TDG : rise of shadow army

(petit bonus pour le précédent chapitre)

Chan Wei had no trouble making his way to his beloved's location, but he sensed he was being followed. Preparing to confront his stalker, he turned to find that it was Nie Li. Letting out a sigh, he stopped.

"Brother, I'll be honest. The person I'm meeting is a girl—Xiao Ning'er. I just want to help her, and having too many people approach her at night will only make her suspicious. I won't be able to help her heal. Please, I love her, and I don't want her to get hurt."

Nie Li studied him for a moment, then stepped closer and murmured, "Alright, I won't follow you, but you'd better not take advantage of her. If you do, I promise you'll regret it. Is that clear?"

Nie Li's tone carried a menacing weight that made Chan Wei shiver. Even though Chan Wei was technically at a higher rank, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against Nie Li.

Chan Wei met Nie Li's gaze with sincerity that couldn't be missed. "Brother, I'm in love with her. I may not be ready to give my life for her, but I admire her deeply. If her feelings ever become mutual, I swear to protect her against all odds and never abandon her."

Chan Wei's eyes shone with an intensity that was far from cold. They were as gentle as the blue of the ocean, emanating a warm, soothing light.

Nie Li smiled. "That's what I'd expect from you, my brother. I'll leave her in your care. I'm reassured," he said before turning back toward Lu Piao and Du Ze.

With that, Chan Wei continued on his way. Using the moonlight to guide him, he spotted a slender, graceful figure standing bathed in its silvery glow. She had mid-length hair, wore a leather jacket, and emitted a faint blue light.

Chan Wei trembled slightly at the sight of this enchanting vision. Her eyes were closed, her long lashes trembled slightly, and her delicate eyebrows framed a serene face. Her flawless white skin radiated a healthy pink glow, and her lips were rich and delicate.

"It's time for me to finally show courage and determination," Chan Wei thought as he stepped softly toward her.

"Who's there?!" Xiao Ning'er suddenly opened her eyes and let out a faint cry, gripping a small dagger. She looked at Chan Wei warily, her expression icy. In the moonlight, her deeply alert eyes held an indescribable charm.

"I'm Chan Wei, one of your classmates… well, former classmates," he said, mumbling the last part with a hint of shame. "My big mouth… Now Shen Xiu won't even let me back into her class," he thought bitterly.

Xiao Ning'er lowered her small dagger but remained guarded. She kept her eyes on Chan Wei and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I sensed a surge of Yin energy and came to investigate. And you, what are you doing here?" Chan Wei replied, observing the abundant Yin energy surrounding Xiao Ning'er.

"I'm here to train my soul force," Xiao Ning'er said, gazing at Chan Wei through the moonlight. His delicate eyebrows and gentle demeanor made him stand out. He had an aura of grace and softness, unlike some people who looked intimidating at first glance.

"Don't think I don't know. It's been you and your group killing those horned sheep these past few days. But what do you mean by this Yin energy?" Xiao Ning'er said. She had already seen Nie Li's group of four but hadn't taken the initiative to greet them. What intrigued her was the substance they applied to their bolts, which allowed them to bring down a horned sheep with a single shot. However, she hadn't asked about others' secrets, choosing instead to observe. Despite this, Chan Wei's earlier mention of Yin energy troubled her.

"The Yin energy in this clearing is dense enough to help promote you to a Bronze star as you hope. But unfortunately, I don't think this Yin energy will benefit you in your current condition," Chan Wei responded.

"I will continue practicing!" Xiao Ning'er declared coldly, fixing her clear, bright eyes on Chan Wei.

Xiao Ning'er disliked being disturbed by others. Her expression often conveyed a sense of distance, as if pushing people away by thousands of miles. Because she rarely associated with her classmates, especially the boys, her lack of friends gave her an air of eccentricity.

"If you value your life, I'd strongly advise against it, Xiao Ning'er," Chan Wei said, his tone turning much more serious. "In your current state, you've already contracted a severe condition that's causing you considerable pain."

"What are you talking about? Why are you saying this?" she replied defensively.

He softened his expression, trying to appear less aggressive. "At night, don't your legs feel as though they're burning with fire?"

Hearing this, Xiao Ning'er was slightly stunned and quickly responded, "How do you know that?"

"Because of the burning heat, you usually don't wear shoes during nighttime training, do you?"

"Of course I know," Chan Wei continued. "Not only that, but I know even more. It's not just your legs that feel like they're on fire. Your entire body would feel unbearably cold. Every night at midnight, it feels like your body is burning from the inside. It must be excruciating. In fact, you wouldn't even be able to train your soul force properly, would you?"

