The rumbling stopped. Some falling rocks clattered down, and finally all was still.
Dust slowly churned in the valley, along with the evil energy rising from the giant snake’s body. The dust settled, the evil energy ascended toward the moon.
The golden giant snakes were all killed. At least none that had shown themselves survived. Whether there were more in the underground caverns, no one knew.
Ning Chaoyi stood guard near his three fellow disciples, on alert. From time to time he glanced at Qiao Qie’er with a look of helplessness.
Soon, more people jumped down from the mountain one after another. The bandit couple and Lu Xingyun’s mother and daughter had heard the commotion and rushed over. Seeing the scene, they were also stunned with shock. Nie Pinlan even pulled Ning Chaoyi aside to ask what had happened.
Ning Chaoyi hesitated, as if he knew what was going on but could not explain it clearly. He could only slowly explain to the few of them.
Mu Aotie, kneeling on one knee, held a fluorite to provide light.
Nan Zhu, kneeling on one knee, was using his entire cultivation to suppress Qiao Qie’er’s injuries.
Yu Qing, kneeling on the ground, found the “Blood Kun Pill” on Qiao Qie’er’s body and quickly fed it to her.
Everyone was focused on helping her heal, but her eyes kept staring at Yu Qing’s flustered appearance. In her weak, powerless gaze was deep affection. Her outstretched hand always wanted to touch Yu Qing’s face. But Yu Qing was busy trying to save her, moving around so much that she could not cooperate.
Only after feeding her the life-saving elixir did Yu Qing notice. He gently yielded to her, knelt down and bent low, taking her hand and pressing it against his own face.
After he lowered his body, Qiao Qie’er inadvertently saw Ning Chaoyi and the others behind him. Instantly her emotions spiralled out of control, so agitated that she coughed up blood.
Yu Qing looked back and immediately understood what was happening. He hurriedly said, “They are spies, I know. They are already on my side now. You can rest assured.”
Hearing this, Qiao Qie’er gradually calmed down. Then she no longer cared, nor had the strength to care. Her weak gaze lingered reluctantly on his face again, as if she had a thousand words to say yet did not know how to begin. Finally, in a faint voice she said, “The three of you facing the situation at Rift Valley Manor, your movements were inconvenient. To go deep and find the halberd, no matter how you looked at it, it was dangerous. So I sent a request for help to the mastermind behind the scenes, and brought them here. I wanted to borrow the mastermind’s power to help you resist the danger and find the halberd. Apart from this matter, I only said that you were wary of me in everything. I did not tell the mastermind anything about you, including that your cultivation level did not match what they said.”
Speaking of this matter, Yu Qing had once harboured doubts. Back when Ning Chaoyi and the others said they had come to find the halberd, he had suspected at the time that someone had leaked the information. He had even been unable to stop himself from suspecting Qiao Qie’er, because apart from his fellow disciples, he had only told her about the halberd, and it was she who had asked about it first.
But later, he felt the possibility was not great. He had told Qiao Qie’er that night, and Ning Chaoyi’s group arrived the next day. Given those few people’s circumstances, it was unlikely they could have gathered and rushed over in one night.
Now he had the answer. Ning Chaoyi and the others had said themselves that they had been transported overnight to the vicinity of Rift Valley Manor. The mastermind behind the scenes had even disregarded the rules of the mortal world, ordering flying riders to carry people and charge straight through!
Fortunately, Nie Pinlan and the others had pulled Ning Chaoyi aside to ask about the situation, to avoid their conversation interfering with the treatment. Otherwise, if they had heard that the reason they had been brought here was because this woman wanted to protect her lover, they would probably have lost their minds, especially Lu Xingyun, who had suffered the pain of losing her mother.
In short, these words made both Mu Aotie and Nan Zhu feel guilty. They could not help but turn back to look at those few people, relieved to find they had not heard, or else it would have been disastrous.
But for Yu Qing, he no longer cared about any of this. He only kept comforting her, “It’s fine, it’s all in the past. Don’t speak, focus on recovering.”
He did not care, but she did. She had made this choice precisely because she feared being looked down upon by him. She continued, “My master fell into the mastermind’s hands. I had no choice. I thought that if I helped them unravel the secret, we would be fine. I did not expect the mastermind was looking for the Golden Ruins.”
At this moment, Yu Qing gritted his teeth and asked, “Who is the mastermind?”
He wanted to know who had harmed her like this.
“I don’t know…” Qiao Qie’er shook her head slightly, then suddenly showed a pained expression. Blood was coughing up from the corner of her mouth again, and her body was even convulsing.
Nan Zhu also cried out at the same time, “Ah, this… evil energy, it’s evil energy!”
Yu Qing immediately reached out urgently, and discovered that evil energy had actually surged into Qiao Qie’er’s body. Needless to say, it must have come from the golden giant snake.
This also showed one thing. The bit of water from Datou’s brew that Qiao Qie’er had drunk earlier, its effect in resisting evil energy had already worn off. After all, unlike them, she had not been drinking it long-term, so her body’s resistance was different.
Seeing the situation was urgent, Mu Aotie also could not care about much else and lent a hand to help resist it.
However, the amount of evil energy pouring in was quite large. Resisting it with cultivation like this was not a solution. Yu Qing released one hand, grabbed Datou from his ponytail, handed him to Nan Zhu, and roared, “Go boil water!”
Nan Zhu grabbed Datou. Regardless of whether Datou was willing or not, he ran off with him.
Yu Qing dared not let go. He was the one with the highest cultivation among the three fellow disciples. He desperately circulated his power to suppress it, but he could still see bluish-green earthworm-like patterns spreading across Qiao Qie’er’s cheeks.
