Amidst the swirling mist, he had a dream.
He dreamt he was wading through a river teeming with piranhas. The river was wide and deep, and the piranhas were ferocious and bloodthirsty. He could only protect himself with a thick layer of Yuan Power, inching towards the shore bit by bit.
However, perhaps because his cultivation was insufficient, his Yuan Power was depleting too quickly. When the shore was still far away, the piranhas had already broken through his Yuan Power shield and bit into his arm.
The pain crawled up his spine to his scalp. He violently shook off the piranha and desperately continued to summon his Yuan Power.
It wasn’t enough. He wasn’t strong enough, which was why his Yuan Power shield was so thin.
…
Powerful black Yuan Power took the form of a dark dragon, roaring and coiling inside and outside the main courtyard. It was murderous and surging, frightening the maids and servants into hiding. Even Matron Xun and Buxiu were panicked, urgently asking, “Where’s Physician Yan?”
The servant sent to fetch him replied with a long face, “I asked. Physician Yan is taking the pulse of the Grand Judge in the inner court. He won’t return for another hour.”
What could they do?
Matron Xun turned to look at Ming Yi but found that her eyes showed little fear. Instead, she was slightly frowning.
“Has your master… been mistreated before?” she suddenly asked.
Matron Xun and Buxiu were both stunned, then looked at her strangely. “Why does Miss say this?”
Ming Yi realized she had spoken out of turn and lowered her gaze slightly. “I used to practice dance in the inner court and was mistreated. So whenever I fall seriously ill, I feel deeply uneasy, even waving my hands incessantly in my sleep.”
Hearing this, the two thought it made sense, and the wariness in their eyes turned to awkwardness. “Miss has such a past.”
“Yes, I come from a poor background, so it’s understandable to have such experiences. But why would the master, with his noble status, be like this?” She mused, full of confusion.
Buxiu scrutinized her for a while and, seeing that Miss Ming seemed genuinely concerned for the master, decided to tell her after some thought.
“Before participating in the last Six Cities Conference, the master lived in a slave camp. At ten years old, he was discovered to have Yuan Power by the overseer. To curry favor with the Grand Judge, the overseer forced him to practice high-level combat techniques. The master was young then, and although talented, his body couldn’t withstand it. His progress was slow, and he would be severely beaten if he couldn’t complete the combat manuals given by the overseer.”
Perhaps this was why he released so much Yuan Power to protect himself when he lost consciousness.
Ming Yi’s pupils trembled, and her face paled.
She had heard he grew up in a slave camp before, but she thought it just meant a hard and tiring life. She never imagined it was such inhumane treatment. What kind of logic was this? If they knew he had a talent for Yuan Power, why didn’t they nurture it properly? Why abuse him?
She bit her nail and paced a few steps, her brow furrowing with anxiety she didn’t even notice. “What did you do when he was like this before?”
Matron Xun sighed and shook her head. “The master never let us see him in this state. He would always recover somewhere unknown before returning. It’s only this time that Miss brought him back.”
Self-healing? Ming Yi frowned as she listened. The process of self-healing would consume a great deal of a combatant’s Yuan Power, and more seriously, it could damage the meridians.
Ji Bozai was truly harsh on himself.
After some thought, Ming Yi said, “Bring me a basin of hot water. I’ll go in and see.”
Matron Xun was startled and quickly tried to dissuade her. “Miss, don’t go. The master is unconscious now. If his Yuan Power accidentally hurts you…”
“I’ll be careful,” she waved her hand. “My life isn’t precious now, but the master shoulders heavy responsibilities. How can he suddenly collapse? If others knew, it would cause unnecessary panic.”
Buxiu and Matron Xun exchanged glances, then looked at her. They felt that although Miss Ming was usually a bit greedy and unruly, she was willing to risk herself for the master at crucial moments.
Among the many people who had come and gone by the master’s side, she was the most sincere.
After some consideration, Buxiu called for someone to bring hot water and handed it to her.
Ming Yi took it and almost dropped it, exclaiming, “This basin is too heavy! Is it made of gold?”
She poured out a bit of water disapprovingly, then picked it up again and walked towards the courtyard where Yuan Power was surging, without a second thought.
The black dragon formed by Yuan Power noticed her approach and roared at her, baring its teeth as it came close to her face, trying to block her.
Ming Yi ignored it, walking while pondering why the water basin was so heavy.
The dragon grew angry. It let out a long howl, flew up into the air, made a few circles, and then charged back down with earth-shattering momentum. The surrounding servants screamed and scattered, and even Matron Xun and Buxiu retreated. It was particularly pleased with itself, rushing aggressively to Ming Yi’s front.
Ming Yi didn’t move. Her Yuan Power materialized into a pure white cat. The cat jumped onto the ground in front of her, lazily holding its paws. As the dragon flew near, it struck like lightning, slapping the dragon’s mouth with a paw.
The dragon was stunned for a moment, then angrily snorted at the white cat, opening its mouth to swallow it.
The white cat slapped it again.
The dragon: “…”
Its enormous body froze in the air. It stared at the white cat in disbelief, and the white cat stared back indifferently. After a long mutual gaze, the dragon moved its tail, making way for Ming Yi.
Ming Yi entered Ji Bozai’s room, still complaining about the heaviness of the basin.
The white cat followed behind her and disappeared.
The dragon remained silent for a long time, then pretended nothing had happened and continued to scare people elsewhere to save face.
Upon entering the room, Ming Yi realized that due to the excessive release of Yuan Power, Ji Bozai looked as if he had been soaked in blood. Blood continuously seeped from the corners of his mouth, and his body was tense, with the red veins on his wrists bulging high.
She approached, placed the water basin to one side, wrung out a cloth, and calmly opened his collar, placing it on his chest.
The sudden warmth made Ji Bozai’s body stiffen, but although he didn’t wake, the tension in his wrists eased slightly.
Ming Yi waited nearby, changing the cloth when it cooled. As she changed it, she muttered, “You’re already very powerful. No one in the Six Cities can surpass you in combat techniques, for now, so don’t be nervous.”
“The kitchen has stewed some goose meat. The master can eat some when he wakes up.”
“Yuan Power is not easy to cultivate. Master, use it sparingly.”
“Oh, you know, the color of your clothes stained with blood is quite attractive. I’m afraid you can’t buy this outside.”
She chattered on endlessly.
Ji Bozai, who had been struggling to cross the river in his dream, gradually found the piranhas disappearing, then the river water. In the end, only a group of bees remained, buzzing around him incessantly.
He opened his eyes impatiently.
The dragon, sensing something, immediately flew back into his body, swishing its tail. Ming Yi was startled and jumped up dramatically. “Oh my! Such strong Yuan Power! You scared me to death!”