All Right, I'll Wait for You!

"Buzz..."

A strange, ghostly glow shot into the void in an instant.

"Not good!"

Mr. Mo, who had rushed over, changed expression. Before he could investigate what it was, he hurriedly reached out to stop it—but only managed to intercept half of it, watching helplessly as the remaining half of the ghostly glow vanished.

Li Yuan's palm also struck Cangmu at that very moment. Seeing this, his heart sank.

The news... had still gotten out?

At that moment, upon seeing Mr. Mo's familiar figure, the nerves he had strained to their limit abruptly loosened. The injuries he had forcibly suppressed within his body began to backlash. Darkness swept over his vision, and he fell completely unconscious.

When he regained consciousness, his entire body ached, and his throat felt like it was on fire from thirst. He struggled to summon his spiritual sense and found that his meridians were damaged, while his sea of consciousness was somewhat dim. The Bronze Palace's radiance was much weaker than usual.

Fortunately, his foundation had not been damaged. The demon poison had been completely purged, and his external injuries had mostly healed.

Li Yuan barely opened his eyes. What entered his sight was a familiar room, along with the familiar figure sitting beside the bed.

"Mr. Mo..."

Mo Wentian appeared no different from usual. He still held a wine gourd in his hand, his expression calm.

Seeing Li Yuan awaken, he gave a slight nod. "Awake? You've got quite a tough life."

"Sir..."

Li Yuan tried to prop himself up, only to be pressed back down by a gentle force.

"Lie still. Your injuries are serious, and you need to rest for a few days," Mr. Mo said flatly. He casually stuffed a pill into Li Yuan's mouth. "Take the medicine first. We'll discuss everything else later."

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth, turning into gentle medicinal energy that flowed through every corner of his body, repairing his damaged meridians and even easing some of the exhaustion in his soul.

Li Yuan lay back as instructed, though countless questions filled his heart.

As if seeing through his thoughts, Mr. Mo slowly said, "You've been unconscious for three days."

"How is Aji?" This was what Li Yuan cared about most.

"The Demon Suppression Bureau has removed the demonic arts restriction inside him. He is currently recuperating. Though his losses were severe, his life is not in danger. After a period of recovery, he will return to normal."

It was Liu Hongyan, entering from outside, who answered him. Rarely, she had changed into an elegant moon-white dress, shedding some of her usual sharpness.

Hearing this, Li Yuan felt somewhat relieved.

As long as Aji was all right, that was enough. At least he had not dragged him into death.

"About what happened that night..." Liu Hongyan walked to the bedside and looked at Li Yuan. "You did very well. You faced an entire Shadow Kill squad from the Dark Pavilion alone. Even many veteran Demon Suppression Guards might not possess such a record."

"His Majesty has already inquired into the matter."

After a pause, Liu Hongyan spoke again, her expression complicated.

"His Majesty?" Li Yuan was slightly stunned.

"That's right." Liu Hongyan nodded. "This matter has shaken the court and the public alike. The Emperor is furious and has issued a strict decree, ordering the Demon Suppression Bureau to work with Dali Temple in thoroughly investigating this case. Anyone implicated will be severely punished without exception!"

"Over the past few days, the Demon Suppression Bureau has uprooted seven Dark Pavilion strongholds and captured over a hundred lurking spies. They have also uncovered many low-ranking officials who passed information along for them."

Li Yuan listened quietly. Chang'an City had certainly been lively these past few days.

After this incident, the Dark Pavilion's forces in the capital region would inevitably suffer a devastating blow. That also meant that his safety was assured, at least for the time being.

Thinking of this, his mind relaxed slightly. Then he suddenly recalled the sight of blood at the corner of Mr. Mo's mouth when he had seen him that day. He could not help looking over. After hesitating, he asked, "Sir, how are your injuries...?"

At this point, he still did not know what earth-shaking battle Mr. Mo had experienced. But anyone capable of injuring his teacher surely had an extraordinary background.

"It's nothing. An old ailment. A few days of meditation will take care of it." Mr. Mo waved it off indifferently, lifted his wine gourd, and took a sip, looking utterly at ease.

