Chapter 37: Keep Out

Under the shade of the trees in the distance, Lin Yiwen’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the medical kit, the veins on his hands visibly taut. His gaze never left the figure on the training field; his heart felt as though it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, and his breathing grew shallow. All afternoon, he had watched the combat training with trepidation, his heart aching as he saw everyone surrounding Zhuang Yun, fists whistling through the air and dust swirling around her.

Finally, the training ended. Zhuang Yun had spotted him long ago and walked toward him from afar, that familiar smile still gracing her face: "Brother Lin!"

Lin Yiwen hurried forward, his eyes scanning her body repeatedly, his voice thick with unconcealable worry: "Are you hurt?"

"No! Don't you know me by now?" Zhuang Yun laughed lightly. "Just keep practicing the Tai Chi I taught you every day. Once you master it, you’ll be as formidable as I am, ha-ha!"

Lin Yiwen remained frowning, his eyes landing on her cracked lips. The trace of blood there stung his sight. The sound of the medical kit’s metal latch snapping open startled the sparrows in the treetops. He hurriedly pulled a water bottle from the kit and handed it to her: "Here, drink some."

Zhuang Yun took the bottle, tilted her head back to take a few gulps, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as water droplets slid down her chin. Lin Yiwen instinctively reached for a cotton swab soaked in saline, but he paused when he touched the scab on the girl's lip. In the twilight, the young man pulled a tube of mint-scented lip balm from his pocket.

"Don't move," he whispered, his voice as gentle as if he were coaxing an injured beast.

Zhuang Yun subconsciously licked her lips. Her tongue brushed against the faint calluses on his fingertips, a sensation that felt vividly real. "I’m really fine..."

She suddenly extended her tongue to lick the corner of her mouth. The damp touch brushed against his heart, startling him so much he nearly crushed the aluminum tube. The tips of his ears turned instantly red, as if they might bleed.

Behind them, a group of people twitched their mouths, watching as the person who was clearly the least injured received such pampering. Their gazes were filled with resentment.

*If she can't use the medical kit, let us have it!*

The setting sun stretched their two shadows long, very long...

That afternoon, Lin Yiwen had come to say goodbye to Zhuang Yun; Dean Qian had notified him to pack his things. Over the past five days, the instructors had realized he had already mastered everything they could teach him. He was to depart that evening for a mecha base in the Ninth District to meet someone and continue his studies for a while, though it was unclear when he would return.

Zhuang Yun pulled a delicate bell from her robes: "This is a 'Clearing Heart Bell' I forged yesterday. When you meditate or practice your forms, hang it up high. It will help improve your internal energy—or rather, your spiritual power."

Lin Yiwen took the bell, a wave of warmth surging through his heart. He had been a man abandoned by fate, but because of her, he had found a new direction. He trusted her methods and vowed to practice diligently.

"Thank you." A thousand words condensed into two. He would slowly repay this kindness in the future.

***

Night fell. Zhuang Yun sat before her optical computer, video chatting with Zhuang Qitong and the others, recounting what she had seen and heard at the military academy. Suddenly, Ming Xie, who had been missing for three days, flew back with a weary body and dove headfirst into the bed.

Zhuang Yun leaned over: "Wangcai, where have you been flying off to? Did you go looking for a little girlfriend?"

Ming Xie: *Girlfriend your sister!*

For the past three days, he had followed a scent to a mysterious place, attempting to open a great gate, only to be blocked by an invisible force. He had exhausted his spiritual energy and was forced to return to Zhuang Yun's side to draw from her own to recover. Thinking of this, a sudden idea struck him: perhaps if he brought Zhuang Yun there, she could help?

With a sudden leap, Ming Xie grabbed the hem of Zhuang Yun’s robe in his beak and tugged hard.

"Hey, what’s wrong? Do you want to show me the little bird you’re seeing?"

Ming Xie: ...

Under the cover of a dark, windy night, the human and the bird arrived at the back courtyard of the library. A sign nearby read: "Restricted Military Academy Area, No Entry." The place was desolate, and a single leaf drifted slowly to the ground.

"Is this your secret trysting spot?"

Ming Xie ignored her teasing and led her left and right, through several corridors. The air carried a familiar woody scent; the design of the passage was identical to the secret chamber paths of her Yunyin Temple. Could this have been designed by one of her ancestors?

A night-luminescent pearl cast a faint glow, illuminating the path ahead until they reached a door sealed with tape. Zhuang Yun tried to push it, but it wouldn't budge. Ming Xie sighed, disappointed: *Can even she not open it?*

However, just as he was about to give up, Zhuang Yun pushed again, this time injecting a thread of internal energy. The door creaked open. The human and the bird stared at each other: ?

The layout of the secret chamber behind the door was exactly like that of Yunyin Temple. Zhuang Yun walked in familiarly, picked up a heavy book, and tried to open it. It didn't move until she injected her internal energy, at which point the pages slowly unfolded. She was astonished to find it was a secret manual on how to use talismans to enhance mecha performance!

On the other side, Ming Xie had just flown in and spotted a familiar vat—a vat he had used a thousand years ago.

***

There was still water in the vat. Without hesitation, he dove in, spreading his wings and swimming. Gradually, he felt his spiritual energy growing thick and potent. Zhuang Yun glanced at Ming Xie’s actions but paid no mind, engrossed in reading the manual.

Before long, Ming Xie leaped from the water, shook the droplets from his body, and transformed into human form. He was dressed in snow-white robes, a pair of massive wings unfurling behind him, looking like an immortal stepped out of a painting—this was the same person who had drained her blood last time, though he hadn't had wings then.

Zhuang Yun quickly raised her hand, summoning her Shiyu Bow from the air, the arrowhead pointed at the youth. Wait, these wings looked somewhat like Wangcai’s. She had used her spiritual sense to scan the area upon entering and knew there were no others here. Could it be... Wangcai?

Zhuang Yun asked tentatively: "Wangcai?"

"Wangcai your sister!"

Ming Xie rolled his eyes in frustration and flicked her forehead gently. Instantly, memories of the Yan Cang Wolf Forest flooded Zhuang Yun’s mind.

"So it was you..." She lowered her bow, her tone carrying a hint of mockery.

"This, this... am I really that powerful?" Zhuang Yun rubbed her forehead, savoring the realization.

Ming Xie wagged his index finger: "No! It is I—who am that powerful."

"Then why did you drink my blood!" Zhuang Yun raised her bow again.

"That is because... your blood—is extraordinary." And—delicious.

Zhuang Yun gave him a meaningful look and ultimately did not press the matter. Beasts, after all, were inevitably bloodthirsty.

She handed him the book in her hands: "Since you are the guardian beast of my Old Celestial Master, do you know why there are talisman techniques suited to my Taoist sect here?"

"I am a Divine Beast!" Ming Xie corrected her. He stroked his chin, frowning deeply as he tried to recall everything that felt so familiar.

"!!!"

"Ah—I don't remember..."

"Then what *do* you remember?!"