Chapter 191 - Welcome, To The Withered Courtyard
"Her Pranic Heart and meridians have become a product of Ghost Qi."
The Elder\'s words were like boulders being dropped on their minds as Re\'Kha and others were stupefied beyond belief. Ki\'Nha looked aghast as she forgot to breathe for a moment. She almost fainted, feeling the world around her spin as she lost her balance.
Her husband came to her help and balanced her, consoling her as he barely held his mind from shattering apart due to the news. He took in a deep breath and gazed at Ki\'Nua, watching her rather peaceful face that was illuminated by the lantern light.
He looked at the Elder, "Elder, what should we do now to save her? Moreover, if her Pranic Heart and Meridians have become a product of Ghost Qi, how was she able to use her Palm Projection before? Until now, she was circulating Water Qi in her meridians without any issues."
"I believe that is the last time she ever fires a Palm Projection," The Elder gazed at Ki\'Nua, trying to sense any other clues as he spoke, "She had just completed her initiation ceremony. So, the Kalki Qi in her meridians prevented the circulating Water Qi from being affected by the Ghost Qi inherent in her meridians."
"Then," Ki\'Nua reoriented herself as she panted, controlling herself from crying as she spoke, trying to grasp for any semblance of hope she could find, "Then, as long as we supply her with enough Kalki Qi, she should be alright, right?"
"That\'s what I have done now," The Elder said, "Times have become harsher recently. More and more bizarre dangers are cropping up recently. So, I\'ll stay beside her and help stabilise her."
\'So, this was the Withered Courtyard\'s plan all along.\' Re\'Kha sighed at the fact that the Withered Courtyard was way too mysterious. She then realised the fact that she had escaped from the very same place when she was blind. Now that she thought about it, there was absolutely no way she could escape from that place with her abilities, not when she was blind, and barely had much Water Qi in her.
She then thought of her master, thinking about the series of coincidences that happened around her. She then recalled how the first people she had a conversation with after arriving at Burfuna City were them. That meant, they were probably included or were a part of her master\'s plans.
After all, his goal was to seek revenge on the enemies that made him suffer for 20 years. Re\'Kha was his only disciple, based on what he had stated. But, that didn\'t mean he would make arrangements in others too. After all, he himself had said so, and that Re\'Kha would have to stumble upon his arrangements in her life.
After thinking of all the coincidences that had transpired, Re\'Kha was assured of one fact. The thing that Ki\'Nua was experiencing would definitely screw with her life. But, there was definitely a reason for that, one that would probably make her a key player somewhere else.
"She\'ll be fine," Re\'Kha said with a tone of confidence, causing the Elder to look at her with shock. She had been paying attention to Re\'Kha for quite some time, having sensed many points of oddity in her.
First of all, Re\'Kha hadn\'t ever opened her eyes, not once. Besides, she always hid the gem on her Tikka jewellery. Though, just a piece of cloth couldn\'t block everything from the vision of her third eye. So, the Elder had been feeling bouts of shock all along upon noticing the oddity in Re\'Kha.
But, she didn\'t do anything. She neither confided the details to the other Elders nor interrogated Re\'Kha to spill the details. She could sense that something was happening in the background, something grand and sinister.
And, the individual before her was one of the solutions to it. Therefore, the Elder wisely didn\'t interfere, thinking of first understanding everything before taking any action. After a moment of thought, the Elder mentally went through the statement Re\'Kha had said, finally facing her as she spoke, "Is it because you are alive?"
\'Of course, a Martial Master can notice it.\' Re\'Kha didn\'t express any feeling of shock, thinking as she nodded, "Yes, I have stepped foot in the Withered Courtyard and made it out alive. Though, I can\'t guarantee anything that might happen in the future. But…"
She looked at Ki\'Nua, "The fact that these changes had been happening in her since young, there is a chance Ki\'Nua could pull through."
"Even though I shouldn\'t be saying this," The Elder let out a wry smile, "But, whoever it was, the entity that used the Ghost Qi managed to fool my eyes perfectly. I have inspected Ki\'Nua twice before but hadn\'t noticed this issue in her at all."
She then chuckled with a helpless tone, "It seems I have lived in vain for all these years."
…
It was a narrow room, strewn with tools used in day-to-day life. Opening her eyes was a young girl who looked around with familiarity. With habit, she got up and dusted herself, heading towards the door.
"It seems I am back here once again," Ki\'Nua muttered, opening the door to gaze at the familiar street. It was currently the middle of the night, but the street was illuminated by lanterns hung all over the sides of the roads.
The wooden flooring creaked as she walked through the courtyard, looking around to not see anyone else in the area. But, unlike before, she hadn\'t woken up yet. Rather, it seemed as if she could freely move through the area.
"That\'s strange," Ki\'Nua muttered as she stepped foot on the road, intending to walk towards the nearby house when she noticed the door to another house being opened. This was the house that had been damaged in one of her visits, the only time something odd or different happened in the place.
She later came to know it was the house Re\'Kha had destroyed. And now, its door opened as a tall lady exited it, looking at Ki\'Nua as she flashed a smile, "Welcome, to the Withered Courtyard."