Chapter 21 - Stone Chamber
The light in the cave was dim. Only the piece of earth core chalcedony under Chu Linyuan's cushion emitted a warm, soft light that flickered like breathing, illuminating the small space.
The air was filled with the earthy smell of chalcedony, the lingering smell of medicinal herbs, and a lingering, faint smell of blood.
Chu Linyuan sat cross-legged on a cushion, his eyes closed. He had changed his black robe, but the sleeve of his right arm was rolled up, revealing the blazing dragon pattern on his forearm.
The dragon pattern's radiance was no longer as fierce and blazing as it had been a few days ago. It seemed much more restrained, like surging magma. With every breath, the dragon pattern flickered, and pure malevolent energy and chalcedony's vitality flowed through his body.
His profile looked like a cold jade sculpture in the dim light, his jawline was taut, and only the slightest hint of fatigue between his brows revealed that he was not a tireless machine.
Across from him, Xie Zhao also sat cross-legged, his back against the cold stone wall. He had changed into a clean, blue-gray cloth robe, his face still pale. Thanks to the nourishing soup Luo Hongyi had made, not only had his cultivation level improved, but his body had also recovered to a near-perfect degree.
A roll of slightly old blank talisman paper was spread out on his knees, and next to it was the Jinghong talisman pen with the word "Chu" engraved on it.
It was a talisman brush about seven inches long. The pen was made of neither gold nor jade, but an unknown dark wood. It felt warm and slightly heavy to the touch, with a patina of time.
At the end of the pen, near the barrel, was a sharp, deeply engraved character for "Chu." The edges of the inscription were a bit rough, clearly not the work of a renowned artist. It even had a clumsy, overly forceful quality, as if it had been forcibly chiseled with a carving knife, somewhat at odds with the ancestral, restrained character of the Fu pen.
This is exactly Xie Zhao’s natal talisman pen - Jinghong.
Xie Zhao's fingertips unconsciously stroked the mark of the word "Chu" on the pen.
The grooves are so deep that you can feel the edges of each groove with your fingertips.
His eyes were a little out of focus, as if he was recalling something, or confirming something.
After a while, he pulled the corner of his mouth in self-mockery and muttered in a low voice: "Hehe... Senior brother, that ice lump, I guess I have forgotten it a long time ago..." His tone was full of his usual sarcasm, but deep in his eyes there was a trace of imperceptible loneliness and... self-deception.
Xie Zhao didn't draw the talisman immediately. He just lowered his head, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the mark on the talisman pen.
His peach blossom eyes were drooping, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, covering the emotions surging in his eyes - fear, self-blame, deep hatred for the Immortal Alliance, and... a hint of indescribable complex feelings.
The cave was very quiet, with only the almost inaudible breathing of the two people.
After a long moment, Chu Linyuan slowly opened his eyes. His cold, pond-like eyes fixed on Xie Zhao, watching his pale fingers stroke the character "Chu" on the talisman pen, and his drooping, fragile eyelashes.
"How is your injury?" Chu Linyuan's voice broke the silence. It was still cold, but lacked the usual icy feeling, and carried a subtle... inquiry.
Xie Zhao paused, raised his head, and met Chu Linyuan's gaze. He twitched his lips, trying to reveal his usual nonchalant smile, but it seemed a bit forced. "I won't die. Junior Sister Luo's bowl of soup was quite potent."
He patted his chest, where the blood mark was. "Right here. It still feels a bit empty. It feels like the silver lock has taken away some of my soul."
He was just making a self-deprecating remark, but he saw Chu Linyuan's brows furrow slightly. Chu Linyuan's gaze fell on his chest, as if he could see through the fabric and see the dark golden mark.
"Is your soul damaged?" Chu Linyuan's voice became a little deeper.
"No...it's not that serious." Xie Zhao waved his hands quickly, not wanting to make him worry, "I'm just a little weak, it will be fine after a while. Just draw a few soul-solidifying talismans." He picked up the Jinghong Talisman Pen, condensed a faint golden talisman power at his fingertips, and dotted it on the talisman paper.
