Chapter 20 Healing
The fluorescent stones flickered on the stone wall, and shadows swayed with them, as if countless hidden creatures were silently observing.
The crackling of burning wood was the only sound in the silence, occasionally interspersed with the long roars of beasts from deep within the Monster Mountain Range, distant and blurred, making the simple hut, carved into the mountainside, seem like an isolated island in the vast ocean.
The air was filled with a strong medicinal scent, the lingering aroma of dissolved Care Vessel Pill and bone-setting pills, firmly suppressing a faint, almost imperceptible, smell of blood.
Mo Yuhan set down the rough pottery bowl in his hand; a bit of warm medicinal liquid still remained at the bottom.
He was only eight years old, with a slender build, but his dark eyes, under the dim, flickering light, were calm in a way that belied his age.
He gazed at the figure on the stone bed.
Bibi Dong, had regained consciousness.
Her purple eyes, which had once caused almost the entire Spirit Hall to hold its breath and were as deep as if they contained a galaxy, were now half-open, staring blankly at the low ceiling of the stone room.
Her long eyelashes drooped weakly, each faint tremor seemingly exhausting her strength.
Her body was currently covered by several of Mo Yuhan's old outer robes, which were clearly ill-fitting and excessively large, yet they failed to completely conceal the scene beneath.
The lapels of the outer robe had been slightly torn open during the previous chaos, revealing a large expanse of pale skin below her neck. It was a fragile and almost morbid pallor, now imbued with a warm hue by the flickering fluorescence, which instead highlighted a breathtaking vulnerability.
However, upon this flawless canvas, several glaring red marks had been violently torn open.
The scars, like ugly, twisted vipers, snaked out from the edge of the slightly open lapel, extending downwards and disappearing into the deeper shadows of the robe.
One of them was particularly gruesome, diagonally cutting across her collarbone, which was as exquisite as carved white jade; the flesh was torn open, and though it no longer bled, the deep red wound remained horrifyingly vivid in the candlelight.
Mo Yuhan's small hands re-entered the warm clear water, wringing out a clean, soft cloth.
Water droplets fell back into the wooden basin, making a soft echo, as he quietly approached the stone bed, his movements carrying a caution and steadiness unsuited to his age.
He reached out, carefully using the warm, damp cloth to avoid the edges of the wound on her collarbone, gently wiping away the surrounding dust and congealed blood scabs.
His movements were extremely light, his fingertips touching through the fabric with a focused circumspection, as if he were cleaning a priceless yet fragile Glassware.
As the warm, damp cloth brushed against her skin, Bibi Dong's body tensed imperceptibly for a moment, her long eyelashes trembled violently a few times, then settled back into stillness.
Her breathing remained weak and erratic, each inhale a suppressed gasp, her chest rising and falling faintly beneath the ill-fitting, large old robe, briefly outlining a glimpse of a full contour, then immediately concealed by the rough fabric.
The rising and falling curve was like the sea briefly calm after a storm, yet beneath it lay unknown turmoil and pain.
Mo Yuhan's gaze was intently fixed on her waist.
The robe there, soaked in blood, clung to her skin, then was re-dampened by the medicinal liquid, wrinkled and pressed against her.
He needed to clean the edges of this wound, which were caked with blood and medicine stains.
He extended his small hand, held his breath, and very lightly pinched the edge of the blood-stained fabric with his fingertips.
He tried to use the gentlest force to lift it slightly, creating a gap to wipe the skin underneath.
However, the fabric, weakened by the medicine and blood scabs, was already fragile.
"Rip—!"
An extremely faint sound of fabric tearing echoed in the silent stone room, light as a sigh, yet as jarring as thunder.
That small piece of fabric, sticky at the edge of the wound, was completely pulled away from its original position by the subtle movement of his fingertips, sliding softly downwards.
With this slide, a small section of her lower abdomen, previously completely covered, was instantly and fully exposed under the flickering candlelight!
The firelight seemed to find a new focus instantly, greedily licking at it.
The exposed skin was even paler than that of her neck, as delicate as fine cold jade, radiating a breathtaking soft glow in the warm yellow light.
Without the destruction of spirit power, this area of skin was incredibly smooth, the light outlining a flowing, full, and astonishing curve upon it, like the most perfect jade carving, rising abruptly from above her slender waist and then slowly tapering, disappearing into the deeper, darker folds of her robe.
