"Lin He, in this godforsaken place, we only have each other left. If you get yourself killed messing around, are you going to leave me, a cripple, here to wait for death?"
"Next time... if you ever dare act so rashly again and make decisions on your own, I... I'll strangle you myself first!"
Seeing Su Qiuran's reddened eyes, the smile slowly faded from Lin He's face.
He put away his usual flippancy, walked over, and gently crouched before her wheelchair. He reached out and clumsily wiped the moisture from the corners of Su Qiuran's eyes with his sleeve.
"I'm sorry, Qiuran." Lin He's voice became exceptionally gentle. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have kept it from you."
He sighed, looking toward the desolate green mountains outside the door.
"Actually, last night, when Granny Zhao told us about that immortals' mass grave on the back mountain, I was really scared," Lin He admitted.
"With a treasure gourd like this in our hands, if we don't have any ability to protect ourselves, we won't even have a chance to run if someone discovers it one day."
"I want to get stronger sooner. Even if it's only a little stronger. At least, if we really run into some thugs, I can stand in front of you instead of only being able to watch helplessly."
Lin He looked into Su Qiuran's eyes and spoke earnestly.
Su Qiuran sniffled, turned her head away, and muttered, "Who wants you standing in front of me... I have my own dignity too."
But her expression had visibly softened.
"Since this Essence of the Sun really can strengthen the body," Su Qiuran suddenly turned back, her gaze resolute, "then I want to try too!"
"No, no, no, my lady!" Startled, Lin He hurriedly waved his hands.
"That stuff is seriously no joke! It hurts like someone's sawing through your bones with a rusty saw and sprinkling salt on top. That little body of yours won't be able to take it!"
"If you can take it, why can't I?" Su Qiuran stubbornly raised her chin.
"I came from Blue Star too. In my previous life, I was a beast when it came to working overtime! Besides, if it can strengthen the body, maybe... maybe it could help my legs too?"
At the mention of her legs, Lin He fell silent. He knew her crippled legs were Su Qiuran's greatest burden of the heart.
"All right." Lin He finally relented. "But let's agree first: we'll only use the tiniest wisp, even less than I used last night. The moment anything feels wrong, stop immediately. I'll be watching beside you."
Su Qiuran nodded firmly.
Lin He carefully took the emerald-green jade gourd from inside his clothes.
After absorbing moonlight last night, the gourd had gained another exceedingly fine wisp of Grand Yin Essence, while the golden Essence of the Sun was quite plentiful.
Controlling it carefully, he poured out a wisp of Essence of the Sun, only the size of a pinhead.
"Hold out your hand." Lin He watched nervously.
Su Qiuran held out her fair palm, and the drop of golden liquid landed in it.
They held their breath, staring fixedly at the drop.
One second... two seconds... ten seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
The drop of golden liquid simply rested quietly in Su Qiuran's palm, like an ordinary dewdrop, without the slightest sign of burrowing into her body.
"What's going on?" Su Qiuran blinked in confusion and poked the drop with her other hand.
"That shouldn't happen, should it?" Lin He was bewildered too.
Last night, that stuff had burrowed straight through his pores. He couldn't have stopped it even if he'd tried.
"You don't feel hot? You don't feel any pain?"
"I don't feel anything." Su Qiuran shook her head.
The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.
"What exactly did it feel like after you used it last night?" Su Qiuran asked with a frown.
Lin He recalled it and said, still shaken, "It was like all the flesh on my body had been laid on an anvil and hammered over and over with a sledgehammer. My bones stretched, and my muscles tore and healed again."
"Honestly, I can feel that, with what my current mortal body can withstand, after that one use, I'll need at least seven or eight days for my flesh to slowly recover, adapt, and stabilize."
"If I used it again right now, my body would definitely burst, and I'd die on the spot."
After listening, Su Qiuran thoughtfully studied her palm, which had shown no reaction whatsoever.
Finally, she sighed, found a rag, and wiped her hand dry. "This Essence of the Sun might not work on me. Or perhaps..."
She looked Lin He up and down. "There's something special about your constitution that just happens to be on the same wavelength as this Essence of the Sun?"
"What special constitution could I possibly have? The Lin Household already tested me and declared me a pure-blooded good-for-nothing without any Spirit Root." Lin He shrugged.
"Who can say for sure when it comes to the cultivation world?" Su Qiuran shook her head, though she wasn't too disappointed.
She was broad-minded by nature. Since this path wouldn't work, she wouldn't stubbornly beat her head against it.
"Since the Essence of the Sun is useless to me, from now on, apart from the portion we need to ripen Green Spike Grass and earn our first pot of gold, all the remaining Essence of the Sun will go toward your body tempering." Su Qiuran folded her hands over her legs, her gaze sharpening.
"What? All of it for me?" Lin He froze.
"Yes." Su Qiuran nodded. "What you said just now was right. What we lack most right now is the ability to protect ourselves."
"Since your body can be strengthened through the Essence of the Sun, we'll turn you into our number one fighting force.
"Only when you become stronger will we have the confidence to survive in this world, or even explore that mass grave or whatever it is."
"Starting today, I'll draw up a practical combat improvement plan for you."
"You need to develop as a pure body cultivator. Archery, close-quarters combat, using cold weapons-you can't neglect any of them."
"Holy crap, you're serious?" Lin He listened in a daze.
"Obviously. Did you think I was playing house with you?" Su Qiuran shot him a glare.
"Right now, you have nothing but brute strength. Against a truly experienced opponent, they'd use four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds and cripple you."
"Tomorrow, once we sell the Green Spike Grass seeds in town for money, our first priority will be buying you a decent hunting bow and a short blade for self-defense. Then set aside four hours every day and train according to my plan!"
Looking at Su Qiuran's solemn, earnest expression, Lin He suddenly found it a little funny, and a little touching.
"All right, all right. Whatever my wife says." Grinning cheekily, Lin He stood up and deliberately flexed his arm muscles.
Then he leaned close to Su Qiuran again, lowered his voice, and said teasingly, "But... honey, I've been tempered by the Essence of the Sun now. I'm vigorous as a dragon and fierce as a tiger, with more stamina than you could imagine."
He raised his eyebrows, a wicked grin curling his lips. "You've planned so much daytime training for me. What about at night?"
"The nights are long, and your husband is so strong now. At night... want to try me out yourself?"
Su Qiuran froze at first, then realized what he meant. Her pale, delicate face instantly flushed crimson, and even her ears turned blood-red.
"Lin He! What on earth is that head of yours filled with!" Su Qiuran grabbed an empty coarse porcelain teacup from the table and made to throw it at him. "Get out to the backyard and check on your Green Spike Grass!"
"At your command! Off to work right away!" Lin He laughed heartily, nimbly dodged Su Qiuran's blustering attack, and strode toward the backyard.