Treating the Ailment 1

Huang Fuyun was a greater rascal than what everyone took him for, Huangfu Yun decided, as he walked towards the treatment room at the other end of a covered passageway, that connected the main building in his courtyard to smaller rooms at the side. It was only about thirty feet long, which made it barely worthy of such an address. But he tossed aside all of the mocking remarks that came to mind immediately, and focused on getting where he was headed.

He stole a peek at the young woman who was trying her best to keep up with him. He wasn't really walking that briskly. In fact, he couldn't do that now, with all the rolling coils of fat around his body. But she was clearly unable to keep up with him, and barely stumbling along.

That was enough to make him slow his pace. After all, it was his fault that she wasn't able to step briskly now. After his more than rough treatment of her earlier. He felt a warm sense of achievement, as he remembered how she had moaned when she was lying on top of him back then. And found himself straightening his back subconsciously.

Well, he had every reason to be proud, didn't he?

After all, that had been his first time. Or his second, if he counted Huang Fuyun's crazed attack on her before he took over. But if he did, would that mean that it had been someone else who stole Xiaoli's virginity away from her? But that someone else had also been him, hadn't it?

Huangfu Yun gave up trying to make sense of the whole thing, and concentrated on the task at hand. Whoever that had bedded Yang Xiaoli first didn't really matter. What was more important now was to save her younger brother's life, just like he had promised.

Which meant getting a good look at just the sort of injuries that he had actually suffered. That fat idiot Huang Fuyun had done nothing more than a cursory inspection earlier, so Huangfu Yun didn't altogether trust his understanding of the patient.

That was why he was going through all of this trouble, to take a look at this Yang Xiaochun himself.

There was an old man standing next to the bed, when he entered into the room. The boy on the bed itself was clearly Yang Xiaochun. The way that his sister cried out, and rushed forward to reach for his bandaged form made that clear enough.

As for the old man, Huangfu Yun only knew that he was Huang Fuyun's Protector, who went by the surname of Ling. Huang Fuyun never bothered to learn what his full name was, which was not surprising. The fat pig had always been like that.

So he pushed that out of his mind, and took a closer look at the one who was lying on the simple bed. Yang Xiaochun was unconscious, and likely to be in a coma at the moment. Which was a good thing, since he would not be able to feel any of the pain that was sure to come with all of his broken limbs. Not to mention the broken ribs and the punctured lungs and intestines.

Still, he had not been wrong about the inadequacy of Huang Fuyun's Bone Setting Pill. That was not even sufficient to handle all the breaks that he had suffered to his bones alone. As for the rest of his injuries, that was something that Huang Fuyun had clearly not considered.

In fact, if he did not have access to the fat slob's memories, Huangfu Yun might have even believed that Huang Fuyun had intentionally ignored the internal bleeding, the perforated lungs and the fifteen other bruises and minor wounds that the young man had suffered.

Indeed, it was clear that Yang Xiaochun would have perished within another two, three hours, if his sister had not managed to half-carry him all the way to Huang Fuyun's home. Or if the servants at the place did not see fit to alert him to her presence.

Well, all of that was good luck. And Huangfu Yun was not inclined to dwell on that for the moment. He had just slept with the boy's sister, so it would be really, really uncouth of him to ignore Yang Xiaochun's condition.

Not to mention the fact that he had just received a miracle himself, bringing him back to life from a place where he had no hope whatsoever. He had been locked in that conflict of his for close to sixty years, and the confrontation would have - No! It should have killed him. Yet, who could have thought that he would be transported here, into another body?

A fat slob's body certainly. But it was still alive, wasn't it? That was something to be thankful for!

He was already very lucky to have won this lottery, and so snatched this chance to live once more. So what if it was in a situation that was far inferior to what he had experienced before, in his original existence? How could it be difficult for him, to bring himself back into that previous state, with just a little bit of work?

And was it really that inferior? He had only been a glorified servant, in a Palace rather than an ordinary home. And they had even snatched away his pride as a man, his means of reproduction, in exchange. So was his current situation really that bad? Compared to what he had to go through? In his past life?

