Water Margin: The Tale of Li Erlang of Guankou

Chapter 161 Wang Shunchen undergoes bone-scraping treatment, Li Hanxiao breaks through the enemy lin

As the last rays of the setting sun dipped below the western peak of Shaohua Mountain, Li Hanxiao, supporting the heavily injured "Thunderbolt" Ling Zhen, gazed at the winding river of blood that flowed across the mountainside. Xu Guanzhong coughed and handed over a cracked divination plate: "Wang Shunchen's star has dimmed, but that young general wielding the silver spear..."

His withered finger pointed to Han Shizhong's departing figure, "The Seven Killings Star is stirring; he may become a major threat in the future."

Li Hanxiao had no idea that the young general was Han Shizhong, one of the "Four Generals of the Restoration".

However, Li Hanxiao didn't have the mind to think about that now. Although they had temporarily repelled Wang Shunchen's troops, it didn't mean they were safe.

Wang Shunchen still had at least 6,000 troops left. If he wanted to besiege Shaohua Mountain, he could still do it. Moreover, if it was delayed for two days, he could transfer troops from other places.

Li Hanxiao and his men risked their lives and were able to repel the Western Army once, but there was absolutely no way they could do it a second time. They needed to find a way as soon as possible, strike while the iron was hot, break through the encirclement, and lead the Shaohua Mountain men back to Liangshan.

After all, they had injured Wang Shunchen and caused him considerable losses. This was the territory of the Western Army. If they really provoked the Zhong, Yao, Liu, and Zhe families, things would be difficult to handle.

What he didn't know was that although Wang Shunchen fired an arrow from an extremely long distance while being bombarded by cannon fire, nearly killing "Thunderbolt" Ling Zhen, his own condition wasn't much better.

When Wang Shunchen was carried into the central command tent, fragments of the red commander's flag were still embedded in the seams of his shoulder armor by shrapnel.

Since the "Thunderclap" was fired at Wang Shunchen from 200 paces away, it's normal that the power was reduced. Otherwise, if they were any closer, the exploding shell would have turned Wang Shunchen into mincemeat and made dumplings.

The stretcher made of simple wooden planks by the four guards was already soaked in blood. Wang Shunchen's right hand was still tightly gripping half of the bowstring, his knuckles turning bluish-white from excessive force.

Suppressed groans of wounded soldiers came from outside the tent, mingling with the clanging of copper basins inside. Although Wang Shunchen was covered in blood, he never cried out in pain. This must be the demeanor of a great general!

"Take five catties of liquor and three rolls of white linen."

As military doctor Wu Liuyi removed Wang Shunchen's armor, he began to give instructions. His scarred fingers traced the cracks in the fish-scale armor, clearly indicating that he was an experienced military doctor who frequently performed surgeries; otherwise, he wouldn't have so many cuts on his hands.

"Then have someone nail the planks to the bench; the bed isn't wide enough."

Wu Liuyi quickly removed his armor, then used a knife to cut open the inner clothing bit by bit. He couldn't take it off because it was all stuck to his body due to the blood.

As the clothes were torn from the blood-streaked flesh with a hissing sound, Wang Shunchen, who had been unconscious, suddenly sprang up, his left hand gripping Wu Liuyi's wrist like an iron clamp, his turbid pupils reflecting murderous intent, much like a post-traumatic stress response.

"My lord, it's me, Wu Liuyi."

Wu Liuyi grimaced and forcefully pried open Wang Shunchen's fingers one by one. He was a superman who could draw a three-stone bow. He probably didn't even know how strong he was. Wu Liuyi felt his bones hurt.

After calming Wang Shunchen down, Wu Liuyi finally finished his work, revealing the mangled wounds beneath his armor plates.

Thirty-seven iron pellets were embedded in the deltoid muscle of his right shoulder, and the smell of burning sulfur and the stench of burnt flesh filled the air.

The most dangerous piece of shrapnel was lodged between the collarbone and the carotid artery. A slight mishap would result in blood splattering everywhere. In ancient times, excessive blood loss would almost certainly mean certain death.

