Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

In this way, after many twists and turns, they passed numerous checkpoints along the way and finally approached Hanzhong City. In the distance, Hanzhong City loomed dimly in the setting sun, its towering walls like silent guardians. Zhen Mi gazed at the city, a mixture of emotions: relief at the progress after a difficult journey, yet also apprehensive about the unknown road ahead. The old shopkeeper patted her shoulder and whispered soothingly, "Miss, we've arrived. We'll definitely find a way to save the young master." Zhen Mi took a deep breath, nodded firmly, and continued on her way to Hanzhong City.

Zhen Mi was extremely anxious. She looked at the blood-red sunset in the sky and hurried towards the outskirts of Hanzhong City. She hoped that she could find Mr. Hua Tuo in the thatched cottage she remembered and save the life of her beloved general.

After a long journey, her clothes were soaked with sweat and her hair was messy and stuck to her cheeks. Finally, she arrived at the place she remembered, but the scene before her stunned her. The lonely thatched cottage she had originally imagined was gone, replaced by a small village. The scattered houses looked particularly peaceful in the setting sun.

Zhen Mi was a little at a loss for a moment, and quickly turned to the old shopkeeper and said, "Shopkeeper, this change is too great, I can't understand it. Please go and find out for me if Mr. Hua Tuo is still here." The old shopkeeper nodded and walked quickly into the village.

People were coming and going in the village. The old shopkeeper stopped an old man passing by and asked politely, "Old man, do you know if Mr. Hua Tuo is still here?" The old man said enthusiastically, "Yes, yes, Mr. Hua Tuo has been treating everyone here!" The old shopkeeper asked in confusion, "I've been here before. It was clearly a thatched cottage. How come it has become a village now?" As soon as he said this, the patients around gathered around and started talking at once.

"This is all thanks to Zhang Fubao, the Saint of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect!" "Yes, yes, the Saint is very kind!" The old shopkeeper listened for a long time before he figured out the whole story. It turned out that Zhang Fubao had previously gone to Xiliang for Hanzhong, and after returning, her father Zhang Lu was not so strict with her. Zhang Fubao no longer deliberately concealed her identity and often came to the outside of the city to assist Mr. Hua Tuo in treating patients. She saw that Mr. Hua Tuo's residence was too simple, and those patients who came from afar could not get back and had to sleep outside. So she was kind-hearted and not only expanded the place where Mr. Hua Tuo's medicine furnace was located into a magnificent courtyard, but also built many houses so that the patients had a place to stay and no longer had to live on the streets.

The old shopkeeper was relieved to learn that Mr. Hua Tuo was still alive. He quickly left the crowd and hurried back to Zhen Mi with a delighted smile on his face: "Miss, great news! Mr. Hua Tuo is still here. We are finally saved!" Upon hearing this, Zhen Mi's eyes instantly reddened, filled with surprise and excitement at having survived a disaster. She hurriedly urged: "Really? Then let's go find him!"

The sky darkened, and night was about to fall. Hua Tuo had finished a busy day. He had done his utmost to treat the most critically ill patients. Those with milder symptoms were temporarily housed in a nearby residence. Seeing Hua Tuo's exhaustion, everyone tacitly agreed not to disturb him, hoping he would rest for a while.

It was the coldest time of the year, and the weather was growing increasingly cold. Zhang Fubao had recently been under the supervision of her mother and sister. Furthermore, the situation in Hanzhong was tense, with Liu Zhang's army approaching. Amidst the chaos and turmoil, she had rarely come over. Hua Tuo rubbed his back, aching from sitting for so long, looking slightly tired. A young man, assigned by Zhang Fubao to assist him and accepted as his apprentice, hurriedly said, "Master, the food is ready. Please eat."

Just then, the sound of horse hooves shattered the evening tranquility, and a carriage suddenly stopped at the door. Zhen Mi, her skirt fluttering as she ran, looked anxious as she rushed in. Her eyes were filled with panic and anxiety, and she shouted, "Mr. Hua Tuo, please save him!"

Hua Tuo looked up at the anxious-looking village girl before him, and for a moment he couldn't put her in his memory. After all, the last time they met, Zhen Mi was dressed like a young and heroic general, but now the woman standing before him was a dusty-looking village girl in a coarse linen dress, her face deliberately smeared with dust, exuding a rustic air.

Hua Tuo stroked his beard and asked in a gentle voice, "Miss, which patient are you talking about?" Zhen Mi was anxious and said hurriedly, "Mr. Hua Tuo, we have met before. I think..." Before she could finish her words, Hua Tuo waved his hand and interrupted casually, "Alas, I see so many patients every day that I can't remember them all. First, tell me what your husband's illness is."

Seeing this, Zhen Mi didn't know how to explain any more. She could only sigh helplessly and led Hua Tuo to the carriage, saying as they walked, "Sir, it's not convenient for him to get off the carriage. Please move to the carriage and see him." Hua Tuo couldn't help but become interested when he heard this. He had been practicing medicine for many years and had seen all kinds of patients and strange diseases, but such a mysterious scene was rare.

Arriving in front of the carriage, Hua Tuo instructed his apprentice to light a lantern. The dim light, gently swaying in the breeze, illuminated the scene inside. Lying within the carriage was a young man, gaunt and frail, his face as pale as paper, his cheeks sunken. His clothes, once fitted, now hung loosely on him, making him appear even more frail, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

Hua Tuo reached out and touched the general's forehead. The burning sensation nearly made him withdraw his hand. His brows instantly twisted into the shape of the character "川" (Chuan), and he secretly thought, "Not good!" Then, the uniquely sour and stinky smell of rotting flesh penetrated his nose, and his face suddenly changed, realizing that the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.

