Heart Protection

HEART PROTECTION: CHAPTER 78

After that, Yan Hui went to the cold spring every night, but Tian Yao was never there.

After a few days, Yan Hui still wasn't fully healed. However, compared to her previous condition, she was in a much state. She thought that after 10 more days, her muscles and bones would be completely healed. That cold spring was really potent.

These days, Huan Xiao Yan giddily roamed around everywhere within Qing Qiu. She made friends everywhere. It was like she was making up for the past few decades of missed making-friends fun. Everyday during Huan Xiao Yan's free time, she would bring back gossip for Yan Hui to hear.

For example, Yan Hui being able to soak in the cold spring to heal actually wasn't an easy matter.

According to Huan Xiao Yan, this spring was made by Qing Qiu's king especially for his human wife to extend her life. He found the most spiritually magical piece of land and used magic to gather the purest water with no magical bias. When the queen was still alive, only she could bathe in the spring. After the queen passed, only seriously injued nine-tailed fox demons were allowed to soak in the waters to heal.

And the only reason why Yan Hui could soak in the waters is because that millennial dragon exchanged an unknown something with the king.

 It was Tian Yao who found an opportunity to step in. 

After finding this out, Yan Hui wanted to look for Tian Yao to thank and also to start studying "Demon Bestowal" with him. It was only by getting stronger that she could revenge others and also repay her debt.

But no matter where Yan Hui looked these days, she didn't see Tian Yao.

Yan Hui meticulously looked for Tian Yao but still didn't find him. Then she realized he was avoiding her. With their large gap in cultivation, even if Yan Hui gained the ability to see through things, she still wouldn't be able to find Tian Yao.

Yan Hui thought it was hilarious. Could it be that millennial dragon was shy because she pulled down his clothes? At that time, didn't he have a very calm and collected expression?! What was he hiding for?

She couldn't think it through. Based on her personality of avoiding troublesome things, Yan Hui didn't feel like concerning herself over him. Anyways........

He would have to show up eventually.

Anyways, he wouldn't leave Qing Qiu, and he wouldn't leave her. Yan Hui touched her chest. After all, she had his heart protection scale. It might be that right now she didn't trust anyone, but she did trust Tian Yao.

Today, Yan Hui was in her room reading "Demon Bestowal." In the book, there were many words she didn't know well. Also, some of the heart techniques in the book were the complete opposite of the heart techniques she learned as a xian cultivator. She read for a long time, but it was all muddled. This was originally a book for demon cultivation. Perhaps without Tian Yao, she really couldn't learn it.

Yan Hui was worrying about this when Huan Xiao Yan suddenly charged in through her window. Huan Xiao Yan had grown used to roaming about as she wished in her illusion palace. She didn't care where the main entrance was. As long as there was a convenient entrance, it was good enough for her. She didn't follow the rules, and Yan Hui didn't mind her. Yan Hui just shifted her posture and continued to study the book: "Don't bother me. I'm reading."

"Master, weren't you going to look for Tian Yao these few days?"

Yan Hui didn't put down her book, but her ears did perk up at those words.

"I just saw him."

Yan Hui stayed silent for awhile. In the end, she looked over: "Where?"

However Huan Xiao Yan asked back: "Weren't you reading? I won't bother you. I'm going back to ask for more cake."

Yan Hui turned over, grabbed the back of Huan Xiao Yan's collar, and turned her around. Yan Hui was originally going to keep asking, but when she saw the cake in Huan Xiao Yan's hand, she was stunned: "What's that?"

"Moon cake. Master, have you not seen one before?"

Of course Yan Hui had seen them before. It was just that the shape of Central Plain's moon cakes were a little different than Qing Qiu's moon cakes.

Yan Hui asked in surprise: "Today is the Autumn Moon Festival?"

Huan Xiao Yan nodded: "Yep."

A tremor ran down Yan Hui's body. She flipped off the bed: "What time is it?" She didn't wait for the illusion demon to respond and ran to the window. The sky was already starting to darken. She asked as she hurriedly put on her shoes: "Where did you say you saw Tian Yao?"

