7 Back to the Living

Agony. He was in so much agony.

There was a tolerance of how much an individual can handle certain things, especially pain. His stupidity not only crossed the border but also decimated it. He Lei carefully opened his eyes, dreading that this basic action might harm him. Only when the cold air passed through his clothes did he fully wake up.

A small amount of paranoia and caution was behind every move He Lei was taking. Shifting his head slowly, he noticed his darkened surroundings first and then the fuzzy glowing stars. One of the many beautiful views of this world is its night. For others, they see the same sight every day, so they are familiar with it. He Lei, however, couldn't even use words to describe it.

It was comforting to lay there and stare at the sky, but he knew better. Now that he was a disciple with a ridiculous amount of potential, his sect was not going to let him go this easily.

That begs the question. Did no one actually follow him? He found it hard to believe that. It wasn't narcism that brought this thought, it was logic. People from the cultivation world display the ugliness of human nature to its limit; that's all there is to it. There were only three options for individuals like himself. Being loyal and staying with them, get killed under false reason so that you don't fall under other's rule, and lastly, become strong quickly under the noses of everyone and take control of your own fate.

"S-se," he muttered, doing his best to speak with his nearly destroyed throat.

Like every good thing in the world, there is no such thing as free lunch. Cultivation novels give you examples of that numerous times. His talisman tattoo that was on his chest can only be voice-activated along with the mental intention to teleport. This was a secret he planned to keep with him until he died. As such, He Lei ignored his present state and forced himself to eat a vitality pill to speak out loud.

"S-sect...e-ent-trance..."

White particles covered him like a second skin and he vanished.

{At the same time}

It was night and there was no sign of He Lei. Nak So-Wol was the first to discover this. As they created their own unspoken schedule together, it was expected of her to see him meditate outside after she cleaned herself. If not, then a note that tells her where he was currently.

By no means was she trying to put him on a leash but rather, she likes organization. It was a characteristic that known solely to her grandmother as she appreciated it too. If she learned anything about He Lei in the short time they've been together, it was that he was observant. So of course, she guessed that he knew about this but never mentioned it.

Right now, this broken timing is slightly bothering her along with her instincts telling her that something was wrong. If there is one thing she was taught by her grandmother the most, it was that she should never let a feeling go; exploring it until the end might be beneficial. That was why she started asking about his location or anyone that has spotted him nearby.

She enlisted the help of He Lei's master and eldest brother for this goal and it was a little surprising as to how quickly they agreed to help her. She thought that the argument between student and teacher might've caused a rift in their relationship, but she couldn't have been more wrong and she was glad that she was. Currently, the problem was where to look for him. It wasn't like he was an open guy or anything. He Lei was very private even though he probably talked more than she did her entire life in a span of a week.

What ha-

And there he was, at the sect entrance, seemingly okay from a distance. On closer inspection, she saw the horrifying amount of blood and wounds on his body. She ran to him with great panic clouding her mind.

"Senior brother!" She was frightened by his appearance. "No no no no no no! Get up! Get up, senior brother! Help!"

Not a second later did Joo Seo-Cheon showed up with extreme worry on his face.

Eyeballing He Lei's body, he bitterly said, "We can't carry him! He's way too hurt for that. We need medicine! Junior Sister." She looked at him with tears staining her face. "Stay by him and slowly supply him with Qi. I can barely sense anything from him." Nak So-Wol nodded. "While you do that, I'm going to get an elixir. Make sure to keep supplying him with energy."

"O-okay!" She gently grabbed his hand and did as she was told. Unknown them, He Lei was in the process of swallowing his second vitality pill.

Cleaning her face with her free hand, she forced herself to calm down and focus on her task. Distractions will prevent her from helping her benefactor and...friend. After all this time, she had to admit, that's what he was to her. In fact, he was her only friend. The week they spent together was one of the most productive and enjoyable ones in her entire life.

Witnessing the fun side of He Lei brought her out of her shell quite a bit. Ironically, another socially-inept person made her social. He was an enigma, but he was her enigma. Sometimes she questioned whether he was a friend or something more, but she was satisfied with what they have for now.

That was why she subconsciously steeled herself due to her mental defense mechanism. There was a chance that He Lei...no. She has to believe. She has to! He was her only friend! But...what if he-

"Why are you...in such deep thought? You're gonna get a fever..." His raspy voice broke her thoughts.

"Idiot," she whispered. "What did you do?"

"Casual dumb things. The usual." He Lei inhaled deeply although he felt the sharp, cutting pain in his lungs when he did so. "What did you...do today?"

She smiled weakly. "You know; the usual."

"You should...smile more. Makes you...prettier."

Nak So-Wol snorted at his words. "Right and I'm in love with disciple Bang Cheol-Sam."

His eyes widened. "Seriously? You could-" he coughed harshly"-do better than that."

"I know that but who taught me sarcasm?"

"Oh. Heh. You have...truly grown my student. I'm afraid...there is nothing else to teach you."

Shaking her head, she stroke his surprisingly soft hair. "That's where you're wrong. You have lots to teach me, so you need to stay alive for me."

After a moment of silence, He Lei replied, "A confession?"

Blushing at the wrong choice of words, she tried to correct herself. "That's not what I meant! Don't twist my words."

"I know. I just never thought that heavenly princess Nak would ever bestow me with me such marvelous words."

She rolled her eyes. "It seems like your throat is doing better by the amount shi* you're spouting." He Lei's mouth was open. "What? I can be crude too."

"You've been hanging around me too much."

"Says the guy living with us."

"...touché."

Joo Seo-Cheon soon arrived with items he intended to obtain along with the Elixir Elder and their master.