How The Little Medical Cultivator Saves the Furries

Chapter 74

Lu Yuanqing looked at Jiang Quan. Even though he knew that, as someone in power, he ought to keep his emotions hidden, the smile in his green eyes was still impossible to suppress completely.

Today, he found everyone pleasing to the eye. He was in a good mood no matter who he looked at!

Just yesterday, he had still been restless and frantic because his royal brother had once again fallen into a dual outbreak of mental power and bloodline power.

And yet this morning, Mo Yin had brought him the best news he had received in ages!

To be honest, when he saw Mo Yin appear on the screen with red-rimmed eyes, Lu Yuanqing had been terrified. He had thought the one piece of news he least wanted to hear had finally come to pass.

His own eyes had already started reddening, and he had been just about to cry, when Mo Yin told him—

“His Majesty has gained control of the Mystic Flame.”

“Your Highness, our Emperor… he’s back!”

Lu Yuanqing’s emotions were abruptly cut off, then sent veering in a completely different direction. He was so stunned by the surprise that he went blank.

“You’re not lying to me? Royal Brother really has control over the Mystic Flame?” he asked again.

“Your Highness, not one word of what Mo Yin said is false!”

Because the botanical garden had originally been built for Ye Yumeng, and the lounge there had been designed according to his requirements, it naturally had no surveillance installed after receiving his brother’s approval.

At first, Lu Yuanqing had not thought much of it. Ye Yumeng was his brother’s savior, a true medical master. He was willing to give him the respect he deserved.

The botanical garden itself had been proposed by Doctor Ye. Since it likely involved his technical secrets, not installing surveillance had been perfectly reasonable.

What no one had expected, however, was that Ye Yumeng would request that his brother be moved into the botanical garden. And no one had expected such a huge incident to happen after only one night there…

When Lu Yuanqing learned the news, he had naturally panicked badly.

There was no surveillance in the lounge, so he could only rely on Mo Yin for updates. Unlike before, he could no longer keep track of his brother’s condition at any moment, and over these past two days he had become unbearably anxious.

Things like composure and calmness had all been thrown out the window. His mind had been full of nothing but: If Royal Brother really dies, what will happen to us from now on?

Now, hearing Mo Yin’s words, Lu Yuanqing felt like he might still be asleep and dreaming.

It was not until Lu Jiaxue came to report on the progress and obstacles surrounding the civilian rollout of spatial buttons that Lu Yuanqing finally snapped back to reality and fully believed that he was in the real world.

Mo Yin had absolutely no reason to lie to him!

Ye Yumeng had explained it very clearly before: as long as the Mystic Flame could be controlled, his royal brother’s injuries would be more than halfway healed, and the rest would all be manageable problems.

Thinking that less than two months had passed and yet such good news had already come from Medical Star, Lu Yuanqing still found it hard to believe.

His brother was going to recover!

He was going to come back very soon…

And once he had completely digested the news, Lu Yuanqing became wildly excited.

Ah, at last he no longer had to worry that the throne might fall onto his head!

Heaven knew that from childhood until now, he had never once wanted to become Emperor. His greatest dream had always been to assist his royal brother and become his right hand.

That was why he had studied hard, kept improving himself, and worked to strengthen his ability in governance. He had never felt there was anything wrong with his own lack of combat power.

As long as Royal Brother was there, no one would dare bully him!

But what he had never imagined was that his royal brother—who had always been like a pillar holding up the heavens, who always turned the tide at critical moments and led the legions to beat the zerg race back step by step—would end up gravely wounded and on the brink of death in the final battle.

And once his brother fell, there had been no one in the Yaojin imperial family left to step in except him—

Aside from their aunt and uncle, they had no elders left. And neither of those elders nor their children had combat power that even matched his own.

During the two years Lu Nanzhou had been gravely injured, Lu Yuanqing had had nightmares almost every single night.

Not a single day had passed without fear and confusion. If Royal Brother were truly gone, how was he supposed to support this vast empire? And what could he possibly do to preserve as many lives as possible…?

And now, he no longer had to live in fear!

At last, he could finally get a good night’s sleep!

Thinking of Ye Yumeng, the person who had made all of this possible, and remembering how he had doubted him at first, even forcing him through an assessment, Lu Yuanqing wanted nothing more than to slap himself.

How had he dared doubt Royal Brother back then? If Royal Brother had insisted, then there had to be a reason. He had nearly ruined everything!

