Heart Protection

HEART PROTECTION: CHAPTER 44

Looking at her hand pressed against Tian Yao's face, Yan Hui was internally struggling with how long she should keep her hand there. However Tian Yao instinctively reached out his hand and captured Yan Hui's hand.

His hand was also freezing cold like a brick of ice. Yan Hui told herself to pull her hand back. Otherwise, Tian Yao in a moment would pull her onto the bed.......

But this thought hadn't fully passed through her mind when Tian Yao's hand exerted force as expected. Yan Hui was directly pulled onto the bed.

Yan Hui was automatically hugged in his arms like a child looking for his mother. Shi Hui was held so tightly that she thought she could hear her bones creak.

The last time Tian Yao was sick, Yan Hui hadn't recovered her magic. She couldn't fight nor escape. However now she had her cultivation's magic. Pushing away Tian Yao in his current state couldn't be any easier. But........

She unexpectedly didn't want to.

This hug was like an ice block. It made her uncomfortable from head to toe. Yan Hui couldn't sleep like this, but upon thinking upon it again, the person hugging her was ten times more uncomfortable than she was. Thinking of his lonely twenty years he spent alone in the past, Yan Hui could only deeply sigh.

She reached out her hands and hugged him. She lightly patted his back: "Go to sleep, go to sleep. No more pain, no more pain."

It was like coaxing a child.

This was because of the lust fragrance, thought Yan Hui. Has to be the lust fragrance's effect.

After all, how could a heartless person like her suddenly start........feeling for someone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next day, early morning.

Tian Yao opened his eyes. He saw Yan Hui's eyes were half open; her eyes had rolled upward until the whites of her eyes were showing. She was still mumbling: "Go to sleep, go to sleep. No more pain, no more pain."

For a split second, Tian Yao wanted to kick this ugly looking demon off the bed.

But he quickly resisted the urge.

Because he felt Yan Hui's hand was still automatically patting his back.

It was like she was petting some small animal, so soft and light.

She resisted her own sleepiness and comforted him through the night.

Tian Yao's mouth slightly twitched. He moved back slightly. Only then did he realize his hand was still tightly gripped Yan Hui's wrist. When he released his hand, Yan Hui's skin still had a white mark left behind.

That movement jolted the half-asleep Yan Hui. Her eyes immediately snapped open: "What is it? Huh, what is it now?"

Tian Yao lightly coughed: "You're on my clothes."

Yan Hui's tired eyes look at Tian Yao for several moments. Then she said: "You don't say. This bed is so narrow. Sleeping together of course would crush your clothes." She resentfully got up and angrily said: "Really unappreciative and ignoring my good intentions. No sense and no justice. Next time the moon is full, even if you crawl and cry begging me to help, I won't hold you to sleep........"

"......."

Tian Yao turned around and coughed a few times. Last night, his ears were unbearably cold. However now his ears were slightly warm.

Yan Hui unhappily said: "I moved aside, but you're still not getting up from bed. While it's still early, I plan to get a couple hours of sleep to catch up. After all, we're going to steal the dragon horns tonight. If I can't fight, are you able to step in? Move, move."

Tian Yao didn't say anything and immediately nimbly got off the bed. It was like a blade had aimed at his butt.

Yan Hui also paid no courtesy. She didn't wait for Tian Yao to completely stand up before climbing onto the bed. She covered herself with the blanket and rolled around twice before finding a comfortable position. She fell asleep under Tian Yao's watchful gaze.

Tian Yao silently looked at Yan Hui for a long time. For a moment, he couldn't believe he had been shoved aside to the point he couldn't get a single word out........

So thoroughly disregarded.......

Tian Yao shook his head and smiled. He turned to return to his own room and get ready for the day. However before he could take a step, a pair of warm hands suddenly clutched his fingers.

Tian Yao was stunned. He didn't know when he became accustomed to this warmth. That's why he didn't fling her hand off.

Yan Hui's hand followed his finger up to the heart of his palm. She held on and explored the area before immediately taking her hand back: "It's normal now." Yan Hui's hoarse voice lazily emerged from the blanket cocoon. "Go leave."

Tian Yao felt like a spark had been left in his palm. It continuously burned. Even after he did the morning ablutions and cultivated for a while, that scorching heat still didn't fade away.

This was probably one of few moments of Yan Hui's gentleness.

And it was precisely because Yan Hui wasn't gentle that when the day came where she became considerate, it made people........hard to resist it.

Tian Yao grasped his palm. His dark eyes slightly drooped down.

By the time Yan Hui woke up, it was already afternoon. She tidied up the room and then went to Xian Ge and Feng Qian Shuo to confirm the plan. After that, she called Tian Yao and both set out to Heavenly Fragrance.

Yan Hui calculated the timing well. Right when Feng Qian Shuo started the wine banquet, Tian Yao and her charged through the back entrance of Heavenly Fragrance.

Since Feng Ming wasn't present, there were only a few disciples left at Heavenly Fragrance. They were no match to Yan Hui, who found it very easy.

It indeed turned out how Tian Yao and Yan Hui expected. When they broke in, all the disciples rushed to block them. However, there was no way they could block Yan Hui. The people who could truly cultivate the xian pathway were few and far between. To have those few rare talents guard the doors wasn't easy.

The xian disciples were repelled by Yan Hui's Qing Qiu magic.

