Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Magnum Opus
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Wi Sowol gathered the helpers who had assisted with the syphilis treatments once more.
Seon Woo Hyun and Ryu Yeon Seo.
And Seon Woo Hoon and Hwang Bo Yun, who had tagged along out of sheer curiosity.
She seated the four of them and explained the surgery she planned to perform to reconstruct Dan Hye Ran's nose.
"That's the gist of it. So, I'd like the two of you to lend a hand, just a little. Only at the beginning and the end."
Seon Woo Hyun would remove any potential lingering poison with his Heat Yang Technique before the surgery.
Ryu Yeon Seo would aid faster recovery afterward with his sound arts treatment.
Wi Sowol would handle the surgery herself.
"That's no trouble at all."
Seon Woo Hyun replied without hesitation.
Saving a life.
That reason alone was enough to move him.
His response was so swift that Ryu Yeon Seo, too, agreed readily without much deliberation.
"If anything, I'm the one who should be asking. Hye Ran was originally my patient, after all."
"Then let's get to it. Seon Woo Hyun, you know the place, right?"
"Her usual spot."
"Exactly."
They had spent nearly a month treating syphilis patients together, so Seon Woo Hyun had already dropped formal speech with Wi Sowol.
They were already acquainted, after all.
For Seon Woo Hyun, that familiarity stemmed from their meetings at the Gansu Province Lower River Society, not a past life.
Still, it wasn't as if they were complete strangers from Nanchang Hyun, so casual speech came easily enough.
Wi Sowol had started with it from the get-go, after all.
"Let's head out, then."
Seon Woo Hyun rose from his chair.
Seon Woo Hoon, who had been listening from the side, asked slyly.
"If it's something like that, I could handle it too. Is there a reason you're assigning it to my nephew specifically?"
The Heat Yang Technique, core to syphilis treatment, had been handled by Seon Woo Hoon as well, not just Seon Woo Hyun.
Seon Woo Hoon was a transcendent master who had mastered the Heat Yang Technique.
In terms of pure realm of martial arts—that is, control over qi—he outclassed Seon Woo Hyun by several levels.
That was why Wi Sowol had noted that treatments doubled upon seeing Seon Woo Hoon.
But Wi Sowol preferred Seon Woo Hyun over Seon Woo Hoon not out of personal liking.
"Seon Woo Hyun's qi is purer."
Seon Woo Hoon might hold the higher realm, but in terms of qi purity and vastness alone, Seon Woo Hyun's was superior.
It was due to his Solar Divine Meridian constitution.
Seon Woo Hoon, as a direct descendant of the Seon Woo Clan, also bore a body classified as Solar Divine Meridian, but even among them, levels varied.
Seon Woo Hyun's was so intense it scorched his body with agonizing flames he could barely endure—a rare outlier even among Solar Divine Meridians.
"But Hyun-ah, using internal energy..."
"It's manageable for a bit. Thanks to Wi Sowol's yin cold qi and Elder Ryu's sound arts soothing the meridian pain."
"Hm, I see."
As Seon Woo Hyun moved to leave and make preparations, Wi Sowol followed suit.
"We've covered everything anyway. Let's go together."
The group rose and moved out en masse.
The place Seon Woo Hyun mentioned was the building Wi Sowol used as both lab and operating room.
It had a central prep room flanked by the lab and operating room on either side.
And in the front courtyard, a woman was sweeping.
"Ah! Physician, and... Young Master Seon Woo."
Spotting Wi Sowol's group, the woman beamed and bowed politely.
Namgung Hee.
Namgung Shin's sister and the sole syphilis patient from the Namgung Clan.
To repay her debt of gratitude, she had volunteered for maid duties, cleaning Wi Sowol's residence and offering to assist.
Was it the chill of the cooling weather?
Seeing Namgung Hee's flushed cheeks, Wi Sowol asked.
"Where's Dan Hye Ran?"
"Oh, inside."
"I told you to head back once you're done cleaning. What about Namgung Shin?"
"Brother's been assigned to the Bow Palace Sword Unit lately, so he's quite busy."
"Tell him to drop by when he has time."
"Yes, I will."
Namgung Hee smiled radiantly.
She knew better than the common folk just how much effort Wi Sowol, Seon Woo Hyun, and Ryu Yeon Seo had poured into curing her.
Because she was a martial artist.
Not as prodigiously talented as her brother, perhaps.
But as one of the jianghu, she understood the depth of their dedication.
And they had done it publicly, no less.
To give hope to others.
That hope wasn't just for syphilis patients—it extended to the Namgung Clan, facing the despair of rebuilding their fallen house.
"Seon Woo Hyun, prep time."
"Got it."
As Seon Woo Hyun moved toward the operating room, Namgung Hee followed like a maid.
"Let me get the door for you. I've already tidied inside..."
"Namgung Hee, stay outside."
"Pardon?"
"Aside from the patient, only Seon Woo Hyun and I are allowed in the operating room."
Grateful as she was, Namgung Hee felt a twinge of disappointment at Wi Sowol's words.
She had wanted to go in too.
But Namgung Hee obeyed meekly.
If she was volunteering as assistant, it was only right to follow orders.
Seon Woo Hyun entered, and a gust of hot wind stirred.
It was Seon Woo Hyun's internal energy control, refined further through treating syphilis patients.
He returned quickly.
"Namgung Hee, bring Dan Hye Ran to the operating room."
"Yes, Physician."
Wi Sowol examined Dan Hye Ran's face as she lay on the operating table.
Her nose wasn't completely gone.
Thanks to summoning Ryu Yeon Seo immediately when necrosis set in, they had halted its progress.
Even without a cure, Ryu Yeon Seo's skills could easily prevent further deterioration.
