Chapter 49

The yang energy infused into Xue Ming’s body was so abundant that she was left utterly exhausted, falling into a deep sleep with a full and warm abdomen. This sleep could have been lovely, but Yan Yuhe woke her up midway, half-lifting and giving her some water. He seemed to say a few words, but Xue Ming, too sleepy to catch them, only vaguely heard something like “return” and “master” before falling back asleep. However, her peaceful sleep was interrupted, leading to a rather unpleasant dream. In the dream, she was weak and emaciated, and her eyes were sunken. Walking was difficult, and she felt like she could fall into any pit and be buried immediately. Terrified, she rushed to see a doctor, who angrily told her that her kidneys were already deficient and now she had exhausted her vital essence, making her condition incurable. She could start preparing her coffin.

Xue Ming cried on the spot, noticing Yan Yuhe standing calmly beside her, holding a crystal jar filled with red pills. He told her, “Don’t believe that quack. I’ll treat you. Take five of these pills daily, and you’ll be fine soon.” In the dream, Xue Ming inexplicably trusted Yan Yuhe, tearfully swallowing the pills while mumbling, “I’ll take more to get better faster.”

She woke up with a start, kicking her legs and sitting up, shouting, “Don’t eat them!” This shout broke the room’s silence, and she heard rustling sounds nearby. Turning her head, she saw Jiang Xing running to the bedside, stretching its long neck, and looking at her with round eyes.

Xue Ming slowly came to her senses, noticing that she was indeed dressed in an inner garment, the white silk almost blending with her skin. Her ghostly claws hadn’t changed, but her belly still had a comforting warmth. She patted Jiang Xing’s head, smoothing the tuft of red feathers on its head, and turned to see Yan Yuhe sitting at a low table.

It was unknown when he woke up, but he was already fully dressed and slowly wiping his sword. A lamp on the table cast a dim light, reflecting a cold, sharp gleam from the blade, which looked extremely sharp just by looking at it.

It was still night outside, but Xue Ming felt her body was fully rested, full of energy, knowing she had slept through an entire day.

Xue Ming got up from bed, saw neatly folded clothes nearby, and put them on, finding them amusing. Yan Yuhe was, in some ways, as traditional as ancient people. He couldn’t stand Xue Ming sleeping without clothes, so he personally dressed her in an inner garment. Xue Ming chuckled softly, clumsily putting on the clothes, and looked up to see Yan Yuhe still sitting there, no longer wiping his sword but holding it and looking down, his quiet demeanor making his features appear even more beautiful.

Xue Ming walked over barefoot, with Jiang Xing quietly following at her legs. The two of them approached Yan Yuhe. She sat down, saw a cup of tea on the table, and took it to drink, the refreshing taste revitalizing her. At this moment, she suddenly felt that Yan Yuhe seemed down.

It was strange that such an emotionally reserved person, whose face was usually indifferent, could make Xue Ming feel that he was not happy, and it wasn’t the kind of unhappiness from being angered.

Xue Ming looked down and saw the sword in his hands, thin as a cicada’s wing, with a sharp edge that still seemed intimidating even in the warm light.

Perhaps because Xue Ming was now in a half-human, half-ghost state, she instinctively repelled the sword, feeling its sharp aura even from a distance. Suddenly, she noticed some minor, barely noticeable nicks on the blade, likely from a fierce battle.

Understanding this, Xue Ming comforted him, “It’s inevitable for weapons to get damaged. Just take it back and hammer it out, and it will be fine.”

Yan Yuhe did not respond to her words; instead, he put away his sword, turned around, and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her silently. Xue Ming guessed that he was feeling down because of the damage to his weapon, so she took the initiative to embrace him, gently licking his lips with the tip of her tongue and intertwining his tongue as if comforting.

Jiang Xing couldn’t understand what the two people were doing entangled together, so it rested its head on the edge of the table, its eyes rolling like marbles. After a moment, as if sensing its master’s change in mood, it stood up, flapped its wings twice, and let out two short crane calls. The sound startled Xue Ming, who thought something had happened to Jiang Xing. She pushed Yan Yuhe away and leaned over to take a look.

Yan Yuhe’s eyes slightly darkened as he watched her continuously lick the saliva off her red lips with her tongue. Then, he raised his hand, turned Jiang Xing into a small paper crane, and put it into his sleeve. Turning his head, he saw Xue Ming standing up and said, “Let’s go. We’ve rested long enough; it’s time to set off.”

They had indeed rested for a long time. When they got out, the innkeeper looked at them like he had seen a ghost. Especially when Yan Yuhe was settling the bill, Xue Ming accidentally revealed her eyes, which happened to meet the curious and probing gaze of the innkeeper. Although she quickly covered them again, it still scared the innkeeper into a clucking sound.

After Yan Yuhe took Xue Ming away, the innkeeper hurriedly ran to tell the other staff about this strange incident.

