"Master, why did you bring Senior Brother here?"
Chi Yao couldn't quite understand her master's intentions.
The Tianji Pill that restored her meridians had been refined by her master. Logically, the person most familiar with her meridian condition should be her master.
So why had her master brought Senior Brother here now?
"Well, it's like this. Your Senior Brother is quite knowledgeable about spiritual veins, so I asked him to treat you."
That was not the whole truth.
Ever since taking Chi Yao as his disciple, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi had noticed something wrong with her meridians. He had wanted to treat her, but his rebellious disciple wouldn't let him interfere, so he had let the matter go.
As it stood, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi knew nothing about the current state of Chi Yao's meridians, so he had no choice but to call Shen Yu over.
Besides, this was also a rare opportunity to cultivate feelings between them.
Immortal Venerable Yun Yi was very pleased with this arrangement of his. He took a step back, yielding the space to Shen Yu and Chi Yao.
"Rebel… dear disciple, take a good look at your Junior Sister. I won't disturb you two any further."
With that, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
This room was where Immortal Venerable Yun Yi usually drank tea and meditated. It wasn't spacious to begin with, and the moment the door closed, it seemed even smaller.
This was Chi Yao's first time sharing such a confined space with Shen Yu. As Shen Yu stepped closer to her, bit by bit, she unconsciously felt a thread of nervousness.
"Senior Brother…"
"Junior Sister, just relax."
The moment his words fell, Shen Yu placed his hand on Chi Yao's wrist.
However, as his spiritual energy traveled through her meridians, his expression gradually tensed, growing more and more serious.
"Senior Brother, what's wrong with me?"
Seeing Shen Yu's face, Chi Yao's heart couldn't help but rise into her throat.
"Junior Sister, the blockage in your meridians has worsened again."
Shen Yu actually hadn't finished what he wanted to say.
Not only had the blockage in Chi Yao's meridians worsened, but it was obstructing at an extremely fast rate. If not treated promptly, her entire meridian system would likely be ruined within three days.
"I need to first seal off Junior Sister's meridians, then search for medicine afterward. It will hurt somewhat—please bear with it, Junior Sister."
"Okay."
From Shen Yu's tone, Chi Yao could already sense that her condition wasn't good.
After nodding in agreement, she immediately sat down cross-legged.
Shen Yu then took hold of her wrist again. The moment his spiritual energy surged into Chi Yao's body, a bone-piercing pain swept through her entire being.
Though this time it didn't reach the point of knocking her unconscious, it was precisely because she remained awake that the pain was all the more unbearable.
At first, Chi Yao could grit her teeth and endure it. But as Shen Yu's spiritual energy spread through her meridians, the pain grew increasingly intense.
Her body began to tremble, and in the end, she couldn't hold back—a faint moan escaped her lips.
Perhaps it was a hallucination brought on by the extreme pain, but Chi Yao felt that Shen Yu's spiritual energy was transferring much more slowly now, and his voice calling out to her reached her ears.
Only when she lifted her head did she realize it wasn't a hallucination—Shen Yu really was calling her.
The intense pain made it difficult for Chi Yao to concentrate, and even her hearing had dulled. She could only hear the repeated calls of "Junior Sister"—whatever else Shen Yu was saying, she couldn't make out at all.
Every time she tried to focus, it felt as if her meridians were being sliced by knives, the pain excruciating.
Just as her consciousness began to blur, a familiar fresh fragrance wafted toward her.
Her Senior Brother had embraced her.
The embrace and the faint fragrance on Shen Yu's body made Chi Yao feel incredibly at ease, and at that moment she finally heard what Shen Yu was saying.
He had said, "Hold me tight."
Chi Yao had no time to be surprised; instinctively, she wrapped her arms tightly around Shen Yu.
His aura gave her an inexplicable sense of security, and it actually eased her pain somewhat.
But as her meridians were sealed bit by bit, the pain gradually intensified again. Chi Yao could only tighten her arms, holding Shen Yu even closer, her fingers clutching his clothes, wrinkling the snow-white silk into disarray.
After who knows how long, Chi Yao's meridians were finally completely sealed, and the pain gradually faded away.
