Heart Protection

HEART PROTECTION: CHAPTER 76

After bringing Huan Xiao Yan up the bank, Yan Hui immersed herself back in Black River to continue cleansing. 

The water tranquilly flowed on. Yan Hui watched her cultivation leach out and flow away with the water. 10 years of cultivation, all of her hard work, turned into smoke. Yan Hui's gaze didn't even waver an inch.

Cleansing away cultivation was very painful, and it actually burdened the body. However, she just watched and didn't utter a sound.

Before, she would always remark about how Tian Yao was good at enduring. No matter his mood or pain, he always hid it all in his heart. He remained silent. But now, Yan Hui felt like enduring it was actually an automatic response. 

Because there was no other way. It had to be endured.

Yan Hui knew that right now she was digging a knife into her own heart, cutting away at it. It was all to raise a fierce tiger inside that one day would come out. In the end, this internal tiger would grow big and become a man-eating beast.

She didn't have much cultivation left in her body. She didn't stay long in Black River before all her cultivation was washed away. From now on, she was no longer a xian cultivator. She was going to cultivate the demon pathway and learn their magic. She was going to walk a path she never considered before.

With her magic gone, Yan Hui for a moment felt powerless. She didn't even have the strength to crawl to shore.

Huan Xiao Yan was at the river bank carefully watching the water's movement. When she saw it was about time and Yan Hui still didn't appear, Huan Xiao Yan drew in a breath to call out. Off to the side, a figure dived in Black River headfirst. Just a few moments later, the figure came out.

Tian Yao held Yan Hui in his arms. She had already passed out.

Tian Yao hugged her for a long time. He just quietly looked at her and didn't say a word. Huan Xiao Yan watched on anxiously.

The illusion demon clan always stuck to a powerful demon to live. As a result, they developed an acute sense toward powerful demons. From the first moment Huan Xiao Yan saw Tian Yao, she knew he wouldn't be easy to deal with. Before it was the illusionscape, so she didn't worry about it. Now that she had to be with Tian Yao, it was hard for her to not be apprehensive.

But Tian Yao was staring at Yan Hui for far too long. Huan Xiao Yan couldn't hold it in any longer and softly asked: "Is she alright?"

"No." He swept Yan Hui's wet hair from her forehead. "But I'll make her become better." 

Huan Xiao Yan was stunned by those words and rubbed her nose. When she saw Tian Yao finally start to carry Yan Hui back, she silently and cleverly followed behind without further words.

When Yan Hui woke up, it was already the second day. She was back in the courtyard Zhu Li had prepared for them.

Huan Xiao Yan was by her side. When Yan Hui opened her eyes, the demon moved closer. "You're awake. Do you want to sleep more? First tell me what you want to dream about. I'll cast an illusion for you."

Yan Hui turned her head. Her voice was still raspy from waking up: "Don't be so anxious to fawn over me. I don't plan on killing you for now."

Huan Xiao Yan curled her lip: "I'm hungry. You didn't give me any emotions to eat. I'm hungry." Her eyes lit up light she just thought of something. "Don't you hate that whats-her-name Ling Fei? I'll let you dream about her. You can kill her hundreds of thousands of times in your dream. You'll feel happy!"

Yan Hui knit her brows: "Don't let me dream about her."

Huan Xiao Yan was about to speak when Tian Yao, who was also in the room, cut in. He changed the topic: "Your xian cultivation has all been cleansed away, but your broken bones and muscles still haven't healed. If you want to cultivate the demon pathway, then you physically need to heal first."

Yan Hui nodded: "Got it."

"The medicine apprentice told me about an icy spring in Qing Qiu earlier. It can heal broken bones and muscle. I'll bring you there tomorrow when you're feeling better."

Yan Hui tried to prop herself up. Huan Xiao Yan cried out: "Ah, you can't!" She tried to block Yan Hui at the same time. "You need to rest!"

Yan Hui avoided her and got off the bed. "I'm going now."

