Ash stirred beneath the thick blanket, a sharp jolt of pain flashing through his body as he shifted.
The scent in the air wasn't medicinal herbs or smoke from burning beast corpses.
It was... clean, slightly floral.
He blinked, his blurry vision adjusting to the soft lighting of a private chamber lit by spirit lanterns.
This wasn't the medic tent.
> "Where—"
He tried to sit up but hissed in pain. His chest felt bruised, his back ached, and his limbs were weak.
Then his eyes found the figure sitting by the side—elegant robes, a calm expression, and arms crossed.
Lian Rou.
Ash's breath caught in his throat.
> Why is SHE here? Where am I? Why does it smell like spirit perfume?!
His instincts kicked in. He leapt from the bed—except his legs gave out, and he crashed face-first onto the floor.
> "Ow—!!"
A sharp crack and a spurt of blood from his nose painted the stone beneath him.
Lian Rou jumped from her seat. "You idiot!"
She reached down as Ash groaned, holding his face.
> "Where... where am I? Why are you here?! No—wait—why am I here?!"
"You're in my room," she said flatly. "You passed out after trying to claim the spirit of that golden bone ape. You nearly drained yourself dry."
> "Wait, your room?!"
His face went red beneath the blood. "This is bad. This is so, so bad—"
> "Shut up," she snapped, holding a cloth to his nose. "If anyone hears you, it'll really be bad."
Ash flinched. "I'm a dead man."
---
Elsewhere in Camp
At the patrol tent, chaos was slowly unraveling.
A junior disciple ran up to the senior posted at the gate. "Sir! Ash—the one who killed the golden bone ape—is missing!"
"He was in the medic tent, wasn't he?"
"No. He's not there now. No one saw him leave. The girls from his task team haven't reported anything either."
Whispers began spreading.
> "Disciples who vanish after major battles…"
"What if he was taken by the beast clans?"
"Or maybe he's hiding his injuries. Or maybe... he never killed the ape at all."
Speculations turned ugly fast.
---
Back in the Room
Ash sat awkwardly against the wall, tissue in one nostril, avoiding Lian Rou's eyes.
> "So... did anyone see me get dragged in here?"
"No. I made sure of it."
Ash blinked. "You carried me?"
Lian Rou looked away. "You were unconscious and barely breathing. Don't make it weird."
"I'm not! I mean—thank you," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
Lian Rou turned back toward the bed. "You need to rest. You almost broke through to Core Vein Formation. But claiming that spirit drained your meridians too fast. If you didn't collapse when you did, your foundation might've cracked."
Ash stared at her. "You... checked my meridians?"
A flicker of a smile tugged at her lips. "Relax. I didn't peek. Shen Mu told me your condition."
Ash sighed. "He talks too much."
---
Closing
As he stood up shakily, Lian Rou walked toward the window and peered outside.
> "You'll need to sneak back into the medic tent soon. People are already asking questions."
Ash nodded and followed her gaze.
But he didn't miss how her hand briefly lingered on the window frame... as if reluctant to send him away.
> I can't stay… but this can't be the last time either.
---