The red vials opened with a pop as Dongyue removed their caps. Xiyu understood the risk, identifying the vials carefully with her magic. She immediately confirmed that the potions contained within had health-improving properties, but it was not tellable if somebody had tainted the concoctions at any point.
Red berries. Red symbolised strength. Dongyue remembered this. Now came the question of whether it was worth taking the risk for them to hurry and recover so that they could find his companions and work a way out of the place.
Xiyu’s breathing was heavy and rapid; it was likely she had sustained some minor damage when she had blasted spells at their enemies. Her face was also flushed a deep red. He helped her sit down and taking his place behind her; he began transferring some of his vitality to her. Fortunately, they could use their abilities without fail in the cold room. However, he also needed to check on her wounds.
“Dongyue,” she moaned. “Please tell me that we will find a way out of this place.” Her voice was tense, and she had never been afraid like this. He was unable to tell that apart from the fear of dying in the temple, she was also fearful of the deadline for the ritual.
“Hush, Xiyu, we need to get you healed up,” he said in a soothing tone to her. She fell silent, allowing him to continue with his healing and boosting magic on her. She sensed the warmth of his powers seep through her veins and restore her health. However, a lingering pain in her back that she had not paid attention to earlier bothered her. She gnashed her teeth and pictured Minami.
She closed her eyes. The sensual voice of the goddess resounded in her mind. ‘The ritual, Xiyu. You have to get stronger, and you cannot die.’
‘Goddess, I will not fail you’, she whispered in her mind. ‘I will try my best to stay alive.’
‘He is willing to help you. Why can’t you be selfish for once, and think of the bigger picture? You know you like him too, Xiyu.’
It was if the goddess was next to her, touching her forehead and causing her sensual desires to wash over her. She held back. Was it the goddess talking to her, or her inner demon, she didn’t know. Despite the cold, she was beginning to sweat. The more Dongyue attempted to transfer his health into her, the more she felt she was scorching.
Finally, Dongyue ceased the healing. He crept up in front of her and took her cheeks in his large palms.
“Xiyu, something is wrong here. It’s cold, and you seem to be feverish. Please forgive me for my indecency.’
She was about to ask what he meant when he lay her down and fingered the ropes binding her garments. Her heart thudded. What was he going to do?
“Xiyu, I need to check your battle injuries. I suspect something is not right about them.”
“Fine,” she grunted and relaxed her body to allow him to remove her clothing. Though he had seen her naked before and close to nakedness on another occasion, she felt different this time. Because of the soul-bond and her admitted feelings to him, the circumstances were now dissimilar from the past. In other words, she would have to admit he was already her mate. Should the ritual happen between them, they would share an even deeper bond.
Her skin, like in their encounter at the stream, was just as snowy-white as before. He contained himself and attempted to remove her inner garment as well.
She lay submissively on the haystack, observing him disrobe her with uncertain thoughts inside her. Did all husbands in Yilong help remove their wives’ clothing? Would he stop at that?
Suddenly, the pain intensified, and she felt breathless. Something in her hurt excruciatingly, and she was unable to bear with the ensuing torment. The pain was now rousing her, flowing through every part of her body and killing her slowly.
He realised how beautiful and flawless her skin was up close, and scrutinising each part of her closely; he flipped her around to search for her wound. The incision on her back was deep and appeared to be made by a very sharp weapon. She felt limp as the injury site was already swelling. Perhaps it was a slow-reacting poison, he deduced. She had been alright until after he had attempted to heal her, which he estimated to be about thirty-five minutes after the brawl.
He reached into the inner pocket of her dress to retrieve her ice dagger and made another incision on her wound. The liquid that flowed out was foul-smelling and a gruesome green colour. She then realised what he wanted to do. He was going to drag out all her poison with his mouth.
Her heart wavered. By doing this, she was sure he was going to be afflicted by the poison. But other than him, who would be willing to do this for her? She wept silently, wetting the hay with her constant tears. ‘Why, Dongyue? You could have gone far, left the island and returned to your homeland if not for staying behind for me. I am not worthy.’
