Chapter 19

Two days later, Luo Fan finally regained consciousness.

The moment he opened his eyes, Luo Fan found the person he had been thinking about day and night actually by his side.

"Am I dreaming?" Luo Fan found it hard to believe, and with great effort, he stretched out his hand from under the blanket to touch the person in front of him, but he was afraid that if he touched, the dream would shatter, so he hesitated to pull his hand back.

Xiao Longnü extended her delicate hand to grasp Luo Fan's somewhat pale large hand, tears rolling down her face one by one.

"Fool, this isn't a dream!" Looking at the bloodless face in front of her, Xiao Longnü felt a pang of heartache.

"Really not a dream?" Luo Fan was still skeptical and said, "Then pinch me to see if it hurts."

Seeing Luo Fan's somewhat silly look, Xiao Longnü found it a bit amusing, but seeing his weak state, she couldn't laugh. At that moment, a small figure stumbled into the room, looking somewhat sad and asked, "Auntie Long, is Master awake?"

Luo Fan was about to speak, but Yang Guo, seeing that Luo Fan was already awake, quickly said with a sad face, "Master, Uncle Carving..."

Luo Fan immediately recalled that the battle that day was extremely fierce, and the divine crane was likely in grave danger. He hurriedly asked Yang Guo, "What happened to it?" As he spoke, he struggled to get out of bed, his body still weak.

"The divine crane... it's about to die!" After saying this, little Yang Guo immediately sat on the ground and cried in sorrow.

"What?" Luo Fan sat up in shock and said to the two people beside him, "Quick, take me to it, maybe I can still save it!" Without thinking, he quickly found his shoes and put them on, but due to his weakness, he fell back onto the bed. Xiao Longnü, seeing this, quickly helped him up and said with concern, "Be careful."

"Guo'er, quickly help me over." Although he was in a relationship with someone else's wife and was acting as their master, it felt somewhat inappropriate, but Luo Fan knew this wasn't the time to be picky.

"Okay." Little Yang Guo quickly wiped his tears and responded, then helped Xiao Longnü support Luo Fan as they walked to the divine crane's room.

The divine crane was placed in a relatively high-end disciple's room by Ma Yu. When Luo Fan arrived, he saw Guo Jing sitting on the bed, using his inner strength to sustain the crane's life, while several old Taoists shook their heads in despair, their expressions dark.

"Master, how is the crane?" Luo Fan asked Wang Chuyi before even entering the room.

"Alas~" Wang Chuyi shook his head and sighed, "Jing'er used his profound inner strength to keep it alive, but there's no way to save it!"

"System, is there any way?" Seeing that everyone was at a loss, Luo Fan could only hope for help from the system. The system had saved him from dire situations multiple times, so it should have a solution.

"Host can spend 10,000 exchange points to obtain a Medium Life Potion, which will significantly improve its condition."

"Then quickly exchange it for me. Do I have enough points?"

"Host currently has 29,995 exchange points, which is more than enough."

"What?" Luo Fan clearly remembered spending many points to upgrade the Nine Yang Divine Skill, so how could he still have so many? Checking the system panel, Luo Fan found an additional item: "Forcibly unblocking the Ren and Du meridians, achieving the 'Nine Lives' achievement, gaining 10,000 luck energy and 20,000 luck points." Luo Fan asked in confusion, "System, what does this achievement mean?"

"When the host relies on luck to accomplish something extremely difficult or almost impossible, luck will be bestowed, granting luck energy and system achievements, along with additional luck points. However, for the host's safety, the system does not recommend this method."

"I see." Although he had gained a windfall, Luo Fan knew this wasn't the time to be happy. He quickly exchanged for a bottle of Medium Life Potion and said to Guo Jing, "Brother Guo, let me handle it, I have a way."

Everyone in the room looked at Luo Fan curiously. Suddenly, Luo Fan took out a bottle of blood-red liquid from his chest and explained, "This is a life-saving potion given to me by a senior. As long as the person isn't dead, it can save their life."

"Is there such a miraculous medicine?" The Taoists seemed skeptical, wondering if it was the senior who taught Fan swordsmanship. That senior had superb sword skills and such a divine medicine, but they had never heard of him. However, they knew Luo Fan wouldn't joke about the crane's life, so they didn't say much, just watching with tense expressions.

"Brother Guo, please help support the crane."

Guo Jing looked at Luo Fan with some doubt but nodded. Luo Fan pried open the crane's beak and poured the clear, red liquid into its mouth.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

At this moment, the room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Although everyone was skeptical about the existence of such a divine medicine, they all hoped it was real.