He echoed the exact words Nie Li had used in the original novel.

Xiao Ning'er was shocked by Chan Wei's words. She had endured the pain silently, never sharing it with anyone, not even her family. "How does Chan Wei know about this? Could it be related to the Yin energy he mentioned earlier?" she wondered.

"As I mentioned earlier, you've contracted a serious illness called Arctic Illness. In addition to the symptoms I already described, you likely have bruising as well. If you had managed to reach Bronze rank, you might have fallen gravely ill at best or died at worst. That's why I tried to scare you earlier. I'm sorry," Chan Wei finished, trying to stay composed even as the situation nearly brought tears to his eyes.

Hearing Chan Wei's words, Xiao Ning'er was momentarily stunned. Her fists clenched tightly, and her reddened eyes brimmed with emotion. "How could this be?" Even though she was strong-willed, the news was too much for her to bear. Chan Wei had been able to diagnose her condition without even examining her, so he had to be right.

From a young age, her family had planned for her to marry into the Sacred Family by wedding Shen Fei. As she grew older, Xiao Ning'er gradually learned the kind of person Shen Fei truly was. Not wanting to marry that playboy, she began training hard in hopes of escaping this cruel fate. But now, as she was on the verge of reaching 1-star Bronze rank, she was struck with such devastating news.

Seeing the usually strong Xiao Ning'er in such a state, Chan Wei had to fight his old instincts to stop himself from embracing her to offer comfort. Back on Earth, he was the quintessential best friend—the one girls turned to for solace after facing all kinds of difficulties, from breakups to family losses.

Chan Wei's caring nature remained deeply ingrained in him, and seeing the girl he admired so shaken left him slightly rattled.

"Chan Wei, since you know what kind of illness I have, you must know how to treat it, right?" Xiao Ning'er asked. Frightened by what Chan Wei had said, she unknowingly let down her guard against him and pleaded, "Can you help me?"

"I can help you recover from this illness. Back at the institute, you can research Arctic Illness," Chan Wei replied to Xiao Ning'er's plea.

"Really?" Xiao Ning'er's hopes lifted. "How can it be treated?"

"The Daoyin technique must be used to massage the affected areas to dissipate the bruising. Medicines made from a combination of Golden Striped Grass and Imperial Celestial Grass need to be consumed daily, depending on your condition, for about a month. In the best-case scenario, ten days might be enough for you to fully recover. There's also another alternative, but I'm less certain about it," Chan Wei explained. This was indeed the standard method for treating Arctic Illness, but he also wondered if his power could draw out the excess Yin energy without relying on the massage.

"Daoyin technique?" Xiao Ning'er repeated, furrowing her brows. As a member of a noble family, she had never heard of such a technique before.

"I also recommend that you avoid training your soul force at night in the future," Chan Wei said, extending his hand toward Xiao Ning'er. "I also think the issue stems from your cultivation technique. May I take a look at it?"

Xiao Ning'er looked up at Chan Wei. If a stranger had asked to see her cultivation technique, she would have assumed they were trying to deceive her. But as she looked at Chan Wei's expression, she couldn't help but feel a sense of trust growing within her.

Chan Wei had already told her so much, so she decided to place her faith in him. She retrieved her cultivation technique from her interspatial ring and handed it to him. It was a slightly aged parchment, filled with densely packed characters.

As Chan Wei took the parchment from Xiao Ning'er, his hand accidentally brushed against her smooth, jade-like fingers. The brief contact caused Xiao Ning'er to shiver slightly as part of her pain lessened, while Chan Wei felt a surge of Yin energy enter his body.

Xiao Ning'er quickly withdrew her hand, her heart racing. Her emotions were in turmoil. Why did that touch reduce my pain? she thought, watching Chan Wei examine the parchment with a frown.

"Your illness is clearly linked to this cultivation technique. There's an issue in its pathway that draws excessive Yin energy, despite it being a lightning attribute technique. It doesn't make sense," Chan Wei said, finally handing the parchment back to her. "I don't have the knowledge to modify this cultivation technique, but if you're willing to wait, I can bring Nie Li here. I'm sure he'd be able to help."

"Why would Nie Li be capable of that? And why do you handle Yin energy so effortlessly?" Xiao Ning'er asked, her defensiveness returning slightly.

"Let's just say Nie Li is exceptionally skilled at reading ancient languages. Many of our cultivation techniques are incomplete translations from ancient civilizations. It's likely he can provide a version of your technique closer to the original. As for the second question, I don't know why, but Yin energy is like water to me. I can see it, feel it, and even absorb it," Chan Wei explained.

