Chapter 66 - The Seal and the Storm

Back at the Ninth Palace, Mei sat on the bed, her eyes slowly scanning the room like she was seeing it for the first time. As she looked around, it hit her how badly Cheng might have been treated by his father, and she felt like some of it was her fault.

While going through the drawers, Cheng noticed the sad look on her face. He could tell she was blaming herself for the trouble he was in.

"You know, you don't have to take the blame for everything that goes wrong in my life," Cheng said as he sat down, placing the inkstone on the table.

He poured a small stream of water into the shallow well, then picked up the ink stick. Slowly and carefully, he began to grind it against the stone in circles.

Mei let out a deep breath and shifted slightly on the bed.

"Besides, being here gives me time to focus on things I never had the chance to before," Cheng added.

"Have you visited your cousin yet?"

Mei flopped back on the bed with a frustrated groan. "I haven't... honestly, I'm avoiding her. I'm still so angry about that meeting with the emperor."

Cheng didn't say anything else. He just stared at her for a moment, then went back to his writing.

A soft knock sounded at the door, and Cheng told the person to come in.

Yize stepped inside, bowing low before walking up to whisper something in Cheng's ear. Mei huffed, already annoyed by the constant whispering.

She muttered something under her breath, and Cheng noticed.

"We're already this deep in, what's left to hide?"

Cheng kept writing, the faintest smile tugging at his lips. Yize glanced at her, then back at Cheng, unsure whether to speak or stay quiet. Cheng looked up and gave him a small nod.

Yize cleared his throat and told Mei about the latest update, something connected to Minister Lang's dealings. It seemed they might have found another ally tied to the corruption ring.

Mei shook her head, arms crossed, listening in silence until Yize finished explaining. Then, without a word, she stood up and started toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Cheng's voice stopped her just as her hand touched the doorframe.

"I need to get ready," Mei said in a clipped tone. "If I'm going to save Yu Jin, I have to leave for Běifēng soon."

Cheng pushed back his chair and walked over to her, gently placing his hand on top of her head like he always did when he was trying to soften her mood. "You can't go alone."

"I'll be fine," Mei said, brushing his hand away.

"You don't even know what you're walking into."

"I'll go prepared."

Cheng shook his head, his smile faint but his eyes serious. "At least give me some time. Let me help you figure out exactly who and what you're up against."

Mei's fingers curled slightly against the doorframe, but she didn't argue.

"Besides, there are still other matters we need to look into... like finding out the truth behind Minister Lang's claim," Cheng said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"You think we can't trust the Minister when he says Yu Jin is in the northern province?"

Yize nodded slowly. "It's not in Minister Lang's nature to be honest..."

Before he could finish, Mei cut in. "I don't care if he's lying or not — this is the only lead I've had in months, and I'm not wasting it—"

She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Cheng. His skin was pale, and sweat was running down his face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Cheng gave a weak nod, but when he opened his mouth to speak, a violent cough tore through him. He covered his mouth, and when he pulled his hand away, dark blood stained his fingers.

Mei's breath caught in her throat. "Cheng! You're hurt!"

Mei rushed to his side just as Yizé sprang into action. Without hesitation, Yizé lifted Cheng into his arms. "We need to get him to the bed right now," he said firmly.

Cheng tried to wave them off, insisting it was nothing serious, but neither of them listened. They settled him onto the bed, his face even paler than before. The black stain on his lips had darkened, and his body trembled with every shallow breath. Sweat glistened across his forehead.

Mei's heart pounded. She turned to Yizé. "Go and bring a physician. Right now!"

Yizé gave a quick nod and rushed out the door. Mei ran outside to look for any nearby maids, but the hallway was empty.

With no help in sight, she hurried back inside, grabbed a cloth, and dipped it into the bowl of water on the table.

She sat beside him, gently taking his burning hand in hers. "Please hang on, Cheng. Help is coming," she whispered.

She wiped his face, the cool cloth barely making a difference against his fevered skin. When Cheng tried to speak, she shook her head. "Don't talk. Just save your strength. We'll finish our conversation later."

Suddenly, Cheng started coughing again, harder this time. Thick, dark clots of blood spilled from his mouth, staining his sleeve and the blanket beneath him.