The fleeting arc was full and rounded, carrying the most primal and fragile beauty of life, emitting a silent allure in the dim light, yet it was made incomparably desolate by the surrounding grotesque wounds and the pallor of sickness.
Mo Yuhan's movements instantly froze.
He seemed to be scalded by the sudden exposed snowy curve and striking beauty in the candlelight; his small body trembled violently, and the wet cloth in his hand nearly dropped.
An indescribable heat rushed to his cheeks; he instinctively lowered his eyelids quickly, his thick eyelashes fluttering in a panic, not daring to look again.
The air in the stone room seemed to solidify, leaving only the crackling of burning wood and the drum-like pounding of his own suddenly accelerated heartbeat in his ears.
He practically held his breath, frantically yet feigning composure, grabbing the fallen piece of fabric, trying to pull it back, clumsily attempting to cover that astonishing snowy white area that had been exposed by accident.
His small fingers trembled slightly from nervousness; the fabric failed to accurately cover that patch of skin several times. The momentarily exposed scene was imprinted in his mind like a brand—the jade-like delicate curve in the candlelight, the extreme contrast with the surrounding gruesome whip marks, and the fragile beauty that almost seared his eyes.
He forced himself to avert his gaze, his eyes falling on Bibi Dong's paper-pale profile.
Her eyes still stared blankly at the rough stone ceiling above, completely unresponsive to the accidental slipping of the fabric and the exposure of her skin just now.
It was as if her soul had detached from this scarred body, leaving only an exquisite, slowly shattering empty shell; that deathly indifference was more suffocating than any tears or anger.
Mo Yuhan took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor and panic in his heart, and refocused on wiping.
He moved to the other side of the stone bed, avoiding that area, carefully cleaning the bloodstains near her arms and shoulders; the bitter taste of the medicine mixed with the smell of blood lingered in his nostrils.
As the warm, damp cloth gently wiped Bibi Dong's smooth back, his small fingertips, carrying the moisture and warmth of the wet cloth, lightly brushed over that deeply hidden scar—
Bibi Dong, who had been unresponsive like an ice-bound statue, suddenly erupted into an uncontrollable, violent tremor.
This tremor came so abruptly, completely exceeding the limits that her severely weakened body could bear; her entire being arched upwards as if struck hard by an invisible giant hammer, and the large old robe was completely thrown open by this violent movement, half of her shoulder along with a large expanse of pale, delicate back instantly exposed to the cold air.
"Ugh—!"
A broken, extremely suppressed groan of pain squeezed out from between her tightly clenched lips, as brief as the wail of a dying beast.
Immediately after, something in the depths of her purple eyes, which had been blank and bewildered for so long, seemed to be forcibly torn and ignited by this touch.
A monstrous hatred mixed with bone-deep pain, like hell's lava, erupted with a roar, instantly incinerating the desolate void in her eyes.
However, this tempestuous reaction lasted only for a brief moment.
It was as if her remaining will had exhausted its last ounce of strength to resist this profound pain from the depths of her soul; her arched body fell back powerlessly onto the cold stone bed, making a dull thud.
The flames in her eyes quickly extinguished, leaving only deeper, colder ashes and emptiness.
The moment her body slammed back onto the stone bed, a scalding liquid dropped down without warning, heavily.
"Plop."
It landed squarely, precisely in the center of Mo Yuhan's instinctively outstretched palm, which was still stained with medicine and damp.
That tear was as scalding as molten lead, as heavy as if it carried a thousand pounds of force. It fell onto the thin layer of medicine stains on his palm, spreading a small, dark wet mark, and the searing temperature instantly penetrated his skin, spreading upwards along the bones of his arm, fiercely burning Mo Yuhan's heart.
Mo Yuhan's small body trembled violently, as if he was suffocated by the weight of this tear, and he suddenly looked up.
On the stone bed, Bibi Dong still had her face turned away, as if the shocking tremor and the heaven-burning hatred in her eyes had never happened.
Only a faint, almost imperceptible wet gleam remained in the corner of her eye, like a star about to shatter but not yet, reflecting the outline of her pale, almost transparent profile in the dim candlelight.
That fragility was heartbreakingly beautiful and suffocatingly heavy.
Bibi Dong bit her lower lip so hard that she almost bit through the tender skin, a dazzling line of fresh red blood oozing out, winding down her pale chin like a desperate flower blooming in the snow.
