Housekeeper Wei saw Young Master Wei's eyelids twitch and couldn't help but softly call out.
Finally, under his calling, Young Master Wei slowly opened his eyes.
At first, there was only confusion in his eyes, but after a long while, they gradually regained their brightness.
"Master, you've finally woken up!"
Housekeeper Wei's face showed excitement, and he was close to tears.
"Uncle Hai?" Young Master Wei turned his head, feeling surprised, "Why are you here, and why am I lying here?"
Young Master Wei tried to get up, but as soon as he moved, a wave of intense pain hit him, making him unable to suppress a cry of pain as cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"Do not move, your wound has not yet healed, be careful not to burst it open again."
Old Doctor Chen gently pressed down on his body and took out a silver needle, inserting it a few times into his body.
With this assistance, Young Master Wei's excruciating pain was greatly alleviated, and he slowly came to his senses.
"Who are you, and Uncle Hai, why does my body hurt so much?"
"Master, do you not remember anything? Guard Li and the others said you accidentally fell into a valley in the mountains, and your stomach was torn open by a rock, on the brink of death, but it was Old Doctor Chen here who stepped in to save your life," Housekeeper Wei slowly explained.
Housekeeper Wei had always been skeptical of Guard Li and the others' words.
Now that the young master had woken up, it was a good time to ask for clarity.
"In the mountains, falling into a valley…" Young Master Wei tried hard to remember.
Finally, he recalled the events before he lost consciousness.
"That's right, I went into the mountains with Guard Li and the others, intending to personally find a special birthday present for Father."
"In the mountains, I encountered a very special black little beast. I told Guard Li and the others not to interfere; I wanted to catch the little beast with my own hands."
"I never expected the little beast to be so agile, I kept failing to catch it. I chased it until we reached the edge of a cliff, and just as the little beast was about to leap off, I rushed forward in a moment of urgency and jumped after it; I don't remember much after that."
With these words spoken, Housekeeper Wei managed to remain calm, but Old Doctor Chen's heart skipped a beat.
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This black little beast Young Master Wei spoke of sounded spookily like that little beast that often begged for fish from Lu Qing.
"It seems Guard Chen and the others did not lie, after all," Housekeeper Wei silently nodded.
If the guards had lied, even a fraction of untruth could unravel into unbearable punishment for them.
Now, although punishment was inevitable, at least their lives were spared.
"By the way, Uncle Hai, did you just say that my stomach was torn open?"
At that moment, Young Master Wei suddenly realized and exhibited a horrified expression, wanting to get up and inspect his stomach.
But this time, Housekeeper Wei, who was prepared, gently held him down.
"Master need not panic, the wound on your stomach is no longer serious. With some rest, you will fully recover," he said soothingly.
"But, but you said my stomach was torn open!"
Fear was still evident on Young Master Wei's face.
He dared not imagine what it would be like to have his stomach torn open.
Could a person even survive with their stomach torn open?
Housekeeper Wei could only continue to console him with gentle words.
Fortunately, Young Master Wei was weak and after waking up for a while, he fell back into a deep sleep.
When the news of Young Master Wei's awakening spread outside, the Wei family's guards all cheered.
Especially Guard Li and a few others felt a huge relief, feeling as if a massive weight had been lifted off their chests.
Young Master Wei's awakening meant his life was no longer in danger.
Though they could not escape punishment, their lives were ultimately saved.
As for Ma Gu, upon hearing the news, he was almost moved to tears.
He felt particularly blessed by the heavens because ever since Young Master Wei arrived at his place, he hadn't had a single good night's sleep.
Last night, especially, he dared not rest for a moment, fearing some commotion in the night would bring ill news.
But now, he finally heard genuinely good news. The immense pressure lifted, and even Ma Gu, a Muscle Bone Realm powerhouse, felt his limbs weaken and almost collapsed to the ground.
"Old Doctor Chen, my master's narrow escape from danger was entirely thanks to your miraculous healing. Our Wei family is immeasurably grateful," said Housekeeper Wei.
"I have already sent word of this to our Family Head, and in a few days, our Wei family will surely present a considerable reward."
Housekeeper Wei deeply bowed to the elder doctor once again.
Having seen the state of the young master before he awoke, Housekeeper Wei knew very well that this time, Young Master Wei's miraculous survival was largely due to the old doctor before him, who forcefully snatched him back from the jaws of death.
If, as those useless guards claimed, they had initially intended to bring the young master back to town, he probably wouldn't have survived the journey.
"Not necessary, I have merely fulfilled my duty as a doctor," Old Doctor Chen waved his hand, indicating it was no big deal.