Soon, a strange rumor spread about the inn through the small town. It was said that one night, a godlike figure entered the inn and requested a room, followed by a person wrapped in a black robe whose gender was unknown. That night, the innkeeper brought water to the room and saw the robed person with their back turned, seemingly avoiding being seen. The innkeeper left the water and, after a long time, did not hear anyone call to collect it. As the inn was about to close for the night, the innkeeper knocked on the door to ask if the water should be collected, but there was no response from inside. Thinking the guest had already gone to sleep, the innkeeper left. The next day, the door remained tightly shut, with no one entering or leaving.

Following the owner’s orders, the innkeeper went to check the room. No one was inside when he pushed the door open; the guest had vanished into thin air. However, come nightfall, the guest emerged from the room again, still followed by the person in the black robe. This time, the robe wasn’t as tightly wrapped, and the curious innkeeper peeked in and saw a pair of eyes. What he saw was shocking—those eyes were blood red!

This eerie tale quickly spread through the town. Although some believed it and some didn’t, the inns in the town started closing their doors early at night for the next few days. Meanwhile, the protagonists of the story had already left the place.

After Xue Ming’s body was infused with yang energy, her condition improved. Although she still couldn’t see the sun, her overall spirit improved. She also bought a veil with black gauze to cover her face so she didn’t always have to wear a cloak. Although it slightly obstructed her vision, her eyes had become sharper, so it wasn’t a big problem.

To accommodate Xue Ming’s inability to see sunlight, the two traveled at night and rested in inns during the day. After their last intimate encounter, Xue Ming was frightened by a doctor in her dream, insisting they should wait a few days before doing it again. Yan Yuhe had no objections to this. Xue Ming thought his energy was limited; although he was still young, overexerting himself could lead to issues. In modern society, many young men in their late teens suffer from kidney deficiency and premature ejaculation due to reckless behavior, only realizing their mistakes when they visit a doctor in regret and pain.

“Therefore, moderation is essential,” Xue Ming concluded after a long speech, soaking her feet in hot water after a bath.

Yan Yuhe lowered his head to clean his sword, and it was unclear if he was listening. After she finished speaking, he responded with a low hum, indicating he had heard her.

Xue Ming didn’t say much more. Over the past few days, whenever they rested, Yan Yuhe would take out his sword to clean it, showing how much he treasured the weapon and was bothered by the notch on it. She went to pour out the foot bath water, washed her hands, and saw that Yan Yuhe had already put the sword away.

The sword still posed a significant threat to her, so Xue Ming generally wouldn’t approach him when he had it. But once he put the sword away, it meant Yan Yuhe wanted to kiss her. Xue Ming approached him, lifted her head, and gave him a couple of pecks on the lips. Then she said, “Let’s rest early today. We’ve been traveling all night and are quite tired.”

After saying this, she removed her outer clothes and climbed into bed first, thoughtfully leaving a space for him. Xue Ming’s body constantly consumed yang energy, so her skin was always cold. Sleeping with Yan Yuhe at night made her feel very comfortable. Yan Yuhe also found it pleasant to hold the cold Xue Ming in the summer heat, so they slept closely together, their legs and feet entwined.

Xue Ming lay down briefly when she heard some movement behind her, and soon Yan Yuhe joined her on the bed. He lay beside her, his hand sliding along the smooth quilt, easily grasping Xue Ming’s soft body. With his chest pressed against her back, he pulled her into his embrace with a gentle tug. Long fingers and the thin calluses on the palms covered the tender skin, and red marks appeared after a few back-and-forth motions. Xue Ming took a deep breath, raised her hand to grasp his wrist, turned her head to look at him, and said, “Didn’t you just say ‘mmm’? It’s time to sleep honestly.”

Yan Yuhe let out a sound of acknowledgment. However, it was unclear whether he had decided to double-deal or if this response was merely a form of perfunctory acknowledgment, indicating, “I heard you, but I may not agree.”

He kneaded and massaged Xue Ming’s waist, applying just the right amount of pressure as if giving her a massage. Xue Ming’s body quickly relaxed, emitting soft, murmuring sounds.

Yan Yuhe leaned down and gently kissed her snow-white nape, trailing kisses along her earlobe and moving forward. He turned her upper body slightly, nibbling gently at her neck. Their bodies were pressed very close together, tightly intertwined. Yan Yuhe’s dark hair fell, draping over her waist, subtly concealing the hand drifting beneath her clothes. Xue Ming was kissed into a daze; her consciousness began to blur and sink, and she slowly turned around and tilted her head to kiss him, completely forgetting the words she had said.

Suddenly, a loud suona sound sounded outside, breaking the silence and startling Xue Ming awake. She was surprised and widened her eyes to look. Outside the window, she heard the sound of gongs and drums, laughter, and various musical instruments playing together. It sounded like someone was getting married and going to fetch the bride.

T/N (a traditional Chinese horn)