In the time that followed, Leng Si and the others watched in stunned silence as Huo Qiyuan manipulated an unknown object. After some unseen adjustments, it glided over to the bedside.
Leng Ren, who had been in a daze of pain from a day and a night of agony, was disoriented. He hadn't even known Huo Qiyuan had returned.
As he groggily opened his eyes, he felt something approaching him. Before Leng Ren could discern what it was, the medical robot extended two arms, each holding various surgical instruments.
One of its fingers held an extremely fine needle. Its neck mechanically rotated, then precisely aimed at Leng Ren's carotid artery and plunged in. The clean, decisive movement made Leng Heng, who was watching nearby, instinctively want to draw his sword.
Leng Ren, already in a muddled state from the anesthetic, quickly descended into complete unconsciousness. The medical robot raised both its arms again and then swiftly began operating on Leng Ren's injured left leg.
Huo Qiyuan and the others had intended to stay and watch, but the flashing red characters on the robot's back, stating "All unauthorized personnel must leave," drove them all out to wait by the door.
"Your Highness, what is this thing?"
Leng Heng looked anxiously at the door behind them, trying to peer through the gap to see what was happening inside. The thing resembled a person in appearance and seemed somewhat sinister. Its speed and accuracy when injecting the needle earlier were unnerving. Could it harm Big Brother?
Huo Qiyuan had witnessed the robot's capabilities. His concern wasn't about whether it could heal, but whether Leng Ren's shoulder, having been untreated for a day and a night, would have lasting effects on his future life.
"No need to worry! That's a new surgical robot from Mu Qing. Fortunately, she had me bring it along when I came back this time. Otherwise, Leng Ren's left shoulder and arm might truly have been crippled..."
"The Emperor bestows rare treasures upon the world. This time, Big Brother's arm will surely be restored to its former glory."
When Leng Si and the others heard that the device was from Su Mu Qing, they felt even more at ease. Not to brag, but anything Su Mu Qing gave never failed to work!
As Leng Ren's surgery continued, Huo Qiyuan suddenly remembered someone else. "How is Leng Feng? When I left, I sealed his acupoints. Did he go berserk again afterwards?"
"No, since yesterday his body has been extremely weak. The imperial physician who examined him said his internal energy was depleted and he needs significant rest."
"Your Highness, how is the Tenth Brother?" Leng Si had waited a long time without hearing about Leng Nuo's condition, so he asked proactively.
"He was severely injured. During the night, he almost... However, his condition had slightly improved when I left."
"That's good! When you just returned, none of us dared to ask, for fear..."
Huo Qiyuan understood their strong brotherly bond and patted Leng Si's shoulder. "Rest assured! With His Majesty here, Leng Nuo will be fine."
"Yes, we have all witnessed His Majesty's abilities."
Upon hearing that Leng Nuo was alive, the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. If the Tenth Brother had truly died, Leng Feng likely wouldn't have survived either.
Now that the Tenth Brother was alive, and with His Majesty helping him recover, they would be able to fight side-by-side again. Leng Feng's transgressions would be lessened, and perhaps Your Highness would show him leniency, considering Leng Nuo was saved.
They had been brothers for many years. Whether it was Leng Nuo or Leng Feng who met with misfortune, it was something they did not wish to see. Even though Leng Feng was the culprit, they still didn't want to see him lose his life like this.
"Which room is he in? Take me to see him." Huo Qiyuan recalled what Su Mu Qing had told him before he left.
She had said that perhaps the spiritual spring water could only detect toxic properties in the human body, but not generally harmless ones. This was the case with surgical anesthetics or certain sedatives that lacked toxic ingredients. Therefore, he intended to question Leng Feng again.
Hearing that Huo Qiyuan wanted to see Leng Feng, Leng Heng suddenly remembered that there was a woman in Leng Feng's room. The rules of Qing Ya Ge were strict, and outsiders were not allowed to enter freely. That's why Leng Si had asked the maid to leave yesterday.
However, when Leng Heng went to deliver food yesterday, he saw Leng Feng's pleading expression and protective stance towards the woman, and his heart softened. If Your Highness found out, they would surely be severely punished.
Being beaten with a few military canes wouldn't be an issue for him, but the Second Brother was already so weak. If he were to be severely punished again, his injuries would only worsen.
"Your Highness, that room has been vacant for a long time, and you've just finished a journey. Perhaps you should wait here, and we will help Second Brother over." Leng Heng suddenly stopped Huo Qiyuan and, without waiting for his agreement, hastily pulled Leng Si towards Leng Feng's room.
"What are you doing?" After turning the corner of the corridor, Leng Si shook off Leng Heng's hand and looked at him with confusion.
"Have you forgotten that little maid is still in Second Brother's room? If Your Highness finds out, he will definitely impose heavier penalties on Second Brother, and we won't be able to escape responsibility."
Leng Si ran his hand through his hair in frustration, his gaze towards Leng Heng filled with anger. "I almost forgot about that woman. I blame you for this! I wanted to drive her away yesterday, but you insisted on keeping someone to take care of Second Brother. Now look! If Your Highness discovers this, neither of us will benefit!"
"I also didn't want to see Second Brother so sad... Forget it, forget it. What's the use of saying this now! Let's quickly send that woman out through the side door!" Leng Heng urged Leng Si to hurry.
Huo Qiyuan watched the retreating backs of his two subordinates and frowned in confusion. He turned to look at Leng Ao. Leng Ao, true to his name, was cold and arrogant to outsiders, but in front of Huo Qiyuan, that haughty demeanor weakened considerably.
Seeing that Leng Heng and the others had already left, Huo Qiyuan turned his gaze back to himself. He quickly turned and stood at the crack of the door, thinking how unlucky he was. He should have gone with Leng Si and the others. After all, he was the worst at lying!
Seeing Leng Ao's demeanor, Huo Qiyuan had a rough idea. What were these people hiding from him?
Perhaps they thought he would kill Leng Feng, so they quietly released him? No, they were going to bring someone over, which likely meant they weren't releasing him. The most probable scenario was that they had colluded to unseal his meridians.
Huo Qiyuan said nothing and followed directly behind Leng Heng and the others. Leng Ao closed his eyes, thinking it was over! He wanted to follow, but with everyone else gone, there was no one to guard Leng Ren. Therefore, Leng Ao could only gnash his teeth and continue to guard the doorway.