The stone house fell into a deeper silence. The distant roars of beasts from the Monster Mountain Range had stopped at some unknown time, leaving only the faint crackling of firewood in the fire, like silent sighs.
Mo Yuhan looked at the water stain from the tear on his palm, then slowly raised his gaze to stare at the stubborn and despairing gleam in his aunt's eye and the striking bloodstain on her lip.
His black eyes, belonging to a child and normally clear as crystal, now swirled with complex emotions far beyond his age—pity for that extreme fragility and beauty, helplessness at that heavy pain, and, deeper from his bloodline, a cold anger silently burning.
He was silent for a moment, his small chest rising and falling slightly. Finally, he extended his other hand, which was not stained with tears, and with the softest part of his fingertip, with an almost reverent gentleness, carefully wiped the striking bloodstain from her lip.
As his fingertip touched her cold and trembling lips, he clearly felt the forced, rigid tension on the verge of collapse.
"Auntie."
He spoke, his voice very low, with the clear brightness characteristic of a child, yet unusually steady, like a stone thrown into still water, trying to awaken a sinking soul, "Don't be afraid."
He paused, his gaze sweeping around the simple but sturdy stone house, which isolated all the darkness of Spirit Hall, every word falling clearly and firmly:
"You still have me."
He spoke the last four words very softly, yet it was as if he had used all his strength, carrying an undeniable promise that settled heavily in this small, firefly-lit space.
Mo Yuhan's words, "You still have me," echoed softly in the silent stone house, like a stone dropped into a deep pool, its ripples spreading until they finally touched the edge of Bibi Dong's consciousness, which was drowning in the abyss of pain.
Her empty purple eyes turned very slowly, her gaze finally moving from the cold, rough ceiling to the small figure by the bed.
His youthful yet unusually calm profile was illuminated by the firefly light, and she could see the complex concern in his eyes.
Her lips moved ever so slightly, and the voice that emerged from Bibi Dong's lips, now re-moistened and lustrous by Mo Yuhan, no longer carried its former pride, but rather the weakness of someone who had survived a catastrophe and a deep-seated confusion.
"… Yu Han, where… is… this?"
She asked, each word seemingly squeezed out of her broken chest with difficulty, her gaze fixed on Mo Yuhan's youthful face, as if he were the only piece of driftwood she could grasp in this void.
Mo Yuhan met those purple eyes, which held immense pain and a subtle, almost imperceptible fear of the unknown, and his small chest rose and fell slightly.
He was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing his words, or perhaps gathering courage.
Outside the stone house, the night wind of the Monster Mountain Range whistled mournfully through the treetops, making the place feel even more isolated from the World.
"Auntie." He finally spoke, his voice still not loud, but with a strange certainty, as if stating an undeniable fact, "This… is no longer Douluo Continent, but, another World."
Bibi Dong's pupils contracted sharply, as if pricked by a needle.
The pain and confusion in her purple eyes were instantly replaced by a deeper shock and disbelief. Her gaze lingered on Mo Yuhan's eyes, as if she were judging whether he was talking nonsense.
However, Mo Yuhan's eyes were clear and frank, without the slightest hint of a child's jest.
"Not… Douluo Continent?" She murmured, repeating the words, a hint of absurdity in her voice, her severe injuries making even her questioning seem weak.
"Mm." Mo Yuhan nodded forcefully, his small face full of seriousness, "This is Dou Qi Continent. I… by chance, have a way to temporarily travel between the two Worlds. Qian Xunji's hand cannot reach here."
He paused, looking at the disbelief churning in Bibi Dong's eyes, and did not continue to explain the reason for his ability to travel between Worlds, because even he himself did not know why.
Mo Yuhan then began to describe this strange World, "Dou Qi Continent is very big, much, much bigger than our side. There are no Spirit here, but people cultivate a power called Dou Qi."
He held out his small hand, palm up, and a wisp of faint white airflow slowly appeared, like a candle in the wind, swirling and dancing in his palm before dissipating.
"Dou Qi?"
Bibi Dong's gaze was drawn by the faint wisp of airflow, and a flicker of surprise crossed her purple eyes.
Even severely injured and near death, her instincts as a powerful individual still keenly sensed that it was an energy essence completely different from spirit power, yet subtly sharing some common ground.
"Yes, Dou Qi."
Mo Yuhan retracted his hand and continued, "Those who cultivate Dou Qi are called Dou Zhe (Fighting Master). The ranks start from Dou Qi, then Dou Zhe (Fighting Master), Dou Shi, Great Dou Shi… all the way to the legendary Dou Di."
