Chapter 29: Severe Injury

Huang Yuanying looked at Tian Mi, who, despite being pregnant and with her husband away, had managed to keep her composure as they were surrounded by the enemy. Even now, facing a siege, she remained unfazed. With a slightly plump face and a thin layer of sweat, her hair slightly disheveled, Tian Mi’s determined gaze and calm demeanor were truly mesmerizing.

Tian Mi had everyone prepare torches, but they were not lit yet. Instead, she had them wait in ambush on the wall and in the mountains.

The ground on the wall was covered with straw mats, and everyone slept on the spot. Even meals were brought to them by the women, just in case.

As expected, in the middle of the night, during the “chou” hour, Tian Mi heard someone quietly approaching. She immediately nudged the person next to her, who did the same to the others. Soon, everyone was awake. From the sounds, they could tell that a ladder had been placed against the wall. Quickly, they grabbed the dry straw on the ground and threw it over the wall. Then, several jars of sesame oil were hurled down, splashing everywhere. The torches were lit and tossed down, setting the area below on fire. Flames engulfed the ladder and the soldiers climbing it. Screams and desperate cries echoed through the night as they rolled on the ground, burning. The flames spread, catching others, causing panic and forcing them to flee. The horror and desperation were palpable just from watching the scene.

Suddenly, arrows rained down from the enemy. Everyone hurried to take cover in the corners. Dong Haibo had sent out three squads for a night raid, with two additional squads approaching from the back mountain. However, he was unaware that Tian Dabiao and the others had been waiting on the mountain all day.

Looking at the firestorm below, Dong Haibo regretted his decision. If he hadn’t gotten involved, he wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses. But now, feeling like a gambler who had lost everything and had to bet everything to recover, he ordered his men to launch a full assault. He couldn’t believe that such a small number of people could be holding their ground for so long.

Immediately, arrows poured down in a storm.

The most dangerous moment for Taoyuan Valley had arrived.

Tian Dabiao and the others split into three groups, guarding the likely entry points, while watching the battle below. Tensions were high; they were itching for action. Finally, in the dead of night, they heard noises—immediately, their blood surged with excitement. Holding their large knives, they eagerly awaited the enemy to climb up to their position, anticipating the thrill of battle in such a crucial location.

After a long wait, one soldier finally managed to climb up using both hands and feet, but as soon as he reached the top, he was met with a fatal blow from Cui Erhu’s blade.

The echo of his scream reverberated through the mountains. As he fell, he collided with a group of soldiers climbing up behind him. On the other side, Cui Dahu was equally focused, his large knife at the ready as he guarded the area. “Hurry, hurry!” he silently urged.

Tian Dabiao, Menglin, and Maolin continued to watch vigilantly, making sure no one reached the mountain. No one was getting past them.

At the main entrance of the valley, arrows continued to rain down, making it hard for the defenders to lift their heads. The number of injured was increasing rapidly, including Xu Feiyan, who was also wounded. The two uncles and their wives were too overwhelmed to assist all the injured, so several aunts stepped in to help.

Tian Mi, positioned at a corner above the valley entrance, used the remaining sesame oil to light fires and temporarily hold off the enemy. The oil was obtained from the bandit hideouts and was running low, but it seemed as though Dong Haibo’s men could never run out of arrows. It seemed only a matter of time before they couldn’t hold out much longer.

Zuo Zhengfeng approached Tian Mi, saying, “Perhaps we should let them into the cauldron city. The wounded are too many.”

Tian Mi, though upset about the casualties, knew she couldn’t let the enemy in so easily. They had to endure the hardships to force the enemy into a trap where they could have the upper hand.

At that moment, the eldest aunt came running from the corner of the mountain, tears in her eyes. “Mi’er, Feiyan and Brother Zhou are badly injured! Both your uncles dare not move them. You need to see them; it’s not looking good.”

Zhou was the second son of the village chief from Fengqiu Village. He loved practicing martial arts and was a passionate young man.

Tian Mi’s heart ached at the news. She told Zuo Zhengfeng to stay and guard the area. If it became impossible to hold the line, they could let the enemy in.

Rushing to the valley below, Tian Mi found the injured being tended to by the others, as they were out of range from the enemy’s arrows.

