Pei Ji had a nightmare.
In his dream, he returned to the home where he once lived, the cellar where he had lived throughout his childhood.
The cellar was narrow and cramped, with no sunlight. His mother hated to see him and would lock him in that small room whenever she was unhappy. When Pei Ji stayed there alone, the thick darkness seemed to be the whole world.
——In fact, for him, the cellar was a very lucky relief. He was the only one there, and he would not be beaten or punished by his mother for no reason. All he had to do was curl up in a corner and close his eyes, then he could spend a peaceful and tranquil time in his sleep.
At this moment, he came to the cellar again.
It was still pitch dark all around, and the air was filled with a biting cold. The darkness and cold air formed a spider web that silently enveloped him, accompanied by a suffocating feeling of oppression.
Suddenly, the entrance at the top of the cellar was opened, and Pei Ji saw his long-deceased mother.
The woman still looked the same as when she died, but her once graceful face was no longer recognizable.
His cheeks flushed to a strange light red and brown color, his pupils rolled up high, almost invisible in his eye sockets, and only the whites of his eyes could be seen mixed with red bloodshot, as if they were seeping with blood.
Her body was twisted into an extremely unreasonable posture, as if every joint was broken and reorganized, and as she approached him step by step, her bones made a creaking sound.
"You bastard! A monster!"
The woman's voice echoed in his heart again and again, like the long tolling of a bell in a cold night, making one feel cold all over. The hatred and disgust on her face grew stronger and stronger, and her voice became sharper and sharper, like a long knife cutting through the eardrums: "Nothing good has ever happened around you, and sooner or later you will drag everyone down. Disaster star, why don't you just die?!"
He was startled.
Then he gasped and opened his eyes.
Every corner of his body was filled with tearing pain, and the places that had been injured by Xuanye before seemed to be burning with raging flames. He was already used to the pain, but he still couldn't help but frown subconsciously.
His head was buzzing with pain, and the demonic energy and sword energy in his body finally calmed down, but the pain it caused was still there, like millions of small insects biting his bone marrow.
In the world of cultivating immortals, killing people above one's level is not an uncommon thing. However, the gap between the perfection of the Golden Elixir and the great success of the Nascent Soul cannot be underestimated. What's more, Xuanye was once a master in the God Transformation Stage. If you want to defeat him, you must risk your life.
Unlike Ning Ning and others, Pei Ji has long been accustomed to struggling between life and death, so he is not afraid of a fight to the death. As long as he can kill the enemy, he would rather gamble everything including his life.
——What's more, his life is free of worries and worthless. Even if he really dies, no one will suffer any loss.
The boy's expression dimmed a little, and he looked up at the surrounding scene.
He lost consciousness after the battle with Xuanye and should have been sent to the hospital for treatment.
There was a light scent of medicinal herbs lingering around his nose. As he was lying flat on the bed, Pei Ji saw the dark brown beams of the house as soon as he opened his eyes. Then tilt your head slightly——
Someone was sitting on the wooden stool next to his bed.
Pei Ji never thought that when he woke up, he would see someone by his side.
Whether he was covered in wounds as a child, fainted from cold and hunger, or was seriously injured and unconscious in battle later, he always gritted his teeth and endured it alone, and after waking up, he would find some herbs to heal his wounds by himself.
The scent of wood and medicine on the man's body blended together, greatly alleviating the bitterness that filled the entire space.
She was wearing a lavender long skirt, and her black hair fell obediently in front of her chest. She was holding a book that covered her entire face, so Pei Ji could not see her appearance.
He could only see a few big words on the book.
"365 Days with Zhenxiao Sword Master".
Pei Ji endured the pain and hesitantly whispered: "... Junior Sister?"
Ningning seemed to have not expected that he would wake up at this time. She waved her hands hastily, and the book "365 Days with Zhenxiao Sword Master" went up and down like a juggler, constantly passing back and forth between her hands. Finally, she closed it suddenly and threw it on the wooden table on the other side.
For some reason, her face flushed, as if she had done something wrong, and she looked into his eyes with a calm expression;
Chengying, who used to shout loudly every time he saw her, inexplicably shut up and became as quiet as a chicken.