Thankfully, Doctor Ye had been broad-minded and hadn’t held it against him…

With that thought, Lu Yuanqing immediately gave orders for Lu Jiaxue to speed up the civilian rollout of spatial buttons. He wanted results within half a year.

There was no way Royal Brother could fully recover while Doctor Ye still had not even gotten to use a spatial button, right?

Lu Jiaxue had looked at him first as he slapped himself, and then as he suddenly issued a mission that was basically impossible to accomplish, with the expression of someone looking at a madman.

But before he could refuse, Lu Yuanqing explained the whole reason. After a moment of stunned silence, Lu Jiaxue himself became just as fired up.

“Understood, Your Highness!”

His eyes lit with blazing determination, and he immediately hung up the call and ran off to rally people into action.

Perhaps good news would come soon as well.

At that moment, when Lu Yuanqing looked at Jiang Quan, the smile on his face gradually faded, and his excitement settled down.

“Commander Jiang, we just have to hold on through this stretch!”

He took a deep breath and said solemnly, “We’re at the final critical stage. We absolutely cannot fall at a time like this!”

If news of Royal Brother’s recovery got out, those scum lurking in the gutter would probably jump the wall in desperation.

“Chirp chirp— chirp chirp chirp—”

After the little squirrel finished eating its nuts, crisp birdsong rang out. The little mountain sparrow flapped its wings and flew into the activity room from outside.

“Doctor Ye! Doctor Ye! I’m here!”

Hearing that youthful voice, Ye Yumeng froze and looked at the little sparrow hopping around in front of him.

“Chaochao? You can talk now?”

“Mm!”

Du Weiyu was twelve years old this year. His situation was similar to Zhang Zhuyu’s, except that his was caused by excess energy being vented too violently, overloading his bodily organs, which was why he remained in beast form.

He had not regressed into a juvenile state, so he had always been capable of speech. He just hadn’t liked talking, and over time had forgotten how.

In order to communicate with Doctor Ye, though, he had recently picked the skill back up, and his progress had been astonishingly fast!

“Doctor Ye, did you miss me after not seeing me for so long?”

The little sparrow flew onto Ye Yumeng’s shoulder, stretched out its short little neck as far as it could, and rubbed affectionately against his cheek.

“The moment I heard you were here, I flew over right away!”

Listening to him act cute, Ye Yumeng couldn’t help laughing. This little puffball really did know how to talk.

“Of course I missed you,” he said, holding out his hand so the little sparrow could land on the back of it. “Where are your brother and Attendant Wang?”

“Doctor Ye, I’m here too!”

Du Zhenghang, one step behind, finally made it into the activity room. He was panting hard, and had already taken off the suit jacket he’d been wearing.

He pushed past the doctors who were watching, and when he caught sight of Elder Cheng, he gave him a surprised nod.

Then he quickly came to Ye Yumeng’s side. “Doctor Ye, Chaochao has missed you terribly. I never thought today his wish would finally come true!”

Ye Yumeng was amused.

If he remembered correctly, the little sparrow had come to the activity room only two or three days ago. How was that “a long time”?

Still, he genuinely liked this fluffy little chubby bird.

Now that he could talk, it also proved that the little sparrow’s body was slowly recovering, didn’t it? Perhaps before long, he would even be able to return to human form.

As for the other little animals…

Watching the Du brothers make Doctor Ye laugh so happily, they all secretly clicked their tongues in disdain—

Of course, in order to maintain a well-behaved image in front of Doctor Ye, they only dared to do it quietly.

Damn it, how were the Du brothers both so good at talking? Especially that little fat bird, who chirped all day long without ever stopping!

Although even if they did nothing, Doctor Ye would still treat them all the same, but…

The honey badger Gu Xingtong curled his lip.

Doctor Ye was working so hard to treat His Majesty, and still taking time to treat them too. Wasn’t it only proper for them to try to make Doctor Ye happy?

He understood that much about being a decent person.

Guangye, who had been resting with his eyes closed, now lifted his eyelids as well, gazing through the crowd toward the young man at the center, his own thoughts stirring.

Elder Cheng watched the little sparrow sitting quietly beside Ye Yumeng and gently stroked his beard. A faint gleam flickered in his eyes.

Because of the Du family, he had seen this little sparrow before.