He reached into his collar, tore off the necklace from his neck, and placed the pendant on Qiao Qie’er’s wound, hoping the bead’s ability to devour evil energy would activate. But it was useless. The bead not only had no reaction, but also made Qiao Qie’er’s entire body tremble and her face turn deathly pale, forcing him to stop. He shouted toward those looking over urgently, “Help save her!”
Immediately, several more hands were placed on Qiao Qie’er’s body, helping to circulate power to suppress it.
Nan Zhu, who had flown to the mountaintop, suddenly froze. After looking around blankly for a moment, his expression nearly made him cry out. With a choked voice he said, “Are you kidding me? Is this a trap? A Gobi region, where am I supposed to find water? If I can’t find water to save her life, Old Fifteen will hate me to death…”
With no other option, he had to force himself to search even if he could not find any. He rapidly flew back toward the way they had come. There was no time for him to search everywhere blindly. He could only head straight for the jungle at the exit, where the chances of finding water were greater. If that did not work, he would have no choice but to leave the Golden Ruins to fetch water.
Wu Hei, carrying the child, had also come to the side to check because of the commotion. One look at Qiao Qie’er’s condition and he knew what was happening. He casually put down his son, then casually picked up the sword Yu Qing had stuck in the ground, and said, “Step aside.”
Everyone turned to look, not knowing what he meant. Ning Chaoyi and the others still stepped aside first.
Wu Hei drew the sword across his palm. Immediately, golden blood dripped down. This scene made Ning Chaoyi and the others think they had seen wrong.
He stuck the sword back into the ground. Wu Hei half-crouched beside the snake’s mouth, placing his wounded palm against Qiao Qie’er’s lips, letting the golden blood drip into her mouth.
The anxious Yu Qing could sense this person was trying to help save her, but still could not help asking, “This is?”
Wu Hei quietly gave one sentence, “My blood can dispel evil energy.” With that, he withdrew his hand and stood up.
Yu Qing immediately circulated his power to help Qiao Qie’er refine it. He discovered it was indeed as Wu Hei had said. The effect of the golden blood was extraordinary, rapidly dissolving the evil energy.
The evil energy was quickly cleared, but another unexpected change occurred.
Yu Qing’s face suddenly became very ugly.
Mu Aotie’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his expression also not good. The hand he had placed on Qiao Qie’er’s body slowly withdrew, and he slowly stood up.
The onlooking crowd all looked at him in unison. Ning Chaoyi asked, “What is it?”
Mu Aotie did not give a single word in response. The evil energy was dispelled, but the “Blood Kun Pill” could not withstand the evil energy’s ravaging. After the evil energy passed through it, the “Blood Kun Pill’s” medicinal effect was ruined!
Everyone immediately checked for themselves, and understood what had happened.
“Who still has a life-saving immortal pill? Who has one?” Yu Qing turned back, his voice trembling as he asked, pleading.
Even Wu Hei, after checking, silently stood up and left. He took his son’s hand and pulled the boy, who kept looking back, away.
One by one, they all walked away, including Mu Aotie. They were all powerless, leaving the final moments to that pair of lovers.
Under Yu Qing’s desperate exertion of all his power, Qiao Qie’er faintly woke up. Her originally pale, bloodless cheeks had become rosy, her bright eyes shining as she looked at Yu Qing’s anxious appearance. She was a cultivator. She could feel her own injuries. She raised her hand, grabbed his, and forcibly moved it away, shaking her head to indicate there was no need.
Yu Qing forced a smile. “It’s fine, don’t worry, nothing will happen.”
Qiao Qie’er’s voice became clearer. “Mm, keep me company and talk with me.”
“Alright.”
Yu Qing agreed, and also gave up on treatment. He sat sideways on the ground, facing her, very close, gently smoothing the messy hair on her face, his touch tender.
Qiao Qie’er looked at him gently. “They arranged for me to use a beauty trap, hoping I would always stay by your side and keep track of your movements. At first, I did not plan to give my body to you. But you used tricks to leave me behind and run away at Youjiao Port. I failed to keep up with you, and thoroughly enraged them. They said they would dig out my master’s eyes as a warning. I had no choice but to beg them and make a guarantee. Only after catching up with you again did I go all out, and willingly offered myself to you.”
What she had been longing to say, the first thing upon waking she wanted to say this. Telling the truth was not the main point. She was afraid he would look down on her.
Yu Qing could understand. He squeezed out a smile, gently caressing her cheek. “Then wasn’t that a bargain for me? It seems those dog things are not completely worthless.”
Qiao Qie’er smiled, seeming satisfied. Her eyes blinked weakly, a little as if she were about to fall asleep.
Yu Qing hurriedly asked, “At Qiao Manor, to save your master, you joined forces with them to kill your own grandfather?”
Qiao Qie’er rallied her spirits again. “I am not called Qiao Qie’er, and that was not my grandfather. Qiao Gongxu initially only thought he was supposed to cooperate in acting. He did not expect those people would actually fake it and really kill him. I was also an accomplice.”
Yu Qing was stunned for a moment, surprised. “You are not called Qiao Qie’er? Then what is your real name?”
Qiao Qie’er said weakly, “Guess.”
Yu Qing: “How could I possibly guess?”
Qiao Qie’er shook her head slightly. “There is no need to know my name. I am just a passer-by in your life, a bad passer-by. Do not remember me, and do not avenge me. Those people’s power is very great. Leave quickly, and quickly hide back in Youjiao Port to protect yourself. Do I look very ugly right now…”
Her voice grew softer and softer. After the topic shifted, she slowly fell silent, gradually closing her eyes. A crystal teardrop seeped from the corner of her eye.