Love & Redemption
Chapter 134: Volume 3 Heartless Xuanji - 41 - Wound (3)

Chapter 134: Volume 3 Heartless Xuanji Chapter 41 - Wound (3)

His long hair hung loosely over his shoulders, covering half of his pallid face, obscuring the once-slight prideful defiance that was now completely absent. He beckoned gently, "Xuanji, come here."

Xuanji’s feet seemed nailed to the ground; she hadn’t expected him to be awake at this time, and a moment of panic ensued. However, she obediently walked over, stood by the bed, and took his icy hand, murmuring, "Does it still hurt?"

He shook his head, chuckling softly, "Your eyes are red, like a little rabbit."

She felt rather embarrassed, rubbed her eyes, and mumbled, "They’re not that red..." These days, she really had cried all the tears she hadn’t shed in fifteen years; her eyes were always red, and she found it awkward.

He sighed, suddenly coughing twice, clutching his chest with an expression of pain. Xuanji turned pale with fright, staring at him helplessly. He pinched her hand weakly and said, "It’s okay... I won’t die."

"It’s not about dying..." She spoke with a trembling voice, tears gathering in her eyes again, desperately trying not to let them fall, "I... I don’t want to see you hurt! I’m so useless... I said I would protect everyone, but in the end, I still ended up needing others to look after me! I..."

Yu Sifeng tightly grasped her hand, a trace of warmth in his palm.

"I’m thirsty, can you get me a cup of water?"

His sudden change of topic startled Xuanji for a moment. She quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve, then turned around to pour him a cup of hot tea, carefully bringing it to his lips.

"It’s very hot, be careful drinking." Her hand suddenly trembled, accidentally splashing a bit of water onto the blanket. She hurriedly apologized.

Yu Sifeng chuckled, flicking her face lightly with his finger, softly saying, "This is more like you. Everyone likes that absent-minded, carefree you, why force yourself to change?"

She obediently nodded, carefully sitting on the edge of the bed, taking care not to touch him. Both of them thought of their experiences on Buzhou Mountain and for a moment both were at a loss for words. After a long while, Xuanji, looking at his chest wrapped in thick bandages, softly asked, "Does it hurt? The wound... May I touch it?"

Yu Sifeng smiled, "You can. But be gentle."

Her trembling hand reached out, touched the bandage tentatively, and felt his heart beating strongly underneath her fingertips. She couldn’t help but blush, eager to retract her hand, but he caught it, bringing it to his lips for a kiss.

"Ah!" she exclaimed softly, not daring to move much, fearful of aggravating his wound. His lips were dry and warm, caressing her finger slowly, inducing a strange sensation that quickened her heartbeat.

"Don’t be sad," he pressed her hand to his face, his long eyelashes tickling it, "Even if Min Yan... At least, I will always be by your side, never leaving."

Xuanji didn’t know what to say, she stiffened, not daring to move forward or back, her back aching terribly.

"Next time..." she suddenly spoke up, "next time we go to Buzhou Mountain... After we’ve all become powerful, we’ll go back to Buzhou Mountain and take them back."

They were not objects that could be stolen. Yu Sifeng inwardly smiled bitterly, feeling melancholic, "Ruo Yu... In this condition, I really can’t return to Lize Palace to give them an explanation."

That day, Elder He Yang sought him out for a private conversation, asking about Ruo Yu’s background. He then knew something was amiss. The sword thrust had been aimed deliberately at his vitals. Fortunately, its precision was slightly off. As an expert in medicine, Elder He Yang could naturally discern the ruthlessness of the one who wielded the sword.

"Who exactly is Ruo Yu? With such accurate moves, it’s clear that he came prepared. It can’t truly be a fellow sect member, as they would never be so heartless. You need to be careful yourself."

Elder He Yang’s warning still echoed in his ears. Yu Sifeng was also full of doubts. He remembered that although he and Ruo Yu were from the same sect, they were not well-acquainted. Ruo Yu was raised by the Vice Palace Master, while he was a disciple of the Palace Master. They only met occasionally as children. Due to their similar ages, they would exchange a few words, but as they grew up, they were not as close as they were in their childhood. It was mere coincidence that they were assigned to the same team for this training journey.

Could it be that he harbored murderous intentions all along, waiting for this moment?

