Yujiro's thumb traces my lips as I stare up at his face. His eyes dance with amusement as my heart races and face burns. "I will wait for you to come back to me, my
I swallow as I close the distance between our lips. His mouth tenderly presses against mine with an intensity that leaves me gasping for air. I'm drowning in him, pulling him closer. His chest reverberates against me as he chuckles. He pulls away and kisses my forehead. "Mm. It seems like I might not need to wait that long."
I stare at him wide eyed as he picks me up and gently sets me back down beside him. I'm at a loss for words. He waits for me to find my thoughts, a smile dancing across his lips.
"I... Yujiro..." I cover my face with my right hand, trying to hide my embarassment. My first kiss. I've only known this handsome man this life for a few minutes and the heat he makes me feel already... "You said.. you'd teach me."
Yujiro nodded. "Of course."
My brows furrow as I take a calming breath. "You know what's wrong with my roots?"
"You have a deviation. Your foundation will not form properly with it in place nor can you use your qi effectively until it's created." Yujiro refills my cup of tea before he refills his own.
"Is it because of my rebirth?"
He shook his head. "No. It's a result of pushing yourself too hard using diablism. You burned a part of your soul." He offers me my cup and I hold it carefully in my hand.
"There are only a couple ways to fix that."
"Yes."
"Implanting new spiritual roots or... implanting a dragon's heart." I comment softly. "It's a part of their treatment plan for me?"
Yujiro smiles, resting his arm on his knee again as he watches my reactions. His expression grows more contemplative as he adds, "In a sense. It's a difficult procedure this sect isn't sure will work. It might kill you, do you still want to go through with it?"
It feels like a test. How badly do I want this? The materials are rare for these things but it'll be a boon to move forward in my progress. They ordered me to rest but...
I nod. "Yes, I remember about hearing about this before. I want this to happen."
Yujiro smiles at me again, pleased with my answer. "Rest tonight and tomorrow morning we'll get started."
I lean back, remembering the warmth of the tea in my hands. I take a long drink and set the empty cup down. "Do you need the things you sent the others to get?"
"Hmm. In a sense. You'll need to learn how to wield a weapon. I'll start you with a sword and from there we'll decide which you'd rather master. I'll need to see how you move after the surgery. From there, we'll get you strong enough to become whomever you wish."
His voice is so sincere and full of care for me that it brings tears to my eyes. I'm not alone this life. I have someone invested in my present and my future. His hand gently squeezes my shoulder.
"You've experienced much today, let's lie down and relax. Not everything needs to be done right now. You have time, little rose." He offers, "Just sleep. I promise nothing will interupt your rest."
I nod and he picks me up in a smooth movement, carrying me through the screen to where my bed has been made in the next room. He sets me down and covers me with the blanket with a gentleness that seemed contrary to his strength. He chuckles as he lays down on his side near me but not touching me.
I can't help but stare at him. I want this space between us to be smaller but he's trying to give me time to consider what he said. I don't know how to feel, my blood is hot and I ache for his touch.
"Sleep, Li Mei." Yujiro comments, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
Sleep.
I want to argue but the soft command presses against my mind and everything goes dark.
***
My body feels like it is on fire. I writhe, unable to stay still, I have to relieve the pain. A moan leaves my throat, "...jiro..."
A dampness presses against my forehead as warm breath brushes against my ear. "You're safe. Just a little longer," Yujiro whispers. My face is covered by a cloth and my body is held in place.
"What's...?" My voice is weak, groggy.
"Senior, we should stop. It's hurting her!" Qin Tao hisses.
"Tao'er, if you can't be calm, you'll upset Li Mei. Calm yourself or leave," Lubi's voice admonishes.
The surgery. They started it at some point. It's strange, why didn't I know it started? Did I forget the start? Yujiro says it's only a little while longer. He has faith this will work.
"Stay with me..." I murmur. I feel a reassuring squeeze of a rough hand.
"I'm with you," Yujiro murmurs as the darkness pulls me unnder once more.
***
I walk outside myself. I'm alone with a system alert window.
[System Alert: Hidden Achievement Unlocked. Spirit Roots Changed!]
[You are currently a 5 element root. Emphasizing one root over another will increase the purity of your cultivation. Would you like to respec?]
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Hmm. It's better to focus to build my foundation. The less elemental qis I have to refine right now, the more quickly I can grow. I will have to do a lot of work regardless. I have always felt a leaning towards water.
<
[Do you wish to commit your changes?]
Yes.
[You affinity with ??? has increased!]
[Achievement Unlocked: Heavenly Water Root!]
Heavenly roots? The Celestial Mountain Sect had Heavenly spirit roots on hand? It's not a bad thing but spirit roots are a rare commidity to have on hand. It's transplanting someone's spiritual form into someone else's soul. It requires compatability as well.
Something tugs on my consciousness and pulls me from the darkness back into the light.
***
"... is she going to sleep?" Qin Tao demands. He glares at a medic that I don't recognize. "Shouldn't she be up by now? Did something go wrong?"
"This is to be expected of this sort of procedure," Lubi comments pulling Qin Tao away. "You must be patient."
A deep voice rumbles beside me, "Let her rest. She will wake when she is ready." Yujiro's presence warms me. I'm happy he's still here with me. "Her qi is stronger than you think. She's recovering quickly."
My eyes flutter as I turn my head towards Yujiro's voice. "Noisy," I murmur, trying to get a sense of where I am. A hospital room comes into view. The energy is calming around me. The weight of the restriction absent for now. The smell of herbs is heavy in the air but the room itself is clean and empty. It looks more like a treatment room rather than a surgery suite I must've been inside before.
"Easy, little rose," Yujiro comments softly. "Don't rush yourself."
"I want to get up," I reply. Qin Tao and lubi stop, moving toward my bed with concern on their faces.
"Li Mei! You're awake. How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?" The questions come in a rush and I wince. Qin Tao frowns and takes a step back. Lubi grins.
"Easy brothers." Yujiro waves his hands over me. "Don't overwhelm her. She just woke up."
"We were just worried for her condition." Lubi offers as I sit upright. Both cultivators look tired, like they haven't been sleeping. Qin Tao looks especially haggard.
"I feel fine. Maybe a little bit of a headache... my mouth is dry but, I live." I offer, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My body still aches but that's to be expected. "I feel stronger."
Yujiro looks pleased as he offers me a cup filled with water. "Drink this."
"You were asleep for a few days after the procedure," Qin Tao states flatly. "I've never seen anything like it."
Lubi nods. "This was only the third time it's been done in this sect. It's risky but I knew you were in good hands." He beams at me. "Elder Yujiro was a huge help in the surgery."
Yujiro rose from his seat beside me. "All right. That's enough for now. Everyone out so Li Mei can freshen up. I'm sure she's eager to move around."
Resignnation plays across Qin Tao's face but he leaves with Lubi and the medic. Yujiro kisses the top of my head once the others disappear. "Clean up. We have some training to do, little rose. I'll wait for you." He murmurs before he walks away, disappearing behind a sliding screen door.