Heart Protection

Chapter 103

 Vast forests with soaring trees can be found in Southern Qing Qiu. The sunlight was practically blocked from reaching the undergrowth. Yan Hui, who was flying in the sky, couldn't see any tracks leading to the lairs. She could only enter the forest and search from the ground. 

Yan Hui hurriedly search in anxiety, but she found no traces. However, far up ahead came a loud noise. The ground shook. Yan Hui's heart tightened, and she immediately started towards that direction. She had only taken a few steps when the earth shook even harder. It seemed like whatever was making the ground shake was running her way. Yan Hui could barely keep standing. 

The ground in front of her suddenly bulged up. The large trees were uprooted and toppled over. An enormous black demon coiled up from under the ground. Yan Hui stared wide-eyed. It was a nine-headed snake demon!

But three of its head were gone. Its entire body was covered in blood, and the remaining six heads were hissing in pain.

With a twist the six heads looked at Yan Hui in unison. Then with a hiss, the nine-headed snake demon struck at Yan Hui.

Its mouths gaped open like it was going to swallow her in one gulp.

Yan Hui was shocked at first, but then she immediately calmed down. She stood firm and gathered her inner breath. She circulated the heart technique she learned in Demon Bestowal around her body. She waved her hand, and a fire ball was launched at the snake demon.

The nine-headed snake demon didn't dodge or flinch. One of the heads stiffly swallowed the fireball down. Another head in a blink of an eye extended until it was right in front of Yan Hui. Fangs earily gleamed in the gaping maw, and its fishy breath was enough to make one retch.

Yan Hui narrowed her eyes. She was just about to go all out against the demon when suddenly a fiery light appeared overhead. A person dropped down from the sky, arriving with the weight and power of thunder. A jian pieced through the snake's head and sealed its mouth shut. The person stood in front of Yan Hui, demon aura pulsing outwards and pushing the snake demon 33 meters away.

Yan Hui blankly looked at Tian Yao whose eyes flashed red. He leapt up, went after the snake, and started the fight where the snake had been pushed to. Poison covered the snake demon's withering body, and its six heads never ceased moving. Finally, one of the heads seized an opening and swallowed Tian Yao whole, jian and all.

Yan Hui's mind whited out. She was just about to race forward to save Tian Yao when she saw a blaze of fiery light emit out of the snake's belly. The snake demon wailed and then immediately exploded into a fine mist. It was completely obliterated.

The mist made everything vague and fuzzy, but the gleam of a long jian could be seen within.

"Tian Yao......."

Yan Hui absentmindedly took a step forward. There were footsteps sin the mist, steadily walking out. Tian Yao emerged from the mist. He was covered in blood, and his left arm hung limply by his side. Blood flowed down his finger tips and dripped onto the ground. The fiery jian in his right hand slowly vanished until only a subtle light was left in his palm.

It was the snake demon's neidan.

Yan Hui was in no mood to pay any attention to the neidan. She ran towards Tian Yao and anxiously asked: "How are your injuries?"

Tian Yao didn't say a word. It wasn't until Yan Hui was standing in front of him that he started to lean. Yan Hui automatically reached out to hug him and support him upright. She could hear his harsh breaths and smell the reek of blood and snake venom. However Yan Hui didn't feel disgusted at all. She only felt......

Distressed.

Incomparably distressed.

Yan Hui only had to think about it a little bit on her way here before knowing why Tian Yao would come here alone. If it wasn't for him being unable to take back his own neidan, then there would be no reason for him to take the snake's neidan. If he had his own neidan, then he wouldn't be in this condition.

He ought to be soaring in the sky, making everyone cower under his displeasure.

"Yan Hui." Tian Yao suddenly laughed in Yan Hui's ear. "You came again."  He patted her head with gentleness, ruefulness, and some other hidden emotions. He said, "Don't risk your life for me. I'll protect you."

The head on Yan Hui's shoulder became a little heavier. Tian Yao had passed out.

Yan Hui was silent, and then she somewhat heavily patted his back. Her voice was choked: "First protect yourself. Then we'll talk."

Yan Hui went to a place with clean water and washed Tian Yao's face. Then she pulled off his outer clothing and washed it in the water. Yan Hui was still scrubbing at the clothes when Tian Yao woke up behind her.

He slightly opened his eyes and saw Yan Hui bathed in sunlight. She was focused on washing the clothes in her hands. When water would occasionally splash onto her face, she would wipe it away. Her expression look natural. There was no depression nor despondence. Her eyes didn't have the grief that lingered on after Ling Xiao had died.

For a moment, the scene before his eyes was like an illusion. They were just an ordinary couple in the world. It would be best if the only thing Yan Hui had to worry about today was not wanting to wash the dishes and tomorrow not wanting to cook. Living an ordinary life with a bit of indolence.......