When she arrived, the others were crying uncontrollably over Feiyan and Zhou. Xu Feiyan had been struck in the back shoulder, with the arrow lodged deeply, and her uncle dared not remove it. Zhou had been hit in the chest, and the injury was also severe. Both were in immense pain but didn’t cry out, instead gritting their teeth. Tian Mi quickly took out the medicine from her bag and gave them some, a remedy that would temporarily keep them alive.

Seeing the white-aunt and others in tears, Tian Mi looked at Xu Feiyan and Zhou. “I will treat you both. Are you afraid?”

Xu Feiyan looked at Tian Mi and smiled, saying, “Sister Tian Mi, with you here, I’ve never been afraid.”

Zhou also nodded and said, “I believe you!”

Looking at their families, it was clear that they had absolute trust in Tian Mi, all nodding through their tears.

Tian Mi first instructed them to find a room to place the injured inside. Inside, she lit over a dozen lamps and told everyone to leave.

Her eldest uncle said, “Mi’er, your second uncle and I can help.”

Tian Mi replied, “Uncles, let me focus alone. I can’t afford any mistakes here. You both stay outside and don’t disturb me, no matter what.”

Taking their cues, the uncles nodded and reassured her, “Don’t worry, we won’t let anyone disturb you.”

Tian Mi’s space was still, as if she had placed them in a deep sleep, much like the horses. She had never tried such a thing with people before, but if it worked as with the horses, then once they were inside her space, she could treat them, and it would be the perfect environment for recovery due to its stillness, preventing blood from flowing.

She had them take the sleep-inducing medicine from her second uncle. The two of them fainted, and Tian Mi first placed Xu Feiyan into her space. She was deeply moved. She hurried inside to check her breathing. Like the animals, Xǔ was unconscious but still breathing, and at least that offered some comfort. She was able to enter without causing harm.

Tian Mi then placed Zhōu in the space as well and began to treat Xu Feiyan first. She used her spiritual spring water to clean the wound before slowly, carefully extracting the arrow. The arrow had pierced deep, and she was concerned about damaging vital organs, but thankfully, it was in her back, so nothing too critical had been hit.

After removing the arrow, no major blood loss occurred due to the stillness of the space. Tian Mi was relieved. The two uncles had been afraid to remove the arrow themselves, fearing uncontrollable bleeding.

Tian Mi used a magnifying glass to carefully examine the wound. Given the depth, blood would have continued to pour out if she had been outside the space, so stitching wasn’t just a matter of sealing the skin. The inner tissues had to be sutured as well. She began by cleaning and stopping the bleeding before carefully stitching from the inside out using catgut, finishing with the outer skin.

When she had killed that boastful leader before, she had noticed that after drinking the spiritual spring water, she felt remarkably sharp. She wasn’t particularly skilled at archery before, but when she focused, her aim became incredibly accurate.

So, stitching carefully went without issue.

Throughout the process, she took every breath with extreme care, and once she finished, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. Everything had gone smoothly with no errors. Now it was Zhōu’s turn. His arrow wound was in the chest, and she feared it might have struck his heart. However, as long as he was still alive, it likely hadn’t. She began by cleaning the wound with spiritual spring water before carefully pulling the arrow out, careful not to cause more damage.

The arrow was removed in the stillness of the space, and she examined the wound with the magnifying glass. Thankfully, it hadn’t hit the heart, but it had pierced a blood vessel. She needed to stitch this vessel up quickly, or it would bleed profusely once they left the space.

Tian Mi took a deep breath. She had never sutured a blood vessel before, but with no other choice, she had to give it a try. Fortunately, her tools were ready, and with the spiritual spring water and the safety of the space, she felt prepared.

With utmost focus and steady hands, she carefully stitched the blood vessel with absorbable sutures. Her concentration never wavered, and one stitch at a time, she completed the repair.

She felt a rush of excitement and wanted to cry with joy. She silently congratulated herself in her heart. “You truly are a skillful little fairy.”

She steadied herself, then carefully stitched the wound closed. The process went smoothly, and soon enough, it was done.

After completing the stitches, Tian Mi moved the two of them out of the space and checked for any signs of major bleeding. Both were stable, and there were no signs of excessive blood loss. She breathed a sigh of relief and called for her uncles to come in and watch over them, warning them not to let the injured move or strain their wounds.

She didn’t know what was happening at the valley entrance, though…