Chapter 85: Feast or Famine
There was absolutely nothing that affected Benton’s emotions more than a sick or injured child, and the sight of poor, suffering Jin LiJuan shivering under her covers hit him right in the heart.
“M-Master?” she said, waking as he entered the room. “Master! You’re back.”
“Shh. It’s okay. Just rest.”
“I wanted to cultivate, Master, and you said you’d be back in two months. Two. It was three. And I wanted to cultivate.” Tears streamed down her cheek.
“I know. I understand.”
“It’s going to be okay, right Master? Whatever I did you can fix, right?”
Benton didn’t think so. Nothing from either his Pill Basics technique or from Su’s memories even hinted at a cure for someone whose spirit roots had literally been burned out.
“You need to do what I tell you to do,” he said, “and right now, that’s to rest. Sleep. Obey Mistress Zhong.”
“Yes, Master. Of course, Master.” She turned over and closed her eyes like she’d somehow drifted immediately off.
Shaking his head at the little girl, Benton walked toward the room’s exit.
“Master?” she called.
“Yes?”