106 - Confession (Ying Cheng)

Chapter 106: Bone-Penetrating Arrowhead Fox demon blood. Yan Jue was momentarily stunned. If exchanging a bowl of her blood could earn her critical information, Yan Jue would undoubtedly be willing. Qi Xian Qing's wound bled incessantly, leading Yan Jue to suspect poisoning. However, if it were poison, there should have been other symptoms present. Yan Jue lacked medical knowledge. If she rushed to the Pheasant Jing Apothecary for antidotes and brought them back to the cave for Qi Xian Qing, and it turned out he wasn't poisoned after all, it would be a waste of precious time going back and forth. She needed guidance from someone well-versed in medicine. At the apex of Wanbao Pavilion, shadows of candlelight flickered. With a wave of her right hand, Bie Jing Niang Zi brought forth a gilded small bowl, which landed in front of Yan Jue. Yan Jue immediately rolled up her sleeve. The sleeve dart glimmered with a chilling light as she slashed across her wrist, white as jade. Blood oozed forth. Yan Jue instinctively closed her eyes. Though she had come to terms with her presence in this world long ago, each violent and eerie scene still made her uneasy. The fox demon blood gradually filled the bowl. Bie Jing Niang Zi had already prepared hemostatic medicine for her. Yan Jue sprinkled the golden medicinal powder on her wound and wrapped it tightly with a bandage. Cultivators were generally unafraid of losing blood. For a fox demon, this level of injury required only a short rest to heal. Still, Yan Jue felt briefly disoriented. Supporting her chin lazily, Bie Jing Niang Zi answered Yan Jue’s question, "The closest healer around here is at the end of the stream." "…" This enigmatic answer left Yan Jue exasperated. Couldn't this turtle sprite be more straightforward with her words! The woman smiled, adjusted the Western-style glasses on her nose, and said, “With the lady’s intelligence, surely you can decipher what place I’m referring to.” Yan Jue, thoroughly annoyed, left the pavilion and began contemplating Bie Jing Niang Zi's words. The stream—this was something she knew. In the depths of Mount Fuxian, there was only one stream—the very one she and Qi Xian Qing had fallen into from the cliff. The water was crystal clear, teeming with spiritual energy. It had saved both Yan Jue and Qi Xian Qing's lives. During the day, Yan Jue had carried Qi Xian Qing a long distance, always following the path along the stream. … Exiting the Wan Yao Pavilion, Yan Jue reached the stream and hurried along its course. Inner doubts arose—could there really be such a coincidence in the world, with the healer residing right here? As the deep night sky gradually brightened, a sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon. Stars began to fade away. Unbeknownst to her, it was already dawn. Initially thinking the stream’s end was far off, Yan Jue realized she had reached it after only burning an incense stick’s worth of time. A majestic rock face loomed ahead, a small waterfall cascading down its surface, flanked by lush trees. The stream originated from here. At first, she saw no one, and her heart sank. With two or three steps, Yan Jue approached, braced her hand against the rock, and leveraged herself up, blinking in surprise. The surrounding silence was broken only by the gentle babbling of stream water. A young girl in a blue daoist robe stood in the water not far away, carrying a wicker basket made of willow twigs on her back, catching fish. A scarlet fish leapt from the clear water, only to be snagged by the girl in one swift motion. The slippery fish struggled fiercely in her grasp, managing to slip free and dive back into the water. The girl frowned slightly, preparing to catch another when she heard someone call out nearby, “Catching fish like that isn't easy.” Song Mi Yun straightened up, spotting a captivating girl sitting atop the rock. The girl's slender phoenix-eyes squinted slightly, watching her intently. Despite her tattered robe and somewhat disheveled appearance, she remained strikingly beautiful, a sight that would catch anyone's eye in the wilderness. Yan Jue leaped down from the rock and summoned her celestial sword, Liu Bing. As its form expanded in the sky, a gentle press from Yan Jue caused it to span across the stream, forming a narrow barrier. The barrier slowed the rapid current of the stream. Song Mi Yun was slightly surprised. The icy blue celestial sword exuded immense coldness, and a red fish unwittingly crashed into Liu Bing, instantly freezing into an ice fish. Yan Jue yelled, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up!” Understanding, Song Mi Yun gathered the ice-block fish and placed it in her basket. Using Yan Jue's method, she soon caught five or six red fish and finally looked up earnestly at Yan Jue. Yan Jue bowed slightly and asked, “Why is the daoist catching fish?” At that moment, the first