Du Hangwu, deep in thought, quickly made his way to the door, preparing to take a closer look at what was happening inside. As he watched the servants clean the room from top to bottom, the doctor, Liang Han, scoffed. “Cleaning a room to save someone’s life? If that actually works, I might as well hand over my head!”

Soon enough, the room was thoroughly cleaned. Gu Xingzhao inspected the surroundings and nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad. Now, close the door and have Lu Xingyao stand guard outside. No one is to enter under any circumstances.”

Lu Qing followed her instructions to the letter.

Lu Xingyao, who had been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to witness the ancestor’s healing firsthand, felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him when he learned he would be stationed outside. Disappointed, he reluctantly stepped outside and closed the door behind him, taking up his post.

Doctor Liang Han, unable to resist, tried to sneak a peek inside, but Lu Xingyao blocked his view entirely.

Du Hangwu, although curious as well, wasn’t as blatant as Liang Han.

The two attendants stationed at the door grew increasingly anxious. They regretted agreeing so quickly to the arrangement, thinking they should have insisted on staying inside to monitor the situation.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Gu Xingzhao had set up all the necessary equipment, including a surgical lamp she had purchased from the system’s marketplace. The total cost had come to nearly 10,000 yuan, which pained her greatly. But given Yu Heng’s influence and his connection to Lu Qingsong, he might prove valuable to the Lu family in the future.

Gu Xingzhao liked to think several steps ahead, much like when she saved Liu Xiangbai, which had led to the Liu family becoming staunch allies of the Lu family.

Lu Qing couldn’t see Gu Xingzhao, only the sight of Yu Heng’s clothes being removed. It suddenly struck him that the ancestor was a woman… Would this be considered disrespectful?

That concern quickly faded. “The ancestor is a divine being,” he thought. “In the eyes of a healer, there is no distinction between male and female.” He worried that his earlier thoughts might have been the true offense.

Gu Xingzhao felt a wave of nervousness. Despite the system’s assistance, she was about to perform surgery for the first time, and in such a primitive environment, no less.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she focused on the task at hand, determined not to let her nerves interfere with the procedure.

Meanwhile, Lu Qing’s eyes widened in shock as he audibly gasped. He saw a cut suddenly appear on Yu Heng’s abdomen as if by magic.

Realizing that Lu Qing could see what was happening, Gu Xingzhao spoke in a serious tone. “Lu Qing, if this is too much for you, you might want to turn around.”

After all, seeing someone’s abdomen being opened up might be too much for someone from ancient times to handle. Given Lu Qing’s age, she didn’t want him to faint or suffer a shock while she was preoccupied with surgery.

She wouldn’t have time to help him if that happened.

Lu Qing calmed himself, looking at the strange tools being used. Indeed, the methods of a divine being are beyond those of ordinary mortals.

“Ancestor, there’s no need to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

Reassured, Gu Xingzhao continued focusing on the surgery. Yu Heng’s condition was slightly better than she had initially feared.

An hour passed, and those outside the room grew increasingly restless, particularly the two attendants who, out of concern, tried several times to enter, only to be firmly blocked by Lu Xingyao.

“If you don’t want Lord Yu to die, I suggest you don’t force your way in,” Lu Xingyao warned. “My grandfather instructed me to keep everyone out.”

The attendants, recalling the rumors of bandits being struck dead by lightning, decided to heed the warning and stay put.

But the longer they waited, the more anxious they became, curiosity gnawing at them. “Could there really be a divine being inside?”

Doctor Liang Han sat on the ground, fully expecting to witness Lu Qing’s failure. He couldn’t believe that an old man with a walking stick could cure a disease that even he couldn’t treat.

Meanwhile, Du Hangwu had circled around to the side of the house. Carefully, he poked a small hole in the paper window and peered inside.

To his shock, he saw Lu Qing standing by the bed, leaning on his cane and doing nothing. But what truly startled him was the sight of objects resembling knives floating above Yu Heng’s body, moving on their own!

Du Hangwu’s pupils constricted as he gripped his sword tightly. “Is this what the Lu family means by a divine being?”

[Host, Du Hangwu is spying on you from outside.]

The system’s notification came just as Gu Xingzhao was stitching up the wound. After nearly two hours of intense focus, she was exhausted, drenched in sweat, and barely holding on. Learning that Du Hangwu was watching, she decided to ignore him for the moment.

By the time the surgery was complete, it had taken two and a half hours—an hour less than she had anticipated. Without even removing her gloves, Gu Xingzhao collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. She was utterly exhausted.

Lu Qing, meanwhile, stared at Yu Heng’s wound, which had been stitched up. He had no idea if the procedure had been successful and dared not speak, waiting patiently by the side.

After catching her breath, Gu Xingzhao stood up, removed her sterile gown and gloves, and administered IV fluids to Yu Heng.

Given the lack of a sterile environment, she worried about postoperative complications. She administered antibacterial and anti-inflammatory medications and instructed the system to monitor Yu Heng’s condition to ensure everything was stable.

“I’ve stabilized his condition. He should wake up in about an hour. If he pulls through today, he’ll be cured. However, I’ll leave some medication behind, and you must ensure he takes it as prescribed. Otherwise, not even the greatest of deities will be able to save him.”

Lu Qing was overjoyed. “Ancestor, thank you for your tireless efforts. On behalf of Yu Heng, I thank you for saving his life!”

Gu Xingzhao glanced around, pinpointing Du Hangwu’s location. With a wave of her hand, a bolt of lightning shot out, striking Du Hangwu with lightning speed!

In an instant, Du Hangwu’s body went numb, his face contorted in pain, and his eyes rolled back as he collapsed to the ground.

As Gu Xingzhao packed up her equipment, she informed Lu Qing, “Du Hangwu was spying on us from outside. I struck him with lightning—he’ll be out cold for a while. You can stay here until Yu Heng wakes up and hear what he has to say.”

Lu Qing stood silent for a moment, recalling the day when bandits had been struck dead by lightning. …

“Peeking at a deity and getting struck by lightning—this is Du Hangwu’s just deserts.” But how to handle the consequences?

A frown creased Lu Qing’s forehead as he pondered the issue.

Sensing his concern, Gu Xingzhao coughed lightly. “Don’t worry, I didn’t kill him—just knocked him out. He’ll wake up in a bit.”

Lu Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief. If the officer in charge were to die, the Lu family might not escape the death penalty.

But now that Du Hangwu knew about the divine being, would that cause trouble for the ancestor?

Concerned, Lu Qing asked, “Now that he knows about the divine being… will this bring trouble to you, Ancestor?”

Gu Xingzhao chuckled. “It won’t cause any trouble. If anything, it might make him more cautious around your family and treat you with more respect in the future.”

“After all, I wouldn’t want to see those officers’ whips and swords being used on the Lu family.”

When the door opened, Lu Qing stepped out, leaning on his cane. Everyone immediately crowded around him, with the two attendants staring intently at Lu Qing.

One of the attendants, his voice hoarse with emotion, asked, “Elder Lu, how is my lord?”