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Chapter 20: An Illness That Needs Healing
🕑 Added 2025-01-25 09:56:10 +0000 UTCIn fact, Gu Baiyi had aggravated her previous injuries during the fight; she had been pushing through the pain, but now it was becoming unbearable.
Her dark robes, with intricate silver threads pressed into cloud patterns, were originally of a deep color, so even with the blood, it wasn’t immediately noticeable.
She had planned to surrender once she reached her limit, but upon seeing her next opponent was Ji Rong, she decided to push herself further.
After all, her senior sister was quite intriguing.
At this moment, however, Gu Baiyi was lying limp in Ji Rong’s arms, unable to get up.
Ji Rong had a faint plum fragrance mixed with the scent of snow pine from Wantangju, different from the usual incense; the fragrance around her was pure and cold.
Ji Rong’s brow furrowed slightly, and there seemed to be a hint of irritation in her phoenix eyes. Coldly, she commanded, “Get up.”
But Gu Baiyi found it amusing and didn’t want to rise.
Her face was pale, and she weakly gazed at Ji Rong, offering no response.
Then, she tilted her head and fainted.
The spectators in the martial arena had no idea about any of this.
Sitting in the front row, the disciples stared at the blood on Ji Rong’s clothes and Gu Baiyi, who had fainted. They assumed that Gu Baiyi had been seriously injured by Ji Rong in the battle.
The disciples, eager for gossip, chattered among themselves: “Senior Sister Ji is really something, she even defeated Senior Sister Gu. But isn’t it a bit much to hurt someone so badly in a sparring match? Isn’t that kind of ruthless?”
“Exactly! Even if they have a rivalry, it shouldn’t have gone this far. Look at all the blood Senior Sister Gu lost…”
“I’m telling you, you don’t understand. Gu Baiyi might seem fierce, but she’s actually been holding back against Ji Rong. I saw it clearly—she even retracted her sword in that one move. It’s not like Ji Rong, who kept pressing the attack... Those sword strikes were terrifying!”
【Ding! Congratulations, Player! Reputation +10, Morale -5】
Ji Rong: “?”
Congratulations? Whose system is this, anyway?
Yun Yang hurried to the arena and was shocked when he saw the blood on Ji Rong’s robes. “Why… why is Gu Baiyi so severely injured?”
“I’m not sure,” Ji Rong replied.
She looked at the unconscious Gu Baiyi resting on her shoulder, fighting the urge to push her away. Her expression remained neutral as she stared at Yun Yang.
The clueless NPC couldn’t tell what was going on, but with his cultivation level, he should have figured it out by now, right?
Yun Yang didn’t understand the situation, but his priority was to check the severity of Gu Baiyi’s injuries.
He moved toward her and was about to raise his hand to take her pulse.
However, to his surprise, the person who should have been unconscious was gripping Ji Rong tightly, her fists clenched with no intention of letting go.
The pale blue fabric was drenched in blood, and Gu Baiyi’s knuckles were nearly translucent.
She was faintly breathing, her body resting against Ji Rong, and the dark robes had deepened in color from the blood.
Yun Yang said, “What... what should I do? Gu Baiyi won’t let me take her pulse.”
Ji Rong looked down at the “dying” Gu Baiyi and silently cursed the female lead’s ancestors in her mind.
She knew exactly why Gu Baiyi wouldn’t let Yun Yang check her pulse. If he found signs of reversed meridians or a demonic energy imbalance, he would certainly wonder how Gu Baiyi’s pulse was so chaotic but she hadn’t died.
Death wasn’t possible, after all—people who cultivated both righteous and demonic paths often had chaotic meridians.
But according to the game’s mechanics, if the protagonist died, she couldn’t continue the quest. So for now, all Ji Rong could do was help Gu Baiyi cover up the truth.
Ji Rong spoke to Yun Yang calmly. “Senior Yun, don’t worry. Senior Sister Gu’s old injuries have flared up, which has aggravated her internal wounds.”
Yun Yang looked around, his face clearly saying, "Are you sure it’s just internal injuries?"
Ji Rong ignored his expression, her tone steady as she continued to spin her story. “Senior Sister Gu’s old wounds haven’t healed, so she’s unable to continue fighting. I’ll treat her injuries first.”
