Chapter 15: CHAPTER 3: Part 2
The first thing Luo Ran did was to pull up all the window blinds. The rays of the sun flooded the room bathing it in a soft yellow glow. Now that the room was illuminated, it appeared a little less gloomy. The cold winds drifted inside, diluting the damp stench that hung thick in the air. This livened the atmosphere further.
Walking over to a corner, he started working systematically; emptying the table, dusting it, and then placing the useful items back in their place.
A strange silence had fallen over the room. There was no sound except for the flicking of the cloth and occasional thud or clatter. At first, Luo Ran didn't seem to mind it but after a while, it started bothering him.
Wei Lin Jiang wasn't the kind of person who could remain quiet for prolonged periods of time. What if he was really sick? The moment this thought crossed his mind, he rushed outside.
His heart skipped a beat and the color drained from his face the moment his gaze landed on Wei Lin Jiang. He was lying in the exact same spot as Luo Ran had left him; his body stiff and unmoving.
"Xiaowei?" Luo Ran called out in a shaking voice as he closed the distance between them. "Gosh! What happened to you?" he exclaimed looking at Lin Jiang's pale and bluish face.
"I… I think I have been poisoned by something…." Wei Lin Jiang's lips trembled as he tried to voice out the words. A gust of air left his lips but the words remained unspoken. The effect of the poison had caused his lips and tongue to swell which made it difficult to say anything coherent.
Luo Ran knelt to the ground, lifted Lin Jiang's body partially, and rested it on his thigh. Deep lines of worry formed on his forehead as he took Xiaowei's pulse and examined his tongue. "You have been poisoned by something, but what?" he muttered in a concerned voice. His eyes darted around the courtyard and he continued, "I have to find the cause first."
He carried Lin Jiang to the verandah and laid him on the floor before returning to the courtyard. His eyes closed in concentration as he placed his hands one over the other; as if holding a large ball in between. The winds started blowing in a circular direction, causing the leaves to rise as if in sprightly dance.
Once they were suspended in the air, they started flying in swirls that keep expanding after every revolution. Within a few moments of flitting and winding the leaves had formed a spiral that rose several feet over the ground; narrow at the base, expanding like an inverted cone.
With a flick of his hand, Luo Ran dispersed this spiral, causing the leaves to fall in small heaps close to the boundary of the wall. Creatures and insects that were buried under the layers, scurried in all directions; panicking at the sudden loss of their home.
Luo Ran observed them carefully but none of the grubs looked poisonous. A deep frown settled on his forehead. What had poisoned Lin Jiang then? His eyes narrowed suddenly and he rushed to examine a small plant sticking its head between two tiles of the courtyard.
It was tiny with barely a few spiny leaves. On one of the leaves, there was a large blotch of dark liquid. Luo Ran brushed it with his fingertips and rubbed it before raising his fingers to examine it.
His eyes widened and he rushed to the place where Xiao Wei was sprawled on the floor. He lifted Lin Jiang's leg and observed the backside of his feet. A green patch of a leaf was embossed on his sole. With a swift move, he pulled it out. Blood oozed out of the minuscule pores formed by the leaves' minute thorns.
He applied pressure around the region; squeezing out as much poisoned blood as possible. But, there was no improvement in Lin Jiang's condition. The poison had already spread throughout his body. His skin had taken on a purplish shade and his breaths were coming in short gasps.
Luo Ran held his index and middle finger together and with quick flicks sealed his acupressure points. It would lessen the spread of poison but Lin Jiang still didn't have too much time. Conflicting emotions flitted across Luo Ran's face before settling on an expression of grim determination.
He propelled Lin Jiang to a sitting posture before sitting behind him; his legs crossed in a lotus position, his back erect. He closed his eyes and placed his palms one over the other, gathering and focusing all his internal energy. His eyelids flickered and moments later a small ball of energy had formed in between his palms; giving off a pale blue aura.
He twisted his hands before placing his palms against Lin Jiang's back with a soft smack. His internal energy was projected into Xiaowei's body, flowing through him and refining the poison. Beads of sweat formed on Luo Ran's forehead. It had been a long time since he used his internal force to heal someone.
After a while, Luo Ran's body broke out into a fit of light tremors but he held on. Slowly but certainly, the color started returning to Lin Jiang's face. His breathing became more even and his body swayed slightly.
Luo Ran's face on the other hand had lost its color. The strain was clearly visible in his posture; his shoulders had slumped and his palms placed against Lin Jiang's back were trembling too. A soft gasp escaped his lips as the field of energy that he was projecting rebounded back into him.
Lin Jiang's body went limp against his palm. Opening his eyes, Luo Ran supported Lin Jiang's unmoving form quickly. He placed his palm over Xiaowei's forehead and tried to use his internal energy again. But this time, it had no effect. Luo Ran had already expended too much of his internal strength and couldn't garner enough force to project.
He shifted Lin Jiang to a better position and assessed him. Lin Jiang's skin tone seemed to have improved but he wasn't conscious yet. Patting his face gently, Luo Ran asked in an anxious voice, "Xiaowei? Are you feeling any better now?
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone