I woke to an urgent pounding on my door, the kind that suggested soone was using their entire fist rather than just knuckles.
For a mont, I lay there blinking at the unfamiliar ceiling of the Wei family guest room, trying to orient myself. The events of yesterday flooded back – the breakthrough, building the terrain in my inner world, the Sun Family financially crippling the Wei Family, Wei Ye's strange expression as he left...
More pounding. Right.
"Master," Azure's voice held a note of concern, "there's no qi disturbance suggesting battle, but Wei Lin is quite determined to get your attention."
I rolled out of bed, grabbed an outer robe to throw over my sleeping clothes, and made my way to the door. When I opened it, I found Wei Lin, but his usual composed deanor was completely shattered. His hair was disheveled as if he'd been running his hands through it repeatedly, and his eyes held a wild, almost desperate look.
"You have to co," he said, already grabbing my arm. "Now."
"Wei Lin, what's—" I started to ask, but he was already dragging down the hallway. I had to stumble-skip to avoid falling as he practically ran, still maintaining his death grip on my sleeve.
"It's Father," he finally explained, his voice cracking slightly. "He's... he's ill. Really ill."
I frowned. Cultivators didn't get ill – our qi naturally fought off disease. And while Wei Ye claid to be a mortal, I'd seen enough to doubt that. Even if he wasn't actively cultivating, he had access to enough resources that common illnesses shouldn't be an issue.
"Has a physician seen him?" I asked, increasing my pace to match Wei Lin's frantic stride.
"Mother said not to tell anyone," he replied, his tone suggesting he didn't understand it either. "She was very specific – no physicians, no servants, just... you."
"?" I stopped walking so abruptly that Wei Lin's grip on my sleeve nearly tore the fabric.
He nodded, looking as confused as I felt. "Mother seems certain that only you can help him."
"But why would she think—" I started to ask, but Wei Lin was already pulling forward again.
As we hurried through the compound's winding corridors, my mind raced. I wasn't any sort of healer. Sure, I had the Woodweave Seal, but that was for surface wounds, not illness. Was it because they'd seen channel the blue sun's energy? But how would they even know about its healing properties?
"Master," Azure's voice held a warning note, "rember how Wei Ye seed to recognize sothing? Perhaps this isn't as unexpected as it seems."
Before I could pursue that thought, we arrived at Wei Ye's private chambers. The scene inside made stop dead in my tracks.
Wei Ye lay motionless on an enormous bed, his skin so pale it was nearly translucent. Dark circles beneath his eyes made them look sunken, and his chest barely moved with shallow breaths. Wei Ting sat beside him, clutching one of his hands in both of hers. Her elegant robes were wrinkled as if she'd been there all night, and her eyes were red-rimd from crying.
Wei Guang stood by the window, his usual confident posture replaced by helpless tension. Through the glass behind him, I could see Rocky's massive stone face peering in, his rough features sohow managing to convey concern. Even Liu Chen was there, standing quietly in a corner, looking very small and lost.
"You ca," Wei Ting's voice was barely a whisper. She gestured for to approach. "Please... you have to save him."
I took a hesitant step forward. "I don't understand. How could I possibly—"
"Before he lost consciousness," she interrupted, "he said you could heal him. That you were the only one who could."
I studied Wei Ye's face, then looked back at Wei Ting. "What happened to him? When did this start?"
"I... I don't know," she replied, but sothing in her expression made doubt that. "After his eting last night, he ca ho and just... collapsed."
"Master," Azure's voice was thoughtful, "she's lying. Or at least, not telling the whole truth."
I'd caught that too. Looking around the room, I saw nothing but desperate hope in the faces watching . Wei Lin, who'd beco a true friend. Wei Guang, trying to maintain his composure even as fear for his father showed in his eyes. Liu Chen, who probably saw Wei Ye as the closest thing to a father figure he'd had in a long ti.
"Azure," I thought back, "could this be so kind of ploy? Is Wei Ye after the blue sun's energy?"
"If it is a ploy, it's an extrely committed one," Azure replied. "My analysis shows his vital signs are critically low. He's genuinely dying."
I weighed my options carefully. Using the blue sun's energy on soone else was risky – I'd seen firsthand how it could drive people mad with religious fervor. But was that better or worse than letting Wei Lin's father die?
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Looking at Wei Lin's desperate face made the decision easier. Whatever Wei Ye's secrets or motives, he was still my friend's father. I couldn't stand by and do nothing.
"I'll try," I said, moving to Wei Ye's bedside. "But I've never attempted anything like this before. I don't know if it will work."
Wei Ting moved aside, though she kept hold of her husband's hand. I placed my palm on Wei Ye's forehead and closed my eyes, reaching for the blue sun's energy. The familiar righteous power flooded through , making my eyes flash azure.
As I prepared to channel it into Wei Ye's body, I did sothing normally considered a severe breach of privacy – I extended my spiritual sense into his body.
In cultivation society, examining soone's ridians without permission was taboo, akin to stripping them naked in public. Even dical cultivators sought explicit consent before such examinations. But in life-or-death situations like this, the taboo was waived out of necessity.
What I found made catch my breath.
Wei Ye had no ridians. Not blocked ones, not damaged ones – no ridians at all. Even mortals with zero cultivation talent had ridians, even if they were thin and unsuitable for qi circulation. Having no ridians wasn't just rare, it was impossible. Every living being in this world has them – they were as fundantal as having a heart or lungs.
