Chapter 172: A Small Bruise on His Head

Chapter 172: A Small Bruise on His Head

Upon seeing Mo Zhongyuan settle down, the others finally had the chance to examine the room.

The space wasn't large; apart from a bed, there was only an iron pot and a set of utensils in the corner by the entrance. Beside them lay a dead hare, which seemed to have been hunted by Fifth Elder Brother. Everyone guessed that these were Mo Zhongyuan's daily belongings.

After taking a good look around, Mo Jiuya spoke up.

"Eighth Elder Brother, Mother and the sisters-in-law are still waiting for news from us. Why don't you go back and inform them? Ran Ran and I will stay here and keep watch over Fifth Elder Brother. There aren't any habitable houses here, and it's unlikely we could seek shelter in the other two families' dwellings now. Luckily, everyone has their tents. If we light more fires around the area, we should manage for the night."

Mo Chuhan first glanced at the unconscious Mo Zhongyuan before responding, "Alright, I'll head back right away and make arrangements. You and Sister-in-law will have to work hard here with Fifth Elder Brother."

As Mo Chuhan's figure receded into the distance, He Zhiran retrieved a flashlight from her spatial dimension to serve as temporary lighting.

Mo Jiuya inquired, "Ran Ran, is there a cure for Fifth Brother's poison?"

"I can formulate an antidote, but it will take some time."

As she spoke, she retrieved a blood sampling kit from her space and drew some of Mo Zhongyuan's blood, promptly sending it into the space.

"It might not be convenient to study the poison right now. Let's discuss it later."

Though they couldn't detoxify Mo Zhongyuan just yet, they couldn't bear to leave him bound by the chains any longer.

At that moment, He Zhiran's flashlight illuminated a key on the ground.

She bent down to pick it up and held it against the lock on the chain – it was a perfect fit.

Taking the key, Mo Jiuya unlocked the chains immediately.

From this key, it was highly likely that Mo Zhongyuan had locked himself up. The probable reason was his fear of losing control during his episodes.

Mo Jiuya gently settled Mo Zhongyuan onto the bed, his mind already flooded with questions.

If Fifth Brother was still alive, why hadn't he contacted their family? And how did he end up here? Who had poisoned him?

Six years ago, the first of the Mo family's sons to meet his demise was Mo Zhongyuan. At that time, Mo Jiuya had been serving as Nan Qi's companion in studies.

The news the Mo family received was that Mo Zhongyuan, while leading soldiers to pursue the enemy, had tragically fallen into an ambush. The surviving soldiers had returned with his body that very night.

The more Mo Jiuya thought about it, the more confused he became. He simply couldn't fathom how Fifth Brother could have survived such poisoning and remained alive in this place.

It seemed that she could only wait for Fifth Brother to wake up before asking him about all this.

He Zhiran estimated the time. If Mo Chuhan had informed the female members of the Mo Family about Mo Zhongyuan's survival, it would take at least ten minutes for them to rush over.

Mo Chuhan had been gone for five minutes now, leaving her with another ten minutes to quickly examine Mo Zhongyuan.

With that in mind, she pulled Mo Jiuya and Mo Zhongyuan into the space with her.

She swiftly used the medical equipment to check on two vital organs, his head and heart.

To avoid raising suspicion from the Mo Family members who would soon arrive, she left the space with the two of them after the examination.

After settling Mo Zhongyuan back onto the bed, Mo Jiuya anxiously asked, "Ran Ran, how is Fifth Brother's condition?"

"Other than some issues with his head, Fifth Brother seems fine," He Zhiran replied.

Mo Jiuya was somewhat puzzled.

"What's wrong with Fifth Brother's head?"

"There's a small bruise on his head, likely caused by external force."

Mo Jiuya pressed on, "Will this bruise harm Fifth Brother in any way?"

