Heart Protection

HEART PROTECTION: CHAPTER 12

Tian Yao and the snake demon agreed to meet at the lake near the mountain village first thing tomorrow morning.

Tian Yao and Yan Hui returned to the small courtyard at dusk. Tian Yao didn't say a single word. He just minded his own business and went to Old Lady Xiao's room. He stayed by the grandmother's side, only returning to his own room in the middle of the night.

Yan Hui was meditating on the bed. She was striving hard to regain a little bit of inner breath just in case something happens tomorrow. However, by the time she heard Tian Yao push open the door, she still hadn't regained anything.

Yan Hui opened her eyes and sighed in disappointment. Thinking about how she had been useless for so long, she rolled around on the bed in anger.

Tian Yao acted like he didn't see anything. He walked over the desk, poured himself a cup of tea, and finished it.

"My inner breath! My cultivation!" Yan Hui laid on the bed and wailed. "Why won't it come back? Why won't it come back?!"

Perhaps because her wails were too annoying, Tian Yao wrinkled his eyebrows and shot her a glance. He opened his mouth and said: "Your wu xing is fire. Snake venom is inherently cold. Naturally it suppresses you." He finished talking and put down the cup. As usual, he walked toward the corner and sat against it. "Stop talking. Sleep quietly."

Yan Hui opened her eyes. She flipped over and stared at Tian Yao: "You're still sleeping there tonight?"

Tian Yao returned Yan Hui's look. The small lights by the desk just happened to reflect in his black pupils, like stars. "If not?"

Yan Hui curled her lip: "If you didn't have a pretty face, I would've turned your face into pulp a hundred times because of your tone." She swung her feet off the bed. While putting on her shoes, she said: "Come here. You're sleeping on the bed tonight."

Tian Yao frowned.

Yan Hui finished putting on her shoes and went straight to the corner. She stood in front of him and looked down: "What, I'm letting you sleep in the bed and you're still not satisfied?"

Tian Yao leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He had an indifferent expression and ungraciously said: "Don't want it."

A light "smack" sound filled Tian Yao's ear.

Tiao Yao opened his eyes. He saw Yan Hui's hand pressed against the wall by his ear. She lifted the other hand and patted his shoulder while laughing.

The injury he received that morning radiated pain due to Yan Hui's seemingly light pats. However, he'd already paid no heed to the pain of the flesh for a long time. He frowned and only said: "Don't touch me." Because this position brought Yan Hui's face close to Tian Yao's, he also averted his head. "Stay further away from me."

"You act so shy, like you're being bullied by someone......" Yan Hui completely ignored Tian Yao. She innocently said: "I don't want to touch you either, but you got injured saving me today. It makes me look like I owe you a favor, yet you're still sleeping in the corner. Now it makes me look like I'm abusing you. Even though I'm usually a little overbearing and rough, inside I'm a kind-hearted and delicate girl. I don't like to owe any favors, and I don't like to mistreat people. Until your wound heals, I'll allow you to sleep on the bed."

Yan Hui added: "I don't care if you agree or not. In any case, this corner is mine tonight. If you don't go sleep in the bed, then I'll carry you to bed."

Yan Hui said those uncouth words with a straight face. Tian Yao stared at her. A long time passed before he asked: "How in the world does Chen Xing Mountain teach its disciples? Did you practice cultivating the Dao of Blackguards?"

Yan Hui grinned and laughed: "I'm naturally like this. If you don't like it, then you'll just have to bear with it."

"......"

Tian Yao silently stared at Yan Hui for a long time. He felt like with this situation, he would have to do as Yan Hui said. He had to bear with it.

He closed his eyes. He calmed himself down for a while before standing up.

Yan Hui reacted to his movements and obediently backed up a few steps.

