Chapter 18

Wu Qingluan’s hands trembled as she carefully cut open Yu Xuanwei’s shirt with scissors.

Three deep, bone-revealing claw marks ran from his left shoulder all the way to his right chest, with flesh turned outward and fresh blood gushing.

It seemed like he had been viciously scratched by a gigantic claw head-on, otherwise how could he have such a horrifying wound!

Wu Qingluan had no experience in handling external injuries, let alone such a severe wound. “We need to rush to the hospital!” she exclaimed.

“No need,” Yu Xuanwei stopped her again, gripping her arm tightly. “I have medicine in my pants pocket.”

Wu Qingluan couldn’t argue with him and had to reach into his pocket, pulling out a bunch of bottles and jars one after another.

She didn’t even have time to wonder why his thin pants pocket could hold so many things and asked with a trembling voice, “Which one should I use?”

“Start with the purple bottle for hemostasis,” Yu Xuanwei’s lips had turned completely white.

Wu Qingluan quickly opened the purple bottle and poured all of its powder onto Yu Xuanwei’s wound.

“That’s enough,” Yu Xuanwei took a deep breath; the powder irritated the wound, intensifying the pain. He gritted his teeth. “Now, use the white bottle for bone regeneration.”

Wu Qingluan opened the white medicine bottle and found it contained a sparkling liquid. “Shall I pour it directly?”

“Use it sparingly, just pour it on the exposed bone,” Yu Xuanwei instructed.

“Okay.”

The bone-regenerating liquid was poured into the wound, immediately emitting a white vapor, and Yu Xuanwei let out a painful, muffled groan.

After the white vapor dissipated, Wu Qingluan was shocked to discover that Yu Xuanwei’s wound was visibly healing at an astonishing rate!

The white bone was restored to its original state, once again enveloped and concealed by fresh flesh and blood. Soon, all that remained of Yu Xuanwei’s injury was a superficial flesh wound.

Yu Xuanwei tried to downplay it, “It’s a Daoist secret medicine.”

Wu Qingluan didn’t have the mental capacity to delve into this; as long as he was okay, that was what mattered.

She turned to pour a glass of water for Yu Xuanwei and brought it to his lips. “Don’t talk for now, just have some water.”

Yu Xuanwei’s deep eyes were fixed on her as he slowly drank the glass of water, sip by sip.

Wu Qingluan observed his still parched lips and said, “I’ll go get another glass.”

Yu Xuanwei suddenly grabbed her, and Wu Qingluan nearly tumbled onto him. Fortunately, her quick reflexes saved the day as she caught herself with both hands on the sofa, making sure not to put any pressure on his wound.

Wu Qingluan angrily said “You’re  being reckless”.

Yu Xuanwei tilted his head and kissed her, his tongue slipping into her mouth, eagerly and urgently tasting her.

 He didn’t want to drink water; he only wanted to kiss her and hold her.

Wu Qingluan furrowed her brow, bending over to support herself on the sofa, allowing him to kiss her. When he finally decided to release her, her waist felt completely exhausted.

It seemed she wouldn’t have the strength to resist his advances anytime soon!

Having had his fill of her sweetness, Yu Xuanwei’s head tilted, and he fell into a deep slumber.

Wu Qingluan sighed in resignation, peeled off his bloodstained shirt, and carefully wiped his body with another basin of warm water.

After finally getting him cleaned up, she helped him lie down, covered him with a blanket, and then let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the sofa was wide and long enough to accommodate Yu Xuanwei’s tall stature of over 1.9 meters.

Wu Qingluan brought over a small stool and sat beside him, furrowing her brow as she watched him.

Though her medical knowledge was limited, she wasn’t a fool. She couldn’t believe that there was any secret medicine capable of instantly healing bones. Could Yu Xuanwei really have some kind of magic?

Wu Qingluan wasn’t a staunch materialist. Her grandmother, Old Lady Zhou, was quite superstitious and frequently burned incense and worshiped Buddha. She had also heard about these things being prevalent in the entertainment industry. While she hadn’t experienced it herself, she believed it was all a scam, a way to spend money for psychological comfort.

