Chapter 281: He Is Still Most Adorable When Weak

To be honest, this incident wasn't so exaggerated as to claim it was "life-threatening."

Lu Xingzhou knew it was an overload for him, but he still believed he could manage with the Shadow Moon Sect's four-quadrant formation. He was merely serving as a central conduit and never imagined it could be fatal.

The injuries he sustained were neither light nor critically severe. Any damage to the spirit or mental exhaustion is a very serious matter; he still lay in bed, unable to even lift a finger. Yet, they weren't so severe as to require a high-grade elixir like the Jade Pond Creation Pill for treatment.

Taking a Jade Pond Creation Pill might even offer some benefits for his upcoming third-grade breakthrough...

In truth, during the actual event, he had no mind to think of anything superfluous. It was simply a matter of "She's fighting; what can I do to help?" He thought it, and he did it—nothing more.

He certainly hadn't considered asking for any "reward" for it... Even if he were to tease her for one later, it would just be his usual playful banter.

Lu Xingzhou had never imagined that this "Sir" would actually initiate a kiss with him. What was she thinking at that moment?

In any case, after that kiss, his feelings changed when he looked at her again.

She was now sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, her delicate scent close by, her waist within reach. He felt as though if he were to embrace her, she wouldn't refuse.

Unfortunately, his arms were weak; he couldn't move at all.

Moonlight filtered through the window lattice onto the bed, illuminating her profile. With her eyes closed in meditation, she looked serene and noble, like a perfect Jade Guanyin statue.

To say she resembled Yuan Muyu, at least in terms of temperament, the difference was too stark; no one would mistake them.

Another unmistakable difference was their chest measurements, which were at opposite ends of the spectrum. Yuan Muyu had barely any curve—a damn flat-chested little demoness. He wondered if all the nutrients in this area had been stolen by her elder sister...

He was thinking too much; his mind couldn't take it. A stinging pain still pulsed through his Sea of Consciousness, and Lu Xingzhou instinctively groaned.

Night Listening Wave immediately opened her eyes, her voice unconsciously anxious: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lu Xingzhou said, offering a weak smile. "My Sea of Consciousness feels a stinging sensation. It's probably a normal aftereffect."

For some reason, his current weak and fragile state filled Night Listening Wave with an overwhelming sense of beauty and a fierce urge to protect him. She couldn't help but recall earlier years, when he sat broken in a wheelchair, his body afflicted with residual toxins from childhood and organ damage. Wasn't he even more of a delicate beauty then?

A few more coughs would have completed the picture.

He was certainly much cuter than his current lively, teasing self. Yuan Muyu must have really enjoyed herself back then.

The thought flashed through her mind, but her words were scolding: "What normal aftereffect? Don't pretend you're an expert! You're the patient; are you diagnosing yourself now?"

"...I'm an alchemist."

"What do you know about spiritual injuries? Just be quiet," Night Listening Wave said, reaching out to place the back of her hand on his forehead for a moment. She let out a sigh of relief. "Hmm, it really isn't a major issue. Rest more, and think less."

Lu Xingzhou squinted at her.

Night Listening Wave couldn't maintain her composure. "What? Do you think you're ready to teach now?"

"No," Lu Xingzhou held back, then finally said, "You just swore."

"I can't swear, but your Yama Lord can, is that it?"

Lu Xingzhou: "..."

What even is this?

Night Listening Wave realized her slip-up. She took several deep breaths to compose herself, then her voice softened: "Close your eyes and rest. Clear your mind. If I find out you're plotting any more cheeky thoughts, I'll know how to deal with you."

Lu Xingzhou: "..."

So the stinging pain just now was because I thought about her chest? Is that why she scolded me?

But how did you know what I was thinking?

Lu Xingzhou cautiously said, "Sir..."

"What is it?"

"I feel medicinal energy nourishing my spirit, but I can't guide or use it, unlike internal medicine where I can direct its absorption myself."

"Naturally. You haven't even begun cultivating your spirit."

"Then is there a way to help guide its absorption? I don't want to keep lying here."

Actually, Night Listening Wave really did want him to keep lying there. He was so well-behaved when he was like this... Once he could move, who knew what mischief he'd be up to again.

But seeing his pitiful expression, Night Listening Wave's heart softened in the end, and she whispered, "Just lie still. I... I'll help you."

She paused, then gently leaned down, pressing her forehead against his.

This posture was almost identical to the stolen kiss earlier... Foreheads met, noses touched, and they could both feel each other's warm breath, a tingling sensation. Their lips were just a pout away from touching.

"Stop your wild thoughts," Night Listening Wave's own voice trembled, yet she managed to maintain a cool tone. "Close your eyes, and focus."

Lu Xingzhou closed his eyes.

He soon felt a spiritual connection, as if a celestial maiden from the Ninth Heaven had gracefully entered his Sea of Consciousness, dancing lightly.

Guided by her, the medicinal energy seeped bit by bit into his Soul Sea, feeling comfortable and pleasant, making him drowsy and muddled.

He felt as if a little strength had returned, and his hands seemed able to move.

Almost instinctively, he reached out and wrapped his arms around the waist above him.

Night Listening Wave stiffened. Her spirit swiftly retreated from Lu Xingzhou's Sea of Consciousness, and she was about to scold him. But then she saw that Lu Xingzhou was half-asleep, murmuring indistinctly, "Don't go..."

There was still some cold sweat on his temples, and his weak, uncomfortable appearance softened Night Listening Wave's heart once more. Her scolding turned into gentle reassurance: "Alright, alright, I won't go."

