Lin Tian moved through the stone paths with controlled steps that kept slipping into a faster pace. His breath stayed steady, but tension tightened the muscles along his back. The image of Bai Xueya leaning on the railing, forcing herself to stand straight, would not leave his mind.
The System's warning from earlier appears in his mind again.
'Partner's Yin qi fluctuation rising… risk of collapse increasing…'
He swallowed, pushing himself forward. He didn't know exactly where she would be, but there was only one place she would go when something felt wrong with her meridians—the Azure Snow sect guest residence that the clan provided when they arrived.
He kept walking, passing disciples who paused and bowed respectfully. Their eyes carried the same mixture he'd seen since his awakening. He ignored them, focusing on the faint pressure of Yin qi drifting from the direction ahead.
He stopped at the corridor connected to the Azure Snow quarters.
A cold chill lingered in the air. Like qi pressing outward and then falling back in unpredictable waves.
Two disciples stood outside, whispering anxiously.
"That area… it feels wrong."
"Is something happening inside?"
Lin Tian's heartbeat tightened.
He stepped past them without stopping, pushing the door open enough to slip inside.
The world narrowed instantly.
Bai Xueya knelt on the floor in the courtyard.. Her breaths came out in uneven, each one sharper than the last. An ice clung to her fingers, creeping across the wood where her hand pressed down. Her shoulders trembled with every attempt to steady herself.
"Xueya!" Lin Tian rushed forward.
She lifted her head slowly. Her eyes were unfocused for a moment before she found him, and her lips pressed together.
"Tian… don't come closer," she whispered, though her voice shook.
He knelt in front of her anyway.
She tried to push herself up, but her legs gave way. Her body leaned forward, and he caught her before she could fall
"I don't want you to see me like this," she breathed weakly.
Her forehead rested on his shoulder. Her hand was holding tight to his sleeve.
Lin Tian swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. "Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?"
She shook her head slightly. "It wasn't like this… until now…"
But he knew she was lying.
She'd been hiding this longer than she admitted.
A rush of heat swept through his chest—fear mixed with helpless anger at himself for not noticing sooner.
The System flickered in his mind.
[ Partner's Yin qi outbreak detected ]
[ Condition: Acute instability ]
[ Risk of meridian damage: High ]
[Immediate intervention recommended ]
His jaw tightened.
"Xueya, look at me," he said softly, pressing a hand to her back to support her. "Stay awake. Don't move your qi anymore."
Her eyelashes trembled. She tried to answer but only a shallow breath escaped.
A sudden burst of yin qi spread from her body, cold enough that Lin Tian felt it through his hands. He held her tighter to keep her from fainting.
The door swung open.
"Xueya!" Elder Mei rushed inside, her expression switching from alarm to quick calculation the moment she saw them.
She knelt beside them and placed two fingers on Xueya's wrist. Her brows furrowed immediately.
"This is not normal," Elder Mei said. "Her Yin qi is collapsing from inside her body. If this continues, her meridians will crack."
Lin Tian felt his stomach drop.
"What do we do?" he asked.
"Move her to the inner chamber. Quickly."
He lifted Bai Xueya carefully, carrying her in a princess carry. Her head rested against his body. Elder Mei guided them to the room, where a raised bed sat waiting for emergency treatment.
As he laid Bai Xueya down, Elder Mei placed a hand just above her dantian. A small wave of qi traveled into her body.
Bai Xueya winced.
"Her physique is overloading," Elder Mei said under her breath. "She's been suppressing this for days, maybe longer."
Lin Tian looked up sharply. "She told me it happened sometimes."
Elder Mei shook her head. "Not like this. This level of instability is dangerous for someone in her realm."
She focused her qi and began stabilizing Bai Xueya's meridians with controlled. Her breathing began to ease slightly, but the tension in her body did not fade.
A thin ice spread across the bed.
Lin Tian reached out and held her hand, careful not to grip too tightly.
Xueya's eyes opened faintly. She looked at him with a weak smile that hurt more than anything she'd said earlier.
"…Sorry…" she whispered.
"For what?" he asked quickly.
"For making you worry…" Her voice trembled. "I didn't want to… burden you."
His chest tightened painfully. "You're not a burden. You never were. You are a genius, Xueya. It should be me who is a burden to you, since I was a cripple a few days ago."
The frost around her hand thickened for a moment before fading again, her qi losing its grip.
Elder Mei's voice sharpened. "She's losing control again. Tian, keep her steady."
He moved behind her and supported her back, helping her sit upright as Elder Mei passed more qi through her meridians. Bai Xueya trembled violently.
Then, all at once, her qi surged. A wash of icy cold spread outward, shaking the air around them. Elder Mei gritted her teeth, adjusting her technique.
"She can't hold it," Elder Mei said. "Her channels are too unstable."
Bai Xueya opened her eyes wide for one moment—fear flickering beneath the pain.
"Tian…" Her voice cracked. "…I didn't want you to see me like this…"
"I'm right here," he said, steadying her shoulders. "I'm not leaving."
Her body shuddered again. Elder Mei pressed her hand firmly against Xueya's dantian.
"Hold her," Elder Mei instructed.
Lin Tian tightened his grip just as Xueya's qi pulsed one last time. The Ice on her hand started melting instantly, followed by a hollow drop from her core.
Her body went limp.
Lin Tian froze.
"Xueya!"
Elder Mei checked her pulse immediately. After a tense second, she nodded. "She's unconscious, but her foundation hasn't cracked. She pushed too hard trying to suppress the imbalance."
Lin Tian let out a breath that shook more than he expected.
Elder Mei continued, her voice gentler now. "Her condition will keep worsening unless we find the root cause. Rest alone won't fix this."
Lin Tian looked at Xueya's pale face. Her breathing had steadied, but she looked fragile.
"What do we need to do?" he asked quietly.
Elder Mei hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "There are methods to soothe a physique under stress. Some require rare herbs. Some require an external source of steady qi. And some…" She faltered. "Some require something more intimate."
Lin Tian's hand tightened around Xueya's.
Elder Mei didn't elaborate. "For now, stay with her. Don't let her cultivate. I'll prepare what I can."
She stood and left quickly, closing the door behind her.
Silence settled over the room.
Lin Tian sat beside Bai Xueya, watching the faint rise and fall of her breath. He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her forehead. Her skin felt colder than before.
'She endured this alone. She hid it… even when she was struggling to stand.'
His throat tightened.
'I won't let her do this again. Not while I'm here.'
He stayed by her side until the lantern dimmed, not caring how much time passed.
Just as he reached to adjust the blanket around her, the System stirred again—soft, but unmistakable.
[ Partner's Yin qi instability: Severe ]
[ Recommended remedy: Dual cultivation to balance overflows of Yin Qi]
[ Delay will worsen the condition ]
The message faded.
Lin Tian stared at Bai Xueya's face, his heartbeat echoing loudly in his ears.
"…Xueya," he whispered. "How long have you been carrying this alone?"
The room gave no answer.
But the decision forming inside him was already clear.
End of Chapter 13