Chapter 44 That night, she...didn't...

Forced by his imposing manner, Shen Qingming took a step back and hurriedly waved his hand, "I didn't..."

His sneaking out had already displeased his father; if he were to be labeled as a troublemaker on top of that, it was easy to imagine how his father would punish him.

"Ahem," Shen Qingming cleared his throat, "It was just a slip of the tongue just now, Junior Sister Sheng, Junior Sister Sheng."

With a "whoosh," Ji Fuguang unfolded his folding fan.

Shen Qingming shuddered, feeling that every move he made was fraught with danger.

Ji Fuguang's sinister smile deepened as he slowly said, "Junior Brother Shen, your father has been busy these past few days with me overseeing the inner sect selection. I think it's best not to bother him with such childish talk. As for Junior Sister's matter, I, as her senior brother, will handle it. What do you say?"

“Yes, yes, what Senior Brother said is true…” Shen Qingming stepped back again. He vaguely felt that he should never contradict Ji Fuguang at this moment, otherwise the consequences would be very terrible.

"Since Junior Brother Shen understands, then go back and remember what happened today, and don't forget it again."

Ji Fuguang withdrew his gaze and calmly dismissed him.

Shen Qingming glanced at Sheng Zhiyi, bowed, and left.

Sheng Zhiyi watched Shen Qingming walk further and further away, and pursed her lips.

It's unclear what exactly caused the incompatibility between Ji Fuguang and Shen Qingming, but Ji Fuguang didn't seem very happy when he saw Shen Qingming last time.

Is it possible that the young masters are mutually exclusive?

She thought for a moment, then took the initiative to act coy and softly called out, "Senior brother..."

Ji Fuguang seemed not to hear, and slowly walked along the bamboo path.

Chen Huaiyu followed behind, carrying a jar of wine.

She had just run into Ji Fuguang at the crossroads. This bamboo forest path was too narrow, and she could only pass through it before flying back to the manor on her sword. She was itching to go. If it were anyone else, they would have forced their way through long ago, but she owed Ji Fuguang a favor after all, so she immediately followed behind him obediently, carrying the wine jar.

Seeing Ji Fuguang move forward, they immediately followed without hesitation.

Chen Huaiyu didn't notice the undercurrents between the three of them just now. She kept looking down and smelling the aroma from the wine jar, eager to go back and drink to her heart's content.

Sheng Zhiyi watched helplessly as Ji Fuguang brushed past her, completely ignoring her.

Ignoring the bitterness in her heart, she bit her lip and trailed behind the two.

As Ji Fuguang walked, he shook his folding fan and said in a clear, gentle voice, "Elder Chen."

Chen Huaiyu immediately looked up, a bright smile on his face, and greeted Ji Fuguang warmly, "Junior brother, what's wrong?"

"Is this your newly brewed wine?" Ji Fuguang adjusted his fan, pointed to Chen Huaiyu's wine jar, and pretended to chat casually.

"Yes!" Chen Huaiyu was overjoyed when the wine was mentioned. She boasted, "This wine is mellow and fragrant, and its flavor is different from the last one. It is truly a top-quality wine."

It was all thanks to Ji Fuguang who helped her improve the technique. This guy was quick to apply what he learned to other situations and told her that there were a few things that could be slightly changed. Sure enough, the wine she brewed was different every time.

Thinking of this, Chen Huaiyu's eyes became even more fervent.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Zhiyi's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition spread up her spine. She suddenly raised her head and looked at Ji Fuguang as if begging for mercy.

Noticing her gaze, Ji Fuguang turned his head slightly, and the two looked at each other across the distance.

Her almond-shaped eyes were filled with pleading and fear, while her phoenix eyes were cold and cruel.

Ji Fuguang slowly curled the corners of his lips, revealing a hint of deliberate malice, his voice soft and clear:

"The wine from last time..."

"The wine last time was naturally quite good! I shared it with several people, and they all said it was elegant and lingering, quite similar to 'Celestial Intoxication.' Most importantly, it had a pleasant aroma but didn't make you drunk; even a three-year-old could drink it. Several elders even asked me to share some with their grandchildren..."

Instantly, Sheng Zhiyi's face turned deathly pale, and her body swayed precariously, like a leaf falling in the wind.

Chen Huaiyu's words were clear and direct, and she could no longer find a reason to cover them up.

That night, she...wasn't drunk at all...

Sheng Zhiyi suddenly stopped and reached out to support Cuizhu beside her.

"We have now exited the bamboo forest. Elder Chen, please go first."

Ji Fuguang's voice rang out from ahead, but Sheng Zhiyi didn't have the strength to lift her head.

Chen Huaiyu was anxious, but out of courtesy, he said a few words, "Junior brother, it's alright, I'm not in a hurry."

Ji Fuguang's voice was tinged with laughter, "Elder Chen, I have some matters to discuss with my junior sister in detail. Please."

Chen Huaiyu didn't care about their affairs. Upon hearing this, he didn't refuse anymore and took three steps at a time, leaving the bamboo forest and flying away on his sword.

Sheng Zhiyi held onto the bamboo pole with one hand, her head bowed low, her lips completely devoid of color on her pointed chin.

She noticed Ji Fuguang slowly taking a step, getting closer and closer.

She bit her lip, then subconsciously looked up and whispered, "Senior brother..."

But I didn't know what to say.

An apology... But what is she apologizing for...?

Ji Fuguang walked closer and closer, until the two were only a step apart.

Sheng Zhiyi looked at him pitifully, "Senior brother... I... I was wrong..."

In short, Ji Fuguang seemed even more unhappy, so he decided to apologize first.

The next instant, Sheng Zhiyi's eyes widened suddenly.

Ji Fuguang raised his hand and slapped Sheng Zhiyi on the chest.

