Zhao Tian’s gaze turned toward the ridge of the fragmented terrain, where a jagged plateau jutted from the earth like the spine of a great beast.
Somewhere beyond that, he felt... a presence.
"Someone’s inside," he muttered under his breath.
Before Yan Zijin could respond, a sharp swoosh rang through the air as Zhao Tian surged toward the presence.
Yan Zijin blinked in surprise, then swiftly followed him.
As Zhao Tian neared the source of the presence, his gaze narrowed further.
Below him there is broken land with its surface cracked and scorched, as if lightning had struck it repeatedly.
Amidst the debris, a single figure was lying motionless.
His gaze sharpened, seeing the black hair splayed across the bloodstained earth and a pair of well-developed breasts.
A... woman?
He dropped lower, landing softly on the ground and the scent of blood hung thick in the air.
Yan Zijin landed beside him a second later, her feet skimming the cracked stone.
She was dumbfounded the moment she saw the figure.
It was a woman, completely naked with her body covered in deep wounds and shallow cuts.
Bruises bloomed across her pale skin, and dried blood crusted around countless wounds.
Her ribs were visible and her body is malnourished as if she hadn’t eaten in weeks.
Zhao Tian looked at her missing arm from her shoulder and also noticed faint residual light energy from her body.
Her face was turned to the side, partially covered by her matted hair, but her lips were slightly parted.
’Is she... even alive?’
He approached cautiously, and Yan Zijin stepped up beside him.
"Tian..." she called him softly.
He nodded his head "Let me check if she’s alive or not."
Crouching beside the woman, Zhao Tian extended a hand toward the woman’s neck.
His fingers gently brushed her skin and he pressed against her pulse point, then shifted to rest his palm lightly above her heart.
And he felt a heartbeat.
"She’s alive," he murmured. "Barely."
Yan Zijin let out a quiet sigh, "Who could survive like this in a rupture?" she muttered.
Zhao Tian looked at her body ’I can still feel light energy from her body. did she use that to keep her alive, falling into the rupture?’
He crouched down beside her and dusted away the debris from her body and used his light energy to heal her.
Her severed arm and wounds began to heal quickly, and her skin got less paler.
Zhao Tian exhaled slowly and glanced down, only then realizing that beneath the broken debris, the woman was entirely naked.
His expression stiffened slightly.
He averted his gaze instinctively, clearing his throat as he slowly stood up.
"-_-"
Yan Zijin stepped forward, though a faint flush touched her cheeks as she, too, looked at the woman’s state.
"I will take care of her..."
Yan Zijin knelt beside the woman and gently gathered her in her arms.
The woman’s long, black hair fell loosely over her shoulders, sticky with dried blood and grime, but even in this state, she looked beautiful.
With quiet steps, Yan Zijin carried her away from the bloodied rubble.
Behind them, Zhao Tian raised his hand, and a circular stone platform rose from the earth, shaped into the form of a reclining seat, angled for rest.
Yan Zijin approached and gently laid the woman down upon it.
"She needs water," she said after a moment, brushing a lock of hair from the woman’s cheek. "Tian, give her some."
Zhao Tian stepped closer and splashed a small amount across her face, hoping it would jolt her awake.
But she didn’t wake up and sat there still.
Yan Zijin watched quietly, then lowered herself beside the woman again and said, "I’ll open her mouth. You pour slowly... just enough so she can swallow."
Zhao Tian nodded and knelt down again.
Carefully, Yan Zijin used both hands to gently pry open the woman’s lips.
Zhao Tian formed a smaller orb of water, only a few drops at a time, and slowly tilted it above her mouth.
The first few droplets slipped past her lips and into her throat. There was no reaction at first.
Then, subtly, her throat twitched.
"She’s swallowing,"
Zhao Tian continued, letting the water fall gently and his gaze flickered to the necklace she was wearing.
After several moments, a shallow breath escaped the woman’s lips, but still she didn’t wake up.
Seeing this, Yan Zijin’s eyes condensed "She is not waking up."
Zhao Tian let out a soft sigh "I will create a hot bath, Master, you clean her body..."
He turned toward a nearby slope of shattered stone.
Yan Zijin glanced at him and nodded. "Alright. I’ll stay and prepare her."
With a low hum, the earth beneath Zhao Tian’s feet began to shift.
The stone groaned and cracked, then slowly started to move, reshaping under his guidance.
Large slabs of flat rock pulled themselves from the ground and arranged themselves in a circle.
As he refined the shape, they bent and fused together like sculpted clay, forming the wide basin of a deep bath.
The edges smoothed themselves as the last vibrations of stone settled, and finally, the ground stilled.
A translucent stream of water began to pour into the basin, shimmering under the light of the unstable sky.
Slowly, the water within the basin began to steam, wisps rising from the surface.
He turned back to Yan Zijin, who was still crouched beside the unconscious woman.
"The bath is ready," Zhao Tian said quietly. "Master, I’ll... give you some space. I’ll scout the surroundings while you help clean her up."
Yan Zijin looked up at him, and nodded without hesitation. "Thank you, Tian. Go... I’ll take care of her."
Zhao Tian nodded and turned, dashing towards the surrounding ruins without another word.
Yan Zijin watched him go until his figure disappeared into the fractured horizon.
Then she gently reached for the woman once more.
With utmost care, Yan Zijin removed the tattered remnants of the robe she had wrapped around her and lifted the woman into her arms again.
She made her way to the newly formed bath and stepped inside, the water gently lapping against her calves.
She sank slowly down, holding the woman close to her chest until both of them were waist-deep.
Steam curled around them in soft spirals as the warmth of the water soothed even Yan Zijin’s tired muscles.
She let the woman rest with her back against the stone wall of the tub, then dipped the tattered cloth into the water and began cleaning her body carefully, starting with her face, then her shoulders, and down along her arms.
Blood, grime, and ash melted away beneath the touch of the warm cloth.
Despite the deep scars, the woman’s skin beneath was soft.
Minutes passed. Yan Zijin remained silent, her hands moving steadily as she continued to clean every trace of blood and filth from the woman’s body.
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