Chapter: Lost and Tested
(Battlefield – The Aftermath)
"Wei! Wei!"
She called softly, fear threading her voice, checking his pulse. Relief washed over her when she realized he was still alive.
"Zhang Wei!"
Tears welled in her eyes as she studied his battered body—shoulders torn, skin open, black blood staining him.
Zhang Wei's eyes narrowed at her worried expression, clouded with pain. She summoned a small portion of her core energy, hoping to ease him.
But it backfired—the energy rebounded, sending a wave of drowsiness crashing through her, nearly forcing her to spit blood.
"Huh…!"
She whispered, disbelief lacing her tone. Trying again, a splitting headache struck, radiating through her skull.
"What's wrong with my core?"
She gritted her teeth, unwilling to give up. Summoning another wave, she pushed it into him—but coughed up droplets of blood, clutching her chest.
"At least it's confirmed…" she thought, helpless.
"It hurts…"
Zhang Wei murmured, gripping his chest, face twisted in agony. Panic clawed at her.
"Let's try again…"
She laid him down gently. Her hands glowed as she poured her energy into him once more.
"It's working…"
A flicker of hope crossed her face—until a violent force flung her aside.
"Pathetic."
Zhang Chuan's presence froze her. She ground her teeth, glaring at him.
"Do you wish to kill him?"
Zhang Chuan smirked, eyes flicking between Zhang Wei and her. "How foolish… to try sending your core energy into someone who doesn't even have one, especially when he's between life and death. Don't you realize that could have been a death sentence?"
He bent down, towering over Zhang Wei, and forced a pink pill into his mouth. Zhang Wei choked, grimacing at the bitter aftertaste.
"Good… you're awake."
Zhang Wei coughed weakly, eyes meeting the man who was now his father.
"Does it hurt?"
"Of course it hurts!" Zhang Wei ground his teeth. One wrong word, one wrong expression—and death could come. His father's temper was unpredictable, especially regarding his children.
Zhang Chuan's eyes gleamed as he poked at Wei's injured shoulder.
"What are you doing?" Yao's voice called from a distance.
"Yao!" Zhang Wei's relief was fleeting; his gaze darted back to his father.
"Your meridians are shattered, and without a core sea, you're worthless. In other words… you're going to die either way," Zhang Chuan explained calmly.
Anger and pain churned within Zhang Wei as he lay helpless.
"The pill I gave you is a Meridian-Eating Pill. It will consume your broken meridians and reconstruct new ones. But… such methods always come with a price," Zhang Chuan continued, studying Wei closely.
Zhang Wei looked at him, stunned.
"Why are you staring at me like that? You need to be punished for your mistakes—but one must be alive to receive punishment," Zhang Chuan said coldly, leaving Zhang Wei speechless.
Then, a tearing sensation ripped through him, as if his muscles were being devoured from within by invisible worms. Pain wracked him—sharp, unbearable—but also… strangely uncomfortable.
(Back at the Great Hall – Intercut Perspective)
The elders stood in silence, eyes fixed on the water-like screen displaying Zhang Wei's struggle. Their expressions were blank, but tension simmered beneath the surface. Elder Li's gaze lingered with malice, wishing the boy dead.
Sitting on his throne, the clan leader observed silently. Zhang Wei's twisted expressions of pain did not faze him.
"Meridian pill!"
Fei Fei shivered, dread crawling up her spine.
"Such a pill… dangerous, deadly. Why give it to someone so weak?" she thought.
"He won't die, so don't worry," Sang Sang reassured her softly. Her words eased Fei Fei slightly.
Fei Fei's gaze returned to the hall. Despite her father's disdain and the whispers of the elders, she studied the maid standing in the center, guarding Zhang Wei.
"How ugly…"
Some elders muttered, noting the maid's disfigured face. Even she flinched slightly at her own reflection in their judgment.
"Who would do something so cruel? No wonder she wore a veil…"
Yet, she didn't spare a glance for anyone. Her eyes blazed with hatred toward the clan leader, who frowned at her appearance.
"Who are you?" Zhang Chuan's deep voice resonated through the hall, sending shivers down every spine.
"I am nobody… just a maid," she replied calmly, though her aura betrayed her strength.
"Yao?" Zhang Chuan pressed, ignoring her lie.
"That's what he calls you, isn't it?" he asked, referring to Zhang Wei. She ground her teeth, refusing to answer.
"My son is naive… easy to trick by someone like you," he said, stepping closer. Yao instinctively backed away, tightening her grip on her weapon.
"Tell me your true motive in approaching Zhang Wei," he demanded.
Silence answered. Her hands trembled as she took in the hall, calculating.
"What do you want?" she wanted to ask—but fear silenced her.
"Answers." Zhang Chuan's single word made her pale. Nobody would believe she had only come to repay a debt. Her sudden appearance in the courtyard looked like a scheme against the Zhang family treasure.
She realized the truth: it didn't matter. The questioning was a prelude. Her survival depended on finding a way out before it was too late.
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