Five seconds.

Six seconds.

Seven seconds.

Suddenly, the crane's wings trembled slightly! Although the movement was barely noticeable, everyone present was a top expert and saw it clearly. Their expressions brightened.

Not long after, the crane's eyelids moved slightly, and it slowly opened its eyes!

"Divine medicine!" Seeing this, the Taoists clapped in praise and said to Luo Fan, "Fan, you should thank that senior. Such a divine medicine must come from a medical immortal or something. Otherwise, it would be impossible to have such a divine medicine!"

Luo Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief, nodded to the Taoists, but thought to himself, "What senior and divine medicine, it's just a dumb system and a red potion." He then thought about how this brain-dead system had left him without a certain part, and now he had spent so many luck points, it would be a long time before he could regain his manhood. He felt a wave of sorrow.

Standing beside him, Xiao Longnü was also very happy to see the crane recover. However, seeing the others smiling and the harmonious atmosphere, she felt out of place and thought sadly, "Yes, the gap between my ancient tomb and the Quanzhen Sect is still deep. Since Luo Fan and the crane are fine, I should leave first."

Luo Fan saw that the crane's injuries had recovered about half, and its life was no longer in danger, so he felt much better. He then thought of Xiao Longnü and turned to look back, but saw her turning to leave. He quickly called out, "Miss Long!" Xiao Longnü didn't turn back and used her lightness skill to fly away. Luo Fan, still weak, couldn't catch up and could only watch her leave, sighing, "Perhaps, she is really just a 'dream' to me." This reminded him of Ye Fei in the real world, and a strong sense of helplessness and unwillingness rose in his heart. Although he was now skilled in martial arts and somewhat famous in the江湖 (jianghu), this still couldn't change the deep-seated self-pity in his heart. This was a knot in his heart, and only the person who tied it could untie it. This knot might only be resolved when he returned to the real world.

At this moment, Guo Jing looked at Luo Fan with some doubt and said, "Brother Luo, I see that Miss Long was in tears every day when you were injured, and she even came to the Chongyang Palace to take care of you, disregarding her reputation. She clearly has deep feelings for you. You must not let her down!"

"Ah?" Luo Fan was somewhat confused by Guo Jing's words, thinking, "Are you sure she's not just feeling guilty?" But when he recalled how she looked at him with deep concern when he was injured, perhaps Guo Jing was right. Thinking of this, the gloom in his heart lifted, but he was still puzzled by Xiao Longnü's departure.

However, thinking too much now was useless. Luo Fan needed to focus on recovering his strength to see her again. Guo Jing, seeing that everything was fine, also decided to leave. After instructing Yang Guo to practice diligently and not be naughty, he bid farewell and left.

Because Luo Fan was seriously injured, little Yang Guo had no one to teach him, so the Seven Disciples had been taking turns. Now that Luo Fan could practice on his own, and with the Nine Yang Divine Skill, his injuries healed very quickly. By the seventh day, his injuries were almost fully recovered, except for a slightly pale complexion.

At this time, little Yang Guo was still practicing swordsmanship with Wang Chuyi, so Luo Fan didn't disturb him. Although the Seven Disciples were strict, they didn't deceive him like Zhao Zijing, so although the strictness made Yang Guo somewhat resentful, it didn't cause any trouble. When Luo Fan told him that the Quanzhen Sect's internal skill was the best entry-level skill in the world, and that he and Guo Jing both used it to build their foundation, Yang Guo practiced even more diligently, which the old Taoists praised, much to Luo Fan's surprise.

Thus, Luo Fan felt it was time to visit the ancient tomb.

With the Nine Yang Divine Skill, Luo Fan's Golden Goose Skill now allowed him to soar like a large goose and glide for a considerable distance. He quickly arrived at the ancient tomb.

"You came." As soon as Luo Fan arrived, he saw the cold, white figure already standing at the entrance of the ancient tomb. In the desolate autumn of Zhongnan Mountain, she was like a delicate, beautiful, and pure white lotus blooming alone. Luo Fan nodded to her gently, feeling a wave of pity.

Xiao Longnü looked at the still slightly pale face in front of her. His eyes, nose, and other features were ordinary, but together they had a unique charm that never grew old. This face, this person, that day, faced hundreds of evil forces and stood in front of her without hesitation, looking somewhat silly but touching. She understood his feelings and couldn't let him down. Looking at the man in front of her, Xiao Longnü said, "Have you ever thought about marrying me?"