However when he saw Yan Hui being obedient, Tian Yao didn't know why he suddenly had to urge to take back his criticisms. Contrary to his thoughts, it was precisely the moment when this urge bubbled up that Tian Hui couldn't help blurting out some words:

"You're a show-off, yet you're trying to cultivate into a xian. Few people can tolerate you." He paused. He felt like he shouldn't bicker with a little girl. He shouldn't say those vicious words to jab at her, but......

This little girl was normally also vicious and rude to him.

Thinking of this, Tian Yao glanced at Yan Hui out of the corner of his eyes: "No wonder why you were thrown out. The time you spent cultivating in the sect was unpleasant, wasn't it?"

Hearing those words, although Yan Hui's mouth was pressed to contain her laughter, her eyes slightly narrowed: "I've upset you."

Yan Hui let out her laugh, but Tian Yao thought he could hear her teeth grinding together. In a split second, he understood the feeling of what Yan Hui said that morning,'I discovered that when I irritate you enough to make you angry, I feel quite successful'.

Even though he disliked his own childishness, he couldn't help saying: "Knowing you didn't have a good time really makes me happy."

Tiao Yao saw Yan Hui clench her teeth in his peripheral vision. His lips slightly quirked. It was such a small movement that even he, himself, didn't notice.

Yan Hui was naturally incapable of having Tiao Yao's meticulous mentality. However, she was 100% sure he learned how to ridicule people after being with her day-in and day-out!

Yan Hui was so mad she inwardly ground her teeth, but she maintained her smiling expression: "Haha, it wasn't too bad." She steadied herself: "Those who wanted to chew me up and spit me up were ones I loathed as well. No one close to me or anyone I loved ever tried to kill me."

Tian Yao's footsteps paused. He turned his head to look at Yan Hui.

Yan Hui didn't try to avoid his gaze. She looked straight back at him.

Four eyes met. The two people stared at each other for a long time. In the end, one person sat in the corner, and one person lifted the blanket on the bed. Each closed their eyes and unhappily went to sleep.

Hearts were filled with discontent.

This mood stayed with them as they fell asleep.

In the early morning of the next day when it was time to meet the snake demon, Yan Hui and Tian Yao walked to the lake behind the village. The two ignored each other the entire way.

They waited by the lake shore for an hour until the snake demon finally showed up. Zhenren Qi Yun, who was being led, also came.

"Sorry I came late," the snake demon apologized. "After thinking about it, I still decided on bringing Qi Yun. After the chill on her dissipated, she kept trying to go out. If there's no one there to stop her, I fear she will disappear.......Ah......." The snake demon looked at Yan Hui and Tian Yao with a strange look. "Why are you two.......Are you guys mad that I came an hour late?"

Yan Hui: "No."

Tian Yao: "Let's go."

The two spoke simultaneously and then silently boarded the wooden raft.

The snake demon rubbed his nose. Then he led Zhenren Qi Yun on board.

The wooden raft split the lake's calm surface. Ripples spread out from its wake. Yan Hui sat across from Zhenren Qi Yun. She didn't plan on acknowledging Zhenren Qi Yun, but Zhenren Qi Yun continued to stare at her. Not long afterwards, Zhenren Qi Yun opened her mouth: "Ridiculous."

Yan Hui looked at her askance: "What did I do to make you always think I'm ridiculous?"

"Stupid."

"Starting this again? Does criticizing me make you happy or something?"

 "Unreasonable."

"What exactly did I do?!"

Seeing that Yan Hui was getting enraged by the criticisms, the snake demon hurriedly pushed Zhenren Qi Yun behind him. With Zhenren Qi Yun's view being blocked, she no longer criticized Yan Hui. The snake demon didn't know whether to laugh or cry when facing the irate Yan Hui: "That's strange. She never talks to anyone. Why would she criticize you when she sees you?"

"Are you blaming me?" Yan Hui pushed up her sleeves. "Step aside. I'm going to have a chat with her."

Yan Hui hadn't finished speaking when the raft suddenly reached the cliff shore. The raft stopped. Tian Yao impassively said: "We have arrived."

