"Is it him?"
Yao Ranran froze for a moment, then quickly took out a jade bowl and a small knife, preparing to draw blood.
An Xiaolin: "..." Was his disciple a little too fast at this?
Yao Ranran tiptoed to Shen Yuefu's side, worried that if she woke him it would be harder to draw blood.
The moment she cut open his wrist, a pair of pale blue eyes snapped open and locked onto her.
Their gazes met. Shen Yuefu's lowered eyes swept toward the hand she was holding up.
On his wrist was a shockingly deep cut.
Yao Ranran: "... Elder Shen, do not misunderstand. I only did this to save you!"
Shen Yuefu's eyelashes trembled, his gaze flickering with disbelief.
"Yao... Ranran?"
An Xiaolin, hiding to the side, shook his head. "The wound my disciple cut could fill a whole bucket of blood. If I had known this man would wake up, I should have told her to restrain herself!"
Yao Ranran gave a guilty smile. "Yes, since we're already acquaintances, borrowing a little blood from you to break the formation shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Shen Yuefu stared at her in silence.
Yao Ranran frowned, and since he gave no response, she simply grabbed his wrist and squeezed out more blood.
An Xiaolin: "..."
Shen Yuefu: "..."
"Ah, that's a bit much."
Yao Ranran quickly tore a strip of cloth from his robe and bound the wound.
An Xiaolin's expression suddenly changed when he looked at the blood in her bowl. "Disciple, something is wrong with this blood!"
Yao Ranran lifted her head. "Master, what is it?"
An Xiaolin sent her a voice transmission. "Disciple, you cannot use this blood. It seems to be tainted with miasma from the Spirit Realm."
Yao Ranran froze, dropping the blood bowl to the icy floor.
Shen Yuefu looked at the glaring crimson spreading across the ice, and suddenly laughed.
"An illusion, it's another illusion!"
Yao Ranran cautiously stepped closer to An Xiaolin, unsettled by Shen Yuefu's muttering and strange smile.
"Master, you're right. There is definitely something wrong with him!"
An Xiaolin: "..." He didn't know the details, but yes, the man seemed half-deranged.
"Disciple, try healing him with the Power of Faith. Perhaps it can purify his blood."
An Xiaolin suggested.
Yao Ranran blinked, then nodded, walking back to Shen Yuefu.
"Elder Shen, this is indeed an illusion. Whatever happens next, do not take it seriously."
Shen Yuefu lifted his weary gaze, his expression dazed.
Yao Ranran held his hand and sent a white glow of faith-power into his meridians.
An Xiaolin closely watched Shen Yuefu's reactions. He too wanted to see if the Power of Faith truly had such miraculous effects.
"Pff!" Shen Yuefu spat out a mouthful of black blood.
Yao Ranran frowned, tearing away the cloth binding his wrist. The wound was no longer bleeding.
"As expected of a Nascent Soul Elder, this body is impressively resilient."
Then she casually grabbed his left hand and cut it as well.
An Xiaolin: "..." "This disciple is ruthless. I never taught her that!"
Shen Yuefu pressed his lips together and said nothing.
To him, everything was still an illusion. He had no strength left to resist.
Yao Ranran filled another bowl with his blood.
An Xiaolin glanced at it, brows furrowing deeply.
Still no good. Could the Power of Faith really not expel the miasma?
Yao Ranran, seeing his expression, immediately realized it hadn't worked.
"Disciple, try again. Perhaps you didn't use enough faith-power earlier."
An Xiaolin was unwilling to give up. With a living test subject before him, he was determined to uncover the truth about this mysterious power he had pursued for so long.
Yao Ranran nodded and looked back at Shen Yuefu.
"Elder Shen, please don't misunderstand. I am only trying to save you."
Shen Yuefu: "..."
If he could, he would beg for a quick death.
Yao Ranran ignored his expression and grabbed his hand again. A thought struck her, and this time she merged the Power of Faith with her spiritual power, forcing the mix into Shen Yuefu's meridians.
Very quickly, sweat beaded on Shen Yuefu's forehead. His face twisted with visible pain.
Yao Ranran worried her spiritual power might be worsening the miasma's effect. She looked at An Xiaolin.
"Master..."
"Continue, disciple!" An Xiaolin's eyes glimmered with hope.
Yao Ranran focused again, increasing the force of her spiritual power.
"Ah..." Shen Yuefu let out a low groan, straining against the agony coursing through his body.
Yao Ranran tightened her grip, not letting him pull away. Her cool, delicate fingers pressed against his wrist. In the midst of his suffering, Shen Yuefu suddenly felt the warmth was real.
His hazy eyes opened slightly. A strand of her soft black hair brushed against his neck, strangely easing his pain.
"Yao Ranran, how could you die just like that..."
He whispered mournfully.
Both Yao Ranran and An Xiaolin gave him a strange look, beginning to suspect the miasma had reached his mind.
A quarter hour later.
Shen Yuefu's breathing steadied. His face was still pale, but his lips had regained some color.
Yao Ranran turned toward An Xiaolin, her expression grave.
An Xiaolin clenched his fists, nodding firmly.
"Disciple, it did not work this time. But there will be a next!"
Yao Ranran relaxed.
Anyway, this man's vitality was strong. He wouldn't die so easily. If one attempt failed, she could always try another method.
"Hurts..." Shen Yuefu murmured weakly as his wrist was cut open again.
Yao Ranran let the blood flow, soothing him. "Elder Shen, this is all for your own good. Endure it a little longer and you will survive."
Half in a daze, Shen Yuefu heard her voice. His heart clenched instinctively.
Endure longer?
Why was even death drawn out so slowly, torturing him bit by bit?
An Xiaolin carefully examined the fresh bowl of blood, then suddenly his face brightened.
"It worked! Disciple, this is the one!"
Yao Ranran's eyes lit up. "Master, we can leave now!"
Shen Yuefu blinked at her in confusion. "Leave... to where?"
Yao Ranran smiled. "Elder Shen, that I cannot tell you. I'll walk my bright path, and you take your lonely bridge. We will not meet again."
Shen Yuefu raised his aching head.
The purple hem of her skirt swayed, a faint fragrance lingered, and then she was gone.
After a long while.
Shen Yuefu staggered to his feet.
"An illusion... How can an illusion feel so real?"
...
Following An Xiaolin's instructions, Yao Ranran found Meng Xiangxiang, who had been too afraid to move even a step, and together they shattered the formation.
As the array broke apart, at that very moment Shang Lao and Pei Xianqiao found Shen Yuefu.
"Brother Fu, I've been searching for you for so long!"
Seeing that he was alive, Pei Xianqiao's joy overflowed. She lifted her skirts and rushed toward him.
Shen Yuefu's expression sank, disappointment flashing in his eyes. His entire being radiated a bitter coldness.
"Pei Xianqiao, it is true you once saved me, but you should never have deceived me!"