18. Spiritual Energy Healing

On Wednesday afternoon during gym class, Chen Fengyun played basketball with his classmates on the playground. As he was heading back to the classroom, he passed by the teachers’ dormitory and suddenly saw Zeng Yiyue pressing a hand to her abdomen, slowly inching along the wall.

“Miss Zeng, what’s wrong?” Chen Fengyun stepped forward to ask. This quirky young teacher had previously approached him twice, nervously inquiring about practicing qigong.

“Chen—Chen Fengyun, oh, please help me. My stomach hurts so much I can’t walk. Could you help me back to my room?” Upon seeing Chen Fengyun, Zeng Yiyue let out a gasp, but the effort seemed to pull at her pain, sweat beading on her brow.

“Be careful, Miss Zeng.” Chen Fengyun quickly went to support her, helping her toward her dorm room. At the same time, he quietly sent a wisp of spiritual energy into her body, imbuing it with his own mental power. He soon discovered a disturbance in her lower abdomen.

It seemed to be a disorder caused by stagnant blood and energy. Chen Fengyun found that in Zeng Yiyue’s lower abdomen, her vital energy was tangled and chaotic, no wonder she kept pressing her hand tightly to her stomach.

When they reached the second floor, Zeng Yiyue tremblingly unlocked her door. Chen Fengyun helped her inside and onto her bed. She curled up, clutching her stomach, groaning in pain. Her face was pale, large beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

“Miss Zeng, what’s really wrong with you?” Chen Fengyun, seeing her in such distress, didn’t feel right about leaving her alone. He poured her a glass of hot water and asked.

“Chen… Fengyun, you don’t have a girlfriend yet, so you wouldn’t understand.” Zeng Yiyue took a few sips of water, steadied herself a little, then shook her head.

“What does your illness have to do with me not having a girlfriend?” Chen Fengyun asked, confused.

“Well then, since you practice qigong, why don’t you take a look and see if you can ease my pain?” Zeng Yiyue didn’t elaborate. However eccentric she was, she knew there were boundaries between men and women. Still, as if remembering something, she bit her lip and offered her right hand to Chen Fengyun.

“I’ll give it a try.” Although Chen Fengyun had noticed the stagnation in her abdomen, he didn’t know the cause. After hesitating, he placed two fingers on her pulse.

A wisp of spiritual energy entered Zeng Yiyue’s body, quickly reaching the troubled area in her abdomen. There, he sensed a mass of cold, chaotic energy and blood, churning with no outlet.

“Miss Zeng, there’s a tangled mass of energy and blood in your abdomen. That’s probably what’s causing your pain.” After a moment, Chen Fengyun said uncertainly.

“Chen Fengyun, you may not have a girlfriend, but you’ve heard of a girl’s ‘monthly visitor,’ haven’t you?” Zeng Yiyue started to say something but hesitated, testing him with her eyes.

“What do you mean by a girl’s ‘relative’? Don’t boys have relatives too? My family has plenty.” Chen Fengyun was still lost.

“Idiot, no wonder you don’t have a girlfriend.” Zeng Yiyue snapped at him.

“Are all quirky girls this quick to lose their temper? But since you’re sick, I’ll let it go.” Chen Fengyun muttered under his breath, still baffled.

“Fool, haven’t you heard of a woman’s period? I’m on my period—that’s why I’m in pain.” Zeng Yiyue, seeing his confusion, blushed and explained.

“Oh, so that’s it. But why are you in so much pain? The girls in our class don’t seem to be like this when they have their periods.” The realization finally dawned on Chen Fengyun, though, lacking a girlfriend, he was clearly clueless.

“It’s individual differences. Most women just feel a bit uncomfortable, but a rare few suffer severe pain—medically, it’s called dysmenorrhea. I’m one of those unlucky few, dying from pain every month. In my next life, I’m definitely not coming back as a woman.” Zeng Yiyue sighed.

“So that’s it. Dysmenorrhea is really just a tangle of energy and blood in the abdomen causing pain. If I can regulate the flow, it shouldn’t hurt anymore,” Chen Fengyun said, enlightened.

“Exactly, that’s the theory. Chen Fengyun, since you know qigong, help me and see if you can ease my pain?” Zeng Yiyue seemed to rally, beckoning him over.

“I’ll give it a try,” Chen Fengyun replied, though he felt a twinge of awkwardness at the thought of a dignified cultivator reduced to treating a woman’s period pain.

He placed his right hand lightly on Zeng Yiyue’s lower abdomen over her clothes, gently channeling spiritual energy to regulate the chaotic flow within her. Zeng Yiyue lay flat, eyes tightly shut, chest heaving with nervous anticipation.

Seeing her tense as if expecting to be violated, Chen Fengyun was suddenly struck by a mischievous thought and whispered, “Miss Zeng, it’s not very effective through your clothes. What should I do?”

Zeng Yiyue seemed to pause, then silently lifted her shirt to reveal her pale, smooth stomach. Her face flushed even deeper, eyes squeezed shut. “Like this, then.”

Though her voice was no louder than a mosquito’s hum, Chen Fengyun heard her clearly. Seeing even her ears redden made his heart race.

He had only meant to tease her, to see her flustered, but hadn’t expected her to comply so directly. Now, he hesitated, unsure what to do.

If he admitted he’d only been joking, she’d probably scold him, so he gritted his teeth and placed his palm on her bare abdomen. The touch was exceptionally soft, warm, and smooth.

“Well? Are you starting?” As Chen Fengyun’s thoughts drifted, his body suddenly flushed with heat. Zeng Yiyue’s soft voice snapped him back to reality.

“I’m preparing to start. Relax.” In truth, Zeng Yiyue’s body had gone rigid the moment his hand touched her skin—no boy had ever been this close to her before. A strange, indescribable feeling rippled through her.

Chen Fengyun steadied his mind, then sent a stream of gentle, warm spiritual energy into her abdomen, using his sense to guide and soothe the chaotic energy and blood.

After five or six minutes, Chen Fengyun reluctantly withdrew his hand. Zeng Yiyue also seemed somewhat reluctant, but shyness quickly made her pull her shirt down.

“Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back,” Zeng Yiyue called over her shoulder as she hurried toward the bathroom, feeling that her pain had truly lessened.