Huangfu Yun certainly did not think so. In fact, he was of the opinion that it was vastly superior! Didn't he just have one of the most marvelous experience, immediately after coming over to this new life? He smiled as he turned his head, to take in Yang Xiaoli, standing at his side. She was peering anxiously at her younger brother's body, so she could be forgiven for missing his look.

But that was not important. What was important was the fact that he had bedded her in a fashion that left nothing to quibble over. She was his concubine now! So wasn't it only fair that he used his skills to save her younger brother? His own brother-in-law?

So he sat himself down at once, next to the heavily bandaged body, and reached out to take the boy's hand. It was not something out of place, taking Yang Xiaochun's pulse. Although Huang Fuyun was not known for a hands on approach, when dealing with his own patients. Which were certainly very, very few.

Who would trust a medical practitioner who didn't take care of his own body? And allowed himself to be covered with such thick layers of fat?

But that was something that he would deal with later. For now, Yang Xiaochun had the priority! So he threw himself into checking the boy's body, even as he let a part of himself focus on his pulse.

Huangfu Yun found himself cursing the fat slob once again, when he delved into the injuries in the body in front of him. All four of his limbs were hurt, with his right wrist suffering a bad sprain, and his left forearm broken. His left and right legs also suffered from broken bones. More than just one too, in his left leg. Which was definitely going to hurt, when the boy regained consciousness.

Then there was those tears in his lungs, and the punctured stomach and intestines ... The list went on. No matter what else he did, he would have to take care of those, if the boy was to live. Otherwise, no matter what else he did, Yang Xiaochun was not going to last the night!

He let out a soft grunt, as soon as he took his hand off the young man's pulse. It was a little worrisome, considering the amount of time that it would take, for him to heal completely. And the boy was in the middle of his growing spurt, so any delay in his treatment was definitely going to make things more troublesome, when it came to his overall development. Especially his limbs.

Huangfu Yun turned about then, and saw the young woman that he had just bedded - twice! She was sitting next to the boy, and had taken pains to dab away the beads of perspiration that had dotted his brow while Huangfu Yun was examining him. And it was rather clear from the look of worry on her pale face just how concerned she was regarding her brother.

Although it was her almost bloodless complexion that struck a chord in Huangfu Yun's heart. He had been a little rougher on her than he had thought he was, he decided. Well, it couldn't be all on his head. He had been a eunuch in his previous life, and had only a theoretical knowledge of how men and women were supposed to ... do that sort of thing.

Not to mention, he had never been as fat as this Huang Fuyun, so he had no idea how to make adjustments with regards to the extra size and enormous weight that was now wrapped around his belly and his limbs.

Still, he could not help but feel sorry for the young girl. A young man like Huang Fuyun would probably think nothing of it, but Huangfu Yun was an older soul - a much older soul! Not to mention the fact that this Yang Xiaoli was the first woman that he had ever bedded. In both his lives!

So naturally, he was a bit more inclined to help her. That was just the way that people were, he told himself. Even as he broke it all down for himself. There was no real advantage to be gained, if he saved Yang Xiaochun. Nothing except Xiaoli's gratitude. And the expression of the same was something that he craved right now.

Even with all of his understanding of human nature, and his knowledge of its dark side, he was still inclined to help the girl. And her brother. Perhaps this was what they meant back then, those men perished under his hand, when they shouted at him. When they claimed that he did not truly understand.

Was this what they meant? That longing to make this young woman - his young woman! To make her smile, to be pleased with him, to thank him.

In the end, despite his conflicting emotions, he decided that it would be enough. He had given his word, after all. Or rather, he had repeated that promise, that Huang Fuyun had made. Well, Huangfu Yun would fulfill it!

There was one pill that Huang Fuyun had in his possession, which might do the job. So Huangfu Yun did not waste any time, and reached for it at once. But even as he had got it out of the pill bottle, and into his hand, he found it caught in the grasp of another!

To his surprise, it was the old man who had put in all that effort, to set Yang Xiaochun's bones, who had stopped his hand! What was Elder Ling doing? Why was he preventing Huangfu Yun from feeding the young man that inconsequential little pill?

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