538: Lu Xueqi (15)

Late at night, with everything quiet, the air in the small room seemed to solidify as the three of them fell asleep.

Although Su Han sat with his eyes closed, his mind was like a taut bowstring, not daring to relax in the slightest.

The qingming sword lay across his knees, its cold touch constantly reminding him of his surroundings.

The distant clamor of Heyang City gradually subsided, eventually leaving only the occasional dog bark and the long echo of the watchman's clapper, making this small space even more tranquil.

Bi Yao lay on her side on the low couch, facing inwards, her breathing initially even, seemingly fast asleep.

But upon closer inspection, one would notice her fingers, resting outside the thin blanket, occasionally curling slightly, indicating she was troubled and not truly at peace.

The bitter emotions she had forcibly suppressed during the day surged back into her heart like a tide in the dead of night.

She remembered their first encounter on Liubo Mountain, their shared life and death experiences in the Dead Spirit Abyss, and Su Han's smile, always tinged with a bit of helplessness yet full of tolerance.

And, last night, his resolute, almost desperate back as he rushed to protect Lu Xueqi.

That unhesitating protection made her feel as if something was Block in her heart, stifling her.

She quietly turned over and, in the dim light, looked at the tall, upright figure sitting by the door.

Moonlight filtered through the window paper, outlining a faint silver edge on him, making him appear solitary and resolute.

She couldn't help but glance at the cool figure on the large bed; even in her sleep, Lu Xueqi's brows seemed to be furrowed with an unyielding chill.

Bi Yao gently bit her lower lip, an indescribable sense of grievance and unease spreading through her.

She knew her feelings for Su Han had long since changed, but facing the exquisitely beautiful Lu Xueqi, also a favored daughter of heaven, especially seeing Su Han's obvious concern for her, she felt a sense of insecurity and apprehension for the first time in her life.

In the end, she could only sigh softly in her heart, close her eyes again, and force herself to sleep, as she needed to conserve her energy for tomorrow.

Lu Xueqi lay on the soft bed, her nostrils filled with the faint, unique scent of the inn's bedding, a mixture of sunlight and soapberry.

But even clearer was the faint, lingering scent of Su Han's crisp aura in the air, and the slightly sweet and warm fragrance wafting from Bi Yao on the other side.

She had cultivated on Xiao Zhu Peak of the Qingyun Sect since childhood, living a life of purity and few desires, rarely interacting with outsiders, let alone spending the night in the same room with two men.

Although Su Han respectfully sat by the door, this close proximity still caused a subtle stiffness in her body.

Her internal injuries were not yet healed, her Qi and blood circulation was not smooth, and a subtle, indescribable turmoil in her heart made it extremely difficult for her to fall asleep.

She could hear Bi Yao's subtle movements as she turned over, and she could also feel Su Han's steady, long, and powerful breathing from the doorway.

This breathing strangely brought a sense of security, gradually relaxing her taut nerves.

Her mind involuntarily recalled her last impression before losing consciousness—that broad back that bore all her weight, and his unwavering figure as he faced a powerful enemy.

Her always calm heart, it seemed, had a small stone thrown into it, creating ripples.

But this unfamiliar feeling made her somewhat at a loss, so she immediately recited the Ice Heart Incantation to dispel distracting thoughts and focused on guiding the Spiritual Qi within her body to nourish her injuries, thus slowly sinking into a state of semi-sleep and recuperation.

Su Han's spiritual sense spread out, and while he couldn't fully perceive the subtle movements and emotional changes of the two women in the room, he vaguely sensed their disquiet.

He also sighed inwardly.

He was not unaware of Bi Yao's feelings, but being in a whirlpool of danger, he couldn't afford to be distracted by other matters.

As for Lu Xueqi, as a fellow disciple of Qingyun, helping her was his duty, but the depth of this involvement seemed to go beyond simple camaraderie.

He shook off these complicated thoughts; the top priority was to recover his strength and ensure the safe departure of all three.

He circulated his Cultivation Technique, and the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi gathered in wisps, nourishing his tired Physical Body and depleted Origin Qi.

A slight tingling sensation came from the wound on his arm, a sign that the flesh was rapidly healing.

The night passed without a word.

When the first ray of dawn pierced through the window paper, dispelling the darkness in the room, Su Han opened his eyes on time.

After a night of deep recuperation, his eyes held an inner divine light; his depleted Spiritual Qi had recovered by seventy to eighty percent, and his spirits were greatly lifted.

He gently got up and stretched his somewhat stiff muscles and bones.

Lu Xueqi on the bed seemed to be startled by his movements; her long eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Her complexion was a little better than last night; although still pale, it had lost that deathly pallor and gained a touch of vitality.

"Junior Sister Lu, how do you feel?" Su Han asked in a low voice, so as not to wake Bi Yao, who seemed to still be sound asleep.

Lu Xueqi propped herself up with her arms, slowly sat up, sensed for a moment, and said softly, "Much better, thank you, Senior Brother Su, for your concern."

Her voice was still cool, but it had a little more strength than yesterday.

At this moment, Bi Yao on the low couch also let out a "hmm," stretched, and turned over, her face still showing the languor of just waking up, and pouted, saying,

"It's morning? I slept all night and my back aches. This couch is too hard. (End of this chapter)"