Huan Xiao Yan was stunned by Yan Hui's agitation and numbly replied: "That path you normally take to go to the spring........."

Huan Xiao Yan didn't even finish before Yan Hui jerked open the door and hurriedly ran toward the spring.

Today was the Autumn Moon Festival. It was when the moon was at the biggest it would ever be for that year. Tian Yao suffered every night of the full moon. Tian Yao would likely suffer through even more pain than usual tonight. Even though he found many of his body parts, it seemed like the pain he felt hadn't lessened by much.

By the time Yan Hui ran into the forest, the full moon was already starting to peek over the east mountain peak.

There were many demons races that had a particular reaction to the full moon. Some would become especially calm, others especially irritable. That's why even though Yan Hui was walking on a familiar path, the forest had a different feel than normal.

The moonlight turned the forest hazy. Yan Hui was almost at the healing spring. She could faintly see an enormous animal rolling around on the ground. It so just happened that Yan Hui was completely focused on what she saw when suddenly a great force rushed at her out of the corner of her eye. Yan Hui was caught completely unawares and fell onto the ground.

Its fur was prickly, and its breath reeked of blood. The smell assaulted Yan Hui's nose. She didn't even get a chance to see what type of demon had lunged at her when it went straight for her throat. 

Those hot teeth had already touched Yan Hui's skin when in a flash, a dragon's roar seemed to come from a distance.

Yan Hui had already stiffened. In a blink of an eye, the demon that was pinning down Yan Hui disappeared. Off to the side came a pain-filled animal wail.

Yan Hui crawled about 3 meters away in the opposite direction. Only then did she turned her head back to look. The moonlight cast shadows due to the trees. In the shadowy darkness, there were no demons seen clashing. Only the sounds of brutal hits could be heard, like a primal fight. However after a short period, there was no more trace of any movement.

Yan Hui no longer had any magic in her body She squinted her eyes and tried to peer into the darkness to see what the situation was, but it was all for naught.

She supported herself using the tree behind her and stood up. She called out: "Tian Yao?"

There was no movement. She made up her mind and walked forward. Right when she moved, there was a sudden gust of wind from that direction. The dragon immediately soared upwards into the sky. Yan Hui looked up and watched the dragon soar into the sky. He had a clean, crisp silhouette against the enormous moon.

However, he didn't fly far before he started to struggle, falling from the sky. It was clear to the eye that he was struggling hard to steady his body, but the pain was too much. He couldn't control it.

There was a "boom". The dragon fell into the healing spring in front of Yan Hui. Water splashed everywhere, and the surroundings were thrown into wet disarray.

Yan Hui broke into a run and sprinted to the spring.

By the time Yan Hui reached the spring, Tian Yao had already struggled out of the water. The bright moonlight illuminated his entire body. Yan Hui stared wide-eyed at his beaten, injured body. She was shocked speechless. 

Was that a dragon?

Every single scale had been peeled off. Every single place where scale once grew was now a wound. Some wounds were so deep that bone could be seen underneath. From head to tail, no a single inch of him wasn't injured. There were too many wounds clustered all over his body. It was so much that one couldn't help feeling their scalp tingling from dread.

IT was only when Yan Hui saw this sight that she realized how much Tian Yao had downplayed how appalling was the technique used to gouge out the heart and peel the bones.

He laid there, writhing on the ground. It was like the pain was so intense that he wanted to die.

"Tian Yao........."

Yan Hui called out his name and took a step forward.

That call seemed to rouse Tian Yao. He turned his head and suddenly growled like he was warning her not to get closer, not to come over. He fixed his eyes on her. His tail swept forward like he was trying to hide his scarred body.

Yan Hui gritted her teeth and staunchly looked at him: "Doesn't my blood help you endure it a little?" She took two steps forward and stuck out her wrist. "Here."

Tian Yao retreated. Yan Hui advanced.

Long dragon whiskers waved in the air. The arc they waved seemed to be refusing Yan Hui's approach.

Yan Hui steeled her heart and bit her wrist to draw blood. The bite wasn't deep, but it was enough for blood to well out. The smell of blood flowed out. In a short while, the blood smell permeated the area.

Tian Yao started to become restless.