Sheng Zhiyi suddenly collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from her mouth.

Crimson blood fell onto Ji Fuguang's clothes, like plum blossoms blooming in the snow.

Ji Fuguang lifted his foot and walked to Sheng Zhiyi's side.

Sheng Zhiyi reached out with difficulty and grabbed his clothes, her eyes filled with tears.

"Senior brother... please don't be angry..."

“Angry?” Ji Fuguang suddenly gave a cold laugh. He leaned down to look at Sheng Zhiyi. “Why would I be angry with a dead man? You are suffering from internal injuries, yet your treatment has been delayed. I’m afraid you won’t live past the finals in seven days.”

He looked down at them, his gaze cold and distant.

Just for the sake of pride, they don't value their own lives and would rather die than risk their own.

If he hadn't brought Chen Huaiyu to confront him today, how long was she planning to keep delaying?

Sheng Zhiyi made a "hoarse" sound in her throat, spitting out another mouthful of blood that landed on Ji Fuguang's leg. She murmured:

"Senior brother... don't be angry..."

Ji Fuguang watched as her pale lips turned blood red, and the rest of his words were swallowed, unable to be uttered.

As the competition progressed and the opponents grew stronger, they gradually discovered that Sheng Zhiyi was invincible in swordsmanship, but lacked spiritual power, so they launched numerous attacks in this area.

Sheng Zhiyi was constantly suffering from internal injuries. Other outer disciples had relatives and friends who could use their spiritual power to help repair their meridians and heal their injuries. At the very least, they could use their accumulated monthly salary to buy medicine.

Sheng Zhiyi had nothing. There was no one to heal her wounds, no spirit stones to buy medicine, and she hadn't even had any system tasks in the past few days, so her points were zero. She could only grit her teeth and finish one match after another.

She didn't want to admit it, but she actually had a secret thought in her heart.

Will Ji Fuguang discover this?

Would he just stand by and watch her get seriously injured?

Thankfully... Ji Fuguang is still Ji Fuguang; he won't watch her die...

Sheng Zhiyi grabbed Ji Fuguang's clothes, and before she could speak, tears began to fall.

Senior, it hurts so much every time you play with an injury...

Ji Fuguang stared at Sheng Zhiyi with a cold gaze until her tears soaked the hem of his clothes.

Finally, he bent down, held Sheng Zhiyi in his arms, and flew towards Shuanghua Peak.

Sheng Zhiyi lay in Ji Fuguang's arms, clutching his clothes, the familiar scent of pear blossoms filling her nostrils, both rich and refreshing.

The long-awaited fragrance finally appeared, bringing her peace of mind.

It's alright... Ji Fuguang is here, everything can be resolved...

The two soon arrived at Shuanghua Peak, where Ji Fuguang carried Sheng Zhiyi into the villa.

He placed Sheng Zhiyi on the bed, his tone icy:

"Your internal injuries are now incurable and have become chronic due to the long delay. I will channel my spiritual energy into your body to repair your meridians one by one."

Suddenly, he raised the corners of his lips, revealing a cruel smile.

"The process will be extremely painful, and this is the price you pay for delaying treatment."

Sheng Zhiyi sensed his displeasure, but instead of speaking, she reached out and tugged at his sleeve to indicate that she understood.

Ji Fuguang was still dissatisfied and deliberately raised his eyebrows, "Junior Sister, didn't you understand?"

Sheng Zhiyi wrinkled her nose, knowing he was deliberately picking a fight, and replied in a drawn-out voice, "I understand—thank you, senior brother, I will take this lesson to heart."

Ji Fuguang glanced at her but said nothing more.

Sheng Zhiyi lay flat on the bed, raised one arm, and let the sleeve fall down, revealing her slender wrist.

Her palm was hanging in the air when suddenly the back of her hand landed on something warm.

Turning her head, she was astonished to find that Ji Fuguang had placed her hand on his thigh.

"Calm down and gather your energy, embrace the original essence and guard the one."

Before she could say anything, Ji Fuguang's cold voice came over, as if warning her not to do or think anything recklessly.

The flow of another person's spiritual energy through one's meridians is an extremely dangerous thing. If one is not careful, it can cause a spiritual energy storm that is difficult to cure with medicine.

Sheng Zhiyi was well aware of the implications, so she immediately closed her eyes, cleared her mind of all distracting thoughts, and focused all her attention on her dantian.

Ji Fuguang placed his fingers on Sheng Zhiyi's wrist, and his rich and gentle spiritual energy slowly flowed into her body.

As he channeled his spiritual energy into Sheng Zhiyi's meridians, Ji Fuguang slowly raised his eyes and looked at Sheng Zhiyi lying on the bed.

This kind of thing would naturally require full concentration for others, but it was not a difficult task for Ji Fuguang.

But he never did it to anyone else, and he always made excuses in such situations.

As the spiritual energy slowly flowed out, the demonic energy hidden in the dantian lost its suppressive power and poured out unchecked.

The shadows in the courtyard slowly expanded and spread, gradually overflowing along the ground, like a surging volcano, ready to sweep in at any moment.

A cold smile crept across Ji Fuguang's lips.

Do you think these things can turn the tables and take control?

He abruptly withdrew his demonic energy, and the shadow erupted with a silent explosion before immediately wilting and shrinking back into the corner.

On the bed, Sheng Zhiyi let out a muffled groan, her brows furrowed.

Just a moment ago, the spiritual energy seemed to suddenly expand, and she felt a faint pain in her chest.

However, the spiritual energy quickly returned to its initial gentle and generous state, patiently repairing the damaged meridians.

Sheng Zhiyi lay on the bed, her brows gradually relaxing, and her fingers gently clenching.

Her fingertips touched Ji Fuguang's hand.