The Aloof Master Relies on This Cat's Kisses to Survive - Chapter 21

Softened by the Medicinal Soup

The massive Dream Fire converged in Ming Xi’s palm, carrying a force that could destroy heaven and earth as it swept toward the vengeful spirits clogging the East Street.

In an instant, white light splashed everywhere. Wailing shrieks echoed wherever it passed, and within moments, the dense malevolence had been burned clean away.

The nightmare was broken.

But Ji Wu saw none of this.

She had already collapsed into the Dream Beast’s arms the moment Ming Xi struck. When she opened her eyes again, she was immersed in a tub of medicinal soup.

The room was filled with dense steam and the permeating scent of herbs.

It was Ji Wu’s residence at the Xuanling Sect; she was back in her inner bedroom.

“Cough.”

Ji Wu coughed softly, her consciousness gradually returning. The scent of medicinal ingredients reached her nose—it wasn’t particularly pleasant.

The color of the medicinal soup in the bath was very dark. The rising steam intertwined with the candlelight in the bedroom, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

Ji Wu was truly exhausted. Forget moving; even keeping her eyes open was difficult.

Her injuries were simply too severe. Knowing how frail her body had become, Ji Wu did not force herself and closed her eyes to rest for another moment.

A little more time passed.

There was a slight tremor in the medicinal soup. Ji Wu’s hair, like seaweed, brushed against the water’s surface following the spreading ripples.

Her frost-white Xuanling Sect robes were soaked into a semi-transparent thin gauze. The fabric clung to her bloodless, icy skin, making the Ancestral Master look even less like a creature of the mortal realm.

Her tightly closed eyes and long lashes trembled slightly. Ji Wu was likely attempting to use the medicine’s power to regulate her internal breath, but the effect seemed negligible. The Ancestral Master’s brow furrowed in dissatisfaction.

Her innate majesty was such that no one would dare disturb her, yet there was a certain arrogant wild creature who insisted on barging in, forcing her into the flower bushes and tempting her with pleasure and incense.

Ming Xi climbed through the window just as she had the day before.

Her large dark eyes scanned the room. First, she looked at Ji Wu to confirm the Ancestral Master was alright, then she turned her gaze away to find a place to set down the small stove she carried.

The small stove was still burning, heating the soup in the medicinal pot.

Ming Xi tapped the side of the pot with her finger. “Ouch! So hot.”

The heat was just right; it would be ready in a moment.

Ming Xi moved back to where Ji Wu was taking her medicinal bath and wrinkled her nose. She really disliked the smell of these herbs; they smelled bitter and tasted even stranger—not delicious at all.

However, since the entire bedroom was filled with the scent of the soup, Ming Xi squatted down with a bitter face, leaning against the edge of the tub to watch the meditating Ji Wu.

Is Master awake? Can I wake her up? Should I take advantage of her rest to enter a dream and be close to her again?

Ming Xi propped up one side of her face with her palm.

Today’s makeup was apricot-colored. Not only were there two exaggerated cloud patterns flying at the corners of her eyes, but she had also drawn a thin diagonal line of shimmering golden-orange on her left eyelid, making her already bright gaze appear even more cunning.

These eyes had seen everything in the world and countless stories inside and outside of dreams, but currently, they only saw Ji Wu.

Another ripple appeared in the medicinal soup. A sweet, spicy fragrance entered Ji Wu’s breath. Although she heard no sound, Ji Wu knew who had come.

She tried to move her body once more.

“Wuwu, are you awake?” Ming Xi straightened her head, her face full of eagerness. “Does your body hurt? Where does it hurt?”

Seeing that Ji Wu was slow to open her eyes, she knelt up in anxiety. “Are you still very tired? It’s very safe here; this is Wuwu’s bedroom. Ming Xi is guarding you, so rest at ease.”

“Mm,” Ji Wu responded, her voice slightly dry.

“Are you thirsty?” Ming Xi asked again. “I brought sugar.”

“…No need,” Ji Wu replied, slowly opening her eyes. She saw a clear, unusual color in the dark medicinal soup.

It was the reflection of Ming Xi leaning over the edge of the tub. Today, the Dream Beast did not have black hair; she sported a head of silvery, fluffy curls and had arrived showing two large cat ears.