Looking at the wound, Wu Liuyi broke out in a cold sweat. He had been a military doctor for over twenty years, but such a dangerous situation was truly difficult to deal with.

"My lord, you must bear with it. I will try my best to be gentle. This injury cannot be treated with anesthetic..."

Wang Shunchen is bleeding constantly. If he is not treated quickly, we will have to wait for the anesthetic powder to be boiled and administered. By the time the anesthetic powder takes effect, Wang Shunchen may already be dead.

When the first iron pellet was removed, it still contained some bone fragments. The sound of the tweezers stirring through the flesh was exceptionally clear, and the twitching of Wang Shunchen's face, as if his features were shifting, was even more distinct.

Sweat dripped from Wu Liuyi's forehead onto the wound, causing Wang Shunchen to convulse.

Surgical hygiene and awareness in that era were indeed far worse than in later times...

Wang Shunchen's neck veins bulged, and his wrists, secured with leather ropes, rubbed deep marks on the bench, yet he remained silent throughout.

Twenty-seven...

The medic tossed the blood-stained iron filings into the copper dish, then paused abruptly. His microscope-like gaze swept over the purple spots on the ribs, and after a gentle press with his fingertip, he concluded, "General, your fourth and fifth ribs are broken, the broken bones piercing your abdomen. You must have suddenly exerted force when drawing the bow; that's how the fractures occurred."

As he spoke, Wu Liuyi suddenly ripped open Wang Shunchen's battle robe, revealing a bruise the size of a bowl on his waist and abdomen—the mark from when he fell off his horse and hit a large rock on the ground. This injury was also closely related to a fracture.

Suddenly a commotion arose outside the tent, and Han Shizhong burst in, covered in blood. The young general's pupils constricted when he saw the pool of blood under the bench. It was the first time he had ever witnessed surgery. It was no exaggeration to say that he had been very lucky since he joined the army; he had never suffered any external injuries that required such treatment.

He saw that Wu Qi didn't even look up, seemingly used to it, and said: "Take two catties of coarse salt and half a bucket of clean water."

As the salt water was poured onto the wound, Wang Shunchen finally let out a beast-like growl from his throat, and the bench leg beneath him sank three inches deep into the mud.

Immediately, Wu Liuyi began the process of removing shrapnel. The explosive shell developed by Ling Zhen, known as "Thunderbolt," was comparable in power to fragmentation grenades of later generations, and it penetrated quite deeply.

One piece, two pieces, three pieces... Wang Shunchen almost fainted from the pain. Until the ninth shrapnel, this shrapnel was very different. It had barbs on the bottom, and when the tweezers picked it up, it made a teeth-grinding friction sound.

"what!"

Wang Shunchen let out a piercing scream and straightened up abruptly. Seeing this, Wu Liuyi shouted, "Han Shizhong, hold his right shoulder tight! Don't move him!"

The moment Han Shizhong lunged forward, the military doctor's wrist jerked violently, pulling out a string of flesh and blood adhering to the fascia.

Wang Shunchen's entire upper body was arched, and the burlap in his mouth was bitten through. Helpless, Wang Shunchen moved around uncontrollably, and Wu Liuyi could only forcefully pull out the shrapnel!

"General Wang!"

Han Shizhong's hands were stained with blood, but Wang Shunchen's bloodshot eyes were fixed on him. He managed to squeeze out a hoarse military order from his throat: "Organize...organize the troops...Go and lead men to surround Shaohua Mountain, don't let them escape..."

Wang Shunchen was, after all, a veteran of the battlefield. He knew that he was wounded and that the enemy might take the opportunity to break through.

"Han Shizhong obeys!"

With Han Shizhong gone, Wu Liuyi should now treat Wang Shunchen's penetrating rib wound. Wu Liuyi pulled out the cow intestine suture soaked in snake gall wine from the bottom of the medicine box.

When the three-inch-long curved needle was inserted into the wound and the tip pierced through the ruptured blood vessel, Wang Shunchen suddenly convulsed violently.

