Chapter 724: Hearts Forever Tied Together

Chapter 724: Tied Eternally in Mind and Soul

Yue Hongling had assumed that her lack of administrative experience would make straightening out this vast, tangled mess an unbearable chore.

Yet, it soon became evident that words held the power of law here; the Elves had already been shocked into absolute compliance by the divine, god-like aura of the male Holy Envoy.

"Take the rebels down and lock them up first. They will face trial another day."

Immediately, a few turncoat maids replied with frantic eagerness, as if they had finally found their guiding light: "Understood."

Yue Hongling cast a sideways glance at them, thinking to herself that while they looked perfectly reverent now, given another occasion, they would probably help their Saintess tear her to pieces...

She kept those words to herself in the end, only saying: "Divide into teams and head over to the burial mountains. Treat the wounded, clean up the area, and rebury those who ought to be buried."

"Understood."

"Which of you usually deals more with the outside world? Let someone in charge step forward to purge the spies in Taoyuan Town."

"I will go."

"Send a squad to take over Dali. The White Miao have no leader right now; a single battle will decide it. If they resist, use the Blood Ao."

"I will handle that one."

Yue Hongling racked her brains for a long while, feeling there was still much to say but unable to think of anything else. She could only say with a touch of frustration: "For everything else, maintaining stability is the priority. Guard the Holy Temple and the royal palace well. Call the best doctor around; there are quite a few people to treat this time."

She paused, then added rather crossly: "Including myself!"

Her own bones felt as if they were falling apart, battered so badly that not a single patch of flesh was left unbruised, yet she still had to play the part of the bandit chief's woman to hold down the fort, even carrying him back. Meanwhile, that vixen—who hadn't suffered a single scratch or ache—had passed out with admirable swiftness, completely useless, forcing Yue Hongling to assign extra hands just to tend to her.

What a wretched gu curse, just looking for trouble.

Fortunately, now that the tasks were assigned, the Elven race began to function in an orderly manner, avoiding a total chaotic collapse. Carrying Zhao Changhe, Yue Hongling arrived at the royal palace and ducked into a random room. The moment she laid him onto the bed, her own head spun violently, and she nearly crashed down right on top of him.

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself up, sitting cross-legged with closed eyes to circulate her inner energy and heal herself.

Changhe had only let go and allowed himself to fall unconscious because he trusted that she was by his side. No matter what, she had to guard him well.

The sun gradually sank in the west, and the moon climbed the edge of the sky.

In a hazy state, Yue Hongling felt her essence, energy, and spirit undergo a miraculous transformation.

She knew just how many people she had saved this time... Her two journeys to the Miao territory with Zhao Changhe had resulted in saving more lives than she had in all her years wandering alone with her single sword. She had gained profound insights the last time, but this experience was even more direct, as if her spiritual terrace had been blasted wide open, drawing in and pouring down an endless torrent of worldly spiritual energy, merging her body with the universe.

If wandering the martial world to perform heroic deeds was a form of the Dao, did reaching the ultimate peak of this Dao constitute a form of Mastery?

What kind of Mastery would this be... Perhaps it was too abstract to know for sure just yet.

But Yue Hongling knew that the moment her sword left her hand and she could still strike down the Black Miao King with all her might, she was truly "mastering the sword."

The sword mastery spoken of in ancient legends was not merely using telekinesis to control a precious blade, nor was it merely letting a sword spirit operate on its own; it was the complete unity of mind and sword, where the longsword flew wherever the gaze landed.

It seemed she was still one layer away from a total breakthrough. Once she crossed that threshold, it would be her, Yue Hongling's, Domain of Sword Mastery.

Thus, even the crude, elementary intelligence of the black horse could sense that Yue Hongling and Zhao Changhe were a perfect match in every way. This iron will, capable of stubbornly forcing a breakthrough and progressing even while gravely wounded, was cast from the exact same mold...

And... even during deep, meditative cultivation, she maintained absolute vigilance.

"Clang!" The longsword suddenly leaped from its scabbard, pointing straight out the window.

Sisi was just sneaking in through the window when the sword pointed right at her throat. Terrified, she twisted her body mid-air to dodge, raising her hands high: "It's me!"

Yue Hongling sheathed her sword in annoyance: "Do you want to die? At a time like this, I am at my most tense. Any slight rustle..."

Before she could finish, Sisi cut her off with a faint, melancholic sigh: "I guessed you would be tense right now, but I thought it would be the kind of tension from being pleasured..."

"?" Yue Hongling wasn't afraid of a bit of ribald banter, but she was utterly speechless: "Do you really think he's made of iron?"