ray of morning light fell on the girl's face, allowing Yan Jue to see her features clearly. The girl had a fair complexion, delicate brows, and the intricate embroidery on her blue daoist robe suggested she wasn't one to live by catching fish. Song Mi Yun replied, “This is the Yu Ling Stream. After the autumn equinox, if you wait here for five days, you’ll see spiritual fish rise to the surface. Catch them, cook them, and from then on, you can breathe underwater.” Yan Jue was taken aback. “Is this little stream called Yu Ling Stream?” The name suggested rich spiritual energy. Yan Jue inquired, “Might you be the healer?” The girl glanced up at her upon hearing "healer." “I am Song Mi Yun, a disciple of Lotus Island, not a healer.” Lotus Island was a renowned sect in this world, situated in the Western Sea. Though not one of the six great sects, it was famed for its expertise in healing. In fact, any disciple of Lotus Island, even one at her level, could be considered a divine healer in the mortal world. Though not an immortal healer, she was nearly so. With sincerity, Yan Jue implored, “My friend's life is in grave danger. I seek the healer's help.” Song Mi Yun studied her for a moment, nodded, and emerged from the stream. In the morning light, her bare feet pressed into the sand, giving her more the appearance of a neighborly girl than a healer. Lotus Island specialized in healing arts. Its disciples often traveled the world to help others, setting up clinics after reaching the fifth rank. As the direct disciple of the Island's leader, Song Mi Yun hadn’t rushed to open a clinic. Instead, she wandered the land, searching for the extraordinary herbs and medicines described in ancient texts, aspiring to save more lives. With a healer's heart, she nodded in agreement to Yan Jue's request. Song Mi Yun extended a pale hand. Yan Jue was momentarily confused, realizing she was meant to offer her own hand for a pulse reading, and she slowly complied. Song Mi Yun placed her fingers on Yan Jue's pulse. What an odd pulse. Song Mi Yun noticed she had asked for help for her friend, yet now, her own pulse was being read. This bewildered Yan Jue. Song Mi Yun remarked, “Your pulse is peculiar.” Her eyes lifted slightly. “A beast’s pulse in a human body. You are not human.” The air became tense for a moment. Yan Jue admitted honestly, “Yes.” Even though healers specialized in medicine and their supernatural ability might lag behind ordinary cultivators at the fifth rank, Yan Jue wasn’t afraid should she decide to attack. Song Mi Yun contemplated her pulse, seemingly using keen patience. Finally, Yan Jue understood. This was the remarkable power of an extraordinarily skilled healer. Such pulse reading encapsulated profound knowledge. An adept healer could discern one's conditions and, through observation of pulse energy and alignment of elemental forces, deduce all related matters. Song Mi Yun prompted, “Describe your friend’s symptoms in detail.” Yan Jue recounted Qi Xian Qing's injuries, explaining how Qi Xian Qing's knee had been struck by an arrow. Despite removing the arrow, the blood continued to flow, a horrifying situation. As Yan Jue explained, her heart grew heavier. Could Qi Xian Qing be afflicted with some rare and intricate poison? That would be disastrous. Song Mi Yun withdrew her hand and pondered for a moment. "He's not poisoned." Yan Jue was taken aback, a glimmer of hope appearing amidst her dread. "He's not poisoned?" This was precisely why she sought a healer. A professional in the healing arts would certainly understand far more than an outsider like herself. From her storage ring, Song Mi Yun produced a gourd. “This is Purple Secret Wine. Return and cleanse her wound with this. After half a tea's time, pus will begin to flow. Once the pus has drained completely, the arrowhead will fall out, and the wound will heal.” What? Arrowhead? Yan Jue's heart clenched. Could the arrowhead still be embedded in Qi Xian Qing’s flesh? Yan Jue accepted the gourd, her hand trembling slightly. “Thank you.” Song Mi Yun cautioned, “But since the injury reached the tendons and bones, she might not fully recover. She may have to use a wheelchair or crutches.” Yan Jue froze, her entire being shocked. How could it be? Someone like Qi Xian Qing was born to wield a celestial sword and rid the world of evil. To confine him to a wheelchair for life would be a devastating blow. Yan Jue frowned and softly asked, “Is there any way to heal her, healer?” Song Mi Yun suddenly changed the topic, "But whether her body can be restored to its original state depends on whether you’re willing to make a sacrifice." Yan Jue paused, "What sacrifice?" Song Mi Yun continued, "With the pulse of a beast and the body of a human, you are a Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox." Caught off guard by her ability to discern, Yan Jue straightforwardly admitted, "I am." Song Mi Yun