After Death, I Became My Shijie’s Palm-Sized Birdie – Chapter 43
by Little PandaApplying Medicine
In the blink of an eye, her shijie had already shed her clothes
Lin Shu’s face was frighteningly pale. If this continued, something might go wrong, so Wen Qiwu showed some mercy and did not twist the knife further into old wounds. But that was beside the point—as long as Wen Qiwu was here, Lin Shu could forget about obtaining the Demon Realm’s secret techniques from Yun Heng.
“I know the Demon Realm’s forbidden techniques are not foolproof, but as things stand, I have no other options. It does not matter if she refuses to see me—I just want her to come back to life…” Lin Shu closed her eyes in anguish. She had not yet lost her reason, and the root of her suffering lay precisely in her clarity. After Wen Qiwu laid out the stakes, she naturally understood this course of action was improper—she simply refused to let go of this sliver of hope.
The Demon Realm’s forbidden techniques were no good thing, so she would find a way to eliminate their negative effects, or shift the cost onto the caster. She figured there had to be a way.
But Yun Heng had invested decades into this secret technique and still failed to find a way to break it—which meant hope was exceedingly slim.
This young woman was right. To resurrect someone so proud as an abomination neither human nor ghost—Zuo Lan would likely choose self-destruction over living such an existence. Lin Shu understood her stubborn temperament.
And because she understood, Lin Shu clearly recognized that Wen Qiwu’s words were not fearmongering. This method would not work.
“Does the Immortal Venerable have any other solution?” She could only pin her last hope on Yun Heng.
Unfortunately, Yun Heng shook her head.
Lin Shu bowed with trembling hands, offered her thanks, and turned to leave. Her retreating figure was desolate—like a sword on the verge of snapping.
“If you are not afraid of danger, you could search in the Endless Tree Sea. Ancient records say that ten thousand years ago, a True Immortal Realm senior who experienced Nine Deaths Yang-Return1 perished there. That senior may possess what you seek. The location is west of the Phoenix Lord Tomb.” Wen Qiwu suddenly called out to stop her.
Lin Shu halted. She first showed astonishment, and once she registered what Wen Qiwu was saying, a glimmer of joy appeared in her eyes. Then the Immortal Lord, abandoning her usual composure and propriety, thanked Wen Qiwu and hurried off.
If it did not involve all that messy business, Wen Qiwu certainly hoped Lin Shu could succeed in bringing Zuo Lan back to life—but only through legitimate means. Otherwise, it would harm others and herself.
“Finally gone.” Yun Heng sighed softly, carefully wrapping her arms around her shimei’s waist, her movements exceedingly gentle. “Is there truly a resurrection method in that tomb?”
Many things recorded in such ancient texts were exaggerated fabrications. Yun Heng had once only recounted these as stories to her shimei—whether they held truth required verification. But given her shimei’s nature, if she had told Lin Shu about this, she must have some degree of certainty.
“I heard from a friend that there is. She ventured inside once, but unfortunately, that immortal’s criteria for selecting an heir were exceedingly strict—she nearly lost her life there.” The friend Wen Qiwu spoke of was Gao Fu. Gao Fu had been lucky indeed—when she escaped from the immortal’s tomb, she had only one breath left. It happened that she encountered Wen Qiwu emerging from the heart of the Endless Tree Sea, and that was how she kept her life.
Thinking of her own sudden disappearance, her friend must be worried sick. Wen Qiwu had previously tried sending a message to Gao Fu to let her know she was safe, but had not yet received a reply.
So that was how it was. But…
“A friend?” Her shimei had never left Dongzhao Domain from childhood to adulthood. Meeting a friend after coming out of the Endless Tree Sea must be a recent occurrence.
“Her name is Gao Fu, from a prominent cultivation clan in Canghai Domain. I only encountered her after leaving the Endless Tree Sea.” Out of lifelong habit, Wen Qiwu briefly introduced her new friend’s background. “When that child Ah Yue dragged me back, I disappeared without even having the chance to tell her. She must be worried sick.”
Wen Qiwu sighed and glanced at the sky. Then she turned to Yun Heng. “Your wounds have not healed yet. It is time to apply medicine.”
The heavenly punishment had aimed for Yun Heng’s life. Even a True Immortal Realm physique was left battered and scarred beneath its assault. These past days, Wen Qiwu had been helping her shijie change her dressings. Now that her shijie was awake, letting her apply medicine again… Wen Qiwu would feel a little embarrassed.
Yun Heng’s fingers interlaced with her shimei’s as she was docilely led back to their room. Wen Qiwu brought out the medicine the Medical Immortal had prepared. Yun Heng’s wounds still retained traces of corrosive power, making them difficult to heal, so she had to follow medical orders and change the medicine three times a day.
Yun Heng slipped off her outer robe. Already, faint traces of wounds could be seen along her neck and wrists. They were much better now—in those first few days, Wen Qiwu had nearly shed tears every single time she applied medicine for her.
Wen Qiwu took out the external wound ointment. She had not expected that in the time it took to turn around, her shijie had shed another layer. She saw her shijie’s skin—so fair it was nearly translucent—and it was equally breathtaking enough to make one forget to breathe.
She had applied medicine for her shijie every day before, and even then her heartbeat had never raced this fast. What was wrong today? Why was her heart somewhat beyond her control?
And because she had just drawn heart blood, Wen Qiwu hastily averted her gaze, afraid her heart might not be able to take it.
