A Sense of Melancholy

When the group arrived at the infirmary, they saw Yan lying unconscious on a sickbed.

No one spoke. No one knew what to say. In their minds, he was a lunatic who would stop at nothing in his cultivation.

Su Xian and Lian Fulan, sensing the situation, quietly escorted Mu Han out, leaving Feng Jiu alone with Yan.

"It's... it's you." Sitting on the edge of the bed, Feng Jiu gently traced Yan's cheek with her jade-like hand. A flood of old memories washed over her. She had so much to say, yet seeing him like this left her speechless. Holding his hand, tears welled in her eyes. All her tangled emotions finally condensed into a whisper. "I'm glad you're alright."

"Huh? Isn't this... the young mistress of the Wind Clan? What's this? Come to visit your husband?" Seizing the moment, Jian Yiru slipped in through the back door.

Feng Jiu ignored her, though her expression visibly darkened.

"Why so quiet? Could it be you feel inferior because you can't bear his child?" Pressing her advantage, Jian Yiru moved right beside Feng Jiu, grabbed her hand, and pressed it against her own lower abdomen. "You can feel it, right? Hmm?"

"What are you trying to do?" Feng Jiu ground her teeth, turning to glare at Jian Yiru.

(Provocatively) "Oho, what's with the temper?" (Pats Feng Jiu's head.)

"Unreasonable!" Feng Jiu exhaled sharply, turning back to look at Yan and refusing to engage with Jian Yiru further.

"Who's unreasonable? Clearly it's you! This is my junior brother. What is he to you? Your man died long ago! How could he possibly be our little junior brother?" Seeing Feng Jiu's dismissal, Jian Yiru grabbed her face and forcibly turned her head back.

"You..." Feng Jiu suppressed her fury, glaring daggers at Jian Yiru.

"Well then, dare to have a fight? Let's see who he rushes to save in a crisis?" Jian Yiru brought her face close to Feng Jiu's, speaking in a taunting tone.

"You're with child...!" Feng Jiu meant to refuse gently, but found the words wouldn't come out.

"Oh~! The princess of a great clan actually cares about me! Don't worry about that. Someone else will be with me that day, too!" Releasing her grip, Jian Yiru led Feng Jiu through the back door onto the arena stage. Cisheng reluctantly followed, stepping up beside Jian Yiru, unable to meet Feng Jiu's gaze.

Without a word, Feng Jiu lunged at Jian Yiru. Cisheng had no choice but to step in front to shield her. As the two women clashed, Jian Yiru swiftly retreated while forming hand seals, unleashing a five-element spell attack that cared not for friend or foe.

Feng Jiu evaded early, simultaneously shoving aside a stunned Cisheng.

While dodging, she snapped off a branch, set it ablaze, and swirled her palm over it once—Water-Wind and Fire-Brilliance.

Jian Yiru was forced to defend on the spot. Seizing the chance, Feng Jiu closed in rapidly, only to be intercepted again by Cisheng. The two women became locked in combat once more.

"I'm not here for you." As Feng Jiu spoke, she clenched her palm. Countless threads of wind materialized around Cisheng, binding her tight. Feng Jiu had begun laying this trap during their very first exchange.

"Now it's your turn!" Feng Jiu stared at Jian Yiru. Violent winds instantly whipped up around them.

Jian Yiru tried to create distance, but barriers suddenly rose around her, sealing her escape.

"Let's see if he'll save you!" A hurricane force gathered on her fist, and she struck straight at Jian Yiru.

Enduring immense pain, Cisheng transformed into her dragon form, shielding Jian Yiru. Under Feng Jiu's shocked gaze, her tail whipped around a long spear and hurled it. Though Feng Jiu dodged in time, a bloody gash was torn across her slender waist.

"You!" Feng Jiu stared at Cisheng in confusion, but the reply she received was a secret art belonging to the Xi-Hua Dragon Tribe. A sudden wave of discomfort washed over her; her blood reversed its flow, and her wounds began gushing fresh blood.

Feng Jiu gritted her silver teeth, putting distance between them. A surge of frigid energy erupted from her body, forcibly stanching the bleeding. Simultaneously, frost condensed on her face and skin as her body temperature plummeted.

Yan, who had been lying unconscious in the infirmary, showed a slight, faint reaction.

She exhaled, raising a jade-like finger to trace a cross in the air. The surrounding air rushed into that point, then released from behind, transformed into power for her technique. Meanwhile, the space she traced formed a false vacuum, shooting forth like a sharp arrow—the Hurricane Cross Slash.

Cisheng exhaled a dragon's breath, while Jian Yiru, beside her, invoked a five-element spell, merging it with the breath. Sensing movement from Yan's direction, Jian Yiru then employed a translocation technique, shifting both her and Cisheng's attacks behind the hurricane to strike directly at Feng Jiu.

Frost now encased her entire body, leaving her unable to evade the incoming assault. The two women below weren't in much better shape either; faced with the spells Feng Jiu had unleashed, they had no means to defend themselves.

In the current situation, Yan could only save one side. Yet he was Yan, but also was not.

A figure flashed to Feng Jiu's side, gently encircling her slender waist. A surge of warmth flooded her body, once again sealing away the icy cold. Then, mirroring Feng Jiu's earlier movement, he traced a cross with his finger in the air before him, neutralizing the combined assault from Han and Jian.

"It's you!" Feng Jiu nestled into his embrace, savoring that achingly familiar warmth. Sealed memories awoke in an instant.

"Tsk!!!" A black figure materialized before the two women, blocking Feng Jiu's hurricane. It cast a helpless glance at Yan, initially intending to turn and teach the two women a lesson, but a sudden foreboding struck. It dashed toward Yan, only to dissipate halfway there.

Yan fell unconscious once more, and Feng Jiu also struggled to stay aloft. The two of them began to fall.

Lian Fulan wanted to catch them, but the attacks she suffered earlier aggravated a hidden injury, forcing her back into human form. Propping herself and Jian Yiru up with her long spear, she barely remained on her feet.

As for Jian Yiru, it went without saying. She was already pregnant, yet had dared to push her spells so recklessly. Now she could only collapse weakly against Lian Fulan.

Just as the two were about to hit the ground, Su Xian soared through the air and caught them. Cisheng and Mu Han arrived moments later, rushing onto the scene. Looking at the four people present, Cisheng glanced helplessly at Jian Yiru. He wanted to apologize and make amends, but didn't know how to begin.

"It's fine, young people! Full of vigor, a little scuffle is nothing to worry about!" Su Xian said with a laugh, carrying Yan over his shoulder and holding Feng Jiu as he approached Cisheng. "Being the senior disciple must be exhausting. I suddenly understand my elder brother!"

"My apologies. I, Ci, have been negligent in my guidance. I truly didn't expect Junior Sister Jian Yiru to act so recklessly."

Xian: "Hey, hey, what's done is done. No need to say more. Let's first check if these two are alright, especially the one carrying my brother's seed—we mustn't harm the fetus!"

Lian: "Senior Brother, Senior Sister Jian Yiru seems largely unharmed, but Senior Sister Jian... still requires your assessment." Mu Han went to examine the two women, then trotted back to Cisheng's side, whispering quietly.

Ci: "Please, take these two back to the infirmary first! We've truly caused you trouble!"

Xian: "Not at all. However, that young lady is shrouded in dark energy, likely an old injury flaring up. I have a method to suppress it, but completely eradicating it would be quite difficult."

Afterwards, it fell to Su Xian and Cisheng to clean up the mess caused by Jian Yiru's impulsiveness, and the farce finally came to an end.