Two fluffy hair ornaments hung behind her ears. Ming Xi blinked her eyes, which she kept black for Ji Wu’s sake. “Then do you want to eat meat?”

As this creature spoke, her head bobbed, her palms pressed against the edge of the wooden tub, and even her tail couldn’t stay still. It stood up and wagged, catching Ji Wu’s hair ribbon that was trailing outside, winding around it again and again.

“What time is it?” Ji Wu slowly adapted to her surroundings. The dense mist filled every corner of the room, and it indeed felt very peaceful.

Except, she still seemed to hear people screaming in her ears.

It was the souls of the East Street, the complaints of the Xuanling Sect disciples, and the innocent spirits of the Imperial City crying out in pain.

“It’s almost noon,” Ming Xi answered, not daring to look away from Ji Wu.

Ji Wu looked over, her lips slightly pursed. “Mm.”

“This is the medicinal bath given by the Dongfang clan. They said it’s very beneficial for your injuries.” Ming Xi’s eyes were full of concern. “The Nightmare Demon’s formation last night was too large. Wuwu’s body is depleted and was struck by those foul winds. If the malevolent energy isn’t washed out quickly, I’m afraid it will seep into your bones and marrow.”

“Yes, I know,” Ji Wu nodded. “I don’t dislike the smell of medicine. You don’t need to worry.”

“Alright,” Ming Xi wrinkled her nose.

Master is truly amazing, not even hating the smell of medicine. Ming Xi was suffering terribly from it.

She looked at Ji Wu pitifully. Ji Wu’s eyes were as clear as a starry night. Her lips, usually naturally red, were now slightly pale. Conversely, her snow-white skin, usually too pale, had been steamed by the heat of the medicinal bath for so long that it was stained with a warm flush.

“You’ve worked hard.” Ji Wu turned her gaze away. “I will take the bath myself. You don’t need to stay.”

“That won’t do.” Ming Xi spoke solemnly. “Wuwu, this soup isn’t something that gets better just by soaking once. It’s not just that you were hit by malevolence; don’t forget the depletion of your body.”

She stood up, looking at the dark medicinal water in the tub. “It’s better if Ming Xi washes Master.”

“I can do it my—” Ji Wu was about to refuse, but then she remembered the encounter from last night.

Being led into the nightmare ambush was by no means an accident. If she didn’t recover her cultivation quickly, there would eventually be situations even more unimaginable.

“…I’ll trouble you, then.”

In the end, Ji Wu chose to compromise.

“Hee!” Ming Xi rolled up her sleeves with great excitement, using the floral bracelets on her hands to tuck her wide sleeves up her upper arms. Then, as if she couldn’t wait, she reached out and touched Ji Wu’s dark hair floating in the medicinal soup. “The hair needs to be combed first. I’ll be very gentle.”

As she spoke, she gathered Ji Wu’s black hair together and groomed it carefully before turning her hands toward the collar of Ji Wu’s clothes.

The blue veins on the side of Ji Wu’s neck throbbed slightly, and her eyelashes fluttered. Her reddened earlobes were tangled in her dark hair, revealing that it wasn’t just her hair that was in disarray at this moment.

Water droplets from Ming Xi’s fingertips fell onto Ji Wu’s collarbone and slid downward, like a feline predator pushing through thick grass to explore a prey’s sanctuary.

Ji Wu suppressed a soft moan, letting the hoarse sound break in her throat, unwilling to let it out.

Ming Xi seemed quite serious and said nothing, her movements gentle as she removed Ji Wu’s plain robes.

And the undergarments.

The untied silk ribbons, wet and dripping, brushed against Ji Wu’s supple curves as they were pulled up, catching on her shoulder and lingering there.

Skin like jade and porcelain appeared intermittently in the rippling water. The dark medicinal soup could not cover the teasing glimpses of that snowy white.

“This… no need to remove.” Ji Wu grabbed Ming Xi’s hand as it probed into the water. The fingers had just touched Ji Wu’s upper abdomen and were about to move lower.

