Healing in a Cave

Jia Lie Jun leaped into the river, wrapped an arm around the unconscious woman's waist, and lifted her up. A faint fragrance drifted into his nose, and feeling the smooth softness beneath his hand made his heart race. He quickly shook his head, banishing the distracting thoughts before climbing ashore.

Inside the cave, the campfire crackled. Jia Lie Jun leaned against the stone wall with his eyes closed, resting.

The woman slowly awoke and looked around. Her heart abruptly sank. Just as she tried to rise, a sharp pain shot through her chest, and her entire body went numb, leaving her unable to move. Hearing the noise, Jia Lie Jun opened his bleary eyes and looked over, seeing the woman on the stone bed struggling to sit up.

"You're awake. You're badly injured, so don't move around yet," Jia Lie Jun hurriedly said, stopping her.

The woman lay flat on the stone bed and turned her head toward the voice, where she saw a young man slowly walking toward her. She wanted to get up, but her entire body was numb and could not move. Gritting her silver teeth, she cursed under her breath, "Damn it, I was actually caught by its seal."

Jia Lie Jun hurried to the stone bed, put on a friendly smile, and said gently, "Don't be nervous. My name is Jia Lie Jun. I was training in the Monster Beast Mountain Range. When I passed by the waterfall, I saw you unconscious, so I brought you out."

The woman stared at Jia Lie Jun for a while. Seeing his harmless-looking face, she finally nodded slightly.

"Um, the injury on your chest is quite severe. It needs to be stopped and treated. Will you apply the medicine yourself, or should I do it?" Jia Lie Jun pointed toward her chest. Beneath her fair jade-like neck, five deep claw marks ran across her chest, blood seeping out and dyeing her plain-colored dress crimson.

The woman struggled faintly, but she could not move at all. Taking a deep breath, she said helplessly, "You do it."

"Then let's make this clear first. I can help you apply the medicine, but after you recover, you can't try to silence me. I often hear storytellers tell tales about people being saved after getting injured, only to kill their benefactors once they recover," Jia Lie Jun said warily.

Hearing Jia Lie Jun's words, the woman drew a deep breath and calmed her emotions. Somewhere between laughter and tears, she said, "Don't worry. As long as you don't take liberties with me, I won't settle accounts with you once I recover."

Only then did Jia Lie Jun step forward. His gaze swept over her beautiful face, and he let out a deep breath, suppressing his wandering thoughts. He carefully tore open her plain-colored dress, revealing a green inner armor. Five deep claw marks were imprinted on it. Seeing that the armor covered the wound, Jia Lie Jun spoke somewhat awkwardly. "Uh, well, the wound is covered by your inner armor. I might need to unfasten the armor over your chest."

The woman's body stiffened, then she turned her head away. Her eyes shut tightly, her eyelashes trembling slightly as a flush spread over her pale, pretty face. She softly murmured in assent.

Jia Lie Jun gently helped the woman sit up and turned her back toward him. Then, trembling slightly, he pulled her upper garment down to her slender waist before carefully undoing the metal clasp of her inner armor. After removing the armor, the woman's upper body was nearly bare. Jia Lie Jun took out a robe and draped it over her before slowly laying her back down on the stone bed.

Jia Lie Jun wiped the sweat from his forehead and lowered his head. The woman's pretty face was flushed, her breathing slightly hurried, and a thin mist of tears filled her eyes. When she noticed him looking, she turned her face away.

He took out a jade bottle and slowly poured some red liquid from it. Using a piece of cotton cloth, he gently wiped the wound. As Jia Lie Jun's hand moved lightly over it, the woman's body trembled faintly. She gritted her silver teeth, her face turning pale as sweat covered her forehead, and muffled groans of pain escaped her lips.

"Don't be afraid. It'll be over soon," Jia Lie Jun comforted her softly. Then he gently sprinkled white powder over the wound, took out a piece of gauze, and carefully wrapped it.

"The wound has been treated. Now you just need to recuperate slowly." Jia Lie Jun clapped his hands, took out a clean handkerchief, and gently wiped the sweat from the woman's forehead.

"Thank you." The woman looked at Jia Lie Jun gratefully, a breathtaking smile blooming on her face. In that instant, heaven and earth seemed to lose their color.

"I'm back." Jia Lie Jun entered the cave carrying several rabbits in his hand. He saw the woman sitting beside the stone bed, her hands cupping her cheeks as she stared blankly into space, seemingly lost in thought. Hearing Jia Lie Jun's voice, she came back to herself. Her lips curled up slightly, and she said happily, "You're back." Seeing the rabbits in his hand, she gave a soft huff. "You caught rabbits again? Rabbits are so cute. How could you bear to do it?"

"Really? I wonder who it was that ate even more than I did," Jia Lie Jun said with a chuckle.

The woman's pretty face immediately reddened. She shot Jia Lie Jun a fierce glare and gave a soft snort through her delicate nose.

Beside the campfire, the woman sat on a stone stool, propping up her cheeks as she stared unblinkingly at the roaring flames, lost in thought. The firelight painted her pretty face red, and tiny beads of sweat dotted her elegant nose, making her look exceptionally beautiful. Across from her, Jia Lie Jun watched quietly.

The woman sensed someone staring at her. When she saw Jia Lie Jun looking at her without blinking, her pretty face reddened, and she asked with slight annoyance, "Hey, why are you staring at me like that?"

Jia Lie Jun let out an "Ah," snapping back to his senses. With an innocent look, he said, "I wasn't looking at you. I was looking at the roasted meat. Roasted meat is far more delicious. Don't flatter yourself."

"Am I not even better than a rabbit?" the woman said indignantly, picking up a piece of firewood and lightly tossing it at Jia Lie Jun.

Jia Lie Jun caught it with a smile. "By the way, I still don't know your name."

"Yun Zhi. And yours?" the woman replied softly.

"Didn't I tell you before? You actually didn't remember my name. Then let me introduce myself again. Listen closely: my name is Jia Lie Jun. One day, this name will resound throughout the entire Dou Qi Continent," Jia Lie Jun said boastfully, not exposing her.

"Little fellow, you're not very big, but your words are certainly grand. Still, you really are quite bold. A mere Dou Shi, yet you dared to venture into the Monster Beast Mountain Range alone," Yun Yun said with a slight smile.

"By the way, after you recover, are you still planning to find the Amethyst Winged Lion King?" Jia Lie Jun casually asked as he wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth.

"Yes. I urgently need some Purple Spirit Crystal."

"Here, drink this bowl of medicine." Jia Lie Jun handed her a porcelain bowl filled with red medicinal liquid resembling blood. This red liquid had accumulated within the Ancestral Stone.

Yun Yun took the bowl and drained it in one gulp. Then she sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and refined the dense energy within the medicinal liquid, continuously striking at the Amethyst Winged Lion King's seal. Only after cultivating for more than half an hour did she open her eyes, only to see Jia Lie Jun leaning against the stone wall, already asleep. Thinking of how hard Jia Lie Jun had worked these past few days—not only cultivating, but also guarding against the beasts outside the cave—tenderness flashed through Yun Yun's eyes. She gently covered Jia Lie Jun with a blanket.