Strictly speaking, this little sparrow was indeed also a child of the Du family, since the Du family belonged to one of the fiercest avian beastfolk lineages—the harpy eagle.

The little sparrow’s parents had died during the war. By chance, Duke Du had passed by and found that they had left behind an egg that had not yet hatched, so he took it home and raised it.

There had even been rumors outside that because Duke Du and his wife were away fighting all year long, although they were the little sparrow’s adoptive parents in name, Du Zhenghang had actually hatched the egg himself and raised the child with his own hands.

Elder Cheng did not fully believe that rumor. After all, the technology was now advanced enough that there was really no need to have Du Zhenghang—who had still been a child at the time—personally hatch another child.

Still, there was no denying that the bond between the Du brothers was indeed very close.

Du Weiyu had entered the Royal Sanatorium because of abnormal mental hyperactivity syndrome, and his older brother had followed him here as his attendant.

Elder Cheng had previously examined Du Weiyu before, but even he had only been able to relieve his condition, not cure it.

But judging from how he looked today…

Du Weiyu had clearly improved!

Why?

Elder Cheng couldn’t help but think of the calming sachets that had recently begun circulating through the Royal Sanatorium.

Because of Wang Yan’s betrayal and his own guilt over having delayed His Majesty’s treatment, Elder Cheng had been somewhat dispirited lately. Although he knew of the matter, he had not looked into it carefully yet.

It was said that those calming sachets… also came from this Doctor Ye?

Though everyone in the activity room was inwardly stirred and full of their own thoughts, Ye Yumeng had no time to pay attention.

At last, after more than an hour, every animal that had signed up for the day had eaten the food they liked and received treatment with the Nourishing Art and Minor Rejuvenation Technique.

Watching these patients drift off peacefully to sleep right after Ye Yumeng finished treating them, the observing doctors were full of amazement.

Seeing that he had finished, they all hurried over. Their hearts were full of questions, and they could hardly wait to get answers. The several medical grandmasters were no exception.

Once again, Ye Yumeng became the center of the crowd.

Hu Yunjin, who had been sitting by the little fox’s bed the whole time, watching over him, was observing this scene as well.

‘Brother, I want to go back to the room.’

Hearing the little fox’s voice in his ear, Hu Yunjin came back to himself and nodded. “Oh, alright.”

He called over the attendant robot and, together with it, wheeled his younger brother back to the ward.

The little fox was transferred back onto the bed.

Watching the little fox curled into a ball, his breathing faint and weak, Hu Yunjin sighed inwardly.

But he still put on a smile, ready to say something to cheer his younger brother up, when Hu Naonao’s voice rang out by his ear.

‘Brother, why exactly did you come to Medical Star this time?’

Hu Yunjin’s back stiffened slightly.

He had not expected Hu Yunsheng to still be so sharp after his intelligence had regressed.

He kept the smile on his face and answered, ‘Of course I came to see you. It’s been so long since we brothers have seen each other. Didn’t you want to see me?’

Hu Yunsheng, however, did not spare him. ‘Don’t even think about lying to me. You definitely came with a mission.’

Hu Yunjin lowered his head slightly. Looking at the little fox’s clear eyes, eyes that seemed able to see through everything, he couldn’t help giving a bitter smile.

He looked toward the attendant standing nearby and said, “Attendant Lin, could you help me buy a few things?”

The core inpatient ward had a living-supplies section right there, so there was no need to go far.

“Oh, okay.”

Once the attendant had left, Hu Yunjin looked back at his younger brother and said with some feeling, ‘I thought after regressing into juvenile form, your personality had completely gone back to childhood too.’

Hu Yunsheng rolled his eyes.

He had indeed been affected by the regression. His personality had become softer and more fragile in some ways, but his basic intelligence was still intact.

And besides…

As he had been sleeping better lately and his physical condition had improved somewhat, he felt his mind becoming clearer as well.

‘So I guessed right, didn’t I?’

Hu Yunsheng asked sharply. ‘You really did come here with a mission to see me, didn’t you?’

When he asked this, the hurt in his eyes was obvious, as if he had been betrayed.

Hu Yunjin sat down by the bed.

‘Naonao, don’t look at me like that. The elders’ decision… was not something I could change,’ he sighed.

Although he was the fox clan’s future heir, at present there was still a clan leader.

And because of Hu Yunsheng having stepped aside, quite a few of the younger generation still refused to submit to him.

