Cultivation Retirement Plan (BL)

19. Action in Inaction

A flock of cranes burst into flight overhead, their wings weaving ribbons through the air. Shi Feng turned to check on Mo Yixuan and saw that a trail of blood had dried by his lips. He naturally lifted a finger and wiped it clean, tutting quietly to himself.

"What are younglings getting up to these days..."

Ever the perfectionist, Shi Feng fussed over Mo Yixuan's hair and collar too until they were more or less neat. He couldn't do much about the bloodstains, but at least the man looked asleep and presentable instead of dead and disastrous.

Satisfied with his work, Shi Feng tapped his foot against the ground and flew towards the highest point of Jadecloud Peak with Mo Yixuan at his side. The skies were azure and only wisps of clouds hung about them; above and just out of reach glimmered the golden mists that formed the boundary of the Higher Realm.

Once he reached his courtyard, he simply picked up the man in both arms and laid him neatly on the only bed in the house. He then found Mo Yixuan's right wrist and rested two fingers over his acupoint, sensing the blood and qi inside him.

"As expected..." Shi Feng trailed off, but his eyes were bright with pleased surprise. When he rolled down the man's sleeves, he happened to glimpse the jade ring on his right index finger.

This...

Shi Feng immediately lifted the hand for a closer look, eyes fixated on the pure white band. He furrowed his brows but resisted the urge to touch the ring itself, only appraising it thoughtfully. Even that stopped when he sensed sudden movement from the head of the bed.

By the time Mo Yixuan regained his senses and opened his eyes, Shi Feng had released his hand and was sitting expectantly by the bed. When Mo Yixuan tried to sit up, he leaned in to help by propping the pillow behind his back for support.

Mo Yixuan's eyes flickered briefly around the room before dropping to his own ghastly blood-soaked robes. The grisly sight might have paled him in his previous life, but now he felt strangely serene. After all, he knew he wasn't bleeding now and felt no pain. His brain reasoned that his healing abilities must have kicked in after he lost consciousness.

As to what happened before, his memories were unclear. He had...pulled out his heart as if it was the most natural thing in the world and promptly lost his senses after locking eyes on it. Everything else was a blur.

"Here."

Mo Yixuan looked up to see the stranger by his bed offering him a cup of water. Too tired to speak, he accepted it and took a few sips, avoiding eye contact. To his surprise, the liquid was rich and pleasantly full, filled with a hint of sweetness in its pure, clear, taste.

"This is from the only waterfall still connected to the Higher Realms," the stranger went on amiably. "It'll probably be one of the purest water sources you can find in this world."

Mo Yixuan listened quietly as he drank.

"Of course, for the gods up there it's only fit enough to wash their pets or water the plants," the stranger finished. "One realm's bane is another realm's blessing."

Mo Yixuan stopped mid-swallow and nearly choked. "...I wasn't aware that gods kept pets," he finally managed out loud.

"I suppose a better term to call them would be guardian beasts," Shi Feng amended. "How are you feeling?"

Mo Yixuan only took a deep breath before looking around. The room they were in was small and modest, made out of simple wood and bamboo. An open window revealed a vista of blue skies beyond. "Better," he decided after a while, because it was true. Whatever emotions he had unleashed during his outburst had left him as soon as he woke, leaving his heart still and calm. "Thank you."