746 In the Aftermath 2

Gu Li Sheng had also brought the disciples of the Spirit Healer faculty back. Having suffered through the recent spate of tumultuous events, all the disciples of the Zephyr Academy had become more docile. No one dared bring up that day's events and all of them lived their days in obedience and that saved Hua Yao a lot of headaches.

Jun Wu Xie brought Lord Meh Meh into the bamboo grove to oversee its care and she spent her days mainly treating Fan Jin and Lord Meh Meh. Jun Wu Yao did not go anywhere this time and just sat on one side everyday, watching Jun Wu Xie bustling to and fro, with a smile on his face.

But it was a difficult time for Ye Sha and Ye Mei. Besides Fan Jin who had lost his consciousness, they did not dare allow anyone else that was of the male species to set foot into the little bamboo grove. Hence, the responsibilities for everything from cleaning to cooking, fell upon their shoulders. When they looked back to the stellar record of their past accomplishments, and then finding themselves faced with the various pots and pans, with the many dirty dishes and crockery before their eyes, Ye Sha and Ye Mei could only silently swallow back their tears, and scrub at the pots vigorously!

Ah Jing was brought back to the Zephyr Academy by Fan Zhuo. The wounds on his body has mostly healed and it might have been the traumatic experiences he had gone through, but Ah Jing had turned into a person that was unusually solemn and quiet.

Fei Yan had left the Zephyr Academy for a period, gathering and collecting information about the Yan Country. They were all making preparations to immediately set forth for the Yan Country, once Fan Jin regains his consciousness, so they can locate the all the maps, and complete the collection as soon as possible.

Time passed, a day at a time. Fan Jin's body was gradually recovering under Jun Wu Xie's careful nursing. But his mind continued to be somewhat clouded, occasionally showing alertness for a short while, but would quickly sink back into senility, his condition still highly unstable.

Fan Zhuo would come accompany Fan Jin everyday. He didn't speak at all, but just sat with Fan Jin in silence, feeding him, washing him, as if taking care of the needs of an ignorant child who knew nothing at all.

In those spasmodic moments that Fan Jin was conscious, he was able to recognise Fan Zhuo. But after just saying a few words, he would quickly fall back into his lifeless and unresponsive state.

And with every time that happened, it felt like a sword was slicing slowly through his heart.

He remained silent through it all, hiding the agonising pain within.

He was thinking the same thought everyday, when would Fan Jin fully regain his senses. But at the same time, he was worried about him awakening.

[When Fan Jin recovers, will he be able to face up to everything that has happened?]

Fan Zhuo wasn't sure.

It was nearing the end of the year and the branch division's promotion selections had been admitted to the academy. It wasn't a great number, just tens of them. They were not really aware of what had happened in the main division and came to the academy muddled headed, wondering why the current Headmaster was a youth similar in age with them.

Nobody would tell them the bitter experience the Zephyr Academy had just suffered through. Those memories were all like a horrendous nightmare, that nobody wanted to revisit.

Not long after the new disciples were admitted, the disciples of the Zephyr Academy were set to go home and they would only return back here a month later.

After most of the Zephyr Academy's disciples had left, the teachers made up their own excuses and applied for leave to go home as well. The vast Zephyr Academy was cleared out, empty and quiet, the usual racket and noisy clamour suddenly missing.

Hua Yao did not need to impersonate Fan Jin any longer and he was able to appear as himself. He sat together with Qiao Chu and the others in the yard within the little bamboo grove and watched as Fan Zhuo helped Fan Jin out to get some sun.

"Next year, I am thinking that quite a number of them will not be coming back here anymore." Fan Jin who had been gradually recovering raised his head to look at the fallen leaves swirling in the air, a bitter smile on his lips.

He had regained his consciousness three days ago, and he had been forced to live through the nightmare that confronted him when he found out everything that had happened. From the initial utter shock and raging hatred, to the calm acceptance now, they all saw that the once jovial youth had changed completely, having lost a little of his bluntness and gained a little more maturity.