Heart Abyss
Since the teasing and questioning by the Spirit Spring that day, Listening Snow Garden has fallen into a delicate stalemate.
Jiu Che wasn't angry, but he was even more at a loss as to how to get along with this celestial attendant who acted outrageously and spoke boldly. He observed proper etiquette, but also felt pity, thinking that perhaps her past hardships had shaped her aloof personality. He no longer asked her directly, but when passing by the flower garden she tended, he would silently glance at it a few more times to make sure the celestial plants were alright.
Qi Yuan took in his silence and the occasional hints of concern. Pure kindness? What a long-lost quality. In her thousand-year life, pure goodness was rarer than the starlight of the Demon Realm. This didn't soften her heart; instead, it made her find it... even more intriguing. Destroying a perfect work of art was exciting; so what about tainting a flawless piece of snow?
The opportunity soon arrived. The list of guards on duty at the Fox Clan's sacred altar was announced, and one of the daily patrol routes happened to pass through a forbidden forest behind Listening Snow Garden—a place where spiritual energy was chaotic and space was weak.
That day, it happened to be Jiu Che's turn to be on duty. As he patrolled the edge of the forbidden forest behind the mountain, he suddenly heard a suppressed cry of pain coming from the forest, accompanied by unstable fluctuations in spiritual energy. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately flew in.
Amidst the turbulent flow of spiritual energy in the forest, Qi Yuan collapsed to the ground, her moon-white dress torn, several bloody scratches from spatial fragments visible on her arms and cheeks, glistening with blood. She looked quite disheveled. She was futilely trying to gather her immortal power to resist an incoming surge of energy, her face pale, her eyes filled with genuine panic—not entirely feigned, though. The chaotic laws of this place did indeed make even her disguised demonic body feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"Seven Kite!" Jiu Che called out, his Frost Condensation Sword not drawn, but with a flick of the scabbard, a gentle yet powerful surge of immortal energy rippled out, instantly calming the turbulent current. He strode forward, crouching down beside her, his clear eyes filled with pure worry. "How did you get here? Are you badly injured?"
His concern was genuine, like a warm current flowing across an icy plain.
Qi Yuan raised her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her voice tinged with weakness and lingering fear: "I... I saw what appeared to be 'Dew-Condensing Grass' in the forest, and I thought it might be able to compensate for the malevolent energy from forging the dagger last time, and prepare a calming balm for Your Highness... I inadvertently triggered the restriction." She deliberately mentioned "Dew-Condensing Grass," as this herb does indeed have a calming effect and usually grows in places with unique spiritual energy. This, along with her previous "unorthodox" behavior, creates a strange unity—she is always trying to "compensate" or "help" him in her own way.
Looking at the still-bleeding wound on her arm, and hearing that she had risked her life to prepare a calming elixir for him, Jiu Che felt a surge of worry and guilt instantly replace the estrangement he had felt due to her previous words and actions. He had actually become distant from her because of her differences, yet she was still thinking about how to help him.
"Don't speak yet." His voice was gentle as he gathered pure healing magic at his fingertips and carefully placed it on the wound on her arm. The magic was warm and pure, carrying the breath of life, causing the wound to heal slowly at a visible speed. "This place is dangerous; you must never come here alone again. If you need anything, just tell me."
His movements were gentle, his gaze focused, as if he were handling a fragile treasure. This unreserved kindness stirred a strange, unsettling feeling within Qi Yuan, a man accustomed to intrigue and bloodshed. It was subtle, yet undeniably real.
She lowered her eyelids, concealing the complex emotions that flashed across her eyes, and said softly, "Thank you, Your Highness. I've troubled you again."
"It's alright." Jiu Che carefully treated her several obvious wounds, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she only had superficial injuries and her spiritual energy was depleted. He looked at her slightly pale face, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out his hand, "Can you get up? I'll take you back."
Qi Yuan looked at the hand he offered her; its knuckles were distinct, clean and slender, and it contained a warm power. She was silent for a moment, then finally gently placed her slightly cool hand on his.
Jiu Che steadily helped her up, maintaining a perfect distance without much physical contact, yet enough to support her "weak" body. He summoned a lucky cloud, carefully helped her sit on it, and then propelled the cloud to slowly fly back to Tingxue Garden.
Back in the garden, Jiu Che personally fetched the finest healing pills and nourishing elixir for her, and carefully gave the physician a few more instructions before leaving. Throughout, his attitude was gentle and earnest, without the slightest hint of annoyance, only pure concern.
Qi Yuan leaned against the window, watching his back as he handed the pills to the immortal servant one by one. His fingertips unconsciously brushed over the wound on his arm, which had already healed and only had faint red marks left. There, the warmth of his immortal power seemed to still linger.
Pure goodness...
She gently savored those two words, her red lips slowly curving into a cold and eerie arc.
When such a soul is stained with the color of despair,
It will definitely be...exceptionally beautiful.
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