The Wretch and the Wraith Doctor

Xiyue’s fury seemed to have been doused. She tossed her black and gold robe, which had been draped over her shoulders, onto the shore, and snapped, “Get up, quickly!”

Su Xiaoxiao dared not delay any longer, scrambling out of the water.

Her body bore numerous marks left by Xiyue: chafed red welts, teeth marks where her skin had been broken, and even the aura emanating from her was imbued with the essence of a flood dragon, radiating from within. Anyone who saw her would instantly discern the nature of their relationship.

Once again, Xiyue chided Su Xiaoxiao for being delicate.

After emerging from the water and dressing, Su Xiaoxiao continued to whimper and complain of pain. One moment it was her leg, then her foot, and then she claimed her chest ached.

Xiyue, having no patience for her theatrics, roughly shoved her, causing Su Xiaoxiao to stumble and nearly fall.

Xiyue hadn’t anticipated such fragility. Fortunately, her reflexes were quick, and she grabbed Su Xiaoxiao’s arm, pulling her back.

This, however, proved to be Su Xiaoxiao’s breaking point. Pearls of tears cascaded down her face as if sold for a pittance.

The blow Xiyue had landed on her chest had directly injured Su Xiaoxiao’s heart meridian. Her crying would invariably trigger a violent coughing fit, leaving her frail and gasping, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

Xiyue, at a loss, and likely finding her too noisy and bothersome, simply swept Su Xiaoxiao into her arms and carried her back to the Demonic Palace, depositing her in a side hall before ignoring her completely.

****

Half a month elapsed in the blink of an eye.

Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t seen Xiyue for fifteen days. She surmised Xiyue was preoccupied with cultivation, healing, and recuperation.

During these vacant days, Su Xiaoxiao never abandoned her attempts to seek help from the Merfolk.

She tried to draw a map of the Demonic Palace, unaware that it was protected by an array that shifted every seven days. Several times, she ended up disoriented and parched before finally giving up.

Beyond this, Su Xiaoxiao also penned numerous letters, even foolishly attempting to bribe the maids and guards of the Demonic Palace with her saved pearls, hoping they would assist her. It was enough to frighten the demons half to death.

When not on duty, demons would gather in small groups, gossiping.

“Bribing someone right under the Demon Lord’s nose? I fail to grasp the appeal of such a thrill,”

How could Xiyue be unaware of Su Xiaoxiao’s petty schemes? She was too indolent to bother, too preoccupied to care. She merely issued an order forbidding Su Xiaoxiao from leaving the Demonic Palace; anywhere else she wished to stir up trouble would yield no significant ripples.

Su Xiaoxiao’s futile efforts were so numerous that, eventually, she gave up on them herself.

What perplexed her was that, despite so much time having passed, she couldn’t accumulate any spiritual energy during her cultivation. If she exerted herself too much, her chest would ache as if roasted over a fiery blaze, followed by a prolonged fit of coughing before she could recover her breath.

It was then that Su Xiaoxiao finally realized: Xiyue, that vile wretch, must have employed some despicable trick to scatter her spiritual energy and inflict upon her this incessant pain, whether here or there.

Just then, the rabbit spirit assigned to attend to her daily needs brought her supper. Su Xiaoxiao’s body was now barely distinguishable from a mortal’s; a single day without food would only exacerbate her weakness.

She paced back and forth in the room, hands on her hips, finally demanding angrily, “Where is Xiyue?”

No one responded to Su Xiaoxiao; asking was merely a waste of breath.

The days of her captivity in the Demonic Palace stretched on with agonizing slowness.

With Xiyue absent, there was no one to take her to the cold spring they had visited before.

Even though the Demonic Palace boasted the best strategic location in the demon realm, it couldn’t escape the pervasive stench of blood and filth. In the courtyard where Su Xiaoxiao resided, not even a single tree could survive.

As a merfolk, she couldn’t live without water, confined daily to a wooden bathing tub. Even drinking seven or eight pots of water throughout the day didn’t feel refreshing enough.

With Xiyue nowhere to be found, Su Xiaoxiao scurried aimlessly through the Demonic Palace, but whenever she spoke to other demons, they ignored her, the ‘fish’, as if under orders.

Finally, there was Gu Yan, the Ghost Doctor, who was willing to speak with her, though her lips were sealed tighter than any vault. Every few words she uttered were shockingly gruesome. One moment she wanted Su Xiaoxiao to bleed a little for her, the next she suggested peeling off her scales. She even very seriously asked Su Xiaoxiao, “If Xiyue ever kills you, could you tell her before you die that your last wish is for your body to be given to me?”

“You are utterly disrespectful!” Su Xiaoxiao retorted, then fled. Truly, it scared the fish out of her.

****

Su Xiaoxiao wandered aimlessly through the vast Demonic Palace alone. When she grew tired, she would simply turn back, having run around so frequently that she no longer struggled to find her way home as she once did.

