Amid the startled cries of the female fox demon, Xiaxia gathered her strength and kicked the pink barrier directly, with an intensity comparable to catching someone in adultery. She shattered the pink barrier into countless pieces, turning it into powder that scattered in the wind.

The female fox demon looked shocked, took a step back against the stone wall, and dared not speak.

Xiaxia entered the ice cave: “Get out!”

Xiaxia stepped in front of Xie Xuanqing. With her back to him, she faced the now trembling fox demon and threatened with cold eyes, “If I see you here again, I’ll knock your skull right off.”

After all, the fox demon was from Cui Lake Pavilion—she dared to ambush Xiaxia but not to confront a patrolling soldier head-on.

Intimidated by Xiaxia’s aura, she pressed against the stone wall and retreated several steps. The ice cave wasn’t large; these few steps already brought the fox demon to its edge, below which was the perpetually rushing ice river.

The fox demon looked behind her with some fear. She glanced at the ice river below, then looked at Xie Xuanqing behind Xiaxia with concern.

Through Xiaxia’s eyes, I saw this look from the fox demon, and I understood. She, this fox demon…

She was worried about Xie Xuanqing.

“Don’t…” the fox demon tremblingly said to Xiaxia, “Don’t step on him, his injuries are very severe…”

Hearing this, Xiaxia didn’t react, but my fist clenched: “Knock her skull right off,” I blurted out.

Xiaxia almost instinctively responded to my words: “Alright.”

After saying this, she paused, tilting her head to ask me quietly, “Really knock it off?”

I felt an indescribable emotion in my heart. I was wondering, when I met Xie Xuanqing years ago, a silver light had come from behind, and Xie Xuanqing had embraced me to save me.

What about this fox demon?

When she saved Xie Xuanqing, did the silver light appear too? Did Xie Xuanqing… embrace her too? Was her current concern for Xie Xuanqing… also because that embrace had touched her heart?

Thinking of this, as I looked at the fox demon through Xiaxia’s eyes, the feeling in my heart became even more complex.

I closed my eyes briefly, steadied myself, and silently recited: All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows.

I told myself that all this before me was illusory, all in the past. Xie Xuanqing and I were destined to be a pair of bitter enemies; our meeting wasn’t important.

Not important… not important…

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes, but almost in that instant, my body completely out of control, using all my strength, I clamped a stone from the ground between my feet and flung it directly at Xie Zhuo sitting opposite me.

Xie Zhuo tilted his head slightly, without any unnecessary movement, precisely avoiding the stone I had thrown.

He frowned, looking at me: “What are you doing?”

He had the rare decency to verbalize his confusion.

I glared at him, gritting my teeth, but didn’t answer his question.

For the first time, this was the first time I found it difficult to express my anger to him.

After all…

How could I admit that even today, I still cherish fond memories of our first meeting?

I had treasured that heart-stirring time in the depths of my heart, hidden in the recesses of my mind, and he…

This dog!

He found another female demon to destroy this beautiful memory!

Damn it!

Although the female demon wasn’t found by him, he was still the culprit. Taking a step back, even if according to his plan, it was truly Qin Shuyan who came… then this “meeting in adversity” story would be even more messed up!

“Xiaxia, drive her away,” I ignored Xie Zhuo, directly avoiding his question and instructing Xiaxia, “Then create a barrier yourself. Xie Xuanqing could wake at any moment; don’t let anyone disturb you two.”

Xiaxia nodded: “Okay!”

With a ‘zheng’ sound, Xiaxia drew the large knife from her waist. The blade issued to Kunlun soldiers gleamed with a chilling, penetrating light.

“Turn around and jump yourself,” Xiaxia said to the fox demon.

The fox demon looked at Xiaxia again with an innocent and sorrowful expression, then at Xie Xuanqing, and finally her gaze fell on Xiaxia’s knife: “I…”

She gathered her courage, “Young general, I shouldn’t have pushed you earlier, but I was afraid you would take him away. This person is severely injured, please let me check his wounds first…”

Hearing this, Xiaxia’s gaze glanced toward Xie Xuanqing.

Following Xiaxia’s gaze, I saw Xie Xuanqing. At this moment, he was just as I remembered: leaning against the ice cave wall, his head drooping lifelessly, eyes tightly closed, his thin face pale and sickly, yet with a strange, fragile beauty.

“What are you looking at?” I began dissatisfied.

Xiaxia also said in unison at this moment: “Not necessary…”

“That’s right,” I affirmed to Xiaxia, “Tell her to stop wasting time and get out. You’re the only one who can treat Xie Xuanqing. Just like I did back then.”

After I said this, I suddenly noticed Xie Zhuo glancing at me.

I stared back at Xie Zhuo with annoyance: “What are you looking at now?”

Xie Zhuo had the same pale, half-dead appearance as Xie Xuanqing over there. He pursed his lips without speaking.

I gave him an irritated look, thinking that we truly had a bitter fate!

Initially, I saved him when he was half-dead, so much trouble. Now, five hundred years later, he returns to this time, still sitting here half-dead, tormenting my five-hundred-years-later self differently…

My dissatisfaction with Xie Zhuo was like Xiaxia’s growing impatience with the fox demon before her.

“If you don’t leave now, I won’t be polite,” Xiaxia’s large knife advanced another inch.

The fox demon seemed frightened, her eyes widening as she drew in a sharp breath. She stepped back, her foot landing on an exposed stone outside. The stone shifted, and her body tilted downward; she was about to fall into the ice river below.

At this moment, another pair of hands supported the fox demon’s back.

