Northern Palace, North Courtyard — Zhou Youyou's chambers.
Inside the room, the air was tense, thick with anxiety. Midwives and maids moved about in a frantic rush, their hands soaked with hot water as they attempted to stop the bleeding that wouldn't cease. The birth had taken a dangerous turn.
Zhou Youyou's amniotic fluid hadn't just broken—she was hemorrhaging heavily.
If the bleeding couldn't be controlled, her life was at stake. In this era, the phrase "two lives in one corpse" was not uncommon.
The oppressive silence in the room was broken only by Zhou Youyou's shallow, pained breaths. Her face had turned deathly pale, and cold sweat soaked her skin. The agony had nearly overwhelmed her, and her consciousness began slipping.
Suddenly, a maid called out, her voice sharp with urgency:
"His Highness has arrived! The King is here!"
The moment those words were spoken, everyone present quickly stepped aside to make way. The atmosphere shifted slightly with hope. Some of the palace maids had long known that the Northern King possessed magical powers.
To them—and to the midwives—his arrival was nothing short of divine intervention. If anyone could turn this around, it was Lu Chen.
Zhou Youyou, though barely lucid, stirred slightly. The mention of Lu Chen's name brought a spark of clarity back to her eyes.
He strode in without hesitation and went straight to her bedside. Taking her cold hand in his, he channeled his spiritual energy and activated the Rejuvenation Hand, his palm glowing faintly with a gentle green light as the healing began.
Zhou Youyou lay limp, her skin pale as snow. It was almost as if the life had already left her.
Her lips trembled weakly as she whispered, "Your Majesty… Youyou may not survive this… But please… make sure the child lives…"
She paused, her breath catching in her throat.
At that very moment, a strange sensation coursed through her—her pain suddenly eased, and her body grew light. Confused, she slowly opened her eyes. The pain that had once wracked her entire body was fading away.
She saw the soft green glow radiating from Lu Chen's hand and instantly understood—he was using magic to heal her.
Lu Chen met her gaze and smiled faintly.
"What were you going to say about the future?" he asked gently.
Zhou Youyou's lips curved into a soft smile. Despite the sweat on her brow and her still-weakened state, she found strength in his presence.
"From now on… Youyou will bear many children for her husband."
As soon as those words left her lips, the midwife exclaimed in surprise:
"The bleeding has stopped! Prepare for delivery immediately!"
Though it wasn't yet time for the child to be born, the premature rupture of amniotic fluid left no choice. The baby had to come out now.
Strangely enough, this premature birth solved a concern that had been plaguing Lu Chen.
He had long been worried about Zhou Youyou's condition. With her belly so large, he feared she wouldn't survive the bumpy journey south if she traveled by boat. Now that the baby was coming early, he could treat her more thoroughly and ensure her recovery before departure. It brought him some peace of mind.
Just then, another maid entered the room in haste.
Seeing that Lu Chen was tending to Zhou Youyou, she did not approach him directly. Instead, she quietly walked over to Chu Yuqin and whispered,
"Madam Chu, the guests in the East Courtyard say they can assist with Lady Zhou's condition. If needed, we may ask them for help."
Chu Yuqin nodded gently.
"I understand."
Her gaze swept toward Lu Chen, who remained focused on healing Zhou Youyou. The glow from his palm was still shining steadily.
Chu Yuqin thought to herself, It shouldn't be necessary to involve the master of Xuanyue Palace. After all, Lu Chen wields immortal arts. No matter how skilled that master may be, she could never surpass someone who knows immortal arts.
Moments later, the sharp, clear wail of a newborn rang out through the room.
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining an heir. Reward: 50,000 Cavalry, two master-level generals, and a population of 500,000.]
The midwife's voice trembled with excitement.
"Your Highness, congratulations! It's a boy!"
She carefully carried the newborn toward Lu Chen.
Because of the premature birth, the child's body was fragile, his life hanging by a thread. In a world without modern medicine, premature infants rarely survived. But the midwife knew—Lu Chen had the power to change that.
She stepped forward respectfully.
"Your Highness… please, help the baby."
Lu Chen nodded solemnly.
"Place him on the bed."
The midwife obeyed at once, gently laying the infant down beside Zhou Youyou.
Thanks to Lu Chen's prior healing, Zhou Youyou had stabilized. She turned her head toward the baby, her face glowing with warmth. Despite her exhaustion, the light of maternal love radiated from her eyes.
Lu Chen then placed his other hand on the baby's small body, channeling spiritual energy once again to heal him.
Gradually, the newborn's cries softened. His tiny limbs stretched upward, flailing slightly as he explored the world he'd just entered.
At that moment, Chu Yuqin's gaze fell on Lu Chen. Her expression shifted as she noticed something amiss.
His complexion had turned pale.
The smile on her lips vanished instantly. She rushed to his side, voice filled with concern.
"Chen'er, are you all right?"
Each use of the Rejuvenation Hand drained spiritual energy, and the world they lived in had sparse spiritual essence. After healing both Zhou Youyou and the child, Lu Chen had exhausted much of his inner energy. His body was beginning to falter.
He felt it too—every healing session left him more fatigued than the last.
His realm was too low. The spiritual energy stored within him was limited. Until he reached the Master Realm, his cultivation path couldn't truly begin.
He responded to Chu Yuqin with a faint smile, his voice barely above a whisper:
"I'll be fine."
Zhou Youyou, lying nearby, noticed his pale face and felt a pang of guilt. She could guess that his condition was the result of healing her and their child.
"My husband… I'm fine now. You don't need to use your immortal arts on me anymore," she said softly.
Lu Chen gave her a reassuring glance.
"Don't worry. I know my limits."
Even so, worry flickered in Zhou Youyou's eyes. She didn't argue further, but her concern was etched plainly across her face.
A while later, Lu Chen sensed that Zhou Youyou's body had mostly returned to its pre-pregnancy state. Only then did he withdraw his hand and stop the energy flow.
But as soon as the treatment ended, his body swayed unsteadily. He looked as though he might collapse.
Chu Yuqin caught him just in time.
"Chen'er!"
His head rested lightly against her chest. Warmth enveloped him. A faint, familiar fragrance filled his nose, calming his breath.
The other women in the room rushed over, surrounding Lu Chen with anxious expressions.
Resting briefly in Chu Yuqin's arms, Lu Chen finally spoke in a soft voice,
"I just need to rest. Don't worry—I'll be fine."
His words brought a small measure of relief to everyone, including Mu Zixuan and the others.
A little later, Chu Yuqin gently brushed his hair aside and cradled his face in her hands.
"Chen'er, have you thought of a name for the child?"
Lu Chen glanced at the baby lying peacefully on the bed. He paused for a moment, thinking, then nodded.
"Let's name him Lu Changsheng."
This child had come into the world prematurely. Even with his healing, Lu Chen knew the boy's constitution wouldn't match that of his older siblings.
He didn't expect the child to achieve greatness. All he hoped was that he could live a long, peaceful life.
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