21: Recovery, the beginning of separation

Late at night.

Simple moonlight spilled from the window, reflecting on the bed in the wooden house.

Under the baptism of medicine, the boy's weak body broke out in cold sweat, groans of pain escaped his lips, and his small face twitched slightly.

Hm?

Seeming to hear a sound, Zhu Zhuqing was startled, turning her head to look over.

Understanding that it was Su Ye making the sound, she stepped over.

Under the moonlight, the boy's face was as pale as water, his small face contorted, seemingly enduring intense pain, murmuring something painfully.

At this moment, he completely lacked his previous wild and unruly demeanor, shrinking his body like a little baby, appearing somewhat frail and pitiful.

“Mom… don't go…”

“Don't leave me behind…”

Listening to Su Ye's murmuring, Zhu Zhuqing's heart trembled violently.

Had his mother died?

Zhu Zhuqing didn't know this question. Thinking back on their interactions over the past few days, the boy before her seemed to have never mentioned his family.

All along, he had acted extremely strong, not even revealing a hint of weakness.

If his meridians weren't completely severed now, and his body couldn't resist the medicinal power's repair, she probably would never have seen him like this in her lifetime.

“Clearly, he wasn't living well, yet he pretended to be strong.”

“And he still thought about helping me change my fate…”

Thinking of this, a film of moisture appeared in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, and she looked at Su Ye with even more pity.

Although this guy never said a good word and often made her angry.

But she could feel the unusual kindness deep within this guy's heart.

No one would risk their life to save another person.

Nor would someone make themselves half-dead for someone she had just met.

Wiping the hot sweat from Su Ye's forehead, she saw that he still hadn't improved, looking as if he was having a nightmare, his appearance truly too pitiful…

Pressing her pink lips together, she hesitated for a moment. Zhu Zhuqing endured the shyness, lay down by the bed, and gently held the boy's head.

Thump——

With such close contact of their private parts, Zhu Zhuqing's heart was in a mess, but seeing the boy gradually calm down and the pain on his face lessen, she could only shamefully endure it.

“We're even!”

“From now on, I don't owe you anything!”

......

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, a week passed.

Drinking the extremely bitter medicinal liquid every day, Su Ye's hands and feet began to move significantly, and he gradually became able to walk on the ground.

After a few more days, behind Zhu Zhuqing's back, secretly synthesizing a Fifth Grade Meridian Continuation Grass, Su Ye's meridians within his body also recovered by about seventy to eighty percent.

In the courtyard.

The sounds of practicing martial arts could be heard.

Striking the throat with two palms to attack the enemy's weak point, Su Ye adopted a bow stance, storing power in his palms before striking out fiercely. This was Eight Extremities Fist's killing move, Yama's Three Points.

Boom, the large tree vibrated.

As if enlightened, Su Ye struck out another palm. His strength, wrapped in Soul Power, erupted with a bang.

Bang——!

A strange force instantly passed through the large tree, tearing the bark on the back, and with a bang, directly blasted a palm-sized hole.

“This…”

Looking at this hole, Su Ye felt it was a bit unbelievable.

His body hadn't fully recovered at this moment, yet he had only used twenty percent of his strength just now to break through the back of the large tree.

If he used full strength, he feared that under one palm strike, this tree would be easily snapped in half.

Su Ye naturally knew that his body, having been strengthened by over a dozen Soul Rings, already possessed astonishing power.

But with that palm strike just now, he hadn't hit the tree directly. There were a few centimeters between his palm and the tree, and it was entirely Soul Power and physical strength that had penetrated through the large tree.

“Penetrating force, it's done!”

As if he had thought of something, Su Ye's face lit up with joy.

Eight Extremities Fist primarily cultivates three major forces.

Sinking force, cross force, and silk-reeling force.

The first emphasizes a stable lower body, the second is the sudden burst of physical strength, and the silk-reeling force is a grappling technique.

And true Eight Extremities Fist masters also possess a more advanced penetrating force, which transmits strength through the enemy's physical defense to attack their internal organs.

In his previous life, his father had practiced for twenty years and still hadn't reached this realm. Even Su Ye had thought this force was mere fiction and didn't exist.

Whoosh!

Su Ye once again gathered strength and struck out with a palm.

As his palm approached the tree trunk, power surged like a river, instantly snapping the tree, which was as thick as a thigh, and sending it flying out of the courtyard.

The large tree landed with a crash. Fortunately, there were no houses nearby, just wasteland, otherwise, it would have caused trouble.

Agitating his injuries, Su Ye couldn't help but cough dryly, but his face was full of pleasant surprise, looking as excited as if he had discovered a huge treasure.

“The combination of Soul Power and penetrating force can actually unleash such terrifying power.”

“This really gave me a big surprise.”

No wonder they say, “Martial arts have Eight Extremities to determine the universe.” It truly lives up to its reputation.

Su Ye remembered that ten thousand years later, Mu En of Shrek Academy created “Monarch Over the World,” which combined spiritual power and physical attacks.

Combining Soul Power and strength, although not as hidden and strange as spiritual power, its destructive power is quite considerable. He can completely forge his own path.

“Your body is in the process of recovering, and you don't know how to take care of it, do you!”

Just as Su Ye was happy, a sudden remark floated out from the kitchen, like a ladle of cold water poured over his head.

Zhu Zhuqing came out carrying the food, wearing an apron around her waist, her face as cold as if someone owed her tens of millions of gold coins.

“If your meridians break again, I won't continue to take care of you. You can just fend for yourself here.”

Knowing that Su Ye coughed because he used too much force, she slightly tilted her head, glared at someone expressionlessly, and huffed.

Su Ye spread his hands and leisurely walked over, “I was just practicing casually, testing my body's condition.”

“I've been lying down for a week already. If I keep lying down, my body will rust. Wouldn't that trouble you even more to take care of?”

Zhu Zhuqing's delicate face was flushed as she pressed her pink lips together. Thinking about taking care of Su Ye's eating, drinking, and bodily needs, she felt utterly mortified.

“Eat!”

Dropping these two words, Zhu Zhuqing started eating by herself.

The unspoken meaning: Now that your body is well, don't even think about me serving you food again, let alone feeding you.

Shaking his head, Su Ye didn't mind. He picked up a bowl and chopsticks and served himself.

Sitting at the stone table, noticing the abundant dishes on the dining table, Su Ye's heart stirred, and he said half-jokingly:

“Oh, not bad…”

“Knowing that my body is better, you're giving me big fish and big meat? Are you preparing to give me a good replenishment?”

Zhu Zhuqing bit down on the chopsticks in her mouth, then pretended nothing happened and continued eating.

The warm sunlight emitted colorful rays. Birds chirped and played. The village at noon was exceptionally quiet.

In the small courtyard, the two people eating lunch looked quiet and leisurely, long having lost that feeling of being at loggerheads.

“I'm leaving.”

The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

The girl's voice wasn't loud, but both people in the courtyard could hear it.

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her head and fiddled with her food, her expression indifferent, as if she was just talking about something unimportant.

But her delicate, upturned eyelashes were trembling violently, clearly indicating that her heart was not calm.

“Is that so?” An unnatural expression flashed across Su Ye's face, but it quickly returned to normal, and he said with a dry laugh:

“Go ahead and go. Anyway, my body has almost recovered, and I don't need your care anymore.”

“In a few days, I still have to go to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt Soul Beasts. I don't want to bring you bad luck…”

Zhu Zhuqing let out an 'Oh' and didn't speak further.

The delicious dishes on the table seemed to have lost some of their aroma.