"Kill him!"

Wu Liuyi roared, ignoring the blood splattered on his face, as four guards used their full weight to pin down Wang Shunchen's limbs.

Just as Han Shizhong was about to leave, he noticed the veins throbbing on Wang Shunchen's temples and his jaw muscles taut as if about to tear. Suddenly, Han Shizhong stretched his arm towards Wang Shunchen's mouth: "Bite down!"

Wang Shunchen's teeth were deeply embedded in the young general's forearm, and blood trickled down the patterns on his silver armor.

Wu Liuyi's fingers moved deftly inside the abdominal cavity, and the tendon thread brought out dark purple blood clots as it passed through the liver membrane.

"The bone is broken three fingers deep in my abdomen, this is really difficult to handle..."

Scraping the bone to treat the wound was the only solution Wu Liuyi could think of...

The sound of the tool rubbing against the bone was like the grinding of teeth in hell. Wang Shunchen had completely lost consciousness on the third strike, but unexpectedly, he woke up in excruciating pain on the fourth strike.

Han Shizhong's arm was already bitten raw and bloody, yet he still held on tightly to the old general's jaw: "You must return to Qinzhou alive! The Western Army cannot do without you!"

Fortunately, Wang Shunchen finally withstood this ordeal.

The final step is to use a red-hot branding iron to stop the bleeding.

Wu Liuyi heated the iron sheet in the charcoal brazier until it glowed white, then turned to Han Shizhong: "According to the rules of the Western Army, only those with branding wounds are considered heroes. This proves you've suffered a fatal injury. You'll be one sooner or later."

While the young general was stunned, the military doctor Wu Liuyi had already pressed the branding iron onto the rolled-up flesh. The moment the blue smoke rose, Wang Shunchen's roar shook the dust off the top of the tent, but it stopped abruptly as the smell of burning filled the air.

Han Shizhong suddenly noticed that Wang Shunchen's left hand was clenched into a fist. When he pried it open, he found half a bloody piece of shrapnel inside—it must have just been removed from his body...

Wu Liuyi stitched up the last wound, the catgut thread piercing through the charred flesh, gleaming golden-red in the morning sun.

While unconscious, Wang Shunchen suddenly murmured: "Weishan...we can't let them go..."

At this moment, the rising sun over Duanlong Cliff dyed the mountain path blood red. Li Hanxiao led everyone in a breakout battle, and Han Shizhong was ordered to come and stop them.

Li Hanxiao took the lead and charged down the mountain. As he deflected the seventh arrow with his three-pointed double-edged sword, he suddenly caught sight of the brave silver-armored young general who had been quite valiant on the battlefield, blocking the mountain pass with his spear.

Han Shizhong's gleaming silver spear tip was adorned with a blood-stained red tassel. Thirty paces behind him lay the corpses of three soldiers—all of whom had been pierced through the throat by a single spear thrust.

"What a fine gun."

Li Hanxiao reined in Beihai Saluzi, his blade sweeping away the morning mist.

He ordered everyone to break out in three groups: he led one group, Lu Zhishen led another, and Yang Zhi led yet another. From afar came Yang Weizhong's shouts: the Western Army was reorganizing the broken encirclement, and there was no time to lose.

The tip of the spear of the young general Han Shizhong trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the excitement of a hungry wolf encountering a tiger.

"Who are you? There's no one like you on Shaohua Mountain!"

Han Shizhong asked.

"Beat me and I'll tell you!"

As Li Hanxiao laughed heartily, Han Shizhong suddenly spurred his horse forward, his spear flashing like a dragon as it pierced straight for Li Hanxiao's throat.

The moment Li Hanxiao parried with his sword, Han Shizhong suddenly changed his move, thrusting his silver spear upwards, the triangular spearhead hidden in the tassel aimed straight at his face.

Li Hanxiao parried with his sword with surprising ease, startling Han Shizhong so much that his pupils constricted. Han Shizhong's spear thrust suddenly became fierce, the bright silver spear transforming into seven cold stars that simultaneously enveloped Li Hanxiao's upper, middle, and lower body.

