Qinghe examined the soldiers one by one in the treatment room. Their channel strain had come from repeated forced drills and poor recovery, not from the Commander’s Harvest Formation. The order had not yet been activated.
She explained each finding and gave the patient a choice between rest, ordinary treatment, or a more intensive intervention. Yan listened without trying to replace her diagnosis.
Mao Lin’s wrists were sore but stable. He chose a week of rest before training. Huo had an old injury that did not hurt today, so Qinghe recorded it and asked to check again in several days.
A younger soldier, Su Lan, had fresh inflammation from a drill the day before. She asked whether Returning Spring Palm could repair it quickly.
“It may help,” Qinghe said. “But Yan has to perform it, and the method gives him life from its practitioner cost. We can also use rest and ordinary care. Tell me what you need to be able to do next week.”
Su said she worked two market shifts and wanted to walk there without pain. She did not want a treatment that made her unable to carry her own basket.
Yan explained how the Palm would work for her and that his personal reversal did not transfer to her. Qinghe described the ordinary options and likely pace. Su asked for time to think.
