When the Immortal Venerable Picked-Up the Demon Cub - Chapter 22

When Zhu Ning finally woke up, three days had passed.

She struggled to open her eyes, her mouth dry and parched, her throat aching so badly she couldn’t utter a single word.

Looking around, she confirmed she was in Mùdōng Courtyard, but no one else was there. The setting sun cast long shadows, and the room was so quiet she could hear a pin drop. Zhu Ning tried to sit up to get herself some water, but the moment she moved, a searing pain tore through her chest.

“Hiss…” Zhu Ning gasped, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. But just then, with a thump, a flash of red tumbled from the rafters, landing gracefully like a crimson butterfly.

The red-robed figure didn’t hesitate, rushing to Zhu Ning’s bedside. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes, one Zhu Ning couldn’t decipher. Lin Xiayan asked cautiously, “How are you? Does your chest still hurt?”

A strand of dark hair slipped from Lin Xiayan’s temple, draping across Zhu Ning’s shoulder. Zhu Ning, dressed only in a white undergarment, felt her collarbone exposed in the air. Her expression grew uneasy, and she shifted further back into the bed, trying to distance herself from Lin Xiayan.

Lin Xiayan, as if she didn’t understand, frowned and leaned closer. “What, did getting hurt make you lose your memory too?”

Zhu Ning’s face was etched with dark lines. Her pale lips trembled before she finally managed to speak. “You’re the one who’s lost her memory… I’m just not used to you being so close.”

After saying that, Zhu Ning felt like she was about to collapse. Is this what it means to be injured? It wasn’t so much pain as a numbness that spread through her limbs, making her want nothing more than to sleep. She felt utterly drained.

Even speaking tugged at her wound, making her already pale face even whiter, as if she were about to faint again.

Lin Xiayan was anxious. She hadn’t realized humans were so fragile. Though the Resentful Energy had been fierce, she had always expelled such impurities through meditation, never knowing what pain truly meant. Seeing Zhu Ning so weakened by it, she felt utterly helpless.

“You’re in no condition to talk,” Lin Xiayan said, her brow furrowed in concern. “What do you want to eat? Someone will bring Chinese medicine later. I hear it’s very bitter.”

Lin Xiayan recalled the bitter taste of the medicine she had given Zhu Ning a few days earlier when Zhu Ning was unconscious. Her eyes seemed to sparkle at the memory. How could anything be so bitter?

Zhu Ning’s eyes widened instantly, so frightened she dared not even breathe. She had always hated taking medicine; as a child, she would cry and fuss about it all day.

“No, date cakes!” Zhu Ning quickly pleaded with Lin Xiayan, then rubbed her empty stomach and gazed at her with a pitiful, pleading look.

Lin Xiayan couldn’t help but smile, though the bright expression vanished as quickly as it appeared. With a flicker of movement, she disappeared without a trace. Zhu Ning clutched her blanket, cold sweat beading on her forehead as she replayed the events of the banquet in her mind.

“A-Ning?” A voice, old and filled with guilt, interrupted Zhu Ning’s thoughts. She immediately recognized who it was.

“Elder Yue, there’s no need for further explanations,” Zhu Ning said, her voice sharp. Though she knew she had stepped in to take the blow, facing the man responsible still filled her with resentment.

Lin Xiayan was the villain, yet she had never harmed a single disciple of Yun Cang Mountain. What about Yue Qing, the self-proclaimed righteous elder?

Just to save face, you hold a grudge and strike a young girl so brutally?

This isn’t a test. It’s a vicious act of revenge.

Zhu Ning snorted coldly. She had planned to deliver a scathing retort, but the moment she opened her mouth, a sharp pain shot through her wound, and her breathing grew ragged. “Lin Xiayan,” she gasped, “is merely someone This Venerable One took in out of pity and because of her talent. If the Elder disapproves, Zhu Ning will leave Yun Cang Mountain with her at once.”

Her voice was weak, and she struggled to speak without gasping for air. Zhu Ning clutched her chest, cold sweat beading on her forehead. She lay on the bed with her eyes tightly shut, unwilling to utter another word.

Yue Qing remained standing outside the door, silent for a long time. Just as Zhu Ning assumed he had left, he suddenly spoke. “Don’t be angry. It was my fault. I was too harsh with her this time. I only meant to test the other disciples’ adaptability.”

Zhu Ning had no intention of speaking again, but Yue Qing’s feeble explanation made her laugh in exasperation. She forced her eyes open despite the pain, her voice rising several octaves. “Then I must thank Elder Yue for his ‘test.’ I’m sure the disciples of Yun Cang Mountain will be relying on your ‘guidance’ for years to come!”

Zhu Ning was truly furious this time. Already feeling unwell, her words were even sharper than usual, and she didn’t care that Yue Qing was her elder. As soon as she finished speaking, she braced herself for his anger, but instead, he replied calmly, “You’re angry right now, so I won’t take anything you say to heart. But do you really think there’s nothing wrong with that Lin Xiayan?”

This question struck Zhu Ning’s weak spot. Of course she knew there was something wrong with Lin Xiayan, and not just a little something, but a major problem.

But how could she tell Yue Qing directly? Suppressing her frustration, she softened her tone, her voice betraying her unease. “I only trust what I see with my own eyes. Lin Xiayan is a good person.” The unspoken implication was clear: she only believed what she had personally witnessed.

Yue Qing didn’t press further. He turned and vanished into the darkness, leaving Zhu Ning to listen intently. After a long moment, not even the sound of his breathing remained. Yue Qing had truly left.

She instantly felt a great weight lift from her shoulders and let out a long sigh of relief. The cold sensation from the wound on her chest spread through her body. Zhu Ning lay back down and gazed up at the intricate carvings on the bed frame, counting them one by one.

The pain in her body hadn’t even subsided when Zhu Ning caught a strong medicinal scent. She instinctively wrinkled her nose, her face scrunching up like a steamed bun. Her eyes darted around the room until she finally looked down.

“Medicine,” Lin Xiayan said simply, holding the bowl of dark herbal brew out to Zhu Ning. In an instant, she transformed into her most beautiful self, her snow-white wrist contrasting sharply against the color of her gown.

Zhu Ning shook her head. She didn’t know when Lin Xiayan had arrived or if she’d overheard anything. Facing this “ally,” Zhu Ning felt both relieved and uneasy.

Assuming Zhu Ning was afraid of the bitter taste, Lin Xiayan took out a plate of jujube cakes and slowly slid it from the edge of the couch toward Zhu Ning’s pillow.

“These were freshly steamed today. They smell wonderful. You need to drink the medicine quickly. This wound is hard to heal.” For the first time, Lin Xiayan showed a hint of distress. Zhu Ning’s heart sank. This was the great villainess, after all. If even she was troubled, the injury must be dire.

Zhu Ning, already pale, now looked like she was facing certain death.

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