Jin Cheonhui solemnly swore on the names of his parents.
If he had to swear on his grandparents' names, he could have done that too.
Just as Jin Cheonhui finished his oath, a commotion was heard from outside.
Before he could even turn to see what was happening, the door burst open.
"What's going on? We're in the middle of..."
The words of the head of the Hwaju Medical Hall were cut off as a servant rushed in, his words pouring out like thunder.
"Lord Baekrin has ordered us to prepare our attire and come immediately!"
Jin Cheonhui's eyes widened slightly.
The order to prepare one's attire was not something that suited the Baekrin Medical Hall.
If a patient came, they would simply treat them.
Why the need to prepare attire?
Before Jin Cheonhui could voice his confusion, the medical officer spoke.
"His Highness the Prince has arrived!"
The Prince?
Jin Cheonhui pondered over the word for a moment.
The Prince.
Among the emperor's relatives, those without the right to inherit the throne were referred to as Princes.
This could include siblings or even children.
"The Prince?" the head of the Hwaju Medical Hall asked in confusion.
The medical officer replied, "Yes. His Highness, the Lord of Ju, has arrived."
At those words, the head of the Hwaju Medical Hall exclaimed, "That can't be! His Highness, the Lord of Ju, is a long-time patron of the Hwaju Medical Hall. Are you sure you haven't mistaken him for another Prince?"
"I would never dare commit such a treasonous act. It is undoubtedly His Highness, the Lord of Ju."
At those words, the faces of the Hwaju Medical Hall members turned deathly pale.
The support funds the Lord of Ju provided to the Hwaju Medical Hall were no small amount.
It wasn't just about the financial support.
The fact that they were supporting a member of the imperial family gave the medical hall great prestige.
Many martial artists sought out the Hwaju Medical Hall simply because they believed it was a place worthy of the Lord of Ju's trust.
Jin Cheonhui thought to himself, 'It's like a regular VIP has gone to a rival shop.'
The Hwaju Medical Hall, which had been sending its underlings to bully others, was now facing a golden opportunity to crush their arrogance.
The imperial family of this world were all descendants of Taihao Fuxi.
Fuxi was one of the Three Sovereigns of ancient times, a creator god who passed down the Eight Trigrams, fire, and animal husbandry to humanity.
He fathered children in the human realm, and his descendants became the imperial family of today.
The imperial family used the surname Feng.
As descendants of a creator god, those with strong bloodlines could manifest special abilities.
The hierarchy within the imperial family was determined by two factors:
1. The strength of their maternal relatives.
2. The purity of Fuxi's bloodline they inherited.
The manifestation of these abilities was not limited by gender, and no one could predict how these abilities would manifest.
The imperial family of this continent fought with spears, regardless of age or gender, to claim the throne.
The Lord of Ju was one of the most powerful among them, possessing extraordinary abilities.
Yet, she had refused to become the emperor herself.
Her temperament was too free-spirited and bold to be confined to the imperial palace.
Instead, she had supported someone with a purer heart and wisdom to become the emperor, while she herself took the title of Lord of Ju and supported the imperial authority.
Her abilities were twofold:
1. She could control the mass of any object she touched.
2. She could control the heat of any object she touched.
It was rare for both abilities to manifest simultaneously.
In addition, she possessed exceptional martial talent and leadership skills as a general.
Despite not having strong maternal relatives, she had defeated the armies of eight imperial princes and princesses one by one, eventually placing her beloved younger brother on the throne.
She was a true human butcher, the dragon guarding the throne.
She loved wearing red, enjoyed wine, and had a fondness for bold, beautiful, and extravagant things.
But what she loved most was the blood of her enemies.
For this, the emperor had bestowed upon her the title of Lord of Ju.
Jin Cheonhui thought to himself, 'The Lord of Ju? Why is she here?'
But normally, she wouldn't come to the Baekrin Medical Hall.
The Lord of Ju's destination was always the Hwaju Medical Hall, with whom she had long-standing ties.
Jin Cheonhui realized, 'The situation with the palace must be more serious than I thought.'
Serious enough to change the actions of the imperial family.
With the help of the medical officers, Jin Cheonhui quickly prepared his attire and stepped outside.
There, a crowd of medical officers had already gathered to welcome the Lord of Ju.
Not long after Jin Cheonhui arrived, a palanquin finally appeared.
It was carried by twelve martial artists, each exuding an overwhelming aura that made it hard to breathe.
"His Highness has arrived!"
All the medical officers bowed their heads to the ground in reverence.
"Long live His Highness, long live, long live!"
It was a plea for her to live a thousand years and continue to support the emperor.
"Enough. I have no time for such formalities."
From the palanquin, a woman dressed in red descended.
An overwhelming pressure filled the air.
It was strange.
Just one person stepping onto the ground, and the sheer force of her presence was suffocating.
Jin Cheonhui thought she looked like a blooming red flower, radiant and vivid.
It was the season of spring, a time when people longed to meet those they missed.
A day when connections were made according to the harmony of yin and yang.
In that sense, this year's spring was particularly auspicious.
Behind the Lord of Ju, a patient was carried down on a stretcher.
