Between her diamond wings,Huo Feng carried Wu Xin's drenched body —his soul still riddled with the fangs of the wandering spirits of the River of Oblivion.
She laid him upon his bed, gently…like a mother tucking in her child.Then sat before him, silent —a silence that was neither sorrow nor joy…but ignorance.
The ignorance of one's own heart —the cruelest ignorance of all.
Did she truly wish to save him?And if so… why?
Wu Xin stirred.His eyes fluttered open, heavy with the pain of both old and new wounds —those of the body, and those of the soul.
When he tried to sit up, she hurried to help him,her hands trembling as they supported his shoulders.
He looked at her, smiling faintly, mockingly:
"So… will you call the healer?Or just wait until it's too late?"
Then, with a sly, beautiful glint in his eyes, he added:
"Ah, perhaps you've become a healer yourself.Care to treat me? Come on."
He extended his hand toward her.
She blinked — uncomprehending, innocent.His teasing, his tone — all foreign to her.
"Do I need to be a doctor to heal you?" she asked, brows raised in childlike confusion.
At that exact moment, the Holy Physician arrived — summoned earlier by Master Li.He was calm in his steps, radiant in presence,his eyes carrying both wisdom and peace —a being of mercy… a true angel, not one of their kind.
As he entered, Huo Feng stepped forward — one step… then another…until she stood directly before him.
And then—without hesitation,she passed through him.
Yes.Like light through mist, she moved through his very being.
The physician froze for an instant — yet felt nothing.And more importantly, he realized nothing.Or so he thought.
Wu Xin and Master Li, however, were struck dumb —their eyes wide, their silence louder than words.
But Huo Feng paid them no mind.She knew what she was doing.
For the first time, she had chosen.She didn't understand what it meant to be a healer —but the idea of it enticed her.The idea of curing, of knowing,of saving someone she loved.
So she decided.And she copied.
The Holy Physician began his work with the calm precision of a master.He took Wu Xin's pulse,then withdrew a case of delicate golden needles.Just as he prepared to insert one—
"Stop!"
Huo Feng's voice sliced through the air, sharp and trembling.
The physician turned, startled.She continued firmly:
"No! That needle will harm him.The spot you chose… it's tainted by the aura of evil spirits from the river."
The man's brow arched.
"And who might you be? A doctor?"
She smiled, raising her brows playfully:
"Yes. I am a doctor… I just graduated."
He frowned, incredulous.
"Graduated? Just now?And who was your foolish teacher?"
Her eyes sparkled mischievously:
"You."
He blinked.
"Me?!""How dare you—"
But he stopped suddenly.Without reason… without control… silence claimed him.
He turned back to Wu Xin, eyes narrowing,checking his pulse again, feeling… something different.
After a moment, he sighed.
"Actually… you're right."
Then smiled faintly.
"Seems I taught you well.Forgive me, I forget faces easily… that's why I didn't recognize you."
He hesitated again, gazing at her longer this time.
"But your voice…I've heard it before.Long ago… maybe thousands of years ago."
He stepped back, as if time itself was dragging him into its depths.
"Yes… I heard it last… in the Sacred Chamber…or was it… the Punishment Grounds?I can't remember!"
He stared at her, bewildered.
"You… haven't aged… at all."
Silence filled the room.Wu Xin and Master Li could only stare.And she — she just looked back at them, lost,like a child who had wandered too far from home.
When the Holy Physician finished placing the needles, he rose slowly.
"Take good care of him, little doctor," he said kindly."Or perhaps… his lover?"
Huo Feng shook her head with innocent defiance:
"No, not his lover.I'm his sweetheart!"
The physician burst into laughter.
"You truly remind me of someone," he murmured."He was once among us… then vanished."
He looked up toward the ceiling, searching the stars of memory.
"But who was he…?"
As he turned to leave, he glanced at Master Li.
"And you… has your condition improved?"
Li nodded silently — though his eyes, now gray as ash, betrayed the truth.
The physician placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Don't despair. I'm certain you'll find your cure… someday."
Then smiled, gesturing toward Huo Feng.
"Perhaps… through her."
He left, and she followed him with her gaze until the door closed.
Then, suddenly, she spun toward Master Li—leaping at him playfully like a mischievous child.
She caught his hand — for the first time.Not to feel his pulse of flesh,but his pulse of spirit.
He yanked his hand away instantly,as if her touch had burned something buried deep within him.
"Don't," he said softly. "Please."
She only laughed — proud, persistent:
"You should be honored!You'll be my first patient.Let me help you… just as you've always helped me."
Master Li's face flushed red — not just from embarrassment,but from the strange warmth her words stirred within him.And Wu Xin—he turned red too, though his color was rage.
Huo Feng tried again, catching Li's wrist once more,as though gripping a toy she refused to release.
This time, he did not resist.He simply looked at her — silently —with eyes that held something new.Something soft… something dangerous.
She noticed the look.But before she could scold him for it,she froze.
Her gaze sharpened.Her breath caught.
"When… did you lose a part of it?Your soul?"
He didn't answer.He only covered her hand with his, pressing it to his lips,closing his eyes briefly before whispering—
And she gasped.
"You?!"
Then silence.
No words.No sound.Only three souls—one buried in sorrow,one lost in memory,and one…falling once more into mystery.