517: An Itch in the Throat
In the following days, both Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue were generally busy.
During the day, they each pursued their own efforts—Jiang Mo went around challenging others to gain experience, while Yun Qingyue led her Junior Brothers and Sisters outside to eliminate demons and train. Fortunately, by nightfall, they would always return to Purple Cloud Peak—Jiang Mo having completed her challenges, and Yun Qingyue because the magical barrier strengthened at night, so the sect temporarily didn't support disciples staying outside overnight.
This was good news for Jiang Mo. Besides eting every night to ease their longing for each other, it also spared her from worrying about her Senior Sister. After all, though her Senior Sister's cultivation was high, there were still those in the opposing camp with higher cultivation levels.
As events proved, Jiang Mo's concerns weren't unnecessary. This evening when she returned, she discovered her Senior Sister was injured.
……
At dusk, the sky was misty under the rain, growing exceptionally dark even before sunset.
As Jiang Mo flew back to Purple Cloud Peak, she could see pinpoints of light at the peak from far away. She felt sowhat delighted by this, as her Senior Sister had returned earlier than usual today—the protective formation was opened and closed daily by Sect Leader Qingxiao, but the timing wasn't fixed to prevent the enemy from setting up early ambushes. Therefore, Jiang Mo didn't think much about the formation opening early and her Senior Sister returning early.
She increased her speed, excitedly flying back and landing directly in the courtyard of their small residence. Pushing open the door, she called out, "Senior Sister, I'm back." As she spoke, she saw her Senior Sister quickly pulling her clothes together, covering her exposed shoulders and back.
Jiang Mo froze, imdiately realizing sothing, and rushed forward: "Senior Sister, what's wrong? Are you injured?"
As she spoke, she quickly scanned the other with her gaze. However, perhaps because Yun Qingyue had already changed her clothes, or perhaps because she naturally kept herself clean and had already used a cleaning spell, apart from her disheveled clothing, Jiang Mo couldn't find any traces of blood.
But a tiger's nose is very sensitive. Although Yun Qingyue's clothes showed no trace, Jiang Mo could still sll the bloody scent that hadn't completely dissipated in the air. This caused her brows to furrow tightly, and with her tense expression, she truly displayed sothing of Jianbing's dignity.
Yun Qingyue's hand paused as she held her clothes together, but she didn't deny it, rely downplaying: "Just a minor wound."
Jiang Mo knew her Senior Sister wouldn't lie, and hearing this, her tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly. But she still felt distressed about her Senior Sister's injury and wasn't entirely reassured—her Senior Sister had encountered demonized people outside, and the magical barrier was everywhere beyond the formation. Just like when they were injured before, they had to bathe in the Lightning Pool to remove demonic energy, even small wounds were troubleso.
Thinking of this, Jiang Mo tugged at Yun Qingyue's clothes, lifting them gently: "Then let see your wound." She was no longer so shy about lifting the other's clothes now, after all, she had seen everything before.
But Yun Qingyue pressed her clothes down, not letting her move them: "There's no need, it's truly a minor wound, it will be better by tomorrow."
She didn't seem to be lying, and when Jiang Mo looked up, she saw no trace of guilt on her face. But Jiang Mo felt sothing wasn't right, and her stubborn temperant erged. She held onto the other's clothes without letting go, but dared not use too much force: "If it's a minor wound, then let see it. Ah Yue, are you hiding it because you're deceiving ?"
Hearing this, Yun Qingyue's hand paused slightly, her fingertips unconsciously loosening a bit—she had always been straightforward and wouldn't deceive the other about small matters. When she said it was a minor wound, it truly was; flesh wounds were minor injuries to her.
Jiang Mo didn't think that deeply. Seeing Yun Qingyue's hand loosen slightly, her eyes imdiately brightened, and she quickly pulled away the clothes held in her hand. Then the white robe slipped down, revealing the snow-white skin beneath... Unfortunately, Jiang Mo had no ti to develop any romantic thoughts, as her breath caught when she saw her Senior Sister's "minor wound."
It was a diagonal gash on Yun Qingyue's back shoulder, over a foot long and two fingers deep, as if it had tried to cleave her body. Even though the bleeding had stopped, the crimson wound still looked terribly frightening.
Jiang Mo's breath hitched, her lips trembling several tis before she squeezed out words: "This, this is what you call a minor wound?!"
Yun Qingyue's long hair had been swept to the other shoulder, and she currently had her back to Jiang Mo. Though she couldn't see her expression change, she could hear the tremor in her voice. Her heart inexplicably faltered, and she quickly explained: "It's just a flesh wound. I've used dicine; it will recover by tomorrow." After a pause, she added, "Originally the wound wasn't this deep, but it was contaminated with demonic energy, so I carved away so flesh myself, making it look more serious."
