I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"Therefore, you must be extremely careful when feeding him."

"We can only feed him water and thin porridge."

"Solid food, or food that is too sticky, could easily block his esophagus or enter his trachea, causing him to suffocate."

"Secondly, drinking only water and thin porridge cannot guarantee a person's health and strength."

"This kind of food offers no benefit other than filling the stomach; it will only make you weaker the more you eat it."

"If it's only for one or two years, that's fine."

"But if this goes on for too long, the General might become weak from not being able to eat proper food for an extended period, and then..."

Bei Fangren wisely shut his mouth and didn't say anything more.

His implication was clear; there was no need to spell it out.

Tianzhangyuan's expression changed several times, turning from green to white.

Despite being deeply shaken, she mustered her strength and pressed on with further questions:

"Mr. Northern, please tell me frankly: Will Jiamao be able to wake up?"

Bei Fangren pursed his lips, remained silent for about three seconds, and then sighed heavily.

"Well... it's hard to say."

"He might wake up tomorrow, or he might never wake up..."

"The patient I just mentioned, who had the same symptoms, has been in a coma for two years and has not yet woken up..."

For a moment, the scene became exceptionally quiet.

Qing Deng and the others, as well as Bei Fangren, remained silent.

An atmosphere of depression hung heavy between them.

About 10 seconds later, in this heavy atmosphere, the first person to utter a sentence was Qing Deng.

He hasn't said a word since just now.

"...Mr. Northern, thank you so much for your help during this time."

As Qingdeng spoke, he bowed deeply and gave a very solemn salute to Beifangren.

His thanks were heartfelt.

His gratitude to Bei Fangren was truly beyond words.

Chiba Eijiro, Hijikata Toshizo, Elodie, Tokugawa Iemochi... all thanks to Kita Jin's miraculous healing skills, his beloved friends and family were able to return to the world of the living.

Although Tokugawa Iemochi became a "half-dead" vegetable, he was well aware that Kita Jin had done his best and could not ask for more.

Qingdeng couldn't even imagine what the situation would be like now if it weren't for Beifangren...

He silently added the name "Beifangren" to the list of those who would repay kindness with kindness.

His kindness was so great that he was willing to repay it with his life!

Faced with Qingdeng's sincere thanks, Beifang Ren smiled slightly and said solemnly, neither humble nor arrogant:

"Not at all, General Tachibana, you flatter me. I was merely fulfilling my duty as a healer."

At this moment, Kazuya suddenly parted her lips slightly, letting out a hoarse voice from between her pearly teeth:

"Mr. Northern, may I visit the General now?"

Bei Fangren nodded without hesitation:

"Of course, please follow me."

……

……

Edo Castle, Tokugawa Iemochi's sickroom—

As soon as he stepped into the room, a strong smell of blood and a pungent smell of medicine hit him, causing Qingdeng to involuntarily frown.

"General...!"

In that instant, the strength that Gong Qiang had been putting on crumbled completely.

She lifted the hem of her dress and, disregarding her appearance, strode off in a hurry towards Tokugawa Iemochi.

Looking up, there was a quilt placed in the very center of the room.

The person lying in the bedding was none other than Tokugawa Iemochi.

He had his eyes tightly closed, his upper body was wrapped in burlap, and his face and lips were so pale that they looked as if they were covered with white powder.

Upon seeing Tokugawa Iemochi's current appearance, Aoto was stunned and could hardly believe his eyes.

To put it bluntly... the Tokugawa Iemochi in the carving looks exactly like a dead man! There's not a trace of life in his entire body!

Only upon close inspection can one notice the slight rise and fall of his chest... the amplitude so small it seems as if it might stop at any moment.

After leading Aoto and the others to Tokugawa Iemochi's sickroom, Kita Jin quietly withdrew, leaving them space and time.

Qingdeng and Tianzhangyuan quickened their pace slightly, following closely behind He Gong to the boy's side.

Kazumi sat to his right.

Qingdeng and Tenshoin sat side by side on his left.

After settling down, Qingdeng subconsciously softened his breathing, afraid that his heavy breathing might shatter the frail boy.

Ignoring the disheveled hem of her clothes, Kazumiya instinctively reached out her hands, wanting to stroke Tokugawa Iemochi's cheek.

Suddenly, she realized something, and her two little hands froze in mid-air.

Then, she reached out again, applying the least and lightest pressure.

And so, she carefully and gently touched the other person's face, her movements so gentle that it was as if she were touching a delicate and fragile object.

"General, it's me, Kazuya. I've come to see you."

After speaking, she gazed expectantly at Tokugawa Iemochi's features, awaiting his reaction, her eyes filled with intense anticipation.

At that moment, Tianzhangyuan and Qingdeng leaned forward one after the other and spoke up:

Tenshōin forced himself to stay alert:

"Jiamao, I've come to see you."

Qing Deng opened his mouth, and the title "General" almost slipped out.

However, just as he was about to speak, he suddenly stopped, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

The next moment, he abruptly changed his address, replacing "General" with "Jiamo".

"Jiamao, wake up! See who's here."

The three of them stared wide-eyed at Tokugawa Iemochi's face without blinking.

Anything is fine, anything will do... as long as there's even the slightest reaction!

Even the slightest tremor of eyelashes or movement of eyelids can bring them a little comfort.

They desperately hoped that Tokugawa Iemochi would open his eyes and reveal his signature gentle smile.

However... no matter how strong their expectations were, no matter how eagerly they looked on, the boy before them showed no reaction whatsoever...

His three most important family members were by his side, but he didn't even blink...

After witnessing Tokugawa Iemochi's current situation firsthand, Aoto and the others' expectations gradually turned into disappointment, and then into frustration and melancholy.

He Gong silently shed tears.

Tenshōin closed his eyes sadly.

Qingdeng lowered his head, his facial features becoming extremely stiff, like a soulless doll.

A moment later, he slowly extended his right hand, reached into the bedding, and grasped Tokugawa Iemochi's left hand.

His hands were so cold...like ice cubes, without any warmth at all.

Aoto gripped Tokugawa Iemochi's hand tightly, hoping to warm it with his own and to warm it with his own body heat.

"……do not Cry."

Suddenly, Tenshōin raised his head and said to Kazuya with a serious expression:

"Jia Mao is lucky to be alive."

"Mr. Beifang Ren just said very clearly that Jia Mao has a chance of waking up."

"He might wake up tomorrow."

"So don't cry and whine, there's no need to be so pessimistic."

No sooner had Tenshōin finished speaking than Aoto took over the conversation without hesitation:

"Yes, Your Highness is right."

"Jia Mao has always been very lucky."

"He will definitely wake up."

It was both to encourage the princess and to encourage himself.

Tokugawa Iemochi's survival was the result of a series of "lucky" events.

Fortunately, Tokugawa Iemochi had always had a habit of exercising, which gave him a strong physique and allowed him to stay alive until help arrived.

Fortunately, Qing Deng arrived in time, preventing Shuten-dōji from finishing off the enemy.

Fortunately, there happened to be a famous doctor named Kita Jin in Edo-cho.

If Shuten-dōji were here, he would be greatly surprised.

He schemed and plotted, but he overlooked the fact that there was a miraculous doctor in Edo who could pull Tokugawa Iemochi back from the brink of death.

Hearing Qing Deng and Tian Zhang Yuan's words of comfort, Kazumiya sniffed hard and stopped crying.

At this moment, Qing Deng turned his head again, raised his gaze, and looked at Tokugawa Iemochi's face, hoping that the other party would open his eyes at this moment.

What a pity... nothing has changed...