“This is the medicine.” Wen Qiwu pressed the ointment into her shijie’s hands. The faint flush on her cheeks did not escape Yun Heng’s notice.
Yun Heng could not help but smile. She wanted to touch her shimei’s face, but the shy little phoenix dodged alertly.
Yun Heng felt a twinge of regret, but a skittish little phoenix could not be caught—and she could not rush things. So she could only open the ointment and apply it to her own wounds. Her injuries had not fully healed; her entire body ached everywhere. Yet the joy in her heart made Yun Heng almost forget the pain.
She did not know what had been added to this ointment, but it stung the wounds rather sharply, making the application even more painful. Even so, the corners of Yun Heng’s lips remained upturned.
Today was the happiest day she had known in a century—so wonderful it felt unreal. She had endured so much suffering these past years that she constantly suspected she might be dreaming. The pain, ironically, reminded her this was no dream. Everything was real. Her shimei had returned. Her nightmare was over.
Yun Heng was in excellent spirits—until the little phoenix beside her, who had been busying herself to mask her shyness, received a letter.
It was Gao Fu’s reply. It seemed she had not yet left the Endless Tree Sea; otherwise, Wen Qiwu’s transmission spirit sparrow2 could not have found her so quickly.
【Qiwu! I am relieved you are unharmed. No need to rush to find me—handle your own affairs first. Wansen Domain will remain open for a while longer, so there is no hurry. If something truly urgent comes up, I can come find you just the same…】 Gao Fu had been thoroughly frightened these past days. Wen Qiwu had vanished without a trace, and she had been on the verge of summoning people from Canghai Domain to search every inch of Wansen Domain.
She had not dared to wander far either, afraid that Wen Qiwu would return and be unable to find her.
Yun Heng listened to every word the other woman spoke. The way she addressed her shimei was particularly intimate—had her shimei not said they had only known each other for a few days? Their relationship was already this close? The ointment in Yun Heng’s hands no longer tasted bitter—it tasted sour.
Wen Qiwu shaped a transmission spirit sparrow and recorded her voice into it.
【Ah Fu, I will be setting out for the Endless Tree Sea soon. By the time you receive this transmission spirit sparrow, I should be nearly there…】
Wen Qiwu had barely finished recording two sentences when she heard her shijie, who was applying medicine nearby, sharply inhale.
She quickly set the transmission spirit sparrow aside and rushed to Yun Heng’s side. “What is wrong? Does it hurt somewhere?”
“…This ointment stings a bit on the wounds.” The same person who had not blinked when the heavenly punishment rained down on her now looked more fragile than a delicate flower outside. Each time the ointment touched a wound, she trembled slightly, as if it truly hurt terribly.
Unfortunately, Wen Qiwu was entirely susceptible to this tactic. She took the ointment and carefully applied it to her shijie’s wounds, blowing gently as she went. The matter of replying to the letter was cast entirely from her mind—and who knew when she would remember it again.
“Does this hurt? Should I be gentler?” Wen Qiwu asked as she applied it with featherlight strokes.
“This is much better.” After all, her shimei was applying the medicine personally—even if Wen Qiwu scooped up a portion and placed it in Yun Heng’s mouth right now, she would probably find it sweet.
Wen Qiwu, consumed by concern, only realized after she had finished applying medicine to her shijie’s shoulder wounds bit by bit that her shijie had shed her upper garment entirely, with only a thin blanket loosely draped over her.
The little phoenix’s ears turned crimson, practically dripping blood. Her hand, still covered in ointment, trembled slightly—and she accidentally pressed too hard on one of Yun Heng’s wounds.
“I am sorry, I am sorry! Did I hurt you?” Wen Qiwu hurriedly blew gently on the wound.
Her breath was like a soft feather. All that remained on Yun Heng’s wound was a ticklish, tingling sensation.
“It does not hurt anymore.” Yun Heng shifted slightly, and the thin blanket nearly slipped down. Flushing red, Wen Qiwu quickly wrapped her shijie securely in the covers.
Was her shijie testing her composure?
“Ah Que, I cannot apply the medicine on my back myself. Could you help me?” Yun Heng lifted her long hair, revealing her pale, scar-marred back.
Her body had grown much thinner. It was impossible to imagine how she had endured these wounds.
Wen Qiwu reached out and gently traced the wounds on her shijie’s back. Seeing these terrible marks, the intimate thoughts in her heart scattered, leaving only tenderness and heartache.
She took some ointment and applied it slowly. When Wen Qiwu touched the most severe wound, she blew gently as she applied it.
She was extremely close to her shijie—her breath was still warm as it fell upon Yun Heng’s back.
It was as though her shimei had kissed her wound. Yun Heng closed her eyes, the tips of her ears reddening. This time, her body truly trembled—she was no longer pretending.
Wen Qiwu only thought her shijie’s wound was hurting, so she softened even her breathing, unaware that for her shijie, this might be another kind of “torment”—though Yun Heng was more than happy to endure this particular “torment.”
Footnotes
- Jiusi Huanyang: A Daoist-derived cultivation concept; 'nine deaths' denotes surviving nine fatal tribulations while 'yang-return' signifies restoration of life force—a legendary resurrection phenomenon in xianxia fiction.
- Chuanxin Lingque: A cultivation-world communication method where the sender shapes spiritual energy into a sparrow form to record and transmit voice messages across domains.
0 Comments