"Old Doctor Chen is truly a paragon of medical benevolence," Housekeeper of Wei admired.
No wonder even the County Lord praised the elder doctor so highly, truly extraordinary. This medical demeanor even surpasses many of the famous physicians in the State Mansion and the royal capital.
"Old Doctor Chen, now that my young master has awakened, when might he be able to return home?"
Elder Doctor Chen thought for a moment and said, "He cannot yet. The young master is still frail, and the wound on his belly has not yet healed. Any jostling could risk the wound tearing open and causing severe bleeding."
"He will need more rest, to regain some primordial Qi, and for the wound to scab over before it's advisable to travel back home."
Naturally, Housekeeper Wei trusted Elder Doctor Chen's judgment.
He immediately said, "Then we will have to impose on you for a few more days, Elder Doctor."
"That's not a problem at all, it's just that my old place is a bit cramped. I'm afraid I can't make enough rooms available for all of you to stay over."
"Far be it for us to trouble you so, Elder Doctor. I will have the people outside disperse and find their own accommodations, leaving only myself behind," Housekeeper Wei promptly responded.
"That would be best. I can manage to make one or two guest rooms available. It's just that my humble abode is quite modest, Grand Steward mustn't mind."
"Far be it from me, far be it."
"Then I'll have my disciple prepare a room for you."
In the time that followed, Housekeeper Wei went outside to instruct the guards that the young master needed a few more days of quiet recovery.
Some of the guards returned to the Wei estate to inform the family, while others stayed at Ma Gu's place, ready to be called upon at any moment.
As for him, he stayed at Half Mountain Small Courtyard to care for the young master.
No one dared to question Housekeeper Wei's orders, so Wei Family's guards began to disperse quickly, and peace slowly returned to Half Mountain Small Courtyard.
Only Ma Gu was distressed, having a group of Wei Family guards moving into his home raised his anxieties once again.
However, he dared not refuse and could only pinch his nose and go arrange things.
"Master, the guest room has been cleaned up," Lu Qing announced after preparing a guest room as his master had instructed.
"Thank you, Young Master," Housekeeper Wei said, looking at Lu Qing with a bit of surprise.
Previously, he was too preoccupied with the young master's predicament to pay attention to anything else.
Only now did he notice that Elder Doctor Chen's young disciple was a Qi Blood Realm Martial Artist despite his tender years.
Such talent, even in the State Mansion, would be considered a prodigy.
Elder Doctor Chen noticed Housekeeper Wei's gaze and called out.
Housekeeper Wei came back to his senses and praised, "Indeed, a great teacher fosters a talented student. Elder Doctor, your disciple is no ordinary person. At such a young age, he has already achieved so much in martial arts."
"My disciple has just been a bit more fortunate, stumbling upon some rare opportunities to make a breakthrough. It is his good fortune to receive such praise from the Grand Steward," said Elder Doctor Chen humbly, yet the satisfaction on his face was undeniable.
"Ha, Elder Doctor, you are too modest," Housekeeper Wei laughed, but inwardly he was considering including Elder Doctor Chen's disciple when preparing a thank-you gift for the estate.
Lu Qing remained silent throughout, staying within his role as a disciple.
Only after their conversation finished did he respectfully say, "Master, the early meal has been prepared and is in the kitchen. Also, I would like to go home for a bit."
He had been busy all day and night at Half Mountain Small Courtyard and was unaware of his family's situation.
More importantly, he hadn't returned home last night to feed the black little beast, and he wondered how the creature was faring.
If it threw a tantrum and destroyed the house, it would be a huge injustice.
"Go ahead, you've been busy for a long time. Go back and rest well. The young master's condition has stabilized, there's no need for constant vigilance," Elder Doctor Chen nodded.
So, Lu Qing excused himself, then went to Elder Doctor Chen's room, and picked up the still-sleeping Little Yan.
Once again, the magic of the Green Armor Fish Stone had to be mentioned.
Despite the chaos in the courtyard last night, Little Yan had not woken up, sleeping soundly in the room, in an 'I won't wake until it's time' fashion.
Lu Qing did not wake her, but carried her straight down the mountain.
When he arrived home, Lu Qing's first move was to check the front door of the house.
Relieved to find no damage, he let out a sigh of relief.
It seemed the black little beast had not thrown a tantrum and destroyed his home.
With eased mind, Lu Qing opened the door, intent on entering.
Suddenly, he sensed something amiss.
Instinctively, he looked up.
There, in the corner of the roof's beam, a pair of bright, big eyes looked down at him, filled with grievance.