Hua Tuo carefully lifted the general's clothes, and instantly, a horrifying wound came into view. On his left chest, a sharp thorn had pierced deep into the flesh. The surrounding gauze was soaked with pus and blood. The dark red blood had long since dried, clinging tightly to the clothing. The skin surrounding the wound was a strange bluish-black hue, swollen and oozing with a foul-smelling pus. The mere sight of it was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Hua Tuo looked solemn, and without hesitation he turned to Zhen Mi and the old shopkeeper and said, "Quick, carry him down, carry him into the house! There is no time to waste!" Upon hearing this, Zhen Mi and the old shopkeeper hurried forward, and with the assistance of Hua Tuo's apprentice, they carefully carried the general down from the carriage and hurried into the house, each step revealing anxiety and tension.

Inside, the dim candlelight flickered, illuminating the tense faces of the crowd. Hua Tuo quickly washed his hands, retrieved the necessary instruments from his medical kit, and methodically prepared for surgery. His gaze was focused and determined, his years of medical experience ensuring his composure and composure even in the face of such a challenging injury.

Beside her, Zhen Mi clutched the corner of her clothes tightly, her knuckles white from the strain. Her beautiful eyes were filled with worry and fear, and she dared not look away for a moment, fearing she would miss anything. The general's eyes were tightly closed, his bloodless face twisted slightly in pain. Every weak breath was like a hammer hitting Zhen Mi's heart.

Hua Tuo held a sharp knife in his hand and carefully burned it over the candlelight to disinfect it. He turned to look at Zhen Mi and said in a serious but soothing tone, "Miss, the next process will be very difficult. You must not make a sound, so as not to disturb me." Zhen Mi nodded vigorously, her lower lip bitten white, and she tried hard to hold back the tears that were about to burst out.

The operation began. Hua Tuo's hands, steady as an old pine tree, gently cut through the clinging flesh around the wound. A foul odor instantly filled the air, nearly nauseating. The general's body shuddered, and he uttered a painful groan. Zhen Mi's heart clenched, her nails digging deep into her palms, yet she dared not utter a sound.

Hua Tuo first gently cut through the clinging flesh around the wound. A foul odor instantly filled the air, more pungent than rotting flesh left exposed to the sun for days in the height of summer, almost nauseating. The general's body shuddered, and he uttered a muffled groan of pain. Zhen Mi's heart clenched, and she dug her nails deep into her palm, forcing herself to stifle a cry of surprise.

Hua Tuo frowned and continued to clean the rotten flesh. When he saw the inside of the wound clearly, he couldn't help but gasp - three arrows pierced the chest, the wound was severely ulcerated, and the surrounding flesh was completely necrotic, black and purple, almost rotten, and fell off with a slight touch.

The wound was severely ulcerated and very close to the heart. If one was not careful, it would cause fatal danger. The wound did not heal because there was rotten flesh and debris remaining inside, which had to be thoroughly cleaned.

Hua Tuo quickly handed the blood-stained tweezers to his apprentice, who then took the clean gauze and wiped the dense beads of sweat from his forehead. Beads of sweat, as large as beans, trickled down his weathered face and dripped onto the blood-stained ground. His gaze was fixed on the horrific wound, as if he wanted to engrave every detail into his memory. Then, he picked up a small but sharp knife again and repeatedly heated it over the flickering candlelight to disinfect it. The dancing flames illuminated his resolute face, casting a deep shadow.

Each time he excised the rotting flesh, Hua Tuo's hands remained steady, as unmoving as an old pine tree rooted to its roots. His gaze fixed on the wound, not missing a single scrap of decayed tissue. Each movement was precise and decisive, as if he and the scalpel in his hand had become one. Time seemed to freeze in this moment, each second stretched to infinity, filled with suffocating agony.

By the time Hua Tuo had finally cleared away all the rotten flesh and debris, his back was already drenched with sweat, his clothes clinging to his body. He didn't even bother to rest. He quickly grabbed the potion, and with gentle yet undeniable determination, he carefully rinsed the wound. Then, he picked up the needle and thread and began carefully stitching the wound. Each stitch seemed to carry the hope of life, slowly weaving through his hands.

Zhen Mi stood by, watching unblinking, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes tightly, her knuckles white from the strain. Her gaze followed Hua Tuo's movements, a silent prayer in her heart. Only when Hua Tuo finally tied the knot did her legs give way, and she leaned against the wall. The tension in her heart, which had been taut for so long, finally relaxed, as if all her strength had been drained from her.

Zhen Mi's eyes were red as she looked at the unconscious general with worry. Her voice was choked with sobs as she anxiously asked Hua Tuo, "Sir, when will he get better? When will he wake up and get better?"

Hua Tuo raised his hand and gently stroked her forehead. His expression was solemn, and he sighed slightly. He said, "My lady, his condition is not optimistic. The fact that he is still breathing after being pierced by three arrows and the wounds have been decaying for so long only shows that this young man is indeed strong. However, he has lost too much blood and has been in a coma for such a long time. He has not received any good nutrition during this period, and his body is seriously depleted. Whether he can survive depends on his own luck and his personal will to live. The subsequent care and recovery is crucial. Someone must be watching him at all times and taking meticulous care of him. No carelessness is allowed."

Hearing these words, Zhen Mi's tears welled up again. She slowly walked to the general's side and gently held his hands. His hands were cold and powerless. Zhen Mi lowered her head, gently pressed her face against his hands, and whispered softly, "You must make it, you must..."