Sisi looked her up and down, then sighed: "I actually think you are the one made of iron. You're injured to this extent, and your wounds are practically clotting up. You should go heal yourself; having me here is enough."

Yue Hongling remained expressionless: "It would have been fine originally, but what you just said makes me feel you have ulterior motives and want to steal a bite."

Sisi retorted: "Even if I wanted to steal a bite, can he even be eaten in his current state, looking like a limp noodle? Do you really think he's made of iron?"

Yue Hongling: "..."

Sisi sighed: "I brought a doctor to see him, and I've also arranged for the best female witch doctor to treat your wounds. As long as you aren't as stubborn as my master, this kind of external trauma really isn't hard to fix."

Yue Hongling asked: "By the sound of it, you woke up quite quickly?"

"Mm... I only fainted from the pain, but I wasn't actually hurt myself. Of course I woke up quickly."

"I secretly warned you back then. Do you still think it was necessary now? Weren't you just looking for trouble? What do you mean by wanting a sense of participation? You must be out of your mind."

Sisi shook her head without a hint of hesitation: "The so-called shared perception of pain isn't just about sharing; it actually allows me to bear a portion of it. I probably took on nearly ten percent for him... He might not have felt a massive difference physically, but maybe it was that very ten percent that allowed him to hold on a bit longer."

Yue Hongling eyed her askance: "You took on less than ten percent of his burden, but how many fractions of that did you experience yourself?"

Sisi scratched her head: "Fifty percent. Even fifty percent was often unbearable for me. I really don't know how he managed to withstand it all..."

Reducing his damage by less than ten percent required her to endure fifty percent of the agony—a thoroughly losing bargain. And it wasn't even a true reduction of damage, merely a slight mitigation of pain, while the physical harm remained entirely unchanged.

Yue Hongling desperately wanted to call her an idiot, but the words stuck in her throat. Looking at Sisi's enchanting face, a line of poetry suddenly drifted into her mind: "The delicate dice are set with red beans; do you know the deep, bone-deep longing they hold?"

Who could have foreseen this? Everyone thought the Miao women were the most unreliable, yet her affection ran so deep and true. Perhaps it was a trait of their kind—they did not easily fall in love, but once they did, it was an unyielding commitment for life.

Outside the door, the old witch doctor knocked gently. Yue Hongling glanced over, then suddenly leaned in to whisper in Sisi's ear: "What you just said, he can hear it."

Sisi's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned instantly crimson: "You... you, you..."

"Heh..." Yue Hongling pinched her cheek: "You're allowed to use disguise to trick me, but I can't trick you just once? Alright, I'm off to treat my wounds. I leave him to you. Don't go eating the noodle blindly."

Sisi stamped her foot in fury: "Who wants to eat noodles!"

Yue Hongling had already flashed out the door, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the smiling old witch doctor outside the door, Sisi felt both ashamed and infuriated: "What are you laughing at? Get in here and treat him!"

The old witch doctor wiped away his smile and actually knelt reverently by Zhao Changhe's bedside. He kowtowed three times before slowly rising, speaking solemnly: "Rest assured, Saintess. Even if I must use the Life-Swapping Gu, I will not let the Holy Envoy perish."

Sisi sighed: "Forget it. Even if you swapped your life, it might only buy him a single breath. He won't die that easily. Just treat him properly and stop jinxing him."

The old witch doctor stepped forward to examine him for a moment, marveling aloud: "This physique... such aggressive vitality, recovery speed, and strength amplification. If a woman were to be... uh..."

Sisi: "..."

I know he's as strong as a bull, you don't need to tell me!

Intimate matters aside, anyone facing Zhao Changhe in a real fight would indeed feel immense pressure; his combat style was simply too aggressive. If only he could cultivate a defensive technique to patch up his weaknesses, he wouldn't end up looking like this every single time. Unfortunately, attack and defense usually required a trade-off and were difficult to possess simultaneously. Otherwise, given the wondrous fortunes he had encountered over the years, he wouldn't still be lacking in this area. Xuanwu was a master of defensive warfare, yet even he couldn't help him bridge this gap.

As the old witch doctor continued his examination, his brow quickly smoothed out.

The injuries Zhao Changhe sustained this time were a chaotic mix: the backlash of bloody malice, the shockwaves of a soul duel, various erosions and counter-shocks from the yin-fiend energy during the fight with Yin Kui, injuries from the divine axe's lightning, and severe exhaustion from drawing his bow and wielding the divine axe while already wounded. Individually, none of them were fatal, but combined, they looked dreadful, leaving him without a single uninjured patch of flesh. Yet in the hands of an experienced doctor, sorting them out one by one was not difficult at all.

