A Long River Myth

Liuyang Street, Chongqing Medical Clinic.

After asking questions, the two followed the pharmacist to the side ward.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw Shen Hezhi standing by the window with his hands behind his back, and He Song standing in front of the bamboo couch with a solemn expression.

"Instructor Shen... Instructor He." The two arrived at the door.

"Um."

Shen Hezhi did not turn around, but responded when he heard Li Hong's voice.

Among the disciples of the Outer Sect, Li Hong had already attracted his attention.

As for He Song, sitting in front of the bamboo couch, he simply sighed and waved his hand.

Their expressions and condition made the ward feel like a steamer, and stepping inside made it feel like one couldn't breathe.

Li Hong was also starting to feel a little out of breath.

On the bamboo couch, Shi Liang was wrapped in bandages halfway around his body, his face was pale, and there were still traces of blood at the corners of his mouth.

Li Hong couldn't help but look around. On the lower left side of his chest, the bandage was clearly taut, indicating that there was a slight indentation in his left chest.

"Brother Shi..." He came to the bedside and called softly.

Shi Liang turned his head to the side with a pained expression, squinted at the person who came in, and nodded weakly.

It's clear that although the injury wasn't too serious, it lacked the sharp edge it used to possess.

He is the most outstanding student in the martial arts academy in recent years, especially considering his poor background. It must have been incredibly difficult for him to get to this point.

He Song shook his head and sighed, signaling Li Hong not to do anything pointless.

He frowned, his voice soft but heavy: "The broken ribs are alright, but the Xuan Shu meridian has been severely damaged. Qi and blood are not flowing properly, so he will be unable to wake up for the next few days."

Upon hearing this, both Li Hong and Yang Chen widened their eyes and remained speechless for a long time.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

They had been practicing martial arts for almost a year, so they naturally knew that the Xuan Shu meridian was located below the left rib.

The movement of energy, blood circulation, and the rise and fall of Qi in the left half of the body all depend on this meridian.

If this meridian is severely damaged, the vital energy will be depleted, and the essence and blood will not reach the body.

The recovery will inevitably affect the left arm, making it difficult to completely avoid leaving any lasting damage.

For a martial artist, what does it mean to lose the dexterity of one arm? Everyone present knows the answer.

Li Hong bit his cheek, just about to ask a question, when he heard hurried footsteps and cries outside the clinic.

He Song quickly got up and gently pushed the two of them to come outside the courtyard.

"Little stone..."

A dark-skinned woman, leading an eight-year-old boy and crying out, was so anxious that she couldn't find her way in the yard.

The martial arts hall disciple who led him there led the two of them right into a collision with He Song and his two companions.

Upon looking at her, all her previous worries, fears, and helplessness seemed to burst forth as if a floodgate had been opened.

Tears streaming down her face, she nearly collapsed, and cried out:

"Teacher He... how is my little Stone? You must stand up for us!"

"Older sister, you... get up first."

He Song grabbed her arm, his eyes filled with pity.

Li Hong and Yang Chen, standing to the side, couldn't help but shake their heads and sigh deeply.

They knew a little about Shi Liang's family.

The boy from the fishing family, with a flushed face and wiping his nose and tears, was Shi Liang's younger brother.

His elder brother, Shi Liang, was originally a full-time martial artist. It is said that his younger brother, despite being young, took on the household chores early on and helped his mother weave fishing nets.

Mr. Shi's health had been poor for the past few years. Later, Shi Liang made a slight fortune and received financial assistance from two wealthy families, which brought a slight improvement to the family's life.

But these better days have only lasted for a little over six months.

Now that Shi Liang is so seriously injured, although his life is not in danger, his future in the martial arts world is probably in serious jeopardy...

Thinking of this, Li Hong couldn't help but sigh inwardly. This world... why does the rope always break at its thinnest point?

In terms of martial arts talent, Shi Liang is already among the better few people he has ever met.

She was only one year older than him.

In particular, Li Hong also knew why Shi Liang was so eager to fight for that martial arts actor identity.

It was a choice made out of necessity due to resource constraints.

Being born into poverty means having almost no choice.

These wealthy families in the outer city have their eyes on more than just the Martial Arts Hall; Shi Liang is probably the best in the Martial Arts Hall.

But if we look at all the forces in the outer city, Li Hong already knew something about his sense of urgency.

