Start with push-ups to gain experience

After settling into his dormitory, Fang Cheng headed to the cafeteria to see what the food was like.

He first took a detour back to the physiotherapy department in Building 3, thinking that if Master Sun was still busy, he could lend a hand.

Pushing open the slightly ajar door, the office was empty.

On the table by the window, an aluminum electric kettle was bubbling away, the steam from its spout leaving a water stain on the white wall.

The blue curtain separating the physiotherapy bed was half-open, and Lin Yue, who had promised to come back and take a nap, was nowhere to be seen.

Fang Cheng glanced up at the wall clock and guessed that the two had probably already gone to the cafeteria for lunch.

So he unplugged the kettle, turned around, closed the door, and went downstairs alone.

The midday sun was quite scorching, and the asphalt road surface softened slightly from the heat.

The camphor trees on both sides of the road have dense canopies like umbrellas, and cicadas chirp incessantly among the branches and leaves.

Staff members in uniforms could be seen everywhere on the street, walking in twos and threes towards the cafeteria.

A stainless steel food delivery cart pushed past the intersection, and the aroma of braised pork wafted in the wind.

Following the route Lin Yue had previously indicated, Fang Cheng strolled along the tree-lined path.

As he passed in front of Building No. 2, he suddenly stopped.

This building is the intensive care unit for trauma at Xishan Sanatorium.

At that moment, the glass doors to the lobby on the first floor were open, and a commotion could be heard coming from inside.

There was a loud argument, the clanging of equipment, and hurried footsteps, all creating a chaotic scene.

Fang Cheng's hearing was far superior to that of ordinary people, and he instantly distinguished two familiar voices from the noisy crowd.

It was Master Sun, and Lin Yue too.

Judging from the noise, the two people inside were busy, probably treating a seriously injured person urgently.

After a moment's thought, Fang Cheng immediately changed direction and strode into the hall.

As soon as I stepped into the hall, the pungent smell of disinfectant and the strong stench of blood hit me.

The sight before him startled him slightly.

In the middle of the corridor of the emergency treatment area, a medical mobile stretcher bed was placed horizontally.

A burly man lay on a stretcher, his entire body firmly strapped to an orange spinal board.

He had a rigid protective neck brace around his neck, and several widened straps were wrapped around his chest, abdomen, and waist. Only his hands and feet could move slightly.

The man's forehead was covered in cold sweat, his face was ashen, his lips had long since lost their color, and his whole body was tense, clearly enduring excruciating pain.

Two men, both dressed in camouflage, stood guard on either side of the stretcher.

They were covered in dust and bloodstains, and daggers and guns were prominently displayed on their tactical belts.

One of the burly men, with a fresh knife scar on his face, was grabbing a doctor's white coat by the collar and shouting in a gruff voice:

"I don't care what difficulties you have! Zhao Gang is still bleeding, and if this drags on any longer, he'll die! Are you going to save him or not?"

"Calm down first!"

The middle-aged doctor, looking helpless, pressed one hand on the other person's wrist and patiently explained:
“It’s not that we don’t want to save him, it’s that we can’t save him right now. The CT results just came out. He has a burst fracture of the L1 vertebral body, and a piece of bone has shifted backward and invaded the spinal canal, which is compressing the spinal cord.”

"Look at his legs. He has absolutely no feeling below the thighs; even a needle prick wouldn't make him move. This means his spinal cord is severely compressed!"

The doctor took a deep breath, his voice sounding urgent:

"He also has intra-abdominal bleeding due to a ruptured spleen, and an exploratory laparotomy must be performed as soon as possible to stop the bleeding."

"But the problem is that his spine is extremely unstable now. If we want to perform surgery, we must remove the splint and bandage, turn him over and move him onto the operating table. During the surgery, there will inevitably be some positional movement."

"If that displaced bone fragment moves even a few millimeters further, it could cut into the spinal cord. At that point, it won't just be temporary paralysis; it would mean never being able to stand again!"

After he finished speaking, the corridor fell silent for a moment.

"What should I do?"

Another comrade, his face covered in dust, was so anxious he stamped his feet.
“We risked our lives to bring him out of the restricted area in Xishan, barely daring to breathe the whole way. And now you’re telling me the surgery can’t be done? Are you just going to watch him bleed to death?”

The attending physician raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, his tone helpless:

"You used a spinal plate stretcher to immobilize the injured person at the scene and brought them here. This pre-treatment was very standard, so there were no problems along the way."

"But opening the abdomen to stop the bleeding is a delicate procedure. If he is moved onto the operating table, even a few millimeters of error could cost him his life."

“Our sanatorium mainly handles routine rehabilitation, and our surgical facilities are limited. For the sake of the injured person, we suggest that you apply for a helicopter as soon as possible to transfer them to a major hospital for spinal traction and repositioning before surgery to ensure their safety.”

