After Refusing Marriage to the Dao of Slaughter Patriarch (16)

'Ji Zhaixing is quite a willful person,' Yi Hui thought. Immediately after, he was kicked out.

But a heaven's chosen always has their privileges.

The medical cultivator said tremblingly, "It's just that regarding the matter of extracting the essence blood of a Golden Core expert, this junior's cultivation is insufficient. Please allow this junior to invite Martial Uncle over."

"Alright."

The medical cultivator turned into the adjoining room to invite his elder. The respectful inquiry transmitted through the thin layer of shark silk. One could faintly hear his reverent attitude and sincere words.

Ji Zhaixing heard the person inside give a vague response. Immediately following was the sound of cloud boots landing on the ground, and the cold expression of that person as he lifted the dividing curtain.

The person who came was an acquaintance.

Ji Zhaixing raised his eyes and said peacefully, "Daoist Rong."

It turned out to be Rong Zhou.

In this lower realm's cultivation world, the most famous medical cultivators all hailed from the Rong Clan. As the legitimate eldest son of the Rong Clan, it wasn't strange for Rong Zhou to appear here.

Ji Zhaixing thought that the rumors about the medical cultivators of the Rong Clan having students all over the world were indeed true.

Rong Zhou was still dressed in a plain white robe, a short knife hanging at his waist. Unlike the gentle and affectionate smile from their first meeting, Rong Zhou currently had his lips slightly pursed, his expression extremely stern.

Perhaps when healers were treating injuries and saving lives, they would act like completely different people from their usual selves.

Rong Zhou's gaze was somewhat dark. He quickly swept his eyes over the injured person in front of him, furrowed his brows slightly, and asked as if in disbelief, "You want to use essence blood to treat him?"

At this moment, Ji Zhaixing had already rolled up his sleeves. He raised his head slightly: "I'll have to trouble you."

"..."

Rong Zhou pursed his lips slightly and took down the knife at his waist.

The ten fingers are connected to the heart; this heart's essence blood could be forced out from the fingertips.

As the legitimate eldest son of the Rong Clan, Rong Zhou's cultivation was not considered poor. Yet, when he used the knife to pierce Ji Zhaixing's fingertip to extract the essence blood, he couldn't help but let his wrist tremble slightly. The sharp edge sliced a few times without drawing any blood.

Such a slip-up made even Rong Zhou himself suspect whether he was deliberately taking revenge.

Successive mistakes seemed to make him somewhat anxious; his warm breath almost fell onto Ji Zhaixing's fingertip. After failing several times, Rong Zhou lifted his eyes to look at Ji Zhaixing, a sickly flush on his face.

The black-haired sword cultivator lowered his eyes, his expression as usual.

Rong Zhou said, "Cut your hand, I'll extract the essence blood."

Ji Zhaixing had no intention of blaming him and readily complied: "Alright."

He took the specially made knife and quickly sliced a cut on his fingertip. Rong Zhou pressed against Ji Zhaixing's cold finger pad and then silently chanted an incantation.

A drop of blood condensed from his fingertip, its color extremely rich, brimming with true essence spiritual energy.

After forcing out a drop, Rong Zhou let the essence blood roll into a jade bottle and took it for Qi Baishan to consume.

Qi Baishan was still sleeping quietly, his chest not rising or falling in the slightest. However, after being fed that essence blood, a trace of faint red surfaced on his pale face, and his lips also turned a bright red, soft hue.

Rong Zhou concealed the coldness in his eyes: "Daoist Qi should be able to wake up very soon."

Ji Zhaixing paused slightly: "The Hanlin Sword Trial..."

At this time, it was the Bumeng Sect medical cultivator who chimed in: "With Daoist Qi's aptitude, he can naturally enter the top ten. The sect has already arranged for Daoist Qi's match to be on the final day."

This was their compensation and concession.

Ji Zhaixing's expression was indifferent: "Thank you for the trouble."

Rong Zhou's temper was evidently much greater compared to last time. Seeing that Ji Zhaixing seemed intent on guarding day and night, he found an excuse and chased him back to rest.

"The Healers' Courtyard does not keep people overnight," Rong Zhou said coldly, completely ignoring the bewildered gaze of the medical cultivator beside him.

