Li Xuan's eyelids trembled, a faint flicker beneath lashes still heavy with exhaustion. The world returned to him slowly . His head throbbed with every heartbeat, his chest felt tight, and even the air seemed too thick to breathe. The scent of crushed herbs lingered at the edge of his mouth, bitter and familiar.
He blinked again, the haze lifting bit by bit until the outline beside him sharpened. Xiao Fengqi's small frame was leaning against him, her head resting on his shoulder, her breathing shallow but rhythmic. For a long moment, he didn't move. The sight was strange and oddly comforting — this girl who had once glared daggers at him now fast asleep at his side, her expression calm as still water.
"Fengqi…" His voice cracked when he tried to speak. It came out rough, more breath than sound.
Li Mei rushed to his side .
"You're awake—thank the heavens," she murmured, her tone breaking into a quiet laugh that trembled at the edges.
Li Xuan tried to shift, but pain lanced through his arm and side. He bit down on a groan, breathing through his teeth. "I'm fine… she—"
"She's only exhausted," Li Mei said softly, brushing her hand over Xiao Fengqi's forehead. "Cold body, but her pulse is steady. She'll be fine."
Li Xuan's gaze softened. The memories of last night burned behind his eyes—the Zhao family's ambush and Zhao Mu's mocking grin before the explosion of light swallowed everything. And then this waking up alive with her beside him, spent and pale.
He swallowed hard .
"You really are troublesome."
Li Mei gave a small smile, one of both amusement and relief. "Troublesome or not, she saved your life."
He nodded slowly. "I know."
With her help, he shifted, laying Xiao Fengqi gently upon the bed. Her hair had come loose, strands sticking to her cheek and she looked oddly peaceful,the kind of peace only exhaustion could buy. Li Mei covered her with a thin blanket, smoothing it once over her shoulder.
Li Xuan leaned against the wall, exhaustion creeping in again. His body ached, but the pain was nothing compared to the weight that pressed on his chest . He can't believe he faced the same, helplessness again .
Outside the window, the first light of dawn spread slowly across the hills. The soft gold washed through the room.
"Zhao family…" he muttered under his breath, the name heavy with venom.
Li Mei froze mid-motion, turning to look at him. The unspoken thought hung between them, sharp and certain. She set down the cloth in her hand and spoke gently, "Then we should leave Mingdu as soon as we can."
Li Xuan didn't answer immediately. His eyes lingered on Xiao Fengqi's face. Mingdu wasn't much ,it was just a small city at the edge of the Jian empire but it was where his memories lived, after all it was once the ancestral land of li family .Yet all that had to be left behind now just to run away like helpless rats
He nodded at last. "I know."
Li Mei sighed softly and didn't press him further. She drew the curtains halfway, letting a thin beam of sunlight fall across the two of them
He closed his eyes, forcing his breath to steady. The medicinal pill she had used was terrifyingly effective; most of his injuries had already vanished, only his fractured arm and torn soul remained. It felt like something had punched a hole through his mind, but somehow, he was still alive. Only a high-ranked alchemist could have created a pill like that.
Alchemists were rare like energy cores even acquiring a low grade pill of 3 stars of refinement was as difficult as getting water from a rock . Like other types of cultivators, alchemists had the same grading as cultivators but their power was based on the strength of their soul and this enabled them to make pills from 1 star of refinement to 12 stars of refinement basing on how powerful they were .
Definitely the Xiao family had spent a fortune acquiring the healing effect Xiao Fengqi just gave him . Such a gift was something his current state couldn't repay .
Li Mei entered once more, balancing a tray with two steaming bowls. She placed them on the table beside him, stifling a yawn behind her palm. After a sleepless night, the lines of fatigue etched faintly beneath her eyes. Still, she stayed long enough to glance at Li Xuan's face, worry softening her features, before slipping quietly from the room.
Moments later, Xiao Fengqi's lashes trembled. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking against the dim morning light. For a heartbeat she looked lost, then her gaze settled on Li Xuan. "You… you're awake," she murmured, voice hoarse with sleep.
