Chapter 74: Dispelling the Cold Energy
"Qingtan, is your cold energy acting up again?" Lin Dong shivered as waves of icy energy radiated from Qingtan, a look of worry crossing his face.
"Yeah," Qingtan said through clenched teeth. Her small body shook with pain, and her face grew pale from the intense cold.
"What's going on? Is Qingtan's illness flaring up again?" asked Lin Zhentian, his expression anxious as he turned to her, momentarily forgetting his conversation.
"I'm sorry, Grandfather. I'll take Qingtan back to her room to rest." Lin Dong looked at his sister, now nearly immobilized by the freezing cold. He gathered her in his arms and rushed her inside.
"Poor girl," Lin Zhentian sighed, watching Lin Dong's worried retreat. He knew all too well the pain Qingtan had endured growing up.
"Elder Zhentian, the evening is nearly over anyway. Since Qingtan's condition has flared up, shall we all go check on her?" Lin Langtian offered thoughtfully.
"If Young Master Langtian is interested, let's go together," Lin Zhentian said, nodding gratefully. Deeply concerned for Qingtan, he led the group—including Lin Xiao and Tao Lao—toward Qingtan's room.
"Brother Lin Dong, Father, Grandpa… please, go back. I can handle it," Qingtan said softly, wrapped tightly in her blanket, though her shivering only grew worse as the cold intensified.
Seeing her suffering, Lin Dong grew increasingly worried. Usually, he could suppress Qingtan's episodes with the power of his stone talisman, but with so many people around, he hesitated to use it in front of everyone—especially the main family members.
Noticing Lin Dong's distress, Lin Langtian stepped forward with a slight smile and said, "Elder Zhentian, I may be able to help with Qingtan's condition."
"Really? You have a way?" Lin Zhentian's face lit up with hope.
"If Young Master Langtian can relieve Qingtan's cold attacks, he'd be a great benefactor to our family," Lin Xiao added with a sigh, glancing at his suffering daughter. "If you can help, Young Master Langtian, we'd be forever grateful."
Lin Dong hesitated. If Langtian could really resolve Qingtan's cold affliction, he would become a benefactor to his family, even to Lin Dong himself. But after a moment, Lin Dong set his doubts aside. As long as Qingtan's suffering could be eased, nothing else mattered. He wasn't one to ignore a genuine favor.
Seeing that Lin Zhentian and Lin Xiao approved, Lin Langtian didn't hesitate. He approached Qingtan's bed, gently placed two fingers on her pale wrist, and smiled reassuringly.
"You…" Qingtan murmured, her expression a mix of confusion and slight recognition. Her thoughts were fuzzy from the cold, yet she recognized this was the man who had once brought pain to her family. And yet, she couldn't deny how his presence seemed to drive warmth through her veins. Only Lin Dong's intervention had helped her before, so she was curious as to how this could work.
"That's all in the past now," Lin Langtian replied calmly. "Just focus on relaxing while I help treat you."
He could feel the intense chill in her wrist, like touching a block of ice. The sensation was like a thousand needles pricking his skin, and he could only imagine what she must have been enduring all this time.
Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed in concentration. Soon, dark flames—a power unique to the Nine Nether Serpent lineage—surged from his core and flowed into her wrist, steadily combating the cold energy.
The Demonic Yin Body was a rare, powerful constitution that generated intense cold energy, but the black flames from Langtian's Nether heritage contained equally intense fiery energy. As he channeled his flames into her body, the cold gradually weakened.
Noticing the shift, Lin Xiao and Lin Zhentian exchanged hopeful glances, and even Lin Dong looked surprised. The oppressive cold in the room had started to dissipate.
"Warm… it feels so warm," Qingtan whispered, her voice soft and sleepy as the black flames eased the icy grip on her body.
While the black flames offered immediate relief, Langtian knew it wasn't a permanent solution. To manage Qingtan's cold energy long-term, he needed a way to absorb it completely. With a flicker of thought, he activated his Golden Spirit Wheel, drawing the residual cold energy into himself, where it could be sealed.
Under the effect of the Spirit Wheel, the remaining icy energy within Qingtan's body was quickly absorbed and contained. When Langtian finished, Qingtan sighed softly, feeling the last of her pain fade away. Slowly, she opened her eyes.
"Is it gone?" she asked, surprised and hopeful.
"Yes, at least for now," Langtian answered, standing up with a satisfied smile.