Quite a few things happened while the Solar Eclipse Secret Realm was open. First, an Elder at the Golden Immortal realm perished within the secret realm. Shortly after, as Yun Heng exited the secret realm and before she could even investigate the Elder’s cause of death, she received message paper cranes from Lu Qiaoyi and the Medicine Immortal.
Upon opening the two paper cranes, her face instantly lost all color.
The letters conveyed dire news: her junior sister’s illness had flared up, and her condition was extremely perilous.
Lu Qiaoyi’s letter was somewhat reserved, while the Medicine Immortal spoke more directly. Unable to guarantee Wen Qiwu’s survival, she plainly told Yun Heng to return quickly to avoid missing her final moments.
The Medicine Immortal wasn’t exaggerating. She and Lu Qiaoyi had taken turns providing treatment, but ultimately, they could only watch as Wen Qiwu’s life force grew weaker and weaker.
After thousands of years, the Medicine Immortal once again felt that sense of powerlessness. The Spirit Scattering disease was bizarre and rare, with too few cases for her to have yet deciphered its cause.
Wen Qiwu’s illness had progressed to its final stage. The previous patient with Spirit Scattering disease had succumbed during the first onset at this very stage.
She had thought Wen Qiwu wouldn’t make it through this time either, but the Medicine Immortal witnessed a miracle.
The patient’s willpower was the complete opposite of her outward appearance, possessing an astonishing strength. Seeing Wen Qiwu awaken, a hint of a smile even appeared on the Medicine Immortal’s usually stoic face.
“Senior Sister…” the patient called out, struggling to wake up and using her last bit of strength to address the one who was almost consumed by despair.
The Immortal Venerable, who had run through every legendary revival technique in her mind, finally snapped back to reality. Her expression was a little dazed, as if she couldn’t believe what was happening before her eyes was real. Her junior sister, struggling to awaken, had watery eyes, soft and tinged with a hint of grievance.
She must still be thinking about me leaving without a word that day.
It’s good that she’s awake, it’s good she’s awake…
Yun Heng held her junior sister in her arms, her hands trembling with the feeling of having lost and found her again. If the Medicine Immortal and others hadn’t needed to administer treatment, the Immortal Venerable would have never let go.
With the help of the two physicians, Wen Qiwu weathered the critical period. Weak, she drifted back into a deep sleep. The Medicine Immortal said she needed plenty of rest, as this relapse had severely damaged Wen Qiwu’s soul. Any recovery, however small, was good.
She slept for over ten days. Although she occasionally woke up groggily, her senior sister, who stayed by her side, would gently coax her back to sleep.
Once Wen Qiwu’s condition stabilized, Yun Heng had to handle the funeral arrangements for the Golden Immortal Elder. The Elder’s identity was special; his loss was more than just losing a Golden Immortal for the sect.
The fallen Golden Immortal Elder had entered the path through formations. For thousands of years, he had been responsible for maintaining the operation of the Wen Shen Sect’s protective array. Now, someone needed to take over his duties, and Lu Qiaoyi was the most suitable candidate. Everyone else implicitly agreed that she would be the new Elder responsible for the array.
However, Lu Qiaoyi already had responsibilities at Myriad Elixir Mountain, and she had also been tirelessly working to treat Wen Qiwu’s illness over the years. Yun Heng hesitated. If she added the responsibility of the protective array, wouldn’t Elder Lu’s burden be too heavy?
Sensing Yun Heng’s doubts, Lu Qiaoyi proactively took on the responsibility for the protective array.
“Leave the matter of the protective array to me. You have many other things to attend to; don’t worry about these small matters. Has Elder Jin’s cause of death been clarified?”
The silent demise of a Golden Immortal Elder, who hadn’t even managed to call out to Yun Heng before dying, his life tablet failing to record his final moments – this affair was quite peculiar.
“I haven’t found any useful clues. The Sect Master of Yu Xi Sect said he went towards the tomb, and might have encountered the residual soul of the True Immortal tomb owner.” Yun Heng’s brow furrowed slightly, not seeming to fully accept this explanation.
However, there was nothing she could do for now, even with her disbelief. She had tried every possible method but still couldn’t retrace his experience at the time of death. If she wanted to continue investigating, she might have to wait another hundred years to revisit the Solar Eclipse Secret Realm for any clues.
Lu Qiaoyi’s lips twitched, her expression perhaps a smile, perhaps sorrow. Standing behind Yun Heng, she couldn’t see the Elder’s unusual demeanor.
“In the Solar Eclipse Secret Realm, only the tomb owner could silently kill a Golden Immortal.” She sighed. “Don’t worry, I’ve studied the protective array. There won’t be any problems.”
“…Thank you for your trouble, Elder Lu.”
“It’s no trouble. Unless someone intends to attack our sect, there isn’t much effort required for it usually.” Lu Qiaoyi waved her hand, appearing quite optimistic. “A’Que has a higher talent for formations than I do. Once she recovers, the responsibility for the protective array will eventually be passed to her.”
Mentioning her junior sister’s health brought a dull ache to Yun Heng’s heart. She also hoped for the future Lu Qiaoyi described, but the hope felt slim.
The Medicine Immortal was also waiting for her to retrieve the treasure from the Illusionary Spirit Secret Realm, hoping it might have a miraculous effect.
Even though the Medicine Immortal had previously said her junior sister’s condition was stable and she shouldn’t relapse for a few years, why had it happened so suddenly?
