Late autumn sunlight filtered through the infirmary window, casting dappled light onto Su Yao’s bandaged arm. The sharp tang of disinfectant mingled with the scent of osmanthus drifting in from outside, weaving a strange atmosphere in the air. Lin Yu was carefully replacing her herbal dressings, his fingertips trembling with an imperceptible tremor. "Don't take such risks again," he murmured, his hair falling forward to veil the turbulent emotions in his eyes.
Zhao Ya burst in, bustling with energy as she carried a thermal pot, her ponytail swaying with her every move. "I made angelica and black-bone chicken soup! The doctor said you two need to build up your strength." She flipped open the lid, and steam carrying a rich, savory aroma instantly filled the room. Su Yao struggled to sit up, but the two of them pressed her back down simultaneously. Zhao Ya chided her, "You're hurt this badly and still trying to be tough? If you keep moving around, I’ll tell the counselor you were secretly fighting!"
The joke eased the tension slightly, but Su Yao knew the crisis was far from over. She reached for the black jade pendant tucked away against her body—the object she had risked her life to snatch from the evil cultivator before he self-detonated. The surface of the pendant was carved with twisted runes, icy to the touch. Whenever the night grew quiet, the runes would emit a faint, ghostly blue light, flowing as if they were alive.
Chapter 190