Back in the Hospital

The glaring white light pierced his vision first, carrying the cold, distinctive scent of disinfectant into his nostrils with every breath.

Tang Wulin's consciousness remained muddled for a few seconds before gradually focusing.

What greeted his eyes was a spotlessly clean white ceiling that seemed almost blinding, with two rectangular fluorescent tubes embedded overhead, giving off a soft, chilly glow that brightly illuminated the entire room.

The walls were uniformly off-white as well. A small blue trash can stood in the corner, lined with a clean garbage bag.

He blinked, flexing his fingertips, and first felt the rough fabric of the bedsheet beneath him, along with the faint scent of sun-dried soap on the pillow.

Instinctively, he raised a hand to touch his waist and abdomen.

His fingertips met smooth, warm skin. There were no hideous wounds, no hardened scabs, not even the faintest scar.

There was only an extremely faint pink mark, so subtle that he would not have noticed it without careful touch. It was as though the poisoned bone blade piercing his body yesterday had been nothing more than an illusion.

Tang Wulin froze for a moment, then pressed the spot again with his fingertips.

It did not hurt. Not at all.

There was not even the slightest soreness. His muscles were firm and strong, and soul power flowed slowly through his meridians. Though he had not fully returned to his peak condition, he had recovered more than half.

He knew clearly that this was the restorative effect fed back by the Golden Sacred Dragon Spear after it absorbed the Evil Soul Master's life force.

He braced himself against the bed and sat up, leaning his back against the neatly stacked white pillows as he looked around.

This was a double hospital room. It was not large, but it was kept impeccably clean.

His bed was beside the window. Through the half-drawn curtains, he could see the lush plane trees in the courtyard, sunlight filtering through gaps in the leaves and casting dappled shadows across the floor.

A stainless steel thermos sat on the bedside cabinet, beside his canvas bag. Its zipper was tightly shut, and everything inside lay quietly in place.

On the other side of the ward, a woman lay on the hospital bed against the wall.

She had long dark-brown hair, softly spread across the off-white pillow, its ends naturally curled.

Her complexion was so pale it was nearly translucent, and even her lips lacked color. Yet her features were exceptionally beautiful: delicate brows, a high nose bridge. Even with her eyes closed, her stunning beauty was apparent.

A thin white blanket covered her. She was tall, with relaxed shoulders, but she lay utterly motionless, the rise and fall of her chest so faint it was nearly imperceptible.

She was as quiet as an exquisite porcelain doll, or a flower that had long since withered.

If Tang Wulin's spiritual power had not far surpassed that of ordinary people, allowing him to clearly sense the thread-thin trace of life within her, he might have thought the person on the bed was a corpse that had long gone cold.

All sorts of medical equipment crowded around the woman's bed.

The upright cardiac monitor glowed pale green, its waveform slowly pulsing as it emitted steady beeping sounds.

Two infusion pumps stood beside the bed. Inside the transparent IV tubes, medicine dripped down slowly, one drop at a time.

An oxygen tube extended from the head of the bed and rested lightly against the woman's nostrils. Several thin electrodes were attached to her chest, connected to all kinds of wires.

Compared to that, Tang Wulin's side was pitifully bare.

There was only a simple IV stand holding half a bottle of glucose. The needle had long been removed, and a small round bandage covered the puncture mark.

There was not even a monitor. He looked exactly like an ordinary person who had merely come to the hospital to borrow a bed for some rest.

He glanced at the woman a few more times, feeling a little curious.

From the looks of it, she had probably been unconscious for a long time.

He wondered who she was and how she had been so badly injured.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Three sets of footsteps sounded in the hallway, drawing closer at different rhythms.

A steady male voice came through the door, carrying the calm tone of a professional.

"You two, this is Tang Wulin's room. The child suffered some blood loss and poisoning when he was brought in, but all his indicators have recovered quickly. You don't need to worry too much."

"Click."

The doorknob turned gently.

The door opened. The first to enter was a middle-aged doctor in a white coat, black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose and a medical chart tucked under his arm. A name badge on his chest read, "Li Qiuze."

Tang Ziran and Lang Yue followed close behind him.

Lang Yue carried a thermos container in her hand. Her eyes were red, and she had clearly been crying. Even her hair was a little messy.

Tang Ziran walked beside her, his brow tightly furrowed and his face filled with undisguised worry. One hand hovered at her arm, afraid she might trip in her haste.

The instant their gazes fell upon the bed and they saw Tang Wulin sitting up, both of them froze.

The next second, the thermos container in Lang Yue's hand nearly fell to the floor.

"Tangtang!"

She cried out and rushed over, throwing her arms around Tang Wulin on the bed.

Warm tears instantly soaked the hospital gown on his shoulder. Lang Yue's voice was thick with sobs as she clutched his back tightly, as if her child would disappear the moment she let go.

"You scared Mommy to death... You scared Mommy to death, do you know that? When Feng'er called and said you were attacked and hurt on the train, your father and I were scared out of our minds..."

Tang Wulin was almost unable to breathe from her embrace, but his heart felt warm.

He raised his hand and gently patted Lang Yue's back, softly comforting her. "Mom, I'm fine now. Look, aren't I perfectly okay?"

Tang Ziran hurried over as well, and the weight in his heart finally lifted.

His eyes were a little red too, but he forcefully suppressed his excitement. Turning to Doctor Li, his voice trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Doctor, how is Tangtang really doing now? His injuries, and those toxins... have they all been cleared out? Will there be any lasting effects?"

Doctor Li flipped through the chart in his hand, then looked up at Tang Wulin's rosy complexion. His tone was calm, carrying the confidence of a professional.

"This child is doing extremely well."

"When he was brought in, he did indeed have a traumatic penetrating wound, along with neurotoxic snake venom. We had already prepared for emergency resuscitation.

But after one night, the wound had nearly healed, the toxins had been completely metabolized, and all his vital signs were more stable than those of many healthy adults."

He adjusted his glasses. There was a hint of confusion in his eyes, but he did not ask further questions, merely assuming the child had an unusual constitution and exceptional recovery ability.

"Observe him for another hour or two. If he feels no discomfort, he can be discharged immediately."

"Bzz—bzz—"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Soul Guidance Wristband on Doctor Li's wrist began vibrating violently.

He raised his wrist and pressed the answer button.

An urgent female voice immediately came through the wristband, her panicked sobbing tone loud enough for everyone in the ward to hear.

"Doctor Li! Hurry to Operating Room Seven! A car accident victim was just brought in—massive blood loss, and the blood pressure is almost impossible to detect! Director Wang was called away for a consultation at the last minute. Please come hold things down!"

Doctor Li's expression changed instantly.

He snapped the medical chart shut, quickly replied, "I'll be right there," into the wristband, then hurriedly nodded at Tang Ziran and Lang Yue.

"Sorry, there's an emergency in the ER. I need to go over first. The child is fine, so don't worry."

With that, he turned and quickly left the ward. The hem of his white coat stirred up a gust of wind, and he did not even have time to fully close the door.

Soon, his hurried footsteps faded down the corridor, along with several rapid instructions he gave while passing the nurses' station.

The ward fell silent again.

Lang Yue still held Tang Wulin and refused to let go, chattering endlessly about all sorts of things.