Beside the stretcher, a young nurse was busily changing the blood-soaked gauze dressing on Zhao Gang's abdominal wound.

Fresh blood trickled down the edge of the gauze, forming a small, dark red puddle on the ground.

The scarred man's hand trembled slightly as he slowly loosened his grip on the doctor's collar, his eyes reddening.

Another comrade clenched his fists, lowered his head, and panted heavily.

They knew, of course, that they were asking too much of others, but their companion was simply too badly injured.

Even by helicopter, it would take at least half an hour to get to the city hospital from here, including the round trip and flight.

Zhao Gang was bleeding heavily, and every second counted; his life was hanging by a thread.

The reason they rushed to the nearest sanatorium was to buy themselves a crucial second chance to save their lives.

Most importantly, given Zhao Gang's current condition, he simply cannot withstand a second disruption during the operation.

On the other side of the stretcher, Master Sun and Lin Yue also looked helpless.

Both of them were wearing white coats, clearly having been urgently called in to help.

The scarred man turned and stared at Master Sun:
"Old man, the doctor just said that your physiotherapy department has the best bone-setting techniques. You should think of something!"

Master Sun pushed up his reading glasses, his withered hand hovering above Zhao Gang's lower back, hesitant to lower it.

His brows furrowed into a deep frown, and he kept muttering to himself:

"This is difficult, very difficult... A burst fracture, with bone fragments embedded in the spinal canal. If the reduction is even slightly off, it could be sending the person to a wheelchair..."

Lin Yue stood to the side, holding the CT scan in his hand, his face pale.
"Master Sun, these bone fragments have shifted at least five or six millimeters, right next to the spinal cord. Who would dare to touch them? What if..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

"Hold!"

The burly man with the scar slammed his fist into the wall, causing the glass door and window to tremble twice.

"Were you called here just to stand around and watch? If you're too scared to do anything, then don't wear those white coats!"

Startled by the roar, Master Sun took a step back, his mouth agape, but he couldn't utter a word.

Lin Yue's hand, which was gripping the film, trembled slightly, and his face was filled with bitterness.

It's not that they don't want to save them, but that they simply don't have the capability.

Performing closed reduction of bone fragments deep in the spinal canal by hand is a highly difficult operation that only top experts in the entire field of orthopedics dare to attempt.

Even the slightest deviation could have disastrous consequences.

For a moment, the corridor fell into a suffocating stalemate.

"let me see."

A calm voice came from behind the crowd.

All eyes turned to them, some with doubt, others with anticipation.

Fang Cheng bypassed the nurses on the outside and walked to the stretcher bed.

Lin Yue was the first to recognize him, his expression momentarily stunned, before he quickly spoke:
"Fang Cheng? What are you doing here?"

He then realized something and quickly turned to the others to explain:
"This is our new colleague who just joined our rehabilitation therapy department today."

The effect of this introduction was almost like pouring a bucket of cold water on a fire.

"Did you just arrive today?"

The attending physician frowned, looked Fang Cheng up and down, and spoke with obvious displeasure:

"This is not a place for you to interfere. Don't delay the patient's normal treatment."

Seemingly convinced that the other party was deliberately trying to sabotage him, the scarred, burly man frowned as he looked at Fang Cheng's youthful face. He was about to reprimand him, but clinging to hope, he forced himself to hold back.

Master Sun, standing to the side, also rubbed his hands awkwardly:
"Xiao Fang, this injury is indeed too complicated; it's not something that can be solved with ordinary massage and bone setting. Since it's your first day, just observe from the sidelines for now..."

Fang Cheng neither responded nor backed down.

His gaze swept past the crowd and landed on Zhao Gang's face on the stretcher.

Zhao Gang felt the gaze and strained to glance at Fang Cheng out of the corner of his eye.

Their eyes met briefly.

Zhao Gang's pupils contracted slightly.

He couldn't explain where this feeling came from.

But there was something about this young man who looked to be no more than twenty years old that was hard to explain.

That feeling is like facing a powerful opponent on the battlefield, where your instincts tell you—this person in front of you is not simple.

"Let...let him try."

Zhao Gang's voice was hoarse and weak, barely managing to squeeze out from between his teeth.

"Zhao Gang?"

The burly man with the scar looked at him hesitantly.

"Try it...it won't kill you."

Zhao Gang gave a bitter laugh, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down:

"Anyway... if we drag this out any longer, the outcome won't be any better."

The burly man with the scar opened his mouth, but finally sighed and didn't try to persuade him any further.

The attending physician's gaze towards Fang Cheng was still full of doubt, but he still took a half step back, making room for him next to the stretcher.

"You'd better think carefully about what you're going to do. If anything goes wrong, you'll be responsible for the consequences. It has nothing to do with me anyway."

Fang Cheng nodded without saying anything more.

He walked to the side of the stretcher and first glanced at the CT scan in Lin Yue's hand.