His eyelids started to droop, no matter how hard he tried to stay awake. Mei noticed and quickly climbed onto the bed beside him.

Gently, she lifted him until his upper body leaned against her, his head resting lightly on her shoulder. She placed her hands over his abdomen, her palms warming as she took a few slow, steady breaths to calm herself.

Closing her eyes, Mei began to channel her qi, guiding it in a gentle, circular motion within Cheng's core. But the moment her energy touched him, it stopped, like it hit a wall. Mei's eyes flew open. Something was wrong.

She tried again, but her qi froze the same way. She began to panic, she had no time to figure out why this was happening, Cheng needed her now.

She shifted him upright, sitting him up against her, and pressed both palms flat against his back. Summoning her energy once more, she pushed her qi into him, but the result was barely better than before.

Cheng groaned, his body tensing with discomfort as sweat trickled down his forehead. Mei inhaled sharply, gathered every bit of focus she had left, and slammed her palm onto his back, not to hurt him, but to break through whatever was blocking her qi.

This time, her healing energy rushed through him, sweeping through his internal wall like a cleansing tide. Cheng flinched at first, but then his breathing returned to normal, his body relaxing against her.

Mei held the position, her hands still glowing faintly. Little by little, his coughing eased, and a bit of color returned to his pale face.

She didn't stop. Pouring more qi into him, her energy dug deeper, searching out every trace of the toxin. Sweat gathered on her own brow, but she stayed focused.

By the time Yizé returned with the physician, hours had passed. They both froze in the doorway, startled to see a soft light shining from Mei's skin as she continued her healing work.

Mei gritted her teeth, forcing herself to keep the connection but she had already poured too much energy into Cheng's body, and now it was starting to drain her.

For a long, tense moment, nothing happened. Then, at last, she felt something shift inside him, his energy slowly responding to hers. Cheng coughed hard, his whole body shaking with the force of it, before throwing up dark blood onto the floor.

Mei kept her hands in place, still guiding her qi, but her control was slipping fast. Sweat dripped down her temple. Yizé's brow furrowed, unsure what exactly she was doing, but it was working.

The physician reached to pull her away, but Yizé stopped him with a firm grip. "Don't. Interrupting her now could put both of their lives at risk."

Mei held on as long as she could until she managed to sever the connection.

He sagged back against Mei, his skin as pale as rice paper, but his breathing was finally clear.

The physician hurried to examine him with shaky hands. "By the heavens… He is... He's well."

Mei blinked hard, trying to push away the heavy fog of exhaustion closing in on her.

Carefully, she eased Cheng down onto the cushions, brushing damp hair back from his forehead. His eyes fluttered open, hazy but aware.

She slipped out of bed, but the moment her feet touched the floor, her legs gave out beneath her. Yizé caught her quickly before she could collapse.

"Mei?" Cheng's voice was hoarse but full of worry. "Yizé… lay her beside me."

Yizé did as asked, gently settling Mei onto the pillows next to him.

"You spent too much energy," Cheng murmured.

Mei gave a faint nod, too tired now to even speak.

Cheng glanced up at Yìzé. "Make sure she has everything she needs when she wakes," he said.

Yìzé bowed and went out. Cheng leaned back against his pillows, his gaze drifting toward Mei, whose soft breathing filled the quiet room.

The physician stepped forward, gently checking Mei's pulse and studying her face. "She just needs deep rest for a few days. After that, her strength will return."

Cheng offered the physician a sincere thanks. The older man returned the gesture with a bow before quietly leaving, giving them the privacy to rest.

Now alone with Mei sleeping beside him, Cheng allowed himself to relax.

-------

That night, as Mei slept near Cheng, her dreams carried her into the past.

She was a child again, small and fragile, but the place around her was unfamiliar.

Snow covered everything. Jagged icicles hung from the cave walls, catching the pale glow of the moon. Mei shivered, realizing she lay on a bed of ice, the surface smooth and cold under her skin. The icy floor was an endless white beyond the cave's entrance.

In the distance, she heard voices speaking quietly. Turning her head slowly, she saw her father standing with an elderly man whose silver hair caught the moonlight.

"She won't last much longer if this continues," the old man said with a heavy sigh.

Her father's face was tense but calm. "She's stronger than she looks. She'll get through this."

