Qin Yi fell under a tree.
His body was almost completely battered, with every muscle frozen and turned to fibers that crumbled away with the wind. The frozen flesh and bones clung to him, his face stiff and expressionless, bruised and pale like a zombie.
The ice fruit was right in front of him, hanging from the tree just over ten feet high, so close yet so far.
He had no strength left at all. Forget about jumping up to reach it; even lifting a hand felt impossible.
He couldn’t even muster the energy to communicate with Liu Su through thought; all he could do was stare at the ice fruit just a few feet away, his eyes filled with eagerness.
Liu Su was silent, watching him with curiosity.
For most people, being on the brink of death and unable to reach something so close would bring despair and frustration. But in Qin Yi’s eyes, there was no sign of disappointment, only eagerness.
After spending so much time together, Liu Su never imagined Qin Yi could show such a side, so strong-willed and stubborn, not at all like a typical “shut-in.”
This stubbornness sometimes seemed foolish, but at other times, it could be quite moving.
It all depended on how you viewed the person.
Even Liu Su didn’t think of Che Huang in this light.
She stared at the mirror, her delicate hand unconsciously clenching, completely unaware of what she was thinking.
Qin Yi took a moment to catch his breath and slowly reached into his clothes, pulling out a talisman.
With a whoosh, a fierce wind swept through.
The surrounding wind, powerful enough to shatter souls, suddenly gathered and sliced through the branches like a sharp knife.
It was a Wind Control Talisman.
With precise control of his power, he turned the bone-chilling wind into his weapon, directing it exactly where he wanted.
With a crack, the ice branch broke, and several ice fruits swayed and fell.
Qin Yi didn’t even have the strength to stand up; he reached out to grab the ice fruit that had fallen in front of him, a smile breaking through his stiff face.
Liu Su sighed, “Did you never think about how you’re going to get back like this?”
“Uh!?” Qin Yi’s smile froze on his face.
Then a wave of extreme fatigue hit him, and he finally passed out completely.
“What an idiot.” Che Huang tossed aside the mirror and disappeared.
Liu Su seemed to sense something and murmured, “The intent to monitor has vanished.”
The wolf-toothed club moved on its own, carrying Qin Yi’s body to the cave entrance in the blink of an eye.
When Che Huang appeared at the edge of the desert, she saw Qin Yi collapsed outside the cave like a pile of mud, his right hand gripping the wolf-toothed club and his left hand tightly holding an ice fruit, crystal clear and beautiful.
Qin Yi didn’t know how long he had been asleep.
Even in his dreams, he felt a bone-chilling cold, as if his muscles were being cut by knives. Moving even slightly felt like torture.
His mind was in a haze, filled with sharp pains.
He knew he was sick.
Later, someone fed him medicine, and he thought he heard Ye Ling crying.
Eventually, he felt warm spiritual energy flowing into him, working with the medicine to heal his body, bringing life back to his muscles and blood. The pain turned into an itch, and he finally woke up amidst the sensation of countless ants crawling over him.
He found himself lying on a soft bed, wrapped in a pure white silk quilt that smelled nice. His body was bandaged like a mummy, unable to move. The pain and itchiness still came in waves but were now bearable. His internal spiritual energy was cleansing, and his true energy was flowing well; he had recovered significantly, with signs of a breakthrough in his power, though he couldn’t tell if it was due to his experience in the ice cave or the healing from the medicine and spiritual energy.
“Awake?” A soft voice came from nearby, sweet as honey.
That voice was unmistakable; he didn’t even have to turn to know it was Che Huang.
Qin Yi opened his mouth, his voice a bit hoarse, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Che Huang walked over and sat gracefully at the edge of the bed, looking softly at his face.
Qin Yi was taken aback.
She wasn’t dressed in her usual elaborate gown but in a sleeping robe. Qin Yi didn’t dare look too long and instinctively turned his gaze away, only to see her holding a bowl of medicine.
She scooped a small spoonful, gently blew on it, and brought it to Qin Yi’s lips, softly saying, “Drink this.”
