Yao Ling: After Being Single So Long, Even Seeing a Woman Made Her Heart Flutter
On this day, a figure dressed in light gray outfit arrived at a courtyard filled with a faint fragrance of herbs.
Shi Xuanxuan raised her hand and knocked on the door, her brows furrowing slightly as usual. The crimson color in her eyes, caused by the accumulated Fire Poison, seemed to have deepened, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue.
With a creak, the door was pulled open, revealing a stunningly beautiful face with a slightly aloof air—it was Yao Ling.
Upon seeing Shi Xuanxuan at the door, Yao Ling's eyes flashed with surprise, but after noticing the crimson color in her eyes, she immediately understood and said, "Sister Shi, you've come for the Fire Poison?"
"Hmm." Shi Xuanxuan nodded, her voice deep and magnetic. "I thought that with my cultivation techniques and clan secret methods, I could deal with the accumulation of this Fire Poison, but this Fire Poison is unusual. I can't get rid of it myself. Your Yao Clan has superb Alchemy, and you must be one of the best among them. You should have a way to solve this, right?"
"Sister Shi, please come in first." Yao Ling stepped aside to let her in. Although her tone was calm, her shared identity as a descendant of the Ancient Eight Clans gave her a rare sense of patience and closeness towards this older sister who had been cultivating frantically since entering the academy. "After a year of accumulation, the Fire Poison has already seeped into your marrow, which is indeed troublesome."
As she spoke, she led Shi Xuanxuan toward the inner pharmacy.
Inside the pharmacy, various medicinal herbs are categorized and arranged in an orderly manner.
Yao Ling's fingertips swept across the medicine cabinet with fluid movements, precisely retrieving several herbs exuding a chilling aura— Ice Crystal Grass, Cold Marrow Jade, and a few drops of colorless liquid in a jade bottle, emanating a clear, cool fragrance.
"The Fire Poison of the Fallen Heart Flame is domineering and sinister, and it is difficult to eradicate using ordinary methods."
As the Yao Ling explained, it put the medicinal herbs into the medicine cauldron and began to refine them. After a while, the refining was completed, and the spiritual liquid, exuding a cold aura, flew out and was poured into a jade bottle.
"This is my concoction of 'Ice Spirit Marrow-Cleansing Liquid,' extracted from the essence of cold marrow to neutralize the poison of Heart Fire. However..." she paused, "It needs to be used in a medicinal bath, with warm water to dissolve the medicinal power, penetrating from the outside in, into the muscles and bone marrow, for it to be effective. During this process, I will need to guide you..."
Holding the jade bottle, Yao Ling looked at Shi Xuanxuan.
"This is troublesome."
Upon hearing this, Shi Xuanxuan didn't seem to mind much and followed Yao Ling to a simply furnished quiet room separated by a screen.
A large bathtub, already filled with warm water, was placed in the center.
"Sister Shi, you can undress and take a bath. Once the medicinal effects have dissipated, you can circulate your Dou Qi to guide them."
Yao Ling poured the Ice Spirit Marrow-Cleansing Liquid into the water. The icy blue liquid dissolved instantly upon contact with the water, turning a bucket of clear water into a clear icy blue color in an instant. The water temperature in the bucket dropped sharply, but it did not freeze. Instead, it emitted a refreshing chill, a feeling that made Shi Xuanxuan feel quite comfortable.
Having done all this, Yao Ling prepared to turn around and go behind the screen.
However, Shi Xuanxuan clearly didn't treat her, a mere girl, as an outsider. The soft, clear rustling of clothes broke the silence of the quiet room.
The crisp gray outfit was removed piece by piece and draped over the edge of the screen.
Although Yao Ling was trying to avoid it and had already gone behind the screen to take out a book on alchemy and start reading, her powerful soul perception still allowed her to clearly see the outline of that figure.
Her figure was as upright as a bamboo shoot, fluid yet full of power. As the last piece of her close-fitting undergarment fell away, a perfectly stunning silhouette of her jade-like body was clearly projected onto the screen.
Rounded shoulders, an elegant and slender neck like a swan, and below the rounded and perky breasts, a slender waist that suddenly narrows, with clearly visible abs above, and below that a sudden fullness and breathtaking curve, and a pair of straight and long jade legs.
The body seemed to be carved from the finest jade, like some kind of art sculpture. Every line contained a vibrant life force and explosive power, and it also carried the natural beauty of wildness and strength honed through long-term arduous training.
The water rippled softly, its icy blue waves gently enveloping the alluring silhouette, leaving only the smooth, delicate back and the subtly rounded shoulders visible above the water's surface.
Shi Xuanxuan stepped into the icy blue liquid, and the biting cold instantly enveloped her, causing her to involuntarily let out a very slight gasp.
But the chill was quickly replaced by the burning sensation generated by the accumulated Fire Poison within her body. The interplay of ice and fire caused her to groan, and she quickly sat cross-legged, closing her eyes and circulating her Dou Qi.
Her body was enveloped in an icy blue liquid, and beneath the surface, her breathtaking curves were faintly visible in the light and shadow refracted by the liquid.
Although Yao Ling had her back to the screen, the fleeting glimpse of her silhouette against the backdrop of the screen, the nearby sound of water, the suppressed breathing, and the unique scent of Shi Xuanxuan permeating the air—a faint fragrance of sweat mixed with a hint of the dryness of Fire Poison, all blended with the cool medicinal aroma of the Ice Spirit Marrow-Cleansing Liquid —created a strange and highly aggressive atmosphere that silently spread.
