Chapter 58: Relief

Senior Sister Tao Yu chimed in, "Senior Brother is very capable. If you have any difficulties, why not share them?"

Junior Brother Bai Ming struggled to sit up and cupped his hands in a salute, "Thank you both for your kindness. Saving me was already a tremendous favor; how could I dare to trouble you further?"

Senior Sister Tao Yu wanted to persist, but Senior Brother Wei Yu raised a hand to stop her.

Senior Brother Wei Yu said gently, "Since fellow Daoist Bai does not wish to speak of it, let us not make things difficult for him."

With his inner conflict set aside, Junior Brother Bai Ming nodded gratefully, "Thank you for your understanding, Senior Brother Wei."

Senior Brother Wei Yu smiled, his tone serious, "Your body has only undergone initial physical repairs. Your spiritual meridians have not yet been mended, so remember not to use any spiritual energy."

"My junior sister and I are going out to gather herbs, so fellow Daoist Bai, please rest here." Senior Brother Wei Yu advised softly, "There is a protective formation here, so you need not worry about attacks from spirit beasts."

Senior Sister Tao Yu opened the door and waved at Junior Brother Bai Ming, "We are leaving now. Get some good rest."

They really are two good people.

Lying on the bed, Junior Brother Bai Ming looked at his bandaged body and couldn't help but feel a jolt of shock.

He sighed, "With so many wounds, an ordinary person would likely stand there at a loss. Only the two of them would have the ability to save me."

"I am truly quite lucky."

After checking his wounds, Junior Brother Bai Ming lay back down. He was covered in injuries and found it difficult even to get out of bed and walk.

Closing his eyes, he began to recall the events of the past few days.

One thing after another.

It really was quite a winding path.

A strange feeling emerged in his chest, creating indescribable ripples in his heart. The dream, in particular, left Junior Brother Bai Ming feeling puzzled.

Why had he had that dream?

In the dream, he had forgotten everything. He did not remember that he had already escaped, nor did he remember the efforts he had made to do so, which was why he had agreed to Song Wanqing.

The moment he woke up, the dream shattered upon colliding with reality. The first thought in his mind then was—so it was just a dream after all.

The limited information in the dream had led him to make that decision.

"No wonder they say dreams and reality are opposites." Junior Brother Bai Ming narrowed his eyes, gazing at the wooden ceiling.

"But I still managed to escape." Junior Brother Bai Ming turned his head to look out the window.

He did not understand why, despite successfully escaping the Song family, he felt little happiness and not much sense of relief. Instead, there was a faint sense of emptiness and confusion.

Leaning against the soft pillow behind him, Junior Brother Bai Ming closed his eyes and murmured, "So it wasn't as happy as I imagined."

A wave of drowsiness crept from the pillow into the back of his head. His consciousness blurred, and he felt as if his entire body were wrapped in soft cotton.

Junior Brother Bai Ming's chest rose and fell rhythmically as he breathed.

He fell into a deep sleep.

His physical fatigue was alleviated during his sleep. The warm sun outside hung high again, shining through the window onto the young man's body, providing him with warmth.

Noon passed, the sunlight weakened slightly, and the sky gradually turned golden.

A gentle breeze blew against the window, creating a faint friction sound.

As the breeze brushed against his face, Junior Brother Bai Ming slowly opened his eyes. He felt that his body had recovered by more than half; he felt much better than before and full of energy. His spirits also lifted.

He straightened his back and stretched his arms to loosen up his body.

"Ah, it still hurts a bit." Feeling the pain, Junior Brother Bai Ming quickly pulled his arms back.

As dusk approached, the serene scenery outside the window caught his eye, and he felt a sense of comfort in both body and mind.

He slowly got up, sat on the edge of the bed, and silently admired the beauty of nature.

The layered, gradient golden sky, the emerald flower clusters dancing in the wind, and the forest rustling with soft, laughing sounds. The various colors of nature composed a colorful painting in Junior Brother Bai Ming's eyes. It was comfortable.

Whatever emptiness, whatever unhappiness—all of it dissipated at this moment.