Her tense body slowly relaxed, but the hands holding Shen Yu were reluctant to let go.
She lay against his chest, quietly breathing in his scent, silently praying that he would push her away a little later.
This was the first time she had been this close to Shen Yu—so close she could clearly feel his heartbeat.
She greedily cherished this feeling, secretly wishing that time could stop at this very moment.
But unrealistic illusions always shatter eventually.
A moment later, Chi Yao suddenly felt the pressure around her waist disappear, and only then did she realize Shen Yu had been holding her tightly as well.
Unfortunately, before she could savor it, she was about to be pushed away.
A trace of disappointment flashed through Chi Yao's heart as she quietly waited for Shen Yu to push her away.
But instead, Shen Yu's hand moved away from her waist and slowly traveled upward, patting her back again and again.
The gesture was full of comfort.
"Rest well, Junior Sister."
Chi Yao had never imagined that one day Shen Yu would treat her so gently.
She even began to wonder if her meridians were already beyond saving, and whether Shen Yu, out of pity, was tenderly giving her his final care.
But Chi Yao no longer had the energy to think that much.
After the prolonged pain ended, she was completely drained. She didn't want to think about anything anymore—she just wanted to sleep.
Especially with Shen Yu's scent lingering at the tip of her nose, her body relaxed more and more, and she soon fell asleep in his arms.
Only when he felt Chi Yao's breathing grow steady did Shen Yu stop, then picked her up and walked out of the room.
"How is she? How is my dear disciple?"
The moment Shen Yu stepped out the door, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi hurried over.
"Junior Sister's meridian blockage has worsened. We need to find a way to clear it soon." Shen Yu's expression grew considerably grave.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Yes. I'm going to the Shangrao Secret Realm to retrieve the Marrow-Cleansing Pearl."
At the mention of the Shangrao Secret Realm, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi's brow furrowed, but he knew that once Shen Yu decided on something, he would never change his mind.
He could only nod, then added worriedly:
"The Shangrao Secret Realm is extremely dangerous. Be careful."
"Yes, I understand."
With that, Shen Yu carried Chi Yao back to her quarters, and before leaving, he set up a Warding Barrier outside her chamber.
Unable to stop worrying about his disciple, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi kept watch outside Chi Yao's quarters after Shen Yu departed.
It wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that Shen Yu finally returned.
As Shen Yu approached, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi immediately spotted the bloodstains on his clothes.
"You rebellious disciple—you're injured?"
"They're just minor injuries. Has my Junior Sister woken up yet?"
Shen Yu looked far more disheveled than usual, but he had no time to care about that. After asking this question, without even waiting for Immortal Venerable Yun Yi to answer, he hurried into Chi Yao's bedchamber.
Arriving at her bedside, Shen Yu saw that Chi Yao was still sleeping peacefully, and his tense expression finally eased a little.
He then took out the Marrow-Cleansing Pearl and channeled his spiritual energy to unblock Chi Yao's meridians.
As the Marrow-Cleansing Pearl slowly floated up, a golden light enveloped Chi Yao. The next moment, her meridians gradually became visible beneath her skin.
At this moment, a wisp of black qi was coursing through Chi Yao's meridians. As the light of the Marrow-Cleansing Pearl grew stronger, the black qi slowly faded until it disappeared completely.
"How is she?"
The moment Shen Yu withdrew the Marrow-Cleansing Pearl, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi immediately stepped forward to ask.
"She's fine now. However, my Junior Sister's meridians were blocked for so many years that they haven't fully recovered. She still needs time to rest and recuperate."
Shen Yu's tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed, and Immortal Venerable Yun Yi breathed a sigh of relief as well.
"That's good. My dear disciple—leave her in my care. Go back and rest."
"There's no need to trouble you, Master. I will look after her myself."
As he spoke, Shen Yu waved his hand and changed out of his bloodstained robes, then sat down not far from the bed, putting on a calm and composed appearance to ensure that Chi Yao's first sight upon waking would be him.
This series of deliberate actions fell into Immortal Venerable Yun Yi's eyes, making him almost unable to bear watching.
He sighed and couldn't help stepping forward to hint:
"You're so badly injured—you should go back and rest."
