Not long after the spiritual spring water was fed, the eagle slowly woke up. When it used its wings to support itself and stand up, its usually strong and powerful claws trembled a little feebly before it steadied itself.
Seeing this, Su Muqing quickly fed it another Qi Replenishing Pill to help it regulate its internal organs and strengthen its foundation.
Given its physical condition, it was best for the eagle to rest and recuperate in its nest. Although the spiritual spring water could accelerate the healing of its wounds, its depleted energy and nutrition could not be replenished in such a short time.
Since they were back, they should let it rest in the Divine Beast Garden for a while! Thus, Huo Qiyuan and Su Muqing, along with the eagle, slowly walked towards the Divine Beast Garden.
When they arrived, the black bear was lying on the lawn, enjoying itself immensely. It was spread out in a starfish position, occupying almost a third of the lawn.
The weather was gradually getting warmer, and the black bear was particularly afraid of the heat, wanting to take a bath whenever it had the chance. Its body was covered in white foam, and more than a dozen palace attendants were using specially made long-handled brushes to groom its thick fur.
Sensing the approach of familiar presences, the black bear, which had been enjoying itself with its eyes closed, suddenly opened them. It flipped over onto all fours and then shook off the water with all its might. The dozen palace attendants who were diligently brushing its fur were caught off guard and soaked.
“General Black, what’s wrong?”
“Quickly go and see. If something happens to General Black, we will definitely be punished…”
General Black was the nickname the palace attendants gave the black bear. They watched as the behemoth, who loved bathing the most, suddenly charged towards the intersection. Before their minds could process what was happening, their bodies reflexively chased after it.
Thanks to Su Muqing’s invincible space, solar-powered streetlights were installed throughout the entire imperial palace. As long as the streetlights received enough sunlight during the day, they would be very bright at night, allowing these people to clearly see the direction the black bear was running.
Ignoring the string of people following behind, the black bear ran straight towards Su Muqing and the others. Before the two and the eagle had even passed the intersection, they saw a black “mountain” rushing towards them. The commotion was so great that even the ground trembled.
Seeing people it hadn't seen in a long time, the black bear was extremely excited. It stopped, let out a fierce roar in their direction, then rushed forward, grabbed Huo Qiyuan by the waist, lifted him onto its shoulders, and then sat on the ground, spinning around.
Wherever the black bear’s large backside slid, even the grass on the lawn was rubbed off. Patches of baldness appeared on the lush green lawn, revealing the yellow earth underneath.
Huo Qiyuan also enjoyed the black bear’s affection, but couldn't it wait until it was dry before playing after bathing? Looking at his soaked clothes and pants, Huo Qiyuan shook his head with a doting yet helpless expression. He reached out and patted the black bear’s fur, only to get a handful of slippery shower gel on his hand.
Seeing the man and the bear playing so happily, the eagle also felt an urge to join them. Su Muqing, sensing its intention, quickly ran to the eagle and placed a hand on its thick, white-feathered belly, stopping its raised eagle claws.
“You’re still injured, you can’t play like this with them. When you’re recovered, you can play however you want, but for now, go back and rest…” Su Muqing shook her head resolutely and then pointed to the large, specially built eagle’s nest.
The eagle let out a series of “gu gu gu” sounds from its throat, which sounded like it was being pampered. However, Su Muqing, who was holding it, remained expressionless, her finger pointing at the nest unmoving.
Seeing her resolute expression, the eagle had no choice. It let out a soft, aggrieved cry and then walked step by step towards its nest. Lying down in the nest filled with dry grass, it stretched its neck out to listen to the sounds outside.
Meanwhile, Huo Qiyuan was also finished being splashed by the black bear’s water. After a while of roughhousing between the man and the bear, Huo Qiyuan had the black bear return with the palace attendants to continue its bath.
Leng Nuo had not yet truly escaped danger, and he needed to go back and check on him. With the eagle also injured, he needed to discuss with Su Muqing what other ways they could quickly return to Sian Prefecture.
Huo Qiyuan went to Su Muqing’s sleeping quarters to take a bath. After changing into clean clothes, he headed straight for Pinglan Courtyard. Leng Nuo had been in a coma since the surgery and had not opened his eyes. He had a slight fever and his breathing was weak, indicating a very precarious situation.
Su Muqing tightly clutched the small porcelain bottle in her hand, hesitating whether to feed him more spiritual spring water.
Leng Nuo’s injuries were not caused by poisoning. However, ordinary internal and external injuries meant that too much spiritual spring water could not be consumed. If it was the first time consuming a large amount, it would cause diarrhea as a side effect.
On their way back, Huo Qiyuan had already given him a lot. At that time, because Leng Nuo had been spitting blood and had fluid accumulation in his abdomen, he had vomited a lot.
Currently, the fluid accumulation in Leng Nuo’s abdomen had been cleared, and he had stopped vomiting blood. Based on the amount consumed, feeding him more would be considered a large intake. Leng Nuo’s body was too weak right now; if he was fed too much and developed diarrhea, the result might be fatal!
As the two were hesitating, Lin Rongrong happily returned to the palace. She had been staying at Leng Kui’s general’s residence during this period, specifically to take care of Su Cuiping and her son.
After Leng Nuo’s surgery, Su Muqing had sent someone to fetch her back. This was because she couldn’t guarantee whether Leng Nuo would make it through this time.
In the worst-case scenario, if Leng Nuo never woke up again, and they didn’t even get to see each other one last time, not only would Leng Nuo pass away with regret, but Lin Rongrong would also be filled with regret for the rest of her life!
“Greetings, Your Majesty, greetings, Your Highness.” After Lin Rongrong paid her respects, she looked at them expectantly.
Although she was a little confused as to why His Majesty, who had clearly granted her permission to see Leng Nuo, had kept him in the palace instead of at his general’s residence so late, and why His Majesty and His Highness were at Pinglan Courtyard, she was eager to see Leng Nuo and didn't dwell on these strange circumstances. Perhaps His Majesty had arranged for him to stay in the palace for a meal, which was why she was called back.
With this thought, a blush of shyness quickly spread across Lin Rongrong’s face.
When Su Muqing returned from Sian Prefecture last time, she had told her that Leng Nuo had expressed his feelings for her in Sian Prefecture. After returning to Yaoking victorious from this campaign, he would seek His Majesty’s grace to marry her in a grand ceremony.
Due to the matter of her parents, Lin Rongrong had not placed much importance on matters of love. However, after years of getting along, Leng Nuo had been very good to her.