Elixir
Rainwater streamed down Xie Lanchen's cheeks, mingling with his still-damp tear tracks.
He held the gradually cooling person in his arms tightly, his ten fingers losing color from the force.
"How could this happen..." A panicked girl's voice came from the rain.
Xie Lanchen suddenly looked up, his face, still wet with tears, instantly filled with a sinister look.
He saw a girl standing not far away, holding an umbrella. She was about thirteen or fourteen years old, and her coarse cloth dress was mostly soaked by the rain.
She had an oval face and delicate features, and at that moment she was staring at him with wide, almond-shaped eyes, filled with fear.
This face... looks somewhat familiar.
Was he sent by Xie Qingfeng to silence them? His heart tightened, and he held the person in his arms even tighter. His free hand instinctively reached for his waist, but only touched the soaked fabric.
The lone sword still lay forlornly in the mud, the rain washing over its blade, yet unable to wash away the glaring red mark on its edge.
Blood trickled down the sword groove, dripping into the soil and turning the surrounding puddles a pale pink.
The most horrifying thing was that three inches from the tip of the sword, there was a dark red bloodstain that had penetrated deep into the bone marrow, which was exactly where Yun Wei's heart meridian had just been pierced.
Xie Lanchen felt as if the invisible wound in his heart had been torn apart again.
"Sister... what happened to her?" The girl dropped her umbrella, staggered, and knelt down in front of him, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "Is she... is she..." She looked at the blood-stained patch on Yun Wei's chest, unable to utter the word "dead."
"You are... A-Nian?" Xie Lanchen recognized the person, his murderous intent slightly subsided, but his vigilance remained.
After a long pause, the boy finally spoke, his voice terribly hoarse: "Why are you here?"
A-Nian trembled at the ruthlessness in his eyes and hurriedly explained, "This is farmland in our Danxia Town... I heard some noise here just now, so I mustered up the courage to come and see."
With reddened eyes, she continued to ask, "My sister... who injured her? Why was she so badly injured? If her heart meridian is damaged, is she already...?"
"Get out." Xie Lanchen squeezed out the word through gritted teeth, pulling Yun Wei even tighter into his arms.
He was in great pain and didn't want to explain to her.
Unexpectedly, A-Nian grabbed his sleeve, tears streaming down her face, "No! She taught me swordsmanship at Guiyun Temple, and she even protected me when I secretly burned paper money for my benefactor. She's a good person, I must save her..."
Suddenly remembering something, she said urgently, "Master Xu of Biyue Manor is in town! He must have a way to save my sister!"
Xie Lanchen's pupils contracted slightly: "Xu E?"
Why would Xu E appear in such a small place?
But as the body of the person in his arms gradually became transparent, the boy could no longer think of anything else.
Anian hurriedly explained, "The roofs of our village are leaking and we haven't been able to fix them. Master Xu was worried about us, so he came all the way from Biyue Manor to help us. He's staying at the inn in the east of town now."
As she spoke, tears welled in her eyes, and her expression was earnest. "Master Xu is kind-hearted. Seeing that our village is poor, he specially brought people to help us repair our houses."
"Lead the way!" The boy picked up Yun Wei and stood up, rain streaming down his pale cheeks.
He carefully adjusted his position, letting Yunwei's face rest against his chest, trying his best to keep her from getting wet in the rain.
Anyone will do, as long as they can save her...
Upon hearing this, Anian hurriedly got up and led him to run wildly in the rain.
The cold rain lashed haphazardly at the three of them. The girl ran ahead desperately, ignoring the mud splashing onto her trouser legs.
The boy followed closely behind, his arms tightly protecting Yunwei in his embrace, trying to shield her from the wind and rain with his already soaked body.
Even knowing it's futile, I still do it instinctively.
The muddy ridges were slippery and difficult to walk on, but he ran very steadily, avoiding potholes with every step.
In the darkness, only a lantern hanging at the entrance of the small inn in town emitted a dim yellow light.
A-Nian suddenly pushed open the half-closed door of the inn and rushed in, bringing in a gust of cold wind and rain, which startled the owner who was dozing behind the counter.
"A-Nian!" The boss rubbed his sleepy eyes, scolding her with annoyance at being startled awake, "What are you doing barging in in the middle of the night? What kind of behavior is this! Master Xu is a benefactor of our town. He's just fallen asleep after a long day. Don't disturb his rest!"
Before he could finish speaking, he looked up and met Xie Lanchen's bloodshot, crazed eyes, and the woman in his arms, covered in blood and her life hanging in the balance. The rest of his words caught in his throat, and his face turned deathly pale with fright.
The shopkeeper said in a trembling voice, "What...what happened? Anian, where did you bring these people from? Why is this young lady covered in blood? Don't let this cause any trouble!"
"Where is Xu E?" The boy's voice was as cold as ice.
Just then, a figure leaped down from the second floor of the inn, a long sword drawn, its cold light pointing directly at Xie Lanchen, blocking his path.
The man was in his early twenties, with a cold and stern face. He held a three-foot-long sword, the tip of which was pointed directly at Xie Lanchen.
"Insolence!" the man shouted sternly, his gaze sweeping over the group. "You've come in the dead of night, do you intend to disturb the master's peace and quiet?" He slightly turned his sword, the cold light reflecting the wariness in his eyes.