Because of confidentiality rules, most of the clan did not know that Hu Yunsheng was gravely injured beyond recovery. They only didn’t dare challenge Hu Yunjin for now because they were still wary of his younger brother’s ruthless temperament.

‘So I didn’t guess wrong.’ The little fox glared at him. ‘The fox clan really made that choice? Rebellion?’

His questions hit Hu Yunjin one after another.

‘Was your mission to probe His Majesty’s condition? Or to assassinate him?’

‘Are the assassination attempts the Royal Sanatorium has been facing connected to you?’

Hu Yunjin quickly shook his head in denial. ‘Even if I had a hundred times more courage, I wouldn’t dare assassinate His Majesty…’

‘Then what is it?’ the little fox pressed coldly.

Hu Yunjin looked at him and, after pursing his lips, said, ‘If I told you I came here to protect you, would you believe me?’

Hu Yunsheng froze. ‘What? Protect me?’

‘Yes.’

Hu Yunjin nodded.

He actually agreed with the elders’ decision, but he also understood very clearly what this country would become if His Majesty truly died.

The fox clan had always made its living through trade, and controlled many interstellar routes. In the eyes of the various powers, they were nothing less than a fat piece of meat.

When war broke out, how could the Yaojin imperial family, struggling even to protect itself, possibly protect the fox clan as well?

Could the fox clan really just abandon the enormous business it had built over the years, give up everything, and flee to the capital star for shelter?

How could the elders possibly accept that? And besides, the fox clan was huge. There were too many clansmen. How could they possibly move them all?

No matter how many ships they had, they could only take away a portion of the people.

As for those left behind, were they just supposed to let them live or die as fate willed?

So after countless meetings and discussions, the fox clan had ultimately joined the camp of those waiting and watching.

If the Emperor survived and the Yaojin Empire remained peaceful and stable, then they would continue staying in their homeland and conducting trade in peace.

If something happened to His Majesty, then they would choose a new ruler and seek shelter under another power that could protect the fox clan.

‘As far as I know, there are already three factions gathering on Medical Star,’ Hu Yunjin continued. ‘I was worried things would descend into chaos here and that you’d be caught up in it.’

‘The clan also needed accurate intelligence on His Majesty’s condition, so I volunteered to come.’

‘If anything really does go wrong, I’ll take you away.’

The little fox looked at his brother in disbelief. But he was not touched by this supposed “risking everything to save him.”

‘Did Father agree to this too?’ he asked in a trembling voice.

Looking at the tears gathering in the little fox’s eyes, Hu Yunjin’s back bent slightly, and in the end he still nodded.

Seeing despair fill Hu Yunsheng’s eyes, Hu Yunjin couldn’t help but try to explain. ‘The fox clan hasn’t actually done anything rebellious, has it? Father and the others… they’re just trying to protect themselves.’

‘Protect themselves? They’re nothing but spineless opportunists who turn with the wind!’

Hu Yunsheng said furiously, ‘We fought and died on the front lines. We finally wiped out the zerg race… Do you know how many people gave their lives, how many families were destroyed, just to win the peace we have now?’

Even though he himself had been grievously wounded in the war, even though after being rescued he might still spend the rest of his life on a hospital bed, Hu Yunsheng had never once regretted it.

If he had the chance to do it all over again, he would still follow His Majesty into the final battle.

Only, if he could start over, then before the Insect Queen detonated the planet, he would absolutely force His Majesty to leave first.

If he had done that, the Empire would not be in chaos now, and he would not have had to face this humiliating, heartbreaking scene.

Thinking of his clan’s choice, Hu Yunsheng could no longer suppress the hatred in his heart. His mental power surged, controlling everything around him and hurling it toward the space behind Hu Yunjin.

‘You actually want to become lapdogs to those bastards who want to destroy peace and tear the country apart? I have no family like you!’

Though nothing actually struck his body, Hu Yunjin almost wished his little brother would simply hit him.

He hadn’t wanted this either…

His Majesty was his hero too, the great man he admired and respected. He also felt a deep sense of belonging to the Yaojin Empire…

‘We’re only waiting and watching, that’s all,’ he said weakly.

‘That is betrayal!’

Hu Yunsheng glared at him, so furious his eyes seemed to burn. ‘If you know there are traitors, you should report them immediately, not stand by and watch them plot to murder His Majesty!’

‘Concealing information is rebellion too!’

