Chapter 193 Healing: Why did he cry again?
Snow was falling outside, and the bedchamber was quiet except for the soft crackling of the burning charcoal.
A man in a purple robe entered the hall, and the warmth he felt made him instinctively furrow his brow in displeasure. His hands moved faster than his brain; by the time he realized what was happening, he had already extinguished the two charcoal fires in the shop.
For some reason, he was certain that she wouldn't like such a warm room.
Li Mengbai glanced at the little girl sleeping by the bedside, a mocking look flashing in her eyes. She kept talking about family, yet she slept more soundly than anyone else, unaware that the little girl was sweating from the heat.
He moved his fingertips, and the annoying little girl was moved to another spot, making room for her by the bed.
The person on the bed had been unconscious for a long time, sleeping soundly ever since that harrowing night. Li Mengbai couldn't determine her injuries, unsure whether she was simply too exhausted or unwilling to wake up, so he came to check on her every day for the past few days.
Li Mengbai sat by the couch, wiping her sweat with a handkerchief and lifting the thick brocade quilt for her. He did these things with ease, without finding them troublesome at all. It was as if everything became interesting because it was her. He touched the cinnabar mark on her forehead with his fingertips, then lightly brushed his fingers across her brows and eyes. He couldn't explain why, but there seemed to be a certain energy about her that drew him in, making it impossible for him to look away.
That must have been how she captivated him in the past.
That's when he woke up on this very bed. He couldn't help but wonder if they used to sleep together.
The handkerchief wiped from her cheeks to her neck, carrying a damp warmth, and the smooth touch of her skin made her want to linger and caress it for a long time.
Li Mengbai tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve.
That night made him believe one thing.
Unlike other cultivators who only witnessed her earth-shattering slash, his gaze followed her intently, watching the once-mighty woman stand bewildered and weeping before the entrance to the Netherworld, like an abandoned child. He wasn't a compassionate person, yet at that moment, his heart ached as if he were dying, and as she was about to depart for the Netherworld, his heart pounded with fear, and he rushed over in a panic, trying to stop her.
At that moment, he finally became certain that he must have loved her, or... always had loved her.
But why did I forget?
His past memories were filled with countless blurry faces, but she was clear as a flame, a flame burning silently in the long night.
Such a person should never be forgotten.
Li Mengbai took her hand, stroking her now-empty fingertips, and chuckled softly, "What should I do? I think I'm starting to regret it..."
...
Jiang Yuhuo remained unconscious, and her body grew increasingly hot. Even Xiao Jing knew she couldn't keep the charcoal fire burning in the room; instead, she had to bring in basins of snow and place them by her bedside to cool her down.
The snow brought in quickly melted into water, but Aunt's health showed no improvement. The cooling cloth placed on her forehead even emitted steam, which evaporated in no time.
In this situation, the imperial physicians were completely helpless, and the only one who might have a solution was Master Zhou, who went to the front line, and almost all the cultivators in the palace followed him.
Xiao Jing panicked and had no idea what to do.
In a flash of thought, she suddenly remembered someone. That person was also a cultivator; even though he had broken his bond with her aunt, he shouldn't have stood by and watched her die. But then she thought of that night—hadn't he also stood by and done nothing?
If Master Zhou were here, or Senior Brother Wen, they would definitely have a way and would definitely save Aunt without hesitation.
Having exhausted all other avenues of appeal, Xiao Jing had no choice but to go to Li Mengbai's place in person to plead with him. However, before she could even utter a single word of pleading, he hurriedly took her back before she could finish speaking, even scolding her for not coming to him sooner.
Xiao Jing was stunned by his scolding. She didn't dare to argue back because she was worried about her aunt. But what stunned her even more was that when she pushed open the bedroom door, there was another person inside.
The man, dressed in white with blue hair, sat by the bed, holding his unconscious aunt in his arms.
That face, so handsome it resembled a god, and that long, grey-blue hair—once seen, you could never forget it. He was that merman, your aunt's lover, whom she had accidentally caught kissing in the bath…
Upon seeing them enter, the merman merely glanced at them indifferently and said, "Get out."
Recalling the scene from that day, Xiao Jing felt extremely guilty and instinctively wanted to pull Li Mengbai out.
"You also found someone else?" Li Mengbai's tone suddenly turned dangerous.
A pale blue halo surrounded the bed, enveloping the two of them. Knowing that they were being treated, Xiao Jing felt relieved and, not wanting to cause any trouble, forced a fawning smile, tugging at Li Mengbai's sleeve to lead them out, "Yes, he came so quickly. Thank you, we don't need your help here anymore."
She saw that her aunt's hand was also clutching the hem of that person's clothes at the waist, so she must like this person.
What she could see, Li Mengbai could also see. He could tell that the merman's healing technique was unusual, but seeing her hand clutching the hem of someone else's clothes, an inexplicable anger rose in his heart.
No wonder she was willing to give up everything to break off the contract with him; it turns out she had someone else outside.
But he wasn't someone she could summon and dismiss at will.
The two people left, and the bedchamber became quiet again.
The burning sensation on the person in his arms gradually subsided. He didn't know what she was dreaming about, but tears slowly slid down her face.
Jia Yue gently wiped away the tears. Her cool, soft fingertips brushed across her cheek, and sure enough, the tears in her closed eyes stopped flowing.
"Xiao Hai..."
