A Shui gnced at the medicine on the table and, without hesitation, drank it down in rge gulps.

  Whether the medicine worked or not was secondary; she was indeed thirsty.

  Having lost too much blood, her throat felt as if it were on fire. Once the medicine reached her stomach, a gentle coolness spread from her abdomen, making her feel slightly better.

  The sound of chopping wood echoed again from outside. A Shui staggered to the door, leaning on it as she walked out, taking a while to adjust to the weakness she felt.

  The courtyard was empty, save for a loquat tree, a stone table, and four stone stools.

  She went to the woodshed and saw Wen Chaoshen chopping wood. His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. He looked up and met her gaze, exciming, "I always thought my life was the toughest in the world. Last night, when I carried you to find Mr. Lü, the cotton coat on my back was almost soaked through with blood. Even I didn't expect you to survive."

  "The physique of a cultivator is extraordinary."

  A Shui shook her head, leaning against the door, and said, "It has nothing directly to do with a cultivator's physique. Last night, that sword should have pierced my heart. For a cultivator below the Celestial Realm, a sword through the heart leaves no chance of survival."

  "But I've practiced the 'Ageless Spring.' As I mentioned before, the effects of this miraculous art vary from person to person. I can adjust the position of my internal organs to some extent with this art, which is the fundamental reason I'm still alive."

  Hearing this, Wen Chaoshen's gaze fell on A Shui. He recalled the first time he found A Shui in the snow, her body covered in gruesome wounds from weapons, many so deep they should have reached her internal organs. Yet, A Shui hadn't died and had endured a night of wind and snow.

  "Moreover, the Ageless Spring itself aids in healing bodily injuries. Wounds that ordinary martial artists can't recover from, I can."

  Wen Chaoshen raised an eyebrow, paused his chopping, and said in surprise, "A single miraculous art with such wondrous effects. If that's the case, to what level has the Beihai Daoist, who created these three miraculous arts, cultivated?"

  A Shui moistened her dry lips and patiently expined, "Li Lianqiu, the master of Tianji Tower, once personally visited heroes across the nd. After twenty-one years, he finally met the Beihai Daoist at the Burial Abyss of Immortals. They discussed the Dao over a cup of tea, and Li Lianqiu said his cultivation was unfathomable. Among the countless cultivators of the Four Kingdoms, only seven or eight could rival him."

  "However, the Beihai Daoist is famously zy, loving only nature and not the disputes of the world. He spent most of his life traveling the world, with no fixed abode. If fate doesn't allow, it's rare to see him in the world."

  Wen Chaoshen thought for a moment and said, "Is this the reclusive master you mentioned?"

  A Shui nodded, leaning against the door and gncing at Wen Chaoshen for a moment before saying, "Thank you."

  Wen Chaoshen looked at A Shui's earnest face and ughed, "It's rare to hear you thank me, but it seems unnecessary."

  "You took an arrow for me, and I returned the favor. We're even."

  A Shui slowly walked up to Wen Chaoshen and extended her hand to him.

  Seeing this, Wen Chaoshen put down the axe and shook her hand.

  A Shui's hand was small and a bit cold.

  The two exchanged a gnce, and the atmosphere turned awkward in the silence. A Shui rolled her eyes helplessly and spped Wen Chaoshen's hand away.

  "Not a bit of tacit understanding. I meant for you to give me some money."

  Wen Chaoshen coughed, rummaged through his belongings, and tossed A Shui a string of coins, asking, "What do you need money for?"

  A Shui replied, "To buy wine."

  Wen Chaoshen frowned, "In your current condition, can you drink?"

  A Shui turned and limped toward the woodshed's exit. Wen Chaoshen called after her, "Hey, give me back the money!"

  A Shui ignored him, and Wen Chaoshen reluctantly chased after her, saying, "It's broad daylight in the county city, with so many people around. Do you think it's appropriate to go out now?"

  "Can't you just stay put for a while..."

  A Shui's lips curled slightly as she slowly turned and pressed the string of coins against Wen Chaoshen's chest, raising an eyebrow at him, "Then you go buy it for me."

  "Head out, turn right, and there's a wine shop within a mile."

  Wen Chaoshen hesitated for a moment. Heading right would lead him to the gallery bridge, a pce he hadn't been before.

  "How do you know?"

  A Shui looked him in the eye, "I can smell it."

  "That wine shop has the best aroma."

  "I'm thirsty. Hurry up. Next time, I'll treat you."

  Seeing her like this, Wen Chaoshen knew he couldn't refuse. He sighed helplessly, reminded her not to cause trouble outside, or it would bring disaster to Mr. Lü, which would be ungrateful, and then he went out to buy the wine.

  When he returned with a jug of wine, he found A Shui sitting on a stone stool in the courtyard. Wen Chaoshen pced the wine on the table, and she eagerly poured herself a bowl. The wine had a peach blossom fragrance, not too strong, but with a hint of sweetness, making it quite pleasant when savored.

  A Shui drank three bowls in a row, and only when a flush appeared on her pale cheeks did she let out a satisfied sigh, "That feels great."

  Wen Chaoshen shook his head helplessly.

  "I don't know how a woman like you can be so fond of drinking."

  A Shui tapped the wine bowl with her fingers, zily saying, "When I drink, the pain goes away."

  "So, wine is the best thing in the world."

  Wen Chaoshen was taken aback. He looked at A Shui's bright eyes and, after a long pause, nodded.

  "That makes sense. Then I'll drink with you."

  He poured the wine, and the two of them drank bowl after bowl without speaking, just drinking, until the intoxication in their stomachs rose to their heads with the wine's aroma. Wen Chaoshen couldn't take it anymore and waved his hand, "No more, no more, I still have to chop wood."

  "You drink by yourself. When you're done, go to sleep."

  He got up, supporting himself on the table, intending to head to the woodshed, when a warm, soft hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Wen Chaoshen turned, his eyes hazy with drunkenness, and looked at A Shui, shaking his head, "I really can't drink anymore, I can't."

  "If you want to drink, I'll finish the work, and we can drink again tonight."

  A Shui panted heavily, her fingers gripping Wen Chaoshen's wrist with some force.

  "Wen Chaoshen, my surname is Feng."

  Wen Chaoshen looked at her in confusion, mumbling, "What did you say, you're hosting?"

  A Shui paused, then smiled and nodded, "Yes, I'm hosting."

  Wen Chaoshen looked at A Shui and also started to ugh, "Hey, I'm teasing you, I heard you, you said your surname is..."

  He didn't finish the word before A Shui waved her hand to interrupt him, "Enough, go do your work. I'll drink by myself for a while."

  Wen Chaoshen shrugged and sighed, "Then I'm off."

  He took a few steps, and A Shui suddenly said, "Wen Chaoshen, remember, don't tell anyone about what just happened... if you don't want to die."

  kant202323