Chapter Text
The doors of the Medical wing bursted open, rattling the shelves. A tall male with broad shoulders, draped in gold stormed in.
“JiuJiu!” Jin Ling called, his long chestnut colored ponytail swaying behind him, along with a large Husky padding behind him.
An older woman holding a ceramic Mortar and Pestle in hand, snapped her head towards Jin Ling, brows slightly knitted. “Jin Rulan! What have I told you about storming inside her like that?!”
Jin Ling huffed, his arms folded over his chest as he hid his reddened cheeks away from the woman.
“Healer Jiang–” He was cut off by Healer Jiang.
“It's Yí pó to you.” The Healer Jiang corrected.
“Sorry, Yí pó.” Jin Ling's cheeks were flushed with red, a small pout rested upon his lips.
“Is JiuJiu alright?”
Healer Jiang waved a dismissive hand towards Jin Ling. “Go see for yourself.”
A smile spread across Jin Ling's face. He rushed over to pull Healer Jiang into a quick embrace, then to his JiuJiu bedside.
Jin Ling paused in front of his JiuJiu beside. A thin violet colored sheet was laid over him, his head propped up with cushions of quality.
Any wounds were smothered in a light green paste. His hair spilled over him in waves, different from his usual braided bun.
Somehow his JiuJiu looked younger than he already was.
Jin Ling remembered how worried he was when he first revived a letter containing his JiuJiu's condition.
Fear struck him the hardest.
Fear of losing his JiuJiu.
Fear of being left.
All he knew was his Uncle was supposed to be retrieving an agreement from a smaller Sect in the making, near Ouyang. Nothing was supposed to go wrong.
Except, something did go wrong.
He heard from Fengya that his JiuJiu was ambushed on the way back. Which was a bold move coming from the perpetrators. As soon as word got out about the ambush, his JiuJiu Successor, Jiang Haoyu, sent out patrols to investigate right away.
The matter was kept within Lotus Pier with the lovely exception of Jin Ling himself.
His JiuJiu was too intent on leaving him out of things regarding his health both mentally and physically which pissed Jin Ling off.
He wasn't a child in need of protection anymore. He could handle himself.
But sometimes he wished he was. He missed being a clueless child where his only worries were when his JiuJiu was going to pick him up from Carp Tower.
Fairy who Jin Ling hadn't realized followed, nudged at his leg. He allowed himself a small smile, bending down to scratch the back of Fairy's head.
She leaned into the touch greedily, her tongue hanging out her mouth.
“A-Ling..” A voice creaked.
Jin Ling blinked in surprise, standing to his fullest height. “JiuJiu!” He cheered, pulling his Uncle into a huge embrace.
“Agh– Brat, watch the ribs!” His Uncle grunted.
Jin Ling surrendered, his hands thrown up. “Sorry, JiuJiu!”
For a moment, his JiuJiu just stared. No words, nothing, just an analytical stare. It was a familiar expression but yet it seemed so– foreign on his Uncle's face.
Yes, Jin Ling had seen such a look on his uncle's face before, but only once. He only really saw that expression on his Xiao-shushu’s face whenever he wasn't putting up that innocently polite facade.
He never liked that look, it always scared him.
It was one of the reasons he didn't like going to Carp Tower.
The elders and his Xiao-shushu always looked at him like that when discussing important matters around him.
“A-Ling.” His JiuJiu called, his tone unusually soft. He hadn’t heard his JiuJiu use that tone with him since he was thirteen.
Jin Ling turned to face his JiuJiu, plopping down beside him on the bed. “Yeah, JiuJiu?”
“Why aren't you at Carp Tower?”
Jin Ling blinked, a puzzled look etched across his face. He thought his JiuJiu was going to tell him something dire. Like, a last dying wish or maybe even seclusion.
“I– I was worried about you, JiuJiu.. I came here as soon as I heard–”
“Sect Leader Jiang.” Healer Jiang called, holding a small porcelain bowl.
“Bai Shen.” JiuJiu greeted, his infamous scowl rested upon his lips. From how Healer Jiang was glowering at his JiuJiu, she looked about ready to scold him.
“I am quite baffled. Do you even remember what happened?”
The silence that followed said enough.
“You stand uncorrected, Bai Shen.” His JiuJiu replied plainly.
He knew how much his JiuJiu hated being scolded. So did Jin Ling, it made him feel like a little infant who can't tell right from wrong.
“Well.. Allow me to start.” Healer Jiang placed the small porcelain bowl on the small table beside the bed before heading over to her desk area. When she returned, she had a stack of parchment in hand.
“The report from the disciples that found you as well as witnesses.” She humbly stated before beginning to read off the parchment. “Sect Leader Jiang was found wounded and unconscious..” Healer Jiang shook her head in disappointment. His JiuJiu was a prideful man. By the looks of his slightly flushed cheeks, embarrassment was definitely getting to him. “Traces of a battle were evident at the scene. Six out of the twelve rogue cultivators found at the scene, heavily wounded while the others were dead.”
She paused before continuing on.
“Six dead from poisonous gas. Evidence of the gas found on one of the perpetrators' bodies. Those heavily wounded were found immobile with indication of use of Zidan.”
Healer Jiang rolled her eyes as she continued to flip through the pages. “Blah, Blah, Blah, things about disciples, clean up, excerpts from witnesses..” She walked off, rearranging the parchment as she went to get a second, much smaller stack.
“Now, on to you and your treatments.” Finding no interruption, she continued on.
“You've been unconscious for three days. Forced purging of any remaining poison in your system, some-what completed. With Sect Leader Jiang's unresponsive state, it was hard to fully rid of the poison.”
Her eyes darted from one section to another.
“Healing without assistance has been running smoothly, a bit slower than usual due to poison and— uh.. moving on. Minor skin irritation treated with poultice, inflammation treated with several ointments mixed with crushed mint leaves. Muscle strain, refrain from active physical duty for a minimum of three days.
I recommend you allow your body to rest properly for at least a week before pulling any all-nighters. For now you're–”
“Am I free to leave?” JiuJiu's sharp voice cut through Healer Jiang's ramblings.
“Yes, Sect Leader Jiang. Inform me if there's anything you need regarding your physical or mental health.”
“Thank you, Bai Shen.” His JiuJiu moved from the bed to the door with a hint of struggle. Jin Ling watched as his JiuJiu left without turning to say goodbye.
“Thanks, Yi po.” Jin Ling was about to leave before Healer Jiang tugged at his arm.
“I skipped over a part in my personal report.”
“Wha–?”
“What confuses me is.. There are wounds from Zidan on Sect Leader Jiang. Which should be impossible unless self inflicted. We both know, during a battle, causing any unnecessary wounds to yourself is abnormal and overall– illogical.”
“Yeah..” Jin Ling murmured, confusion evident on his face.
“His core, when attempting to view anything internal, blocked me from doing so. I’d like to say perhaps it’s a negative side effect from the poisonous gas he inhaled during battle. Sect Leader seems quieter than usual, possibly he’s still recovering from the concussion?”
“I noticed JiuJiu was walking off balance.. I think you’re right.”
Healer Jiang rested a hand on his shoulder, “Keep an eye on him. There may be something hidden amongst layers within– a parasitic curse maybe.. Sect Leader probably knows but, knowing him, relying on others for help is the last thing he’d do.”
“Ye–”
“Our conversation remains confidential.”
Jin Ling nodded, “Take care, Yi po.”
She returned the gesture with a smile.
Jin Ling scooped Fairy, who had been waiting ever so patiently by the bedside into his arms.
With that, Jin Ling left with a newfound worry settled in his chest.
What was wrong with his JiuJiu..?