However, as soon as the tip of the pen touched the talisman paper, his wrist trembled, and the talisman sea in his body seemed to be stirred invisibly. The talisman power instantly dissipated, leaving an ugly ink spot on the talisman paper.
"Tsk..." Xie Zhao tutted in annoyance and flicked his wrist, trying to dispel the feeling of powerlessness. Forcibly triggering the backlash of the Blood Rune Burning Soul was far more troublesome than he said.
At this moment, a bony, cold hand reached out and grabbed his wrist without saying a word.
Xie Zhao's body stiffened.
Chu Linyuan placed his fingers on his pulse point, and a pure, cold spiritual power, yet with the warm breath of the earth, flowed in.
The spiritual power extremely carefully avoided the violent core of the Fu Hai in his body, and only circulated around the damaged meridians and the slightly weak soul, like the most sophisticated probe, carefully exploring his injuries.
The cold touch spread from his wrist, and Xie Zhao felt as if his heart skipped a beat.
He subconsciously tried to pull his hand back, but Chu Linyuan held it tighter.
Chu Linyuan's fingertips had thin calluses left by years of holding the sword, and when they rubbed against his skin, they brought a strange tingling sensation.
"Don't move." Chu Linyuan's voice was close at hand, with a commanding tone, and his breath brushed past Xie Zhao's ear.
Xie Zhao froze, and a barely perceptible blush appeared uncontrollably at the base of his ears.
He could clearly feel the dragon evil power with the warmth of chalcedony coming from Chu Linyuan's fingertips, and the coldness was accompanied by a hint of unquestionable protective will.
This power flowed slowly through his damaged meridians, like an icy spring soaking through a dry riverbed, bringing a strange sense of relief and dispelling the emptiness and vanity deep in his soul.
Time seemed to slow down at this moment.
The stone chamber was so quiet that only the faint sound of the flickering candlelight could be heard. Chu Linyuan investigated intently, his brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed.
Xie Zhao lowered his eyes, his gaze fixed on their clasped hands, sensing the silent concern and strength conveyed by their cold touch. The faint scent of blood in the air seemed to be diluted by this strange atmosphere.
After an unknown amount of time, Chu Linyuan slowly released his hand. He withdrew his spiritual power and his gaze fell back on Xie Zhao's face. He still had that cold expression, but something seemed to have settled deep in his eyes.
"The soul is shaken, and the sea of talismans is unstable. Rest quietly and do not use the talisman power." He concluded concisely.
Xie Zhao looked at the faint red marks on his wrist, then glanced up at Chu Linyuan's expressionless face. Strangely, the irritation and powerlessness he felt within him dissipated. He picked up the Jinghong Talisman Brush, but this time, he didn't forcefully gather the talismanic energy. Instead, he carefully traced the lines on the brush with his fingers and whispered, "Got it, Senior Brother."
He paused, his eyes sweeping across the still blazing dragon pattern on Chu Linyuan's right arm, then down to his slightly pale lips. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "What about you? That move... didn't come at a small price, did it?"
Chu Linyuan didn't answer, simply closing his eyes again, as if immersed in regulating his breathing. But Xie Zhao keenly noticed that before he closed his eyes, the corner of his cold lips seemed to twitch upward ever so slightly... so quickly that it seemed like an illusion.
Xie Zhao was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved into a small arc.
He did not ask any more questions, but simply placed the talisman pen gently on his knees. Following Chu Linyuan's example, he also closed his eyes and began to slowly move the energy in his body that had been nourished by the medicine and combed by Chu Linyuan's spiritual power.
In the dim stone chamber, the two sat facing each other, each regulating their breathing. The chalcedony's light softly enveloped them, and only the sound of steady, long breathing filled the air.
Outside the cave, one could faintly hear the muffled sound of Tie Niu moving stones, Su Tang's crisp command, and the rustling sound of a broom sweeping across the ground... These sounds intertwined together, forming the most ordinary yet most precious background sound of Guixu Sect after the disaster.
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