Muscles tensing. As if taken over by automatous orders the limp woman with blood poring from nearly every orifice of her body jerks upright from his arms. A flesh consuming cold blade made entirely of crystals the size of a fisherman's boat swung from it's invisible shealth sending the distracted male serpent flying. Splitting the heavens, shattering and freezing the sea surrounding them. Fingers moving faster than eyes could follow the marionette murmured and with miniture droplets of melted snow in the air in front of them. The two along with the remaining people on the boat were enveloped within a white light. Yilin's blade which had shot in the male serpent's original direction changed direction, retreating. Allowing him time in only managing to quickly grab Jiang Tengyi before they too converted to light.
Da Chuanli was embraced within bloody robes. Her breath nearly nonexistent. The holes within her skull, ones no human would have been able to survive. Were hidden behind flaky eyelids and a bloody facial mask making her resemble a terrifying ghoul. And yet, peering into the disfigured woman's face, Da Chuanli held no fear. As the light ate at their bodies, like carefully unfolding treasures, it did not hurt a single bit. Expression full of confusion and hesitation, despite not recognizing this bloody female ghost embracing him. His hands carefully support the stiff spiritual beast who shivered at his touch.
Arms beneath her knees and waist, he held her up willingly. As if some sort of understanding came between them. Chao Bai, shakily leans forward, rubbing her messy face into his collar, seemingly seeking strength and warmth. "It is dangerous here." Her raspy whisper like the tearing of velcro, harsh on the ears. As the light consumes her face and his own. He seemed to find a major clue to the aching in his bones that had been bothering him since that day his master had lied to him about the incident at the Zenith Star's sect lands Not caring for the blood dripping from her face to his neck, dirtying his white robes and staining them pink.
He spoke with certainty, quiet yet steady "You were the one who erased them." Chao Bai neither denied nor confirmed. Her breath becoming weaker as more than half her face fades with the slow transport spell. Whether intentional or not, the feeling was especially gentle with him, picking them apart with care. "Who are you?" A weak smile, rueful, scary looking, and a repeated statement echoing in his eardrums like candy being shaken in a jar. "A son of heaven, shouldn't concern himself with lower beings." "Lilac incense, water roots-" He carefully traces the frozen beast's wrist, rubbing her torn fingers showing bone between his own.
His voice, with disquitude swelling audibly within each word. Trying to catch the small scatters of her light in his own. Like his mind racing to catch the fleeting memories he had both willingly and unwillingly discarded. "-You can wield her weapon. The story within these hands.... havent changed." Breath catching, Wang Lan Biyu was the first to retreat. Her throat even more dry as the calm heart arose from it's winter slumber with a shock so powerful she nearly fell from his embrace. Some disbelief, then fear and rejection. Like a bird caught in a cage with broken wings. Da Chuanli gave a crooked, derisive smile, his gaze holding somber flames, his grasp on her like steel. "I am not a fool."
Weak as they were, the fingers when rising to touch his temples move as fast as trailing droplets of water racing along his veins. However, Ling Da Chuanli had no intentions of letting this living memory slip from his grasp once more. Catching that wandering hand, he did not condem her actions outloud and only gave a more rueful smile. Wang Lan Biyu, from her hair to toes, when those gentle fingers take ahold of her bloody hands; Shivers when something soft, and warm presses against her torn knuckles. So tender in their touch, his actions filled with such longing that Wang Lan Biyu felt her lungs lose all fuctionality as the blood dripping down her cheeks seem to double. But with that tenderness, his words were even more bitter and a hint threatening. "Wang Lan Biyu...Where do you intend to go off and die on your own this time?"
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The most heartbreaking thing isn't the death of your cultivation partner. It was the agony of thinking they had pass, their life slipping between your fingers. Only to realise, they had suffered far more than you had first assumed. Hanging by a thread you had neglected to notice right beneath your feet as you walked along with a numbed conciousness lost in your own demons. Cultivators wish for swift death, there were too many ways to suffer if kept alive. Too many ways those who stepped off the path of the Heavenly Dao for quick success and revenge knew how to torture them beyond the physical world. "Young Master Ling, please remove your hand so I may access her large intestine channel." The hand he was holding onto had long grown cold as ice, yet he still held on with all his might just so he could feel the faint sensation of her pulse.
To confirm her life had not yet slipped through his hands like before, without his consent nor knowledge. The man flinched with her reminder, at first, she thought he didn't hear her as he had been staring down at Chao Bai with an intense focus lost in his own world. Yet, as she went to remind him again, Ling Da Chuanli rigidly, and carefully, flips his hand over. Resting her loose fingers ontop his palm, following her orders only partially so she could access the necessary accupucture point. Ehuang opens her mouth before closing it with not a syllable escaping her lips. Wordlessly lowering her head back to focus on her job, moving quicker to stop the blood loss and relieve as much pain as she could for the near corpse on her table. Nearly sticking the woman's stomach and arms full of silver needles.
More than likely Ling Da Chuanli was in no mood to converse with her and would rather she put all her energy into treating Chao Bai which she also prefered. When she went to wipe the dried blood from Chao Bai's face, it was only then was she awknowledged by the other who promptly removed the cloth from her and did it himself. His movements meticulous, expression though severe, giving off a heartbreaking benigned solemnity. Not insisting on taking this job from him, she moves aside and in tandem with his wiping moved in with a gu insect to assist in stauching the injury. Sensing dark intent from the young man, Ehuang didn't flinch away and continued with her movements despite his quiet warning. "Chao Bai is too weak and cannot heal her injury on her own, for now, it is best to focus on her internal wounds. Though unorthodoxed, this method can allow her beastial core to concetrate it's flow into her lungs to rejuvinate the more urgent injuries."