"What... did you actually plan to return to Li Ze Palace before?" Xuanji felt depressed.

He smiled, "Xuanji, I am not a drifter. I do have things I care about, other than you."

She was at a loss for words, realizing that she had indeed been rather overbearing in this regard, to a degree that rivaled Linglong’s.

Thinking of Linglong, she felt revitalized. She took out the small vial hanging in front of her chest and stared at it for a long while before saying, "Once you are able to get out of bed and walk, I can leave with peace of mind to ask Ting Nu for help to save Linglong."

"Are you going alone?" Now it was his turn to be surprised.

Xuanji quickly shook her head, "No... what I mean is, I will leave temporarily. You should stay here and recover well. Once Linglong is saved, she and I will come to Germu to find you again."

Yu Sifeng pondered for a while before responding, "That’s fine. This injury of mine will take at least half a year to heal fully. If we delay this long, I fear the demons might make a move. It’s crucial to save Linglong first."

The two of them set their plans for the latter half of the year and finally felt at ease, sharing a knowing smile. Xuanji blushed and whispered, "Sifeng... can I, can I hug you?"

He was somewhat surprised, but still pushed the quilt aside, opened his arms, and smiled, "Come here."

She leaned in gently, wrapping her arms around his chest and carefully rested her face against him. His familiar scent surrounded her, a scent that brought her tranquility, as if it confirmed something for her, that the scene of the blade penetrating his chest was finally over. He was safe and sound, still alive, in her arms.

Yu Sifeng held her shoulders and gently stroked her hair. Xuanji, like a cherished cat, almost purred in contentment. She squinted her eyes and said softly, "What if, I stay tonight to sleep with you. I...I don’t want to go."

Yu Sifeng’s hand stiffened for a moment, then slid down again, brushing her long hair back, his fingers tracing the gentle curve of her lovely neck, eventually cradling her face.

"Xuanji," he called her name.

As she looked up at him unintentionally, he suddenly leaned down and kissed her. The moment their lips met, he was captivated by the soft, tender, and slippery sensation of her lips. The girl in his arms stirred slightly, as if puzzled, but then melted into his embrace, her soft arms loosely hooking around his shoulders in tender reciprocity.

His hands tenderly threaded through her long hair, reluctant to let go of the entwined passion of their lips. There was a faint pain in his chest, but it wasn’t from the injury; it was because his heartbeat was racing too fast.

"Xuanji." He kissed her cheek, murmuring her name, "Don’t leave me..."

She felt a whirlwind of emotions, burying herself in his embrace as if her entire being was melting. She nodded at once, dazedly saying, "Okay, I won’t leave... I’ll stay with you to sleep."

She didn’t quite understand. But it didn’t matter anymore. With a low chuckle, he held her tight and kissed her deeply once again.

Of course, he would never agree to Xuanji’s offer to stay with him as he slept. The elders were probably paying close attention from the adjacent guest room, and unless he wanted to suffer their wrath, he should behave, even if he was injured.

Two days later, Chu Lei and his companions hurried back to the Shaoyang Sect. The endless warnings and instructions at departure go without saying, but it was Chu Lei’s last remark that left both young people silent for a long time.

He had said: Do not intervene in Min Yan’s affair for now. If he seeks you out, treat him as an enemy, and show no mercy.

Implicitly, Zhong Minyan was already considered a traitor.

After sending off the three elders, both Xuanji and Yu Sifeng looked somewhat somber. Xuanji spoke after sitting in silence for a while, "He’s not a traitor."

Yu Sifeng instantly understood her abrupt declaration and patted her shoulder, consolingly saying, "Min Yan must have his reasons for his actions. I think, someday he will return and explain everything to us. I believe in him."

Could he really come back? Xuanji said nothing; she just felt a heaviness in her chest as she raised her head to gaze at the beautiful spring outside the window. Fresh buds sprouted on the trees, the sky was a clear azure, and the clouds floated like gossamer. She realized that he had not seen these beautiful scenes of the human world for a long time.

The vast clouds seemed to morph into the laughing face of that reckless youth, his mouth casually twisted in a playful smile, revealing a set of white teeth; his beautiful eyes shone bright as he teased her: "You fool, can’t you focus just a little bit?!"

