Chapter 28: Just Pretend He Is Blind
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“Why do I have to close my eyes? Xiao Tong wants to watch Mother bathe!” Xiao Tong said with a wicked grin. “But now that you mention it, Mother, you look like you’re enjoying your bath so much! Xiao Tong wants to bathe too!”
“Enjoying it? You little brat, which of my eyes told you I’m enjoying this?” She was practically in tears from the scalding heat, yet Xiao Tong actually thought she was having a pleasant bath.
“Your right eye, of course. Don’t you know, Mother? Which other eye does Xiao Tong have? Only my right eye can see clearly.”
As he explained, Xiao Tong excitedly ran in from outside. Without a word, he stripped off his clothes, leaving nothing on but his eye patch. Before Ming Xi could react, he plunged headfirst into the bathing tub, sending a great splash of water flying.
“What are you doing, you silly little boy?” Ming Xi was startled by his actions. This little rascal was becoming more and more disobedient!
“Xiao Tong came to bathe with Mother! =w= But this bathwater smells so strange.”
“Of course it does. It’s a medicinal bath.”
“Oh, I see. Did Xiao Tong interrupt Mother’s treatment?”
“→_→ You’re only realizing that now…” Shi Zhiyan finally spoke from the side. Apparently, this mother and son had completely stopped treating him like an outsider!
“Then Xiao Tong will go out first. Once Mother finishes treating her injuries, I’ll come bathe with her again! =w=!”
Xiao Tong spoke innocently to Shi Zhiyan, and only then did Shi Zhiyan take a proper look at the child—the small figure, the round little face, the bright, limpid eyes, and the crisp, clear voice. In truth, the child was quite handsome. Unfortunately, whenever people noticed him, their eyes were instinctively drawn to the patch over his left eye. No one had ever paid attention to the boy’s attractive features.
…and even fewer noticed the strange mystical energy radiating from his eyes.
That mysterious energy was extraordinarily powerful.
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Only after Xiao Tong had left did Shi Zhiyan begin circulating his power, gathering the spiritual energy within his body into the bathing tub. By then, Ming Xi had also stopped fooling around. She sat quietly in the tub with her eyes closed and her mind focused, allowing the hot water to churn violently around her as an inexplicable force surged against her bones.
This feeling… was wonderful.
“By the way, Ming Xi, Xiao Tong’s left eye… is it really blind?”
“…Yes. Why?”
“Nothing. I just find his eye rather strange, as though it conceals some unspeakable secret. If he truly is blind, that would be a shame.”
“You only need to know that he’s blind. I don’t know anything else either. I don’t even know who his father is.”
“→_→ Ah, that poor child…”
“…”
Ming Xi was speechless for a moment. She suddenly felt that the entire room had grown unusually quiet. The only sound was the bubbling and churning of the medicinal water in the tub.
The pain in her lumbar spine had eased considerably compared with the daytime, and her whole body felt wonderfully light.
“By the way, the child’s father…” Ming Xi suddenly spoke. “I truly want to use an essence core to restore my power.”
“You’re still thinking about going after the Snake King?”
“Yes!” Ming Xi nodded and let out a deep sigh. “This can’t go on forever. I can’t spend the rest of my life under your protection, living as someone who would die the moment your protection was withdrawn. And besides… I can’t remain dependent on someone else’s protection forever, either. I can’t accept living like a useless cripple!”
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“So you’re planning to seek out the Snake King?”
“Yes!”
“But I already told you—you should know what condition your body is in right now. Even a single spirit-devouring beast could kill you instantly. Do you really think that if you go after the Snake King, you’ll be able to come back alive?”
“In short, there’s only one question: are you going to help me or not?” Ming Xi pouted. She knew Shi Zhiyan was worried about her, but his attitude toward her, along with the way he completely dismissed any possibility of her success, still irritated her.
…Why was this man so certain that she couldn’t succeed?
“It’s not that I don’t want to help you. The problem is that there are many ways to restore your spiritual power. We can take our time. Why insist on using such a dangerous method?”
“The problem is that I don’t have that much time! Right now, the people of the Ming Residence want me dead, and there’s no telling whether the spirit-devouring beast will attack me again. I’m helpless and completely devoid of spiritual power. Am I supposed to wait here for them to kill me? Besides, this is the only method I can think of at the moment… So tell me—are you going to help me or not?”
“→_→ No. I don’t recommend that you use a method with almost certain death. If you want to restore your spiritual power, rest here properly for the next few days. I’ll look through some books and records to see whether I can find a way to help you.”
“But…”
“Now, now! Once you finish bathing, get a good night’s sleep. Recovering from your injuries is what matters most. Don’t push yourself until you end up paralyzed!”