‘If they succeed in assassinating His Majesty, if the country really splits apart, then every one of you will be executioners!’

‘Hu Yunjin, go to Mo Yin right now and turn yourself in. Tell him every scrap of intelligence you know. Otherwise don’t blame me for putting justice before family!’

Looking at the little fox baring his teeth in rage, Hu Yunjin tried to calm him.

‘Calm down first. You’ve only just gotten a little better—don’t work yourself up like this…’

‘Go find Mo Yin now, or I’ll call him here myself. While it’s still not too late, Hu Yunjin, don’t force me!’

As his final words fell, the mental pressure he had already lost control of spread outward in ripples.

Crash! Crash!

The sound of shattered window glass rang through the ward, along with the shrill beeping of alarms from the equipment. Hu Yunjin’s legs gave way, and he collapsed to the floor.

Hu Yunsheng’s mental power had gone berserk!

Hu Yunjin’s face turned pale. His mental power rank was no match for the little fox’s. At such close range, under such an intense psychic assault, he was instantly dizzy, nauseated, and on the verge of vomiting.

Even so, the first thing he worried about was still Hu Yunsheng.

“Naonao… I’ll do whatever you say… just stop, please… if this goes on, you’ll die…”

He saw the little fox’s wounds tearing open again, fresh blood flowing down and staining the snow-white bedsheets crimson. The sight stabbed into his eyes.

What should he do… If this continued, Naonao really would die…

Fighting through the dizziness, Hu Yunjin reached for the emergency bell by the bedside to call a doctor.

But before he could press it, the metal ward door flew open, and a figure rushed in from outside.

“Naonao! Calm down!”

A clear voice rang out, and Hu Yunjin, in the depths of despair, saw that young Doctor Ye.

He rushed to the bedside, his hands forming strange signs. At last, he pressed both hands against the little fox’s brow.

That wildly spreading mental power, which had been attacking everything around it indiscriminately and was also tearing apart the little fox’s own body, suddenly halted and snapped back inward.

Hu Yunjin felt his whole body suddenly lighten.

Although the interval had been brief, his clothes were already soaked through with sweat. It hadn’t just been the mental pressure—he had also felt the suppression of bloodline power.

Hu Yunsheng’s talent was the strongest in the fox clan. He could have become the undisputed Fox King!

But… but…

Looking at his little brother lying there covered in blood, his life force so weak it was almost gone, Hu Yunjin finally could not hold back his tears.

Ye Yumeng had no time to care about him.

After using the Soul-Calming Art to stabilize the little fox’s soul, he immediately followed with the Minor Rejuvenation Technique to replenish his fading life force.

If Shang Baiqi had not invited him to come help check on her patient, Ye Yumeng would never have come to this floor.

The moment he stepped out of the elevator, he sensed something was wrong and rushed over just in time. Otherwise, the little fox probably would not have survived.

But after nearly a month of careful recovery, just when he had finally regained a little strength, all of it had been wiped away again!

Ye Yumeng alternated the Minor Rejuvenation Technique and the Soul-Calming Art, while behind him Shang Baiqi, who had arrived a step later, hurriedly performed emergency first aid to stop the bleeding.

Several minutes later, the little fox’s convulsing body gradually stabilized, and his breathing and heartbeat returned to normal.

The two of them let out a sigh of relief at the same time.

At that moment, the little fox drowsily opened his eyes. Seeing he had regained consciousness, Ye Yumeng smiled at him.

Unexpectedly, the little fox burst into tears with soft, broken whimpers the moment he saw him.

Ye Yumeng froze for a second, then quickly scooped the crying little fox into his arms. Spiritual energy from the Minor Rejuvenation Technique flowed from his palms, easing the little fox’s pain as much as possible.

Glancing down at Hu Yunjin, who was also crying at his feet, he guessed inwardly that perhaps something had happened between the two brothers.

Slowly, the little fox seemed to calm down.

But the moment Ye Yumeng set him back down, he started crying again.

Those whimpering cries sounded as though he had experienced something so painful and heartbreaking that hearing them alone was enough to soften anyone’s heart.

So Ye Yumeng had no choice but to lift him into his arms again. This time, one hand used the Minor Rejuvenation Technique while the other used the Soul-Calming Art.

Gradually, the little fox stopped crying. Finally he closed his eyes and fell asleep in Ye Yumeng’s arms.