“Just why won’t it work for me?” 

Keeping Qinling company had become a habit for Ku Lo. With the tournament beginning the following day, she, too, turned more nervous.

He wanted to assure her and tell her to rest while he took care of it, but faced with an absolute lack of solutions, he could only give her the same answer he had used many times before. “I don’t know. It worked with your sister”

This last bit he had been strictly avoiding until now since he feared her doing something rash once she found out about Gingge’s condition. But as she would find out in a few hours in any case, he finally convinced himself to bring it up. 

But before he could get to the case, Qingling perked up. “You pushed your Qi inside her… and it healed her?”

“Yes? I tried the same with you, but my hand got cut, just like when you did it yourself.” Haven’t we talked about this already?

Sounding equally confused, Qingling answered. “That’s what is supposed to happen! Any Qi that is bound to someone will turn violent the moment it comes into contact with another.”

“But doesn’t the divine physician sect do just that?”

“They use a secret method that transforms their Qi. Should you happen to have replicated it by chance, anyone could tell from your aura.”

“Even if you say that, it’s a fact that it worked. On the other hand…” 

Since, out of the three people he tested the healing on, solely Qingling had shown adverse reaction immediately, he had assumed her to be the exception. But if what she said was public knowledge, then it could actually be them who were out of the ordinary.

And while the search for possible reasons with her had been utterly fruitless, the same could not be more easy for the two of them. “Dual cultivation.” He looked down at her as the feeling of triumph spread in his body. After three days of wasted effort, finally a silver lining to getting them through the tournament.

But instead of sharing his elation, Qingling appeared… angry? “Shouldn’t you seek my sister for that sort of thing? I know she is often kept by my duties, but at least this amount of self control-”

As soon as he understood her meaning, he called out in embarrassment. “Wha- nonono. I meant that maybe this is what prevents me from healing you. You’re not a dual cultivator.”

“But to solve that, we would need to do it. So where’s the difference?” She tried to sound calm, but Ku Lo could see hesitation and conflict in her eyes. 

Nonetheless, she was right. “True. It was just a guess anyway. Seems I got too hasty. Sorry.”

Yet another budding sprout of hope curb stomped the moment it showed its head. 

“Do you wish to light a forest to warm your hands? The sword sect would hunt you if they found out. Living your entire life on the run until some unfortunate day they find you. And getting killed would be the best outcome.”

“I get it. It was inappropriate to suggest that, but I apologized. What else do you want?”

Ignoring his question, she went on with her monologue. “Even knowing that, will you do it?”

Ku Lo tried to read something from her expression again, but an almost desperate appearing conviction shadowed any hint that might have been there before. “What’s up with you? There’s no need to convince me.”

“So I may take that as a no?”

Her strange behavior was getting on his nerves. “Look, I don’t know what you’re on about, but as far as breaking with the sword sect is concerned, wouldn’t that be your decision? Ging’er wants to stay with you. But what about you? Do you want to follow the path of the sword in the sect? Or carve your own?”

“But she would suffer. And you, too.”

“Do you want to, or not?”

She stayed silent for a good while. He was about to repeat his question when he heard an almost silent whisper. “ … i do”

“Good. Now get some rest. Your sister and I will take care of the tournament and after that, we’ll see where we end up.”

He wanted to get up from the bed, but her hand gripped his arm with unexpected strength. “Now,” she stared straight at him, the same peculiar determination in her eyes as before.

“Becoming mine isn’t necessary for staying with her, you know? So don’t force yourself.”

“I’m not.” She pulled away the furs covering her. Below was a loose nightgown and her bandages.

He thought he finally got to the bottom of her unrest, but it seemed that there was more. “Wait wait wait. Let’s not make any hasty decisions here.”

“For what do you want to wait? The tournament is tomorrow.”

“Still, this is extremely sudden. And I’m still an amateur in dual cultivation. How could I teach you?”

“Didn’t you jump at any willing flesh before?” Despite her stern tone, he almost felt like he saw himself in her. Grasping at straws in an increasingly desperate manner. 

He didn’t have much reason to reject her. She was attractive, and though aggressive and unreasonable at times, he knew that she acted this way to protect her sister.

Qingling struggled to pull up her gown with one hand. 

