Chapter 26: Feeding

"Feifei, thank you," he said, his lips twitching; this time, although his voice remained hoarse and broken, it finally formed her name clearly.

"You finally woke up, you scared me to death, wuu..." Li Feifei wiped a tear from her face, flung herself onto Li Qingxuan's chest, and said through sobs.

Li Feifei's sobs rang especially clear in the silent room; tears slid down her cheeks and dripped onto Li Qingxuan's icy body.

He gazed into her eyes, and a surge of post-disaster palpitation rose in his heart.

Li Qingxuan's lips twitched slightly, as if to speak, but only a hoarse breath escaped; his throat was dry and hoarse.

Li Feifei quickly rose, frantically taking a water bottle from her backpack, gently lifted his head, and carefully fed him a few sips of clean water.

The cool water slid over his throat, bringing a hint of refreshment; his Adam's apple rolled as he let out a satisfied sigh.

"Don't move… you just woke up, you're still weak; I just fed you the spirit recovery elixir, so rest well." Li Feifei's voice trembled with choked sobs as her fingers lightly stroked his furrowed brow, trying to ease his pain.

She could feel his palm's temperature slowly rising, no longer icy; his pulse grew stronger, like a faint drumbeat tapping at her fingertips.

Outside the window, sunlight streamed through the cracks in the wooden shutters, falling on Li Qingxuan's deathly pale face; the lingering effect of the azure elixir seemed to drift in the air.

Li Qingxuan's gaze struggled to sweep the room, finally settling on the still shadow outside the window.

He parted his lips slightly, his voice low but clear: "The Black Goat has been subdued; from now on it can follow me outside to hunt weird creatures."

Each word consumed the strength he had just gathered; his eyelids drooped heavily, then struggled to lift again.

Li Feifei quickly said: "Mm-hmm, I know; it stood guard outside all night, and just now it even bumped the door… I was really worried about you."

Her words carried a hint of soothing, as if she were calming two wounded beasts.

At that moment, a muffled wail came from outside the door, like suppressed thunder; the Black Goat's mane scraped the door panel with a rustling sound, its hooves nervously pawing the ground, yet it did not violently ram again, merely waiting silently for its master's command.

A faint glimmer flashed in Li Qingxuan's eyes as he slowly closed them, seemingly mobilizing his spiritual power.

Moments later, he opened his eyes again, his voice hoarse yet edged with command: "I'll have it guard the outside."

Li Qingxuan's palm slowly rose, his fingertips trembling imperceptibly, as he lightly touched Li Feifei's soft hair, his voice hoarse yet gentle: "You've worked hard."

Li Feifei stood to the side, tears again blurring her vision; watching this, her tense nerves finally relaxed completely, her body swaying slightly from exhaustion.

Her slightly trembling hand gripped the bed's edge; her voice soft yet firm, she told Li Qingxuan: "You… rest well, I'll go prepare some food."

Having said that, she turned and walked toward the storage room, her steps unsteady yet buoyed by an unprecedented lightness, as if the fortress's gloom had dissipated at that moment.

When Li Feifei's silhouette vanished at the doorway, only Li Qingxuan's heavy, labored breathing remained in the room.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window lattice, casting several slanted beams across the rough wooden floor, within which tiny dust particles drifted slowly up and down.

Li Qingxuan closed his eyes; a heavy fatigue surged in like a tide, nearly dragging him back into endless darkness.

But this time, unlike before when pain and cold dominated his collapse, he could clearly feel a faint yet tenacious warmth spreading slowly from deep within his stomach.

It was the residual power of the spirit recovery elixir, and also the all‑or‑nothing lifeline Li Feifei had poured into his mouth; they trickled like tiny streams, bringing warmth and hope, gently moistening his parched, cracked soul‑riverbed after severe injury.

He tried to muster a whisper of spiritual power, like struggling to lift a finger in a mire.

The wounds from last night's fierce battle with the Black Goat only now became clear to his perception.

Not only were his bodily injuries present, but deep within, the foundation of his soul seemed shaken by that violent weird force, covered in spider‑web‑like micro‑fractures, each thought tugging at a hidden ache.

His strength was completely drained; his body felt like an emptied sack, so heavy that even breathing became a burden.

Only that hint of azure medicinal warmth, like the lone flickering flame in a cold night's wilderness, burned stubbornly, dispelling the icy deadness seeping from deep within his marrow.

Outside the door, the Black Goat's massive body pressed against the panel, its shadow swaying slightly as it uttered a low, short "moo‑wuu," tinged with cautious probing and inescapable worry.

It seemed able to sense through the thick wall the master's extremely faint spiritual fluctuations.

"If it weren't for subduing you, would I have reduced myself to this state, and still have to comfort you?" Li Qingxuan roared in his mind.

Li Qingxuan's heart stirred slightly; without words, a soothing thought, as light as a feather, drifted toward the outside.

The frantic pawing stopped at once, his heavy breathing eased, leaving only the occasional rustle of mane against the door panel, as if keeping quiet watch.

Li Qingxuan's fingertips unconsciously curled a fraction, the real sensation reminding him of last night's peril.

He could feel a faint tingling beneath his skin, a sign that his cells were slowly repairing—slow but real.

Within his chest, the faint heartbeat, wrapped in warmth, seemed stabler than before.

He tried to swallow; the dryness and burning in his throat remained, but no longer unbearable like sandpaper scraping.

At that moment, a light footstep sounded at the doorway.

Li Feifei entered carrying a wooden bowl, doing so carefully.

The bowl held a thick soup simmered from dried meat and vegetables, steaming hot, giving off a simple yet appetizing aroma.

The tear tracks on her face had been wiped away, her eye sockets still red‑swollen; looking at him, her eyes held a mix of post‑disaster relief, lingering worry that couldn't be fully set aside, and the cherished joy of having regained what was lost.

"Have some hot soup to replenish your strength." She approached the bedside, her voice lowered to a whisper, as if fearing to disturb the vital energy he had just gathered.

She again gently lifted his head, her movements growing more practiced and tender, scooping a spoonful of warm broth with a wooden spoon, blowing on it lightly, and carefully bringing it to his lips.

Li Qingxuan obediently opened his mouth; the warm liquid slid into his mouth, carrying a salty‑fresh taste, and slowly traveled down his esophagus into his stomach.

That warmth instantly spread, merging with the residual medicinal power in his body, as if adding a tiny twig to the faint flame of his life.

He greedily savored the comfort this warmth brought; although his body remained as heavy as if filled with lead, every muscle sore and weak, even lifting his eyelids costing immense will, at least the deep‑bone chill and soul‑rending pain were being pushed back bit by bit by this warmth.

He strained to move his eyes, his gaze landing on Li Feifei's bloodshot yet concerned face; his lips parted slightly, finally yielding only a hoarse, indistinct sigh, heavy with fatigue yet brimming with unspoken gratitude and trust.

Li Feifei read the depth in his eyes, nodded heavily, tears welling in her sockets but never falling.

She focused more intently, spoon by spoon, delivering the warm porridge laden with hope into his mouth, her motions gentle yet resolute.

Outside, the sunlight seemed a shade brighter, silently bearing witness to this humble stronghold, where two scarred souls, having struggled back from the brink of death, shared a silent yet steadfast post‑calamity vow.

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