The state of indifference toward life and death he had felt before was nowhere to be seen, and Junior Brother Bai Ming even analyzed his mindset from back then.

The previous confusion was simply because he was tired.

How could he not be happy about escaping the Song family's den of devils? He was just tired—so tired he couldn't think.

Now that he had recovered a bit of energy, he was ecstatic, and a sense of relief washed over his heart.

This is great, so good, I can't stop.

Junior Brother Bai Ming revealed a somewhat flamboyant smile, "Thinking about having successfully escaped feels so good. I finally got rid of that woman, hahaha."

Just as Junior Brother Bai Ming was laughing happily, the door was suddenly opened.

The creaking of the wooden boards interrupted his laughter. He turned his head to look, the somewhat flamboyant smile still lingering, hanging quietly on his face.

Seeing Junior Brother Bai Ming's joyous appearance, Senior Sister Tao Yu and Senior Brother Wei Yu were stunned.

The three looked at each other, and the atmosphere froze for a moment.

Senior Brother Wei Yu spoke first, "It seems fellow Daoist Bai has recovered quite well."

Senior Sister Tao Yu couldn't help but chuckle, her pretty face bearing a smile she couldn't suppress, "I didn't expect you to have such a side."

Hearing their teasing, Junior Brother Bai Ming reined in his smile, feeling a bit awkward, his hands not knowing what to do for a moment.

He touched the back of his neck, feeling a bit embarrassed, "I've made you two laugh."

"It's fine. I'm quite happy to see you so spirited." Senior Brother Wei Yu offered a kind smile.

Senior Sister Tao Yu chimed in, "It's good to be spirited."

They probably didn't hear clearly.

Under their gentle gazes, Junior Brother Bai Ming held onto a final shred of hope and slowly shifted his body to the center of the bed.

"Miss Tao and Senior Brother Wei, are you back now because you've finished gathering herbs?" Junior Brother Bai Ming tried to change the subject.

Senior Brother Wei Yu nodded, "We had good luck today and found them quickly. We also picked some herbs that will be helpful to you."

"Senior Brother Wei, you are truly… I really don't know how to repay you." Junior Brother Bai Ming felt grateful in his heart.

"Just focus on healing. As for repayment, it won't be too late to talk about that once your injuries have healed." Senior Brother Wei Yu reached out, stopping Junior Brother Bai Ming's words.

Senior Sister Tao Yu's eyes curved into crescents, "Rest assured, we will cure you."

Gratitude surged within him, but Junior Brother Bai Ming knew that no matter how many pale words he spoke, it would be useless. It would be better to wait until his injuries recovered and then find an opportunity to repay them.

Senior Brother Wei Yu, who was in front of him, looked at the scenery outside the window, as if checking something.

Junior Brother Bai Ming asked with some curiosity, "Is something wrong?"

Senior Brother Wei Yu turned back, "It's nothing, it's just time."

Junior Brother Bai Ming was a bit confused, "What time?"

Senior Brother Wei Yu looked at Senior Sister Tao Yu, "Junior Sister, you should go out first."

Senior Sister Tao Yu pouted, her movements somewhat reluctant. She glanced at Junior Brother Bai Ming on the bed with an unreadable expression, then turned and left, "Senior Brother, be gentle."

The door closed, leaving only Senior Brother Wei Yu and Junior Brother Bai Ming.

Listening to their exchange, Junior Brother Bai Ming was still a bit confused.

Senior Brother Wei Yu explained softly, "It's time to change your bandages. Because your spiritual meridians are severed, you cannot absorb the medicinal power of pills on your own, so we have switched to medicinal poultices."

"In order for the medicinal liquid to have the best effect, it needs to be changed once a day."

Junior Brother Bai Ming nodded, "I see."

Senior Brother Wei Yu took out the bandages while preparing the medicinal liquid, "After all, my junior sister is a young lady. Some wounds are troublesome to treat, and it might be inconvenient for her to see them."

"Senior Brother Wei, you are truly thoughtful." Junior Brother Bai Ming felt relieved.

Senior Brother Wei Yu finished the preparations, "Fellow Daoist Bai won't mind, will you?"