"...The needles were removed half an hour later. The situation was better than I expected. The recovery was quite good. After some exercise, walking, sitting and lying down should not be a problem in the future. Just be careful not to lift heavy objects or get injured again."

Hearing the first half of the sentence, Song Ting breathed a sigh of relief, but the second half made his heart jump into his throat again: "What about martial arts training?"

Yan Qingshan said in a bad mood, "What martial arts are you talking about? It's good enough that he can stand up, let alone want to practice martial arts. His tendons in his hands and feet were severed, not his hair was cut. It's already amazing that he has recovered to this extent."

Song Ting: "..."

Yan Qingshan lifted his eyelids and gave him a cold glare: "Why are you glaring at me?"

Song Ting: "…………"

Yan Qingshan: "Staring at me won't help. Even if you glare your eyes out, this is all I can do."

Song Ting's gaze pierced him: "Aren't you the most talented disciple of the Medicine Sect?"

"Since you've even found out this much," Yan Qingshan smiled strangely, "then you should know that I was expelled from the sect, right? Just consider it as my poor skills; it's your bad luck that you had to kidnap me."

Song opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately held back.

“However, given his condition,” Yan Qingshan’s gaze swept over Chu Huaixu, “even if my master or the entire Medicine Sect came, it wouldn’t make a difference. This is already the best-case scenario.”

"If you don't believe me, you can go down the mountain and grab anyone, make that person go through all the injuries they suffered, and then find someone else to treat them. If they can achieve 80% of what I did, I'll cut off my head and give it to you to use as a chamber pot."

Song Ting: "..."

"I can have any kind of chamber pot I want—gold, jade, gemstone-encrusted, whatever I want. Who wants your head?" Song Tingxin thought to himself.

“Brother Xiang.” Chu Huaixu had woken up at some point. He grabbed Song Ting’s tightly clenched fist with his sweaty hands and smiled weakly at him. “Don’t worry, this is already very good.”

The tendons in his hands were the first to be reconnected, and during this time he practiced some hand movements every day. By then, he could already perform simple movements very flexibly.

But Song Ting still didn't dare let him use too much force, so she gently held his hand and patted it, saying, "Mmm."

"That's the right mindset. Being able to walk and move is better than being paralyzed. If your martial arts skills are ruined, so be it. There are so many people in the world who don't know martial arts, and they still live good lives."

Yan Qingshan said nonchalantly, "Besides, you're here to protect me, so nothing will happen."

Shi Luoxuan tugged at his arm: "Senior brother, say less."

Yan Qingshan stretched out his arm and pulled the person into his embrace, kissing his junior brother on the neck as if no one else was around.

"I didn't say anything wrong. If he's so capable, he should go and settle accounts with the guy who ripped Huai San's tendons. Why is he getting so worked up in front of us?"

"My senior brother is good in every way, except he's so outspoken." Shi Luoxuan sighed helplessly and pulled the man away.

“Come with me. Young Master Huai just woke up and asked Brother Xiang to speak with him alone for a while. I also wanted you to take a look at the water vat; it seems to have a crack and is leaking some water…”

"Where is it? Let me see." Yan Qingshan squatted down beside the water vat.

"It's not very obvious here, but the ground is flooded overnight. Is there any way to repair it?"

"It's just a water tank. I'll buy another one when I go down the mountain later. There's no need to replace it."

"You make it sound so easy. When we brought this water tank up, who was it that was so exhausted that they collapsed on the bed and said they'd rather not drink water anymore..."

The thatched hut was only so big, and the fellow disciples were having a lively argument in the kitchen about whether to buy or replace a water vat. Chu Huaixu could hear everything clearly from his bedroom.

He smiled at Song Ting again and noticed that the other seemed even more nervous, his fists still clenched tightly, his nails almost digging into his flesh.

Chu Huaixu tried to sit up, supporting himself with his other arm, and Xiang Qing quickly went to help him.

Thank you.

Song Ting's eyes flickered slightly, and she mumbled an "Mmm." After a moment, she asked nervously, "Would you like some water?"

"Yes, I am a little thirsty," Chu Huaixu said. "Thank you for your help, Brother Xiang."

Song Ting hurriedly poured a glass of water and fed it to Chu Huaixu while carefully instructing him, "Drink slowly, be careful not to choke."

After drinking half a cup from his hand, Chu Huaixu smiled and said, "No, Brother Xiang is always very considerate. Since he rescued me, he has made sure that I am comfortable in every aspect of my life, from clothing and food to housing and transportation."

Having just endured a painful ordeal, he was exhausted after only a few words and could barely sit up. Song Ting helped him lie down again, and just as she was about to let go, he grasped her hand.

Song Ting subconsciously pulled his arm back, but Chu Huaixu gripped it even tighter, staring at him with his eyes crinkled in a smile.

Song Ting couldn't withstand his gaze and sat down on the edge of the bed in a daze.

He didn't know what Huai Xu wanted him to do, and he felt inexplicably nervous.

"...Alright, alright, junior brother, don't be angry. I'll fix it, I'll fix it, okay?...Don't be angry, look at me, smile, smile, okay, good junior brother..."

The debate in the kitchen has already been decided, and it's clear that Yan Qingshan is no match for his junior brother.

Chu Huaixu withdrew his gaze from Song Ting's face, stared at the direction of the kitchen for a long time before looking away, then stared at the hand hanging on the quilt, and said with a hint of envy:

“I used to have two older brothers. My second brother was old-fashioned and serious. According to my mother, he was just like my father, inheriting his true qualities.”

"My eldest brother is different. He's a bit like Master Yan, always acting erratically. Luckily, he has a reliable Brother Zhou by his side, otherwise he might have blown the roof off the Prince's mansion."

"But I'm not actually the youngest in my family. I have a younger brother, whom I picked up from the roadside."

This was the first time Chu Huaixu had spoken so much since the two had met. Song Ting had been listening quietly, but when Chu Huaixu mentioned the younger brother he had picked up by the roadside, she suddenly stiffened, and the muscles in her back tensed up instantly.

Chu Huaixu, unaware of this, continued, "He's not very talkative, like a mute with its mouth sawed off. He seems very well-behaved, and I'm always worried that he'll be bullied, so I spoil him a lot and always want to give him the best. Who knew... who knew..."

Little did he know that the man was clearly a ruthless and vicious snake, so there was no need for him to worry.

Chu Huaixu couldn't continue speaking. His already pale face became even paler, as if he were in great pain and on the verge of collapse.

Song Ting was extremely anxious. She wanted to reach out and hug him but didn't dare, shrinking back in confusion. Her pupils trembled violently.

After a long pause, he spoke slowly and in a low voice: "Are you talking about Song... is it that person?"

Even though she knew the answer, Song Ting still asked the question, as if it were a form of self-torture.