Pei Ji didn't understand and frowned.
"You scared us to death!"
Ning Ning spoke in a deep voice after a brief silence, but because of the light pink on her face and her slightly flustered tone, the whole sentence seemed less intimidating: "You actually introduced the devil energy into the sword... If you don't control it properly, let alone dealing with Xuanye, you can't even save your own life, do you know!"
Pei Ji had a mocking sneer in his eyes, and he responded perfunctorily: "Yeah."
Ningning is a delicate flower who has been carefully cared for since childhood, so Pei Ji will not and does not want to waste time telling her, as he has long been accustomed to such things.
There is no way out, no one to rely on. If he doesn't try his best to gamble, he will be the only one who dies.
"Your 'hmm' is too perfunctory."
Ning Ning didn't like to hold back when she spoke. She made a sound similar to a low hum and turned her eyes away from him, her tone a little stiff: "It was the same before in the ancient forest. You always rushed to the front to carry it alone... even though we were there."
Pei Ji was slightly stunned.
"I know you were used to being alone before, but now is completely different from then."
She seemed to be not used to saying such words, and her expression was very awkward. In the end, she just gave up and looked straight into Pei Ji's eyes: "In short, junior brother should behave like a junior brother. Don't always think about being a hero. Occasionally, you should give the seniors a chance to show their abilities! Your sister is not so weak that she can't even tie a chicken. I can protect you too!"
At this point, his tone softened again: "...But I still want to thank you this time, that one, for helping me stop Xuanye. Thank you, I'll treat you to a big meal when I get back - in the future, you should share some of your trust with us, and don't always think that you are alone."
Pei Ji never thought that Ning Ning would say such words.
It turned out that she didn't want to scold him from a high position for not knowing how to cherish his life, but she was angry that he deliberately excluded himself from the group and always walked alone.
No one has ever told him that he doesn't have to risk his life to rush forward alone, I can also protect you.
He had grown up alone in the quagmire for many years and had been able to endure all malice and suffering without any expression. However, when he heard these words for the first time, he still felt a sense of helplessness for the first time and didn't know how to respond.
The pale-faced young man finally revealed some confusion-like emotions, and there was still mist in his black pupils, covering up all the gloom and coldness from not long ago.
Ning Ning saw that his expression had eased a little, and snorted with a bit of smugness: "I'm not being cheesy! It's just that you've been so popular, and it's embarrassing for me as your senior sister."
Chengying finally spoke: "Have you noticed? Every time Ningning cares about you, she always makes up some silly excuses to distance herself from you. In fact, her intentions are so obvious that anyone can see it."
After saying that, she couldn't help but chuckle, "She's so cute even when she tries to cover her ears and steal the bell. She's worthy of being her. You mustn't expose her, Pei Xiaoji."
As soon as it finished speaking, a strong herbal scent suddenly filled the room.
A female doctor in white pushed the door open, holding a porcelain bowl full of medicine in her hand. Following closely behind her was an elegant young man who exuded a scholarly air.
Ningning glanced at them and patiently introduced them: "These two are Miss Xie and Doctor Chen from the clinic. Thanks to them, you were able to survive."
"The young master finally woke up."
After hearing Pei Ji's thanks, the female doctor smiled faintly and glanced at Ning Ning who was sitting next to him: "Miss Ning Ning has been guarding your bed without eating or drinking since she sent you to this clinic. If you don't open your eyes, I will be worried about her."
Ning Ning suddenly opened her eyes wide: "I just want to go on a diet to lose weight! Can dieting be called 'losing your appetite'?"
After she finished speaking, she paused for a moment, as if she remembered something, and took out a few colorful, round little things from her storage bag. Pei Ji looked carefully and found it was a pile of candies.
"I went ashore with my senior sister today and bought some candy. I can't finish it all by myself, so I might as well share some with you - I heard that this medicine is very bitter."
Somehow, the female doctor and the doctor beside them laughed at the same time.
Pei Ji hesitated for a while, then shook his head gently: "I am not afraid of hardship, I don't need this."
"Young Master, just accept it."
The female doctor smiled ambiguously and covered her lips with her free left hand: "This is Miss Ningning's good intention after all. If you refuse, she will be sad."
