Chapter 172: The Loosening of the Sash
"Ah, senior, please don't blame me."
Inside the cave, Xiao Yan had been driven outside to guard the entrance, while Jiang Lin stayed behind to change the medicine for the woman in green.
First, Jiang Lin took a few slender silver needles from his Thunder Pattern ring. With careful precision, he pricked a few spots near her wounds to temporarily stop the bleeding, then gently helped her sit up.
The woman in green was soft and light. When Jiang Lin's fingertips brushed her, he could even feel the faint beating of her heart. Sitting behind her, Jiang Lin smelled not only the faint tang of blood, but also a delicate fragrance lingering on her body. It was a bit like the scent of crabapple blossoms. Jiang Lin couldn't be sure—this world had no such flower.
"Senior, forgive my offense." Jiang Lin spoke softly behind her, then reached out to slowly loosen her robe from the back. He could feel her body trembling slightly—perhaps from the pain, or perhaps from resisting the heat of his burning fingertips.
Jiang Lin's body temperature was higher than normal. He couldn't help it—that was the common trait of body-forging cultivators. Especially since his Dou Qi was primarily fire-attributed. Even Xiao Yan had felt uneasy when Jiang Lin's hot hand had brushed against his chest.
Aside from the five claw marks across her waist, the woman also bore many small wounds. Her clothing fibers had stuck into the cuts, making them difficult to clean. Fortunately, Jiang Lin was deft in such matters. With skill and patience, he loosened her outer robe without causing her discomfort, revealing snow-white skin as smooth as jade.
As he cleaned her wounds, his fingers inevitably brushed her skin. Her flesh was soft, smooth, and fragrant. Each time he touched her, her body quivered ever so slightly. Jiang Lin would pause each time, waiting for her to adjust.
"Are… are you a physician?" In the charged silence, the woman in green finally spoke. She found herself uneasy. The man behind her radiated so much heat that just sitting near him felt like being warmed by a bonfire. Even as a Dou Huang, if she stayed too long, that warmth stirred in her a faint, disarming sense of safety.
No wonder Xiao Yan was always suspicious of Jiang Lin. A body-forging warrior of his size was practically the embodiment of security. Just a little kindness from him made one feel at ease, even cherished.
"I used to be," Jiang Lin answered, cleaning her smaller wounds with gentle care before moving on to loosen her inner armor.
"Why used to be?" The woman could feel how patient and tender his movements were. For someone who had dealt with men before, the mix of shyness and safety she now felt was unsettlingly complex.
"Because medicine cannot save the world." Jiang Lin, though handling inner armor for the first time, deftly unclasped it. As he did, he looped one arm around her abdomen, supporting the armor so it wouldn't drop suddenly and tear her wounds.
Though she resisted his intrusion, she was moved by his attentiveness. The position was like being embraced by him. That near-solid sense of security left her momentarily dazed.
Suddenly, she noticed he had stopped moving. Her heart skipped. "W-what is it?"
Holding the sixth-rank inner armor in his hands, Jiang Lin couldn't help but marvel at the delicate engravings. "Sorry… it's too beautiful. I couldn't help but look a little longer."
His voice was completely sincere and clean, without the faintest impurity. After all, what unwholesome thought could he possibly have about a piece of armor?
"..." The woman's heart swelled with both shame and indignation. Yet because of the purity in his words, she couldn't bring herself to be angry. Instead, she felt a strange, flustered warmth. A woman adorns herself for one who appreciates her—his admiration was as pure as beholding a flawless treasure. It left her conflicted, embarrassed, yet oddly pleased.
Of course, she could never have guessed that in front of such a great beauty as herself, Jiang Lin would look at her armor with utter seriousness and sigh: "Too beautiful."
Clatter—
The sash loosened, the armor slipped away, and her snow-white back was revealed before Jiang Lin. He clearly saw her whole body tremble. Sighing inwardly, he took up his silver needles, heated them lightly with Dou Qi flame, and pricked several points near her waist to stop the bleeding.
"You… you want to be a savior?" the woman asked, covering her chest slightly with her arms. To ease the awkwardness, she took the initiative to speak.
"No. But I can be the savior of those by my side," Jiang Lin replied calmly, tending to the terrifying claw marks on her waist. Thanks to the protection of her inner armor, the wounds weren't too deep. Once her back was treated, he began applying medicine.
"You're honest," the woman murmured quietly.
"The stagnant blood in your body—I can help disperse it," Jiang Lin said after a pause, his eyes lingering on her flawless, slender back.
"If I do, you'll be able to move again by tomorrow."
The woman hesitated for a moment, then softly responded: "Mm."
Jiang Lin's face stiffened. He had only offered out of professional courtesy. Did she have to agree so quickly?
But since it was said, he had no choice.
"It… may be a bit uncomfortable. Please forgive me." With that, Jiang Lin pressed his knuckles gently along her back, dispersing the hidden damage in her meridians.
"Mm—" The pressure was strong enough that she let out a soft sound before quickly flushing red and forcing herself silent. She could only focus on the warmth of his palm. His touch began with meridian points, then shifted to massaging with heat, activating her blood flow. The sensation of being touched by a man stirred waves of confusing emotions within her.
Jiang Lin worked for about ten minutes before withdrawing his hand.
"Though it's unwise to hide illness out of shame, I'm no longer truly a physician. So from here on, you'll have to manage the rest yourself." He removed all the silver needles, saw that the bleeding had stopped, placed the medicine bottle at her side, and thoughtfully laid a gray robe nearby. Then he rose and left.
As the furnace-like warmth behind her faded, the chill of the cave swept back in. To her surprise, the woman felt a faint sense of loss.
Looking down at the medicine and clothing, she felt her heart warmed by his attentiveness.
Outside the cave, Jiang Lin set up a screen of animal hide to block the cold night wind.
The woman noticed every detail and couldn't help but feel her heart soften.
But once the screen was done, Jiang Lin found himself staring into Xiao Yan's wide-eyed expression. His composure cracked instantly.
"Brother Lin, awesome!" Xiao Yan mouthed the words.
Jiang Lin rubbed his face, then went to the stream outside to splash cold water on himself—trying to cool down.
(End of Chapter)
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