The Frosted Immortal’s Descent: A Mad Quest for Love - Chapter 4

The rain outside grew heavier, pattering down along the eaves.

Yun Jinghe took a deep breath and opened her eyes, clutching the torn fabric of her clothes together. “Thank you for your kindness, Miss Shi, but I can handle this myself.”

Her tone carried a hint of restraint.

Shi Ying hadn’t expected the clothes she’d randomly found to be so flimsy, they tore apart with barely any effort on her part.

“You can’t even see. How are you going to do it yourself?” Shi Ying wasn’t about to let go of this opportunity to “cause trouble.” She rolled her eyes. “Besides, what if you grab the wrong medicine?”

Hearing this, Yun Jinghe’s expression softened slightly. It seemed the other woman was genuinely concerned and meant no harm.

Still, her refusal remained firm, gripping her collar tightly like a virtuous woman refusing to yield to a tyrant.

“There’s only one bottle of topical medicine, so there’s no risk of mixing it up. Please don’t worry,” Yun Jinghe said, her voice gentler now.

“Just one bottle, huh?” Shi Ying glanced at the remaining jars and bottles on the table and saw that it was indeed as Yun Jinghe had said. With a disappointed sigh, she turned and sat back down. “Fine, apply it yourself then.”

Yun Jinghe stood there holding the medicine, listening to the sound of Shi Ying fiddling with the bottles on the table.

Shi Ying’s mood had shifted rather quickly, and Yun Jinghe wondered if she’d upset her.

“Why aren’t you going yet?” Shi Ying asked.

Yun Jinghe pressed her lips together. “I need to change and apply the medicine. Does your home have any gauze? And could you please tell me if there’s a screen here for privacy and hanging clothes?”

Shi Ying let out a soft sigh. She lifted her head and scanned the room. “I don’t know about gauze, but there is a screen.”

Yun Jinghe realized she might have caused the other woman quite a bit of trouble, and her earlier irritation over the torn clothes faded a little more.

Perhaps she shouldn’t have reacted so strongly. The other woman had only meant well.

But aside from her discomfort with being seen undressed, there was another reason, the wounds on her body had been inflicted by the demonic serpent, and traces of its venom still lingered. If an ordinary person accidentally touched it, it could be life-threatening.

That was why she couldn’t let Shi Ying help apply the medicine.

She heard Shi Ying stand and approach, then felt a sudden touch against her fingertips, followed by a firm grasp.

Startled, Yun Jinghe instinctively tried to pull away, but the grip only tightened.

“Stop squirming. I’m just leading you to undress,” Shi Ying said without a hint of restraint, as if completely oblivious to any other implications.

Not wanting to complicate things further, Yun Jinghe allowed herself to be led quietly.

The other woman’s hand was slightly cold perhaps from searching for the brocade pouch earlier.

As Yun Jinghe’s thoughts wandered, Shi Ying guided her behind a bamboo screen, explained the general layout of the area, and handed her a fresh set of clothes before leaving.

Yun Jinghe stood alone in silence for a moment. She turned her head slightly toward the direction she’d come from and tentatively called out, “Miss Shi?”

“What now?” Shi Ying’s voice came from nearby, sounding somewhat listless.

“Nothing.” Only then did Yun Jinghe release the crumpled collar she’d been clutching and begin to undress.

Her wounds weren’t numerous, mostly concentrated on her shoulders and upper arms. They had been treated briefly earlier, and though they still oozed blood, she estimated the injuries weren’t too severe.

However, there were faint aches in certain parts of her body, mostly around her waist and limbs. There were no wounds or swelling when she touched them.

But she couldn’t recall being hit anywhere. Since she couldn’t see now, she had no choice but to let it go.

There was no gauze here, so she tore the damaged garment to use as makeshift bandages.

The clothing seemed particularly easy to tear she didn’t even need to use much force. The fabric was also quite thin, likely of mediocre quality.

Being unable to see, Yun Jinghe struggled quite a bit while getting dressed.

Moreover, the fabric of these clothes felt similar to the one she had torn. The collar also seemed a bit too large even after she had fully dressed, a small patch of skin below her neck was still exposed.

Yun Jinghe had always been meticulous about dressing properly, but she wasn’t in a position to be picky now. Having something to wear was already a blessing.

When she stepped out, Shi Ying was still sitting at the table, idly playing with the medicine jars.

“Miss Shi,” Yun Jinghe called out, relying on her remarkable memory to return to the table.

Hearing her voice, Shi Ying looked up. For a moment, she was startled Yun Jinghe’s deep, twilight-like eyes made it seem as though she could actually see. Instinctively, Shi Ying pressed down the corner of the label she had just lifted.

“What is it?”

Receiving a response, Yun Jinghe extended her arm and rolled up the loose sleeve, revealing her slender forearm. She touched the spots where she felt the faint pain. “Could you take a look for me? What’s wrong here?”

On her fair, slender forearm were several bluish-purple bruises. Against her pale skin, they looked rather alarming.

“It’s nothing, just some bruises,” Shi Ying said, glancing at Yun Jinghe with a hint of guilt. “Ahem, maybe you bumped into something when you rolled down the slope.”

It definitely wasn’t from when she had dragged her along!

But she couldn’t be blamed, who knew someone who looked so slender could be so heavy?

Yun Jinghe frowned slightly but had no choice but to accept the explanation. Perhaps she really had bumped into things in the forest without realizing it. But to have hit so many spots she must have been unusually careless.

Shi Ying studied Yun Jinghe, her gaze drifting down to the necklace peeking out from her collar. She had noticed it before, but she couldn’t remove it.

And she remembered, the golden light that had burned her palm had come from this very necklace.

If not for this thing getting in the way, she would have already taken this cultivator’s golden core. With it, perhaps Wu Feng’s side would have a better chance.

“What’s that around your neck?”

Hearing this, Yun Jinghe reached up to touch the necklace and replied evasively, “A birthday gift from an elder.”

It was a congratulatory gift from her late grandmaster upon her core formation. Inside was a protective seal her grandmaster had placed, capable of saving her life at critical moments. Moreover, no one in the world except her could remove it.

“Can I take a look at it?” Shi Ying moved closer.

Sensing her approach, Yun Jinghe subtly took half a step back. “I’m sorry, Miss Shi, but I can’t agree to that request.”

“Why not?”

Shi Ying’s voice carried clear displeasure again.

“It was a gift from an elder. I cannot remove it at will.” Then, as if remembering something, she added, “If an outsider touches it with ill intent, they may be harmed by the mechanisms within.”

“So, no one else can touch it at all?” Shi Ying pressed on relentlessly.

Yun Jinghe pondered for a moment. “Not necessarily.”

Hearing this, Shi Ying perked up with interest. “Then what’s the exception?”

“My partner can.” Yun Jinghe said slowly.

The Grandmaster had once told her that the restriction wouldn’t guard against her partner, but such a scenario was impossible.

At that time, Yun Jinghe had firmly believed so.

Shi Ying crossed her arms, tilting her head in thought. “Do you have a partner?”

Yun Jinghe froze for a moment before shaking her head slowly. “No, never.”

“Well, that makes things easier.” Shi Ying said.

Yun Jinghe frowned slightly. “Hmm?”

The next instant, she felt a cool touch against her cheek, as if someone had cupped her face, followed by the girl’s crisp, lively voice in her ear.

“Then why don’t I just be your partner?”