A Teasing Recovery and an Unexpected Forfeit

Chi Qiu left the arena with a composed expression. Yet, the moment she stepped through the main entrance, her legs suddenly gave way, and her body involuntarily swayed to the right, threatening to collapse.

Before Chi Qiu could even brace herself, a pair of strong, powerful arms reached out, catching her and pulling her into a warm embrace.

“Little Chi, are your injuries severe?”

Chi Qiu inhaled the familiar scent that enveloped her, listening to the concern in the voice close to her ear. These sensations allowed her body and mind to completely relax, and she leaned languidly into Su Hanxing’s embrace.

“My injuries are likely not light. My true qi is almost completely depleted, and my body is utterly exhausted. That Ye Shi truly is a formidable opponent.” Chi Qiu reached out, gently showing Su Hanxing her hand, which had been pierced through.

“Don’t move around too much. I’ll take you back.” Su Hanxing bent slightly, then slipped his other hand beneath Chi Qiu’s knees. With a gentle exertion of force, he lifted her into his arms.

Chi Qiu nodded softly, not refusing Su Hanxing’s kindness. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressed herself against his chest before whispering, “Let’s go quickly. More people will start arriving soon.”

Chi Qiu’s cheeks flushed crimson as she urged him softly, causing Su Hanxing’s heart to pound wildly. He let out a quiet “Mm,” then, with a flash of movement, he carried Chi Qiu away from the spot.

“That’s strange, where did Senior Brother go? Senior Sister Chi also vanished…”

Not long after Su Hanxing departed, the Tianyan Sect disciple also rushed out of the arena. However, finding no one outside, he was left utterly bewildered.

The arena was incredibly close to Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing’s residence. Moreover, even without employing his divine ability, Starfall Step, Su Hanxing’s footwork was astonishingly swift. Thus, in mere moments, he carried Chi Qiu into their home. Su Hanxing went directly to the inner room at the back of the residence. Those they passed only felt a faint breeze, and when they looked up, they saw nothing at all.

“Thank you. You can put me down now.”

Relieved that no one had witnessed her disheveled state, Chi Qiu let out a soft breath. She then turned her head away, avoiding Su Hanxing’s gaze as she spoke.

Su Hanxing replied with a soft “Alright,” then, with a hint of reluctance, he half-squatted and gently laid Chi Qiu flat on the blanket in the inner room.

“The power of this Thousand Silk Sword Array truly cannot be underestimated. Even though I broke through it as quickly as possible, I still sustained considerable injuries.” Chi Qiu leaned against the blanket, unfastening her scale armor to reveal her white inner lining, which was horrifyingly stained with numerous blood marks.

“Why are these external wounds? Didn’t you wear armor?” Su Hanxing’s pupils contracted slightly at the sight of Chi Qiu’s blood-stained undergarment.

“The sword qi within the Thousand Silk Sword Array is as pervasive as flowing water, infiltrating every crevice. These currents of qi managed to seep through the tiny gaps between the scales of my armor, which is why I suffered so many external wounds.” Chi Qiu put away her discarded black scale armor, explaining with a hint of helplessness.

“Is that truly how it works? Little Chi, take this medicine first; it can alleviate the pain from your wounds.” Su Hanxing nodded thoughtfully. He retrieved a white Spirit Pill, rich in spiritual energy, from his spatial artifact and brought it to Chi Qiu’s lips.

Chi Qiu extended her head slightly, gently bit the pill Su Hanxing offered, then chewed it thoroughly before swallowing. Instantly, a wave of warm, gentle spiritual energy enveloped Chi Qiu’s entire body, dispelling the pain she felt.

“The medicine is quite effective; I feel much better.” Chi Qiu moved her body, sensing a significant increase in comfort throughout.

“Don’t move around carelessly. This medicine only relieves pain; it cannot heal wounds. If you move too much now, you risk worsening your injuries,” Su Hanxing urged, gently holding Chi Qiu in place.