Dongyue heard Xiyu’s thoughts, but he continued in what he saw was right. It took him a dozen attempts till he was assured that she was out of harm’s way. A cooling breeze encircled them, one of Dongyue’s healing abilities that triggered when required. The poison didn’t affect him, and a childhood encounter when he was five had rendered him some poison immunity.
He didn’t remember as he was only five then, and had taken in venom from a nearby snake when he was playing in the gardens. His mother was sent into a panic, but not long after, the ‘miracle physician’, Dongyue’s grandfather’s disciple, had announced him safe. Nobody dared to mention the incident ever again, so the man himself had not known that he had immunity to venom.
“Sleep, Xiyu, sleep,” he whispered as everything slowly faded to black in her eyes.
She was exhausted from everything, weak from using up all her spells, and he had been continuously healing her. They were both tired.
…………..
It was now the next morning, and Xiyu had found that she was freed from the pain. Though she couldn’t see her back, she assumed the wound had closed up entirely like how her cuts on her palms had when Dongyue had healed her. She trusted Dongyue had done an excellent job in healing her again.
“Xiyu, you’re up,” Dongyue’s warm voice interrupted the silence of the room.
The vial of red liquid glimmered under the luminous light of the room as Dongyue held it towards Xiyu.
“I’ve drunk the other vial. There’s no significant effect other than the boost in health,” he revealed.
Believing his words, she took the vial from him and downed the liquid in one shot. She sensed the increase in her life force, which she deemed temporary.
“You opened the chests,” she remarked. “How did you do it?”
“A key hidden in the crack in the wall,” he answered. “A few magical scrolls were in the chests, but they vanished after I read them.”
He described the scrolls as having a green tinge to them and inscribed in an ancient text. Xiyu recalled Muxue Yan’s wife, the deity Ao Yun as being a deity that not only practised arcane magic but also possessed divine power. Her enchantment magic was only a small branch of arcane magic. If the scrolls didn't hold arcane magic, it was possible that it was divine magic, which constituted of healing and other health-boosting power.
“What was inscribed on the scrolls?” she asked again.
“Some words accompanied by a lot of pictures. But after I read them, I felt as if my whole body was rejuvenated, and that I have inherited some new abilities,” he said positively. “I don’t know. This feeling is new to me.” He then told her about the pictures that were drawn, of people in different stances.
She had suspected he had shamanic abilities, though he was not aware of it. Perhaps not an insane shaman, like A’Bu, but the legendary spiritual healers that were not just limited to healing and treating abilities. But he probably would not be able to accept this in a short while. A’Bu was neither good nor evil as a shaman who practised mostly dark arts, though he was no threat to the island.
“Just try to use one of your abilities,” Xiyu said, pleading to him with her eyes. He gazed into the starry galaxy within her and caressed her hair gently. No longer icy like before, he was drawn to the pure and innocent part of her: her emotional and concerned self, a side of her that she had hidden so well.
He called upon his healing power, and as the magic rushed through his fingers, he realised something new.
“I think something empowered my magic,” he whispered, kissing her on the cheek. She turned him around and embraced him. Her eyes were slightly teary.
“Please, Dongyue, you can’t let anything happen to you,” she told him emotionally. “You have to stay safe and protect us.”
“Us?” Dongyue repeated, unsure if he had heard wrong. Every word she had said before had pertained to her safety and well-being, but now she was referring to them as an item.
“Yes, us.” She kissed him on the lips. “From now on, we will be one.”
Dongyue was thrilled to hear what she had just said. “Xiyu, does this mean I can treat you as my wife now?”
“Yes, Dongyue. I already answered you. I told you I need you, back there when the enemies swarmed us. Have you forgotten?”
She was aware of how crucial he was to her right now, and in answer to her, he kissed her fiercely. Whether it was a full moon or not, she didn’t know, as she wanted him terribly. He swept her long dark locks away from her face to admire her beauty more, and she tugged on his bun, watching his silver hair fall behind his back in waves. A man with silver hair was a distinguished guest. Indeed, this guest had claimed her heart.
Ten days more, she counted.