He Zhiran shook her head. "Fifth Brother hasn't woken up yet, so I can't be sure of the exact damages. The most common consequences might be temporary blindness or impaired hearing. It could also lead to losing control over half his body or even memory loss..."

Upon hearing this, Mo Jiuya's brows knitted tightly together.

"If these issues do arise for Fifth Brother, can they be treated?"

"It's hard to say; it depends on the specifics of the case."

The room fell into a brief silence. He Zhiran was pondering over the potential effects of Mo Zhongyuan's head injury.

At present, the only possibility she could rule out was paralysis, since when she first discovered Mo Zhongyuan, he was standing upright with an even distribution of strength in his legs. Thus, this could be crossed off the list.

As for the rest, it would have to wait until Mo Zhongyuan regained consciousness.

Mo Jiuya, on the other hand, was somewhat worried. Fifth Brother was a proud man; upon waking up and realizing his shortcomings, he would undoubtedly suffer greatly.

Just as the two were lost in thought, hurried footsteps echoed from outside, accompanied by a woman's sobs.

He Zhiran hastily stowed away her flashlight into her space.

Madame Mo's voice reached them before she did.

"Chuhan, is your Fifth Brother really here?"

"Mother, Fifth Brother is indeed here. You'll see him soon."

The door was pushed open swiftly from the outside, and the first person to rush in was Fifth Sister-in-law Zhao Jiajia.

She hurried over to He Zhiran and grabbed hold of her arm.

"Ninth Sister-in-law, where is your Fifth Brother?"

Under the illumination of Mo Chuhan's torch, He Zhiran escorted Fifth Sister-in-law Zhao Jiajia to her bedside.

"Fifth Sister-in-law, please remain calm. Brother Fifth is still in a deep slumber. You should stay here and keep an eye on him for now."

How could Fifth Sister-in-law Zhao Jiajia attend to He Zhiran's admonishments at this moment?

She instantly threw herself onto Mo Zhongyuan's chest, weeping bitterly.

"Dearest husband, you're really still alive! That's wonderful, you didn't die... Sobs sobs sobs..."

Fifth Sister-in-law Zhao Jiajia was shaking Mo Zhongyuan's body frenziedly, wishing she could rouse him instantly.

Madame Mo, on the other hand, was supported by Mo Hanyue and Mo Chuhan on either side as they arrived by the bedside.

He Zhiran stepped forward to forcefully help Fifth Sister-in-law up.

"Fifth Sister-in-law, Brother Five isn't in the best condition. Please don't hurt him."

Actually, it wouldn't have been a problem if Fifth Sister-in-law had shaken Mo Zhongyuan a few times, He Zhiran thought. Given her current emotional state, she might not have been able to calm down without resorting to such measures.

Sure enough, upon hearing that her actions could harm her husband's health, Fifth Sister-in-law promptly ceased her movements.

She rose reluctantly, struggling to hold back her tears.

"Ninth Sister-in-law, please save my Fifth Brother! You must!"

He Zhiran understood that the Old Madam wished to see her son and thus pulled Fifth Sister-in-law aside to make room.

"Fifth Sister-in-law, don't worry. I'll do everything in my power to save your Fifth Brother."

Fifth Sister-in-law nodded vigorously. "Yes, Ninth Sister-in-law is the most skilled doctor I've ever seen. She will definitely cure your Fifth Brother."

At this moment, the Old Madam had reached the bedside and, by the flickering torchlight, studied Mo Zhongyuan closely.

"Zhongyuan, it's Mother here. Open your eyes and look at me..."

As she spoke, the Old Madam couldn't contain her grief any longer and broke down in tears.

What wrong had the Mo family committed for their son to return from the dead, only to suffer such miserable fates?

Mo Hanyue wept incessantly on the side, as did her sisters-in-law. They gazed at Mo Zhongyuan, who lay on the bed like a beggar, their hearts filled with immense sorrow.

Everyone remained by Mo Zhongyuan's side, none of them intending to leave.