"I'm not—"
Shen Yu was about to say that he wasn't seriously injured, but before he could finish, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi began winking at him furiously, while pointedly glancing in Chi Yao's direction.
Shen Yu finally understood his master's meaning and immediately rose and vanished from the room.
Watching the direction Shen Yu had left in, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi stroked his beard and remarked with feeling, "In the end, it takes this old man to handle things."
…
Chi Yao slept exceptionally well. When she woke, not only did she feel refreshed, but even her meridians carried a warm sensation.
"My dear disciple, you're awake? How do you feel?"
The moment Chi Yao sat up, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi handed her a cup of tea.
"Thank you, Master."
Chi Yao took the tea and took a sip, but her eyes swept around the room, searching for that familiar figure.
In the end, she found nothing.
Chi Yao's eyes dimmed slightly. After some hesitation, she still couldn't help asking Immortal Venerable Yun Yi:
"Master, my Senior Brother, he—"
"Ah!" The moment Chi Yao opened her mouth, Immortal Venerable Yun Yi sighed. "Your Senior Brother was seriously injured while searching for the Marrow-Cleansing Pearl for you. He's recovering now."
Saying this, he secretly glanced at Chi Yao. Seeing her expression turn anxious, he continued:
"My dear disciple, there's no need to worry. A few days of rest and he'll be fine."
But the more Immortal Venerable Yun Yi said this, the more worried Chi Yao became.
She knew that with Shen Yu's Cultivation Base, he would not be easily injured, so any wound that required him to rest and recover must be extremely serious.
Chi Yao was instantly consumed with anxiety. After seeing Immortal Venerable Yun Yi off, she headed straight for Shen Yu's bedchamber.
Meanwhile, in Shen Yu's bedchamber.
Shen Yu was lying quietly on the bed.
Soon, the chamber doors were pushed open, and the corners of Shen Yu's mouth curled up slightly. As the footsteps drew closer, he let out occasional weak coughs.
"Senior Brother, I heard you were injured, so I brewed some medicinal soup and came to see you."
Yet the moment the voice reached him, the smile on Shen Yu's lips vanished, replaced by a look of irritation.
"It's none of your concern. Get out."
Shen Yu's icy voice startled Ji Yunshang so much that her hands trembled, nearly spilling the medicinal soup she was carrying.
But she quickly pressed forward again, putting her smile back on.
"Senior Brother, I simmered this for a long time. It's good for your recovery. Please have some."
Ji Yunshang's voice was softer than ever, and even the smile at the corner of her mouth had been deliberately rehearsed in front of a mirror.
She had tested it on other disciples before—no one could refuse her.
So Ji Yunshang felt especially confident at this moment.
But to her surprise, before she could even approach the bed, an invisible wall blocked her way, preventing her from taking another step forward.
"Either walk out on your own, or I'll throw you out. Your choice."
Shen Yu's voice was colder than before, accompanied by a crushing pressure.
Ji Yunshang suddenly felt as if a hand were squeezing her throat, making it extremely difficult to breathe.
She looked up with difficulty, only to see that Shen Yu had already sat up. His face was dark and gloomy, and a trace of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
It gave Ji Yunshang the distinct feeling that if she didn't leave now, she really would be killed.
"I… I'll leave right now."
This time, Ji Yunshang was genuinely terrified.
She instinctively backed away several steps. Though still unwilling, she had no choice but to turn and leave.
Meanwhile, just as Chi Yao approached Shen Yu's sleeping quarters, she saw Ji Yunshang walking out of it.
When Ji Yunshang saw Chi Yao, she froze for a moment, then her eyes darted as she quietly cast a spell. The medicinal soup in her hands vanished, leaving only an empty bowl with traces of the medicine still in it.
She then stepped forward willingly, coming up to Chi Yao. "Senior Sister, have you come to see Senior Brother?"
"Yes."
Looking at Ji Yunshang's beaming smile, Chi Yao felt a flicker of vexation rise in her heart again.
"Master has already assigned me to look after Senior Brother. He just finished his medicine and lay down to rest, so he probably doesn't want to be disturbed right now. But don't worry, Senior Sister—I'll take good care of him. As soon as his injuries heal, I'll be sure to let you know."