Li Hanxiao wielded his three-pointed dagger like a silver wheel, and suddenly his left hand emerged from the flash to grab the spear shaft.

Han Shizhong had no choice but to abandon his gun, turn around, and pull out a nine-section steel whip from under the saddle. The iron tip of the whip grazed Li Hanxiao's ear and smashed half a pine branch to pieces.

Suddenly, the sound of a boulder rolling down came from the east side of the mountain path. Yang Zhi was leading his men to charge the left flank of the Western Army. Li Hanxiao feinted with his sword to force Han Shizhong back, then suddenly switched the sword to his left hand and drew his sword from his waist with his right hand, slashing at Han Shizhong.

The boy blocked the sword with his whip, but the gleaming silver spear was already thrusting towards him like a venomous snake.

After more than thirty exchanges of swords and spears, Li Hanxiao was secretly alarmed—this young man's spear technique actually combined the Western Army's breaking formation spear style with the martial arts of entanglement, and each time the spear shaft collided with the blade, it contained a twisting force.

Li Hanxiao didn't want to kill him; maybe he could be used by her in the future!

Therefore, Li Hanxiao deliberately created an opening, luring Han Shizhong to thrust his spear straight at him. Suddenly, the three-pointed dagger slid up along the spear shaft, and the copper hammer on the hilt struck the boy's wrist armor heavily.

The moment the gleaming silver spear flew from his hand, Han Shizhong leaped from his saddle and kicked at Li Hanxiao. Li Hanxiao parried with his three-pointed sword, the blade cutting a foot-long gash in the boy's breastplate, but the spear was already in his grasp.

"Watch out for your gun!"

Han Shizhong had already seized his weapon and was now using the tip of his spear to smash a boulder the size of a millstone.

Li Hanxiao spurred his horse and dodged past, never expecting Han Shizhong to possess such immense power when he unleashed his power!

He dodged, but Beihai Saluzi was cut on the front hoof by the flying pebbles. Han Shizhong took the opportunity to thrust seven times, and the last move, "Azure Dragon Probing the Sea," actually forced Li Hanxiao back.

Of course, this was a fight after Li Hanxiao "held back"; if it had been a real fight, Han Shizhong would already be dead.

As dusk fell, the thunderous roar of Ling Zhen's cannons echoed, and the right flank of the Western Army began to crumble.

Li Hanxiao suddenly let out a long howl, and with all his might, he slashed the spear shaft seven inches from the shaft with his three-pointed dagger.

The gun barrel, forged from fine iron, was bent into an arc. Despite blood gushing from Han Shizhong's tiger's mouth, he gripped it tightly. The blade slid down the shaft and, just before severing his finger, suddenly flipped, striking the boy's shoulder armor heavily with the back of the blade.

Under such immense force, Han Shizhong could not withstand it and slid off the cliff along with his horse.

Li Hanxiao leaned forward and grabbed the boy's armor sash. He used his three-pointed sword to propel himself through a crevice in the rock. The warhorse, suspended in mid-air, neighed and plunged into the deep ravine. The young general, caught by Li Hanxiao, swayed in mid-air, his eyes reflecting Li Hanxiao's face, which was scratched by the rubble.

Remember, it is the world that kills, not us.

Li Hanxiao suddenly let go, and as Han Shizhong fell, he struck him in the chest with the back of his knife. Han Shizhong rolled down the hillside like a kite with a broken string, but did not fall off the cliff. His silver spear slipped from his hand and embedded itself in a dead tree.

Thirty paces away, amidst Yang Weizhong's exclamation, Han Shizhong's silver armor sparked as it struck the rocks, eventually being stopped halfway down the mountain by an old pine tree, nearly causing him to fall directly off the cliff.

Yang Weizhong was also unable to withstand Li Hanxiao's three-pronged attack, and Li Hanxiao broke through his defenses, forcing him to retreat while fighting.