However, the method of treatment was rather terrifying. Had Zhao Changhe been awake to witness it, he would probably have refused just like Ye Wuzong.

For instance, since he was currently lacking in vitality and blood, the old witch doctor placed toads and venomous snakes onto him, directly letting their blood to transfer and replenish his own... Could this kind of blood even match? Wouldn't it actually kill a man?

Yet under the witch doctor's manipulation, not only was the blood successfully replenished, but it even made his vitality and blood surge more vigorously—so much so that the limp noodle imperceptibly turned into a rigid dough stick.

Sisi: "..."

The old witch doctor finished his treatment methodically, smiling as he spoke: "The Holy Envoy's injuries are of no great concern. However, he has suffered a loss in both soul and vitality, so he needs plenty of rest. We have many sacred medicines to replenish his strength... Conveniently, our clan possesses unique treasures regarding blood and vitality, and the Juntian Blood Jade is also highly effective for this... There is no need to fear that he cannot handle the nourishment; with the Holy Envoy's body, no matter how much you supplement it, he can absorb it. Um... if the Saintess is willing, that method of drawing upon a virgin's primordial blood is also possible..."

Sisi immediately cut him off: "Absolutely not!"

"It was this old man's slip of the tongue." The old witch doctor packed his things and smiled: "Then as for the matter of wiping down his body and attending to him, this old man shall not disturb you further..."

Sisi nearly kicked him out the door.

Nor do you call for a maid to do this work—so in your eyes, I'm just a servant girl, am I?

The old witch doctor left, closing the door behind him. Sisi's gaze fell upon Zhao Changhe's bare body. The torso was crisscrossed with scars, smeared with blood and grime, and still bore the filthy residue left by the various venomous insects that had crawled over it—ugly and foul. Sisi bit her lower lip, watching for a long moment, then whispered an order: "Bring a basin of water in."

Soon a treacherous maid brought in the water, set it by the bedside, and moved to wipe Zhao Changhe down.

Sisi snatched it away: "What business is it of yours? Go, go, go!"

The maid was dumbfounded: "Are you the maid, or am I?"

Sisi: "..."

"We're scared too—who knows if you need some virgin's essence and blood? We're all 'boohoo,' but you're not," the maids wailed. "What outdated dogma from the last era—our lives are so bitter..."

"Scram, you wish!" Sisi unleashed her fury, tossing the treacherous ones out and locking the door.

Sitting back by the bed, Sisi still muttered curses under her breath as she wrung out a towel and bent to wipe his body.

Her hand had just reached out when it froze.

Zhao Changhe had opened his eyes at some point, staring fixedly at her.

Sisi's hand hung in the air. As their eyes met, she felt a strange awkwardness she'd never known, unsure even how to begin speaking.

But Zhao Changhe smiled and suddenly said, "Kiss me."

Sisi's embarrassment vanished instantly. She snapped, "You're filthy and stinking—why should I kiss you?"

Zhao Changhe smacked his lips twice, feigning confusion: "My mouth isn't dirty—where were you thinking?"

Sisi: "..."

Zhao Changhe tilted his head slightly, looking at her with an expression of eager anticipation for a kiss.

Sisi, wiping him haphazardly, fumed, "Can't you just go to sleep? You're much cuter when you're asleep—awake, you're loathed by gods and ghosts alike."

Zhao Changhe laughed: "Curse me some more?"

Sisi was astounded: "Have you caught some disease of servility?"

Zhao Changhe grinned wide.

Sisi was both exasperated and amused: "If you'd been this wretched back then, do you think I'd have taken a liking to you?"

In truth, Sisi knew why Zhao Changhe wanted her to scold him—first, to break the awkwardness of their long separation, and second, to give vent to his own aching longing. It was thoughtful, but Sisi felt that if he'd understood women so well back then, he wouldn't have been the hero in her heart.

Still, it was good that he understood now... at least her feelings wouldn't flow away like water, met only with a cold, conquering word.

Then Zhao Changhe said, "This is much better—curse when you want, speak when you need. Who are you putting on that seductress act for every day?"

Sisi retorted angrily, "I am a seductress—do you want me or not?"

Zhao Changhe answered without hesitation, "Yes—let me see your legs?"

Sisi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Zhao Changhe suddenly said, "Hey, Sisi..."

Sisi snapped, "What?"

"That bug thing—can it be swapped?"

Sisi's heart skipped a beat.

Based on the Spirit Clan's past experience with outsiders... or even just the Miao border tribes who played with gu—almost every outsider loathed it, unwilling to have something unknown and uncontrollable planted inside them, whether beneficial or harmful.