The old fox’s smiling face appeared behind the fox demon. Lao Qin had arrived on the wind from below the ice cave, floating leisurely outside, supporting the fox demon’s waist.

The fox demon instantly found her backbone: “Manager Qin.”

Her voice became even more delicate than before: “I can’t help him anymore.”

“General Jiu Xia,” Lao Qin smiled harmlessly, “Why do you treat my Cui Lake Pavilion girl like this? Look, her face has turned white with fear.”

Before I could speak, Xiaxia directly leveled her knife and, not disappointing me, said coldly: “As long as I’m here today, no one will snatch a man from me.”

Worthy of being me, understanding the stakes perfectly.

“Qin Shuyan, take her away,” Xie Zhuo, opposite me, also began issuing orders.

I immediately darkened my expression: “Xiaxia, this fox is not easy to deal with. Focus your qi in your dantian, do as I say.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Lao Qin over there directly attacked Xiaxia.

Xiaxia immediately raised her knife to parry, and the two instantly formed a confrontational posture.

I cursed at Xie Zhuo: “I never knew before that you had such loyal, helpful friends! He listens to you!”

Xie Zhuo didn’t respond to me, only instructing Lao Qin: “Don’t linger in battle, take her away. After returning, immediately imprison her in your Cui Lake Pavilion secret chamber.”

They have a secret chamber at Cui Lake Pavilion?

Xie Zhuo knows things I don’t know?!

I had no time to marvel. Seeing that Lao Qin was getting serious, I immediately told Xiaxia: “Push him away, establish a barrier.”

Xiaxia was me; she might not react as quickly, but she understood immediately. She gathered all her strength as I instructed, pushed Lao Qin away with one strike, and ‘clang’ erected a transparent barrier between herself and Lao Qin.

The barrier divided Xiaxia and Xie Xuanqing on one side, with Lao Qin and the fox demon isolated on the other.

“Fighting like this will be bad for his injuries!” the fox demon spoke worriedly from behind Lao Qin.

Hearing this, my fist clenched tighter by my side: “None of her damn business!” I cursed, still not satisfied. Seeing more stones by my feet, I kicked another one at Xie Zhuo in frustration.

Xie Zhuo dodged by tilting his head, his brow furrowing even deeper this time.

He looked at me in confusion, seemingly not understanding why, at this critical juncture, I was using these insignificant methods to trouble him. But he paid no attention to these details; after glancing at me once, he immediately instructed Lao Qin.

“She’s using Kunlun Guard techniques, Five Elements Earth. Use Wood-system spells to break her barrier.”

That dog!

I cursed silently, immediately instructing Xiaxia: “Use heart-meridian blood to link to the barrier!”

Heart-meridian blood linked to the barrier—if Lao Qin dared to break it, Xiaxia would either die or be severely injured.

Hearing this, Xie Zhuo’s dark eyes sank sharply. He narrowed his eyes, appearing angry as he glared at me: “Fu Jiuxia!”

I stuck out my neck: “Hit me, then!”

Xie Zhuo gritted his teeth, so angered by me that he took a deep breath to steady his emotions.

Meanwhile, although Xiaxia had followed my instructions and immediately smeared her heart-meridian blood on the barrier, she still asked me with some fear as the barrier glowed brightly: “Isn’t heart-meridian blood too extreme? Isn’t this too rash?”

Hearing Xiaxia’s words, my gaze remained fixed on Xie Zhuo before me. I raised my chin somewhat proudly.

“Not rash,” I answered Xiaxia, also letting Xie Zhuo hear, “Only this way, he won’t dare harm you.”

Xie Zhuo also stared at me, his face even darker with gloom.

But, as expected, just as I had anticipated, when Lao Qin was about to attack Xiaxia’s barrier again, Xie Zhuo spoke—

“Stop…”

Lao Qin’s hand stopped just before Xiaxia’s barrier. Lao Qin’s demeanor remained casual as he said lightly: “Even with her heart-meridian blood added to this barrier, I can break it.”

Xie Zhuo replied: “I said, stop.”

Lao Qin raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand.

I knew it. With Xie Zhuo’s blood oath still binding me, this dog wouldn’t do anything that would endanger Xiaxia’s life.

“Xiaxia,” I called to her, “Move the barrier forward. Drive them out of the ice cave.”

“Okay!” Xiaxia immediately acted, pushing the barrier’s light forward.

Lao Qin and the fox demon still stood in place, showing no intention of leaving. But even if they didn’t move, someone would make them move.

“Retreat,” Xie Zhuo spoke.

Lao Qin took a step back with the fox demon.

“Continue,” I looked at Xie Zhuo provocatively, instructing Xiaxia, “Advance…”

Xie Zhuo’s eyes remained fixed on me. He didn’t waste words, only continuing to command: “Retreat…”

One advance, one retreat, until Xiaxia’s barrier completely covered the cave entrance, driving Lao Qin and the fox demon outside the ice cave, floating above the ice river.

Looking through Xiaxia’s eyes, I saw the two outside the barrier and felt slightly relieved. This crisis was temporarily resolved: “Xiaxia, guard the barrier until Xie Xuanqing wakes up.”

Xiaxia nodded in agreement and retreated into the ice cave.

I blinked, looking at Xie Zhuo: “You’ve gone to great lengths to prevent them from meeting, yet you never expected this to be predestined. Xie Zhuo, they, or rather we, cannot escape this bitter fate. Stop your struggling.”

Xie Zhuo remained silent for a long time. Just when I thought he wouldn’t answer, he said: “He hasn’t woken up yet.”

The implication being that the outcome was still undecided.