His voice had the crisp clarity of a child, yet he clearly articulated those rank names that were completely unfamiliar to Bibi Dong.
"There are many powerful Sect and forces here, such as Yunlan Sect, Canaan Academy… and many, many dangerous Monster, living in the mountains outside us."
He pointed to the deep night outside the stone house.
Bibi Dong listened quietly. Her severe injuries prevented her from showing much emotion, but in the depths of her purple eyes, shock and confusion gradually settled, replaced by an extremely complex array of thoughts.
A completely new World, filled with unknown power rules… This information was too vast, impacting her precarious mind.
She instinctively tried to clench her fist, but found it incredibly difficult even to move a finger. Waves of emptiness and sharp pain from within her body, like cold tides, instantly pulled her back to the cruel reality.
In those empty purple eyes, the faint spark of light that had just ignited upon hearing of the new World was rapidly swallowed by a deeper and more despairing gloom.
Bibi Dong tried to mobilize her spirit power, but only a deathly cold silence responded, along with excruciating pain in her meridians, as if they were being crushed inch by inch.
This feeling of emptiness terrified her more than Qian Xunji's betrayal.
"… My injuries…"
Bibi Dong's voice was even lower than before, carrying a fatalistic stillness. Each word seemed steeped in ice water, "My spirit power… my meridians… are they… all destroyed?"
She turned her head with difficulty, her gaze fixed on the low stone ceiling, as if she dared not look into Mo Yuhan's eyes again. Her long eyelashes trembled violently, as if unable to bear the weight of that despair
"Am I… is Auntie… forever doomed to be… a cripple?"
The last three words were as light as a sigh, yet as heavy as a thousand pounds, crashing into the silent stone house and onto Mo Yuhan's heart.
"No!"
Mo Yuhan immediately, emphatically, and resolutely retorted, his voice suddenly rising with an undeniable intensity.
He leaned forward abruptly, his hands gripping the cold edge of the stone bed, knuckles turning white from the force.
His dark eyes glowed astonishingly in the dim light, like burning embers, meeting Bibi Dong's gaze, which was filled with despair and self-abandonment.
"Auntie! No!"
He emphasized again, his tone incredibly firm, "The Dou Qi Continent is different from our World. There are many, many miraculous Medicinal Pills here, far more powerful than anything we had!"
His voice trembled slightly from urgency, yet it was filled with convincing power, "Currently, I can only get some Care Vessel Pills and bone-regenerating pills to stabilize your injuries and help you gradually regain some movement, but I know there are even more powerful Medicinal Pills that can repair Meridians, and even… even make you stronger!"
Bibi Dong's lifeless eyes finally moved again, refocusing on Mo Yuhan's small face, which was filled with determination.
A faint glimmer of hope, which even she dared not believe, flickered like a candle in the wind, quietly stirring in the deepest part of her heart.
Mo Yuhan saw the subtle change in her eyes, his heart settling. He spoke faster, clearly laying out his plan: "The closest big city to here is Wutan City. Although it's not top-tier, it has connections to various major powers, and information is well-circulated!"
He took a deep breath and uttered the most crucial name, "Canaan Academy. It is one of the most renowned academies in the Gama Empire and even the entire Dou Qi Continent. It recruits students from various parts of the Continent every three years. By my reckoning, the next recruitment will be in a year."
By his reckoning, Xiao Yan should have just had his engagement broken off around this time.
And a year after his engagement was broken off, which was when Xiao Yan was sixteen, he joined Canaan Academy.
Although he took a leave of absence for over a year due to the three-year agreement.
"Canaan Academy?" Bibi Dong subconsciously repeated the unfamiliar name.
"Yes!" Mo Yuhan nodded vigorously, his eyes gleaming with an almost desperate light, "Canaan Academy has a profound heritage, housing countless rare Pill Formulas and medicinal ingredients. More importantly, I know they have the ability to refine a fifth-Rank Medicinal Pill called the Revival Purple Pill."
He spoke the name with gravity, "This fourth-Rank Medicinal Pill has the miraculous effects of reshaping Meridians, repairing the Dantian, and even helping people Break through their Bottleneck."
"Reshape Meridians… repair Dantian?"
The tiny spark in Bibi Dong's purple eyes seemed to brighten slightly, but was immediately enveloped by a sense of unreality.