A faint, indistinct murmur.
Jia Yue was startled, only to see that Jiang Yuhuo had his eyes closed and was just talking in his sleep.
He nuzzled his cheek against the top of her head and whispered, "I'm here, I'm here..."
Whether she heard his answer or not, Jiang Yuhuo moved a little closer to him.
Jia Yue smiled, but tears fell first. "I'm sorry, I haven't been able to keep my promise to you."
"So tired..."
Jia Yue closed her eyes in pain, taking a trembling breath, "I know, I know everything..."
He even knew about that night she fought alone. That earth-shattering slash almost exhausted all her spiritual power; if it weren't for the mermaid pearl supporting her body, she would have shattered on the spot. Just like the time he saw her at the bottom of the Ink Jade River.
That's why the fever came on so fiercely.
After suffering repeated backlashes from the fire element, her body can only last for a year at most.
The body must be replaced within a year.
Fortunately, he has found her body, but it is a body riddled with holes and incomplete.
He finally understood why she was so angry when he said he would go with her to find her original body, and why she flinched away when he accidentally brushed his hand across the back of her head.
"It will be over soon. I will give you back everything you lost."
Once the burning sensation in her body had completely subsided, the merman placed her back on the bed, left with a cool kiss on her lips, and departed as quietly as he had arrived.
After the backlash from the fire element was suppressed, Jiang Yuhuo woke up not long afterward.
She seemed to have slept for a long time; when she sat up, she still carried a cool scent.
Someone came in from outside. Jiang Yuhuo unconsciously looked up, and the person who pushed the door open was Xiao Jing.
The girl's chubby face had thinned out, revealing a slightly pointed chin. Upon seeing her, her mouth immediately pursed, and her dark eyes glistened with tears, as if she were about to burst into them.
"aunt……"
Jiang Yuhuo was somewhat stunned.
Seeing her immediately brought back memories of that night.
She was the one who pulled her back from the underworld, preventing her from returning with her kin. If it weren't for her, she would already be a mere spirit in the underworld. She cried so bitterly, clinging to her with all her might, like an anchor. In a way, one could even say that she stayed because of her. But could she truly be her family?
Jiang Yuhuo couldn't find an answer, so she stopped thinking about it. In any case, her relatives had found peace, and that was the most important thing.
She held the girl in her arms, letting her cry and plead.
"Auntie, you have no idea how scared I was... They're all gone, I didn't know what to do, so I just searched everywhere for them..."
“Auntie, it was that merman who healed you, you know? I didn’t look for him, he came on his own, he just appeared out of nowhere.”
"I know," Jiang Yuhuo said with a slight smile, interrupting her.
She opened her palm, revealing a lustrous pearl, not large in size, but with an exceptionally bright luster.
When she woke up, she found herself pressed against the ground beneath her, and Jiang Yuhuo knew he had been there. But why was he crying again?
"Wow, what beautiful pearls!" Xiao Jing exclaimed, her eyes shining with amazement. "Even my mother's crown doesn't have such beautiful pearls. Auntie, where did you get them?"
Jiang Yuhuo was too embarrassed to say that these were his tears, and only vaguely said, "...These are his."
"So beautiful..."
Xiao Jing's eyes were practically brimming with longing. Jiang Yuhuo hadn't expected her to like it so much. If it were anything else, she would definitely have given it to her.
He had no choice but to pretend he hadn't seen it and silently put the pearl back.
It was from Xiao Jing's words that Jiang Yuhuo learned that a lot had happened in the past few days.
The bad news was that the day after the snowfall in Xidu City, Dayong launched an attack, and the two countries deployed their troops along the Jiuyou Mountain line, and the war had begun.
The good news is that the Immortal Sect has finally decided to intervene and protect the Great Zhou from the invasion of the Yong Kingdom. Therefore, Zhou Sidao and a group of cultivators left the Xuanji Pavilion and rushed to the front line to join the others in the Immortal Sect. However, the Immortal Sect's support is limited to the defensive phase. If the Great Zhou ever wants to counterattack the Yong Kingdom, they will absolutely not lend a hand.
No one knows whether it was the debate that day or the fierce battle that night that made them make up their minds. But in any case, this was a tremendous support for the Great Zhou.
After waking up, Jiang Yuhuo received a flood of invitations, many people wanting to see her, including cultivators from Kunlun, cultivators from Tianque, Ji Qiu'an, and even Prime Minister Wei Liang…
The prime minister did not die.
After she thrust her sword and forced Jia Qianyang's soul out, she used the mermaid pearl to send a few wisps of spiritual energy to his body. She knew that although this wouldn't restore him to his former state, it should at least ensure his survival. And indeed, he survived.
She didn't want to see anyone, and would only occasionally stroll by the Bishui Pond. No one knew what she was thinking.
She wasn't very interested in the war that was taking place not far away, only occasionally hearing Xiao Jing mention it, but never asking any further questions.
In the past few days, Jiang Yuhuo has only seen one other person besides Xiao Jing.
One late night, Li Mengbai entered her bedchamber silently. By the time Jiang Yuhuo realized it, Li Mengbai was already standing at the head of her bed.
Although Jiang Yuhuo was only meditating and adjusting her breathing, she was still startled when she opened her eyes.
Li Mengbai looked at him quietly, his expression calm, but for some reason, Jiang Yuhu could still tell that he was not very happy.
"You remembered?"
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