Li Xuan smiled faintly, his tone teasing despite the weakness in it. "I could say the same. Didn't expect my savior to faint before I did."
Her brows knitted instantly. "Faint? I was meditating," she said, straightening her hair with a huff.
"Ah, yes," he said dryly. "Meditating horizontally, I see."
She shot him a look sharp enough to cut, but his quiet laughter seemed to disarm it. "You talk too much for someone who nearly died," she muttered, though the edge in her tone had softened.
When she tried to stand, her legs gave way beneath her. Li Xuan caught her wrist before she could fall. "Careful," he said gently. " wouldn't want to get in trouble with the patriarch of the Xiao family "
For a moment, their eyes met and this time ,not with the heat of embarrassment but with a strange stillness that neither knew how to name. Xiao Fengqi looked away first, her voice low.
"I didn't do it for you. I just couldn't stand watching someone die that stupidly. Take it as repayment… for saving me from that horrible class."
Li Xuan smiled faintly. "Then I'll make sure to thank your kindness, Miss Soft-Heart."
She rolled her eyes. "You're only being nice because I saved you. If not, you'd still be ignoring me like I'm some ugly nuisance."
He glanced toward the bowl of broth. "You should eat first," he said.
She hesitated, then sat beside him, drawing her knees close. She took a spoonful, grimaced and muttered,
"Too plain."
"It's medicine, not a feast," Li Xuan said, half-smiling. "Still better than what I can cook."
"Oh? So you admit you can't cook?"
"I didn't say that," he replied solemnly. "I just prefer not to poison people."
A quiet laugh slipped from her lips. "My father must be worried sick right now. His daughter goes missing overnight and returns half-dead. Wonderful."
Li Xuan's eyes lowered. "Thank you," he said softly.
Xiao Fengqi tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "I don't think just anyone would send two Foundation-level masters to kill a kid," she said slowly. "Whatever you're mixed up in, it's dangerous."
"Some things aren't worth talking about," he said, his tone flat but weary.
She looked at him for a moment longer before sighing. "Fine. I'll let you keep your mysteries besides your life , your problem."
"This soup actually managed to restore some of my strength," Xiao Fengqi added, staring down at her hands as if rediscovering them.
Li Xuan smiled faintly. "Yeah, my aunt collects herbs and somehow brews them into a very strange liquid. I don't even know what she puts in it."
Xiao Fengqi's brows lifted. "You mean like an alchemist?"
He laughed. "No, nothing that fancy. It's just... her hobby. Technically, she even has a herbal essence pool soaking in the back."
Her curiosity flickered. "A pool?"
"Mm. Wanna see it?" he asked, half-teasing.
"Why not? My spiritual energy's almost exhausted anyway," she said, brushing imaginary dust off her sleeves.
Li Xuan helped her up and guided her through the narrow hallway to a small door. When he pushed it open, a faint herbal fragrance drifted out revealing a shallow pool glowing faintly .
Xiao Fengqi's eyes widened. "This water... it contains traces of condensed spiritual essence. I've never seen anything like it."
Li Xuan frowned. "But it's just herbs. Nothing special."
She crouched and dipped her fingers into the pool, watching the faint glow cling to her skin. "This isn't ordinary at all. Even a four-star alchemist would struggle to refine a medicine this pure."
He shook his head. "But my aunt's no alchemist. She doesn't even have spiritual energy in her body."
Without hesitation, Xiao Fengqi scooped a handful of the green liquid and drank it. Her lashes trembled as warmth spread across her face. "This is… incredible. Definitely not something just anyone could make."
Before Li Xuan could reply, a calm voice drifted from behind. "If you want to try it properly, you have my permission."
They turned to see Li Mei standing at the doorway, her expression gentle but unreadable.
"I can?" Xiao Fengqi asked softly.
Li Mei nodded. "Yes. Take it as repayment for saving Li Xuan. Besides, it may help your recovery."
"Thank you, Aunt Li," Xiao Fengqi said, bowing slightly.
Then she turned to Li Xuan, eyes glinting with mischief. "Well, are you planning to stay here while I undress, or should I assume you'll turn around like a gentleman?"