With that, she lifted Gu Baiyi in her arms, clearly intending to leave the arena.
Yun Yang looked puzzled.
Are you sure you know how to heal? You’re not going to kill her by accident, are you?
【Ding! It has been detected that your current Reputation ≥40, Aura ≥10. The “Stop Her” plotline will be automatically skipped.】
Yun Yang wanted to stop Ji Rong, but the pressure around her was so intense that he couldn’t bring himself to interfere.
For some reason, whenever he met Ji Rong’s cold gaze, it felt as though she was looking at him the way one would look at an inanimate object.
Ji Rong’s gaze had never truly rested on anyone.
Her eyes were cold and indifferent, as if she were a celestial being who looked down on everything. It was only when she gazed at the woman in her arms that any hint of emotion stirred within her, adding a touch of warmth to her otherwise detached demeanor.
Thus, Yun Yang silently stood in place, watching as Ji Rong carried Gu Baiyi out of the arena, not making a move to stop her.
It was better to avoid trouble—matters between the younger generation were best left untouched.
But there was still one issue to deal with…
By the rules, since Gu Baiyi’s sword had fallen to the ground last, Ji Rong should be the winner. However, Ji Rong had injured a fellow disciple, which was a violation of the rules, so it couldn’t really be counted as a victory.
But if Gu Baiyi was considered the winner, with the arena master gone, what should be done?
The disciples fell silent, and Yun Yang was left uncertain in the wind.
After a long pause, he came up with an idea. Pointing at the bloodstains outside the arena, he coolly announced, “Both Ji Rong and Gu Baiyi have stepped out of bounds. The match is a draw. Everyone, please proceed with the next round in order.”
The disciples were once again silent.
The arena master had been carried off—who still wanted to fight?
Yun Yang, however, swept his whisk, his voice calm as he added, “Next disciple, please come up to guard the arena.”
Mo Yan looked at the water mirror, surprised to see his name appear. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling somewhat confused.
The arena master... is me?
Ji Rong had walked quite a distance, carrying Gu Baiyi, before she finally coldly asked, “Senior Sister Gu, are you planning to stay unconscious?”
Gu Baiyi remained still in her arms, her breathing slow and steady.
Ji Rong furrowed her brow slightly.
Gu Baiyi’s eyes were closed, and her limbs were relaxed.
At that moment, the female lead dropped her usual fake smile, and her eyelids fluttered slightly, her features softening into a more natural expression.
Could she really be asleep?
No way. No one could possibly fall asleep in their enemy’s arms, could they?
Clearly, Ji Rong didn’t believe it.
Yet, as she held Gu Baiyi in her arms, she couldn’t help but notice how soft her body was, except for her shoulder blades which felt a little sharp.
Not to mention, Gu Baiyi’s face was quite beautiful. Holding a pretty woman wasn’t such a bad thing.
So, Ji Rong stopped worrying about whether the female lead was pretending to sleep or actually asleep.
In any case, she was getting some blood back.
As Ji Rong shifted her gaze, Gu Baiyi, nestled in her arms, shamelessly inhaled the cold fragrance surrounding the woman.
Through the thin gauze, she could almost feel the coolness of Ji Rong’s skin.
That temperature always reminded her of the pale neck from the cold pond, a soft sensation that resembled the jade of Zhong Mountain or the osmanthus cake she ate as a child—so tempting, it made her want to…
Want to bite down.
Just as Gu Baiyi was thinking this, the arm around her waist suddenly loosened.
Before she knew it, Ji Rong had thrown her onto the bed.
The force was heavy, as if trying to wake her up.
Gu Baiyi frowned, feigning that she had just woken up. She slowly opened her eyes and, lifting her head, saw the blood on Ji Rong’s clothes and the indifferent look in her eyes.
Ji Rong sat on the edge of the bed, watching her calmly. Then, she reached out and grabbed Gu Baiyi’s outer robe.
Gu Baiyi instinctively grasped Ji Rong’s hand to stop her from tearing off her clothes, offering a weak smile. “Senior Sister, what are you doing?”
Her tone was gentle, but a flash of coldness flickered in her eyes.
“What do you mean?” Ji Rong casually brushed Gu Baiyi’s hand away, and for the first time, a faint smile appeared on her face.
“What else would I be doing? Of course, I’m treating your injuries.”
