Zhang Xiaoxue really wanted to go with Xia Liu, but Xia Liu firmly refused to let her go and asked her to wait at home, saying they would go to town together at noon.
After Xia Liu went into the mountain, Zhang Xiaoxue returned to her house and started rummaging through her clothes. She decided she must wear her prettiest outfit to go to the town.
Several hours had passed when suddenly a middle-aged woman with a panic-stricken face ran into Xia Liu's house.
"Help, Xia Liu!" Seeing that the door was wide open, the middle-aged woman started shouting, then bent over, gasping for air.
"Auntie Li, what happened?" Hearing the noise, Zhang Xiaoxue quickly ran out from the house.
"Xiaoxue, quickly get Xia Liu to save a life. Your Sister-in-law Zhang went to work in the field and got bitten by a snake!"
"Ah! Was the venom controlled?" Hearing the news, Zhang Xiaoxue became anxious.
Sister-in-law Zhang was very familiar to her; she would invite her over for meals during holidays. She was about thirty years old, very beautiful, with a husband working in the city.
"My husband has tied up her wound. For now, there are no reactions."
"But Brother Xia Liu went up the mountain this morning and hasn't come back yet." Knowing this information, Zhang Xiaoxue was relieved, but now that Xia Liu had not returned, things could become critical.
Just as Zhang Xiaoxue and Auntie Li were becoming increasingly anxious, Xia Liu returned, carrying a basket and looking excited.
"Brother Xia Liu, you're finally back. Sister-in-law Zhang got bitten by a poisonous snake. You have to go and see her right away," Zhang Xiaoxue said urgently upon seeing Xia Liu.
"Xia Liu, you're the only doctor in the village. Zhang Qing was bitten by a Silver Ringed Snake. Please, go and see her," Auntie Li explained the situation, hoping to help Zhang Qing.
As soon as Xia Liu heard it was a Silver Ringed Snake, he immediately dropped his basket at the door. Although he didn't know who Zhang Qing was, he knew the snake was highly venomous. If the poison wasn't neutralized soon, it would be fatal.
After entering the house, Xia Liu grabbed a small medical kit and quickly came out, ready to make house calls for the villagers, just as he had prepared while tidying up the cabinet the night before.
Minutes later, Xia Liu and Zhang Xiaoxue followed Auntie Li to Zhang Qing's house. Upon arrival, Xia Liu finally recognized who Zhang Qing was.
Her home belonged to a village bully named Zhang Kuang, who was notoriously infamous around the village in the past. Unexpectedly, he had even managed to get married...
When Xia Liu saw Zhang Qing, he was even more surprised. Zhang Qing was incredibly young, and her appearance and physique were above average.
However, seeing Zhang Qing's condition, Xia Liu had to become serious.
She was wearing denim shorts and originally had fair thighs, but now one of them was tightly wrapped with a cloth. Due to the lack of blood flow, it had turned purple.
Moreover, Zhang Qing had already lost consciousness. Upon checking her pulse, Xia Liu discovered that the venom had spread to her vital organs. He had to act fast to save her.
"Auntie Li, you and Uncle Li step outside for a moment. I need to administer an injection to the patient, Xiaoxue, fetch me a bowl," he said.
Knowing what "administering an injection" implied from the past experiences with Xia Liu's father, Auntie Li and a middle-aged man quickly left the house.
Zhang Xiaoxue fetched a bowl and stood quietly behind, waiting for further instructions.
Xia Liu first used a small knife to slightly enlarge Zhang Qing's wound, then he sucked the venom out with his mouth.
After sucking a few times, Xia Liu stopped when the originally dark red blood turned bright red.
Zhang Xiaoxue watched with her heart pounding. This act of sucking out the venom was dangerous; even Xia Liu could have been poisoned if not careful.
"Xiaoxue, take off her clothes." After treating the wound, Xia Liu commanded while he opened the box and took out ten silver needles, then disinfected them with alcohol.
When Zhang Xiaoxue heard Xia Liu tell her to remove Zhang Qing's clothes, she felt a bit uneasy, but for Zhang Qing's life, she went ahead and did it.
Although Zhang Qing was twenty-nine, her curves were so beautiful, fair, and tender, hardly different from a young girl's.
Xia Liu swallowed hard, activated the Five Elements Mantra, banished the restlessness in his heart, and then moved his palms.
The afterimages passed by, and five silver needles were quickly inserted into Zhang Qing's chest, blocking several meridians.
Xia Liu did not stop his movements. He continued to insert the remaining five silver needles into the chest. In the visible state of mind, the needles were enveloped in a blue energy.
This blue energy was Wooden Spirit Energy from the Five Elements Mantra, known for its regenerative function. Using the silver needles as a conduit, Xia Liu directed Wooden Spirit Energy into Zhang Qing's body, planning to regenerate the damaged organs.
The other five needles radiated a golden light, which was Golden Spirit Energy, used to purify the venom.
Zhang Xiaoxue would have been frightened if she had seen these two types of spiritual energy.
Minutes later, Xia Liu collected the ten silver needles one by one, five of which had turned from silver to black, because they had absorbed the venom.
The needles enhanced by the Golden Spirit Energy, however, appeared normal.
After collecting all the needles, Xia Liu checked Zhang Qing's pulse once more, and this time, he finally showed a smile.
"Brother Xia Liu, is the snake venom cured?" When Zhang Xiaoxue saw his expression, she felt a bit surprised but did not show it.
"Almost there, her body is a bit weak. I'll prepare a prescription, and after a few days of nurturing, she'll be completely fine," Xia Liu said, looking over at Zhang Qing, who was lying still.
At that moment, Zhang Qing's complexion was no longer pale; her body had regained some rosiness, particularly her peaks and troughs, where the white was tinged with red, making Xia Liu's heart race.
Seeing Xia Liu staring at Zhang Qing, Zhang Xiaoxue quickly pulled over the blanket to cover her, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.
Xia Liu also realized his behavior was inappropriate, gave a quick reminder, and then left with his medicine box.
"Auntie Li, Uncle Li, don't worry. I've cured the poison, and she will fully recover after a few days of care." Seeing Auntie Li and Uncle Li outside, Xia Liu quickly explained, then rushed back.
"Did I hear that right? The Xia Family boy actually cured the poison!" Li Zhi was in his forties this year, knew the potency of the Silver Ringed Snake's venom, and remembered at least five people who had died from it when he was a child.
While Auntie Li was shocked, she wasn't in the mood to respond and hurried back inside to check up on her.
Li Zhi, on the other hand, stepped out and went to the village, spreading the news of Xia Liu curing the poison. Such good news had to be shared with the whole village; if anyone was bitten by a venomous snake in the future, they just needed to find Xia Liu, and all would be well.
After returning, Xia Liu took a bath, washed away the restlessness in his heart, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and headed towards Zhang Qing's house. After detoxifying, she still needed care, and since they didn't have enough medicine at home, he had to go to town to buy some.
After asking Auntie Li to take care of Zhang Qing, Xia Liu and Zhang Xiaoxue set off for town. Along the way, Zhang Xiaoxue was anxious, worrying about how they would handle passing through Shanyan Village...