Chapter 8: Healing
Looking at the silent Xiao Yichen, Liu Qingqing suddenly rolled her eyes and crept closer to him, letting out a sneaky chuckle as she plotted something unknown. Now it was Xiao Yichen's turn to break out in goosebumps.
"Senior Sister Liu, calm down, I'm still an invalid... Th-this isn't proper." Before he could cry out, she gave him a sharp rap on the head.
"What's on your mind? I'm not shameless enough to snatch Senior Sister Yun's partner. I just want you to keep me company for a day. If you agree, this lady will get you a healing pill." Hearing this, Xiao Yichen was momentarily stunned. In the previous breath, she had solemnly declared she would not steal Senior Sister Yun's partner, yet the next breath she was asking him to spend the day with her. How was that anything less than contradictory?As if sensing that Xiao Yichen's thoughts were wandering in a strange direction, Liu Qingqing unusually blushed and slapped him across the head again. "What are you thinking? I'm asking you to accompany me to the market at the foot of the mountain for a day of fun. Although outwardly you have to act as my cultivation partner, it won't be for real. You are not allowed to do anything out of line to me, understand?" As she reached the end, Liu Qingqing's voice grew softer and softer, and her cheeks turned even redder.
Hearing her words, Xiao Yichen finally understood, and a smile couldn't help rising within him. *This young lass must be desperate to find a partner, even inventing a fake cultivation partner just to go show off at the mortal market down the mountain. Still, this tiny sacrifice is acceptable.*
Though he had already agreed in his heart, he still had to put on a troubled expression as he said to Liu Qingqing, "But after all, I am Senior Sister Yun's cultivation partner. Would doing this with you, Senior Sister Liu, be going too far?"
"You mean as long as Senior Sister Yun agrees, you'll agree?" excitement flashed across Liu Qingqing's face.Her relationship with Yun Mei was indeed very close. The reason she had intentionally made things difficult for Xiao Yichen last time and refused to give him healing pills was, first and foremost, because the sect did have a regulation stating that disciples must manage their own injuries. Unless a disciple’s life was in danger, the sect generally would not intervene—at most, they would stabilize the injuries, as they had done for Yun Mei previously. Secondly, she truly couldn't refuse the reward Zhang Qingyue had offered her. Who wouldn't want a fragrant companion? Watching the senior sisters dote on their own partners every day had left her nearly dying of envy.
Without waiting for Xiao Yichen to respond, she took off running with her short legs, afraid he might change his mind.
Before long, she scurried back, looking at him with great excitement. "Senior Sister agreed! She’s giving you a day off to accompany me to the market at the foot of the mountain." Had Xiao Yichen not been covered in injuries, Liu Qingqing would likely have dragged him down the mountain right then and there.
"Ah? She really agreed?" Hearing that Yun Mei had allowed him to serve as Liu Qingqing’s companion for the day, he found it hard to believe. *Are the women of this world really so broad-minded?* he wondered.
Perhaps guessing his confusion, Liu Qingqing stuck out her tongue, glanced around, and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I told her you were taking me to the market, but I didn't tell her you were going to be my companion. Don't you go spilling the beans!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yichen finally understood—so she had lied. He squinted slightly, staring quietly at the girl before him. Liu Qingqing wasn't tall; she only reached his arm. He didn't know her true age, but given her temperament, she was certainly younger than him. Still, since he had joined the sect later, he had no choice but to respectfully address her as "Senior Sister."
Feeling unnerved by his gaze, Liu Qingqing instinctively took a step back. But then, remembering that other than being taller, Xiao Yichen was neither her match in strength nor her superior in rank, she planted her hands on her hips and glared back at him fiercely.
Xiao Yichen was amused by Senior Sister Liu's reaction. After promising that he would accompany her to the market once his injuries healed, he dragged his bandaged frame slowly back toward his living quarters. His bizarre appearance drew quite a bit of attention, causing many people to turn and stare as he passed.At night, Yun Mei came to his room. Looking at the mummy lying on the bed, she felt a pang of sympathy, yet she still couldn't help letting out an uncharitable chuckle. Suppressing the urge to laugh further, she slowly walked over to the bedside.