Perhaps because the gaze behind her was too strong, Yan Hui look back. She was a bit surprised and asked Tian Yao: "What is it? Why are you looking at me with such kind eyes? It's creepy."

Tian Yao coughed: "Are you helping me to wash my clothes?"

"You were swallowed by that nine-headed snake demon and then exploded out. You smelled......all that was need was a sprinkle of water, and you would be just like fertilizer. If I didn't wash them, there's no way I could carry you back."

Tian Yao nodded and was silent.

Yan Hui wrung out the clothes and hung them on a tree branch. With today's hot sun, the clothes should quickly dry out. After arranging the clothes, Yan Hui walked over and sat by Tian Yao's side.

Yan Hui's arm lightly touched his arm. She also stayed silent. They peacefully sat there, listening to the burbling stream, and watching the occasional bird fly overhead.

Tian Yao couldn't hold it back any longer and asked: "Why did you come?"

Yan Hui spoke: "I dreamed about shifu and Head Senior Disciple. It was when they were taking me to Chen Xing Mountain. That was the luckiest moment in my life. Shifu gave me a piggy-back ride. Head Senior Disciple was worried that I was missing my home, so he tried tell me so jokes that really weren't funny to amuse me." Yan Hui laughed as she talked.

Tian Yao looked down but also lightly chuckled along with Yan Hui.

"I really wished that the path would continue on forever, that it wouldn't end." Yan Hui paused. Her arm pressed a little tighter against Tian Yao. "But then someone told me someone was bullying you, so I woke up."

Tian Yao was stunned. When he finally processed what the words meant, his eyes lit up. Tian Yao looked over at Yan Hui, but her head was tilted and resting against his shoulder. She said, "The last part was fake. I made it up to make you happy. It didn't really happen." 

"........"

Hearing Yan Hui's words was like riding a cloud when seriously injured.......up and down........

Yan Hui could sense that Tian Yao stiffened. She laughed like a child whose practical joke succeeded: "But once I remembered that you were waiting for me, I came out of the dream. In that moment, I didn't want to have that kind of dream anymore. When I thought that my actions hurt the great dragon Tian Yao, I got mad at myself." Yan Hui reached out and grasped Tian Yao's hand. She interlaced their fingers together: "I clearly said that I would protect you."

"Yan Hui......."

"First listen to me," said Yan Hui. "My memories of the 10 years with shifu are vivid in my mind. Any fragment of them can make my heart ache. To me, Ling Xiao is 10 years of my heart. He is my shifu, the one I looked up to, the one I admired. This kind of person throwing away his life for me.......I was stuck in pain and grief these past two days." Yan paused and sat upright. She looked at Tian Yao, "But I know that one day, I will move on."

Humans were always that strong of an animal. Wounds will heal. Pain will pass.

"I can walk out this haze myself, but I'll need time. Tian Yao, are you willing to accompany me during this time?" 

If one were to say what was Tian Yao's most wonderful moment, it would be meeting Yan Hui when he was at the end of his rope. If one were to say what was Yan Hui's most wonderful moment, it would be having Tian Yao when she had nothing left.

Tian Yao didn't respond for a long time. It was so long that Yan Hui was starting to think his mind had wandered elsewhere. Tian Yao's mouth slightly curled......and he actually laughed.

Yan Hui was a little dumbfounded at his sincere smile: "What did I say.......that was so funny......."

"So cute."

"What?"

Thus Tian Yao repeated: "Yan Hui, when you say that so earnestly, it's so cute." It made his heart race and his mind blank out.

Yan Hui was a little stunned. She coughed and covered up her red face: "You talk. What were you going to say?

"You're holding my injured hand."

Yan Hui was dumbfounded. She looked down and finally realized her fingers were intertwined with his injured left hand. She felt pain in her heart and also a huge jolt of embarrassment. She promptly let go: "If it hurts, then say something. If you endure it, how am I supposed to know......."

Yan Hui hadn't finished talking nor completely withdrawn her hand when Tian Yao used his injured hand to pull Yan Hui forward. He made her fall into his arms and then hugged her.l

Yan Hui stayed startled for a long time. Then, her cheeks started to slowly warm up.

Although they both confessed to each other, there were very few intimate moments between them. It was like they had grown accustomed to the friendship manner between them. Normally, holding hands let alone hugging was rare.

In the current situation, the two of them didn't have time to think if anything was amiss between the two of them. Now with Tian Yao's hug, Yan Hui flusteredly thought that they had been acting too innocent with each other........

Tian Yao wasn't hugging Yan Hui with the suffocating vice used on full moon nights. It also wasn't the surprised hug when he thought Yan Hui had died. This was a gentle hug that slowly trickled affection. This was a tender hug that they have never done before.

"Yan Hui, there was an issue with your question."

Yan Hui was surprised: "What?"

"I'm willing to do anything for you. Just let me be with you."