said, "Are you aware that your blood is one of the most precious materials in medicine?" "What effect would your blood have if used as medicine?" Yan Jue suddenly remembered what the turtle spirit had told her in the Wan Bao Pavilion earlier. The blood of a Nine-Tailed Fox Demon, if used as a medicinal ingredient, could resurrect the dead and heal bones. A thought flashed across Yan Jue's mind, and she instinctively responded, "Bloodletting." Song Mi Yun nodded, "Exactly. Since it’s her meridians that are damaged, your blood naturally carries the ability to repair them." "If you follow my instructions, she will recover as before in ten days." - Yan Jue expressed her gratitude to Song Mi Yun and offered her a few high-quality spirit stones as a fee. Song Mi Yun usually didn't charge for treatments, but Yan Jue insisted, so she accepted. The sky had fully brightened by then, and Song Mi Yun returned to the water, stacking large stones to build a dam. As Yan Jue turned to leave, she heard Song Mi Yun call out, "I’ll be here catching fish for ten days." Yan Jue, insightful as always, instantly grasped her implication. If Qi Xian Qing didn’t recover in ten days, she could come back to find her. Yan Jue felt a wave of emotion at the thought: there were still many good people in this world. … When Yan Jue returned to the cave, Qi Xian Qing was still asleep. Outside the cave was a simple array that served to mask their presence. A few small monkeys stood outside, and upon seeing Yan Jue, they excitedly hopped toward her. "She Ming Xu." Yan Jue waved her right hand, and the monkeys turned back into monkey hair, vanishing into the air. A Transformation Pearl placed within the cave emitted a soft glow akin to a night lamp in the darkness. Qi Xian Qing lay on the stone bed, draped in a Ethereal Mantle. Her face was pale, her hands clenched by her sides, breathing rapidly. Yan Jue had never seen Qi Xian Qing so weak. Upon hearing footsteps, Qi Xian Qing, always vigilant, instinctively opened her eyes and unexpectedly saw Yan Jue entering the cave, silhouetted against the light. Her daoist robe, tattered from the underbrush, exposed fair arms covered in small wounds, one wrapped in a white bandage—she appeared quite bedraggled. Yan Jue knelt before Qi Xian Qing and softly said, "Senior Sister, let me check your knee." In the dim light, the calm severity on her young face and her resolute tone inexplicably imparted a sense of security. Qi Xian Qing raised her heavy eyelids for a glance before closing her eyes again. Yan Jue gently exposed Qi Xian Qing’s knee, causing fresh blood to spill forth. At this rate, if left unchecked, Qi Xian Qing might truly be in mortal danger in two days. Following Song Mi Yun's instructions, Yan Jue used the Purple Secret Wine to cleanse the wound. Although the arrow had been removed, fresh blood continued to gush from the wound. To the naked eye, nothing seemed amiss, but Yan Jue slowly poured the purplish-clear wine onto Qi Xian Qing’s wound. Qi Xian Qing inhaled sharply from the pain. Though she didn’t know what Yan Jue intended, she lay still on the stone bed. Once the wine was used, Yan Jue waited, watching as pus began to ooze from the wound. Qi Xian Qing furrowed her brow. Knowing the pain she was in, Yan Jue gently offered, "If it’s too painful, you can cry." Suddenly, a cool sensation rose on her wrist, something soft slithering up like a snake, gently clasping her. Yan Jue froze. Qi Xian Qing turned, burying her face in her arm, while clasping Yan Jue's hand with her other hand, gripping it tightly as if to transfer her pain onto Yan Jue. Sharp pain shot up from Yan Jue's wrist, yet she found herself feeling both amused and gratified. She thought she might be a little crazy, wishing Qi Xian Qing would grip tighter if it would ease her suffering. From the back of Qi Xian Qing's knee, streams of blood-not-so-thick flowed. Yan Jue frowned, faintly seeing something protruding from the wound. It was a pitch-black arrowhead, lodged firmly within Qi Xian Qing's flesh. Clearly modified, its eight barbed appendages resembled spider legs, as if they were clinging to the bone. To remove it recklessly might drive it deeper. A torture nail. Yan Jue was abruptly reminded of such a cursed artifact. This arrowhead pierced not only Qi Xian Qing’s flesh but had also affected her bones. Sweat beaded on Yan Jue's palms. She continued to flush Qi Xian Qing’s wound with the "Purple Secret Wine." With a crisp "clink," the arrowhead dropped to the ground. Yan Jue wiped her brow, "Senior Sister, it’s over." Qi Xian Qing slipped back into a deep sleep. She had never suffered such an injury before, now lying as helpless as a mortal. In her haze, Qi Xian Qing suddenly found the idea of ever doubting Yan Jue laughable. In this condition, Yan Jue had countless ways to kill her. But Yan Jue hadn’t! This site has no pop-up ads, permanent domain (xbanxia.com)