The elder shook his head slowly. "Strength alone won't be enough. Her talent is clear, even at this age but using it awakens something dangerous inside her. An old force, one that has caused trouble for generations."

Her father's voice dropped lower. "I should have stopped her from learning martial arts the moment she showed interest. But I didn't. And now she's triggered Fùqì Suǒjìng, the curse in our bloodline."

Mei watched from where she lay, too young to fully understand, but old enough to know her fate had already been decided.

The elderly man nodded thoughtfully. "What some call a curse is often a blessing in disguise."

Mei listened closely, hoping to understand the meaning behind his words and uncover the secrets her dreaming mind was trying to show her.

"I must admit, this surprises me," the old man continued. "Fùqì Suǒjìng has chosen her as its vessel, a power that has always passed through the male heirs of your line. I believed it had vanished."

Mei's father sighed deeply, the worry clear in his tired face. "I wanted to protect her from our family's burdens," he admitted softly.

The old man's gaze shifted toward the small, half awake Mei. "But through hardship often comes strength. She has promise, her spirit may light a path for others to follow. For now, I believe the method we discussed can suppress this force."

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Mei's father asked, "What if it weakens her abilities? What if it destroys her potential?"

The elder paused, considering his response. "Sometimes a leader must make difficult choices for the sake of their child's future. But have faith, I see a strength in her that won't be so easily snuffed out. When the time comes, she'll learn to rise, even in the fiercest storms."

"I only want what's best for her," her father said quietly, "She's strong-willed, I've always known that. But how long can this method hold?"

"As long as she avoids advanced techniques, it will stay dormant," the elder assured him. "Wisdom and restraint will be her greatest weapons."

A faint smile softened the old man's face. "And if her interest in martial arts grows deeper, bring her to me. I'll guide her myself."

He placed a hand on her father's shoulder. "All we can do is guide her with care, then trust her heart to choose its own path. Fate will unfold as it must."

Mei's father took a slow, deliberate breath. "Alright. But if I see any sign that this method is harming her, it ends immediately."

The old man bowed his head respectfully. "You have my word, no harm will come to her under my watch. Her safety will always come first."

Questions flowed through Mei's mind like a rushing river. When had this happened? Why couldn't she remember? What was this they spoke of?

But before she could find answers, the scene began to fade. Darkness pulled at the edges of her dream, and she felt herself slipping, another scene slowly took shape.

A strange sensation made Mei turn around. Behind her, the elderly man stood, his hands moving through the air in deliberate, flowing patterns. Threads of golden light followed his fingers, weaving themselves into a glowing cage around her.

Mei recognized the technique from the ancient scrolls. It was an ancient art meant to shape qi into a protective seal. She watched in silence as the shimmering light pulsed in response to the man's every gesture.

But something felt wrong. Mei tried to step forward, only to find her limbs heavy, as if her own strength was being drained. No matter how hard she fought to move, the invisible weight held her down.

She went into panic, why was this happening? what was this force stealing her strength? Mei pushed back with all her will, fighting against the unseen barrier, her stubborn defiance was the only weapon she had.

In the waking world, Cheng woke up from an unsettling sleep.

He rolled onto his side and found Mei beside him, her brow damp with sweat. Her face twisted with distress, and she muttered softly.

"Stop… no stop… no…"

He sat up in concern, and gently shook her shoulder. "Mei... Mei wake up. You're dreaming."

She didn't respond.

Cheng's worry increased at the sight of her pale face and the drained look in her skin.

He pushed himself upright, wincing as a dull ache settled into his limbs. Moving carefully, he crossed the room to the water basin and soaked a cloth in the cool water.

Returning to the bed, Cheng laid the damp cloth across Mei's forehead. He sat beside her, softly wiping away the sweat from her brow and cheeks, trying to chase away whatever shadows haunted her dreams.

The room grew quiet again, the only sound was the soft drip of water from the cloth.

Cheng's hand paused, resting the cloth gently against her skin.

"What are you fighting?" he whispered, though no answer could come.

He continued wiping her face, his touch careful and slow. With each pass of the cloth, the tension in Mei's body seemed to ease, her breath gradually falling into a calmer rhythm.

Satisfied, Cheng lay down beside her, propping himself on one elbow. He stayed close, watching her sleep, but gave her enough space to rest without disturbance.