Chapter 61 touches upon two small animals licking each other's wounds. ...
After not hearing Qiao Yanshen's response for a while, and now that she was blind, Shen Lixia assumed that she was feeling upset again, just like last time, so she cautiously asked, "Senior Sister, don't you believe me?"
She quickly sat up straight, opened her hands, and spiritual energy slowly gathered in her palms. The gold and red colors merged, no longer clashing as before, but as soft as silk.
Qiao Yanshen was surprised that she had already balanced the attributes. Only then did he realize that Shen Lixia had indeed listened to her and had not relied solely on the divine fire, and had also made efforts in her cultivation.
Unlike when attacking, this spiritual energy gathered very slowly, condensing into a small ball of light before gradually revealing its outline. Shen Lixia held her breath slightly, as if what she held in her hand was not spiritual energy, but a fine material to be carefully sculpted.
After a while, the ball of light stopped changing, and Shen Lixia breathed a sigh of relief and said excitedly, "I can still do this, Senior Sister, you believe me now, right?"
Qiao Yan squinted and looked closely before realizing that it was a bird with outstretched wings.
However, the bird looked quite pitiful. Although it had spread its wings, one side was higher than the other, and its head, which should have been held high, was somewhat droopy and hazy, with no sharp beak visible.
Shen Lixia, standing beside her, continued to explain, "I've been getting familiar with the surroundings these past two days, which has caused quite a bit of trouble for others... But luckily I wore a cloth over my eyes, so people know I'm blind—"
Before she could finish speaking, a finger pressed against her lips.
"It won't always be like this."
Qiao Yanshen lowered his eyes, withdrew his hand, and instead gently touched the bird in the boy's palm. Aquamarine spiritual energy shimmered at his fingertips, then flowed into the bird, giving it a beak, fuller feathers, and a pair of pale blue eyes.
Remembering that Shen Lixia couldn't see these things now, she pursed her lips and used her spiritual power to gently enter the other person's meridians, silently probing her internal condition.
The two had cultivated together several times, and Shen Lixia had become accustomed to Qiao Yanshen's spiritual power, so she was not on guard against him and hardly noticed this wisp of spiritual power.
The liquid spiritual energy within the meridians was abundant, forming a vast ocean full of vitality; outside, however, it was a desolate wasteland, scorched beyond recognition, and lifeless.
Foundation Establishment cultivators are still far from breaking free from the constraints of mortal bodies, so the backlash from the overload of divine fire damages the functions of their bodies.
It should be able to be restored, but the time required is uncertain.
"I wonder if Master Xueya has any ideas," Qiao Yanshen sighed softly. "If only Lixia could be restored soon."
It wasn't that the task was rushed, but rather that they didn't want her eyes to remain dim. For someone like Shen Lixia, blindness was no different than plucking the wings of a bird.
If they need to recuperate, she wouldn't mind the two of them staying in the Southern Kingdom for a while, and going to Shen Yuan's Secret Realm after they've fully recovered.
"Don't worry your master about such a small matter."
Shen Lixia touched the tip of her nose, thinking that her master had also given her a lot of instructions about the divine fire. During the last sparring session, he had also warned her not to rely on it too much. If something happened now, wouldn't writing a letter to cry about it just invite trouble?
Although Yan Xueya never actually got angry with them, and even when she discovered that Yan Xueya had gone astray, she didn't say anything harsh, but only sternly told her not to be so eager for quick success in the future.
She reached for the medicine bowl. "Senior Sister, drink your medicine first. You've been using pills to heal your injuries while you were unconscious these past few days. Now that you've woken up, your injuries have stabilized, and you can start recuperating."
Qiao Yanshen nodded, took the bowl, and gently shook it. The sour and bitter taste immediately wafted out. Before he could say anything, Shen Lixia next to him frowned and stuck out her tongue.
After she drank the medicine without changing her expression, Shen Lixia seemed to have been prepared. She held something in her hand and quickly held it out to her.
She was supposed to place it on her lips, but a slight mishap occurred, and it landed on Qiao Yanshen's chin instead.
"Senior Sister, have some of this. It will make you feel less bitter."
Qiao Yanshen lowered his eyes, his gaze like the surface of water rippling in the wind.
She wasn't afraid of hardship, but she still tacitly agreed with what Shen Lixia meant. She lowered her head slightly, opened her mouth carefully, and put the candy in her mouth, avoiding touching the other person's fingertips.
The sweet taste of maltose bursts on the tongue, filtering out the bitterness of the medicine dregs and suppressing the urge to vomit.
"Thank you, Li Xia." She spoke with a candy in her mouth, her calm voice tinged with a smile. "Let's go for a walk."
Shen Lixia knew that the sour and bitter taste and dregs left in the mouth after drinking the medicine would be very unpleasant, and since she was going to return the bowl to the first floor anyway, she nodded and said, "Okay, I will take good care of Senior Sister."
Qiao Yanshen was still unaware of what her care meant when he saw Shen Lixia skillfully pull down the blanket, then pick her up and adjust her to a sitting position on the edge of the bed.
Then, the other person squatted down and started working.
Qiao Yanshen's confused expression suddenly froze—a soft and warm touch came from her ankle, a little rough, gently groping to put on her stockings.
She panicked instantly, her voice trembling: "No, no need for this..."
Her fair ankles swayed slightly, trying to break free from the boy's grasp, but were instead held firmly and continued without resistance.
Shen Lixia seemed to be very familiar with this. After grabbing the restless ankle, she quickly helped her put on her boots. She stood up and said with a smile, "It's okay. Senior Yun told me before... Senior Sister's arm will need some time to recover its strength. It will be very hard for her to do all this by herself."