She wasn’t foolish; these past days, she had deduced that something was amiss with her body.

She couldn’t gather even a shred of spiritual energy. Merely maintaining her human form and manifesting her large tail during baths was her absolute limit. Occasionally, if she walked too quickly, her chest would feel like it was ablaze, triggering uncontrollable coughing fits.

Whenever this happened, Su Xiaoxiao would stop, heedless of the dirt, and simply sit on the ground, rubbing her chest. Only after the agonizing burning sensation subsided could she rise.

She merely assumed the demon realm’s environment was simply unsuitable for merfolk, believing she would eventually perish if she remained. Finding a way back to the South Sea remained her utmost priority.

As Xiyue’s absence stretched to nearly a month, Su Xiaoxiao lost her inclination to wander aimlessly.

She believed Xiyue had forgotten her, which she considered a good thing, so she devised ways to stay secluded in her room. She tried every cultivation method she had ever heard or learned, yet her spiritual energy showed no signs of recovery.

Left with no other recourse, Su Xiaoxiao could only seek out Gu Yan, the Ghost Doctor.

She had a hazy recollection from when she was injured that it was Gu Yan who had tended to her wounds.

With her condition stubbornly refusing to improve, Su Xiaoxiao had no other options; besides Gu Yan, there was no one else with medical expertise.

Gu Yan, however, was quite unusual this time. Instead of deliberately teasing Su Xiaoxiao with her words, she simply bade her sit. After examining her spiritual meridians, her expression remained peculiar.

“What other symptoms have you experienced recently? Just chest pain and coughing?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, a hint of nervousness about her.

Gu Yan’s room was filled with all sorts of bizarre creatures—snakes, insects, rats, and ants—terrifying Su Xiaoxiao to her core. She even regretted coming to her.

Gu Yan said, “You… you can only rest and recuperate well.”

‘She couldn’t very well tell Su Xiaoxiao directly that her heart meridian was injured, and she might not have long to live.’

It truly felt like a wasted trip, and Su Xiaoxiao was quite disheartened. As she left, however, Gu Yan handed her a sky-blue porcelain bottle, instructing her to take one pill whenever the burning in her chest made it difficult to breathe.

“I’ve taken this before,” Su Xiaoxiao said, looking at the small pills inside.

Gu Yan: “[?!]”

“Xiyue gave it to me once before.”

Gu Yan: “[…]”

Not understanding the sudden change in the other’s expression, Su Xiaoxiao cautiously asked, “Then I’ll be going?”

Gu Yan suddenly changed her mind, blocking her path. With astonishing speed, she seized Su Xiaoxiao’s arm. ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to get some compensation?’ Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t even clearly seen Gu Yan’s movements; a flash of silver light merely darted before her eyes, and a cut appeared on her wrist.

As blood welled forth, Su Xiaoxiao cried out in pain, trying to pull her hand away, but Gu Yan held fast, releasing her only after drawing half a teacup’s worth of blood.

She said, “Xiyue claims merfolk blood is useless, but I have a natural inclination to verify things myself. So, my apologies, consider this blood your consultation fee.”

Su Xiaoxiao clutched her bleeding wrist and stumbled away. Gu Yan watched her retreating figure, finding it amusing, and murmured to herself, “How very interesting. All that talk of ‘fish quality’ and ‘dual cultivation for healing’ – it was all just a lie. To think she’d even give away such a rare medicine.”

After returning from Gu Yan’s, Su Xiaoxiao was exceptionally despondent. The wound on her wrist had stopped bleeding, but the pain brought tears to her eyes. After searching her room, she found nothing suitable for a bandage and ultimately had to tear a square from the hem of her white undergarment to wrap it.

When people are wronged, they yearn for home. Fish were no different. Su Xiaoxiao leaned on the windowsill, gazing at the murky, blood-soaked sky, longing for the South Sea, which was now an immeasurable distance away.

****

The following day, Su Xiaoxiao was listless. Her wrist still ached as she sat idly in the barren courtyard, looking wilted and drowsy. Just as she was about to drift off, a figure appeared outside the gate.

She looked up to behold a truly monstrous figure, baring terrifying fangs, nearly twice Su Xiaoxiao’s height.

Su Xiaoxiao had seen this demon before. The first time Xiyue dragged her back to the Demonic Palace, this demon, resembling a hybrid of wolf and tiger, had glared at Su Xiaoxiao with exceptional ferocity and had even suggested Xiyue kill her.

“Merfolk, come here,” he called from outside the courtyard gate.

‘Only a foolish fish would go.’ Su Xiaoxiao shook her head, even preparing to bolt back into the house.

The demon, however, hastily exclaimed, “Why are you running? Someone wants me to deliver a message to you!”

Su Xiaoxiao naturally didn’t believe him. But the demon standing outside added, “It’s from your Elder Yunjie!”