I almost pulled back in shock, but forced myself to maintain the connection. The blue sun's energy poured into the impossible void where ridians should be, and sothing extraordinary happened. Like water filling invisible channels, the energy began tracing patterns through Wei Ye's body. It was as if the mory of ridians remained, even though the structures themselves were gone.
Color blood beneath Wei Ye's skin, spreading outward from where my palm touched his forehead. The deathly pallor receded like frost lting in sunlight, replaced by healthier tones. The dark circles beneath his eyes faded, taking years off his appearance. His shallow, rattling breaths deepened and steadied.
Most remarkably, where the blue sun's energy flowed, I could see sothing like scar tissue dissolving – not physical scars, but spiritual ones. It was as if Wei Ye's entire energy system had been burned away and had roughly healed over. Now, under the influence of the blue sun's energy, those spiritual scars were softening, allowing energy to flow once more.
Before I could ask Azure about this impossible phenonon, soone gasped – probably Liu Chen – as Wei Ye's eyes snapped open. They glowed with the sa azure light as mine, but then sothing else flickered in them – that sa maniacal righteous fervor I'd seen in the priests. For a terrifying mont, I thought I'd made a horrible mistake.
But Wei Ye's face contorted in what looked like intense concentration, and the madness receded. His eyes returned to their normal color, though they retained a slight azure tinge.
"Father!" Wei Lin's voice broke as he rushed forward.
Wei Ye sat up slowly, looking at his hands as if seeing them for the first ti. "I feel... restored," he said, his voice holding a note of wonder.
The room erupted in emotion. Wei Ting threw her arms around her husband, sobbing in relief. Wei Guang's carefully maintained composure cracked as he joined the family embrace. Liu Chen bounced on his toes, grinning widely, while Rocky's stone face split in what might have been an attempt at a smile.
I started to step back, feeling like an intruder on the family mont, but Wei Lin caught in a fierce hug, nearly knocking the wind out of . "Thank you," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
I stood there awkwardly for a mont, realizing with a start that this might be the first ti anyone had hugged in this world. It felt... nice.
"When did you learn healing techniques?" Lin i asked, and I realized she must have arrived at so point during the commotion.
Wei Lin released and stepped back, wiping his eyes. "Yeah, why didn't you tell us you could do this?"
I shrugged, trying to look casual. "It's just a technique from the World Tree Sutra. I honestly didn't know if it would work."
Wei Ye swung his legs over the side of the bed, waving off his wife's concerned protests. "Young Ke Yin," he said, and for once his voice held no calculation – just simple gratitude. "You have my deepest thanks."
I shifted uncomfortably. "It was nothing—"
"Guang," Wei Ye interrupted, "go fetch the Earth essence."
I looked at him in surprise. Earth essence? But I'd already—
Wei Ye laughed at my expression. "My boy ntioned you were searching for it. Consider it a token of my gratitude."
"No, really, I didn't do this for any reward—"
"Ridiculous," Wei Ye cut off again. "You saved my life. This is the least I can do."
Wei Guang returned with a jade box similar to the one that had held the wind essence. Despite my protests, he also handed a ring – a storage ring, I realized with excitent.
Finally! Every xianxia protagonist seed to get one of these early on, and I'd been wondering when my turn would co.
"There's ten thousand spirit stones inside," Wei Guang explained. "For saving our father."
My eyes widened at the amount. Ten thousand spirit stones... I'd never held that much wealth in my hands before. That was more than what so of the outer disciples would see in their entire ti at the sect. But I still accepted both gifts, knowing further protests would be pointless.
Besides, the storage ring would be incredibly useful, and I could always find a use for the Earth essence even if I didn't need it for breakthrough anymore.
"Alright, everyone out," Wei Ting announced. "My husband needs rest."
"But Mother—" Wei Lin started to protest.
"No buts," she cut him off, though she had a smile on her face. "Your father isn't going anywhere."
Liu Chen lingered by the window where Rocky's massive stone face peered in. "Is Master Wei really okay now?"
"I'm fine, young one," Wei Ye assured him. "Though I wouldn't mind if you and Rocky kept watch outside. Just in case."
Liu Chen's face lit up at being given such an "important" task. "We won't let anyone suspicious near!" He hurried out, and through the window I could see Rocky straightening to his full height, taking his new guard duty very seriously.
"Brother, shouldn't soone stay—" Wei Guang began.
"I'll be with him," Wei Ting interrupted. "Now shoo, all of you."
Lin i, who had been quietly observing everything, tugged on Wei Lin's sleeve. "Co on, your father's in good hands. Besides, didn't you volunteer to supervise morning training?"
Wei Lin's eyes widened. "The recruits! I completely forgot!" He rushed out, calling back, "Father, I'll check on you later!"
As the others filed out, I turned back to Wei Ye. "How did you know I could help?"
A distant look entered his eyes. "In my younger days, I encountered soone with an aura very similar to yours," he said softly. "That young man could do... incredible things. Healing was just one of them."
I opened my mouth to ask more questions, but Wei Ting was already herding toward the door with surprising strength for a supposedly mortal woman.
"Master," Azure's voice was unusually serious as we walked back to our room. "Wei Ye isn't a normal human."
I almost laughed. "Yes, I think we established that already."
"No," Azure said. "Based on my analysis of his body when you were healing him... Wei Ye isn't human at all. He's an artificial being, a construct of so kind. Those weren't missing ridians we saw – they were manufactured channels that had burned out."
I stopped walking.
"What?"
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