Watching someone act with malicious intent right before her eyes, Lang Jiuchuan’s face darkened on one side. That Tang Bozhen had fallen and broken his leg was the karmic consequence of his own reckless behavior — but that did not mean others were free to harm him brazenly and openly.

Lang Jiuchuan watched as the bone-setting physician, under the guise of setting Tang Bozhen’s bone, was in fact using a particular technique to forcibly snap the foot bone. Once broken in this way, even if it were set back, he would walk with a limp for the rest of his life. And once he became lame, he would have no future prospects to speak of.

Tang Bozhen was a provincial examination graduate. If he became lame, what imperial examinations could he sit for? His chances of becoming the heir were finished as well.

Lang Jiuchuan let her gaze drift — as if casually — over to Tang Bohong, and noticed his pupils contract sharply, his eyes darting and evasive. She laughed coldly within herself.

The bone-setting physician — known as the “Limping Li” bone-setter — was caught off guard by the sudden shout. Already guilty at heart, he was so frightened his face went white. He turned to look at the speaker, and seeing it was a young girl who looked no older than his own daughter, his expression darkened with displeasure. “When I, Limping Li, am setting bones, how dare anyone interrupt me — if you cause my technique to go wrong, and the bone sets incorrectly and doesn’t heal properly, who is responsible for that?”

He released his hold and said, “If you don’t want me setting the bone, find someone better. Don’t come to me ruining the Li family reputation.”

He made as if to rise and leave. Tang Bohong hurried forward. “Dr. Li, the Li family’s hereditary bone-setting arts are known to everyone. The young girl doesn’t know any better — please don’t take offense. Sister-in-law, this person here —”

Xiao Zheng Shi was rattled, and looked toward Lang Jiuchuan. What had she just said? The eldest sister-in-law was equally stunned. Seeing Tang Bozhen had passed out from pain, her face was even whiter than her daughter-in-law’s, and she was completely dazed. What exactly had this girl said just now — breaking bones or setting bones?

She was not of low birth, and had managed the household affairs for many years, mingling with the great families and hearing no shortage of dark dealings in inner chambers. She immediately thought of one possible explanation and felt a chill run down her spine, her face draining to white.

“Zheng family girl, who is she?”

Xiao Zheng Shi gathered herself and looked at Lang Jiuchuan. “Little Master, what do you mean by that?”

Little Master?

Tang Bohong heard those three words and his expression changed in an instant. But when he looked at Lang Jiuchuan’s slight and delicate figure, he steadied himself, his brows furrowing.

Lang Jiuchuan stepped forward and, without any ceremony, pushed aside Limping Li, who was attempting to compose himself. The man was tall and sturdily built — twice her size — yet when she shoved him, he stumbled and nearly fell.

But before he could react in anger, he saw that short-lived-looking girl reach out and begin feeling along Tang Bozhen’s leg bone. His expression grew alarmed, and he swallowed hard.

Lang Jiuchuan carefully ran both hands along Tang Bozhen’s leg bone, then turned to the eldest sister-in-law and the others and said, “Go to the authorities. Tell them someone deliberately attempted to harm your son — with the intent of crippling his leg.”

What?

The eldest sister-in-law shot to her feet. She looked at Lang Jiuchuan’s cold and grave expression, then immediately turned her eyes on Limping Li — whose gaze was evasive and guilt-ridden. A chill settled over her heart. In a cold voice she said, “Someone go and fetch the Earl. Physician Zhao, you come examine the second young master’s leg.”

She made no mention of going to the authorities. Instead, she looked at Tang Bohong and said, “Eldest son, stay here with Dr. Li and keep him company while we wait.”

This was preventing them from leaving.

Limping Li panicked. “What is the meaning of this? Even the Earl’s household cannot treat a man so unjustly. Our Li family has a hereditary tradition of bone-setting — we’ve healed countless people. You — you little girl — stop pretending to know what you don’t know, don’t go spouting nonsense and slandering an innocent man.”

Tang Bohong said, “Mother, I know what to do. Servants — please escort Dr. Li out.”

Xiao Zheng Shi spoke up at this moment, her voice cool and clear. “Elder Brother, there is no need to escort him out. We wait until Physician Zhao has examined him. If we have wronged him, we will make our apologies.”

Tang Bohong’s heart sank.