In reality, Lu Xingzhou's instinct was telling the "celestial maiden" in his Sea of Consciousness not to withdraw, but in reality, it manifested as him holding "Sir" and telling her not to leave.

Night Listening Wave sighed softly, allowing him to hold her, remaining motionless for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, a rooster crowed in the distance, and dawn began to break in the sky.

Lu Xingzhou woke up again, only to find "Sir" tightly embraced in his arms, her head nestled in his shoulder, sleeping soundly.

—She was also recovering from injuries; having rested comfortably for so long, she had naturally fallen into a deep sleep.

Lu Xingzhou gazed at her intently. Just as Night Listening Wave felt a softening of the heart and a protective instinct when she saw him weak and sleeping, he felt similar emotions seeing Night Listening Wave sleeping so soundly, like a little girl, sprawled on him.

I see the green mountains so charming, and I expect the green mountains see me likewise.

The rooster crows grew more frequent. Night Listening Wave groggily woke up. Her eyes still closed, she instinctively reached out and felt something strange.

Then, with a start, she came fully awake and abruptly opened her eyes, meeting Lu Xingzhou's gentle, smiling gaze.

"Damn it..." Night Listening Wave cursed herself inwardly. This was an absolutely inexcusable lapse and mistake. Both of them were injured, and there was no one keeping watch; it would be a disaster if someone tried to assassinate them. Moreover, sleeping in each other's arms like this was undeniably too intimate.

But for some reason, the feeling of being nestled in his embrace was so relaxing, so devoid of any thoughts, that she just fell asleep like that.

Night Listening Wave abruptly broke free from his embrace, sat upright, and tried to make her voice sound nonchalantly calm: "How's your recovery?"

Lu Xingzhou struggled to prop himself up into a sitting position. "Still weak and drained, but I can manage to move now, unlike yesterday when even moving a finger was hard."

Night Listening Wave nodded with a tight expression. "Spiritual injuries are inherently the most difficult type of injury to recover from. It's only been half a night; it's good that you can move... Does your head still hurt?"

Lu Xingzhou felt it. "I can't focus on thinking; I get dizzy if I try."

Night Listening Wave suddenly laughed. "For you, doesn't that mean you've lost your greatest asset?"

Lu Xingzhou also laughed. "No."

"Don't you rely on your brain to make a living?"

"Occasionally, one can also live off someone else's generosity. My greatest asset right now is you, Sir."

Night Listening Wave raised her palm as if to strike him, and Lu Xingzhou put on a wronged expression.

Night Listening Wave's heart immediately softened. Annoyed, she turned and got out of bed: "I'll go get you something to eat. Just rest easy."

A moment later, Night Listening Wave returned with a bowl of porridge. After a moment's hesitation, she simply handed it to him: "Since your hands can move now, drink it yourself."

As it turned out, Lu Xingzhou's hands could move, but he had no strength, and the bowl of porridge trembled in his grip.

Night Listening Wave sighed in exasperation and took the bowl back. "I really owe you!"

After saying that, she scooped a small spoonful, blew on it, and brought it to Lu Xingzhou's lips.

Lu Xingzhou just stared at her fixedly, not opening his mouth for a long time.

"What are you staring at?" Night Listening Wave said, annoyed. "If you don't eat, I'm taking it away."

"I'll eat," Lu Xingzhou said, opening his mouth. Then he whispered, "Thank you."

Night Listening Wave stirred the spoon in the bowl, and after a moment, said, "I should be thanking you first. But Xingzhou..."

"Hm?"

"Don't fight so hard like that again in the future. This was a super-grade battle, you..."

Lu Xingzhou cut her off: "If you could just be a bit more considerate, I wouldn't need to fight so hard."

Night Listening Wave's eyebrows shot up.

Lu Xingzhou sighed: "You shouldn't have directly engaged in something like this by yourself. Even if you don't trust the Shadow Moon Sect, you could have gone to places like the Snow Listening Pavilion and called a few first-grade cultivators to form a formation. That would at least pose a threat in a super-grade battle. The human world is our home ground. No matter how many complex gambits or confusing friend-or-foe situations arise, the power we can leverage far exceeds that of a lone wanderer like him. Why would you... Hiss..."

As he spoke, he uncomfortably hammered his head; simply organizing these thoughts made him dizzy and muddled.

Night Listening Wave helplessly reached out and massaged his temples. "Alright, alright, only you get to scold people. Are you going to eat or not?"

"I'll eat."

Night Listening Wave scooped another spoonful to his mouth: "At that time, when I was tracking him, he had already sensed it. I didn't have time to find other helpers, or else he would have noticed you... I did it to protect you. Do you really think I like being a lone wolf? You think you're so smart."

Lu Xingzhou stared blankly at her, finally saying nothing more.

The two of them silently finished the porridge. Night Listening Wave, still annoyed, placed the bowl on the nearby table. "Now I finally understand why Ah Nuo always roasts sweet potatoes – how convenient! From tomorrow, no more porridge. Sweet potatoes or steamed buns, you choose."

Lu Xingzhou tentatively asked, "How many more days do I need to stay in bed?"

"I'm not sure. It depends on your own recovery ability, but at least three to five days are needed," Night Listening Wave sighed. "The divination at the time of our departure has all come true. I don't even know when we'll return to Daqian now. We said we'd be back in a month when we left... and that's almost over."

"Glaciers where nothing thrives, a secret realm where heaven and earth do not meet. Expeditions are ominous, with no benefit."

"A returning maiden delayed, a late return in time."

But thinking of how Night Listening Wave had gently fed him spoonful by spoonful just now, Lu Xingzhou felt that the original divination couldn't have been more auspicious. He could spend any amount of time living in reclusion here.