Qin Yi opened his mouth in a daze; the medicine was warm and slid down his throat smoothly, bringing a comforting warmth that spread through his muscles and bones.
“You have severe frostbite. If you don’t take care of yourself, your body will be ruined,” Che Huang said, her eyes sparkling with a gentle smile.
Qin Yi felt a bit embarrassed, “Your Highness is joking… uh, do you know where my wolf-toothed club is?”
Che Huang looked at him oddly, “I’ve never seen someone wake up and ask about a club… Am I not prettier than a stick?”
“…” Qin Yi felt a cold sweat on his forehead.
Che Huang didn’t say anything more and continued to feed him medicine.
Qin Yi didn’t dare say much, obediently finishing the medicine before saying, “Thank you. How can I trouble Your Highness…”
“It’s nothing,” Che Huang interrupted. “I admire your willingness to risk everything for a promise. A person like you should be honored.”
Qin Yi felt his face heat up and cautiously asked, “What about the ice fruit…”
“This longevity pill, I have all the other ingredients in my storage,” Che Huang said, putting down the bowl. “Considering your actions, I’ll give you all the ingredients, and I can personally refine the medicine for you, but there’s one condition.”
Qin Yi was overjoyed, “Your Highness, please say.”
He thought to himself, having come this far, what’s one condition?
Che Huang said slowly, “These medicines are incredibly valuable. It takes a lot of effort to refine such high-quality pills. I can’t just give them to an outsider. Do you understand?”
“Um… I understand,” Qin Yi replied earnestly. “I will repay Your Highness for this kindness.”
“I don’t need your repayment. I’ve already said I can’t give to outsiders,” Che Huang said lightly. “I can refine the pills for you, but you must stay.”
“Uh?”
Che Huang enunciated each word, “You must join my kingdom and serve. Then the pills are yours.”
Qin Yi shook his head with difficulty, “I don’t want to deceive Your Highness. I can’t just take the pills and leave. To be honest, even without this pill, I must return to be with her.”
“She’s just a woman,” Che Huang said lightly. “I know you have a past with Cheng from the East City’s Splendid Workshop, and she has feelings for you. I can arrange for her to be your wife. Is her beauty not as good as your earthly lover?”
“Cheng Cheng is stunning, but that’s not the point…” Qin Yi said softly. “This isn’t something that can be replaced. I can’t betray Qing Jun.”
Che Huang sneered, “If you don’t want her, I’ll just give her to some monster. Would you be okay with that?”
Qin Yi sighed in frustration, “Why take your anger out on an innocent woman? Cheng Cheng is blameless.”
“If you don’t want her, she’s destined to marry a monster. How can you say she’s innocent?”
Qin Yi was speechless, sighing after a long pause, “If Cheng Cheng is willing to come with me, I…”
Che Huang looked at him intently for a moment, then suddenly laughed lightly, “Men.”
Qin Yi’s face turned red, realizing his words sounded a bit selfish.
Unexpectedly, Che Huang said, “Though it’s a bit shameless, it’s still better than saying it’s none of your business and letting her find her own fate… At least you have some conscience.”
“…” Qin Yi had no response.
“But if it’s like that…” Che Huang said slowly, “What reason do you have for me to waste precious resources and effort to help you refine pills? Am I just a foolish demon king in your eyes, helping others selflessly?”
“Helping others selflessly doesn’t mean being a fool…” Qin Yi mumbled, but when he saw Che Huang’s now cold gaze, he fell silent.
This was getting complicated…
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, a young girl’s voice came from outside, “The outer formation of the Kunpeng Purple Mansion has been lifted; we can enter at any time.”
“What about the movement of the wolf pack?”
“No movement…”
Che Huang chuckled lightly, “No movement means the biggest movement. If I’m not mistaken, the elite from the Guo Kingdom are already waiting at his place.”
“What should we do?”
Che Huang thought for a moment, then her beautiful eyes suddenly caught Qin Yi’s dazed expression, and she smiled, “Do you understand formations?”
Qin Yi replied blankly, “I know a little.”
“Help me with this, and I’ll refine the pills for you.”
(End of Chapter)