Finally Awake

Lei Mingxing slowly opened her eyes, visions of her disjointed dream still plaguing her mind.

Familiar, boney hands clutching a blossoming flower, weakily crushing it as drops of red flowed down his arms. A flash of bright violet, the same color as the light she had seen just before her death, blinding her before revealing a vision of black, scorched land and various skeletons scattered around.

Suddenly, an intense headache pierced her mind, preventing her from recalling more of the dream.

And it wasn't like she just gave up after that, she tried pushing through the pain but she was unable to remember anything else, no matter how hard she tried.

With a sigh, Lei Mingxing got up.

She was laying in a bed, inside a room with a familiar wooden roof and furniture.

How did she get back to their room in the forge? Last thing she remembered was falling unconscious in the Dark Spirit Woods.

Actually, she hadn't intended on passing out, just quietly resting for a bit, waiting for her body to recover as usual. But this time, it felt like her body had undergone too much strain, falling unconscious and confining her in these confusing dreams she couldn't even remember anymore.

This had never happened before.

Slightly worried, Lei Mingxing used some Qi to examine the inside of her body, making sure that everything was alright.

She froze.

Her inner Qi had tripled! Also, it wasn't just a fog-like stream anymore, showing clear signs of gradually clumping together.

Qi Condensation!

Her cultiavtion had already reached the stage of Qi Condensation and that only in the span of a few days!

Lei Mingxing summoned a small flame in excitement. Controlling the fire, she let it swell and shrink while it flickered vigorously.

Great, she was already at the final step of the Initial Stage, now she had at least some combat capabilities.

Of course, she was still no match to most cultivators. Especially the ones she swore vengence on, but it was a very promising start nonetheless.

After her emotions calmed down somewhat, Lei Mingxing finally got off the bed.

She looked down at her inner robes now that she was no longer covered by the blanked.

Brown blood stains stained her light colored robes, there was even some crusty dried blood still beneath.

So Lei Mingxing slipped out of her clothes and washed off the dried blood with a towel that lay next to the water basin, before changing into the white and blue set of robes she had bought previously. The other one was nowhere to be seen and Lei Mingxing could guess why.

A sad sigh escaped her lips.

She really burned through these new clothes much faster than she would like.

Finally, Lei Mingxing brushed her hair but left it open, as she couldn't find a hair needle.

Quietly, she exited the room and left to look for any one of the other people currently living in the forge.

There was no one to be found in the living room and kitchen, but that was to be expected at this time of day.

Lei Mingxing descended the stairs to the workshop, where she finally saw Jing Jiang sitting hunched over the 'break' table with his back facing her.

"Good Morning" , Lei Mingxing greeted, startling Jing Jiang.

But immediately after, he practically jumped off his seat and ran towards her with a relieved light in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, and hugged her tightly.

Lei Mingxing's initial impulse was to push him away but she hesitated.

Ultimately dropping her arms and enduring the other's overwhelming hug.

"I'm so glad you're alright! When I saw you four days ago, with all that blood and that b*stard's son all over you, I was so scared you wouldn't wake up again. Chang Liuyun also stopped us from taking you to a doctor, I was so worried..." , Jing Jiang rambled with such relief in his voice that Lei Mingxing couldn't help comforting him a bit by lightly patting his back.

It was strange.

Even though Jing Jiang was hugging her so tightly, almost suffocating her, she didn't feel that repulsed, the opposite actually.

But it still didn't prevent her from taking in the meaning of Jing Jiang's words.

She had been unconscious for four days?!

This number felt almost surreal to her who barely slept the amount absolutely nessescary. The only good thing was that Chang Liuyun had thought to not let a doctor examine her, the less people knew about her special physique the better.

Lei Mingxing coughed awkwardly.

"How did we get back? And did something happen during these four days?"

Jing Jiang gently let go of Lei Mingxing. With a serious expression on his face, he began recounting what happened four days ago.

"Well, the morning was pretty normal until you returned in the early afternoon. Two men, clad in all black, brought you back, along with Suan Bi's brat. Apparently, they had been on their way to the Dark Stone Clearing when they found your group aimlessly travelling through the Dark Spirit Woods, at least that's what Chang Liuyun told me. They picked you up and brought you back which is good, but,... they somehow gave me bad feeling. For example, their mounts, two Dragon-Blood Horses, these spirit beasts are very expensive, almost unaffordable. Even most mercenaries wouldn't be able to recognize them because of how rare they are, instead thinking that they're simply Lizard Back Steeds. Also, their equipment seemed to be of very high quality. All together it just feels fishy."

"But that wasn't the most concerning thing for me," Jing Jiang looked directly into Lei Mingxing's eyes with concerned brows, "You were covered with so much blood and Suan Bi's brat was carrying you on top of that. I thought he had done something to you, but Chang Liuyun wouldn't tell me anything. Still, I'm sure that brat is the reason you ended up like that, that pair of father and son is just too rotten. But don't worry, I told him not to bother you anymore."

Lei Mingxing furrowed her brows at Jing Jiang's words, and he assumed it was because she was worried for him.

"Don't worry," Jing Jiang gave her an assuring smile, "I have been dealing with Suan Bi and his son for over ten years, I'm already familiar with their tricks."

Jing Jiang's expression darkened again.

"But this also means no more dangerous ventures into the Dark Spirit Woods."

"Although I don't know what happened, please don't go there again, you should know how dangerous it is."

Jing Jiang's words and grave eyes made Lei Mingxing recall the Red Jade Tiger, causing an unknown emotion to surge inside her body. She instinctually bowed her head slightly.

Jing Jiang continued his scolding: "You looked so weak, but Chang Liuyun wouldn't let me take you to a doctor or anything of the sorts, practically locking both of you away in your room. No matter how long my father and me begged, he didn't even let us inside most of the time. He probably thought we would take you away when he didn't pay attention, only today was I able to convince him to leave and go buy herbs for a faster recovery."

Jing Jiang abruptly stopped talking, looking at Lei Mingxing with a hint of guilt in his eyes.

Actually, he had really planned to take advantage of Chang Liuyun's exhaustion and desperation, to trick him into leaving, so that he would be able to smuggle her out the forge and bring her to a doctor.

Fortunately, Lei Mingxing woke up just in time.

Brushing all these unpleasant topics aside, Jing Jiang asked Lei Mingxing whether she was hungry. She absentmindedly nodded in response.

Quickly putting a closed sign in the showcase, Jing Jiang locked the store, but left the back door open, before walking to the living room with Lei Mingxing in tow, planning on preparing some food for her.

Soon, Lei Mingxing had a hot bowl of chicken porridge in front of her and started to gulp down the food. Jing Jiang sat on the chair next to her with a small bowl in front of him as well, keeping her company.

Lei Mingxing was about half-way done with her bowl when they suddenly heard hurried, disorganized steps walking into their direction.

The door to the living room opened with a crash.

Small theater:

-in front of Lei Mingxing and Chang Liuyun's room-

Jing Jiang: Please let us take my apprentice to the doctor!

Jing Hai: Yes, future grandson-in-law, I don't fancy my new granddaughter dying just like that!

Jing Jiang: ...

Chang Liuyun: ...