Chapter 137: Chapter 128: Suturing the Wound, Each with Ulterior Motives
The supplies arrived quickly. With no time for proper sterilization, Wu Liangchen heated his dagger in a flame and immediately cut open Third Brother’s wounds.
So much time had passed that the wounds had already sealed shut. The moment he cut them open again, dark, congealed blood instantly flowed out.
Wu Liangchen continuously wiped away the blood with clean towels while using scissors to begin cutting away the blackened, rotting flesh.
This process required extreme care, especially to avoid the blood vessels. If he accidentally severed one, Third Brother might never wake up again.
The young man watching from the side was terrified, his face turning pale.
He was fine with being sent to a battlefield to kill enemies, but watching Wu Liangchen snip away the necrotic flesh piece by piece as if doing paper-cutting—accompanied by a sickening SNIP SNIP sound—made the young man’s vision swim. He felt an urge to vomit.
Thankfully, the process didn’t last long. Soon, Wu Liangchen had finished cleaning the wound.
By this point, the blood had soaked four or five towels, but its color had gradually shifted from a dark black to a fresh red.
Wu Liangchen couldn’t help but sigh in relief. He knew most of the poison had been purged. Even if some traces remained, it shouldn’t be a major issue given Third Brother’s constitution.
However, the wound couldn’t be left open like this; the blood loss alone could take her life.
But as he picked up the needle and thread, Wu Liangchen realized there was a problem. He looked up and asked, "Who knows how to stitch a wound?"
Everyone looked at each other, but no one dared to speak up.
The women standing by the door in particular turned pale.
In truth, even though they were women of a brothel, they were not unskilled at needlework.
The problem was, this wasn’t sewing clothes—it was sewing a person.
Wu Liangchen frowned but didn’t press them. After all, not everyone could stomach this.
’Fine,’ he thought. ’I’ve never used a needle and thread, but stitching a wound together shouldn’t be a problem. It’ll just look ugly, that’s all.’
With that thought, Wu Liangchen lowered his head, preparing to begin.
Just then, a woman walked over.
"Let me do it."
Wu Liangchen looked up to see a woman dressed in black. Her handsome features carried a hint of heroic spirit.
"Alright."
Wu Liangchen handed her the needle and thread. The woman in black took them and asked, "Are there any special instructions?"
"No, just bring the edges of the wound together."
A proper surgical suture came with many requirements, but they had neither the right instruments nor professionally trained personnel. They had to make do in an emergency.
’Saving her life is the priority.’
The woman in black nodded and began to suture with nimble, efficient movements.
The silver needle flew back and forth at an incredible speed, and the massive wound soon began to close.
After she tied off the final stitch, the wound was closed with a neat, almost beautiful, seam.
"Is that alright?" the woman in black asked.
Wu Liangchen gently pressed the area. Finding no pockets of empty space within the wound and seeing that it was no longer seeping blood, he knew it was a success.
"Well done! Thank you," Wu Liangchen said.
The woman in black smiled. "You’re too kind, sir. Third Brother has done so much for us; it is our honor to be able to do something for her."
At that moment, the young man beside them asked nervously, "Th-Third Brother... how is she now?"
"She’s out of immediate danger. Now we just have to wait for her to wake up."
Although he had removed as much of the poison as possible, a lot of time had passed and she had lost a great deal of blood. Wu Liangchen couldn’t be sure when she would regain consciousness.
"But at least her life is saved," Wu Liangchen added.
The anxious crowd sighed in collective relief. The young man, in particular, looked as if a great weight had been lifted from him, and he slumped to the floor, unable to get up.
After a frantic night and a long, fierce battle against the Beheading Gang by the river, he had reached his physical and mental limits.
He had only been forcing himself to stay upright out of worry for Third Brother’s life.
Now, hearing that Third Brother was out of danger, he could no longer hold himself up.
"Please prepare a few quiet rooms and some food. Let these brothers get some proper rest."
The madam quickly replied, "No need to ask, sir. I’ve already arranged for everything!"
"Good." Wu Liangchen nodded, then turned to the young man slumped on the floor.
"You’ve done well. Go and get some rest. I’ll keep watch here."
The young man nodded, struggled to his feet, and left.
Wu Liangchen then procured a pill for promoting circulation and healing internal injuries and administered it to Third Brother. Seeing her breathing become even more stable, he turned to the woman in black.
"Please watch over her for a while. I need to step out."
"Yes, sir."
Wu Liangchen left Moqin Pavilion and discovered that Flower Square, normally a vibrant and bustling place, was now grimly silent.
The doors of every brothel were shut. Aside from Third Brother’s men on patrol, the streets were empty of any idle passersby.
He was certain that news of Third Brother’s ambush had already spread.
Naturally, no one seeking pleasure would come here at a time like this, wanting to avoid trouble.
’I wonder what the situation is over at the Beheading Gang’s side,’ Wu Liangchen mused. ’I remember my first arrow missed Mo Daoyuan, but it should have hit someone else.’
’And the second arrow didn’t miss, either.’
’So, what’s Mo Daoyuan’s condition right now?’
As he pondered this, Wu Liangchen turned and left Flower Square, heading into the streets to find his sister and Yang Lian’Er.
Meanwhile, about four blocks from Flower Square, inside the Beheading Gang’s headquarters in the southeast corner of the Huangpu Guard district, a man lay in bed, screaming curses.
