617: Lu Xueqi (94)

"The medicinal properties of the jade marrow rejuvenation pill are mild and long-lasting; it will continue to nourish Miss Bi Yao's Physical Body and Divine Soul for at least seven days."

Elder Mu carefully observed Bi Yao's complexion and sent out a thread of True Essence to probe her internal condition. Finally, he breathed a complete sigh of relief, the wrinkles on his face smoothing out.

"External healing is only a matter of time, and the damaged Meridians and internal organs are also recovering rapidly. Most importantly, the Malice Qi has been cleared extremely thoroughly, leaving no hidden dangers. Although her Origin has been depleted, it has stabilized under the dual nourishment of the soul-stabilizing pearl and the Medicinal Pill. With proper care in the future, supplemented by suitable Spirit Medicine, she will surely recover as before. She might even find a blessing in disguise."

Upon hearing Elder Mu's authoritative conclusion, the string of Su Han's heart, which had been stretched to the limit, finally made a "zheng" sound and slowly relaxed.

What followed was an exhaustion that almost drowned him, along with a surging, overwhelming joy of regaining what was lost.

Still holding Bi Yao's hand, he looked up at Elder Mu, then at Lu Xueqi, whose face was still somewhat pale but whose expression was calm, and finally toward the faint figures outside the hall.

He wanted to say many things—to thank Elder Mu for his full support, to thank Lu Xueqi for her timely assistance and the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder at the critical moment, and to thank Shi Yue and the Town Yue Tower for their protection... But a thousand words were choked in his chest, finally turning into two most solemn words.

"Thank you."

His voice was raspy, yet heavy as a mountain.

Elder Mu waved his hand, his exhaustion tinged with relief.

"It is a healer's duty. Besides, Miss Bi Yao was injured while saving my Qing Yun Disciples; how could I not do my best? Now that she has been saved, it is the best possible outcome."

Lu Xueqi merely shook her head slightly, her gaze falling on Bi Yao's face as she said softly.

"You have already thanked me."

She paused and added.

"Besides, I owe her."

Listening to their conversation, Bi Yao's long eyelashes fluttered gently, but she said nothing.

Her gaze merely drifted slowly between Su Han, Lu Xueqi, and Elder Mu, deeply imprinting the current scene into her mind.

The medicinal power continued to take effect, a warm sensation enveloping her entire body, and her Divine Soul felt incredibly secure within the cool aura of the soul-stabilizing pearl.

A strong sense of fatigue struck again, but this time, it was no longer the painful, weak grogginess from before. Instead, it was a healthy drowsiness produced as the body repaired itself and absorbed the medicinal power.

Her eyelids began to droop again.

"Sleep."

Su Han noticed her sleepiness and spoke softly.

"Sleep peacefully. I'm here; it's safe."

His voice seemed to carry a reassuring magic.

Looking at him, Bi Yao finally stopped forcing herself. She gave a soft "mm" and slowly closed her eyes.

This time, her breathing was even and long, her brow relaxed, and there was even a faint, relaxed curve at the corner of her mouth as she truly fell into a deep, restorative sleep.

The light of the soul-stabilizing pearl softly enveloped her head, and the power of the jade marrow rejuvenation pill flowed and spread through her body like a tide.

Tranquility returned to the hall.

But the atmosphere was now completely different.

The previous heaviness, oppression, and anxiety were replaced by a calm sense of survival and a faint hope.

Elder Mu said to Su Han and Lu Xueqi.

"Miss Bi Yao is no longer in any danger; what follows is quiet recuperation. With the soul-stabilizing pearl, her Divine Soul is safe. The power of the jade marrow rejuvenation pill will continue to disperse. I will come every day to check on her and help guide the medicinal power to speed up her recovery."

"Thank you, Elder," Su Han thanked him again.

Elder Mu nodded, took another look at the sleeping Bi Yao, and turned to leave. He had also exhausted a great deal and needed to meditate to recover.

In the hall, only Su Han, Lu Xueqi, and the sleeping Bi Yao remained.

The light from the moonlight stones fell quietly.

Su Han still sat by the jade bed, maintaining the posture of holding Bi Yao's hand, like a statue.

Only the emotions constantly churning in his eyes showed the turmoil in his heart.

Lu Xueqi also stood quietly, gazing at Bi Yao's sleeping face, her thoughts unknown.

After a long time.

Su Han finally spoke again, his voice low.

"Senior Sister Lu, this time... I really owe it to you. If you hadn't arrived in time to suppress the Malice with the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

Lu Xueqi's gaze moved from Bi Yao's face to Su Han.

She saw the bloodshot lines filling Su Han's eyes, the still-wet bloodstains in his palms where he had dug his own nails in, and the subtle, hard-to-detect trembling of his body even after relaxing.

It was a manifestation of the sudden relaxation after intense mental tension and the difficulty of self-control under the impact of immense emotion.

"When I arrived, I happened to sense the outbreak of Malice Qi."

Lu Xueqi's voice was calm as she recounted the situation.

"Elder Mu's message only said the situation was critical and required the help of lightning techniques. I didn't know the specifics, but since it was related to Malice, the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder might be able to suppress it. As for the timing..."

She paused.

"It was Elder Mu who told me via True Essence transmission, stating that the moment the bone spike left the body would be the moment the Malice erupted, and the divine thunder needed to be precisely channeled into the wound. What I did was merely follow instructions and trigger the lightning."

She spoke of it lightly.

But Su Han knew what kind of precise judgment, decisive action, and exquisite control over the power of lightning lay behind those words "merely follow instructions."

With the slightest error, the power of lightning would either be insufficient to cleanse the Malice or would damage Bi Yao's foundation.

In that situation, there was no room for the slightest hesitation or mistake.

"Regardless, Su Han will keep this favor in his heart," Su Han said solemnly.

Lu Xueqi shook her head, seemingly unwilling to dwell further on words of thanks.

She was silent for a moment before suddenly asking.

"What are your... plans for later?"

Su Han glanced at the sleeping Bi Yao and felt the condition of his own body.

Prolonging Bi Yao's life and nourishing her Meridians had cost him greatly, and he had been in a state of high tension and True Essence output. Now that he had relaxed, he felt empty all over, and his Meridians throbbed with pain.

"Bi Yao needs quiet rest, at least until her injuries stabilize enough to withstand the bumps of a journey. I also need time to recover. I'm afraid... we will have to trouble you here for a while."

He paused and looked at Lu Xueqi.

"Senior Sister Lu, you..."

"I need to report back to my sect."

Lu Xueqi said.

"This trip down the mountain was originally to investigate the movements of the Demonic Sect. I was ambushed by the Ghost King Sect, saved by Miss Bi Yao, and escorted all the way to Town Yue Tower... This matter needs to be reported in detail to Sect Head Immortal Master Dao Xuan and my master, Great Master Shui Yue. And..."

Her gaze fell on Bi Yao's face again, a flash of complex and indefinable light in her cold eyes.

"Miss Bi Yao's identity... is sensitive, after all. She saved my life, and I will naturally explain this to the sect. But as the daughter of the Ghost King Sect's Sect Master, her prolonged stay in the lands of the Righteous Path might lead to complications. Although Town Yue Tower is transcendent, it is not completely isolated from the world."

Su Han was silent.

He knew what Lu Xueqi said was the truth.

The divide between righteous and demonic was like a vast chasm. (End of Chapter)