Mo Lin's gaze swept over the pretty face that looked delicate enough to break with a puff of air, now slightly furrowed in pain. A trace of pity rose in his heart, but even more than that was the thrill of admiring such breathtaking beauty from so close.
His gaze slowly moved downward, and his brow faintly knitted. Beneath her jade-like neck, at the full, rounded curve of her left breast, five terrifying claw wounds deep enough to expose bone were steadily seeping blood, staining her pale clothes crimson. That heart-stirring curve seemed all the more vulnerably beautiful because of her injury.
The unconscious Yun Yun had her delicate brows tightly drawn, a faint trace of pain lingering across her cheeks. This fragile appearance was worlds apart from her usual cool, noble bearing as a sect leader, yet it possessed a different kind of pitiful charm.
"She needs treatment. Immediately." Mo Lin rubbed his hands together, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart. He took more than ten small jade bottles containing powders and medicinal liquids of various colors from his storage ring. He had learned these from Xiao Yi Xian and carefully prepared them himself.
He hesitated slightly, then reached out with both hands, intending to undo the woman's clothes.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the bloodstained lapels, the mysterious woman's tightly shut eyes suddenly flew open!
Confusion flashed through her beautiful eyes at first, only to be swiftly replaced by icy vigilance and a trace of embarrassed anger. She stared fixedly at Mo Lin, who was so close to her.
"Uh... you're awake?" The sudden eye contact made Mo Lin's heart leap. He hurriedly backed away several steps, raised the jade bottle in his hand, and explained with an innocent expression, "Miss, don't misunderstand! I only wanted to help treat your wounds. I mean no harm at all! Of course... you were unconscious just now, and the situation was urgent, so I had intended to act without permission. Since you're awake now, then... then it's best if you do it yourself."
As he spoke, he carefully placed the jade bottles on the stone platform beside her, then retreated several more steps. His face practically screamed, "I'm a good person."
Having witnessed this woman's Dou Emperor-level strength at her peak, Mo Lin did not dare let down his guard in the slightest. If she lost her temper despite her injuries, his little body would not stand a chance.
Seeing Mo Lin act this way, Yun Yun's taut nerves relaxed slightly, and the coldness in her eyes faded somewhat. Yet when she tried to raise her hand to tend to her own wounds, she was horrified to discover that her entire body seemed bound by invisible shackles. She was in an extremely numb and powerless state, and even moving a finger was exceptionally difficult.
She struggled faintly, but it was futile. She could only slowly close her eyes and focus inward for a moment. When she opened them again, she clenched her silver teeth and said in a low voice, "Damn Purple Crystal Winged Lion King. I was actually hit by its Sealing Technique!"
Her voice carried an undisguisable weakness and resentment.
Mo Lin crouched in a corner of the cave with his arms around his knees, tilting his head as he watched the peerless beauty who could not move for so long, like an exquisite porcelain doll. He struggled to maintain an innocent expression, but his gaze occasionally drifted "unintentionally" over her proud curves as they rose and fell with her breathing. This seal... came at just the right time.
After another failed attempt, Yun Yun could only stop struggling helplessly.
She turned her head and looked once more toward the young man in the corner, studying him carefully.
He was not very old, with refined features. Although his gaze occasionally wandered—in her eyes, perhaps from nervousness—his overall bearing did not resemble that of a wicked person. In particular, the pure icy aura around him was quite distinctive.
After weighing the pros and cons, her injuries and the seal were the most urgent matters at hand.
Taking a deep breath and suppressing the embarrassment in her heart, Yun Yun softly said in a voice that still carried some of its usual noble coolness, though much gentler from weakness, "Then... sorry for the trouble, but please help me apply the medicine."
"Me?" Mo Lin looked up and blinked, deliberately muttering with hesitation, "I can help you, but let's make this clear first. Afterward, you can't pull some idiotic stunt like 'you saw my body, so I'll gouge out your eyes and demand your life,' or 'we can't be together, so we become enemies instead.' I'm timid. I can't handle being scared like that."
His words were half true and half false. He was both probing her temper and laying the groundwork for any possible "accidents."
Hearing the boy speak so bluntly, even somewhat shamelessly, Yun Yun was stunned at first, then did not know whether to laugh or cry. She shook her head. With her status and experience, how many years had it been since anyone dared speak to her in such a tone? Yet those words instead made her feel that the boy was simple-minded, unlike those sanctimonious hypocrites.
She softened her voice and said calmly, "Don't worry. I, Yun... am not so old-fashioned. Today, you saved me and treated my injuries. That is a kindness. So long as you keep to your proper bounds, I naturally will not repay kindness with hostility."
"With your word, I can rest easy!" Mo Lin immediately revealed a relieved smile and slowly walked over.
His gaze swept over the beautiful face so close before him again. He gave a dry cough, extended his hand, and let his fingertips tremble slightly—some of it was genuine nervousness this time, some of it an act—as he carefully tore open a portion of Yun Yun's blood-soaked clothing at her chest.
The fabric split apart, revealing a light-blue inner armor beneath.
The armor was made of extraordinary material, shimmering with flowing light like rippling water. It was clearly a precious defensive treasure.
At that moment, five deep purple claw marks were clearly imprinted upon the armor, with strands of blood seeping through the gaps.
What a treasure. If it weren't for this thing, that lion would probably have torn apart your entire upper body. Mo Lin marveled inwardly, but he said seriously, "Miss, the wounds are beneath the armor. To stop the bleeding and apply the medicine, I'm afraid... we'll have to remove this armor first."
As he spoke, he looked "awkwardly" toward Yun Yun's faintly reddened cheeks.
