pertwk 843. Heartbroken and weeping
843. Heartbroken and weeping
Xiao Yan dared not deal with this most dangerous blow to Huo Zhi's mind for the time being and could only put it aside for the time being.
This method is too insidious and cunning, directly affecting the depths of the soul. It can only be used once Huo Zhi is awake and able to cooperate. If Xiao Yan acts rashly, it could easily cause irreversible damage to Huo Zhi.
For the next few days, Xiao Yan stayed by Huo Zhi's side. Xiao Yan also considered whether to refine a pill specifically for her, but ultimately decided against the risk. The Heavenly Tomb was different from the outside world; unexpected situations could occur at any time, and the fluctuations of pill lightning could easily attract powerful beings, making it an unsuitable place for refining high-grade pills.
Although he couldn't refine it himself, Xiao Yan still had a pill that was just right for his current situation. It was the Rank 8 pill that Wei Jiangyuan had given him before entering the Heavenly Tomb. The pill was perfectly round, a top-quality Rank 8 pill, and even Xiao Yan couldn't find any flaws in it. So Xiao Yan divided the pill into five portions and fed them to Huo Zhi continuously. He then used his own gentle Dou Qi to guide the medicinal power, helping it slowly dissolve and flow throughout Huo Zhi's body.
The quality of the pills Wei Jiangyuan provided was indeed quite good, far superior to Xiao Yan's reserves. The Eight Desolate Annihilation Flame was incredibly powerful, and the injuries it caused were extremely stubborn; ordinary pills were ineffective. However, after taking the pills Wei Jiangyuan gave her for several days, Huo Zhi's life was finally stabilized. A trace of color returned to her paper-white cheeks, faint but indicating that her condition was steadily improving.
However, although her physical injuries began to slowly heal under the combined effects of the pills and Xiao Yan's fighting spirit, Huo Zhi's expression remained painful even in her unconscious state.
During the days she was in a deep sleep, Huo Zhi's brows were always tightly furrowed, clearly indicating that she was under considerable pressure even while unconscious, and her smooth forehead was often covered in cold sweat. Even in the deepest part of her coma, her body would occasionally convulse, and what was most heartbreaking was her intermittent babbling.
Throughout this time, she kept murmuring the names of Huo Xuan, Yan Di, and other members of the Yan Clan whom Xiao Yan did not recognize. Xiao Yan could guess that each of these names Huo Zhi uttered was extremely important to her, but at this moment, these people had become Huo Zhi's greatest pressure, preventing her from finding relief and peace even while she was unconscious.
Xiao Yan could find ways to solve physical pain, but he was helpless when it came to mental problems.
Time passed slowly. In addition to feeding him medicine regularly, Xiao Yan also worked with Feng Qiu to protect the area. With their combined strength, they managed to prevent any energy entities from coming to harass them.
On the eighth day of Xiao Yan's care for Huo Zhi, Huo Zhi, who had been asleep for a long time, finally twitched very slightly in her tightly closed eyes. Xiao Yan, who was standing nearby, immediately reacted and looked at Huo Zhi's condition.
After a long while, Huo Zhi opened her eyes, looking extremely dazed and weak.
Xiao Yan asked softly, "Huo Zhi, how are you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Huo Zhi looked at Xiao Yan, clearly still not understanding what had happened outside: "Xiao Yan... how... how did you get here... what's going on..."
"Huo Zhi, it's me. Don't worry, you're safe now. We're on the third level of the Heavenly Tomb. You were seriously injured and had been unconscious for several days."
"The Heavenly Tomb... third level..." Huo Zhi murmured repeatedly, but at this moment, a wave of excruciating pain surged through her body, causing her to groan involuntarily. Then, the images of her previous unconsciousness flooded back like a tide: the overwhelming pale black flames, the fierce battle, and her brother Huo Xuan's last words...
"Xiao Yan! When you saved me, did you see my clansman?"
"You mean, Huo Xuan?"
"Yes! That was actually my older brother, but his body was taken over by someone else!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression also turned serious. Just as he had guessed, that Huo Xuan was indeed not Huo Xuan, but most likely Tang Qiying, whom Xiao Yan had suspected.
When they entered the Heavenly Tomb, all the prodigies faced the Ancient Devouring Insects together. The array formation technique used by Huo Xuan at that time left a deep impression on Xiao Yan. Apart from Mu Wei, who was still in the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, no one else could set up such an array.
Moreover, this kind of behavior is something Xiao Yan has never seen before in a long time.
Xiao Yan also shook his head: "No, when I arrived, I only saw you lying on the ground, seriously injured, fighting with the energy entity. There was no trace of Huo Xuan around."
"No. When I arrived, I only saw you lying on the ground, severely injured, fighting with an energy entity. There was no trace of Huo Xuan around."
"No...I didn't see...Brother Xuan..." Huo Zhi murmured to herself, her eyes instantly losing all their light.
Then, the pent-up pain erupted all at once in this now safe environment.
"Waaah..." A suppressed sob escaped, which quickly turned into a heart-wrenching wail!
Large tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string, instantly soaking her pale cheeks. She could no longer hold on and abruptly curled up. She couldn't even maintain her sitting position; she fell forward, her forehead slamming heavily against the cold ground.
Then, Huo Zhi's cries of pain filled the space.
"It's all...my fault..."
"If it weren't for me... if it weren't for my willful decision to run off to the Northwest Region... our whereabouts wouldn't have been exposed... Uncle Di... Uncle Di wouldn't have been besieged by those bastards from the Soul Palace while covering our escape... he... he wouldn't have..." Huo Zhi cried out, it was the first time in her life that she had watched her loved ones die in front of her.
"If it weren't for me... if I hadn't returned to the Yan Clan, the traitor wouldn't have surfaced so quickly, and so many members of the Yan Clan might not have died..."
"If it weren't for me, Brother Xuan wouldn't have come all the way from his clan to find me, and maybe he wouldn't have been targeted by the Soul Clan..."
"It's my fault that everyone is in this mess... They're not the ones who should die, it should be... me..."
At this moment, Huo Zhi was completely devastated. She blamed herself for all the sins, all the tragedies of the Yan Clan, and the deaths of all her loved ones. In her mind now, she was the culprit who caused everything, and everything she had experienced made it impossible for her to forgive herself.
Looking at Huo Zhi, who was curled up beside him, trembling with sobs and almost fainting, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache for her as he listened to her incredibly sincere self-reproach. He could clearly feel Huo Zhi's genuine remorse, and Xiao Yan slowly bent down, half-squatting beside her.