Yan Hui continued forward.

It was finally more than Tian Yao could bear. With a hiss, he pounced at Yan Hui. She didn't dodge nor duck. Wind blew past her, lifting her black hair and robe.

Tian Yao leapt in front of Yan Hui but actually only used his horns to push her back. He pushed her until her back hit a tree. Then he drew back, meaning to leave.

Yan Hui didn't even hesitate and reached out to grab his horns: "Drink my blood." It was almost an order. "If this can put you at ease, then pick this quick, easy method. It doesn't hurt me, and I won't lose that much blood."

Tian Yao swung his head, but Yan Hui firmly held onto his horns.

He suddenly opened his eyes and struggled to get free. He opened his ernormous mouth and roared at Yan Hui. The ground shook. His tail recklessly beat against the ground. It seemed to be partially out of anger at Yan Hu and also due to the uncontrollable pain.

Yan Hui didn't care. She took advantage of Tian Yao's open mouth and smeared her bloodied wrist against his tongue.

Her blood seemed to be a great temptation for Tian Yao. After all, this was the medicine that would bring relief to his extreme pain. It would be tempting to anyone.

Tian Yao's tail whipped around and broke a thick tree trunk. His head surged forward, and his sharp teeth stopped at Yan Hui's neck. 

"That place won't work." Yan Hui didn't move. She just calmly continued, "I'll die if you bite there. You can't bite there." They were so close. She could hear the rumble in his throat. There was a violent internal struggle going on.

Finally, his teeth left her throat. His nose touched Yan Hui's chest and growled. It was like an animal giving a warning, yet it also had the coyness of a hurt animal seeking confort.

Yan Hui force her wrist through the gaps in his fangs and rubbed her blood on his teeth.

Tian Yao struggled. Yan Hui used almost all her strength to hold her head and slowly dripped her blood into his mouth. The warmth brought by her blood slowly entered in his body.

The moon still hung in the sky, yet Tian Yao slowly calmed down.

Yan Hui's back rested against the tree, and Tian Yao's head rested against her chest. He was such a formidable figure, but right now he looked like a sated, pampered pet. The two of them stood there in the night like a painting.

An unknown amount of time passed. The moon was slowly covered up by a dark cloud.

Tian Yao's body gradually weakened. His body glowed and then in a flash transformed back into a human.

The moment he turned back into his human form, Tian Yao started to fall towards the ground. Yan Hui hurriedly clutched at his waist and supported his body. That's when she found out that Tian Yao was actually..........completely naked.

It made sense when Yan Hui thought about it.......before when Tian Yao came out of the spring, he still had magic, and his mind was clear. Of course, he knew to form clothes to wear. However, now he was unconscious. There was no way he would remember to form clothes.........

Yan Hui looked down at his naked body.

"I guess this considers as finding you." Saying that, she struggled out of her outer robe and draped it over Tian Yao. Then she slid down into a sitting position, letting Tian Yao peacefully sleep on her legs.

She looked at the moon peaking out from behind the cloud and heaved a sigh of relief. She stayed awake the entire night. For her, who no longer had any magic, this consumed a lot of effort.

But she endured through the night until it was finally over.

Yan Hui looked down at Tian Yao who was sleeping like a baby. She brushed at the sweat-dampened hair at his temples and recalled his wound-riddled body. Yan Hui couldn't help murmuring: "So you went to the spring to also heal injuries........"

".......didn't want to be seen......."

Yan Hui was surprised. She didn't clearly here what Tian Yao was muttering. It was like he was sleep talking. "What did you say?"

"I didn't want to be seen by you. The ugly me."

Those muttered words for some reason suddenly transformed into a barbed whip. Pain lashed in Yan Hui's heart. A bitter taste rose in the throat.

So that's why when she went to the healing spring, he didn't want to come out. It was unexpectedly because he had that kind of image hidden in his heart.

He raised his tail, so she could proper herself up on it and peacefully sleep through the night. When he hid his head underwater, was he hiding such an inferior image of himself.........

Yan Hui stroked his cheek: "The truly ugly one was never you." Yan Hui continued, "The ugly one is the one that hurt you."