To a certain extent, Ji Zhaixing actually didn't like exercising privileges and cooperated very well with healers.

When he returned, a Bumeng Sect cultivator was guarding the courtyard gate.

"By the Patriarch's orders, I have come to deliver this to Ji Zhenjun." The disciple wearing a jade crown bowed slightly, his tone cautious and reverent as he handed over a jade plaque. Ji Zhenjun may hold this token to move freely within the sect."

Ji Zhaixing asked, "The time limit?"

The cultivator answered respectfully, "There is none."

This was the Bumeng Sect's attempt to win Ji Zhaixing over and show their sincerity. Usually, only Guest Elders belonging to Bumeng had such treatment.

To grant such great authority to an elder of another sect could be called absolutely unprecedented.

Ji Zhaixing pondered for a moment but accepted it. His brows and eyes lowered slightly, making him appear even more steady and tranquil.

"Many thanks."

With this item, Ji Zhaixing could travel freely within the sect and could come to look after Qi Baishan at any time.

......

Qi Baishan was still lying on the bed, his figure having thinned considerably. Many Yushui Sect disciples also came to visit him, their eyes full of anxiety.

However, under Senior Brother Ji's silent comfort, they quickly became resolute again.

Ji Zhaixing's cold fingertips landed on Qi Baishan's forehead. Only against the youth's warm body temperature did it show a bit of vitality.

The black-haired sword cultivator had a calm face, but with his eyelashes lowered, casting a shadow beneath his eyes, he inexplicably appeared downcast. It almost made anyone who saw him unable to help but feel a slight ache in their hearts for him, wanting to make him happier.

Even though the sword cultivator before them possessed Golden Core cultivation and was fiercely fearless, at a moment like this, he seemed like a frail and lonely person.

Tomorrow would be the final day of the Hanlin Sword Trial.

Ji Zhaixing stood up and asked Rong Zhou, "If I want him to wake up before tomorrow..." Ji Zhaixing tactfully changed to another question, "With Junior Brother Qi's current dantian, what is the maximum amount of essence blood he can withstand?"

Rong Zhou's gaze slightly dodged; he actually didn't want to answer this question.

However, under Ji Zhaixing's persistence, he still said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Nine drops of essence blood."

A single drop of essence blood was already quite damaging to one's vitality, and Ji Zhaixing had been extracting it for a full six days. Even his face revealed a weak, sickly air. He didn't look like a Golden Core expert at all, but rather like a pampered young master who had been meticulously raised.

Now he had to extract even more at once—

Ji Zhaixing's knife landed on his wrist, forcibly forcing out that bit of rich essence blood.

On the skin that was delicate as snow, another stroke of deep crimson was added.

With this specially made knife that was harmful to a cultivator's Dao body, the wounds would not heal easily in a short time. Looking at the several wounds on Ji Zhaixing's fingertips and that scarlet bloodline on his wrist, Rong Zhou found it difficult to even maintain his indifferent expression.

Ji Zhaixing's face was very pale. He slightly lowered his eyes, covering the emotions in the depths of his eyes, so no one could notice his momentary lapse of concentration.

In Rong Zhou's eyes, Ji Zhaixing's appearance right now was completely different from the image he had come to know amidst the falling snow that day.

He was pale and weak, like a sickly soul that anyone could casually bully.

Yet he was also restrained and resolute, with a face... breathtakingly beautiful.

Rong Zhou's Adam's apple moved slightly: "Come here, I'll apply medicine for you."

This was actually Rong Zhou's first time offering to treat his injuries.

Although Ji Zhaixing was ruthless to himself, he didn't try to be brave. He steadied his pace, found a spot next to Rong Zhou to sit down, and was just about to lift his hand when he found that Rong Zhou had already swept up the hem of his robes and half-kneeled in front of him, pressing down his left hand very skillfully with both hands.

Cold and gentle spiritual energy was pushed into Ji Zhaixing's wounds. The bleeding stopped, but the signs of healing were not obvious. Rong Zhou's lips tightened slightly. He went to get some medicinal paste, smeared it onto Ji Zhaixing, and then bandaged him up.

Then, just as usual, he began to chase people away.

Only, before Ji Zhaixing left, he handed him a thin prescription filled with pills and spiritual herbs used to nourish qi and store spiritual energy.