The doctor was also mysterious: "This medicine is indeed very bitter. You won't suffer any loss if you eat the candy."
Ningning seemed a little angry and looked at him angrily, but she was angry but said nothing and still looked nonchalant on the surface.
So Pei Ji had no choice but to nod, and she immediately stuffed a candy into his palm. He heard Ning Ning's dry voice: "Try it first and see how it tastes."
In fact, he seldom eats sweets.
When he was a child, Pei Ji was afraid of bitterness and pain, but later he got used to it. No matter how bitter the medicine was, he could swallow it in one breath while holding his breath. Although there were still many unpleasant tastes left in his mouth, he could always grit his teeth and endure it slowly.
As long as you get through the hardest and most painful times, it will be fine.
He clumsily opened the paper wrapping the candy and saw a small milky white ball. It is a soothing color, like rich mist or sweet milk, blended into one without any impurities.
Pei Ji took a quick look at Ning Ning and put it into his mouth.
The sweet aroma of milk sweeps over the tip of the tongue, with a hint of honey. There was a faint smell of blood in his throat, but under this fragrance, it disappeared silently, leaving only the refreshing aroma of milk.
His pupils usually held a dark and sinister aura, but now they seemed to be quietly dissolved by the fragrance, turning into a pool of quiet water. He finally looked like an ordinary teenager, gentle and harmless.
Ning Ning had a straight face, her eyes and tone were indifferent: "How is it?"
“…very sweet.”
Pei Ji nodded: "Thank you, Senior Sister."
She seemed to be planning to raise the corners of her mouth, but just as her lips started to rise, they were forcibly pressed back, becoming a thin straight line: "That's good. You have good taste."
"Miss Ningning, I heard from the demons in the city that several elders from the Xuanxu Sword Sect are here and are waiting for you to come."
The doctor's smile never stopped, and now she emphasized, "We will help you take good care of the young master, don't worry."
Ning Ning stuffed another handful of candy at random to Pei Ji, and frowned when she heard it: "Sister, what do you mean by 'help me take care of him'? I'm not worried about him at all."
She said goodbye in a hurry, and before leaving, she reminded him: "Don't forget these candies! I bought them with my own pocket money. They are all your senior sister's hard-earned money. You must treat them well!"
Pei Ji had no choice but to nod.
"Young Master, don't believe what Miss Ningning said."
After her figure disappeared from sight, the female doctor smiled softly and said, "The young city lord showed up recently, and the elders were taken to the hearing hall for public trial. There were so many things to deal with, big and small, that we didn't have time to go ashore to play. Miss Ningning bought the candy for you herself."
"I heard that she got lost in the city on the shore. After finally getting out of the city, she got lost again in the woods. Don't think she's stupid. When Miss Ningning returned to Galan City, she was so tired that she couldn't move. All the bandaged wounds on her body had torn open."
The doctor beside her also laughed: "She said our medicine smelled too bitter, so she bought a lot of candies for you. She sat in front of the clinic and tasted them one by one. She got a toothache from the sour taste of several kinds. Isn't the one you are eating now sweet? They were all selected by Miss Ningning one by one."
Pei Ji did not respond, just uttered a low "hmm", then took the porcelain bowl expressionlessly and lowered his head to drink the medicine.
Without any warning, a thin layer of red rose up at the base of his ears, like a light stroke of ink, gently dotted on the young man's fair skin.
How strange.
The taste of the medicine that he once hated so much no longer made him feel uncomfortable when he took a mouthful of it.
The female doctor pursed her lips and smiled, as if to say, "I understand, so you don't have to say anything." She tiptoed to the doctor and whispered, "The young master is shy. Let's stop teasing him."
The latter nodded in understanding and responded leisurely: "It's good to be young, it's good to be young."
"Ouch."
Chengying tried hard to hold back his laughter and used an exaggerated broadcast voice, reciting an elementary school student's composition with great emotion: "It is the tongue that tastes the candy, but the heart is actually the sweetest. Am I right?"
After a pause, he burst into an even more unbridled laugh: "Did you laugh secretly just now? Did you? Don't deny it! Wow! You blushed! Pei Ji can actually blush! Oh my God!"
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