At noon the next day, Ji Zhaoxi and the others were finally ready to leave.
Wen Shubai chose not to ride the sword; his body had not fully recovered yet.
Wen Shubai carried Ji Zhaoxi on his back, his shoulders blocking most of the wind and snow. Her arms looped around his neck, her chin resting in the crook of his shoulder.
He felt her rapid breathing and pressed his cheek against her forehead—she was still feverish.
The little junior sister had not yet fully absorbed the Ice Marrow Pill.
"Senior Brother, are you tired? I can walk by myself..." Ji Zhaoxi mumbled softly.
She didn't want it to be this way, but her whole body kept burning up, and she felt like her brain was about to be scorched.
But Senior Brother said it was normal.
Wen Shubai didn't turn around. The wind kept lashing against his face, and he said gently, "Little junior sister, if you're sleepy, just go to sleep."
A trace of a smile flickered in his eyes. "Little junior sister isn't as heavy as the Chongli Sword."
Ji Zhaoxi let out a muffled sound of acknowledgment and soon fell fast asleep.
She had a very long dream. She dreamed that her hidden spiritual root finally stopped being invisible. With a spiritual root, she was unstoppable—not only did Liu Fuyin beg her for lessons, even Senior Brother came to ask for her help...
Ji Zhaoxi slept deeply, her breath rhythmically hitting the back of Wen Shubai's neck. He lowered his eyelids, his Adam's apple shifting slightly, and turned his head a little to the side.
But the next second she leaned in again, even closer than before, their skin pressed tightly together, scorching hot.
Meanwhile, the Ji family was suffering as well.
Ji Yingjin and Liu Dazhuang paced back and forth in the room, their faces tight with anxiety.
"What in the world is going on with Xixi? We sent the letter days ago, and she still hasn't replied." Ji Yingjin frowned deeply.
That wasn't like her daughter at all.
Liu Dazhuang's tears welled up in his eyes. "What else could it be? She's been seduced by those emotionless-path disciples and started cultivating, of course."
He wiped his tears and choked out softly, "It's all my fault. For the sake of the old Ji family's reputation, I forced Flower to go to Tianjue Sect. Now look—she doesn't even want this family anymore."
Ji Yingjin clicked her tongue. "Don't call her Flower. If she hears that, she'll cry again."
She now felt that her daughter's weepy nature was inherited from Liu Dazhuang—that big lug crying every single day. Liu Dazhuang was also built like a bear, a big rough man dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. No matter how you looked at it, it was jarring. Ji Yingjin couldn't help but slap him on the back.
Liu Dazhuang stared at her in bewilderment.
"Forget writing to Xixi. We'll write directly to the Second Elder. And make sure to bring gold with you," Ji Yingjin said briskly.
No matter what, she would never let her daughter become one of those heartless people!
The green in the distance grew closer and closer. As they walked out of the frozen forest, fresh air rushed in to meet them. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a gentle light on the ground.
Warm breezes blew softly over the two of them, their hair drifting with the wind.
The signs of human life grew stronger. An old man carrying firewood gave them a strange look before hefting his load and moving on. From the nearby town came the clamor of noise.
Ji Zhaoxi slept very soundly. In her dream, she dazedly thought that following Senior Brother was truly the way to survive.
If she had gone with the other disciples, she would definitely have been bullied badly. They might even have snatched her magic tools, because they looked pretty poor.
When she woke up, she felt wrapped in warm, soft cotton, carrying the scent of sun-dried bedding.
She instinctively buried her face into the pillow, eyes closed, nuzzling it.
"Little junior sister."
A voice carried a hint of laughter.
Ji Zhaoxi's body stiffened, and her mind snapped awake in an instant. She stayed motionless, face buried in the pillow, her ears burning red all the way down to the nape of her neck.
Wen Shubai saw her reaction, and what had been a smiling gaze shifted into worry.
"Is the spiritual energy in your body acting up again?"
He furrowed his brows slightly, leaned down, and pressed his cool fingers against her ear. The moment his fingers touched her skin, she flinched involuntarily.
"Little junior sister, why are you so hot?"
Wen Shubai's brow furrowed even deeper. He moved his hand to her cheek, trying to check her temperature.
"No!" Ji Zhaoxi hurriedly pulled away from his hand.
Her face grew redder and redder. Instead of pulling back, Wen Shubai leaned in even closer. His eyes were full of anxiety as his palm brushed against her burning, flushed cheek.
"Not only hot—you're trembling too."
Wen Shubai's heart leapt into his throat. Could the Ice Marrow Pill have caused a problem?
The two were very close now. Ji Zhaoxi's heart was in complete disarray. She avoided his gaze and tried to burrow under the covers, but Wen Shubai gently stopped her.
"Little junior sister, your constitution is special, and your meridians have been remade. If there's any residual poison in your body, it would be no small matter."
Seeing her panting, her eyes darting away, his worry only grew.
"Little junior sister, let Senior Brother look at your eyes. Don't keep your discomfort bottled up inside."
Ji Zhaoxi was so flustered her eyes turned red. Forced to lift her face, she seized the moment before Wen Shubai could react and yanked the blanket up over her head.
"I'm not in pain—I'm just hot!"
Wen Shubai's hand froze for a moment. Seeing that lump huddled under the blanket, it slowly dawned on him that the little junior sister hadn't seemed uncomfortable just now.
He withdrew his hand, the ghost of her cheek's warmth lingering on his fingertips.
"Forgive me, little junior sister. I overstepped just now." Wen Shubai's voice came out a bit hoarse.
The room fell into dead silence. The occasional cries of street vendors from outside only made the air inside feel thicker, more suffocating.
Wen Shubai stared at his own palm, confusion and panic flickering in his eyes.
He had almost forgotten—he was the senior disciple of Tianjue Sect. Men and women should maintain proper distance, and this was his little junior sister, no less.
By the rules, he should be sitting three feet away, not shutting himself in the same room with his junior sister, staying this close, touching her face like some shameless flirt.
He didn't know when he had become like this...
Was it from the days he taught her swordplay hand-in-hand? Or from the pitch-black abyss where they slept pressed together?
Wen Shubai clenched his fist hard and dared not think any further.
By sect rules, a man and a woman alone in a room together was a grave taboo.
"Creak—"
The door was pulled open gently, and an anxious voice suddenly rang out.
"Senior Brother, where are you going?"
Ji Zhaoxi warily poked her head out from under the blanket.
Wen Shubai's movements froze. If he said he was going somewhere farther to meditate, the little junior sister would definitely start crying again.
He softened his voice. "Little junior sister, I'm going to buy you some breakfast."
Ji Zhaoxi finally relaxed, burying her face in the pillow and chirping, "Senior Brother, I want big meat buns, sweet tofu pudding, osmanthus cake..."
Wen Shubai listened to Ji Zhaoxi rattling off an endless list of food and couldn't help but let out a low laugh.
"Got it."
