Chapter 123: RETURNING TO THE SECT

Li Hanye did not stop until he reached the town at the foot of the mountain.

By then, the spiritual Qi in his body had thinned considerably, and Li Yan’s weight in his arms had begun to feel heavier, but he refused to put him down even once along the road. The town was still bustling despite the late hour, with rogue cultivators returning from the mountain and mortals moving between the shops lining the main street. Li Hanye ignored all of it and headed straight for the nearest medical hall.

The physician had just finished treating another patient when Li Hanye entered, carrying Li Yan. He looked up at the unconscious youth and immediately rose from his chair. "Put him here and let this old man take a look. What happened to him?"

"He fought a Rank Nine demonic beast," Li Hanye answered as he placed Li Yan carefully on the examination bed. "He exhausted most of his spiritual Qi during the battle, then developed a high fever and collapsed."

The physician moved to Li Yan’s side and placed two fingers on his pulse point, checking his meridians. His expression shifted slightly after feeling the pulse, and he remained silent for several breaths before checking the other wrist. He then pressed a palm to Li Yan’s forehead and lifted an eyelid.

"His pulse is weak, but not chaotic," the physician said. "His body is also burning hot. How long has he been unconscious?"

"Not long. He collapsed right after we left the mountain."

The physician nodded and continued his examination. He checked Li Yan’s breathing, pressed lightly against his chest and dantian, then his gaze fell to the blackened skin around Li Yan’s wrist. The discoloration had spread slightly since Li Hanye had first noticed it, now crawling further up his arm.

"What happened to his wrist?"

"I don’t know. It appeared after the battle."

The physician rubbed his fingers together after touching the edge of the darkened area. He did not immediately apply any medicinal paste and instead examined the skin again with a frown.

"This does not look like an ordinary injury. There is no swelling, and I cannot sense any poison gathering beneath the skin. His blood circulation is also normal around the affected area." He looked up at Li Hanye. "Did he come into contact with beast venom?"

"He was exposed to miasma and poison during the battle, but he already took a detoxification pill."

"Then the fever may not be from the poison." The physician frowned as he checked Li Yan’s pulse again. "His body is reacting to something, but I cannot determine what it is from these symptoms alone. This old man’s medical skills are shallow."

Li Hanye’s brows drew tightly together. "Can you treat him?"

"I can reduce the fever and help his body recover from Qi exhaustion, but I cannot promise it will solve the root problem." The physician opened a cabinet and took out several stalks of spiritual herbs before placing them on the table. "He needs to rest, and he must not circulate his spiritual Qi for the time being. If he forces his cultivation base to circulate Qi while in this condition, the fever may worsen and damage his foundation."

Li Hanye listened carefully while the physician prepared the medicine. He did not ask unnecessary questions, but his eyes never left Li Yan for a second. The physician crushed the herbs, mixed them with warm spiritual water, and brought the bowl over once the medicinal decoction had cooled enough.

"Help him swallow this slowly."

Li Hanye sat beside the bed and supported Li Yan’s upper body with one arm. He brought the bowl to Li Yan’s lips with his other hand, carefully feeding him a small amount at a time. Most of the medicine went down, though some trickled from the corner of Li Yan’s mouth. Li Hanye wiped it away gently before giving him another mouthful.

Li Yan remained unconscious, but his breathing gradually became steadier as the medicine took effect. The scorching heat coming from his body did not disappear, though it stopped climbing so rapidly.

The physician watched him for a while before speaking again. "He should wake once the medicine settles in his dantian. However, I still cannot tell you what caused the blackening on his wrist. This old man has treated many cultivators suffering from spiritual Qi exhaustion, but his condition is different."

The physician handed him a small jade bottle. "Give him this if his fever rises again before you reach the sect. Do not give him another dose too soon. Keep him resting and forbid him from cultivating until his body has recovered."

Li Hanye accepted the jade bottle and placed it carefully inside his robes. "Understood. Thank you."

He waited a little longer, watching Li Yan’s breathing until he was certain the medicine had settled. Once the physician confirmed there was no immediate danger to his life, Li Hanye lifted him again and held him securely against his chest before leaving the medical hall.

The physician watched the two brothers leave and then looked at the remaining herbs on his table. He had seen cultivators arrive with far worse external injuries, but Li Yan’s condition was strange enough to leave him uneasy. There was no obvious poison in his blood, no damaged meridian that he could detect, and no ordinary illness that explained the blackening on his wrist.

Outside, Li Hanye began the journey back toward the sect. He had recovered a small wisp of spiritual Qi while Li Yan received treatment, enough to make the return easier than the journey into town, but he still moved carefully, unwilling to jostle Li Yan more than necessary. Li Yan’s head rested against his shoulder, his breathing quiet. Li Hanye occasionally lowered his head to check him, but the medicine had kept his fever from rising again.

Li Hanye kept thinking about the moment Li Yan had collapsed. He had watched his younger brother push himself throughout the entire battle, yet Li Yan had never once complained. Even when his body had clearly begun to give out, he had continued fighting until the demonic lizard was completely dead. The physician’s words echoed in his mind, reminding him that whatever had happened to Li Yan was not something an ordinary mortal physician could understand.

His Master, Fu Hanzheng, was waiting at the sect, and Li Hanye had no reason to delay any longer.

He quickened his pace along the mountain road. Li Yan stirred faintly against his chest, causing Li Hanye to lower his head immediately.

"Yanyan?"

Li Yan did not wake. His fingers twitched slightly before relaxing again, and his breathing remained steady. Li Hanye let out the breath he had been holding and continued towards the sect, keeping Li Yan securely in his arms as he lowered his voice to a whisper.

"You can sleep for now. Once we reach the sect, this brother will take you straight to your Master."