Yan Hui turned her head. Sure enough, this was the cave they went to last time.

Inside was pitch-black. Nothing could be seen. Yan Hui reached a hand out. The barrier was still there.

The snake demon also reached a hand out to feel the barrier. It was clear he was using magic to carefully explore it. Then he frowned: "This barrier is extremely strong."

At this moment, because the snake demon was leaning to the side, Zhenren Qi Yun could see Yan Hui again. Zhenren Qi Yun opened her mouth again: "Ignorant."

Yan Hui gritted her teeth and balled her hand up into a fist: "She's still doing it!"

Tian Yao completely ignored the dialogue between the two. He directed his words to the snake demon: "It's possible to split the barrier." His voice was slightly strained. It was the same as last time; upon reaching this place, his complexion became deathly pale and stressed. Sweat started to form on his forehead.

The snake demon pressed his hand against the barrier and tested it: "There's no way with my strength. However it does seem like there is a magic array. This barrier was created by a spell, and this spell has inherent water characteristics. If I use the hidden treasure that absorbs cold, I might be able to split the barrier in two."

Tian Yao nodded: "Thank you." His words were simple and to the point.

Yan Hui, who was still arguing with Zhenren Qi Yun, slightly wrinkled her forehead at those words:

"Hold on. Are you saying there is a huge wu xing-sealed magic array? Once at a morning lecture, I heard that at every magic array-sealed place, there will be an impossible to kill, formidable demon. " Yan Hui narrowed her eyes at Tian Yao: "Didn't you say you became like this after passing through a tribulation? Why would there be a sealed magic array here?"

Tian Yao shot her a glance: "I passed through a tribulation of the heart. Is that not allowed?"

In a split second, Yan Hui linked Tian Yao with the story that extensively circulated within the xian sects: the 20 year-old legend of Zhenren Qing Guang and Master of the Guang Han Sect. She mulled over it for awhile then asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes: "The treasure you talk about really lies inside there? It isn't a powerful sealed demon?"

"Does it really matter if there is or isn't a demon inside? You won't believe me either way." Tian Yao coldly laughed: "Even if there is a demon inside, the snake demon still needs the skill to break the barrier and let the other demon out."

The snake demon nodded: "Indeed. Even with the secret treasure, I can only open the barrier a small crack to let you guys go in." He frowned. "I need to stay out here by the barrier's exit. Otherwise, you guys might be gone for good........Looks like only you two can retrieve the treasure."

Yan Hui stared at Tian Yao. They saw themselves reflected in the other's eyes.

Tian Yao was the first to look away. He didn't ask Yan Hui if she was going. He told the snake demon: "Open up the crack."

The snake demon complied. He took out the secret treasure from Zhenren Qi Yun's pouch and placed it into his palm. After a moment, the atmosphere in the cave started to fluctuate. A crack in the barrier started to appear. A strange odor blew out of the cave.

Tian Yao stepped inside. In an instant, the people outside couldn't see his figure anymore.

Yan Hui gritted her teeth. Seeing his constantly unburdened state of mind, she lowered her head and rushed in.

The snake demon called out from the cave's entrance: "The barrier is stronger than I thought it was. I can only hold it for three hours. Hurry."

 Upon entering the cave, their surroundings were pitch-black. They were clearly only one step away from the entrance, but light from the outside couldn't enter.

Three hours for such an important matter. Why didn't he tell her before she stepped in......

"Let's go." Tian Yao's voice came from right next to her. "Listen to my footsteps."

He didn't have the slightest bit of hesitation walking further in. It was like he was confident Yan Hui wouldn't retreat, that she would follow him.

In reality, that was true. In this situation with no magic, Yan Hui listened to Tian Yao's footsteps to walk into the unknown darkness.

It was because ever since she saw this young man for the first time, there was a strange connection between the two of them.

Or in other words........an understanding.