What else can he do? If he isn't talented enough in the limited time he has, no one will continue to increase their support for him.

Shi Liang can only keep striving and be favored by others in order to have the opportunity to receive more funding.

The idea of ​​taking things step by step, accumulating experience and achieving success gradually, is unfortunately a privilege reserved for the children of wealthy families.

.......

Inside the ward, cries of anguish and sobbing never ceased.

Li Hong and Yang Chen didn't go inside, unable to bear the heartbreaking scene.

"How badly are Li Hong, Yang Chen, and Shi Liang injured?"

Half an hour later, some disciples from the Martial Arts Hall also came to the clinic in groups.

Shi Liang has been the brightest star in the West Campus for over a year, and his accident will inevitably affect the hearts of many people.

Almost all the internal disciples had arrived, and some external disciples who had been taught by Shi Liang also came to visit in groups.

Li Hong remained silent, while Yang Chen simply shook his head with a heavy expression: "Brother Shi... his Xuan Shu meridian has been severely damaged, and he is in a daze."

"what?"

"Wouldn't that mean...."

Upon hearing the details of the injuries, several disciples were immediately astonished, their faces turning pale.

My heart was immediately filled with worry about the cruelty of the martial arts exam.

For ordinary people learning martial arts, this martial arts examination is an unavoidable hurdle. It represents both the path to wealth and honor and a degree of danger.

Even Shi Liang, whom they had always regarded as a role model of genius, was like this...

Among the inner disciples, a robust young man, unlike the others who seemed to share a sense of shared sorrow, sighed lightly:

"Alas... I advised Brother Shi before, but I never expected him to be so eager to gain that empty fame, only to suffer this calamity. It's truly..."

These words fell upon the courtyard, and some of the outer disciples remained silent.

This person is Huangshan.

A few days ago, Huang Shan followed in Shi Liang's footsteps and became the second disciple in the West Academy to reach the mid-stage of the Inner Strength realm.

In terms of strength, he is the only person in the West Courtyard whose strength is close to that of Shi Liang.

There had been some unpleasantness between the two, and this seemingly regretful sigh actually carried a hint of kicking someone when they're down...

Everyone knows that the Huang family is wealthy, and many of their relatives hold positions in various government departments.

He was naturally in no hurry to participate in the martial arts examination.

"Shi Liang, he is indeed a bit too hasty. We must not follow his example and be so unrealistic."

Among the disciples standing beside Huang Shan, one of them lowered his voice and echoed.

The genius who had been suppressing these inner disciples, whether by a large margin or a small one, suddenly met with misfortune.

In just half a day, the situation changed dramatically.

Next, it seems that only this senior brother Huangshan is closest to becoming a martial arts performer.

The wind direction changed quickly, but that was perfectly reasonable.

Li Hong, unwilling to listen any longer, gave Yang Chen a wink, and the two left.

Life is unpredictable, and human relationships are fickle. People have long been accustomed to judging heroes by their success or failure.

Successful people always make sense, and no one will ever try to understand things from Shi Liang's perspective.

They would only think that Shi Liang was impatient for quick success and ambitious, but they didn't know that this was also a calculated act of desperation...

........

Two days later, Dr. Xiao, a renowned physician at Chongqing Medical Center, personally examined Shi Liang's injuries.

Then a clear result came out: external injuries and broken bones can heal in two or three months.

But this internal injury...is a long recovery process, and it may take at least a year to fully heal.

The path of martial arts is like rowing against the current; everyone knows what the outcome will be for Shi Liang.

The only good news is that the martial arts academy didn't treat Shi Liang with the same coldness and kindness as the wealthy families who sponsored him.

They covered all medical and reimbursement costs.

During this time, it was learned that Shi Liang's injuries had stabilized and he had regained consciousness.

Li Hong and Yang Chen went to visit her. The latter stole an antique from her home and sold it. Each of them left some money to give to Shi's mother.

However, he was never able to have a conversation with Shi Liang.

He was naturally proud and stubborn, and faced with this earth-shattering hurdle, he felt even more ashamed to face anyone.

Every time I went there, I pretended to be asleep.

Although Li Hong knew this, he didn't expose it; everyone has their own destiny.

His good friend had suffered a tragedy, and there was little he could do to help beyond what he could manage. He could only borrow some money from Yang Chen to offer some solace to the family...