Outside the cave chamber, Mo Shen and Gao Fei waited anxiously.
They could not see what was happening inside the medical pod. The curtains had already been drawn shut, and they could only judge from the faint light leaking through the gaps that the surgery was still ongoing.
Gao Fei could not help but speak in a low voice. “Commander Mo, do you think the master’s hand can really be cured?”
Mo Shen took a deep breath. “Miss Tong’s people have this kind of ability. They should not be lying to us. It’s just…”
He did not finish his sentence, but Gao Fei understood what he meant.
It was just that everything about this process was too strange, too far beyond common sense.
A medical pod that appeared out of nowhere, lights that illuminated without fire, those bizarre-looking instruments—everything made people who lived by the edge of a blade feel uneasy.
Yet beneath that uneasiness was an uncontrollable sense of hope.
If—if it could really be cured?
A young soldier hurried in from the cave passage, lowering his voice as he spoke. “Commander Mo, Commander Ling Yi asked me to report that hunters approached from outside the mountain. They were already scared off, but Commander Ling Yi also said… he discovered something else.”
Mo Shen’s expression sharpened. “What is it?”
The soldier’s face looked somewhat grim. “Footprints. Not hunters’—military boots. Very fresh. They were found by the stream about two li outside the cave. Commander Ling Yi has already gone to track them and asked me to report back immediately.”
Mo Shen clenched his fist tighter.
What was coming would still come. The Emperor would not easily let their master go. The Feiyu Army and the Iron Shadow Guards would eventually find this place.
He glanced at the medical pod, still showing no movement.
At present, they could only hope Miss Tong’s people were strong enough to protect this cave—and protect their master who was still undergoing treatment.
Inside the medical pod, the surgery had already lasted more than an hour.
Sweat had already soaked through Zhao Jingyuan’s bedsheet. His lips were bitten until they bled, yet from beginning to end he had not made a sound.
The old wounds on his arms and lower legs had already been cleaned, revealing the severed tendons beneath.
Doctor Jian picked up a transparent syringe. “Next, we will inject the R5 cell-activation drug. It will push your cells into a state of hyper-regeneration. Combined with minimally invasive surgery, we will reconnect the severed tendons. This process will be very painful. Are you ready?”
Zhao Jingyuan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again.
“Begin.”
The needle pierced his skin, and a pale blue liquid was slowly pushed in.
At first, it was only a cold sensation. But within seconds, a violent burning pain erupted from the injection site, as if fire were igniting within his veins.
Zhao Jingyuan’s breathing immediately turned heavy. His body began to tremble uncontrollably, muscles tightening.
Doctor Jian spoke gently. “Maintain your breathing. Do not resist. This is the drug activating your cells. The more you resist, the more painful it becomes.”
Zhao Jingyuan forced himself to relax, but the burning sensation only intensified, spreading through his arms and legs as if it intended to consume his entire body.
Tong Shuxue wheeled herself closer.
“Zhao Jingyuan, think of your elder brother still waiting in the Imperial Prison. Think of your nephew whose whereabouts are unknown. Think of those brothers who followed you through life and death.”
Zhao Jingyuan’s eyes flickered.
“If you cannot even endure this pain, how will you save them?”
Zhao Jingyuan clenched his teeth. His fingernails dug into his palms. Although he could not fully form a fist, the force still wrinkled the bedsheet beneath him.
The pain continued, but his gaze gradually cleared again.
Doctor Jian glanced at Tong Shuxue and gave an almost imperceptible nod before continuing his work.
Minimally invasive surgical instruments entered the incision and began precisely reconnecting the severed tendons.
Time seemed to slow down.
Outside the medical pod, the rain gradually weakened, though the sky remained overcast.
Ling Yi entered through the cave passage, still carrying moisture from the outside air.
He stood beside the medical pod and reported in a low voice. “Major General, the military boot footprints were tracked for three li before disappearing. The other party is very cautious. They were likely surveying the terrain. I have already deployed vibration sensors around the area. Any approach will trigger an alarm.”
Tong Shuxue nodded, her gaze still fixed on the operating table.
Zhao Jingyuan’s condition was better than she had expected. She knew very well the side effects of the R5 drug—the pain of forced cellular regeneration was no less than slow slicing torture. Many people lost control or even went into shock during their first injection.
But this ancient prince had forcibly endured it.
“Strong willpower.“ she said softly.
The surgery continued for another two hours.
When Doctor Jian finally set down the last suture and sealed the wound with biological tape, it was already completely dark outside. The light inside the medical pod became even brighter, illuminating Zhao Jingyuan’s pale face.
Doctor Jian removed his gloves. “First stage of surgery completed. Four major tendons have been successfully reconnected. The fracture in the right leg has also been internally fixed. From now on, he will need daily electrical stimulation and drug penetration therapy, combined with rehabilitation training.”
Zhao Jingyuan lay on the bed, drenched in sweat as if he had been pulled from water.
“My hand…”
Doctor Jian interrupted him. “Do not rush to move. The reconnected tendons are still very fragile. They need at least one week of stabilization. Starting tomorrow, you will undergo electrical stimulation twice daily to promote nerve recovery.”
Tong Shuxue wheeled herself to the bedside and took a bottle of nutritional solution from her dimensional space, handing it to Nurse An.
“Give him some energy replenishment.”
She then looked at Zhao Jingyuan. “How do you feel?”
Zhao Jingyuan was silent for a few seconds before slowly replying.
“Painful.”
Tong Shuxue smiled. “Good. Pain means your nerves are still working. If you felt nothing, that would be the real problem.”
After speaking, she turned to Ling Yi. “Let Mo Shen and the others in. The surgery is finished.”
The curtains of the medical pod were drawn open. Mo Shen and Gao Fei carefully approached the entrance and looked inside. Seeing that Zhao Jingyuan, though pale, was in stable condition, both of them finally relaxed.
Gao Fei’s eyes turned red. “My lord, how are you?”
Zhao Jingyuan’s voice was still hoarse. “I am fine. Miss Tong’s physician is highly skilled.”
Mo Shen bowed deeply toward Tong Shuxue. “Miss Tong’s great kindness—Mo Shen will never forget it.”
Tong Shuxue waved her hand. “This is only the beginning. There is still a year of rehabilitation ahead.”
“During the surgery just now, Ling Yi discovered unknown military boot footprints outside the mountain. Although the intruders were temporarily driven away, this place is no longer safe. You must be prepared to relocate at any time.”
The atmosphere inside the cave instantly turned heavy.
Zhao Jingyuan frowned. “Confirmed military boots?”
Tong Shuxue nodded. “Ling Yi would not be mistaken. And from the distribution of the footprints, they were systematically searching the area. I suspect it is a reconnaissance unit from either the Feiyu Army or the Iron Shadow Guards.”
Mo Shen’s expression darkened.
“The Emperor cannot ignore the disappearance of more than five hundred men. Wuzang Mountain is the only region with no return reports. The Emperor will definitely conduct a thorough search here. We are hidden in this cave; outsiders cannot easily enter, but over time, the entrance will inevitably be discovered.”