The Medicine Immortal couldn’t provide an answer either. The physician’s powerlessness made Yun Heng realize that if she wanted to save her junior sister, her focus couldn’t solely be on conventional methods.
Lu Qiaoyi walked forward and patted her shoulder. “A’Que will be awake in the next two days. Spend more time with her. Next time, don’t leave without saying a word; she was terribly frightened.”
“It was my fault.” Yun Heng had already regretted her actions. While in the secret realm, she had continuously thought about how she shouldn’t have quarreled with her junior sister.
Seeing that the sisters would likely stop bickering, Lu Qiaoyi’s smile became more genuine. “Then I won’t lecture you this time. A’Que even held onto me before her relapse, asking me not to mention you.”
Yun Heng paused for a moment, then a soft smile mixed with a touch of bittersweetness appeared in the corner of her eyes.
“Oh, and there’s something else. I have some good news!” Lu Qiaoyi gently patted her head as if she had just remembered. “The immortal artifact you brought back can serve as the core, and the Cliff of Reflection is also nearing completion…”
…
Myriad Elixir Mountain, Wen Qiwu’s residence.
As Yun Heng pushed the door open, she felt that the room’s temperature seemed to be a bit high. Wen Qiwu’s hands and feet had been quite cold when she was unconscious, and Yun Heng’s own hands were even colder, making it impossible to warm her junior sister’s hands. Therefore, she had placed a fire crystal stone with a moderate temperature beside her junior sister.
Yun Heng walked to Wen Qiwu’s bedside and indeed saw two more fire crystal stones beside her. Perhaps Elder Lu had placed them, fearing her junior sister would be cold, but her junior sister disliked overly warm environments.
After Yun Heng removed the two fire crystal stones, her gaze fell upon the bed. At that first glance, she froze.
Because the room was too warm, the person in her sleep had kicked off her blanket, exposing her fair legs. Only a small part of the thin blanket remained covering her. Her junior sister’s clothes had become loose, and her neckline was slightly askew, revealing a hint of allure.
Yun Heng’s expression became momentarily absentminded before she quickly stepped forward and wrapped her in the blanket. Because her movements were a bit hasty, she didn’t quite control her strength.
“Mmm.” The person, now wrapped up like a mummy, let out a soft, sweet sound. Her delicate eyelashes fluttered, as if she were about to wake up.
For some reason, Yun Heng’s heart inexplicably quickened, and her ears felt a slight warmth.
“Senior Sister…” Wen Qiwu didn’t open her eyes. She seemed to be in a groggy state, possibly subconsciously sensing that the person holding her was her senior sister, which was why she called out softly.
“Yes?” Yun Heng responded, preparing to get up.
“Hug~” the person mumbled affectionately like when she was a child.
Now she was certain her junior sister was not awake. Yun Heng couldn’t hide the smile in her eyes.
The still-unawakened person nuzzled against her senior sister’s cool hand. Her face was warm, and when stimulated by the cool temperature, Wen Qiwu suddenly became much more alert.
After more than ten days of recovery, Wen Qiwu was no longer as weak as before. She slowly opened her eyes and saw her senior sister sitting by her bedside.
“Sen-Senior Sister?” Wen Qiwu’s eyes held the dazed look of someone who had just woken up. She pinched herself under the covers; it hurt a little. It wasn’t a dream.
Right, she seemed to have relapsed again. After rushing back from the secret realm, her senior sister had been by her side. She even seemed to recall her senior sister looking like she was about to cry.
Her senior sister gently pushed aside the stray strands of hair clinging to her face. A silent warmth filled the air, as if it were before her senior sister became angry.
“Is anything still uncomfortable?” Yun Heng asked, touching her forehead.
Wen Qiwu shook her head. Apart from occasional sharp pains in her soul, other aspects of her body had largely recovered to their state before this relapse.
Wait. Wen Qiwu suddenly frowned. Had she said something while she was groggy just now? Was it a dream, or did she really say it?!
Wen Qiwu had some recollection, but not much.
“…Did I just say something strange in my sleep?” Wen Qiwu lowered her gaze, meeting her senior sister’s eyes. She felt a bit guilty, afraid she might have said something she shouldn’t have while not fully conscious.
After a few moments of silence, her senior sister suddenly leaned forward and hugged her. Wen Qiwu, who was greeted by a scent of cool fragrance, widened her eyes. Without any psychological preparation, her face and ears felt like they were burning, a perfectly unresilient display.
“Senior Sister?” Wen Qiwu didn’t know why her senior sister suddenly hugged her.
“You said… you wanted a hug,” Yun Heng whispered softly in her ear.
Her junior sister often acted spoiled like this when she was younger, but at some point, she had changed. Perhaps… because she had grown up? Yun Heng felt a slight sense of loss.
Wen Qiwu’s breathing hitched. After a long while, she spoke hesitantly, “I was groggy… Senior Sister, you don’t need to pay attention to me…”
Wen Qiwu’s voice grew softer and softer. At this moment, she was caught in a conflict between wanting her senior sister to hold her and telling herself to restrain this feeling.
The two emotions vied for dominance in her mind, with the former ultimately winning.
She wanted her senior sister to hold her for a little longer.
Her senior sister let out a light laugh, as if she had seen through the truth revealed in her sleep-talk.
Wen Qiwu knew her face was flushed without even looking in a mirror. However, as she inadvertently glanced at her senior sister’s ears, the tips peeking out from her dark hair were also a delicate pink… Was it because the room was a bit warm?
Good work 👏