Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Cured
Di Youlin’s once-vacant pupils gradually came into focus, and the black mist lingering between his brows slowly thinned.
Di Youlin’s condition steadily improved under Ning Xuan’s treatment. By the time they returned to the villa on Qingluan Mountain, his rampaging spiritual power had gradually calmed, but due to the Golden Needle Soul Stabilization, he had not yet woken up.
Yan Fuzhen swept Di Youlin into his arms and carried him into Ning Xuan’s courtyard.
Ning Xuan removed the Golden Needles from the top of Di Youlin’s head one by one. The once-gleaming gold needles were now completely ink-black, the color seemingly having seeped deep into the metal itself.
Ning Xuan then took three needles carved from translucent jade from the second layer of her needle bag. With a flick of her fingers—WHOOSH—the three jade needles streaked into his body like fireflies. Yu Mingche and Yan Fuzhen, watching from the side, saw only a flash of light before the three finger-length needles vanished.
Immediately after, they saw a spectral black Phoenix rise from Di Youlin’s temples, Baihui Acupoint, and Danzhong acupoint, letting out a series of pained, mournful cries.
The energy inside the villa suddenly grew turbulent, forming a vortex around the three of them that was visible to the naked eye.
"That’s Di Youlin’s genetic totem. How can this be happening?" Yan Fuzhen instinctively took half a step back.
Ning Xuan wiped the fine beads of sweat from her brow. "The malevolent energy congested in his Spiritual Sea and his bloodline is too dense. I have to guide it out of him."
Ning Xuan bit her fingertip. A single, bright-red drop of blood fell into the spectral Phoenix. The moment it made contact, it was like a drop of hot oil hitting a skillet. With a SIZZLE, countless wisps of black smoke erupted from within the phantom. As the smoke vaporized, the spectral Phoenix began to solidify, condensing into fiery red feathers.
A touch of color finally returned to Di Youlin’s pale cheeks. His breathing steadied, and the turmoil within his Spiritual Sea subsided.
With a wave of her hand, Ning Xuan retrieved the three jade needles and placed them back in her needle bag.
Though the procedure hadn’t taken long, it was incredibly draining. Seeing Ning Xuan’s slightly pale face, Yu Mingche took out a Recovery Potion and offered it to her. Ning Xuan waved it away, signaling that she didn’t need it. ’I know my own body.’ It was just a temporary overexertion of her spiritual power; she would recover fully with a bit of rest.
Yan Fuzhen had already made arrangements for the dozen or so people in Di Youlin’s entourage.
「About three hours later」
Di Youlin regained consciousness.
Di Youlin slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell upon the most familiar bedroom in the Qingluan Mountain villa. When he had first arrived here, he had snuck into this very courtyard countless times, just for the chance to sleep where Ning Xuan slept.
Di Youlin let out a soft sigh. He was intimately familiar with every brick and tile, every blade of grass and tree here. Even with his eyes closed, he could find his way to any part of it in the dark, unerringly.
Light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling upon pale cyan silk sheets embroidered with a subtle cloud-and-crane pattern at the corners. On the table beneath the windowsill sat a bronze incense burner shaped like a white crane carrying an auspicious charm. A faint, calming fragrance drifted from it—a blend Ning Xuan always used.
Di Youlin slowly propped himself up, his gaze sweeping across the room. The furnishings were exactly as they had been. Though simple, every piece was of considerable value. The large bed beneath him, carved from Golden Silk Rosewood, perpetually gave off a light, clean scent—a rare fragrance known to soothe the mind and stabilize the soul.
Outside, the trellis was overgrown with wisteria. The blossoms were gone, but the leaves remained thick and lush. He remembered using that very vine to climb into the courtyard countless times. Whenever Ning Xuan caught him, she was sure to give him a harsh lesson.
This was his home. The place that filled his every waking thought and haunted his dreams.
He had snuck in countless times, only to be mercilessly driven away by Ning Xuan. But now, he could finally lie here, open and legitimate. He rejoiced inwardly. Gazing at the familiar surroundings, his heart filled with a profound sense of peace.
Di Youlin rolled over, burying his face in the blanket and inhaling its fragrance. It was Ning Xuan’s scent. ’I never want to get up,’ he thought.
"You’re awake? Come on out, then," Ning Xuan called from outside.
Hearing Ning Xuan’s call, Di Youlin quickly glanced down at his clothes, then went to the head of the bed to check himself in the mirror. Once he was sure his appearance was presentable, he stepped out of the bedroom, his heart fluttering with excitement.
"Di Youlin pays his respects to you, Lord Contract Master. Thank you for saving my life," Di Youlin said, bowing formally to Ning Xuan.
"Get up. Come over here so I can have a look," Ning Xuan said from the main seat in the living room, beckoning to Di Youlin.
Di Youlin gingerly sat on Ning Xuan’s lap, keeping his back ramrod straight. He only dared to let his weight rest lightly against her, terrified of crushing her. With downcast eyes, he looked utterly docile, even consciously softening his breathing.
Seeing this, Ning Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle. She gave his waist a gentle poke. "Relax. I’m not that fragile. You won’t break me."
The tips of Di Youlin’s ears flushed red as he relaxed slightly. Ning Xuan didn’t press the issue, simply raising a hand to check his pulse. Her long, slender fingers felt cool against his wrist.
His pulse was steady and strong, no longer turbulent like boiling water. As she probed deeper, she could sense that the Spiritual Power that had run rampant inside him had been brought back into order, and the fractures in his Spiritual Sea were slowly mending. He was just severely depleted and would need several days of quiet rest.
"You’re recovering well." She pulled her hand back, her fingertip tracing a line across his palm. "Looks like my efforts weren’t in vain."
Di Youlin gazed at Ning Xuan with deep affection. "You went through a lot of trouble for me," he said softly.
"If you know I went to great trouble, then you’ll focus on recovering." Ning Xuan flicked his forehead. "Why did you go to the battlefield when you were already so seriously injured? Were you trying to bite off more than you could chew?"
Di Youlin glanced at Ning Xuan guiltily. When he’d been injured, he hadn’t known she had her own plans; he assumed she was just staying at the Second Corps Headquarters Base. ’If I got hurt and had to ask her for help,’ he had thought, ’wouldn’t that give me a reason to see her?’
"Don’t be so reckless in the future," Ning Xuan told Di Youlin sternly. "Otherwise, it won’t be something a few needles can fix."
Di Youlin looked up at her, her reflection captured in his jet-black eyes. "Yes," he answered earnestly. "I’ll be more careful from now on."
Outside, the wind rustled through the bamboo grove. Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled light on the two of them. Ning Xuan gave him a gentle push. "Since you’re all right, you should rest. You can stay here with me for the next couple of days."
Being near Ning Xuan would help Di Youlin’s Spiritual Sea recover faster.
"Really? Master," Di Youlin asked, looking at her with delight, a hint of disbelief on his face.
"If you don’t want to stay with me, you can go back to your own courtyard," Ning Xuan said, deliberately putting on a stern face to tease him.
"You know I want to stay in your courtyard forever. Thank you," Di Youlin said with a grin, wrapping his arms around Ning Xuan’s waist.
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