Chapter 424 - 8: The Cannon Fodder Eldest Senior Sister in Cultivation Novels (8)

Originally, a Purification Spell would have sufficed, but Yu Fanxin didn’t want Jiang Lai to feel that he was being perfunctory after she woke up, so he placed a bowl of clear water by the bed, dampened a towel by hand, and began wiping the traces off her face.

The medicine from Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerable worked, and the places where Jiang Lai was scorched were recovering at a very rapid pace. Physical recovery was the simplest thing; Yu Fanxin knew that the most difficult part was the damaged Immortal Bone.

After being struck by sixteen bolts of Heavenly Thunder, Jiang Lai’s thousand-year cultivation was practically wasted. In the future, even a newly initiated disciple on Qimeng Mountain could crush her with a single finger.

Thinking of this, Yu Fanxin’s brows furrowed even tighter.

He even somewhat regretted agreeing to roast meat on the mountaintop back then. He had known it was a major taboo in the Immortal Realm, yet he couldn’t refuse Meng Tao’s request, ultimately leading to Jiang Lai’s current state, a situation he might never be able to rectify in his lifetime.

He doesn’t like owing others; thus, when wiping, the strength in his hands became increasingly gentle and cautious.

He wiped away the layer of black soot on her skin, revealing the new skin underneath, and as he gently wiped, the woman’s features gradually emerged.

This was the first time Yu Fanxin had ever looked at Jiang Lai’s appearance up close. In the past, just hearing her voice had made him uncomfortable, let alone staring at her face.

Now he also tried to avoid looking at Jiang Lai, but he was worried he might not wipe carefully enough. In the end, with Jiang Lai unconscious, he decided he might as well look directly, since she wasn’t particularly attractive anyway...

Was her face always this small? Her eyebrows were thin and arched like two willow leaves, and her closed eyes had long, thick lashes that curled upwards. There was also her rounded, slightly childlike nose, with a tiny red mole on it, and the last thing he cleaned was her mouth. After being wetted by water, her lips appeared plump and vividly red, as if she had applied something to them. Yu Fanxin wiped a couple more times only for them to redden further, almost about to drip blood.

He didn’t even realize that his brows were furrowed all along.

In the expansive Immortal Realm, everyone was outstanding in appearance; looks were the least noteworthy thing. After all, most Immortals wouldn’t show their true faces entirely, generally using mana to embellish themselves to look more pleasing.

Therefore, in the Immortal Realm, the last thing one should trust is their eyes and someone else’s face.

But with Jiang Lai’s loss of mana now, this was her truest appearance. It contrasted greatly with her usual frown-filled demeanor, now resembling a serene, sleeping ice beauty. Her face was arrestingly beautiful yet retained a childlike quality, akin to a young girl who just joined the Immortal Sect. This striking contrast made Yu Fanxin doubt if there was something wrong with his eyes.

He averted his gaze and tossed the cloth in his hand, deciding not to torment himself any more. A Purification Spell cleared all the black soot off Jiang Lai’s body, after which he turned his back to her and put a new Vestment robe on her.

This garment was something Yu Fanxin had altered from his own Vestment robe. When he turned back to look, he found it slightly oversized, so he made a few more adjustments until it looked like a normal piece of clothing, then left it alone.

He continued guarding by the bedside for over ten days without leaving, observing Jiang Lai’s condition and stuffing any spiritual pills he had into her mouth.

Finally, when the people outside kept searching for him, Yu Fanxin went out once.

Most of the injured disciples had partially recovered, although decades’ worth of cultivation was undoubtedly gone. Many people were still complaining. The moment Yu Fanxin arrived, Meng Tao ran over and affectionately tugged at his sleeve.

"Brother Fanxin, where have you been all this while? Everyone was so worried about you."

Thinking of Jiang Lai’s current state, Yu Fanxin chose not to tell them, responding casually instead.

"Sustained some injuries, found a place to recuperate for a while."

Looking at Meng Tao again, her complexion was rosy and her actions were nimble, making it clear she had completely recovered.

Her injuries were indeed lighter than the others’, after all, when the Heavenly Thunder struck, he had helped Meng Tao bear part of it. However, with Meng Tao’s cultivation, she could not have recovered so swiftly.

This made Jiang Lai’s words seem true: Meng Tao surely possessed many life-saving magic artifacts unknown to others, which, undoubtedly, must have been given by her mentor.

"Even Brother, you needed so long to recover; it’s been even harder for the rest of us. Cai Zi still can’t get out of bed and walk to this day, and our Senior Sister hasn’t appeared at all during this time, perhaps out of fear of facing everyone."

The mere mention of the Senior Sister incited widespread indignation.

Everyone knew it was Jiang Lai who exposed this event, and without her, none of them would have been suffering like this.

"How dare she show her face? She’s probably hiding somewhere to avoid the backlash!"

"While we’re suffering here, she’s hiding out, thinking it’ll all blow over. I don’t care what the rest of you think, but if I see her next time, I will definitely teach her a lesson!"

"Indeed, teach her a lesson. Internally was bad enough, but now she’s also brought in the Caution Department to torment us all!"

Meng Tao looked at Yu Fanxin with an equally angry expression, puffing out her cheeks, which to outsiders looked nothing but adorable.

"Yes! Brother is the best. If not for the Senior Sister, we might’ve been free to go play in the mortal realm by now! In the past, she bullied me alone so I let it go, but now that she’s caused everyone trouble, I won’t let her off when she shows up!"

She lifted her pink fists and waved them in a mock fight, making many people laugh.

"Forget it. You just stand by and watch; don’t let that female devil crush you with her fingers."

"Our Brother Yu surely will act, right, Brother Yu!"

"Everyone, be quiet!"

With a shout of anger, all present turned to look over, faces filled with confusion, having no idea why Yu Fanxin suddenly got angry.

Meng Tao, who had been punching the air just a moment ago, stood there, dumbfounded, staring at him in puzzlement.

"Brother Fanxin, what’s wrong? Are you too angry? Don’t worry, Little Tao will avenge you!"

"Avenge? What do we have to avenge for?"

This question from Yu Fanxin left Meng Tao dumbstruck, her wide, innocent eyes cautiously watching him.

"Senior Sister caused everyone so much pain; I thought I’d help everyone seek justice..."

"Aren’t we being punished because we broke the heavenly rules by openly setting fires? What does this have to do with Jiang Lai?"

This statement didn’t sit well with some, prompting a loud retort.

"If it weren’t for her, would we have been caught?"

"And what do you think those Immortal Cranes of the Caution Department are for? In this vast Immortal Realm, is there anything that can escape their sight? Even without Jiang Lai, the Caution Department would have discovered Qimeng Mountain’s barrier sooner or later, and then we wouldn’t just be facing a mere five bolts of Heavenly Thunder!"