Lang Jiuchuan gave a cold snort. She despised most of all being told she was incapable — that she was pretending to know what she didn’t know. Whether she was capable or not was for her to say.

She fixed Limping Li with an icy look. “Your hereditary technique is indeed impressive — break a bone, then set it back with no visible trace. But whether it heals properly afterward is another matter entirely. If it doesn’t heal, well, one can only blame the fall for being too severe — isn’t that right? This isn’t the first time you’ve pulled this, is it?”

This man’s eyebrows were thick and coarse on the inner half, then sparse and thin as a rat’s tail toward the outer ends. His gaze was shifty and evasive — a clear sign of a crooked heart. He was the kind of petty scoundrel who acted without principle.

A physician’s calling was to heal the sick and preserve life. Even as a bone-setting practitioner, he was capable of healing injuries — so he could rightly be called a physician. Yet the energy surrounding him was half-black, half-white — impure, with no visible accumulation of merit. In all likelihood, his bone-setting work was a mix of good and harm in equal measure. Otherwise, no physician could possibly carry not a shred of earned virtue — it must mean all the merit he had accrued had been consumed and cancelled out by the wrongs he had done.

Limping Li’s face flushed crimson. “You — you’re spewing slander!”

“You’re flustered.” Lang Jiuchuan said with cool contempt. “The hollow at your marriage palace bears a mole — a sign that you are unfaithful to your wife. You’ve secretly set up a second household outside your home without telling your family, and you’ve fathered a bastard child you treasure dearly. Did you truly think no one would ever find out?”

Limping Li: “!”

He was so terrified he could barely breathe, and his eyes fixed on Lang Jiuchuan in pure horror. How could she possibly know? The child had only been born three days ago!

His expression, stripped bare by shock, concealed nothing. Everyone present who witnessed it understood perfectly — Lang Jiuchuan had struck home. And if what she said about this man was true, then her claim that he had deliberately attempted to cripple Tang Bozhen’s leg was no wild guess either.

The eldest sister-in-law’s eyes moved to Tang Bohong. Her gaze carried a new weight of scrutiny. This physician had been recommended by him — and he had called the man an excellent doctor.

Tang Bohong was in a state of barely concealed panic, and his voice came out forceful yet hollow. “The Li family’s hereditary bone-setting arts have a sterling reputation — how could they possibly —” He landed a kick squarely on Limping Li. “Speak up. Did you do this because you wanted to extort more consultation fees? I’ve heard there are bone-setters who deliberately re-fracture bones in order to repeatedly swindle their patients. You had better confess honestly — otherwise I’ll have your entire family sent to the mines!”

No one in the room was foolish. At first hearing, it sounded like he was desperately trying to explain things away and shift the blame. But was it not, at the same time, a veiled threat to silence the other man?

The eldest sister-in-law felt her blood run cold. She turned to the household physician. “Physician Zhao, what is your assessment?”

Physician Zhao said, “From what I can feel, the bone appears to be set. But bone injuries are not my specialty, so I cannot be entirely certain — was it truly broken again?”

Limping Li exhaled with quiet relief. He’d known it — how could anyone detect it so easily?

But then Lang Jiuchuan stepped forward. With no more than a light touch of her finger, Tang Bozhen — who had been unconscious — jolted awake and let out a sharp, piercing cry. He reached down, clutching at his leg. “It hurts — my leg, it hurts so much!”

She pressed down on his leg and pointed to a slightly sunken spot along the shin bone. “Physician Zhao, feel this area again — what is wrong with this bone? Feel the gap beneath the skin.”

Physician Zhao followed her guidance, pressing carefully with both hands. His expression changed quickly. “There is indeed a fracture line here — and it has set at a slight angle. If it heals this way, even once the bone knits, he will not walk normally.”

Every face in the room went pale.

It was finished.

Limping Li’s eyes filled with terror. Before he could even begin to make excuses, Tang Bohong launched another kick directly into his chest. “You despicable wretch — what grievance did you have with my second brother, that you would do something so underhanded and vile?”

Thud.

The kick landed squarely on Limping Li’s chest. He felt a burst of searing pain through his ribcage, his head tilted — and he collapsed, unconscious.

Lang Jiuchuan gave a cold, amused scoff. The people who lived in great houses and manor compounds — truly, what fine actors they all were.