Yun Yun's body visibly trembled. Even though she was a Dou Emperor whose state of mind far surpassed that of ordinary people, removing her close-fitting armor and exposing her body before an unfamiliar young man was still an extremely shameful matter.
She took a deep breath and slowly closed her beautiful eyes. Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings as she tried to keep her voice calm. "Undo it, then. Sorry for the trouble."
Yet her slightly hurried breathing exposed the turmoil in her heart.
Seeing her cooperate so readily, Mo Lin rejoiced inwardly, though he maintained a helpless expression as if he were being forced into it.
He carefully helped Yun Yun sit up from the stone bed, arranging her cross-legged with her back facing him.
His palms, "trembling slightly," slowly removed her upper garment.
During the process, his fingertips would "inevitably" brush against her smooth, creamy skin from time to time.
With every touch, he could clearly feel Yun Yun's delicate body stiffen instantly and tremble faintly. He could even hear the soft intakes of breath she tried desperately to suppress.
So even a Dou Emperor is still a woman in the end... Mo Lin chuckled inwardly, while his movements became even "gentler."
He found the metal clasps of the inner armor and carefully undid them one by one.
When the final clasp came loose, he cautiously tried to remove the armor from her body.
However, the edge of the armor rubbed against her wounds, making Yun Yun suck in several breaths of cold air in pain and release a muffled groan.
As the inner armor came off, the smooth, fair expanse of Yun Yun's entire upper back was displayed before Mo Lin almost without reservation.
Her skin was like jade, seeming to emit a soft glow in the dim cave.
Although it was only her back, the perfect line of her shoulders, slender waist, and faintly visible side profile were enough to set one's blood racing.
Mo Lin could feel the woman's delicate body trembling slightly before him. A tempting flush had spread across her snowy skin; she was clearly embarrassed to the extreme.
"Watch your hands and your eyes!" Yun Yun warned again, her voice trembling. Yet at that moment, the warning sounded more like a helpless plea. "Don't worry, Miss. I'm an upright gentleman!" Mo Lin promised solemnly.
At the same time, he quickly took out one of his own loose black robes from his storage ring and gently draped it over Yun Yun from behind, covering her exposed back. Only then did he slowly help her turn around and lie flat on the stone bed again.
This thoughtful gesture eased Yun Yun's tense nerves considerably. The coldness in her gaze toward Mo Lin completely faded, replaced by something more complicated and a faint, nearly imperceptible goodwill.
Once she was turned over, Mo Lin saw that Yun Yun's cheeks had become crimson, like ripe peaches, impossibly alluring.
When those beautiful eyes looked at him, there was still embarrassment in them, but almost none of the hostility remained.
"I'm going to clean the wound now," Mo Lin reminded her. He then slowly pulled down the black robe until the gruesome wound and a small patch of snowy skin around it were exposed, then immediately stopped. His gaze "focused" entirely on the wound, as though he were blind to the spring scenery beside it.
He took out clean cotton cloth, poured a pale green disinfecting liquid from one jade bottle, and began carefully cleaning the dried blood around the wound.
His movements were light and slow. His fingertips dipped in medicine, and sometimes, seemingly to clean more thoroughly, he would "unintentionally" widen the area he wiped, gently brushing over the healthy skin around the wound.
Each time he crossed that "boundary," he could feel Yun Yun's body stiffen instantly and her lashes tremble violently.
Yet she only bit down on her lower lip without stopping him, perhaps taking it for a necessary part of the treatment.
Mo Lin lowered his head, looking completely absorbed in treating her wounds, while missing none of the sight from the corner of his eyes or the enjoyment of the touch.
He cleaned her especially "carefully," taking longer than necessary.
"Mm..." When Mo Lin evenly sprinkled an irritating white medicinal powder over the wound, the intense sting finally made Yun Yun let out a low moan filled with pain. Her soft, melodious voice stirred Mo Lin's heart.
"Bear with it. It'll be over soon. This powder works very well," Mo Lin comforted her gently. His hands moved a little faster as he carefully wrapped the wound with clean cotton cloth and tied a neat knot.
"Done. The external injuries have been treated. As for the internal injuries and that troublesome seal, you'll have to slowly recover from them yourself," Mo Lin said, clapping his hands and taking a step back. Looking at his "masterpiece," he showed a sincerely relieved smile—seven parts genuine this time.
Yun Yun lay quietly on the stone bed, feeling the coolness from her wound and the reassurance of having been properly cared for. As she looked at the refined young man's seemingly innocent smile, her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She gently let out a breath, and a faint yet sincere smile appeared on her peerlessly beautiful face. "Thank you. I... will remember this kindness."
That smile was like ice and snow melting away, like spring flowers blooming. It was so breathtaking that the entire dark cave seemed to brighten.
Mo Lin stared for a moment before scratching his head and smiling. "It was nothing, Miss. You don't need to thank me. This cave is fairly well hidden, but there are many magical beasts outside. Your injuries haven't healed, and the seal hasn't been lifted, so I'm afraid you'll have to rest here for some time."
Yun Yun looked around, then sensed the empty battle energy within her and her severe injuries. She nodded helplessly. "It seems... I'll have to impose on you for now."
That meant she had no choice but to begin an unexpected life of "living together" in this cramped cave with the young man who had just seen her body and whose hands had been somewhat "dishonest."
Mo Lin rejoiced inwardly, though his expression remained completely serious. "Don't say that. We can look after each other. I'll go find some water and food. You get some proper rest."
With that, he turned and walked toward the cave entrance, the corner of his lips curling into a smile of success.
Life together in the cave had officially begun. Yun Yun did not know that this "life-saving benefactor" was already plotting how to better "take care" of her during this period of "recovery."
Heh heh heh...
Before you continue