Chapter 18: Don’t... Speak...

Chapter 18: Don't... Speak...

**At twenty, time flew by, and the frontlines were once again in turmoil. The creatures of Chaos, including the Winged Guard, the Father Wolf of the Walkers, towering Beasts of Meat, and the undying monsters, wreaked havoc in the celestial vessel "Luofu."**

**Reports from the frontlines indicated increasing casualties among the Cloud Cavalry. The Tree of Creation in the Scale Abyss seemed to sense this disturbance, causing its seal to weaken. The Celestial Dragon King Dan Feng mobilized the ancient sea waters of the Wave Moon to reinforce the seal. A dark and terrifying cloud seemed to cover "Luofu."**

**While "Luofu" faced external threats, internal discord emerged. A faction known as the Secret Teachings of the Medicine King rose again, worshiping the Ancestor of Pestilence and praising Abundance, attempting to incite internal strife.**

**The Cloud Cavalry was tasked with capturing these disruptive followers. Through interrogations by the Ten Kings' judges, it was revealed that the leader of the Secret Teachings, guided by Chaos, proclaimed that Chaos would soon return to "Luofu," aiming to break the Tree's seal and restore the Medicine Master's blessings.**

**The storm was brewing.**

**Recently, the artificial stars in "Luofu" were as dim as the hearts of its people. Dan Feng of the Celestial Dragon King summoned the ancient sea waters to cover the Root of the Tree, reinforcing the seal. This action caused overcast and rainy weather in many celestial realms.**

**During this tumultuous time, the diviners of the Taibu Division performed a grand divination, forecasting that although "Luofu" would survive the ordeal, it would be a pyrrhic victory with the Cloud Cavalry's survival rate at only one in ten, and many realms would be destroyed.**

**Outside the window, the wind and rain rustled the ginkgo leaves, falling rhythmically onto the windowsill. Inside, the oil lamp flickered, and the heater from the Engineering Division emitted warmth, countering the chill of the autumn rain.**

**"Though your long-lived constitution is much better than us short-lived ones, even you can't withstand chasing the Medicine King's followers for three days without sleep and then practicing swordplay in the rain," Bai Heng said, feeding a medicine soup made from a recipe from the Medicine Furnace Division to Jing Liu, who was lying on the couch.**

**Having caught a cold from the rain, Jing Liu's usually pale face lacked color but looked even more pitiful.**

**"You... shouldn't... worry..." Jing Liu's words were broken and weak from the fever.**

**"Master Jing Liu, stop being stubborn. Just relax," Bai Heng sighed, placing his hand on her forehead.**

**It was very hot.**

**The long-lived people of the Celestial Vessel rarely fell ill, but when they did, it was often worse than for short-lived individuals. Fevers like this were an immune response. Long-lived Celestial people had better cellular activity and self-repair abilities due to the Medicine Master's blessings, making their immune responses more intense when ill.**

**Bai Heng continued to feed Jing Liu spoonfuls of the hot soup. After only a third was consumed, Jing Liu mumbled, "Bitter... bring... it..."**

**Before Bai Heng could react, Jing Liu weakly grabbed the bowl from him and drank it all in one go.**

**Bai Heng was momentarily stunned but couldn't help but smile at Jing Liu's comical, exhausted appearance as she lay back again.**

**"Master Jing Liu, you're truly special," Bai Heng said with a shake of his head, "Wait here, I'll get the almond and white fungus soup."**

**He left the room, went to the kitchen, and quickly returned with a bowl of the almond and white fungus soup. He placed it in front of Jing Liu, thinking she might prefer to drink it herself.**

**Just as he turned to leave, Jing Liu weakly called out, "Feed... me..."**

**Bai Heng paused and nodded.**

**Outside, the rain, wind, and thunder continued, the proximity to the Scale Abyss making the outside world seem even darker, as if it were truly the end of the world.**

**Bai Heng spooned out the steaming soup, continuing until the bowl was empty. He said softly, "That's enough for today, Master Jing Liu. Rest well."**

**Just then, Bai Heng's sleeve was gently tugged. Before he could react, he was pulled into the bed curtains.**

**"???"**

**"Master Jing Liu, I haven't taken off my shoes yet."**

**"Don't... speak..."**

**Bai Heng held his breath as the usually aloof and cool Master Jing Liu curled up like a wounded animal in his arms. Her hand rested on his rapidly beating heart, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Her usually confident red eyes were now filled with vulnerability.**

**"Just... like this... don't move..."**

**She bit her lip and spoke softly.**

**In such close proximity, Bai Heng could feel Jing Liu's warm breath, her gently rising and falling heartbeat, and her faint, delicate fragrance...**

**His own heart raced.**

**He didn't speak, simply holding her hand. Even though she was burning with fever, her hand remained icy cold.**

**The room was quiet, with only the sound of rain and her soft breathing.**

**As her breathing steadied, Bai Heng softly said, "Master Jing Liu?"**

**There was no response; she had fallen asleep in his arms.**

**Bai Heng maintained his position, carefully covering her with a blanket, and whispered, "Good night, Master Jing Liu."**