However, since meeting Yu Xuanwei, strange things seemed to happen all the time, especially after tonight’s events. It made Wu Qingluan start to wonder if there might be some truth to these inexplicable occurrences. Could there really be supernatural forces at play?

As Wu Qingluan pondered and speculated, she couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation. Seeing that it was nearly 5 a.m., she finally felt tired. Before going to bed, she checked Yu Xuanwei’s temperature again, and it was normal. She lifted the blanket and examined his wound, which had almost completely healed. It was truly incredible!

Shaking her head, Wu Qingluan returned to her room to sleep. She couldn’t wait to see how Yu Xuanwei would explain all of this tomorrow.

Wu Qingluan had been anxious about Yu Xuanwei’s condition, and the slightest noise woke her up.

She opened her eyes, scrutinizing Yu Xuanwei, who was lying beside her. “Are you better?”

Yu Xuanwei mumbled, “More or less.”

“Either you’re better, or you’re not. What’s ‘more or less’ supposed to mean? If you’re not better, you should go to the hospital right away!” Wu Qingluan rolled her eyes and sat up. Every time she thought about those gruesome wounds, her heart throbbed in pain.

Before climbing into bed, Yu Xuanwei had changed into his pajamas, intending to get a good night’s sleep.

However, Wu Qingluan wasn’t going to let him sleep like that. She roughly pushed him down and unbuttoned his pajama shirt to examine him closely.

In just a few hours, his wound had completely healed, leaving only three faint marks.

“Do you have an explanation for this?” she asked.

Yu Xuanwei, with no intention of being serious, replied, “It’s a Daoist secret technique, without any scientific basis.”

Wu Qingluan scoffed, “If it’s that amazing, then all the hospitals in the world can close down.”

Yu Xuanwei remained silent, his mesmerizing phoenix eyes focused on her.

They locked eyes for a while, and Wu Qingluan looked away first, clearing her throat uncomfortably. “If you’re going to flirt with me again, you better explain things clearly. I don’t want to see you injured like that again.”

Yu Xuanwei softly said, “My physical condition is different from ordinary people; I recover quickly.”

Wu Qingluan looked back at him skeptically. “You’re not actually a deity, are you?”

Yu Xuanwei chuckled softly. “I’m much more powerful than a deity.”

Wu Qingluan knew he was just teasing her again and glared at him. “You didn’t do anything illegal, did you? That’s why your enemies were chasing you, and you ended up injured like that!”

Yu Xuanwei took one of her hands, his slender and slightly cool fingers sliding between hers, caressing the back of her hand.

Wu Qingluan scolded, “Answer my question and don’t be handsy!”

Yu Xuanwei sat up, lightly sipping her lips. “These days, I was on a commissioned mission, and that’s how I got injured.”

“A commissioned mission?” Wu Qingluan’s suspicion deepened. Yu Xuanwei was just a Taoist priest, and she had thought he was busy with rituals and scams to deceive pilgrims for money. But now, it sounded like something out of a movie, like a hired mercenary or a special forces operative.

“Yes,” Yu Xuanwei didn’t want to elaborate. “I won’t get injured again in the future. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“I’m not worried; you’re a trouble that’s been around for a thousand years. I know you won’t die.”

Yu Xuanwei leaned closer to her. “Missed me?”

Wu Qingluan’s face turned red. “I didn’t.”

“My phone is filled with messages from you.”

“Those are just regular reports!”

“I missed you a lot.”

Wu Qingluan hesitated, looking at him intently.

Yu Xuanwei’s gaze lovingly traced her face—her eyebrows, her eyes, her shapely nose, her full and tender lips—everything was exactly as it used to be.

He had waited for so long, and finally, he could be close to her again.

Yu Xuanwei lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead. “I want you. Shall we?”

Wu Qingluan pushed him away without hesitation. “You’re unbelievable!”