Tian Yao just silent walked up. Right when Yan Hui was about to fall off the bed, he reached out a hand and steadily grasped her arm. He gave Yan Hui the support needed to stand up.

Yan Hui looked up at Tian Yao. He didn't wait for Yan Hui to say something before flatly saying: "I know I can't stop you." He pulled at her elbow to wrap her arm around his own shoulder.

"Get up. I'll carry you there."

In the end, he would never be able to stop her. It would be better to directly help her.........

Yan Hui climbed onto Tian Yao's back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. She softly sighed: "Tian Yao."

"Hm?"

"You ought to have been a very gentle person."

Tian Yao was a little stunned and didn't say a word.

Huan Xiao Yan eagerly followed behind the pair: "Ah, you should just say he treats you very well and makes your heart beat. That's enough. There's no need for that ought to have been very gentle........"

Yan Hui shot a look at Huan Xiao Yan. Huan Xiao Yan's footsteps paused. Yan Hui disregarded her: "Don't follow us. Go off and play."

Huan Xiao Yan could only rub her nose and make a sound in acknowledgement. Then she hopped off to the side: "You're even making me go away. I'll find something to eat on my own."

When she left, Yan Hui sighed. "This is as troublesome as suddenly giving birth to a little brat."

"Having someone by your side for comic relief is a good thing."

Yan Hui was a little startled when his light words fell in her ears. Then, she nodded her head: "When you put it like that, I agree."

The cold spring was located behind the mountain where the king lived. Tian Yao walked on a small path, which wasn't too long. After placing Yan Hui in the icy spring, he retreated to the undergrowth and quietly kept guard.

The spring was icy cold but wasn't piercing. Its power slowly seeped into the skin and started to heal her injuries. Yan Hui stared at the sky in boredom and posed a question for Tian Yao: "Qing Qiu didn't want you to do something for them?"

"I still haven't gotten back my dragon heart. I can't do much other things."

When he brought that up, Yan Hui remembered Tian Yao still hadn't found all his body parts. "Are there any clues on where it is?"

"Yes."

Yan Hui was curious and tilted her head to hear better.

"It's in Guang Han Sect."

Yan Hui was shocked: "For real? How did you get that clue?"

"I have all of my other body parts, so I know where my dragon heart is. There's no need for other clues."

Yan Hui was silent for a moment before frowning: "In Guang Han Sect.........in other words, Su Ying is personally watching over it?" This time to retrieve it, perhaps a head-on flight with Su Ying was inevitable. With Tian Yao's current strength, it would be difficult, and who knows when Yan Hui would succeed in cultivating demon magic. She feared she would be of little help for Tian Yao. To get back the dragon heart might require waiting even longer.........

"Right now, there's an enormous barrier protecting Guang Han Sect at their entrance. My dragon heart is at the spell's formation. Su Ying is using my heart to protect her sect." This time, Tian Yao's voice wasn't filled with hate at the mention of Su Ying's name like it did before. It was like he was dully recounting some matter, without any emotion but determination to win. "Break the barrier. Find the center of the spell. My dragon heart will be there."

After getting back the heart, Tian Yao will be complete...........no, there was still.........

"What about the dragon scales?" Yan Hui cocked her head. She looked at Tian Yao's back, who was sitting behind a tree. "You're not going to retrieve your dragon scales?"

Tian Yao was silent for only a moment: "Su Ying took them. I want her to return every single one."

"And the heart protection scale?"

Tian Yao didn't reply. There was a long silence before he responded: "To me, there's no difference whether or not I have that scale."

Yan Hui rested her hand where her heart was. She felt the ever sturdy beat of her heart and said to herself: "You gave me my life."

Tian Yao heard those words and slightly turned his head. He saw Yan Hui's back and didn't say a word.

In the silence, there was suddenly the sound of pattering feet from a distance. Tian Yao looked into the distance. When he saw who was coming, he didn't go on alert.