“Don’t worry. While my physical body isn’t as strong as yours, it’s certainly not mortal. If it weren’t for the residual sword qi in these wounds, they would have healed by now.” Chi Qiu smiled as she pushed herself up, settling into a half-sitting position on the blanket.

“Even so, Little Chi, these injuries on your body don’t look like they’ll heal in just a few days. How will you compete against Gong Tingxuan three days from now?” Su Hanxing scrutinized Chi Qiu carefully, quickly discerning her disordered breathing and depleted true qi, clear signs of internal injuries.

“At worst, I’ll just forfeit and re-enter the challenge later,” Chi Qiu said with a nonchalant shrug and a raised eyebrow.

“Your external wounds…” Su Hanxing gazed at Chi Qiu’s blood-stained inner lining, his words trailing off.

“What, are you going to help me apply medicine again?” Chi Qiu subtly shifted in her white inner lining, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she teased him.

“That wouldn’t be entirely out of the question,” Su Hanxing admitted, scratching his head and smiling, a touch of shyness in his voice.

“What ‘not out of the question’? Get out, I need to heal!” Seeing Su Hanxing’s expression, Chi Qiu immediately felt a surge of exasperation. She reached out, pushing Su Hanxing, intent on driving him from the inner room.

“Take this bottle of healing paste; it will help your wounds recover.”

Su Hanxing didn’t resist, allowing Chi Qiu to push him out. He tossed a bottle of medicinal paste to her, then watched as Chi Qiu slammed the inner room door shut with a resounding bang. Su Hanxing stood blankly before the door, his mind replaying the sensation of holding Chi Qiu in his arms, and her slightly shy expression when her head rested against his chest. Those fleeting moments, barely a dozen breaths long, left him savoring the memory for a long time, causing him to chuckle foolishly.

“Is this Miss Chi?”

Two days later, a knock sounded at the gate of the residence shared by Chi Qiu and Su Hanxing. Together, they approached the entrance, where they found a woman clad in black robes standing respectfully, bowing slightly before the gate.

“I am Chi Qiu. What can I do for you?” Chi Qiu scanned the woman from head to toe, her gaze falling upon a character formed by flowers and plants on the black robe. Immediately, she understood the visitor’s identity.

“My name is Xue Yi. I am one of the junior managers for this Heavenly Martial Assembly, and I’ve come to inform you that your opponent for tomorrow, Gong Tingxuan of the Gong Family, has withdrawn from challenging the arena,” the woman, who called herself Xue Yi, stated, her head bowed.

“Gong Tingxuan forfeited? Do you know why he withdrew?” Chi Qiu was momentarily stunned by the news, then pressed for more details.

“Gong Tingxuan has already departed the Imperial City, and the reason is unknown. Miss Chi, your opponent has been postponed to the next in line. You can check the specific details within your Daqi Golden Token. You may defend the arena either tomorrow or four days from now; the exact timing is at your discretion,” the black-robed woman continued, shaking her head.

“I understand. Thank you, fellow Daoist,” Chi Qiu nodded slightly, then cupped her hands in a respectful salute.

“There’s no need for thanks; this is merely my duty. It’s enough that Miss Chi is informed.” The black-robed woman bowed in return, then turned and departed.

Chi Qiu watched the black-robed woman’s retreating figure, murmuring to herself with deep confusion: “Gong Tingxuan forfeited… Why would he do that?”

“Little Chi, don’t overthink it. His withdrawal means one less formidable opponent for you, which is a good thing,” Su Hanxing advised, seeing Chi Qiu’s uncertainty.

“That’s true, and these extra three days will be perfect for me to recover from my injuries. Still, I can’t believe he actually left the Imperial City; it makes me quite curious,” Chi Qiu nodded slightly after hearing Su Hanxing’s words.

“Since that’s the case, Little Chi, will you come watch my match tomorrow?” Su Hanxing asked with a slight smile, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Chi Qiu tilted her head to look at Su Hanxing. Seeing the undisguised anticipation in his eyes, she slowly nodded. “I have nothing else planned, so I’ll come watch.”