A guest room in the Sacred Land.
At first glance, it seemed ordinary, not particularly glittering with gold, but each detail was meticulously crafted. There were purple sandalwood tables and chairs, with Jiangnan's distinctive Yue porcelain placed on top, a set of three vases with copper-green glaze, and the bronze lamp was scented with agarwood.
On the purple sandalwood short table, there were a variety of curious and exotic objects, inlaid with gold and jade. Beside it stood a bookshelf containing all kinds of classics, encompassing works from every school of thought.
The floor was covered with a thick, soundless carpet.
In this typical Jiangnan room, people moved about in a flurry, and it seemed everyone inside wore a frantic expression.
The polished surface of the Bronze Mirror reflected a young face, its haggard and ashen complexion unconcealable, pale and unconscious.
Candles lit the room, illuminating the many faces surrounding him—all of them women.
The Qingping Sword lay beside the person on the bed, its bloodstains having vanished without a trace.
Wenren Pingxin sat on the bed, touching his face, her vermilion lips pressed tight. Her mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, leaving her wordlessly choked with emotion.
Next!!
The voice, weary as if from an oil-spent and wick-burnt lamp, still seemed to echo in her ears—his imposing figure standing on the Ascension Platform, a single sword in hand.
Meridian damage, qi and blood depleted, huh?
Although she wasn't versed in medicine, someone of her cultivation level had a far superior understanding of the body than ordinary people. A quick probe with her own energy was enough to tell her the basics.
It was raining outside, the sound of it rushing down.
The long night was silent and still, the darkness broken only by a few flickering, dim candles.
Su Bei had been unconscious for a full day and night.
Mo Xingjian and the others had also fainted, but clearly, their condition was not as grave as Su Bei's. After taking a Qi Blood Pill, a period of natural recovery would see them improve significantly.
Su Bei had been given a First Grade Rejuvenation Pill as soon as he fainted. It was only now that Wenren Pingxin realized that of the several First Grade Pills Mo Xingjian had refined for him that day, Su Bei himself hadn't taken a single one.
"Elder Sister, go and rest."
Dan Wulan, having just come from Dan Wuque's room, looked at Wenren Pingxin and spoke softly.
As she stroked his cheek, it seemed that only at moments like this did this man truly belong to her.
Her own long eyelashes trembled. Feeling his steady breathing, she leaned in gently and kissed his lips, which bore a faint taste of blood.
Their lips met, then parted.
She straightened his clothes, lightly spreading his garment open.
She could feel his warmth as her touch trailed lower, from his chest to his waist, then...
Hmm?
Dan Wulan's usually cool eyes blinked, her breath growing heavy and hot.
Feeling somewhat guilty, she glanced towards the door, where the shadows of several people were still clearly cast upon its panels.
Outside, Xiao Ruoching's voice could still be heard, seemingly discussing something.
"Queen Lin of Dongfeng Ancient Country once borrowed a Linglong Pearl from Master. That thing has the effect of strengthening meridians; it should have some use on damaged meridians, right..."
Dan Wulan's hand trembled slightly, like a cat caught doing something mischievous, as she lifted the brocade cover off Su Bei's body.
The Linglong Pearl?!
A thought struck Wenren Pingxin. It seemed Su Bei had mentioned this item to her one night, and to use it, he would even need to wear a particular dark cyan-colored garment...
She looked up at the dark sky, noting the late hour, and said, "Let's go find the Eastern Emperor now..."
Before her words had even finished, she saw a handsome man followed by a woman in phoenix-patterned splendid attire hurrying their way.
Their voice, when it came, carried a hint of urgency: "How is Elder Su's condition?"
A bitter smile touched Wenren Pingxin's lips. Though her eyes showed some surprise, she looked at the Eastern Emperor and said, "It's nothing too serious, but I'm worried that the meridian damage might leave some lasting problems."
Ji Nanjue's expression clearly grew heavy. He looked at the tightly closed door, thought for a moment, then asked quietly, "Who is in there?"
The words had barely left his lips when he felt his question was somewhat presumptuous, as he wasn't from the Sword Sect. Just as he was about to explain himself, Lin Jinyu, who was beside him, spoke up: "Although the Eastern Emperor and Elder Su have not met many times, they hold a deep mutual admiration for one another, hence his concern..."