In the beginning, Yan Hui wan't confident that people wouldn't be able to see her limits. However, a xian disciple quickly started to cry out.

"She's using fox demon magic!"

"Not only fox demon magic......it's.......the nine-tailed fox demon magic! It's Qing Qui's nine-tailed fox!"

With that shout, everyone became terrified. All knew of the nine-tailed fox demons' might. In legends, that demon could swallow people whole. Not a moment later, those so-called xian disciples fled. None dared to directly fight with Yan Hui.

Yan Hui watched them throw down their armor and flee. As someone from the same discipline, she grew so angry from their actions that she could barely breathe: "What a bunch of cowardly xian cultivators! If I were their shifu, I would discard that group of worthless trash. Otherwise they would be a disgrace!"

Tian Yao only blandly looked at Yan Hui: "Who is not a secular person? Do you think everyone is like you, unafraid of injury and death?"

"I have what's called responsibility in my heart and integrity in my bones," returned Yan Hui. She paused. "Later if there's a change, you should meet my senior disciple. Only then will you know the meaning of hard-headedness and unafraid of dying."

As they conversed, they sought out the courtyard where Tian Yao sensed his dragon horns were.

They've came three times. This time, they finally stepped into this courtyard.

According to how they planned, Feng Ming should have received news of what was happening at Heavenly Fragrance. He was probably rushing back now. Tian Yao only needed to enter the courtyard, take the dragon horns, and carefully place it back into his body. Then they would just wait for Feng Ming to arrive and deal with him.

However, when they pushed open the door of the building in the courtyard, Tian Yao's footsteps stopped. Yan Hui also immediately retreated three steps: "Crap."

The room suddenly lit up in brilliant rays of light. A crisp and clear hoot filled the horizon. Yan Hui saw a barrier formed, blocking the powerful cry in front of them.

After the light receded, Yan Hui carefully looked. Standing there as tall as a person was a courageous and powerful bird.

"Blue Luan Bird." Tian Yao's eyebrows furrowed.

Yan Hui was stunned by what she heard: "What?"

"The Blue Luan Bird is a mystical bird, related to the Phoenix. It's Su Ying's mount."

Su Ying unexpectedly left her mount here to guard over the dragon horns. No wonder why she dared to so openly and brazenly leave Heavenly Fragrance. Turns out she left behind a hidden trap.

Yan Hui quickly calculated the time: "Not good, Feng Ming will return soon. I can't handle both the bird and him. I'll lure the bird away, and you go get your horns. If there are any other hidden tricks........we'll see what fate has planned for you."

Splitting up. That was the best method in these circumstances.

Tian Yao nodded: "The Blue Luan Bird isn't an easy foe. Be careful."

Yan Hui didn't waste any words. She immediately used the nine-tailed fox demon magic to create a fireball. She threw it at the Blue Luan Bird: "Hey bird! Look at me!"

The Blue Luan Bird is a mystical creature. It is the natural predator of demons. Now that Yan Hui used demon magic to hit it, it naturally focused the entirety of its attention on Yan Hui.

Yan Hui lured the bird and rapidly ran toward the courtyard exit. Tian Yao rushed into the building.

It was dark inside, but the dark was no obstacle to Tian Yao because it didn't hinder his senses. With every step he took closer to the dragon horns, he felt his heart, which had been empty for twenty years, start to beat.

Beat by beat, it forced his blood to circulate.

Tian Yao's dragon horns had been properly stored behind a hanging curtain. There was nothing supporting it, but the horns were floating in mid-air. Because they are spiritual objects, the horns could self-absorb the surrounding spirituality. They stayed forever bright, dazzling with power.

Dragon horns, the horns that were separated from him twenty years ago...... Back then, they had been cut from his head while he was still alive......

Tian Yao reached out a hand. His fingers were separated from the horns by only the hanging curtain when Tian Yao froze.

Su Ying's figure suddenly appeared behind the curtain!

It was an illusion! Tian Yao reminded himself. Su Ying had laid out an illusion technique here. He had to break the spell......

Su Ying's illusion reached out a hand from behind the curtain, mirroring Tian Yao's posture. Then her fingertips touched Tian Yao's fingertips with only the curtain between them. Tian Yao could feel the cold emitting from her.

"Tian Yao." Su Ying started to speak. "You found it in the end."

Tian Yao's face grew cold. His eyes fixed on Su Ying. Her expression was apathetic, like she was looking at insignificant ants to be crushed.

"It's been twenty years. You've returned," continued Su Ying. "How did you return?" Su Ying raised her head. Her innately chilly eyes looked straight at Tian Yao. "No, that's not important. Do you think I should be scared of you? But I actually want to thank you."

It wasn't an illusion.

Tian Yao's eyes grew colder. It was a message left by Su Ying.

"Your soul escaped. You found your dragon bones. Now, I'll return your dragon horns back to you. With your horns, look harder. Quickly go find the rest of your body parts. Then......" Su Ying's hand suddenly moved. Her hand passed through the curtain and touched Tian Yao's heart. "Find the heart protection scale."

Su Ying lifted her head. The light in her eyes grew brighter: "This time, I won't lose him again."

Tian Yao lifted his hand. With a wave, he ripped down the curtain and shattered Su Ying's image.

Tian Yao's eyes were a deep abyss: "This time, you will obtain nothing as you did before."