It's even more horrific than he could have guessed. He's an outsider and never had a head for memorizing the intricacies of any family tree but his own. He knew things were bad for Jin Guangyao at Lanling but hadn't realized this was what was going on.

Nie Huaisang decides in that moment there's no way he's allowing his friend return to Lanling after this. The oath that binds him to his brother, binds him to himself as well, as indirect as it might be. Jin Guangyao is family and he simply isn't going to stand for any member of his family being treated this way.

"Treat his injuries as if they were my own," he orders the physician without a second thought. "Give him the same quality of care. Leave my brother to me."