But upon focusing, a faint breathing sound could be heard inside the room.
Mo Ji furrowed his brows, yet eventually pushed the window open and entered.
The twilight followed him in, bringing a layer of hazy light into the room.
The person lay on the bed, motionless, breath weak and erratic.
Mo Ji darted to the bedside and unexpectedly t a pair of bright eyes.
She was awake, her eyes filled with a familiar sly triumph, as if saying, got you again.
Mo Ji lowered his gaze to check her pulse.
The pulse was chaotic, indeed showing internal injuries.
"Heart pulse is unstable, you mustn’t force martial arts practice," Mo Ji said blandly.
There were internal injuries, but not caused by him.
Hua Jian looked at him with a cheeky smile, showing no sign of remorse.
Still so mischievous.
Mo Ji said nothing further, pulling her up and placing his palm against her back to use his Inner Strength to help her heal her internal injuries.
He didn’t have the patience to teach others how to live, but since she used his Wine Heart Bud, it had to have so effect.
Otherwise, wouldn’t the month of waiting be in vain?
"Great master!" She wriggled a bit, seeming to want to look back at him.
Mo Ji increased the pressure under his palm, forcing her to sit still, but she kept talking: "Where did you get that Wine Heart Bud? Even Tao Fen said it was nowhere to be found. How did you—"
"From Chu land."
"Oh... Did you search for long? Was it specifically for ?"
"Sparring with soone, coincidentally got the herb."
"Sparring? Who can even compare to you?"
Mo Ji remained silent.
Hua Jian chuckled and said, "Tell ? Was it a man or a woman? Were they married?"
"A woman."
Hua Jian let out an "oh" and quieted down.
Mo Ji distinctly felt the body under his palm beco rigid, restless.
He frowned and withdrew his hand, stood up and looked at her coldly.
Hua Jian displayed a rogue smile: "Can’t bla . You see how weak I am now; even street urchins could knock down. If I want to practice martial arts again, who knows how many years it will take? Is it wrong to want a powerful martial artist to protect ?"
With that, she fixed her gaze on Mo Ji.
"You want to protect you?" Mo Ji asked.
"Would you?" Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.
"No." Mo Ji answered without a second thought.
The Mo Family’s children only protect the royal line.
...
"...The flowering period of the Wine Heart Bud lasts five years, during which it maintains quite the sa appearance, with only subtle differences in the calyx. Look—" The Imperial Physician held a blueprint and explained one by one.
Mo Ji frowned as he studied the blueprint, trying hard to recall the Wine Heart Bud left on Qieyun Mountain.
To what extent had that bud grown?
It should be about to bloom, right?
Anything painstakingly cared for is hard to abandon.
The thought of a whole month spent waiting for the blossom makes him reluctant to waste the effort.
Besides, if Hua Jian’s ridians recover sooner, she could resu martial arts, sparing him from constantly calculating his protection.
...
The second round trip to Qieyun Mountain took only forty days.
The harvested Wine Heart Bud was delivered as usual to Empress Tang.
Several days later.
During his off-duty ti, Mo Ji went to the south of the city to buy a pastry.
After taking a bite, he glanced at the spot where Hua Jian stood that day.
The injuries should have mostly healed by now, right?
Has she started practicing Inner Strength?
...
Hua Jian seldom had guests at ho.
It was Zhong Chuchu, who ca from the sa Tonghua Valley.
Mo Ji was lurking in the shadows, seizing the chance to glance at Hua Jian’s complexion, but his brows knit suddenly.
Not good.
"This isn’t your first day practicing Inner Strength, yet you managed to ss it up like this?" Zhong Chuchu’s tone was both annoyed and puzzled, "Though the ridians are almost restored, the foundation has been damaged after all; training so aggressively? Looking to die?"
"I—" Hua Jian opened her mouth to say a word, paused suddenly, then chuckled and continued, "How could I be looking to die? I just don’t want to get well." Her tone was filled as always with guile and mischief.
"Don’t want to get well?"
"If I recover completely, who will care for ? Leave here and wander the worldly society again? I’ve been wandering for over ten years now!"
Zhong Chuchu fell silent.
Mo Ji didn’t know what to think for the mont either.
"How could you leave Master Tao back then?" She laughed again, "If soone like Master Tao were willing to take responsibility for , I’d certainly cling to him all my life!"
Mo Ji suddenly recalled that day when the sword tip pierced her heart, the slyness and satisfaction in her eyes.
"You want to cling to Mo Ji?" Zhong Chuchu sneered, "Wake up!"
Mo Ji silently nodded.
He wasn’t the type of foolishly good person like Tao Fen.
"Does waking or not make any difference?" Hua Jian still smiled, "Even if awake, life’s no better, might as well keep dreaming."
"Heal yourself, resu martial arts, and what won’t you have?" Zhong Chuchu said.
"There’s really nothing..." Hua Jian, grown up, voice even more coquettish, especially when drawing out the tone, lazily indifferent to everything in the world.
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