"Let me introduce myself. I am Tingyun, the ambassador of the Sky-Faring Commission." Tingyun gave a curt smile.
'Tingyun, hmm… where have I heard that before?' Qin Shaoqing tried to recall, but quickly dismissed the thought.
"Miss Tingyun, it's nice to meet you. My name is Qin Shaoqing, just a humble citizen of the Luofu."
"Oh, Benefactor must be joking, haha. And please, don't call me miss. For someone like my Benefactor who saved my life, it should be me who shows respect."
"Well, if you insist, then I must comply." Qin Shaoqing's gaze shifted to Tingyun's injured arm, which she was trying to suppress. "That looks serious. May I take a look?"
Tingyun nodded and removed her hand covering the wound.
The gash beneath her sleeve had soaked the fabric, the blood hiding its full depth. From the sheer amount seeping through, it was clear that several muscles and blood vessels had been cut.
"Stay still. I'll treat it." Qin Shaoqing's gaze turned serious as he gently grasped her arm and tore away the sleeve. "Grit your teeth. This might hurt a little," he warned, channeling Heliobus flames into his palm.
Holding back the tears welling in her eyes, he manipulated the flames, not to burn but to freeze. The air chilled sharply, and the wound iced over, halting the flow of blood.
Once it was sealed, Qin Shaoqing retrieved a band-aid from his system, one of the lesser rewards he had almost forgotten about.
[Lesser Healing Band-Aid: Contrary to its child-like appearance, this bandage can reconnect severed limbs. You just need to endure the humiliation of wearing it.]
Tingyun, seeing the band-aid decorated with cute animal patterns, could not help feeling awkward. However, when she saw his serious expression, she said nothing.
Carefully, Qin Shaoqing pressed the bandage onto her arm. He finally exhaled in relief as he saw the healing begin. The once-deep gash gradually faded before their eyes. Even Tingyun, who was embarrassed by the childish look of it, was stunned by its effect.
"There. As long as the band-aid stays in place, your arm will recover fully. The internal damage, though, will take a bit more time," Qin Shaoqing explained.
"Benefactor, if you keep doing these favors, I would not know how to repay you." Tingyun's tail swayed slightly. Though her arm had been nearly severed, the Alchemy Commission had pills that could fix such injuries. Her real concern had been blood loss, which Qin Shaoqing had solved in an instant.
"Don't worry about it. If you insist on repaying me, then save me from mortal danger when the time comes." Qin Shaoqing joked lightly.
He could have asked for money and been done with it, but with her high status, it was wiser to build some kind of relationship.
"Haha, Benefactor likes to joke. How could this defenseless ambassador possibly come to your rescue?"
Qin Shaoqing simply smiled at Tingyun's response, neither confirming nor denying whether he was serious.
"Nevertheless, let's get you back to safety. The assassins might have called for backup." Qin Shaoqing led the way, with Tingyun following close behind.
"That way leads back to Starskiff Haven," he said, pointing confidently ahead.
"Umm… Benefactor, that direction leads to Cloudford," Tingyun corrected gently, pointing in the opposite direction.
"R-right!" Qin Shaoqing stammered, slightly embarrassed, and let Tingyun lead instead.
After arriving at Starskiff Haven, Tingyun insisted they go to the Palace of Astrum, the heart of the Sky-Faring Commission and the safest place for her at the moment. Still wary of lingering assassins, Qin Shaoqing agreed to accompany her.
Upon reaching the Palace gates, they encountered two Cloud Knights standing guard. The outbreak had left them tense, on high alert for any suspicious individuals.
"Halt! Who-" One guard began, but immediately recognized Tingyun and straightened up. "Ah, Miss Tingyun! My apologies for stopping you. Please, enter."
He glanced at Qin Shaoqing, but Tingyun quickly explained, "This gentleman is my benefactor. He saved me. Please, allow him through."
"If you wish," the guard said, bowing and stepping aside.
Entering the Palace in haste, their presence quickly drew attention, especially Tingyun's bloodied and disheveled state.
"Tingyun, what happened?" Lady Yukong, the Helm-Master, asked with deep concern.
"Lady Yukong, I was ambushed by assassins." Tingyun's words dropped a bombshell of a news. The room fell silent. Yukong's expression turned grave. Though she had feared such news, she had hoped it was nothing serious.
An attempt on an ambassador's life, especially an ambassador of the sky-faring commission was a crime serious enough to land one in The Shackling Prison but for someone to dare such a thing was unthinkable.
"And him?" Yukong asked sharply, her eyes narrowing at Qin Shaoqing.
"This is my benefactor. He was the one who saved me from the assassins."
At that, Yukong's eyes softened slightly, and she exhaled a faint sigh of relief.
"Thank you for saving Tingyun. If not for you, I-" She caught herself mid-sentence, remembering her position as helm-master. "Anyway, thank you. We will take care of things from here."
Her tone was polite, but the message was clear: leave, outsider.
Still suspicious of his identity and motives, Yukong chose to keep him at a distance.
Qin Shaoqing, having accomplished his goal, simply bowed and excused himself. He knew Tingyun would contact him soon, as they had already exchanged contact information.
Tingyun, however, could not help feeling a pang of sadness at her adoptive mother's coldness toward her benefactor. After all, he was the one who had saved her life.