This was probably Yun Qingyue's unique thod. When injured, she would first freeze the wound to prevent further infection by demonic energy, and upon returning, to avoid wasting ti at the Lightning Pool, she simply adopted this crude but effective approach.
Yun Qingyue herself didn't take it to heart, even feeling this treatnt was convenient. However, hearing her explanation and seeing the wound that had obviously been caused by a sneak attack, Jiang Mo felt unbearable pain for her. She embraced her Senior Sister's shoulders, carefully avoiding her wound: "Ah Yue, how could you, how..."
How could you be so foolish? How could you be so harsh on yourself? Jiang Mo didn't know what to say.
But she felt pain, great pain. She wanted to touch the wound but dared not, wanted to help treat it, but the other was clearly more experienced, and the wound had obviously already been treated.
In the end, all of Jiang Mo's thousands of words caught in her throat beca just one question: "Ah Yue, does it hurt a lot?"
Yun Qingyue didn't think so. She had cultivated for many years and had suffered far worse injuries. Not to ntion injuries, over the years she had endured many lightning tribulations, being struck by tribulation lightning until she was scorched outside and tender inside, almost being destroyed in body and spirit—that was much more painful than this.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Yun Qingyue said, even smiling a little.
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Her Senior Sister wasn't being tough; when she said she was fine, she truly was fine. These flesh wounds healed rapidly after using dicine. Even while Jiang Mo was still feeling heartache for her Senior Sister, she noticed that new flesh was already growing in the wound.
Jiang Mo knew cultivators had strong recovery abilities and that pills were powerful, but this was the first ti she had personally witnessed such a scene.
"This... Ah Yue, does it hurt now?" Jiang Mo asked cautiously, and having seen the wound rapidly healing, she grew sowhat bolder. She raised a finger and, keeping a distance of an inch or two, poked slightly around the wound.
Yun Qingyue's body imdiately trembled, startling Jiang Mo: "I'm, I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"
Looking at the little tiger who had withdrawn her hand with a frightened expression, Yun Qingyue pressed her lips together and slowly shook her head: "It doesn't hurt. It's just... a bit itchy."
Wounds itch when healing—this was common knowledge. Even though the cultivation world's dicinal pills were miraculous and accelerated wound healing, this itchiness wasn't lessened; on the contrary, it beca more severe—the concentrated eruption of itchiness as new flesh grew wasn't prolonged but was quite difficult to endure. Normally, Yun Qingyue would have easily tolerated it, but after Jiang Mo's itchy poke, she suddenly found it rather unbearable.
Jiang Mo realized this and felt sowhat apologetic, but didn't know what she could do to alleviate it. In a mont of impulse, she leaned forward and blew gently on her Senior Sister's wound, only to see her Senior Sister's body contract again, with goosebumps appearing on her fair skin.
"Enough, don't move anymore," Yun Qingyue couldn't handle the little tiger's impulsiveness and pulled her back.
Jiang Mo hung her head dejectedly, looking like she had done sothing wrong, appearing utterly pitiful.
Seeing this, Yun Qingyue couldn't be angry but couldn't laugh either. After watching the little tiger's pitiful appearance for a while, she couldn't help but soften her heart. Finally, helpless, she softened her expression first, leaning forward to kiss the little tiger's cheek, comforting her: "I'm not angry, and I don't bla you, truly."
Jiang Mo was just feeling remorseful when she felt softness on her cheek, followed by her Senior Sister's gentle, soothing words. How could she still feel downcast? She imdiately raised her head, eyes bright, drooping ears perking up again.
Seeing her regain her spirit, Yun Qingyue's eyes filled with mirth, feeling that a lively deanor suited her best.
Unexpectedly, the little tiger grew bolder, leaning in to return the kiss, and then justifying it righteously: "Returning the favor."
Yun Qingyue naturally wasn't annoyed; instead, she played along with Jiang Mo for a while. Without realizing it, ti passed, and she forgot about the itchiness in her wounded shoulder. Jiang Mo clearly noticed this and beca even more playful, hoping to divert attention and make her Senior Sister more comfortable. Eventually, as they played, they lost their restraint, the atmosphere gradually beca heated, and she found herself pressed onto the bed by her Senior Sister.
Jiang Mo ca to her senses, feeling sowhat awkward, though she hadn't expected anything to happen—it wasn't that she minded, but her Senior Sister was injured today, and on her back shoulder at that, clearly in no condition for anything to happen.
Thinking of this, Jiang Mo felt a bit inexplicably disappointed. Pulling her thoughts away from what had just happened, she wrapped her arms around her Senior Sister's waist and very seriously suggested: "Senior Sister, starting tomorrow, let accompany you when you go out to face enemies? With there, I definitely won't let anyone injure you from behind again." As for her own tasks, she could always do them earlier or later.
After she spoke, there was no response for a long ti. Just as Jiang Mo was about to look down, she suddenly felt an itch in her throat as sothing soft pressed against it.
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