An injured resident arrived from the eastern road with a deep cut and the first signs of infection. Qinghe cleared a space on the treatment bench while the clinic worker washed her hands and opened a clean dressing.
The resident looked pale but alert. “Will I keep my hand?”
“That depends on how far the infection has spread,” Qinghe said. She examined the wound and checked the damaged channels. “You’re alive, and the injury is still in living tissue. Returning Spring Palm may help. Do you want Yan to use it?”
The resident glanced at her sister, who had run beside the cart. “Yes. I want to try.”
Qinghe described what she saw in the damaged tissue. Yan listened, then placed his palm beside the wound. He knew the art well enough to perform it without waiting for a special permission. Qinghe’s diagnosis helped him direct the healing toward the living tissue rather than guessing at the injury.
The Returning Spring Palm took hold. Yan felt the art’s intrinsic lifespan cost move through him and reverse into added life and vitality. The resident’s channels steadied. The wound did not vanish. The clinic worker continued to clean it and placed a fresh dressing over the cut.
