Chapter 38: Chapter 38 The world doesn’t seem so bad after all.
 

Qi Yue unconsciously took two steps forward, but immediately stopped.

“Even if I save her, what then? She’ll die all the same. It’s only a matter of time.”

As soon as she said this, Cong Zhonglan’s husband clung to some kind of hope, and knocked his head on the floor several times more urgently.

In the silence, the jingling of his chains rang out, striking Qi Yue’s heart.

“Miss Qi Yue, even if it ends in death, living one more day is still living! Please, save my wife!”

Hearing the man pleading relentlessly to save his wife, without a mention of the child, Qi Yue’s heart stirred.

“Alright, I can make sure your wife lives, but I can’t save the child in her womb.”

Another clatter resounded, and the man seemed very agitated.

“Don’t save the child, save the adult! I just want my wife to stay alive.”

Cong Zhonglan’s voice rose urgently.

“No, Miss Qi Yue, save… save the child! Save my child!”

Qi Yue sneered.

“I suggest you worry about yourself. Even if I save your child, who will you leave them to? Your husband in chains? Or these government officials?”

“That… is still better than dying without having been born!” Cong Zhonglan roared, nearly screaming.

“Miss Qi Yue, please save my child, don’t mind me!… Ah… save my child, ah!…”

The sound of chains rang out once more as the man pleaded urgently.

“No, save my wife! I don’t want the children, I don’t want the children!”

A woman filled with maternal love, a man wholly devoted to his wife…

The world didn’t seem so bad after all.

Qi Yue shouted angrily.

“Quiet! Do you think my medical skills are lacking? That saving one means killing the other?!”

The cave suddenly brightened!

And with it, everyone’s faces lit up.

In Qi Yue’s hand was a Luminous Pearl of which no one knew the origin.

The fist-sized Luminous Pearl split the inky darkness, radiating a warm and gentle glow.

She walked straight to Cong Zhonglan’s side and handed the Luminous Pearl to Shen Yu.

“Mother, hold this for me.”

“Alright.”

Shen Yu was somewhat excited; she knew her good daughter-in-law wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Qi Yue, though she had boldly claimed she would save Cong Zhonglan and her children, actually felt a heavy burden on her heart.

To reposition a breech baby to a correct birthing position was something she had become quite adept at, but doing the same for twins simultaneously, that was a first.

One wrong move could potentially strangle both children with the umbilical cord.

If she focused on just one, the other couldn’t survive.

Too difficult!

She frowned, regretting the hasty decision she had made in her impulse.

“Miss Qi Yue… I’m not afraid… don’t worry. Even if the children can’t survive, that’s, that’s alright!”

Cong Zhonglan caressed and took hold of her hand.

“Miss Qi Yue, I trust you…”

The light from the Luminous Pearl was flawlessly warm, casting a glow on her pale face, obscuring all her facial details.

The heartache that hardship had brought her, the wrinkles time had wrought at the corners of her eyes… all disappeared in an instant.

Instead, there was a holy smile, trust, entrustment.

In that moment, Qi Yue was moved by this woman who was as thin as kindling.

She forgot the three major principles she had set for her medical practice.

Never believe in a patient’s gratitude, never save a patient without absolute certainty, and never invest any emotions in a patient.

At that moment, her heart was filled with the desire to save this woman and her children.

“Okay,” she held Cong Zhonglan’s hand firmly in response and said earnestly, “What follows will be very painful, so painful you’ll wish for death, but you must endure. If you can hold on, you will see your children.”

Assisting a child in breech position to return to the correct position carried risks comparable to major surgery, and the pregnant woman would suffer unbearably due to the intervention.

She was genuinely worried that Cong Zhonglan would not hold on.

“Mm.” Cong Zhonglan nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks and disappearing into her messy hair bun.

Qi Yue reached out and placed a few Wild Ginseng Pills into her mouth.

“Keep them in your mouth, they will help boost your energy,” she said.

As she spoke, her hands had already reached Cong Zhonglan’s swollen belly!

She took a deep breath and pressed down hard.

“Ah…”

Cong Zhonglan’s piercing scream added a sinister atmosphere to the entire cave, making everyone freeze in place.

They all watched motionlessly as Qi Yue pressed and pushed on Cong Zhonglan’s belly.

Gradually, a quiet murmur arose in the cave.

“Can she really do it? Can she ensure both the adult and child will survive?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she can. This woman is quite mystical; she might just snatch a life from King Yan’s hands.”

“If only she could snatch lives, then we too could survive!”

“…”

Qi Yue could no longer hear everyone’s discussions.

Her heart, her hearing, and her sense of touch were fully connected with the fetus inside Cong Zhonglan’s womb.

She felt as if she could see how they were striving to break through their mother’s birth canal and survive.

Finally, after Cong Zhonglan’s last agonizing scream, the child’s cries followed.

Then another loud cry.

“It’s done, it’s done,” Shen Yu exclaimed excitedly as if she had given birth herself, “Two boys, Cong Zhonglan, you have sons now!”

Cong Zhonglan managed a smile, murmuring, “Boys are good, boys won’t have to suffer in the future.”

Qi Yue was also very happy.

In this world, it was still easier for males to survive.

She quickly took care of Cong Zhonglan after the birth and bundled up the two children as well.

Zhang Zhao, throughout the entire event, was burdened with shackles, watching Cong Zhonglan with a face full of concern that he could not hide.

Seeing the shackles around his neck and feet, Qi Yue frowned.

“Commander Guan, I have heard that heaven does not bring calamity to young children. The timely arrival of these two children might be heaven’s way of telling us there is still hope for life,” she said.

She pointed to the shackles on Zhang Zhao’s body, “I hope Commander Guan can show leniency and let him hold his children and take care of his wife who has just given birth.”

“Fine. In consideration of Miss Qi Yue’s words that there is still hope for life, I will remove these shackles,” Guan Yidao declared, raising his hand. Immediately, a Government Official came over and unlocked the shackles on Zhang Zhao.

“But,” his voice grew serious as he hesitated, “if he harbors any other intentions, there won’t be a second chance!”

“Commander Guan, please rest assured, I would not dare to entertain any other thoughts!”

Zhang Zhao, now free, knelt on the ground, fervently making his vow.

The commander gave him a few more warnings before leaving.

Rather than rushing to his wife and children, Zhang Zhao’s first action was to try to kneel in front of Qi Yue.

Good heavens, she hadn’t noticed before, due to the distance and the shackles on Zhang Zhao.

Now that he was close, she realized this man had a thin face, but was robustly built indeed.

Especially his height, he must be at least one meter ninety.

With such an imposing presence, no wonder he was falsely accused of murder.

Qi Yue hurriedly grabbed his arm to prevent him from kneeling.

But Zhang Zhao insisted on kneeling, and despite Qi Yue using all her strength, he still knelt down.

What great strength!

Qi Yue was inwardly shocked. No ordinary man was he, no wonder Guan Yidao, even though sympathetic, still did not dare to unlock his shackles.

Zhang Zhao’s voice was firm as he bowed to the ground.

“For Miss Qi Yue’s great kindness, Zhang Zhao will never forget!”

Qi Yue’s ears rung with the resonance of his deep voice, and she quickly gestured with her hands.

“Enough, go see your wife and children.”