His ears and cheeks burned intensely, as if all the blood had rushed to his head. Qiao Yanshen bit his lower lip, feeling a pang of resentment towards his junior sister for not understanding the meaning behind her actions.
Her ankles were now tucked into her boots, but she felt uncomfortable and awkward about it.
"Furthermore, using the Cleansing Technique is also somewhat inappropriate..."
Before Shen Lixia could finish speaking, she had already guessed what had happened in the past two days. She felt her face burning hotter and hotter, and she couldn't hear what the other person was saying anymore.
As if she had heard Qiao Yanshen's thoughts, Shen Lixia chuckled softly and said with a smile, "Senior Sister, don't worry. I can't see and I haven't done anything out of line. I'm just wiping the injured area for you."
Although she couldn't see, she knew that Qiao Yanshen was always aloof and cared a lot about these kinds of interactions.
A pang of regret welled up inside her, and a voice in her heart whispered—she really wanted to see her senior sister's expression right now. So hesitant and stammering, her face must be flushed again, perhaps even redder than when she'd lifted her off the horse a few days ago, like a peach blossom kissed by a spring breeze in full bloom…
After tidying herself up, Shen Lixia planned to open the door first. Being able to help take care of Qiao Yanshen made her feel somewhat relieved, as if she owed him something less, and she felt a little closer to him.
Perhaps because she was too cocky, the boy, carrying a bowl in one hand, walked very fast, veered slightly off course, and bumped into the wall. The muffled thud broke the delicate atmosphere. Qiao Yanshen, who was still changing clothes, heard the solid thud and quickly came over, reaching out to touch the spot on the boy's forehead that had swollen rapidly.
The cool spiritual energy injected quickly reduced the redness and swelling. Shen Lixia covered her head, still shaken, and for some reason felt an urge to complain to Qiao Yanshen, feeling both embarrassed and aggrieved.
She mentally spat twice, thinking to herself that it was indeed taking advantage of someone's illness to kill them; all vulnerabilities would surface when the body was injured.
Qiao Yanshen tightened his grip on her hand and shook his head helplessly: "Don't let go this time, come with me."
After saying that, she murmured softly, as if to comfort her, "The location of this door isn't very good either..."
In an instant, Shen Lixia felt like a three-year-old child who had fallen and been lovingly picked up. The adults didn't blame her clumsiness but attributed the mistake to the slippery ground. She had only seen this before, but now, experiencing a similar situation, the embarrassment vanished, and a light and vibrant warmth welled up in her heart.
No, no, Senior Sister can only be Senior Sister, she can't be...
She shook her head violently, trying to pat her face, but Qiao Yanshen gripped her hand tighter and whispered in her ear:
"Don't let go."
The two went out the door, and Qiao Yanshen walked very slowly up the stairs, waiting for Shen Lixia to catch up with her step by step.
Seeing the boy's cautious manner, she suddenly thought of a kitten learning to go down the stairs, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips. The gloom that had lingered in her mind for the past few days seemed to clear away like the sun breaking through the clouds, and she felt much more cheerful.
They look like two small animals licking each other's wounds.
The layout of this inn is very ingenious. The staircase and the door face a small grove of trees behind it, forming a semi-open layout. Going downstairs, you can walk into the thickets of trees and grass.
After returning the medicine bowl, they went into the woods.
A fragrant breeze wafted in, and birdsong filled the air. Shen Lixia, intrigued, took a breath, squinted slightly, and then uttered a melodious sound resembling birdsong, almost indistinguishable from the surrounding birds, remarkably clear and melodious. Upon hearing this sound, the birds suddenly began to sing rhythmically, as if harmonizing with her.
The boy gave a smug hum, his little braid wagging like a puppy's tail, almost begging for a reward.
Qiao Yanshen was somewhat surprised, blinked, and said with a smile, "Li Xia is amazing."
She had read many books and watched many films in the modern era, but the carefully designed scenes and plots could never compare to seeing it with her own eyes—the boy in front of her was like a daughter of nature, close to all things, and enviable.
"It's a pity we can't see them," Shen Lixia said, her voice rising slightly at the end of the compliment, "otherwise I could catch one for Senior Sister to see."
Although catching birds was unnecessary, her words did remind Qiao Yanshen. She gently held Shen Lixia's hand, pondered for a moment, and then looked around. Thinking that it was still early and there shouldn't be many people here, it was an excellent opportunity. She leaned close to Shen Lixia's ear and whispered, "I'll teach Lixia something, okay? Although we can't catch the birds, we can sense where they are."
Shen Lixia felt her ears tingle from Qiao Yanshen's breath, and couldn't suppress the heat rising within her. She didn't know why Qiao Yanshen was talking to her like this when there was no one else around.
She nodded. "Okay, please go ahead, senior sister. I will listen carefully and learn from you."
Qiao Yanshen couldn't help but smile when he saw her serious expression. Such address and words made it seem as if they had returned to their past relationship, truly interacting as senior and junior sisters.
Perhaps she should be grateful for this opportunity, or perhaps she should find a glimmer of luck in this misfortune, which is that she was able to become acquainted with Shen Lixia.
Even though it hadn't been long and she didn't accept the so-called predestined relationship of past and present lives, she still felt that Shen Lixia had reached an extremely important and intimate position in her life. She had seen her vulnerability, shared her joy, listened to her sorrows and happiness, and was someone she always thought about.
Pulling his thoughts back, Qiao Yan closed his eyes and slowly connected his spiritual power with her in preparation.
"This is... spiritual vision."
She spoke softly, her spiritual energy spreading out and weaving into a fine net that enveloped the surroundings, like spider silk, so that any sound would be immediately heard, down to the smallest detail.
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Author's Note: These two chapters are about the two of them being affectionate, so they're a bit slow and slice-of-life... Feel free to skip if you don't like them!
Feelings are heating up↑
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