One of Many Days | MDZS

『0.6』

•••

The man lifted his head, unraveling a pair of golden hues behind curtains of dark lashes. They swept over his form, pricking his skin as if the sharp edge of a knife ghosted against it, before rising to meet Qianjie's gaze.

"Mo Xuanyu is injured! Where is the healing cream?" Qianjie said, swiftly—and gently—setting Mo Xuanyu down on a floor cushion.

The man stared wordlessly at both of them. Even Mo Xuanyu couldn't help but gulp under his stern gaze. The white robes that adorned the man's figure were easily distinguishable, having seen them on Qianjie. No doubt, with such a pristine appearance and an air of regality, this man was a highly respected cultivator in the cultivation world. He was definitely someone Mo Xuanyu could never dream to meet in his lifetime.

"This- This one is Mo Xuanyu. Deepest apologies to have troubled you, Qianbei," Mo Xuanyu greeted nervously, lowering his forehead till it touched the clean wooden floorboards.

Silence came as his response, and anxiety sank its teeth into him. However, before it could fully consume his entirety, his arm was lifted off the floor. Mo Xuanyu rose back to a seating posture, confusion rippling through him. The man drew back his hand—which had assisted Mo Xuanyu up—and held them in front of himself in a bow.

"Lan Zhan. Lan Wangji."

This man was Hanguang-jun, a revered cultivator and core disciple of the Gusu Lan Sect. Oh no, what had Mo Xuanyu gotten himself into...

Another figure settled himself beside Mo Xuanyu, arms filled with various first-aid tools. Qianjie dropped them into his own lap, before reaching a palm out to him. "Mo Xuanyu, give me your hand," Qianjie said.

Mo Xuanyu unconsciously held his arms closer to himself. For someone like him, who had forgone his chance of becoming a cultivator, who lived surrounded by mud and filth, who was nothing more than a mere speck of dust in the world, this overwhelming attention was too much for him.

He did not deserve any of it.

"Forgive me," came Qianjie's voice, before Mo Xuanyu's arm was pulled away. A gasp escaped Mo Xuanyu's lips as Qianjie uncovered his bruised arms. Cold moisture enveloped his skin the next second, along with the warmth from the palm rubbing along his arm.

Caught in the unfamiliar sensations, Mo Xuanyu missed the conversation between the two cultivators, only freezing up when a hand pressed itself firmly between his shoulder blades. Instinctively, Mo Xuanyu flinched away, but Qianjie pressed a hand against his chest, pushing him back to rest on the pressure behind him. Qianjie gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't be scared. Relax."

Mo Xuanyu obediently nodded. He slowly let go of the tension in his body and accepted what was happening to him. Somehow, he trusted them.

While Qianjie dealt with the external injuries and bruises across his limbs, Hanguang-jun regulated the Qi in his meridians. Mo Xuanyu could feel a large concentration of refined Qi swirling within his Dantian, which soon spread throughout his body, seemingly lighting a flame inside him and providing him with an indescribable warmth.

"Alright. You're all good now."

Mo Xuanyu opened his eyes, which had closed at some point during the session, and met Qianjie's ruby orbs. The man flashed him a bright smile, "How're you feeling?"

Mo Xuanyu blinked, trying to collect himself. To test the effects, Mo Xuanyu slightly stretched his body and was surprised at how smoothly and painlessly the motion became. "Good," he breathed in awe, "I feel good."

Qianjie brightened, "That's great!" Mo Xuanyu matched his enthusiasm with an awkward laugh, slightly surprised by his cheeriness. Qianjie simmered down, before dropping his head in a bow. "I'm sorry for hurting you..."