Though she said so, her hand also threatened to tremble as she brought the insect closer to the pale girl's face. Taking a deep breath, Ehuang firmly allowed the venemous insect sink it's fangs into the girl's ear lobe instead. Her heart still weak to the uncertain fate of her friend. Placing the gu insect back into a box for safe keeping, she familiarly smears a new blindfold with ointment. One Chao Bai had briefly abandoned in favour of protecting Ling Da Chuanli and Jiang Tengyi. "Recently, the restlessness of the mortals have affected more than those in the capital." Beading precious calming pearls to the ends of the blindfold, she tried distract not only Da Chuanli, but also herself in the tense atmosphere.
Leading to Da Chuanli sending her a brief yet acquitted glance before his fingers slow down when cleaning Chao Bai's cheeks. Ehuang's voice never trembles, only growing somewhat hoarse the more she whispered words only meant for his ears for the sake of her friend's hidden pride. "Chao Bai does not sleep like the rest of us do anymore...When the night grows shorter and the sun extends it's visitation, so does her moments of reprieve. The Madam and Sect master do not speak of it openly, but as her main and only medical practitioner how can I not know what and where my patient has done the most to strain her body? Traveling from the mainland borders to the Young Patriarchs side within a single night each day." Bringing the newly redecorated blindfold to their side, she expertly lifts and fixes the blindfold onto the now clean face of Chao Bai.
Only when the pearls rest upon her cheeks like tears suspended in time did the paleness in her cheeks faintly regain some of their color relieving Ehuang who knew the most dangerious time had passed. As spiritual beasts were not accustomed to illnesses exactly the same as humans, their bodys were built differently. The mild sickness to humans could be deadly to spiritual beasts, and yet they were much more tenacious than mortals in practically everything else. As long as Chao Bai did not gain a fever or chills this was also a salvagable situation. Now, for the biggest problem at the moment.
She took another look at the young man in front of her, who from start to finished peered at the world and people around him like a wild wolf surrounded by hunters with a knot between his brows. The only reason they had managed to pry most of Chao Bai from his fingers without suffering were due to the mutual understanding that if Ehuang did not treat Chao Bai the spiritual beast would likely never open her eyes again. With the support of the extrangled and drawn blade of Jiang Tengyi; Who stood between his people and the mangled body of his "Junior sister" as well as best friend. Ehuang was the only exception within twenty meters of her body. Merely because of her life saving capabilities.
She did not know the story of these two star crossed lovers. How a man aloof to the world outside the Heavenly Dao inscribed down to his very soul had taken notice of a distant falling star like Chao Bai. Nor how deep their connection went for Chao Bai to give her everything to this gentleman who should in reality never have taken his eyes of his immortal path and stray in her direction who lingered on a overgrown thorny path. "She is not weak. But it is because she is strong that no one can convince her to step back. Do not pity her, young master Ling. Chao Bai's pride will not accept it." Like a lamppost on a quiet street, she watched in silence as the man knelt beside the woman's side. His forehead pressing gently against her own, his displaced sorrow though not shown outwardly nearly drowned those sensitive to spiritual fluctuations within the room. Along with his sorrow, a strange longing, all directed to the woman on the table.
"...I had thought it was merely her kindness and sense of responsiblity which lead to her accepting to be one of the escorts. It turns out, I was the short sighted one." Leaving this ambigious statement and room behind, Ehuang went to brood on her own. Da Chuanli, drowning out all noise besides her breathing, obsessively rubbing her wrist in one hand. Inhales deeply, closing his eyes for a moment as if taking in the medical soaked bedroom and woman at the center of it all for the first time. A strange aching had started growing his chest from the moment he guessed it. It could be a coincidence once. But twice it happened? Yet, the every growing questions among the hundreds he had for her, could never outgrow the one which had lingered the longest in his heart since she reappeared within his vision.
Why did you not come back? She should have known, if the world had wronged her, their Azure sect would never have abandoned her. His master would not allow them. If the world pointed fingers at her, he would cut them off and burn them as offerings to appease her discomfort. If she was willing to shed a single tear, the earth would burn in opposition for violating her vision. She who stood before him and their Master to defend the mortals which sneer at her no matter her stance. The girl who stood before his half raised hand and smile, catching certain death about to decend on a sinner who spoke ill of her. As an Senior brother, his dicipline was more consequential than her meager slaps on the wrist of those being disobedient on his Master's mountain.
Just because he was dismissive of her, did not mean they could do the same. So, how dare the world and heavenly dao treat his junior sister with a fate so unjust? This rigid girl he had teased and pulled hairpins from in their youth? A rare rage at the heavenly dao he had never questioned grew more and more within his heart as he stared down at the weaken Wang Lan Biyu. So very different from the dignified, unmatched pride of their Azure sect. Their Master's prestigious, and brilliant daughter. Darkening his core to a blackened oil dripping beast. How dare they place their hands on her?*crack-! A flutter of the lashes smothered the flames, slipping the sinister aura in the room into a calmer and warm atmosphere.