Wi Sowol's task was to reconstruct this half-destroyed nose.
Wi Sowol's hand gently stroked Dan Hye Ran's forehead.
She would incise here from now on, rotate the flap, and transplant it as the nose.
Measuring the precise size was crucial.
Too large an incision would leave a prominent forehead scar; too small, and shaping the nose would prove impossible.
The method Wi Sowol had learned even specified measurement techniques.
Using vine leaves as gauges to mock up the nose size and incise accordingly.
Wi Sowol didn't need such aids.
Her extraordinary perception sketched even more detailed blueprints in her mind.
'Nasal bone destruction. Soft tissue necrosis. Nostrils intact.'
Recalling the diagnosis for Dan Hye Ran, she mapped the surgery mentally.
'The septal cartilage necrosed, causing the nasal tip to droop and the alae to collapse.'
With the septal cartilage melted away, the bridge had caved in too.
The tip, alae, and even dorsum were gone—hardly a saddle nose anymore.
'A straight Tianzhu reconstruction would preserve form, but it would sag again over time.'
Even applying Sepyunmok's suturing to tension it tightly, it would eventually become saddle-shaped.
'I need a proper framework.'
Wi Sowol undid Dan Hye Ran's clothes to expose her abdomen.
Her ribs protruded sharply from syphilis drugs killing her appetite and poor nutrition; Wi Sowol traced them with a finger.
'Harvest costal cartilage for the framework.'
She had already explained this to Dan Hye Ran.
A surgery taking cartilage from a rib to replace the necrosed nasal cartilage.
In the Book of White Healing, the Weird Physician noted that such reconstructions needed some support structure.
Wi Sowol saw potential in the Weird Physician's autografts.
Mount Hua Sect's Yu Jin Daojang, with non-union from an open fracture.
To reconnect the severed bone, the Weird Physician harvested from the iliac crest to fill the gap.
Because the iliac was large enough to spare a bit without issue.
Wi Sowol selected the site based on anatomical knowledge.
She had learned firsthand how similar nasal and rib cartilage were by sight and touch.
'Jang Rok. Thank you.'
This surgery exists because you offered your body.
Wi Sowol closed her eyes briefly to pray for his afterlife.
Then, one final mental run-through of the procedure.
Wi Sowol's hands moved decisively.
'As fast as possible. Yet with utmost precision.'
Acupressure via Dazed Haze Hand was complete.
Bleeding minimized to the lowest.
Still, blood flowed.
Speed was life.
'Harvest from the lowest rib's costal cartilage.'
Higher up was thicker, but risked puncturing the lung and inviting wind pathogen.
Incise just above the costal cartilage.
Wi Sowol meticulously dissected skin and muscle without damage, reaching the cartilage.
Gripping the scalpel again, she summoned a tiny blade of sword qi.
Her pristine white sword qi, capable of slicing steel, cut the equally white cartilage.
A bit generously sized.
She would trim it later, so harvest slightly larger than needed.
'Suture.'
Once harvested, suture immediately to staunch unnecessary bleeding.
Soak the excised cartilage in sterile water meantime.
Sutures done, Wi Sowol took up the cartilage.
Now trim to fit the bridge.
'Oh no...'
It was curved.
Implant as-is, and the bridge would warp.
Wi Sowol fully unleashed her transcendent perception.
A flash of inspiration guided her hand.
Slice—
The qi-infused scalpel cut the cartilage once more.
This time vertically.
Then bind the curved sections oppositely.
If curved one way, split and reverse to curve both ways, canceling the bend.
'Cartilage prep complete.'
Final shaping before implantation.
Wi Sowol incised Dan Hye Ran's pre-measured forehead.
A bit deeply.
Too shallow, and it wouldn't take.
It needed a full-thickness flap with vessels for blood supply.
Leaf-shaped forehead flap rotated to the nose site.
Wi Sowol's hands were now those of a sculptor.
Delicately shaping the flap into a nose.
'This should do.'
Trim the costal cartilage for the bridge, suture the flap to form the nose.
She didn't forget inserting a reed tube to secure the nostril space.
Blade danced, needle and thread frolicked.
For the first time, Wi Sowol wondered if she possessed an artist's soul.
Soon, the nose was complete.
Solar rib cartilage for the bridge, forehead flap covering atop.
Suturing the donor forehead site covered the wounds, ending the surgery.
The Central Plains' first nasal reconstruction succeeded.
The surgery was over, but Wi Sowol planned to let Dan Hye Ran sleep longer.
She would wake after much more time.
Emerging outside, Wi Sowol saw those waiting for her.
No need to have waited.
Wi Sowol chuckled softly and said to Ryu Yeon Seo.
"The finishing touches, if you please."
From that, Ryu Yeon Seo understood the surgery's success.
"Play in the prep room?"
"That would be best."
The rule allowing only Seon Woo Hyun—who could fully purge poison—and herself into the operating room still held.
For contingencies, perhaps Hwang Bo Yun too.
He could restart a stopped heart, after all.
But Ryu Yeon Seo was iffy.
"Still, need to check her state before sound arts."
Wi Sowol unleashed Great White Light True Qi over Ryu Yeon Seo.
He shivered as cold qi swept his body.
A warning would be nice!
"You can peek briefly. Check her pulse, then aid recovery with appropriate sound arts."
"Right. Understood."
Brushing past Wi Sowol suppressing Hwang Bo Yun's 'I want to see too' pleas, Ryu Yeon Seo hurried inside.
And upon entering the operating room.
Ryu Yeon Seo thought.
'...The world's finest. And it didn't even take that long.'
On Dan Hye Ran's peacefully sleeping face atop the table, a perfectly straight nose had returned.