A few moments of silence followed as Tia began to see things through Draven's point of view.
"Well, you know what? I'll have to go meditate. We can talk more about this in the morning, if that's okay with you," Tia said as she stood up to prepare Draven's herbs.
"Yeah, it's fine," Draven replied, his voice low as he clenched his feet slightly. Deep down, he knew Tia was right. Besides, they had just arrived, and the scene at the gate must still be weighing on her.
"Don't worry, everything is going to be just fine," Tia said after a while as she moved toward Draven with the herbs.
"Look, this is going to be a moment we'll look back on later," she added as she began applying the herbs to his injured side.
"Don't worry. By tomorrow morning you'll feel much better and ready to continue your cultivation. For now, just rest—don't push it," Tia said as she finished.
"If there's nothing else, I'd like to proceed with my cultivation," she added with a small smile.
Draven nodded thoughtfully as he watched her settle into meditation.
In Draven's eyes, Tia always seemed cheerful, hardly able to hide her emotions. Still, she was caring toward him, and that was something he truly appreciated. As long as she could help him achieve his goals, he didn't mind.
Since Draven wasn't yet cleared to cultivate, he simply stayed in bed until he eventually fell asleep watching Tia meditate.
---
The morning sun shone brightly as Draven opened his eyes. He felt a little better, though the constant pain from the curse was still eating away at him bit by bit.
He looked around the room and quickly noticed that Tia was already out of bed. After a while, he stood up and made his way toward the doorway.
He was walking without much difficulty compared to the day before, when pain had left him nearly mute.
Draven entered the sitting room and saw Tia and Lianhua eating and chatting heartily.
Tia was the first to notice him.
"Cao, you're awake already. I didn't want to disturb you, so I let you rest," she said between bites.
"No problem, it's fine," Draven said as he sat next to them.
"Well, Cao, Lianhua would like to tell you something. I don't know how you'll take it though," Tia said cautiously.
Draven turned to face Lianhua, giving her a look that said he was listening.
Deep down, he hoped it wasn't anything serious—or worse, that she wasn't about to ask them to leave after overhearing his conversation with Tia the previous night. A dozen thoughts ran through his mind as he mentally prepared for her words.
"Well…" Lianhua began, a little hesitant.
Glancing at Tia, she caught a small nod signaling her to continue. Lianhua cleared her throat.
"I overheard your conversation yesterday about the curse. And… I think I know a way to solve it."
Draven's face showed curiosity as he turned to Tia and then back at Lianhua.
"Please, tell me everything you know that could help," Draven said, shifting into a more serious posture.
"You said the curse was cast on you by a woman at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, right?" Lianhua asked, looking at both of them.
"Right," Draven confirmed.
"Well… I know another woman. She's an outcast, also a sorcerer, and currently at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. She lives in the hills of Orion," Lianhua explained, watching Draven's expression.
Draven fell silent, staring at the ground for a moment. Unlike yesterday, he no longer wore his black protective hood, so his face and short red hair were plainly visible.
After a few seconds, he finally spoke.
"That's actually a good idea. So when do we leave for Orion?" he asked, turning to Tia.
"Draven, I don't think you understand. She said Orion—the land of outcasts," Tia replied firmly.
"Yes, I heard her clearly," Draven said calmly.
"You've got to be kidding," Tia said as she stared into his eyes.
"No, I'm not," Draven replied, resolve burning in his gaze.
"Orion isn't safe. First of all, it's surrounded by a forest full of demonic beasts. And second, no one has ever recorded climbing those hills. How do you even know that woman doesn't just kill everyone who goes up?" Tia asked, her voice stressing certain words so Draven could understand the gravity.
After a while, she sighed deeply.
"Look, cao, we have to think carefully before running into this blindly."
Another long silence followed.
"Cao, I mean well. Maybe we can think of other ways," Tia added, moving closer to him.
"The risks are too much. And if we're caught there as royalty, it'll mean instant death for both of us," she said, touching his back.
"So that's what this is about, isn't it? You don't care about your people—or my life. All you care about is your own," Draven snapped suddenly, his voice full of anger.
Tia froze in shock, just as she was about to reply.
"Well, it's alright," Draven cut her off. "Everyone's aims and aspirations aren't the same."
After all, he was here to complete his mission and leave in peace. Still, the memories and knowledge he had inherited from his host weighed on him.
And in some ways, he could relate to it—the emptiness, the lack of purpose, the constant shadow of death. It wasn't easy for his host, and Draven could feel it.
"No, Cao, you're really taking this the wrong way. I mean no harm," Tia said, trying to gently step closer and explain herself.
Linhau stood still, silently watching the drama unfold before her eyes. She had thought about stepping in at some point, but with time, decided against it—she didn't want to interfere in their arguments.
"Well, think what you wish. I'm going to Orion first thing tomorrow morning—with or without you," Draven snapped as he started heading back into the room. But halfway through, he suddenly stopped.
Turning to face Linhau, he asked, "Well… I don't really know how to get to Orion. Would you mind explaining it to me when you have some spare time?" A small smile tugged at his lips.
With that, he finally turned again and continued walking back inside.