Fifth-Rank Medicinal Pill? This Rank classification was equally unfamiliar to her, but the words "reshape Meridians" struck her like a thunderclap, cleaving through the despairing gloom in her heart.
"Yes!"
Mo Yuhan caught the change in her gaze, his small face full of seriousness and promise, "Auntie, trust me. Once you can move a little, we'll set off for Wutan City. We'll recuperate there while waiting for news about Canaan Academy's recruitment. As long as I can find a way to enter Canaan Academy, or get in touch with people from the Academy, I'll have a chance to obtain the Revival Purple Pill."
Mo Yuhan clenched his small fists tightly, as if holding onto all hope: "The power of Medicinal Pills on the Dou Qi Continent far exceeds our imagination, Auntie. Your injuries will definitely heal! You will never be a cripple!"
He was afraid Bibi Dong would lose hope, his voice echoing in the simple stone house, carrying the clear brightness of a child and an undeniable belief, dispelling some of the heavy atmosphere.
Bibi Dong's pale face remained fragile, as if it would shatter at a touch. But in the depths of her hollow purple eyes, that tiny spark, forcefully ignited by Mo Yuhan with the name "Revival Purple Pill," struggled stubbornly, refusing to extinguish.
Outside the window, the moonlight from the Monster Mountain Range for the first time clearly penetrated the crude window frame, casting a cool, silvery glow on the edge of the stone bed, and illuminating the unwavering determination in Mo Yuhan's eyes.
The moonlight of this other World, cold and unfamiliar, yet it seemed to bring a hint of new possibilities.
...
In Qingshan Town, on the outskirts of the Monster Mountain Range, the air was always mixed with the smell of dust, herbs, and the gamey odor of Demonic Beast fur.
The narrow streets of the market were bustling with people. The boisterous haggling of mercenaries, the shouts of vendors, and the occasional impatient neighing of Demonic Beast mounts intertwined into a cacophony.
Mo Yuhan's small figure squeezed through the crowd, looking somewhat out of place. On his back was a large basket almost as tall as he was, filled with newly bought coarse rice, some air-dried beast meat, a small bag of salt, and some common herbs for stopping bleeding and reducing inflammation.
He was also clutching a coarse cloth bundle tightly to his chest. The opening of the bundle wasn't completely tied, revealing a corner of soft, delicate, light purple fabric—a color not common on the Dou Qi Continent—forming a stark contrast with the dusty surroundings.
With a tense little face, Mo Yuhan scanned his surroundings warily, carefully protecting the items in his arms. He was about to weave through the crowded street to the general store at the end of the street to buy a few more sturdy earthenware bowls.
Just as he turned sideways to avoid a mercenary carrying a huge beast leg, his back was suddenly bumped, not too lightly nor too heavily, by something hard yet soft.
"Ouch!"
A clear and familiar voice sounded behind him.
Mo Yuhan stumbled, the bundle he was protecting in his arms almost slipping. He quickly clutched it tighter, frowning as he turned around.
The sunlight happened to fall, illuminating the girl blocking the middle of the road.
She was fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a simple, faded cloth dress. Several bulging small medicine pouches were tied around her waist, and her long black hair was simply tied back, with a few unruly strands falling across her smooth forehead.
At this moment, the girl stood with one hand on her hip and the other steadying the basket of fresh herbs on her shoulder—that was what had just bumped into Mo Yuhan.
On the girl's delicate, oval face, a pair of lively, almond-shaped eyes, like two moist grapes, stared directly at him with clear displeasure.
The sunlight danced on her hair, giving her an energetic golden outline.
"You little rascal." Little Fairy Doctor spoke, her voice as clear as a mountain stream, yet carrying a tone of accusation, "You've gotten bold, haven't you? Daring to disappear for so long, leaving behind a flimsy 'gone into the mountains for a few days' note?"
She took a step closer, her small nostrils flaring slightly, as she sized up Mo Yuhan and his 'heavily burdened' appearance, "You made me send the guards from Wan Yao Pharmacy, those brutes, to scour the outer reaches of the Monster Mountain Range, and they all thought you'd been snatched by some careless Demonic Beast to be a snack."
Mo Yuhan pursed his lips, subconsciously pulling the bundle in his arms closer to his chest, and explained in a low voice: "Something came up, I was delayed."
He just wanted to get away quickly. Meeting Little Fairy Doctor at this moment was not good for him.