As the two were speaking, Hu Mazi came stumbling over with his head bandaged like a zongzi; yet his face was brimming with excitement: “Chen Ping! I am fine! That old bastard’s holy light bomb only looks scary; it is not half as domineering as your Dragon-Slaying Sword!”
“Be careful with your wounds.”
Chen Ping shook his head helplessly; this guy always forgot the pain once the wound healed.
Hu Mazi waved his hand nonchalantly and pulled out a dark pottery jar from his bosom: “Look what I brought you? This is an ointment refined from the purple crystal toad’s inner pill from the Ten Thousand Poisons Valley; it specialises in treating all kinds of external injuries. Apply it, and I guarantee you can pick up your sword and chop people tomorrow!”
Looking at the bubbling green paste in the pottery jar, the corner of Chen Ping’s eye twitched: “Are you sure this is not poison?”
“Hey, do you not trust me?”
Hu Mazi got anxious and grabbed a piece of broken stone to smear the ointment on it; the stone instantly emitted green smoke. “See, it can even corrode stone; the effect for cleaning wounds is excellent!”
Chen Ping: “…”
At that moment, Li Chunfeng’s voice sounded from outside the courtyard: “Mr. Chen, healing cannot be rushed.”
He walked in slowly, holding a jade box in his hand. “This is the ‘Spirit Condensing Jade Marrow’ from Sword Saint City; it is greatly beneficial for repairing meridians.”
The moment the jade box was opened, a refreshing fragrance permeated the air; the semi-liquid milky white substance in the box was slowly rotating, with faint threads of spiritual qi condensing into mist.
Chen Ping’s pupils contracted slightly; such a treasure could probably not be found in more than three boxes in the entire Fifth Heaven.
“I dare not accept such a valuable gift.” Chen Ping stood up to decline.
Li Chunfeng, however, stuffed the jade box into his hand: “Mr. Chen has the grace of remaking me; what are these mere worldly items worth mentioning?”
He paused, his tone becoming serious. “Divine Sword Manor seems to be stirring; Mr. Chen should recover his strength as soon as possible. If there is any unusual movement, just shout my name towards the city lord’s mansion.”
After saying that, he turned into a white rainbow and disappeared into the night; only a faint sentence lingered in the courtyard: “Rest assured and recuperate; Sword Saint City is temporarily safe.”
Looking at the slowly flowing jade marrow in the jade box, Chen Ping felt a mix of emotions in his heart.
In the following three days, the Sword Sect’s residence was unusually calm.
Chen Ping immersed himself in healing every day; the Spirit Condensing Jade Marrow lived up to its reputation. The damaged meridians healed at a speed visible to the naked eye; the dragon essence and evil qi gradually formed a subtle balance under the harmonisation of the sword qi left by Li Chunfeng.
Mo Chen and Hu Mazi recovered a bit slower; the former’s internal organs injured by the holy light needed slow nurturing, while the latter was suffering from the backlash of forcibly activating talismans and was now holding a medicine jar, sighing every day.
Ling Xue and the other Sword Sect disciples took on the responsibility of vigilance; these days, there were always groups of two or three cultivators wandering outside the residence with unkind looks.
“Senior Brother Chen, today there were a few unfamiliar faces sneaking around at the door again.”
Ling Xue walked into the room carrying a bowl of medicinal soup; her clear and beautiful face showed worry. “I heard from the disciples that outside, everyone is saying our Sword Sect has offended Divine Sword Manor and will be driven out of Sword Saint City sooner or later.”
Chen Ping took the medicinal soup and drank it in one go; the bitter taste spread on his tongue: “Mouths are on other people’s bodies; let them say what they want.”
He put down the bowl and looked at the bruise on Ling Xue’s wrist that had not yet faded; he could not help but ask curiously: “How did that happen?”
Ling Xue covered her wrist and shook her head: “During this time, there are always people challenging the Sword Sect. With Master and Senior Brother Chen injured, I have to step forward!”
“You have been wronged.” Chen Ping reached out and gently stroked her wound; as spiritual qi circulated, the bruise faded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Ling Xue’s cheeks flushed slightly; she gently shook her head: “Being by your side, I do not feel wronged.”
These days of life and death together had already made her deeply infatuated with this seemingly ordinary youth in front of her.
Just as the two were looking at each other and smiling, a quarrel suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