"Junior Brother, what on earth have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you for two or three days. How is it that the moment you return, you end up looking like this? If Senior Sister Liu hadn't told me, I would have thought you'd run away." With a hint of playful reproach, she gave Xiao Yichen's face a light pinch, then began carefully examining his injuries. As the inspection went on, however, a trace of puzzlement crept into her eyes. "Junior Brother, have you really been taking some kind of medicinal pills lately? Your physical constitution is a lot stronger than before. In less than half a year, I'm afraid you might even break through into the Body Tempering Realm."
Hearing this, Xiao Yichen felt a jolt in his heart. He had tried his hardest to relax his body and make his muscles feel less rigid to the touch, but Yun Mei had still noticed the change. Fortunately, she hadn't realized that the current Xiao Yichen was already on the verge of breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm; otherwise, she would undoubtedly have been even more astonished.
"Hehe, didn't you have Senior Sister Liu help refine some pills for you last time? I just shamelessly asked for a couple for myself." Xiao Yichen lied without turning red or skipping a beat. Right now, he held a weakness of Liu Qingqing's in his hands, so he wasn't afraid she wouldn't help him cover for it.
Hearing that the pills came from Liu Qingqing, Yun Mei furrowed her brows. Something inside her heart felt as though it had been knocked over, leaving a very uncomfortable ache, and she asked the Xiao Yichen on the bed, "Then why would she give you pills? Normally, she's so stingy she wouldn't even be willing to give any to me."
Xiao Yichen hadn't expected Yun Mei to pursue the matter relentlessly, so he had no choice but to spin a wild tale. "This... well, that's because she and I share a bond. Her deceased older brother actually looks a lot like me. Earlier, she wanted me to accompany her to wander around the mortal realm, and she put me through the ringer for quite a long time. The pills were given to me back then. I wanted to refuse, but as Senior Sister, you know how it is—I can't beat her, and she shoved the pills right into my mouth."Hearing his explanation, Yun Mei still felt somewhat uncomfortable inside, but she also knew that Liu Qingqing had been alone and destitute since childhood, and when she was on the verge of starving to death, she was fortunate enough to be taken into the sect by their master.
Perhaps Xiao Yichen's appearance really did bear some resemblance to her brother's. Coupled with the fact that Liu Qingqing had also come to see her earlier today, hoping to get her permission for Xiao Yichen to accompany her out for a day of leisure—at the time, she had been a bit puzzled, but unable to resist the little girl's spoiled pleading, she had ultimately agreed. Now, hearing Xiao Yichen's explanation, it seemed that Liu Qingqing must have regarded Xiao Yichen as a substitute for her own brother.
At this thought, Yun Mei's tightly knitted brows slowly smoothed out. She looked at the person lying on the bed, gently stroked his cheek, left behind a murmur to get some rest early, and walked out the door.
After she left, he rummaged through a nearby pouch and pulled out two medicine bottles. One bottle was the reward given to him by Liu Qingqing—a medicinal pill capable of instantly healing injuries—while the other was a pill Liu Qingqing had secretly slipped to him to treat his current condition. It was easy to see that the little girl was quite eager to hurry down the mountain and play.He opened the second vial, revealing a small medicinal pill inside. Enduring the pain in his arm, he tossed it into his mouth. The next instant, a warm current began to circulate through his body, and soon a tingling sensation arose from his scars. It did not hurt, but it was extremely uncomfortable, feeling like a swarm of ants crawling all over him. He wanted to scratch, but Senior Sister Liu had explicitly instructed him not to, so he had no choice but to hold back.
Thus, Xiao Yichen could only toss and turn in bed, continuously enduring the bodily discomfort until he finally drifted off to sleep late at night. By then, his external injuries had mostly healed; it seemed that another half hour would be enough for him to make a full recovery.
That night, outside the window, Liu Qingqing stood on tiptoe and stealthily poked two holes in the paper window, pressing her large eyes against them. She saw that Xiao Yichen was already fast asleep.
"Sigh... I came a step too late after all, missing the chance to see what happened to Junior Brother after he took my itching powder," she murmured. "Why doesn't Junior Brother take off his clothes to sleep? Oh... what am I even thinking, how embarrassing."