In a few moments, Huan Xiao Yan arrived. She panted: "Master Yan, they said they caught a female assassin who was going to kill you!"

Yan Hui was stunned by those words. Tian Yao's eyes narrowed slightly. Yan Hui took a few steps out of the spring: "What female?"

"A xian cultivator from Chen Xing Mountain. I think her name is Zi Yue, a senior disciple. She was discovered right when she crossed the border. No one else came with her. It seems like she went alone."

Yan Hui stared blankly for a long time without returning to her senses. 

In the hall of Zhu Li's residence, Yan Hui met Zi Yue, her would-be assassin. Zi Yue cut a sorry figure; her hair was in messy disarray. The demons had forced her to kneel on the ground. Yan Hui walked up from behind. Zi Yue raised her head to look and saw Tian Yao also accompanying Yan Hui. Immediately, the rims of her eyes turned red. She gritted her teeth and seemed like she was about to lunge at Yan Hui.

However, the guards at her sides forcefully yanked her down.

"Yan Hui!" Zi Yue was unwilling and screamed. "You bring bad omens!" Yan Hui heard, but her expression didn't change at the slightest. "It's all your fault! Head Senior Disciple died because of you! He died because he was trying to save you! Why are you still alive?"

Yan Hui didn't refute.

"You are a terrible person! Do you know how much disgrace Head Senior Disciple suffered because of you?! You also made Chen Xing Mountain suffer so much disgrace too!"

Finally, Yan Hui's eyes flickered. She squatted down and stared straight into Zi Yue's eyes: "Disgrace? Very good. Ever since I left Chen Xing Mountain with a broken body, I not only want to become Chen Xing Mountain's disgrace but also want to be the shame carved on their face."

Yan Hui's words even made the furious Zi Yue stare blankly.

Yan Hui continued: "Ling Fei knows better than anyone how Zi Chen died." She clenched her teeth tight. Every word seemed forced. "I also am wrong. I'm wrong for not killing Ling Fei by now."

Zi Yue was stunned.

Yan Hui stood back up, sleeves brushing against Zi Yue's face. She turned to look at Zhu Li: "Let her go. Let her return to Chen Xing Mountain." She tilted her head and looked at Zi Yue with dark eyes: "Let her repeat every words back to every single person at Chen Xing Mountain."

Including her shifu.

It was nighttime, and the scene was like water.

Ever since the demon clan's guards escorted Zi Yue away, Yan Hui had been siting in her room in a daze. It wasn't until late in the night that Yan Hui went to bed.

Yan Hui thought that at first she wouldn't be able to fall asleep. However once she closed her eyes, she sank into blackness.

She had a dream. She dreamed Zi Chen standing close by in the blackness, quietly looking at her. He didn't say a word nor move an inch. He was like those wooden dolls that Yan Hui and Zi Chen played with when she first entered Chen Xing Mountain.

"Head Senior Disciple," she said. "Hereafter, I won't acknowledge the sect, but I will always acknowledge you as my Head Senior Disciple." Yan Hui also stood in place without moving and just distantly looked at him. "I'll take revenge for you."

Zi Chen looked at her. His eyes had hidden worry.

Yan Hui woke from her dream not long afterwards.

She stared at the carvings on the bed and couldn't fall back asleep. Her injuries started to flare up and burn with pain. Yan Hui decided she might as well not sleep, got up, and draped on some outer clothing. She walked on the path Tian Yao showed her in the morning to go soak in the icy spring.

The frigid spring waters not only healed her injuries but could also calm her mind in times like this.

There was no one around the spring, so Yan Hui took off everything and entered the water. In a split second, the cold water soothed the pain from her injuries.

However, standing was too tiring. Yan Hui looked for someplace she could sit at the edge. She didn't have to search long before she found a slender, smooth thing. It seemed like a branch that fell into the spring. Yan Hui sat down on it and looked at the moon, heaving a big side.

Yan Hui sat there and rested her back against the bank. She slowly closed her eyes and fell into a slight sleep with no dreams.