Zhu Zhao: “?”
She had figured it out.
Song Yao was simply muddying the waters right now. She had no intention of reflecting on her actions, nor did she realize what her problem was; she was purely looking to be scolded.
Yet, that pitiful face of hers, with her brows drooped, made it impossible for Zhu Zhao to speak harshly to her.
Unable to take it anymore, Zhu Zhao decisively yanked the quilt open, stuffed Song Yao back inside, and said coldly, “Lie still. I have things to ask you later.”
Song Yao huddled helplessly under the quilt and accused her, “Zhu Zhao, you're still so fierce. We're on the same side now. Are you always this fierce to your own people?”
Zhu Zhao's movements suddenly froze for a moment, a wave of helplessness washing over her.
She fell silent for a brief moment, but in the end, she let out a soft sigh, tucked Song Yao's exposed arm back under the quilt, and spoke in a rare, softened tone, “Fine, I won't be fierce to you. Don't run around, and get some proper rest. I'm going out to call Ji Duchuan in.”
...
Zhu Zhao turned and lifted the curtain to walk out. Before long, she led Ji Duchuan back inside, followed by a trail of anxious Nine Saints Hall members: “Young Master Ji, we're leaving her in your hands. You must find a way!”
“Yes, Senior Ji, my master is relying on you! You must preserve her life at all costs!”
“You are a great divine physician. You can definitely do it, right?”
“...”
Ji Duchuan stood before the bed, surrounded tightly by the crowd from Nine Saints Hall, feeling an unprecedented amount of pressure.
He cleared his throat and suggested, “Could everyone wait outside for a bit? I need a slightly quieter space.”
The Second Elder, who had been anxiously squeezing his way to the front, paused at those words and hurriedly said, “Of course, of course. Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Ji. Let us go outside first.”
He stepped aside to signal the others in the room to leave. Ming Ran wanted to say a few more words, but Cheng Yue gently tugged her sleeve. The group quietly filed out, and the door shut behind them.
Once they were the only two left in the room, Ji Duchuan waved his sleeve. A layer of faint green light spread silently, condensing into a thin barrier around the bed, completely isolating the sounds inside from the outside.
Shedding his previous polite expression, he wrapped a silver thread around Song Yao's wrist to examine her pulse. He quickly retracted it and got straight to the point. “Junior Sister Lin, you know your soul is incomplete, right?”
Song Yao nodded, reaching out to grab some water from the bedside table. “I know.”
This was no secret; even many people outside Nine Saints Hall knew her soul was incomplete.
Ji Duchuan, however, asked further, “Then do you know there is a seal hidden inside your body?”
Song Yao's hand holding the cup paused imperceptibly before she lifted it to take a couple of sips.
Judging by her reaction, she most likely knew.
Ji Duchuan's tone grew more solemn. “The seal is buried extremely deep. A normal pulse check wouldn't be able to detect it at all. I have studied a special technique, and even then, I only managed to detect a corner of it, unable to see the full picture. Furthermore, this seal is incredibly powerful. Within the Tianshu Realm, the number of people capable of laying such a restriction can be counted on one hand.”
Song Yao hadn't expected him to detect the existence of the seal. Holding the cup, she felt slightly numb.
Of all things, this seal of hers had been placed by someone outside the Tianshu Realm.
Although it was possible that someone from the Tianshu Realm had done it, tracing its origin would be incredibly difficult if she really tried to investigate.
Ji Duchuan's expression was grave as he spoke bluntly, “I don't know what you've been through in the past, but I must speak the truth. Your chronic physical weakness and inability to sustain spiritual energy are not entirely due to your incomplete soul. This seal is the root cause. If you truly wish to make a full recovery, this seal must be broken.”
“And there is no other way. Even if my master were to come, he could at most make your body slightly stronger, but before long, you would still be dragged down by this seal.”
Song Yao had long been prepared for this, but hearing about the seal from someone else still felt a bit uncomfortable, giving her a strange sensation of being laid bare.
Fortunately, Ji Duchuan possessed a decent sense of boundaries and did not pry into her background.
She smiled and comforted him instead, “It's fine. It's actually not that easy for me to die. But if my masters, the elders, and my senior brothers and sisters find out about this, they might worry. Please keep this a secret for me, Senior Ji.”
This girl had always been casual and absurdly nonsensical before.
Now, however, she was as weak as a chick on the verge of death, yet she looked obedient and sensible. Ji Duchuan's heart softened even more, and he let out a soft sigh. “I understand. I won't speak of this to anyone.”
He pulled several ceramic pill bottles from his spatial pouch and placed them on the table. “The prescriptions I wrote for you probably won't be of much use, and it's not convenient for you all to fetch medicine anyway. Keep these and take them on schedule every day. If anyone asks, just say I gave them to you. They won't take them away.”
Song Yao: “Thank you.”
Ji Duchuan hesitated for a moment, then asked, “By the way, they will likely search and confiscate your spatial pouch later. Do you need to temporarily store it with me?”
Song Yao was shocked. “They're that shameless?”
Ji Duchuan coughed twice. “Alright, alright, let's not talk about that. After all, I am still a guest of the Beiyao Sect... Well? Do you need me to keep it safe for you?”
Song Yao shook her head. “No need. I don't have anything of great value. If they can't find my spatial pouch, they might resort to torture to extract information.”
Ji Duchuan: “Alright then. In that case, rest well and try not to clash with them. It's not convenient for me to stay here too long, so I'll be off.”
“Thank you.”
Ji Duchuan took a few steps, then couldn't help but pause and turn back to say, “Things will always take a turn for the better. You are still so young, do not treat life and death so lightly. There is always a way.”
Song Yao was currently pondering where to hide the jade tokens and spirit stones in her spatial pouch. Hearing this, she looked at him. “Really?”
Ji Duchuan smiled. “Really.”
Song Yao: “Then can you help me hide my spirit stones?”
The topic had changed a bit too quickly. Ji Duchuan fell silent for a moment. “...Sure.”
Song Yao: “You won't pocket them, will you?”
Ji Duchuan: “...I won't.”
Song Yao: “Really?”
Ji Duchuan: “...”
He shouldn't have bothered comforting her.
As soon as Ji Duchuan left, the members of Nine Saints Hall rushed back inside.
Before they could even get half a word out, Cheng Yue checked the time and frowned. “Stop chatting for now. It's the Hour of the Rooster; we have to go listen to the lectures.”
The Second Elder was startled and ordered, “Everyone, return to your respective peaks. Do not wander around after dark.”
The disciples and cultivators who had run over to check on Song Yao immediately dispersed with tense expressions.
The Second Elder then looked at Zhu Zhao. “Feng Qing is keeping the closest eye on you. You've been out for too long this time, and she will inevitably make things difficult for you again. Go back quickly. I'll watch over Little Wood here; I won't let anything happen to her.”
Song Yao nodded in agreement. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Second Senior Sister, go quickly, I'm fine.”
Being with Zhu Zhao was more of a torment than being with Feng Qing.
Zhu Zhao frowned and hesitated for a moment. After a brief pause, she walked to the bedside and looked down at her. Her usually cold eyes softened slightly as she spoke, “I swear I won't be fierce to you in the future. Just listen to the Second Elder these next few days and behave, alright?”
Rate on N.U.