That was why Sisi had never dared tell Zhao Changhe she'd put a gu in him, even if it had been useful at the time.

To say Sisi was always acting, never speaking truth—that was a habit forged from a long life of dealing with outsiders. Not everything laid bare brought good results.

But she looked seriously into Zhao Changhe's eyes. He wore a smile, his gaze sincere: "Give me some good gu. What's this trash that only shares pain one-way fit for your master? If we're sharing, it should be mutual—then I'd know when you're on your period too."

"How can you say something so disgusting with such a sincere expression?"

Zhao Changhe just laughed, not answering.

Sisi muttered something even she couldn't hear, then fumed, "How can it be mutual? You're always getting into fights—if your stomach suddenly hurt mid-battle, wouldn't I be the one who killed you?"

"Then why not use a Heartlink Gu or a Fatesharing Gu?" Zhao Changhe finally asked. "Aren't those your usual tricks?"

"Oh, please—you're the master. How would a servant girl dare share a fate with you?" Sisi pressed hard on his wound, and they both flinched in pain at the same time.

Zhao Changhe was about to laugh, but then another thought struck him.

Sisi had placed this gu not just to express a "sense of participation"—her real meaning back then was probably, "I will never harm you, because your pain is my pain."

Heart like a double silk net, with a thousand thousand knots within.

Zhao Changhe looked at Sisi, who was now wiping him more gently with a hurt expression, and suddenly said, "Hey, give me a Heartlink Gu."

Sisi was taken aback.

The so-called Heartlink Gu was a love tester: whichever of the two parties was a fraud in love would drop dead instantly, and if either later changed their heart, they'd also die on the spot.

This gu was extreme—usually no one dared use it lightly. It wasn't about Zhao Changhe having many women; in human society, it was long accepted that a powerful person could have multiple partners, regardless of gender. The ancient Spirit Clan elites who could define gu rules were the highest of the high—they wouldn't make trouble for themselves. So that aspect was fine, as long as true feelings existed. The real problem was that no one could guarantee that love burning hot today wouldn't cool tomorrow—neither side dared.

Seeing Sisi's dazed look, Zhao Changhe deliberately said, "What, is the Saintess about to change her heart?"

Sisi flared up: "Eat, eat, eat—you want to eat everything! Why don't you choke to death! You can't just eat this recklessly!"

"It's just eating a bug—I've had them before."

"Do you even know what you're saying? You only want my body—can you be sure you'll still like me when I'm old, with white hair and a wrinkled face?"

Zhao Changhe said, "If we can grow old together, that would be Changhe's fortune."

Sisi stared at him blankly, suddenly recalling her imagined snow and the maids' jokes.

Who said I was a foolish Saintess? What do you know...

The real fool is him...

"You know..." Sisi paused, bent to wipe him without meeting his eyes, and said softly, "With your prestige now, you could enslave my entire clan and have plenty willing to be your servants—why go this far?"

"Would someone then look at the snowflakes and say, 'Two lovesick souls bathed in the same snow—this life counts as sharing white hair'?"

Sisi was furious: "You were eavesdropping back then?"

"Ow—don't pinch there! Damn, why don't you feel pain?"

"I don't have that thing—cut it off and I still wouldn't feel pain!"

"Damn..."

As Zhao Changhe opened his mouth, Sisi's slender hand flicked, and a gu worm flew into his mouth, vanishing instantly.

Zhao Changhe blinked.

Sisi's face was expressionless: "Heartlink Gu—it can override the old one. Is the master satisfied now?"

Zhao Changhe smiled: "Not bad—tasty."

They were both silent for a moment. No one dropped dead.

Sisi showed a hint of a smile, but then sighed: "Fine, I'll tell you the truth... The gu is a Heartlink Gu, but a weakened version—at worst, a change of heart brings a serious illness. I can't put your life and death in the hands of such a thing... You bear heavy responsibilities now—don't act on impulse."

Zhao Changhe stared at her without speaking.

"I'm very glad." Sisi's tone was softer than ever, her head bowed: "You seem crazy now, but you're truly not sick... Knowing this heart is enough..."

She bit her lower lip and rose gently, slowly shedding her garments, revealing a body smooth as polished jade.

Zhao Changhe was stunned: "What are you doing?"

Sisi smiled bewitchingly: "Didn't you want to see my legs?"

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Sisi climbed softly onto the bed, embracing the freshly cleaned Zhao Changhe, and whispered in his ear: "Master, your spirit is drained and needs replenishment... Though Sisi no longer has virgin blood, our dual cultivation of hearts is no less potent... Just lie still, and when you are healed, whatever games you wish to play, Sisi will play them with you..."