Xuanji sighed softly, wondering what Sixth Brother was doing right now? Was he, like them, leaning against the window, staring blankly into the pitch-black night sky of Buzhou Mountain?

"Xuanji?" Yu Sifeng called her name several times, finally snapping her back to reality.

"Ah, what’s wrong? Are you thirsty or hungry?" She immediately went to the bedside, trying to adopt a virtuous demeanor as she picked up a handkerchief to wipe the nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

Yu Sifeng, looking utterly exasperated, pushed her hand away and sighed, "I mean, you’d better set off for Qingyang as soon as you can and not delay any longer. My injury is not severe, I just need to rest. You don’t need to worry about me."

She responded with a disappointed "Oh," muttering, "But... you still can’t get out of bed... I’ll worry..."

Yu Sifeng gently pulled at the bandage on his chest, and soon a scar near his heart came into Xuanji’s view. Ruo Yu’s sword had struck rapidly, so much so that there seemed to be no grave injury from the outside, but it was fatal.

"Ah, don’t move! Quickly apply the medicine and bandage it properly! You can’t expose such a wound to the air!"

Xuanji hurriedly shut the window and turned to get his medicine. While glancing at his bare chest, she couldn’t help blushing, but not being shy, she quickly went over to clean his wound and apply fresh medicine.

"If I say there’s nothing to worry about, then there isn’t," he said in a low voice, looking down at her as she washed her hands and applied medicine to him. His breath brushed past her ear, turning it a glowing red, reminiscent of semi-translucent agate.

In a moment of tenderness, he couldn’t help but lower his head and kiss it. Xuanji’s hand trembled, almost knocking over the medicine box, whispering, "Stop it... in case it hurts..."

Before she could finish, she noticed four black beads, each about the size of half a thumb, aligned side by side beneath his ribs. She hadn’t noticed them before because he had always been wrapped in bandages, and only now, after Elder Yang had left and it was her turn to apply medicine and bandage him, did she discover them.

"What are these?" she immediately inquired, reaching out to touch them and feeling their hard texture, wondering what material they were made of.

Yu Sifeng’s expression shifted slightly, and it took a long while before he said, "It’s a seal."

A seal? Xuanji looked at him in astonishment. Yu Sifeng curved his mouth into a smile and explained, "Like when you go Demon Hunting and capture a demon, you use a seal to prevent them from wreaking havoc. It’s somewhat similar to that."

A demon? Xuanji was even more confused.

Yu Sifeng let out a snort of laughter, leaning back against the headboard and said lazily, "Just kidding. This is a type of ornament of the Li Ze Palace. You know that Li Ze Palace has always had a lot of peculiar rules."

Oh, I see! Xuanji immediately felt relieved. He was right; Li Ze Palace had always had lots of strange rules—masks, green robes, the prohibition of marriage. Now, adding a few beads under the ribs didn’t seem like a big deal.

She quickly finished applying the medicine and bandaged him with fresh bandages, then caught sight of his clothes placed at the bedhead, with a mask lying on top, its expression sorrowful as if about to cry.

"You’re still keeping it, huh." Xuanji carelessly shoved the old bandages into a pile on the table, then turned and sat down on the bed to pick up the mask, tapping it occasionally with her hand, producing a hollow sound.

Yu Sifeng emotionlessly took the mask from her, wiped something off of it, and after a long while, said quietly, "Still crying, huh... such a useless thing."

After saying that, he tossed it casually inside the bed.

"Si Feng..." she watched him silently, "you... you don’t seem very happy?"

He gave her a soft smile and said, "No, I was just thinking whether a bold girl would offer to sleep with me again tonight."

Xuanji burst into laughter, took off her shoes, and jumped onto the bed, lying beside him, saying, "I’m with you right now. I used to share a bed with Linglong often, and she would always hog up most of the bed when she slept. You better not be like her."

Is that so? He gave a rueful smile, lay down beside her, and they talked, exchanging words back and forth, speaking many many words. At last, he felt tired and closed his eyes to sleep deeply. In a daze, he felt the girl beside him lean closer, snuggling into his embrace as she seemed to be seeking a warm place to belong.

He lifted his hand to wrap around her shoulder, hoping to have a good dream, a dream with her in it. (To be continued, for future episodes, please log on to www.qidian.com. There are more Chapters to support the author, support genuine reading!)

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