She jumped out of bed and angrily stormed out of the room. That jerk had definitely used her as a substitute again; his eyes, they were clearly not looking at her!

It was still early, so she decided to go for a morning run to relieve her frustration.

Last night’s events once again made her realize that she knew too little about Yu Xuanwei. She didn’t even know what he did for a living, and it was evident that he had no intention of telling her.

This guy was becoming more audacious by the day, always wanting her, wanting to sleep with her, yet keeping his true self tightly concealed, refusing to let her see.

“It’s not fair…”

Wu Qingluan opened the door, but to her surprise, there was a stranger standing there, about to ring the doorbell.

They looked at each other in surprise. The man politely took a step back and greeted Wu Qingluan with a smile, “Hello, Sister-in-law.”

Wu Qingluan frowned. “Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”

The man before her had a tall and slender figure, dressed in green military attire with a doctor’s coat over it. He had short, iconic hair, clearly a soldier. However, he wore gold-rimmed glasses, which added a touch of elegance to his appearance.

Behind the man stood a sturdy military-green jeep, clearly not a civilian vehicle.

Wu Qingluan had no parents, and her only family was Old Lady Zhou. This man was definitely not someone she knew, so he could only be…

She noticed that the man was holding a medical kit in his left hand, and considering his address, she suddenly felt a sense of relief. However, she still asked cautiously, “Who are you?”

“I apologize for my abruptness,” the man smiled and said, “I’m Bian Quezhi, a friend and comrade of Yu Xuanwei. I’ve come to tend to his injuries.”

Comrade? This raised even more questions in Wu Qingluan’s mind. Yu Xuanwei had become a monk and started practicing at a young age, so how could he have comrades?

Bian Quezhi grinned and urged, “Sister-in-law, can I come in to talk?”

Wu Qingluan saw the sincerity in his expression and slowly stepped aside. “Come in. He really should see a doctor.”

Bian Quezhi entered the room and raised an eyebrow when he saw Yu Xuanwei sitting on the sofa. “You treated yourself?”

Yu Xuanwei proudly glanced at him. “Your sister-in-law helped.”

Wu Qingluan overheard this and was left speechless. What had this guy been saying outside?

Bian Quezhi placed the medical kit down. “Surface wounds are minor; let me examine you first.”

Yu Xuanwei stood up. “Let’s go upstairs.”

-Second floor, Yu Xuanwei’s room.-

Bian Quezhi closed the door, and Yu Xuanwei no longer concealed his true self, revealing his original appearance.

Despite having seen it many times before, Bian Quezhi couldn’t help but be amazed and astonished.

On Yu Xuanwei’s neck, wrists, and ankles were black chain-like sin imprints. These marks had seeped into his soul and could never be removed.

Around the edges of the sin imprints, there were concentric circles of blue flow, which prevented the sin imprints from completely destroying his body.

Bian Quezhi checked Yu Xuanwei’s spiritual fluctuations and found everything to be normal. He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. “Brother Yu, you’re really fine now. So, the higher-ups can rest easy.”

Yu Xuanwei responded coldly, “I don’t care about their thoughts. I only want Ah Luan.”

Bian Quezhi nodded repeatedly. “I understand. The poison from that beast has a numbing effect on the nerves, and you rushed last night. I was worried you might lose control.”

“I won’t lose control again,” Yu Xuanwei stated.

“Good, good!” Bian Quezhi nodded in agreement.

“By the way, Brother,” Bian Quezhi pulled out a paper with a red seal from his pocket, “because you left your post without authorization on Saturday, this is a disciplinary decision.”

Yu Xuanwei glanced at it. “Got it.”

“But the higher-ups said if you’re willing to let your family’s boss join us, you won’t have to pay the fine.”

“I’ll pay the fine. We don’t let anyone control us in our clan.”

“Alright, it looks like I’ll have to keep trying,” Bian Quezhi said disappointedly.

“You can go now,” Yu Xuanwei said bluntly.

“Come on, Brother, I came all this way to treat your illness, and you won’t even offer me a meal?” Bian Quezhi protested.