Xiao Ning'er was left speechless. Nie Li can read ancient languages, and you can absorb Yin energy?

"I know it sounds crazy, and I know I'm just a commoner, but I'm not lying," Chan Wei said, looking at Xiao Ning'er. He was puzzled by the strange expression on her face.

"I don't judge people by their origins," Xiao Ning'er quickly said, shaking her head to dispel her thoughts. Then she asked, "Chan Wei, do you know the Daoyin technique? And what about the other method you mentioned?"

"Of course I do," Chan Wei replied with a nod. "But the Daoyin technique requires direct contact with the bruised area. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to perform it. The second method isn't proven, but I could remove the Yin energy in a much less painful way. Instead of forcibly expelling the energy, it would flow naturally into me. However, it still requires contact, though you can choose where the contact should be."

Xiao Ning'er looked up and met Chan Wei's crystalline eyes. His last sentence had a slightly mischievous undertone, but looking into his eyes, she saw nothing indecent. Her heart fluttered faintly as the moonlight passed over him, reflecting off his enchanting gaze, giving the impression of a celestial being standing before her. She blushed at the thought and quickly lowered her head.

"It doesn't bother me. You're helping me, aren't you? I don't want to become useless." Xiao Ning'er's last words were as much to reassure herself as to respond to Chan Wei.

"From what I can sense, one of your bruises is at the base of your foot, isn't it? The other, however, is in a less appropriate place. So here's what I propose: I'll hold your foot so the energy doesn't have to circulate for long. As for the other, I can hold your hand instead," Chan Wei said calmly, hoping to lighten her mood. He didn't like seeing her so disheartened.

"Alright," she said softly, sitting down and blushing slightly before offering her foot to Chan Wei.

"Do what I told you when you get back. Take those herbs, and everything should be fine. Don't worry—you shouldn't feel any pain," Chan Wei reassured her, placing his hand on the bruised area and feeling the Yin energy flow into him.

"Hmmm..." She let out a faint, muffled sound despite her lips being closed.

Ecstasy was the only word that came to Xiao Ning'er's mind as the pain that had tormented her for so long vanished like magic. The warmth and soothing sensation of Chan Wei's hand was comforting, and she noticed that he had turned his head away to avoid making her feel uncomfortable. Her heart raced as she thought of Chan Wei. With his cyan soul realm, he had a promising future. He could surely reach the Legend rank in his lifetime with a little support. His charm and shy demeanor only added to his appeal.

"I'm done with your foot. Do you still feel any pain? Please give me five minutes to manage the Yin energy," Chan Wei said, keeping his back to her as his face turned crimson. He had never touched a girl directly before, and the softness of Xiao Ning'er's skin had nearly made him lose control. Taking several deep breaths, he absorbed more of the Yin energy from the clearing, using the time to refine it so it wouldn't harm him.

After five minutes, Chan Wei had converted most of the Yin energy into soul force, though a portion of it had also gone into strengthening his shadow horned sheep. Turning back to Ning'er, he saw her standing and moving her legs slightly. He couldn't help but admire them before coughing a few times to get her attention.

"Do you still feel any pain in your legs?" he asked.

Xiao Ning'er sat back down in front of him, smiling. "There's no pain at all anymore. Your treatment must be magical. Shall we continue?" she asked, beginning to unbutton her shirt.

Chan Wei, now as red as a tomato, waved his hands frantically in front of her.

"I just need to hold your hands! Please, nothing more! I like you, and I want you to keep your dignity. That's why I mentioned the other method instead of Daoyin!" he shouted, noticing the playful smile on the lips of the girl he adored.

"I like you too, Chan Wei," she said softly, her teasing tone fading. "But I'm bound by an arranged marriage to the Sacred Family." Her voice carried a hint of sorrow as she spoke.

Chan Wei felt a surge of cold energy emanate from him as he clenched his fists.

"The Sacred Family again... I'm starting to despise them more and more. But I don't think all hope is lost. Let me tell you a secret, Ning'er," he said, leaning closer to her ear. "I'm already at 3-star Bronze rank, and by the time of your arranged marriage, I'm confident I'll reach Legend rank in just a few years. The Celestial Boundary of the institute will give you a chance to choose your own fate."

"You've already reached that rank?! But it's only been a few days," she exclaimed before pausing, then continuing with a knowing look, "Was it Nie Li who gave you a cultivation method?"

"I love how the girl I admire is so smart," Chan Wei said with a small smile, blushing at his own words. "Shall I finish healing you?"

"Of course," she said, offering her hands to him.

Taking her hands gently in his, the two finished the healing session, their faces both flushed deeply as they avoided meeting each other's eyes.