The X-ray clearly showed a burst fracture of the L1 vertebral body: the vertebral body was broken into three pieces, with the largest piece of bone displaced posteriorly and wedged into the spinal canal, almost touching the dural sac of the spinal cord.

Fang Cheng handed the film back to Lin Yue and turned to the attending physician:

"I need to untie the straps on the spinal plate now."

Although the attending physician was full of doubts, he still nodded to the nurse.

Two nurses stepped forward and carefully followed their instructions.

After watching them untie the bindings on Zhao Gang, Fang Cheng knelt down and placed his right palm flat on the exposed skin of Zhao Gang's lower back.

To outsiders, this action is nothing more than a routine palpation attempt.

But the moment Fang Cheng's palm touched his skin, his mind had already driven the true energy in his dantian to pour out along the meridians of his right arm.

An extremely subtle stream of true energy permeated Zhao Gang's skin, muscles, and fascia like a tide, reaching deep into his bones.

Fang Cheng closed his eyes slightly.

Under the perception of true qi, Zhao Gang's injuries to his waist and spine were clearly presented in his "field of vision".

The L1 vertebral body was fragmented into three main pieces and several small pieces of bone debris.

The largest bone fragment, about the size of a thumb, was shifted back nearly seven millimeters, its sharp edge almost touching the dura mater of the spinal cord.

The dural sac has been compressed and deformed, and the surrounding nerve roots are swollen and congested.

Further investigation revealed a large amount of blood accumulation in the spleen area, indicating a similarly serious situation.

With his powerful mental attributes, a three-dimensional "image" that is far more detailed than a CT scan appears in his mind in perfect detail.

Fang Cheng's eyebrows twitched slightly.

The injury was more complicated than he had anticipated.

The bone fragments were not only severely displaced, but also interlocked and locked together.

Ordinary manual bone setting techniques simply cannot apply precise force to deep vertebral bone fragments through such a thick layer of muscle.

Surgical intervention is necessary to reposition the patient using traction devices.

But at that moment, Fang Cheng suddenly recalled the scene of practicing palm techniques in the woods that morning.

"Silk-reeling energy!"

That precise method of controlling qi, which can transform into hundreds of fine threads to wrap around a venomous snake and cut it into pieces.

What if we apply the same principle in reverse?

It's not about cutting, but about wrapping; it's not about destroying, but about guiding.

Transform your true energy into supple threads, seep into the gaps between the vertebral fragments, wrap each fragment in its own way, and then, like a puppet on a string, pull them back to their original positions one by one.

Fang Cheng opened his eyes, his gaze calm.

This method had never been tried before.

He was already adept at using his internal energy to fight.

However, its application in medical treatment is a completely new field.

It is important to understand that one must adjust the inherently aggressive energy to a level of precision sufficient to manipulate dislocated and broken bones within the human body, while simultaneously avoiding damage to the surrounding delicate spinal cord and nerves.

This level of difficulty is several times greater than fighting at full power.

Fang Cheng took a deep breath, a golden light flashing in his eyes.

With his spiritual cultivation and mastery of qi, even if there is a slight deviation along the way, it will never cause irreversible serious injury.

Therefore, it's definitely worth a try.

Having made up his mind, Fang Cheng whispered an instruction:
"I'm about to begin. Try to bear the pain."

Lying on the bed, Zhao Gang blinked hard, which was taken as tacit consent.

Fang Cheng rubbed his hands together and loosened his knuckles.

Then he placed his hands on Zhao Gang's lower back, his fingers spread and his palms pressed against his skin.

True energy poured out.

This time, he suppressed the sharp, coiling energy he usually used when practicing his palm techniques to an extreme degree of gentleness.

The true energy transformed into dozens of threads finer than a hair, penetrating the skin and seeping deeper into the muscle fibers.

Each thread moved precisely under his mental control, bypassing blood vessels and nerve bundles, eventually reaching the shattered L1 vertebra.

Fang Cheng's breathing became extremely slow, and his expression became exceptionally serious.

This method of operation requires extremely high precision in internal energy and a high degree of mental concentration.

Even the slightest lapse in concentration, a deviation of even a fraction of a millimeter in the thread, could potentially touch the already compressed and deformed dura mater of the spinal cord.

He first wrapped the largest piece of bone with layers of Qi-infused silk threads.

The moment the silk thread wrapped around it, he could clearly sense the rough surface and sharp edges of the broken bone.

Then, Fang Cheng's thoughts stirred slightly.

The thread begins to tighten slowly, applying a uniform and precisely directional traction force to the bone fragments.

The bone fragments moved extremely slowly within the tissue, a distance of seven millimeters.

"Click."

A very faint sound of bones shifting came from deep within Zhao Gang's waist.

Everyone present held their breath.

Master Sun's reading glasses nearly slipped off his nose; he quickly caught them, his eyes wide with surprise. (End of Chapter)