady Wan replied coldly. “Wu Meixue deserves to die!”

Hearing this, Ji Rong knew Lady Wan no longer suspected her and silently exhaled in relief. It had been a close call. Fortunately, she understood Lady Wan’s meticulous nature and had deliberately reopened Ah Mu’s abdominal wound, even making it deeper to obscure any traces of hemostasis. Otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.

She feigned hesitation and asked, “But Wu Meixue is now under Lady Three’s protection. What can we do about her?”

Lady Wan’s voice turned icy. “After you leave, keep a close watch on Wu Meixue and Jiang Caiping. Record everything they do and everyone they meet.”

“Yes, esteemed Lady.” Ji Rong raised her head slightly and whispered cautiously, “And Lady Three…?”

Lady Wan cut her off sharply. “You don’t need to worry about Lin Miaoyin. I’ll handle her myself.” After Ji Rong acknowledged her orders, she continued, “That’s all. Go to Qingchun Garden now. The Young Master is likely waiting for you.”

“I take my leave!” Once outside Yuxiu Pavilion, Ji Rong let out a long sigh of relief. Looking down at her palm, it was slick with cold sweat. Thankfully, she had managed to escape unscathed.

After calming herself slightly, she hurried toward Qingchun Garden. Wang Fu was waiting at the entrance and scolded her upon seeing her approach. “What took you so long? The Young Master has been waiting for quite a while. Hurry inside with me.”

Ji Rong nodded and followed him in. Li Jiancheng’s leg injury had healed, and he was currently practicing swordplay with Feng Li in the courtyard. Though his steps were slightly uneven, Li Jiancheng’s movements were agile, and he consistently dominated Feng Li.

Wang Fu respectfully announced, “Young Master, Ji Rong has arrived.”

At this, Li Jiancheng quickened his attacks, forcing Feng Li into a defensive flurry. Finally, with a feigned strike, he disarmed Feng Li, sending his sword flying. Feng Li retrieved it and bowed deeply, saying, “I concede defeat.”

Li Jiancheng showed no joy in victory but instead barked sternly, “If you intentionally lose to me again, get out of Qingchun Garden.”

Feng Li lowered his head fearfully, unable to speak. Li Jiancheng tossed the sword to Wang Fu and approached Ji Rong. “How effective is the medicine?”

Without a word, Ji Rong rolled up her sleeve, revealing the faint scar on her arm that was almost invisible. “To stop bleeding and regenerate flesh—I’ve done it!”

Li Jiancheng stared intently at her wound, his expression filled with excitement. “Good! Good!” With that, he grabbed Ji Rong and pulled her into the room. Xu the physician was already waiting inside. Upon seeing the scar on Ji Rong’s arm, he was equally thrilled. “Never did I imagine I’d witness the miraculous effects of the tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder in my lifetime—truly…”

Li Jiancheng had no patience for his musings and interrupted urgently, “Tell me how to cure my foot ailment. Is applying the powder enough?”

Xu shook his head. “While the tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder is miraculous, it alone isn’t sufficient. Young Master, your leg was previously injured, and improper treatment left you with this ailment. To fully heal, we must break the previously injured area and reattach the tendons and bones!”

Ji Rong added, “Yes, when I was young, I watched my grandfather treat old injuries. He always broke the bones first before reattaching them.”

Li Jiancheng’s expression shifted repeatedly as he fixed his gaze on Xu. “Is there any other way?”

Xu shook his head firmly. “No other methods exist.”

Li Jiancheng fell silent. It wasn’t pain he feared—he could endure anything for the sake of curing his foot ailment. However, he had promised his father that after Wang Wei and the others departed, he would rush to Hedong to recruit for the uprising. If he broke his leg now, it would surely delay his journey.

After pondering for a moment, he asked, “How long will this process take?”

Xu thought for a while and replied, “With Ji Rong’s tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder, it should take about a month to reconnect the broken bone. During this time, you cannot move at all. For complete recovery, another month will be needed.”

“A month…” Li Jiancheng murmured softly. Early that morning, he had received news that Wang Wei and the others were now four hundred li away and would arrive in ten days or so. After their departure, it would take another seven or eight days. That meant he’d likely be delayed by five or six days. If they traveled faster, it shouldn’t be a problem. The travel time could be used for recuperation.

With this in mind, Li Jiancheng gritted his teeth and declared, “Fine, proceed as you’ve suggested. Begin treatment immediately.”

Xu acknowledged his decision and turned to Ji Rong. “The medicine must be changed every three days, and each application requires roughly one bottle. Can you supply enough?”

Ji Rong lowered her gaze and replied, “Doctor Xu, focus solely on treating the Young Master. Whatever amount you require, I will provide without delay.”

“Good!” With that, Xu ordered someone to fetch a small iron hammer. After propping up Li Jiancheng’s injured left leg, he struck the affected area with full force.

Li Jiancheng suddenly gripped the armrest tightly, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. The pain of having one’s bone shattered was beyond words. Were it not for his extraordinary resilience, he would have cried out long ago.

Ji Rong wiped away his sweat and consoled him gently, “Young Master, bear with it. Endure hardship, and you shall rise above others. Once you overcome this, everything will improve.”

Pain rendered Li Jiancheng speechless, but he nodded forcefully. Xu struck several more times until the leg bone was completely broken. Then, mixing the tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder with water, he carefully applied it to the fracture site. Using pre-prepared splints, he securely bound the leg to stabilize the bone’s healing process.