Ji Zhaixing glanced over it once, put it away, and asked, "When Junior Brother Qi wakes up, can he use these medicines?"

Rong Zhou's movements paused slightly, and he gritted his teeth.

"That's for you to use."

......

Qi Baishan woke up in the nick of time.

On the day before the Hanlin Sword Trial finals, he finally opened his eyes. The first thing that entered his vision was his Senior Brother Ji's side profile, intensely beautiful, with black hair cascading down like a waterfall.

Ji Zhaixing was also the first to notice Qi Baishan's awakening.

His expression was the same as usual, as if Qi Baishan waking up was just an ordinary awakening from sleep. He gave Qi Baishan a slight smile and then asked the waiting medical cultivator beside him to invite Rong Zhou over.

The sensation of the magical artifact piercing his dantian that day was still extremely vivid, the pain unforgettable. So much so that when Qi Baishan suddenly saw Ji Zhaixing, he couldn't even react to whether he was dead or alive.

He stayed dazed for a good while before pitifully whining to Ji Zhaixing to play the victim.

When Rong Zhou arrived and saw Qi Baishan circling Ji Zhaixing like a clingy dog, a trace of coldness appeared in the depths of his eyes.

He walked up to the two of them.

Qi Baishan had lain unconscious for so long, yet his body only felt a little weak and soft. He originally thought that even if he had returned from the gates of hell, his cultivation would definitely be unstable. He didn't expect that his dantian would be abundant with true essence, even faintly forming a solid foundation, which was a precursor to advancing to Foundation Establishment.

Coupled with hearing Senior Brother Ji peacefully tell him about Ping Jushao's fate, the last trace of a burden in his heart disappeared. He deliberately joked, "He must be dying of regret. Failing to kill me with that strike actually made my cultivation even more stable."

His unreliable tone completely provoked the last bit of Rong Zhou's anger. Rong Zhou lazily glanced at him and said, "Naturally, your cultivation wouldn't drop. If you couldn't even reach Foundation Establishment after devouring the essence blood of a Golden Core cultivator, then it's truly unknown what kind of trash you would be."

Ji Zhaixing had been smiling as he listened to his junior brother's words, but upon hearing Rong Zhou's sharp remarks, he was slightly stunned and looked sideways at him.

Actually, that glance of Ji Zhaixing didn't hold much emotion; he was just wondering why Rong Zhou suddenly brought up this matter. But Rong Zhou acted as if he had been provoked, his blood rushing to his head, and he continued, "Do you think your injuries this time weren't severe? Why don't you see how much of his heart's essence blood your senior brother used to save you, how much of his cultivation he dissipated, and look at the injuries on his hands."

Without waiting for Ji Zhaixing to react, Qi Baishan recovered from his daze and grabbed hold of Ji Zhaixing's hand.

That fair, slender hand originally used for holding a sword was wrapped in layer upon layer of fine bandages. Qi Baishan didn't dare to lift them, his hands trembling slightly. The imagined injuries became increasingly terrifying, as if he had witnessed those mottled and messy bloody streaks with his own eyes. For a moment, his voice turned slightly hoarse.

"Senior Brother..."

He hadn't cried out when on the verge of life and death, but right now, his eyes turned red. Stifling his sobs, he tremblingly pressed his face against Ji Zhaixing's hand.

"I-I'm sorry."

For a moment, Ji Zhaixing didn't understand why Qi Baishan was so upset.

He was actually a person who found it very difficult to empathize with others.

Ji Zhaixing was silent for a moment, then calmly said, "That day, when I woke up heavily injured, it was Junior Brother who took care of me by my side. Now that I am taking care of Junior Brother in return, why wouldn't I?"

Qi Baishan almost couldn't speak.

When he realized Ping Jushao wanted him dead, he didn't feel this resentful. But now, he wished he could drag out the chief culprit and hack him to a thousand pieces.

He also equally resented his own weakness.

"It's all my fault." A fire seemed to ignite in the youth's eyes, yet they were as empty as a dark, sinking abyss. "From now on, I will never be this careless, merciful, and soft-hearted."

And he would absolutely never let Senior Brother suffer even the slightest bit of harm again.