A Broken Heart Still Beats.

Chapter XV

There was a heavy thud, a groan, and a furious shout.

No one dared to enter the tent. Anyone who passed by, walked even faster to get away. It had been hours, nearly an entire day truthfully, the sun had long since risen to its highest point in the sky, and the corpses had been burned and dealt with. The area around the state and what remained of the ghost town of a city had been cleansed of all demonic energy, extra forces coming straight from the distress call to Cang Qiong to aid their wounded martial brothers and sisters, and to take those who had been too severely injured back to the sect. But there was still one left, there was one still left alive.

Though, from the sounds inside, he wouldn't be alive much longer.

"Xiao-Jiu," Yue Qingyuan caught his hand. His knuckles were already split bloody from how many times he had struck the demon. However, the demon was much, much worse. "Be gentle on yourself." He pressed a kiss to those bloody knuckles, a simple but effective way to heal the split skin almost instantly from shared qi.

Shen Qingqiu growled, not particularly at Yue Qingyuan or the demon lying in a pool of his own blood on the ground. He just growled. Furious, worried, heartbroken, all too many emotions for one word to possess and far too complicated for one person to manage within themself for long without driving themself mad. It was only by the grace of Yue Qingyuan's compassion and adoration that he hadn't driven himself to that brink already.

"Qi-ge..." His name was only muttered as an anchor, not exactly trying to ask him for anything, only a hopeful call to hear the reassurance of the one he knew who loved him. Of the only one left, that he knew who loved him.

"Xiao-Jiu," Yue Qingyuan kissed his hand again, and the skin healed completely, only leaving the dried blood to split against the movement of his joints. "Would you like to interrogate him now?"

They hadn't asked a single question. They arrived in a flurry of other disciples from Bai Zhan, Qian Cao, and Ling Shou to help. Ci Liang had been at their side the entire time, barking orders and following Song Rong to the small infirmary they had taken over in the city where others were being helped. Though Mu Qingfang himself had taken over the care of him. The care of Shen Yuan.

He hadn't been awake, far from it actually. With only a single look, one would not be afraid to assume that the poor young man in that infirmary bed had long since met his end, and now only had to wait for his burial ceremony.

Shen Qingqiu damn near screamed at the sight, only reassured when Mu Qingfang saw his petrified expression and reassured him. Shen Yuan was alive, he was...getting better. But the poison he had been infected with; was one that there was very little knowledge of and no known cure. All they knew was that it clogged his spiritual veins, if it was not suppressed regularly as of the moment, it would spread like shattering glass across his skin. Black in color and killing the skin that it touched.

But all Shen Qingqiu could focus on, was the fact that the rise and fall of his baby brother's chest was too weak. His eyes were closed, he didn't speak, and one could rightfully compare his complexion to that of freshly fallen snow.

Ci Liang looked just as furious as him, heartbroken and upset, she immediately comforted Xia Cheng who broke down into tears at his bedside. Apologizing profusely and taking responsibility before Song Rong stopped her and tried to take the blame. But it was Mu Qingfang who stopped them both, reassuring them for what had to be the tenth time that it was not their fault, that the demon who had shot him was being dealt with, and that all that mattered was the fact that they had kept Shen Yuan alive until Mu Qingfang was able to return in time from transporting the civilians.

Ci Liang agreed, reassuring them as she turned to the older brothers and told them she would take Shen Yuan herself back to Qian Cao to be checked on by the peak lord and their shizun. Shen Qingqiu and Yue Qingyuan had agreed, kissing Shen Yuan on the head only once as Ci Liang sped off on her sword, and Song Rong and Xia Cheng alerted them that they would calm down Xiao Yingzi: who had been ramaging for hours now since Shen Yuan had been hurt and taken from him, so they could return him to Cang Qiong.