Chengping Square, Jishi Medical Hall, Rear Courtyard.
In a simple yet clean room, sunlight filtered through the paper-paned window, casting a faint yellow glow upon the floor.
Lin Yue lay on the bed, staring at the canopy overhead embroidered with a scrolling lotus pattern. He felt a dull, aching pain that seemed to seep into his very bones.
He had spent nearly the entire past month confined to this bed. The days were as dull as stagnant water, an agonizing ordeal that made him feel like he was better off dead.
'When had he ever been subjected to such an indignity?'
Every day after training at the Martial Arts Hall, he would be inundated with invitations from friends. If they weren't drinking at Jufu Pavilion, they were listening to music and watching dancers at Wind Listening Pavilion. The lively festivities never ceased.
But now, he had to be careful just to turn over. The slightest effort sent a tearing pain through his chest.
