Chapter 325: Chapter 221: Listening to the Story, Just Like I Told Sister. _3
"Senior Brother Lin Duo was actually defeated?!"
"How could Wuhua Palace be defeated?"
"Hahaha, how dare this boy disturb my Dao heart..."
"I am the greatest in the world! I’m the most formidable!"
「...」
Jun Wuxie staggered away, eventually finding himself on No-Sword Peak. Looking at the dead peach saplings, he poured wine from his gourd over them.
SPLASH! The wine soaked the ground beneath the peach trees. He muttered, "Strange? I’ve watered them, but why aren’t they growing?"
"Could it be I haven’t watered them enough!?"
"BURP."
"It’s not my fault. I come to water them every day..."
"Look at those peach blossoms, bursting all over the mountain~♫"
With bleary eyes, he leaned against a large tree and fell into a deep sleep, muttering to himself, "I knew long ago that Senior Brother was just pretending... SMACK, SMACK..."
「...」
Su Bei alone carried Dan Wulan back to the Sword Sect’s encampment, her body limp against him.
They were so close that Su Bei could clearly smell the faint fragrance emanating from her, but he had no mind to appreciate her dazed eyes or disheveled hair.
Yet he didn’t know whom the Sword Sect would face next.
But Su Bei was utterly indifferent to this. He held her hand tightly; it was as cold as ever in his palm.
"Ouch..."
A frail voice hummed lightly. Seemingly aware of whose arms she was in, she grasped his wrist with a delicate hand and clung tightly to his chest, moaning in pain.
"Where does it hurt?" Su Bei asked anxiously. The woman in his arms trembled faintly, her shoulders appearing even more gaunt at that moment.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist. Looking down, he saw a swollen, purple bruise where Dan Wulan had gripped him tightly.
"Everywhere hurts."
Su Bei covered the bruise on his wrist with his sleeve so she wouldn’t see it. A smile tugged at his lips as he spoke gently, "It will be better in a few days. It’s the Evil Qi invading your body."
He gently kissed her forehead.
Then he carried her to her room and laid her on the bed. He let her cling to him tightly, his eyes filled with a trace of anxiety as he watched her.
He had never imagined a person could become so haggard in an instant. Her normally fair face was now devoid of any rosiness, utterly pale.
Dark circles ringed her eyes. The cold, celestial aura she usually possessed was gone, leaving only weariness, like a guttering candle.
Her white hair, no longer soft as before, had become dry and coarse, like tangled winter thatch.
"Here, take this medicine." Su Bei looked at her with a gentle smile and offered her the Qi Blood Pill.
But seeing her weakness, he dissolved the pill into a bowl of medicinal soup. He gently lifted her, allowing her to lean weakly against him to take the medicine.
Su Bei carefully blew on a spoonful to cool it before bringing it to her lips.
She had always swallowed Qi Blood Pills in one go. Only today did she realize just how bitter they truly were.
Her brows furrowed slightly. Seeing her reluctance, Su Bei took out one of the hundred boxes of preserved sweets from his Storage Ring, opened it, and placed a sweet in her mouth along with a spoonful of the medicinal soup.
"This way it’s sweeter."
The medicine was bitter, but when it reached her throat, it tasted sweet.
She didn’t know if it was because of the preserved sweet, or because she was lying in Su Bei’s arms, watching him concentrate entirely on feeding her.
This invasion of Evil Qi was different from before. What could have been gradually suppressed had instead completely surged back due to her severe injuries.
The Qi Blood Pill could only prevent the Evil Qi from spreading further; unlike before, she could no longer heal on her own.
Although she knew it was in vain, she just wanted to lean on him for a while!
"After the Ascension Platform ends, I’ll make a trip to the Southern Border. This is just a minor ailment for you; it’s nothing serious."
"You... how many times have I told you not to push yourself so hard! I’m different. I never fight a battle I’m not prepared for..."
"..."
Dan Wulan swallowed the bitter medicinal soup and stretched out a finger to Su Bei’s lips, stopping his rambling.
"Tell me a story."
Su Bei paused, stunned for a moment, not understanding immediately.
"Just like the one you told my sister."
In this remark, Su Bei detected a hint of jealousy!
She actually remembered what happened that time on No-Sword Peak all this while.
Seeing his expression, Dan Wulan guessed what he was thinking. A beautiful, though faint, smile touched the corners of her lips, gracing her pale face.
But her complexion grew paler still, as if becoming transparent.
Su Bei could clearly feel the Spiritual Energy around her being devoured. Her meridians were gradually becoming transparent, then slowly dissolving as if into water...
He embraced her fully, feeling the delicate, almost boneless fragility of the girl in his arms. His mind was empty of other thoughts, save for the fervent hope that she would recover quickly.
Lin Duo hadn’t held back, and neither had I.
The Qingping Sword Qi I left lurking within those two will likely torment them for a long time.
He held her, channeling streams of pure Great Dao Qi, along with the effects of Qi Blood Pills and Creation Pills, continuously into her body. Yet, he had no idea what story to tell her.
After racking his brains, his face flushed red with effort, he finally began, "On a mysterious continent, there is a vast grassland called Qingqing Prairie."
"Two factions reside there. One is led by the king of wolves, named Grey Wolf..."
Dan Wulan giggled.
The icy expression she had worn for so long finally thawed. "Wolves have names? Could it be a Dao Integration Great Demon?"
Seeing her weakened body gradually showing signs of improvement, Su Bei also relaxed. He said solemnly, "Of course. And I haven’t even mentioned the other faction yet."
"It’s led by five notorious sheep, with Pleasant Goat as their leader..."
...
Su Bei held the bowl that had contained the medicinal soup in his hand, earnestly recounting the story of the wolf that couldn’t catch the sheep.
Dan Wulan blinked gently. The formidable Evil Qi still raged within her body, but she no longer felt pain, simply gazing at him.
Her attention wandering, she didn’t know whether it was from listening to his story or watching his face.
Watching his animated expressions and the ceaseless flow of his words, she felt a sudden surge of emotion and quickly leaned forward, pecking him lightly on the cheek.
The soft, moist touch was fleeting.
Su Bei, however, froze as if struck by a hundred thousand volts.
Even though it wasn’t the first time, Su Bei’s heart still pounded fiercely.
Her injuries seemed to have improved slightly, and Su Bei finally calmed from his anxious state. His gaze now appraised her; beneath her purple dress, her figure was indeed impressive.
A ribbon cinched her slender waist. Coupled with her flowing hair, her pale face added a touch of sickly, icy beauty.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
Dan Wulan panted, her Spiritual Energy still battling the Evil Qi within her, as she looked at Su Bei.
She lightly bit her thin lip and, with a delicate, jade-like hand, undid the knot at her collar, gradually revealing the snowy skin beneath.
Her delicately prominent collarbones held an enchanting allure, their elegant frailty reminiscent of a winter plum.
As her robes parted further, revealing the plain undershirt beneath, the first signs of her wounds became visible.
Large patches of blood stained it, deliberately concealed until now.
"Here..."
Her voice was faint. Her actions showed no hesitation, as if, to save him the trouble of examining her, Dan Wulan reached for her waist... intending to undo the confining ribbon.
Su Bei reached out and gently took her wrist, stopping her.
Meeting her puzzled gaze, he pulled her close, his hands reaching behind her back...
He meticulously searched for the ribbon.
His large hand landed on her smooth back. Her skin felt as cold as ice, devoid of warmth, yet it was also as soft as snow.
Finally finding the ribbon, she leaned her body half against his to accommodate Su Bei’s clumsy movements.