Zhong Wuxi rubbed his eyes and saw blood-red smoke swirling in the air. He turned his head and asked, “Master, this barrier… Master, your hand is bleeding!”
Bright red blood dripped from the fingertips onto the floor. The snow hut seemed to soak up the blood, appearing even more crystal clear.
Zhong Wuxi felt a pang of heartache. “Master, does it hurt?”
It must have hurt to lose so much blood. He stood on tiptoe, grabbed Yin Jiuli’s hand, and blew on it gently. “Blow, blow, and it will not hurt anymore.”
The little creature flew over, jubilant, and circled Yin Jiuli’s hand twice.
Zhong Wuxi turned his head and stared at the creature in silence. Your true form is injured; is it appropriate for you to be this happy?
However, he could not be sure if it was the true form. To this day, Zhong Wuxi still did not understand the connection between the creature and his Master. He stared at the creature for a moment, then looked away, took a handkerchief from his qiankun bag, and carefully wrapped it around the wounded finger.
“Master, the wound is bandaged.”
Yin Jiuli lowered his eyes, his gaze landing on the crumpled handkerchief.
Master must be angry. Although his Master always wore the same expression, Zhong Wuxi could sense subtle differences. He shuffled slowly to the bed and sat down, nearly landing on the creature. The creature was rolling around on the bed, its ethereal robes becoming wrinkled and disheveled.
Zhong Wuxi: …
He suddenly lost the ability to decipher the creature’s babble. After rolling on the bed for a while, the creature flew in circles around Zhong Wuxi before stopping in mid-air, hands on its hips, staring at him with a grin.
Zhong Wuxi silently glanced at his expressionless Master, then back at the grinning creature. The floor of the snow hut was carved from a single piece of ice, and the creature slid across it happily several times.
Zhong Wuxi suddenly remembered something. “Master, does this barrier deplete your cultivation and lifespan? I just saw the snow on the entire Jimo Peak turn red. Was that your blood?”
Yin Jiuli remained cold and distant. Sunlight lingered on his white robes, refracting a faint luster. When he was not smiling, his pupils were pitch black, as if they were deep, icy pools that never thawed.
Zhong Wuxi gripped his sleeve tight. “Master, do not ignore me.”
Back at the hospital, he had been terrified of silence. Without external noise, he was forced to face his inner self. But he had no idea how to live with himself.
“Yes.”
“It does not.”
The cold, frosty voice scattered his chaotic thoughts. Zhong Wuxi bit his lip, feeling a bit happy. “Just now, I was worried this barrier would deplete your cultivation, given how much blood you lost.”
“That Yin-Yang Barrier absorbs your blood; I hate this barrier.” Zhong Wuxi scrunched his face and took a silver-vermilion herb from his qiankun bag. “Master, please take this Luoying Spirit Blood Grass.”
“Senior Brother Xuan Mu said the Luoying Spirit Blood Grass has analgesic and blood-replenishing properties. Since you lost so much blood, this herb is perfect for replenishing it.”
Yin Jiuli closed his eyes. “No need.”
Fine. Zhong Wuxi lowered his head and prepared to put the herb back, but the creature suddenly flew over, puffing its cheeks in anger as it glared at him. Zhong Wuxi glanced at the creature’s red, furious face, utterly baffled. He had just managed to soothe his Master; why was the creature angry again?
The creature lunged, kicking the herb in Zhong Wuxi’s hand. However, it had large, long-lashed eyes, and its angry expression was not frightening it was adorable. Zhong Wuxi could not help but laugh. The creature became even angrier, grabbing the herb which was much larger than itself and biting it hard. Since the herb was infused with the vitality of heaven and earth and was not truly lifeless, the creature could not physically touch it.
Zhong Wuxi examined the herb in his hand, but after a long while, he still could not understand why the creature was so angry. Was it because the herb looked ugly? It was silver-vermilion throughout, with feathers as inflorescences. It certainly could not be called ugly. After “battling” the herb for eighty rounds, the creature grew tired and lay down in a comfortable spot, remaining still.
“What are you doing?”
Zhong Wuxi quickly looked away from the creature. “Nothing. I was just thinking about how to reach Foundation Establishment quickly.”
Yin Jiuli glanced at him. “You are not allowed.”
“Master, why will you not let me reach Foundation Establishment?” Zhong Wuxi asked, feeling unhappy. “Senior Sister Xuan Ling said my cultivation had already reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but my body is too weak to carry the surging spiritual energy within me.”
“I have already tempered my body with Dragon Bone Grass.”
Zhong Wuxi stared intently at the creature lying on the floor.
He had seen it clearly just now: the creature became angry the moment he said the name “Senior Sister Xuan Ling.” It turned out the creature was not angry because of the herbs Senior Brother Xuan Mu gave him, but because of Xuan Mu himself.
Had Senior Sister Xuan Ling and Senior Brother Xuan Mu offended this creature in the past? But the creature only appeared on Jimo Peak, and they visited Jimo Peak only a handful of times.
Zhong Wuxi stared at the sulking creature on the floor until the sunlight was blocked by a figure. He looked up to find his Master standing before him. The sunlight on Jimo Peak had a chilly, cool quality that wrapped his slender features in a layer of coldness.
Zhong Wuxi could not help but step back, stammering an explanation: “Master, I am not being impetuous or eager for success; I just want to reach Foundation Establishment quickly.”
“Your body is weak. Wait two more years.”
“But Senior Brother Xuan Mu said I could reach Foundation Establishment after tempering my body with Dragon Bone Grass.” Zhong Wuxi pursed his lips. He knew his Master doted on him, but they were living in a book. The plot was already written; Zhong Wuxi would die at eighteen. Only after reaching Foundation Establishment could he practice more advanced techniques. If he could cultivate healing arts to the absolute peak, could he add a chance to survive?
The master-disciple jade token sliced through the air and landed in his hand. Zhong Wuxi raised his head abruptly.
He had never seen his Master look like this before. The gaze fixed upon him was incredibly indifferent, as if he were not a disciple, but a complete stranger. In the eyes of the Xuanqing Sect’s Holy Monarch, all living things were mere grass and trees, and he was no longer the most special plant among them.
Zhong Wuxi looked up at the gray, overcast sky outside. Wind rolled snowflakes past the window, and they slammed directly into his eyes. They were cold, but they melted instantly, streaming from the corners of his eyes while radiating heat.
He could no longer hold back his tears: “Master, do you not want me anymore?”