Just like any other day, Zi Hua was returning from her classes but on the way back to the dorms, she found a figure unconscious on the floor.
She glanced over and found that it was Song Yin Jun, she wanted to leave but her morals as a doctor said otherwise, plus the girl wasn't bad, it's just that she was born in the wrong place, so Zi Hua picked the girl up into a princess carry and lay her down on the bench by the path, they technically knew each other so Zi Hua couldn't just treat her like a stranger, though it would be another story if she had found some random total stranger lying on the floor but her morals just wouldn't allow her to leave the girl like that, the girl was innocent, only cruelly dragged into this conflict, this was the least she could do.
No matter how much Zi Hua hardened her heart to hurt innocents, she was still human, a doctor at that.
She felt guilty that she may one day kill that girl with her own hands when the girl did not willingly go against her, picking her up from the ground and making sure she wasn't dead was the least that she could do, plus her death would obstruct Zi Hua from further finding out about the Primordial lands' plans.
As Zi Hua checked her, her eyebrows scrunched together, Song Yin Jun's health was peculiar, not like anything she had seen before.
Her constitution was weird, she wasn't poisoned either, her body was weak yet she was fine most of the time, she would get better by herself however, it wasn't good for her to unpredictably faint all the time, if it was in a battlefield, that could cost her her life!
But Zi Hua and her were on opposite sides in the battle, so it wouldn't be wise for Zi Hua to help her, but her mentality of a doctor won't allow her to leave the girl like that, she never did anything wrong and was innocent.
Zi Hua was stuck in a dilemma, however just as she was stuck in her inner struggle, Song Yin Jun woke up.
"Huh, where am I?"
"You fainted on the ground, so I carried you over here" Zi Hua explained.
"Thank you, but I'm fine, sorry for the bother" Song Yin Jun sat up and then tried to get on her feet but swayed unsteadily.
"Do you want me to help you back?" Zi Hua went to help her, she wasn't as cold-hearted as to just leave a patient alone, unless they were someone who she hated.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine, this happens regularly, I'm used to it" Song Yin Jun said weakly, she was clearly not fine, she couldn't even stand up properly.
She would be fine anyways since the people that her father had stationed around her would return once they finish searching through the headmaster's office.
Zi Hua really didn't want to get involved but...
Damn morals!
Oh well, this way it would be easier for her to get close to Song Yin Jun to get information if she needs to.
"I'll help you back, I was heading to the dorms too anyways" Zi Hua led her back to the dorms not realizing that far away someone had found out something about her that even she her self had not yet discovered...
After that day, Zi Hua and Song Yin Jun didn't have much contact apart from seeing her in class, Zi Hua decided to observe and be clear of the situation first before helping Song Yin Jun, after all, with Song Yin Jun's personality, she isn't someone who would like to be part of a scheme, Zi Hua had to get to the mastermind first and acquire information, as the old saying goes 'knowledge is power'.
She won't recklessly charge in, that day when she visited her uncle-master, even though she had hid her presence, he still detected her, which made her understand that there are many out there who are stronger than her, if she makes a move now, it would be courting death.
During the day, Zi Hua would go to class, then in the evening she would go into the Heaven-defying artifact and cultivate.
After several cycles of this, Zi Hua finally managed to breakthrough to High Stage Martial Honor just before the two month break, this time, surprisingly, was quicker than when she went from Low Stage to Mid Stage since she had actually cultivated regularly.
The experiences of struggle allowed Zi Hua to not take her talent for granted and understand pains and struggles, a truly valuable lesson.
In a blink of an eye, vacation was about to arrive. (A/N: I wish, more like the end of vacation was about to arrive, it feels like ages until breaks arrive)
"Zi Hua, do you have any plans for the break?" Anqi Feng asked as Zi Hua, her and her sister sat around a table in the canteen, her sister finally got a break from entertaining those people thanks to most of them following Song Yin Jun around all day like baby ducks.
"Not really, I only have one thing that I have planned, though that would take me at least a month"
"After you get stuff done, would you mind if we join you for the vacation?" They didn't pry on her privacy.
It wouldn't be wise for them to return 'home' after finally breaking free from that place, at least for now.
"Sure, where will we meet?" Zi Hua didn't mind, once she finishes her business, she didn't have anything planned.
"In Calming Sky Inn" It would be better for them to not leave the city for now, it would be safer than leaving.
"Okay then, but I might take a while so"