Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Her Power
Lie Lang gave a slight nod. "Examine them."
"Yes, Alpha."
Without asking any questions, the physician walked over to the bed. His eyes first fell on the little bird lying beside Xue Yao. He gently placed two fingers against Honghong’s tiny body before closing his eyes and circulating his spiritual energy. A faint green glow spread from his fingertips, lingering for a few moments before slowly fading away.
When he opened his eyes again, he let out a quiet breath. "There is no danger to her life."
The words lifted a weight from Xue Yao’s chest. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until now.
"She exhausted nearly all of her soul force," the physician continued. "Fortunately, the damage is not permanent. With enough rest and spiritual nourishment, she should wake up in a few days."
’A few days...’ Xue Yao gently stroked Honghong’s soft feathers, relief washing over her, though the guilt remained.
’If only I had been stronger... now with Honghong and Tian Lan, I might as well die from boredom.’
The physician then turned his attention to Xue Yao. "Please extend your hand."
She hesitated before slowly holding out her wrist.
He rested two fingers against it, and another strand of gentle spiritual energy flowed into her body. As he examined her, his brows slowly drew together.
Lie Lang noticed the change immediately. "What is it?"
The physician withdrew his hand before answering. "Her soul suffered a backlash."
Xue Yao lowered her head. ’Why won’t I? Five old men tried to check under my skirt, and when they couldn’t have their way, they decided to fry my brain and split my head... tell me who wouldn’t suffer a backlash?’ Her fist curled tightly. Her tired eyes glinted with anger. ’If I don’t make them pay for this, how else can I live without regret... those elders have officially made their way to blacklist...’
"Normally, interrupting a soul search would leave severe damage, especially for someone whose cultivation is still so low." He paused and looked at her again. "However, most of the backlash appears to have been blocked before it reached her soul."
Lie Lang remained silent.
The physician shook his head slightly. "This old servant cannot explain why, but her condition is far better than it should be."
Xue Yao quietly let out the breath she had been holding. At least Tian Lan’s sacrifice hadn’t been in vain.
The physician opened his medicine box and took out a small jade bottle before placing it on the bedside table.
"Take one pill every morning for the next seven days. Do not circulate your spiritual energy, and avoid fighting during this time. Your soul needs time to recover."
Then he looked at the unconscious Honghong. "As for the little beast, let her wake up naturally. Forcing her awake will only make the damage worse."
Xue Yao nodded. "I understand."
The physician packed away his instruments and stepped back. "If there are no further instructions, this old servant will prepare additional nourishing medicine."
Lie Lang gave another nod. "You may go."
The physician bowed before quietly leaving the room.
The servants standing outside also withdrew after closing the doors behind them, leaving only Lie Lang and Xue Yao inside.
Silence settled over the room once again.
Warm sunlight streamed through the wooden windows, casting soft patches of light across the floor.
Lie Lang looked at Honghong for a moment before turning to Xue Yao. "You should get some rest."
"I will." Xue Yao replied, her voice not hiding the pain in them.
Another brief silence passed before he turned toward the door. "If you need anything, tell the servants."
He had only taken a couple of steps when Xue Yao called after him. "Lie Lang."
His footsteps came to a stop.
"...Thank you." She said. "... but you owe me an explanation for taking so long to return."
He didn’t turn around. After a brief pause, he simply said, "Recover first."
Then he walked out of the room, and the doors closed quietly behind him.
Only after he left did Xue Yao carefully pick Honghong up and hold her close. She rested her forehead lightly against the little bird’s soft feathers and gently closed her eyes.
"You really scared me..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I’ll make them all pay."
She quietly reached into her consciousness once more. ’Tian Lan...’
The silence that greeted her this time felt even heavier than before.
Meanwhile, back in the chamber, silence lingered long after Lie Lang’s departure.
The cracked stone floor, broken furniture, and shattered pillars were all that remained of the confrontation that had taken place only moments ago. Although the overwhelming pressure had disappeared, the five elders could still feel its lingering weight.
The leading elder slowly walked over to one of the few chairs that remained intact and sat down with a tired sigh.
"The Alpha has become even more stubborn than before."
His voice finally broke the silence.
The elder with the rune on his forehead remained where he was, his gaze slowly sweeping across the damaged chamber. "I don’t think stubbornness is the problem."
The leading elder looked at him with a frown. "He is protecting her."
"I believe he is protecting whatever secret she carries," the rune elder corrected calmly. "Otherwise, he would never have invoked the Grand Alpha’s authority just to stop us."
Silence settled over the room once more.
Ruo Shuo stood quietly near the doorway with her hands hidden inside her sleeves. Although her expression remained calm, every word spoken by the elders weighed heavily on her heart.
Another elder slowly stroked his white beard before speaking. "The Alpha has already made his position clear. We can no longer investigate the human openly."
The rune elder gave a slight nod. "That is true." He paused before continuing. "But that doesn’t mean our investigation ends."
The leading elder raised his eyes. "What are you proposing?"
The rune elder folded his hands behind his back and slowly began walking around the chamber.
"We know almost nothing about Bai Xue Yao. She appeared in our territory without warning. She possesses knowledge no ordinary human should have. She tamed a beast despite having no beast bloodline. And today... she displayed a power that not even the five of us could approach."
He stopped walking. "None of those questions can be answered by forcing our way into her memories."
The leading elder quietly considered his words before nodding. "Go on."
"We will pretend as if we won’t investigate her openly, but secretly we will find out everything around her... if we find the source of her power, the white moon clan will have a chance to be the number one beast clan in the world." The rune elder’s eyes slowly narrowed at the imagination of standing on top of the world.
