73 Pain III (1/2)

Chen Wentian paid some servants at the inn to temporarily take care of the baby wolves. The look that Wu Qianyu gave him was hard to ignore and he couldn't say no. The ten baby wolves were sleepy and sightless but would wake up yowl in hunger unless given milk. All in all he thought they were a massive annoyance for someone who was used to traveling light.

He had dinner sent up to their room. It was a luxury suite with a shared lounge but separate beds. Of course... he still had a reputation to uphold.

He watched Wu Qianyu as she ate her dinner. She didn't seem too out of sorts but she was quiet and contemplative. He felt a bit awkward, unsure if he reprimanded her too harshly at the wolf den. Is she angry at him? If it was him alone faced with that problem, would he save them? Most likely not.

”Master?”

Wu Qianyu's voice broke him out of his daydream. He looked over and she had already undressed to her underwear. He could see a number bruises and wounds on her perfectly white skin.

”Oh! Right.”

After a hard day's battle, it was his job to help treat her injuries. At first she was shy and reluctant but her pragmatic side took over and it was now a matter of habit.

He helped wipe away the dried blood and cleaned the wounds before applying a powerful healing salve and using his special energy to enhance the healing and regeneration. This made sure her perfect skin would not be marred by any scars. He carefully treated each injury so that she would be ready to fight again tomorrow.

”So... want to talk about this afternoon?” He broached the subject as he applied bandages to a bruise.

”Well... it might seem weird...” Wu Qianyu felt reluctant.

”Don't worry! Nothing you say will be weird.”

”...”

Wu Qianyu thought hard about how to describe it. In the end she could only go with the most straightforward description.

”Master, have you been able to sense another being's feelings?”

”Huh? What kind of feelings?” Chen Wentian certainly never had such a power or else he wouldn't have been a virgin for so long.

”Sadness... despair... grief... but mostly just pain. The kind of pain that's white hot and blinding, it shakes my heart. I first felt it that day we met... you know... And then, I would have the same feelings occasionally over the past year but less intense. Today, well today was the first time I felt it as powerful as the first time. I felt it with the villagers and felt it again with the mother wolf.”

She looked at him with teary eyes, ”What's wrong with me?”

”Shh, hey don't cry.” Chen Wentian hugged her. He let her wipe her tears on his shirt as he comforted her.

”You have a strange ability related to pain.” Chen Wentian said, ”You're able to withstand a lot more pain than an average cultivator and you don't lose your fighting strength even after getting heavily injured. Right?”

”Mhm...” She nodded.

”I think what you've experienced today is an evolution of that ability. Like, you're able to sense the pain within others. The pain the common people felt of losing their family compared to the pain the wolf felt of not being able to care for its family. I guess it's two sides of the same coin.”

Chen Wentian thought out loud as he continued to theorize. ”Being sensitive to emotions and feelings are rare but not unheard of. It can become a very powerful Dao if fully mastered. I think this is a possible path to immortality for you.”

”Really?” Wu Qianyu smiled with happiness.

”I think its possible. But, pain is not easy. You might find that you will have to suffer through more and more pain as you delve deeper and deeper into this power.” Chen Wentian shivered a bit, ”It would definitely be way more painful than cultivating using the Frozen Netherworld Jade.”

Wu Qianyu thought differently. She was never afraid of pain, having been through hellish battles for more than a year. She let the pain affect her today because she was afraid of it was taking her down a scary and incorrect path. Now that she was reassured her pain filled journey had an ultimate destination, she was filled with renewed motivation.

”Thank you, master! I'll continue to work hard.”

”Hey, you're not alone.” He reached over and brought her onto his lap. ”Remember, I'll always be by your side to save you.”

Wu Qianyu gave him a sweet smile and kissed him.

Chen Wentian felt extremely happy inside. This was the first time she initiated a kiss! Does this mean she like me? His insecure and inexperienced mind couldn't figure it out so he could only kiss her some more instead.

After making out for a while, Chen Wentian's thoughts drifted back to the issue with her powers.

”Hey, Qianyu? Do you only sense mental pain and not physical pain?”