By the time he reached the side hall, the clan cooks had laid out a simple late breakfast.
Porridge, pickled vegetables, steamed buns.
The hall wasnât crowded. A few younger disciples ate in quiet clusters, glancing up every now and then as elders passed through. No one sat too close to Lin Tian when he chose a corner table, but they didnât look past him like he wasnât there anymore either.
It was a small change, but he noticed it.
He had just broken a bun in half when a servant approached, hands folded, posture tentative.
"Young Master Tian," the boy said, bowing. "This servant was told to inform you that Elder Mei has requested Miss Xueya for examination."
Lin Tianâs fingers tightened on the porcelain bowl.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
The servant shook his head quickly. "Elder Mei did not say, only that Miss Xueya should be examined after last nightâs... events. The Bai clan attendants have taken her to the infirmary hall."
Of course they had.
Bai Xueya disappearing from the guest courtyard all night, returning at dawn with a breakthrough in her realm and no sign of backlashâ
Even if no one guessed the truth, Elder Mei would be blind not to probe.
Lin Tian set the bun down.
"Thank you," he said.
The boy bowed again and retreated.
Lin Tian looked at the porridge, at the steam curling in lazy spirals, then pushed the bowl away slightly. His appetite hadnât vanished; it had been replaced by something tighter.
The elders hadnât summoned him.
He had no right to interfere with Bai Xueyaâs medical examination. Azure Snowâs disciple or not, she was still technically under the sectâs authority.
But he couldnât just sit and eat while they poked at her, not after everything that had happened.
He left the hall with measured steps, not hurrying enough to draw attention, but not wasting time either.
The infirmary hall sat deeper within the compound, close to a medicinal garden Elder Mei had cultivated herself. The path passed beneath a row of old trees whose branches intertwined overhead, dappling the stone with shifting light.
Lin Tian slowed as he approached the corner.
He stopped just short of the hallâs entrance.
The door was closed. A faint medicinal scent seeped outâa mix of herbs used to steady meridians and suppress internal injuries.
Voices drifted from inside, muffled by the thick wood. He couldnât make out the words, only the cadence: Elder Meiâs low, steady tone; lighter responses that could have been Xueyaâs or a Bai clan attendantâs.
Lin Tianâs hand curled at his side.
He wanted to walk in.
To stand there, to show with his presence that whatever questions they had for her touched him as well.
He stayed where he was.
Punching an elderâs authority in the face with emotion wasnât going to help anyone.
Footsteps sounded behind him.
Two Bai clan attendants hurried up the path, carrying a small chest between them. They slowed upon noticing him, eyes flicking to the infirmary door and back.
"Is that for Elder Mei?" Lin Tian asked.
"Yes, Young Master," one attendant answered immediately. "These are the medical records and notes regarding Miss Xueyaâs condition from the last year. Elder Mei requested them."
Records from Azure Snowâs healers, no doubt. Detailed accounts of every flare of Frost Yin, every treatment tried, every time theyâd failed to stop the cold from chewing at her meridians.
"Go ahead," he said.
They bowed and slipped past him, vanishing into the hall.
The door opened long enough for him to catch a glimpse of figures insideâwhite robes, Elder Meiâs gray-streaked hair, the flash of Bai Xueyaâs profile on a cushion. Her gaze flicked once toward the entrance, but the door closed before he could be sure sheâd seen him.
He exhaled slowly and leaned back against the pillar, out of the direct line of sight.
Time crawled.
Other disciples passed by on errands, pretending not to stare at him loitering near the hall. An older Lin elder nodded curtly in his direction, neither inviting conversation nor dismissing him.
After a while, the door opened again.
Elder Mei stepped out.
Her expression was composed, as always, but faint lines of strain pinched the corners of her eyes. A Lin elder trailed behind her, carrying a sheaf of notes.
She almost walked past him.
Then her gaze shifted, sharp as a scalpel, and landed squarely on his face.
"Young Master Tian," she said.
He straightened. "Elder."
They regarded each other for a breath.
He didnât ask. That would have been presumptuous.
Perhaps she saw that restraint.
"Miss Xueyaâs condition has improved beyond what I dared to hope," Elder Mei said. "Her Cultivation has settled at Core Spirit First Level. The pressure on her meridians has... lessened."
Relief slid through him, so palpable he had to stop himself from sagging with it.
"And the old damage?" he asked quietly.
"Scars donât vanish overnight," Elder Mei said. "But the cracks are no longer widening. For now, it wonât cause any harm."
She looked him over, up and down, as if assessing an unfamiliar patient.
"And you," she added, something unreadable in her gaze, "are standing under your own power at Elementary Spirit Realm Fifth Level?"
There was no question in it. Sheâd clearly heard reports already.
"Yes," Lin Tian said.
"Do not do anything foolish with this gift," Elder Mei said. "Stability is harder to reclaim than raw progress."
Gift.
He didnât know if she meant his newfound cultivation, the system, or the way Bai Xueyaâs condition had changed. Perhaps all of it.
"Yes, Elder," he said.
She held his gaze a moment longer, then nodded once.
Without another word, Elder Mei turned and walked away.
Lin Tian stayed where he was until the sound of her footsteps faded.
The words echoed through him with the same weight as breakthroughs.
He let out a long breath he hadnât realized heâd been holding, then pushed himself away from the pillar.
The System hadnât mentioned anything like that. But knowing that she wasnât in painâthat was enough for now.
End of Chapter 24