Xie Lanchen sneered inwardly: Xu E's guards? They are indeed loyal to their master... but unfortunately, no one can stop him today.
He pulled Yunwei closer to his chest, meeting her scrutinizing gaze: "Move aside."
"The master has retired for the night. We will report to you tomorrow if there is anything else." The guard did not budge an inch, and the tip of his sword moved three inches closer. "If you take another step forward, don't blame me for being merciless."
The boy scoffed, his eyes growing even colder: "You think you can stop me?"
Seeing the two men on the verge of exchanging blows, the shopkeeper turned ashen-faced with fright. He hurriedly peeked out from behind the counter, waving his hands frantically and pleading, "My two esteemed guests! My shop is small and operates on thin margins; it simply can't afford any more trouble! Look at the furnishings here! These pear wood tables and chairs are heirlooms passed down from my ancestors; even the slightest damage would break my heart. And that celadon vase over there was specially brought from Luohu Town; it's worth three taels of silver!"
"Master Xu is resting upstairs. If we disturb him, how can this old man's inn stay open? Please, you two, have mercy! If you want to spar, why not go to the pine forest outside the town? It's spacious there, and you can spar as you please!"
In his desperation, he even lifted his robe to kneel, his eyes darting back and forth between the sword blade and the tables and chairs, cold sweat mingling with the rain streaming down his forehead.
Xie Lanchen frowned slightly, his heart burning with anxiety at the faint breath of the person in his arms.
Seeing this, the guard lowered his sword slightly, but still stood in front of the stairs and said in a deep voice, "If you have something to ask of me, you can send a letter requesting an audience tomorrow."
The boy sneered, raindrops dripping from his chin onto Yunwei's pale face.
He carefully wiped the water droplets from her face, his eyes icy as he looked up: "Wait? She can't wait."
Ah Nian's face was deathly pale, tears welling in her eyes. She bit her lip and suddenly shouted upstairs, "Master Xu! Please save her! She's dying, only you can save her!"
The guard's face darkened, and he shouted sternly, "Shut up! If you dare to make a sound again, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Xie Lanchen's eyes narrowed, and he was about to lash out when he heard a deep shout from the second floor:
"Step back."
The group looked up at the same time and saw Xu E standing under the eaves wearing an outer robe.
His gaze swept across the scene downstairs, finally settling on the person in Xie Lanchen's arms, and his expression changed drastically: "How could this happen... Quickly bring A-Yun up!"
Xie Lanchen carried Yunwei upstairs quickly, giving the guard a cold glance as he passed by.
The guard sheathed his sword and stepped aside, his eyes still fixed on the boy.
Xu E led them into the guest room and gestured for Yunwei to be settled on the couch.
He quickly took out a jade bottle from his pocket, poured out a bright white pill, and was about to feed it to Yunwei.
"Master, you mustn't!" The guard, who had somehow appeared, looked anxious. "This thousand-year-old elixir is one of a kind in the world. It's meant to save your life. How can you give it to someone else?"
“She is no stranger.” He gently pinched open Yunwei’s chin and fed her the pill. When he looked up, his eyes were bloodshot.
Xie Lanchen stared intently at Xu E's movements, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
He spoke up immediately, his voice hoarse: "What is this? Will she get better if she eats this?"
"This elixir can only temporarily sustain her vital energy, preventing her from immediately... being completely destroyed." Xu E said, carefully examining Yun Wei's injuries.
When he saw the sword wound on her chest, he suddenly looked up at Xie Lanchen, his eyes icy cold: "This wound... was not inflicted by an ordinary weapon... this is the sword energy of the Lone Goose Sword. The Lone Goose Sword is an extremely cold and vicious weapon that corrodes the heart and soul... did you injure her?!"
Everyone present was taken aback.
Xie Lanchen's face turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled as he was unable to speak.
His heart was in turmoil: he had hurt Yunwei... he had personally pierced her heart with the Lone Goose Sword.
He swore to protect her, yet he became the one who hurt her the most.
How much pain must she have been in? How disappointed must she have been? He would rather that sword had pierced his own heart a thousand times over than see her like this now…
“It’s the Soul-Binding Lock… My mind has been controlled.” He spoke with difficulty, each word as if forced out of his throat, “It’s my fault… I would rather that sword had pierced my own heart.”
As he said these words, a sharp pain shot through his chest.
He would rather die a thousand times than harm her in the slightest.
Anian covered her mouth in horror, while the guard showed a look of disdain.
Xu E's expression gradually changed from fury to solemnity. He carefully examined Yun Wei's injuries and said in a heavy tone, "Soul Binding Lock... No wonder. This sword not only injured her soul but also shook her very foundation. If we want to save her, we must find the Reincarnation Lotus and rebuild her physical body."
"I will find it." Xie Lanchen looked down at Yun Wei's peaceful sleeping face, his voice so soft as if afraid of disturbing her, "I will definitely find it."
His fingertips gently brushed across her cold cheek, and he made a vow in his heart: no matter where the Lotus of Rebirth is, no matter what price he has to pay, he will get it for her.
"I just beg you... don't leave like this," he said silently in his heart.
Xu E stared at him for a long time, and finally sighed: "The Reincarnation Lotus is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth, growing on the towering ice cliffs of the far north, blooming only once every hundred years. This journey is extremely dangerous. Have you thought it through?"
"No need to overthink it." The boy raised his head, his tone cold. "I'll set off now."
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