The patient's condition was dire.
He was a man in his thirties, with a clean appearance, who had suffered a severe fall from a horse.
Fortunately, there were no major internal injuries, but his legs were the problem.
His leg bones were fractured, protruding out of the flesh.
'An open fracture...!'
The pain must have been excruciating.
"Master Zhuge, quickly take his pulse and begin treatment. Hurry!"
The Lord of Ju, one of the emperor's sisters and the mistress of the Ju Manor, shouted urgently with a pale voice.
The stretcher was quickly moved to the treatment room.
The martial artists from the Ju Manor carried it without a single tremor.
The patient was laid on the treatment bed.
"Ugh!"
The patient groaned in extreme pain.
The fact that he hadn't fainted showed remarkable mental strength.
Master Zhuge immediately began taking his pulse.
"Reduction will be difficult."
Reduction, in martial terms, usually referred to manual reduction.
It meant manually aligning the broken bones like puzzle pieces.
In martial arts, they would then apply splints and wait for natural healing.
'But this isn't just a fracture.
It's an open fracture.
The risk of infection is high.'
This was one of the events that had happened in the novel.
But seeing it in reality, the situation was much worse than what he had read.
Jin Cheonhui immediately asked, "How long ago did the accident happen?"
Like other injuries, fractures had a golden window for treatment.
"It's been about two shichen (one hour) since His Highness fell from his horse. But who are you, young master?"
'One hour...
So the accident happened nearby.
Of all places, it had to be near the Baekrin Medical Hall...
The events have changed from the novel.
No, that's not important right now.
Focus on the patient.'
The patient was the Lord of Ju's consort.
The fact that it was the consort who was injured, and not just anyone from the Ju Manor, shocked everyone.
But Jin Cheonhui knew this from the novel.
However, acting too calmly in this situation would be suspicious.
So Jin Cheonhui also pretended to be shocked.
A martial artist from the Ju Manor asked, and Zhuge Lin answered in Jin Cheonhui's place.
"He is my direct disciple."
At those words, the people from the Ju Manor looked surprised.
Jin Cheonhui was younger than they had expected.
Ignoring the reactions around him, Jin Cheonhui continued to think.
'One hour.
That should be manageable.'
At that moment, the Hwaju Medical Hall members shouted, "You must amputate!"
"What!? Are you saying to amputate his leg now!?" the Lord of Ju exclaimed in shock.
Yuho shouted, "You are guests here. This is the Baekrin Medical Hall's treatment room. Hwaju Medical Hall members, please leave."
The Hwaju Medical Hall members calmly replied, "You are correct. However, His Highness has been a long-time patron of the Hwaju Medical Hall. I came in haste, thinking I could be of help."
As Yuho tried to shoo them away, the Lord of Ju raised her hand to stop him and asked, "Do you think amputation is necessary?"
"The fractured bone fragments have protruded outward. If they were inside, manual reduction could heal it, but in this state, it's too dangerous. To save the patient, amputation is necessary."
It was not a good scene.
The Hwaju Medical Hall members had stolen the opportunity for the Baekrin Medical Hall to take credit.
The situation had become awkward, but the Hwaju Medical Hall didn't care about appearances.
If this could turn the Lord of Ju's steps back to them, then it was worth it.
And in their eyes, amputation was the only option.
The patient groaned and spoke, "Your Highness..."
"Speak, Langlang."
Langlang was the affectionate name of the consort, Tian Yulang.
"I would rather commit suicide than live the rest of my life as a cripple."
The Lord of Ju's brow furrowed.
"How can you say such a thing?"
"Please, I beg you... Ugh...! Don't amputate. Don't take away my only joy. Your Highness..."
The Lord of Ju's eyes wavered.
Jin Cheonhui thought, 'This scene...
It's definitely different from the novel.
Originally, the accident happened near the Hwaju Medical Hall.
There must be some variable I'm not aware of.'
Originally, the accident should have happened near the Hwaju Medical Hall.
The Lord of Ju would have gone to the Hwaju Medical Hall.
'Is there a butterfly effect at play? Or is this a conspiracy?'
The future had changed.
The location of the accident had changed.
At that moment, the Lord of Ju refused her consort's desperate plea and ordered the amputation.
To save his life, it was the only choice.
But for Tian Yulang, it was a fate worse than death.
As a courtesan, a life without the ability to dance was equivalent to death.
Though he was of low status and often scorned by others, the Lord of Ju's favor had always been by his side, allowing him to live on.
But to live without being able to dance, as a courtesan, was something that nothing could replace.
After that, he refused to eat or drink, slowly wasting away.
"Please, please, just take one bite. My Langlang... I've prepared all the delicacies of the world for you, why won't you eat?"
If they didn't amputate, he would die.
But even if they amputated, he would still die.
After that, the Lord of Ju lost interest in state affairs and secluded herself.
And that marked the beginning of the imperial crisis.
Like dominoes, a small cause gradually grew, leading to the collapse of the imperial family.
Having thought this far, Jin Cheonhui came to one conclusion.
'Indeed.
There's definitely a conspiracy at play.
What should I do?'