“Wuwu.” Ming Xi’s expression was grave. “I know Wuwu doesn’t like this kind of contact, which is why I went to the ‘White Hair’ to ask for this soup.”

the “White Hair” she referred to was the wife of the current elder of the Dongfang clan and an ancestor of Dongfang Qianyao.

Ming Xi didn’t like the White Hair, and the White Hair looked at Ming Xi with disgust every time she saw her.

But the two were forced to have frequent contact because of Ji Wu.

“If Wuwu is still not used to it, doing it yourself or not undressing is of course fine. But if Ming Xi helps, the medicinal power and the soul-contract will work together for twice the result with half the effort. Isn’t that better?”

“…You’ve gone to a lot of trouble.” Ji Wu naturally understood Ming Xi’s intentions, but the current situation was truly awkward. She knew her body needed to be close to Ming Xi for spiritual energy to circulate, yet every touch from the other made it difficult for Ji Wu to face herself.

“Isn’t it right to put effort into one’s soul-contracted wife? Guarding my wife is my primary duty.” As Ming Xi spoke, she used her brain to think. “If Wuwu is truly too shy, how about this?”

She lifted her tail and pressed it against the water’s surface over Ji Wu’s chest, blocking the hazy, escaping view of the spring scenery.

Ji Wu’s body tensed instantly. Clearly, the tail wasn’t even touching her, and…

“You don’t like water; you don’t have to do this.” Ji Wu looked at Ming Xi’s wet fur and, for some reason, felt a sense of reluctance in her heart. “You don’t like the smell of medicine either.”

“But I like Wuwu very much—I like Wuwu the most.” Ming Xi replied as a matter of course. “Anything that can heal Wuwu, Ming Xi can do.”

Ming Xi could least bear to see Ji Wu looking haggard. She wanted Ji Wu to recover quickly.

Thinking of this, Ming Xi felt anxious again. “The lunar phases change day by day. If Wuwu’s spiritual manor isn’t repaired in time, how will we deal with it then?”

Indeed, Ji Wu had been lured into an ambush just after arriving at the Xuanling Sect. If she didn’t find her cultivation soon, who knew how much trouble there would be by the time the weakest day—the full moon—arrived.

Her own trouble was one thing, but she must not…

Ji Wu was startled to realize that her concern at this moment was not for herself, nor for the Xuanling Sect or the Dongfang clan, but for Ming Xi, who was contracted to her.

They were already in a symbiotic relationship. If one suffered a mishap, the other would not survive.

“Why doesn’t Wuwu treat today’s medicinal bath as practice and slowly adapt?” Seeing Ji Wu’s expression gradually soften, Ming Xi asked tentatively, “We have to reach that step eventually, after all.”

Which step?

Ji Wu’s ears turned beet red, yet she feigned composure. “No need for extra talk.”

“Fine.” Ming Xi knew she couldn’t push her luck.

She wouldn’t push further, but today, she was determined to get that “inch” of progress.

Fingertips coated in medicinal juice brushed over Ji Wu’s body, which had been softened by the medicinal soup. With delicate bones and supple skin, every curve and every touch made Ji Wu feel as if she were caught between heaven and a demon’s spell.

“Is the medicinal soup too hot?” Ming Xi deliberately leaned close to Ji Wu’s ear. Her warm breath, tinged with the scent of herbs, added a hint of forbidden meaning.

“It’s just that the medicinal properties are too strong; it’s a bit pungent.” Ji Wu, of course, would not admit that Ming Xi’s touch was making her find it hard to endure.

“Is that so? Then…” Ming Xi actually took her seriously. After thinking for a moment, she said, “How about I go find some flowers?”

“Who puts flowers in a medicinal bath?” Ji Wu shook her head.

“If no one has done it, does it mean it can’t be done?” Ming Xi naturally wouldn’t accept that. “Just say what kind of flower Wuwu likes.”

Ji Wu was helpless, and a hint of a smile even flickered in her eyes. “I like plum blossoms. It’s not the season for them; there’s no need to look.”

“Eee-eee-eee, you are mistaken. It’s just plum blossoms.” Ming Xi raised her hand and spread her five fingers. “Whenever I want the plum blossoms to bloom, they shall bloom.”

Only, where would be a good place for them to bloom?