Thinking of Mr. Mo's cultivation, Li Yuan figured that in Chang'an, few from the Demon Race could injure him. He was reassured at once. It seemed he had overthought things.

"All right. You have only just awakened from serious injuries and need more rest. Don't think too much. Focus on recuperating."

Liu Hongyan tucked in the corner of his blanket, her tone softening. "Yu Ling'er and the others have come several times these past few days, but they were stopped outside. Now that you're awake, you may see them shortly, but remember not to talk for too long."

As she spoke, a muffled commotion rose outside the door.

"Brother Li, are you awake?"

"Instructor Liu, just let us take one look. We promise not to make any noise!"

"Yes, yes, we just want to see Brother Li."

They were Wu Yu and the others.

Liu Hongyan exchanged a look with Mr. Mo, then shook her head with an amused smile. "Come in, then. Don't make a racket."

The door was gently pushed open, and a large crowd rushed in. It was the entire Pivot Star Class.

Wu Yu and Yu Ling'er charged in at the front, followed by Chu Yunhe, Shen Lian, Zhou Mo, Cheng Zhao, Shadow, Jin Duoduo... not one was missing.

Even those who were usually only on ordinary terms with Li Yuan had come. Everyone carried something in their hands—food boxes, pills, and books.

Every face bore undisguised concern, as well as fervent admiration.

"Brother Li, you're finally awake." Wu Yu's eyes were red as he moved to the bedside. He wanted to pat Li Yuan, but feared touching his wounds, so his hand froze in midair. "You worried us to death."

"Brother Li, you're incredible!"

Yu Ling'er's large eyes sparkled. "We all heard about it—you alone counter-killed an entire Dark Pavilion squad. My heavens, those were Demon Generals! How did you do it?"

"Yeah, Brother Li, hurry and tell us." Jin Duoduo squeezed forward as well.

The group spoke over one another, leaving Li Yuan unsure whom to answer first. He could only keep nodding and smiling.

When he looked up, he caught sight of Shen Lian standing silently behind the crowd. Their gazes met, and they nodded to each other in mutual understanding.

Chu Yunhe leaned against the doorway with his arms folded, a faint smile on his lips. When he saw Li Yuan looking over, he merely gave him a casual nod.

With Liu Hongyan watching like a tiger at his side, how could Li Yuan have the time to explain slowly? He could only answer vaguely, "They were careless. I merely got lucky. And Mr. Mo and the others arrived in time."

He made it sound light, but everyone knew how perilous it had been. To endure such a desperate situation until reinforcements arrived, and then counter-kill powerful enemies—this was far beyond what the word "luck" could encompass.

They could not help measuring themselves against it. If they had fallen into such a killing trap, they feared they would already have been reduced to bones and ashes.

They had no choice but to admit that Li Yuan's strength and temperament had already left them far behind.

Shen Lian suddenly stepped forward, his gaze fixed directly on Li Yuan. "Li Yuan, I was never convinced by you before. I always competed with you. But now I admit it—whether in cultivation or in adapting to enemies in battle, I truly fall short of you."

Everyone fell silent and looked at Shen Lian. He had always been proud and arrogant, yet now he was willing to publicly admit that his skills were inferior.

"However, I won't give up. One day, I will catch up to you and surpass you."

Shen Lian clenched his fist, blazing fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.

Seeing the utterly sincere determination in his gaze, Li Yuan felt no displeasure at all. Instead, he felt a greater appreciation for him.

This was the heart of a true martial artist: unafraid of strength, never feeling inferior, constantly honing oneself and pressing forward.

He nodded earnestly and met Shen Lian's eyes. "All right. I'll wait for you."

The two of them smiled, carrying the air of kindred spirits who recognized one another. Wu Yu and the others were stirred until their blood boiled, secretly vowing to cultivate diligently as well. They absolutely could not be left too far behind.

The group talked for a while longer before finally leaving reluctantly under Liu Hongyan's urging.

The room became quiet again. Li Yuan had taken his medicine and was beginning to feel drowsy.

Just then, Liu Hongyan, who had left, returned. Her expression was grave.