Blood Cultivation

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"I don't understand why everyone assumes I'm powerful," Lin Meili said upon seating herself.

Jiang Cheng just raised an eyebrow and waited for the explanation of that sentence. It came soon enough.

"Is it the name? Blood cultivation? It sounds more fearsome than it is. It doesn't even sound, I don't think it sounds fearsome. And which part of "I only control the resentful energy so I can cleanse it, I don't use it to attack people" is so easy to misunderstand? Demonic cultivation is about harming and blood cultivation is about healing. Just because I'm a skilled cultivator in my own respect doesn't mean I can defeat a group of bandits with my eyes closed." Lin Meili glared at her bowl of rice like it had offended her.

Offering her a cup of Yunmeng tea, Jiang Cheng asked, "The villagers expected you to defend them from bandits?"

Lin Meili accepted and drank it all in one gulp. "I realize that seeing someone control their own blood might look intimidating, but I specifically clarified beforehand that I was only there to dispense with the resentful energy so that corpses would stop being attracted there. I told them I wasn't that kind of cultivator."

"Well, you are now." Jiang Cheng sipped it own tea with exaggerated patience. "We all felt the strength of your core that day. Didn't you use it?"

"My core is a large, well-made basket that would be great for carrying things except it has a few holes in it that you didn't notice because it was so pretty."

"It still won't retain spiritual energy?" Talking around a mouthful of food was beneath his dignity, but Lin Meili had assured him months ago that she ignored it at all opportunities, so Jiang Cheng didn't bother to swallow before asking his question.

As per usual, Lin Meili called him out and then followed suit, because she was a hypocrite and she knew it and Jiang Cheng would never admit that he rather loved that about her. "Don't talk with your mouth full. And no, it does retain it now. I'm changing my metaphor. It's like a boat with a leak in the seal. You can float for a while before you notice that your feet are wet, but once you start moving around to get the water out, it comes in so much faster and then you don't have a boat anymore."

Jiang Cheng chewed on a piece of chicken with exaggerated movements. "I appreciate the boat metaphor more."

"I thought of it just for you."

"Thank you."

"Of course, it also retains resentful energy, which is the real problem," Lin Meili sighed, all her snark vanishing.

Jiang Cheng scowled behind his chopsticks. He liked when he didn't have to be serious at dinner, but fine, he could help Lin Meili out with her core problem. It was much more pleasant to be discussing someone else's problems, anyway. "What do you mean by 'retains resentful energy'?"

Lin Meili tilted her head back, eyes roaming around the room for several moments before she turned her attention back to Jiang Cheng. He nodded once, assuring her he was listening. But then she slid off of her stood and crawled around the corner of the table to sit beside Jiang Cheng. Setting aside his bowl, carefully, he merely swiveled in place to face her.

"What are you doing?" He asked as she offered him her arm, voice controlled and definitely not a little concerned.

"I'll show you," Lin Meili said, a little breathlessly, like she was just realizing that she was invading his personal space, something that he was exceedingly touchy about. "If you want? Feel my pulse and send a little spiritual energy to my core. Go slowly."

Jiang Cheng searched her face for anything that said this was a joke. Lin Meili was capable of being serious, but also very good at being seriously devilish sometimes. But her face was open and honest, and Jiang Cheng sighed a little but took her wrist, placing his fingers on her pulse. He followed her instructions and felt his way along her spiritual energy lines until he reached her core, expanding the energy he was using as he went. The borders of her core were unwavering but thin, and he could feel hairline cracks the more explored. Probing further, he began to feel a change in her pulse, a tightening of the barriers and then he was abruptly swept out. Resentment swirled around his spiritual energy and forced it back, all the way to the source.