On the other hand, the thorns of this rose had primarily been directed towards him, and seeing her suddenly lay herself bare, he didn’t exactly know how to react. 

Seeing him unmoving, she pulled him down onto her. But as his body was lowered on hers, a sudden flinch forced her grip open and he hastily retreated to the foot of the bed.

Her actions triggered very unpleasant flashbacks. He wanted to run. Get out of this suffocating room. 

“why?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one to ask that question? Your wounds are way too bad to heal by tomorrow. And is staying in bed for a week or two really bad enough for you to throw yourself at the guy who nearly dumped your sister?”

“Is it really that bad? I’m sorry that I have to ask while I look like this, but please!” She tried to follow him, but her rapid movement caused her to cringe.

Very slowly, Ku Lo managed to calm himself down. Rin Tin Tin was far away. Qingling couldn’t even properly walk on her own. He could leave any time. The only person she was likely to harm with her behavior was herself.  

Do as she wants so she doesn’t harm herself, but start with something harmless to leave her a way out. Just get her to calm down.

He approached her again. “Alright. But since you are new to this, we can’t do without preparation. If you feel pain, or don’t like it, we stop.”

Spreading her legs, he got between them and put his head up to her crotch.

A tightly clutched pink fold filled his vision.

He started out by trailing the shut entrance with his tongue, hoping this would already be out of her comfort zone.

But Qingling’s determination turned out to be stronger, she even began twisting her hips and slightly clutched her thighs.

So Ku Lo pushed the fleshy curtains aside and licked the insides.

A bitter, but tasty flavor got onto his tongue. 

Her twitches got more frequent, so he decided to try out one more thing before starting for real.

Reaching for the upper end of her vulva, he revealed her pearl-like clitoris and rubbed his tongue across in drawn-out, sensual movements, before finally pulling back up to face her.

The bright skin had flushed, giving her a touch of vitality. “Is that enough?”

“Do you really want to continue?”

“Yes.”

He wanted to discourage her further, but the tent in his pants urged him towards a different goal.

He got down on his side next to her, only to have her pull herself on top of him by grabbing his shoulder.

Qingling hugged his chest and laid her head over his shoulder, slowly circling her hip. Her chest pressed against him, rubbing her stiff nipples over his skin.

The slit wet with nectar slid along his erect rod and built up a pleasant, yet impatient feeling inside Ku Lo.

The last thread of reason within him hoped that this would be it, but the rest wanted more.

Her hips moved away from him, but one of her hands gripped his dick and slowly put it in.

With her injury, her movement was anything but intense, yet with the built up tension from before, it didn’t take long for him to cum.

Immediately, Qingling pressed to move on. “Now teach me how to become a dual cultivator.”

He got out from below her and leaned her against the wall. “Alright, focus on your lower stomach and search for a foreign energy.”

Her eyes closed and she got an air of serious concentration. “Yes.”

“Now try to push it away from you.”

“…” 

“Recall your last breakthrough. The explosion of Qi. Recreate that feeling.” 

A small wave of all too familiar energy crashed into his body before being sucked back towards Qingling.

“Do it again and once the wave has subsided, repeat until all of my Qi is used up.”

A good while later, she opened her eyes again. Through a very faint bond, he could make out her cultivation. She was at the fifth stage of the Spirit Foundation realm.

But something felt off. It was extremely subtle, but he could feel her cultivation decrease. 

“Then, healing?”

“What’s going on with your cultivation?”

“That old bastard managed to injure my dantian, but that’s what I need your help with. If it doesn’t heal, my Qi will disappear!”

Insight and fear hit his mind at the same time. It finally made sense why she had insisted on pushing through with this.

But he also doubted that his healing method would prove itself capable of such a feat while the consequences were as severe as they could be.

He reached for her stomach. Very carefully, he pushed a strand of his Qi inside.

Like it had for Gingge, it entered her body without retaliation. So he ventured deeper.

Until he found a cluster of chaos. Everything was in disarray and her Qi leaked without control.

Taking the gamble, Ku Lo led the strand towards one of the ruptures and let it seep in.

The surrounding Qi moved even more violently, but a miniscule part of the opening showed signs of regrowth.

He got to work.