Even though Yao Ling was aloof and cold, her fingers holding the pill scripture unconsciously clenched slightly, and her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
She composed herself and turned her gaze back to the alchemical text, only to find that she couldn't concentrate on a single word.
"Sister Yao Ling," Shi Xuanxuan's voice came through the steam, carrying a hint of suppressed pain, "This medicine is quite potent; the clash of hot and cold feels like knives cutting into my meridians..."
The Fire Poison within her body were completely activated by the icy medicinal power, causing a violent conflict.
The Yao Ling immediately composed herself, her cool voice carrying a soothing power as it traveled through the screen:
"Sister Shi, don't panic. Concentrate and use your Dou Qi to protect your heart meridian. Guide the ice spirit medicine power along the circulation route of your cultivation technique to slowly flush away the Fire Poison. Do not forcibly resist the fire poison. Focus on clearing and dissolving it. However, if there are any blocked or painful areas, that is where the Fire Poison is entrenched. You will need to repeatedly soak and flush it away with the medicine power."
Upon hearing this, Shi Xuanxuan fell silent, seemingly following the guidance of the Yao Ling to remove the Fire Poison.
As time passed, the icy blue in the bathtub gradually faded, and wisps of pale red mist rose from the surface of the water.
Shi Xuanxuan's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and the redness under her skin faded at a visible speed, revealing her wheat-colored skin, which was now glossy, smooth, and delicate.
Finally, Shi Xuanxuan let out a long sigh of relief and slowly opened her eyes. The redness in her eyes had diminished considerably, replaced by a clear, deep pool, making her look even more energetic.
She looked down at the now clear bathwater, feeling an unprecedented sense of refreshment and ease within her body, and her mood brightened.
How are you feeling?
From behind the screen came Yao Ling's calm inquiry.
"I feel refreshed, thank you, Sister Yao Ling."
Shi Xuanxuan stood up with a smile. Water droplets rolled down her smooth, firm back, slender and powerful waist, and pert, rounded curves, creating breathtaking wet marks.
She strode out of the bathtub with her long, straight legs, picked up the soft towel that was prepared next to her, and quickly dried her body.
"Sister Shi, there's no need to be so polite. At least ten more days of continuous treatment are needed until the Fire Poison is completely removed. Then, two more days of consolidation will be required for a complete recovery. Therefore, I'll have to trouble you to make a few more trips."
Yao Ling listened to the sound of water until she was sure that Shi Xuanxuan had dried herself and started to get dressed before slowly walking out from behind the screen.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over Shi Xuanxuan's back, who was wearing a bath towel and tying her clothes.
Her long, dark hair, damp with moisture, clung to her beautifully shaped neck and muscular back. Half of her calves, visible beneath the towel, were straight and shapely, with residual water droplets reflecting a soft glow on her delicate skin.
That wild scent, just diluted by the aroma of herbs and moisture, that belonged only to Shi Xuanxuan, once again lingered at the tip of her nose.
Noticing Yao Ling's gaze, Shi Xuanxuan paused in tying her sash, but didn't turn around. She simply whispered:
"I'm sorry to have troubled you. How about I convert the cost of this treatment into Fire Energy you?"
Yao Ling walked to the side, poured two cups of calming and tranquilizing herbal tea, and handed one over:
"The Ice Spirit Marrow-Cleansing Liquid is extremely cold in nature. This cup of 'Jade Dew Heart-Clearing Tea' can help Sister Shi recover from the lingering effects of the medicine. As for the cost, you can pay me after the Fire Poison is completely removed."
"In that case, thank you very much, Sister Yao Ling. I will remember this kindness!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Xuanxuan didn't stand on ceremony; she simply nodded and reached out to take the herbal tea.
Yao Ling's gaze fell on Shi Xuanxuan's hand as she took the teacup—her fingers were not as slender as those of an ordinary woman, but rather longer and stronger, with distinct knuckles, strong yet delicate.
When Shi Xuanxuan took the warm teacup, her fingertips inadvertently brushed against Yao Ling's slightly cool fingertips, and both of them trembled slightly.
Shi Xuanxuan raised her eyes and met Yao Ling's cold yet strange gaze.
In the quiet room, the fragrance of medicine and the steam of water lingered. Two stunningly beautiful women, both of noble birth and exceptional temperament, faced each other silently. An indescribable, subtle atmosphere flowed between them. At this moment, all sounds seemed to disappear, leaving only their soft breathing.
Shi Xuanxuan lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them. She downed the tea in her cup in one gulp, the cool liquid sliding down her throat, strangely making her cheeks feel slightly warm.
"Then I'll take my leave now, so as not to disturb Sister Yao Ling's cultivation any longer."
She put down her teacup, her movements slightly hurried, and turned to walk quickly towards the door, leaving behind a somewhat rushed yet still upright and dashing figure.
Yao Ling stood there, watching Shi Xuanxuan disappear through the doorway, her gaze falling on the rim of the teacup she had just set down, where a trace of moisture still seemed to remain.
She picked up her untouched cup of tea, her fingertips tracing the warm rim. Something stirred slightly in the depths of her cool eyes, before settling back into stillness, leaving only the increasingly rich, chilly medicinal fragrance in the room, and a faint, elusive stirring of emotion.
"Sigh, after being single for so many years, I'm now even attracted to women. I need to get to know Xiao Yan sooner rather than later... Sigh..."
After a long while, a soft sigh echoed quietly in the room.