Painful Sacrifice

She touched both hands, that had become wrinkly, thin and discolored, with her own and clasped them firmly yet softly. Feeling her cold yet soft hands, Vil was now certain that the cold wasn't this room yet curious of the skin care routine she uses to keep her skin so soft.

After examining the hands and his meridians, Lotus came to a conclusion. If she was going to make it up to him for all these years of deception, she may as well start from here...

Closing her eyes, she sent her spiritual sense into him and could see the layout and condition of the body systems. She muttered softly, "Crossing the borders of life and death is a taboo... The harsh flow of the waters has eroded away his years from his body and weakened the meridians..."

Hearing this, Vil sensed a feeling of discomfort and wanted to pull his hands back but was unable to do so and was even more shocked when hearing her words.

"But... a cultivators has endless years of life as long as they continue to grow stronger and a limitless future." She muttered softly and dove into her own soul.

It was then that Vil sudden felt a rush of energy and power flowing though the palm of his hands as though pouring through their touch. Wait...

Through their touch?!

Filled with an ominous premonition, he quickly tried to pull back but was caught a little off guard when she let him go rather easily this time unlike before when an unknown force did not allow him to do so. Upon staring at his hands, he found that the discoloration and wrinkles had vanished in thin air. It was as though they were never there to begin with!

"What did you do?" Vil questioned hesitantly.

However, Lotus simply yawned in response hiding the pain in her, "Nothing much... I'm getting sleepy now from so much excitement. I'm going to bed. Good night..."

She turned around in her covers and went to sleep so quickly that Vil didn't think it was natural!

No. It couldn't have been!

Seeing this, Xiao Li sighed filled with a feeling of his heart aching and worry for his master. How could it have been nothing?!

When Lotus transferred her energy to him, she was literally giving him more years of her life to him so he could live longer. Having touched the waters of the land of the dead, Vil had years of his life torn away from him just so he could save Idia. To save him from rapid aging and living a short life, she had given up a few decades of her potential life span to him! It'd be impossible for her not to feel fatigued or pain after performing such a dangerous sacrifice for someone she dislikes!

Such an act was also a taboo in the cultivator world as it breaks the natural law of the world and brings a shorter life span or instant death to both people should anything go wrong! Moreover, this act is considered to have a very low percentage of success had Lotus not been studying this far longer than they had been with her. Yet, it is still considered a miracle to them that she succeeded while acting all nonchalant about her own accomplishment! This girl...

She's too selfless and kindhearted. It really makes them worry for her well being...

Feeling impending dread over him, Vil recounted her previous words in his head as he whispered quietly to himself, "Crossing the borders of life and death is a taboo. The harsh flow of the waters has eroded away his years from his body and weakened the meridians. But... a cultivators has endless years of life as long as they continue to grow stronger and a limitless future! Don't tell me-!"

He froze in horror and turned to her and reached for her pulse but was quickly relieved when realizing that it was still beating at a steady rhythm. However, the girl's wrist had become so cold that it only made him worry. He had heard that girl's have a lower body temperature than boy's, but was it really this low?

Doubtful, Vil hurriedly snuck out and returned with a few more blankets. Since he can't reveal information about her, he would be unable to leak her presence to Rook or Epel. Epel, especially, is still just a freshman of their dorm. So, it would be improper to involve him in the affairs of the dorm management just yet, even if Vil and Rook have already begun training him to have such a position.

If his guess was correct, then it will make him feel far more bitter than before when he wasn't present to help her.

"This potato..." He grumbled in dismay after covering her with more blankets and touching her forehead again.

It was cold to the touch and her skin was pale like porcelain. Seeing this, he grew quite nervous. However, he waited for another five minutes before checking on her again.

No change.

"This is ridiculous..." Vil grimaced as he felt a little more panicked, "I know she's supposed to have a lower temperature, but this is ridiculous...! Does she know about this? If so, then she hasn't changed at all! In fact, she's just like..."

Vil paused with a startled look across his face. Just like what?

His train of thoughts were broken as a cough broke the silence that had settled with his thoughts. He turned around and froze with a shocked expression across his face.

Scarlet black splattered across to the side of the bed and the pillow with signs that show it had been from her cough. Black blood... like...

Vil quickly pulled out his phone and said, "Mira, Mira. Where is the nearest he-!"

He froze as he realized that he could not get his next word out of his mouth! It was as though his tongue would not move! Upset, he slammed his hand against the bedside table angrily. If he can't call for help, how can he ensure she will live to the next day?!

It had been a long time since he felt this pitiful and it was a feeling he disgusts the most...

Why now?! Why now of all time?!

Suddenly, a flash flickered from the side of his eyes...

.....

As they traversed through the back forest of the dorm, The lush green orchard of apple trees slowly disappeared from their surroundings as a strong indistinguishable bitter scent. Deep within the dark forest, the trees had become a vibrant purple hue with draping curtains of gold leaves hanging from draping branches like willow trees. However...

"You say that this is the right path?" Vil struggled through the brush of thorns dragging the box of medicinal herbs and poison with him and covered this nose and mouth with a handkercheif, "Ugh... So much miasma..."

"That's right." A voice vibrated from the glass-like butterfly, "Normally, those who know of these individuals cannot spread information to others about this. However, our master is well verse with the workings of oaths and laws so much so that she knows other ways to spread the news if she wanted to. However, as the existence of these individuals are important to the founders of the school, she decided to say nothing about it whenever she can."

"Is it those people that she says have a position higher than the current headmaster?" Vil muttered with a shocked expression as he did not think that he would end up having to meet such a person on the same night, "But I thought that you would take me to someone who can help suppress her poison? Are they also able to help her suppress it?"

"Do you think that these individuals were placed in all seven dorms at random?" The butterfly stated in a disappointed tone.

"Looks like there's a story behind this too."

"You can say that. However, I was not around long enough to witness when they first came to found this. Moreover, I was contracted by master in this school recently, so my knowledge of the history of the school only dates back around half a century or so." The voice in the butterfly responded.

"Were you also an individual of this dorm?" Vil questioned curiously.

"No." The butterfly replied, "I came from the Savannaclaw dormitory."

"Savanaclaw dormitory?!" Vil looked to the butterfly with a shocked expression.

"That's correct. It was only recently that I was contracted and given the name Crystal by my master, which grants me leave of the dorm." Crystal replied, "However, I am not the one in charge of the task to protect that dorm and its inhabitants. That would belong to my superior. I am simply her eyes and ears within the dorm to help ensure the safety of it. Due to this, I am well verse with the situation of each dorms on the surface."

"Then, if you left, who will watch over those guys?" Vil raised a brow.

"The environment of the dormitory is dry and scarce in life. However, it is not devoid of life. Our leader is a flower spirit deep in the outskirts of the dormitory. In the past, the elephant graveyard was a place filled with corpse poison and any who come in contact with it would become weak, old, and sick. Our leader had been battling against its power for decades since it was formed. With the appearance of our master, the poison has been neutralized and it has helped our leader regain control of that area. With that, her power and influence has grown so powerful that she can see and listen to the situation of the dorm with the help of other plant spirits working under her. Moreover, I have distant relatives living in that dorm who are also working under her as well. With her power, the dorm will be all right."