Changling’s soul had yet to fully withdraw from Yue Changsheng’s deathbed entrustment when she saw Ye Qi’s eyes open and close, then shut again.

She didn’t even catch a glimpse of the look in his eyes.

Stunned for a moment, she hurriedly reached out to check Ye Qi’s neck, only relaxing slightly when she felt a pulse.

There was no time left to deliberate. This person was on the verge of death—whether he lived or died rested entirely on her decision in this moment.

Had this been eleven years ago, she likely wouldn’t have hesitated. But things were different now. After she blocked Yuan Hai’s palm strike in the Dazhao Temple, the inner force in her dantian had churned like boiling water. Therefore, during her matches with the four Great Elders, she had tried her best not to use her inner force. Fortunately, her posture was convincing enough that she didn’t reveal any flaws, and thus managed to escape by sheer luck.

Given Ye Qi’s current condition, she would need to transfer at least ten percent of her cultivation to have any hope of helping him escape danger—though Changling herself wasn’t certain. Back then, Granny Chu had only told her not to recklessly use her inner breath, but had never mentioned whether she could transfer inner force to others.

Her mind was in complete chaos.

She had never heard anything about that half fan or the jade ring. Why did her elder brother believe these things could save her? Since He Yu was the last person to see her elder brother and Fu Liujing, if he died, this mystery would likely sink to the bottom of the sea forever.

She gazed silently at Ye Qi, thinking to herself: “Even setting aside the investigation into what happened back then, this foolish boy was willing to run about for a decade fulfilling his promise to my elder brother, and even on death’s door still remembered to transfer the jade to me. For this kindness alone, I ought to repay him.”

With this thought, she helped Ye Qi sit up, leaning him sideways against the tree. She sat cross-legged behind him, just as she had done eleven years ago in the Taixing military camp, extending her fingers to press several of his acupoints before generously channeling her true qi through his meridians throughout his body.

Changling knew she was gambling with her life. Though the Damo Heart Method was the most domineering internal cultivation technique under heaven, it also possessed healing properties. In just a brief moment, it miraculously restored some color to his complexion.

In less than half an incense stick’s time, the recipient had barely improved somewhat, while the one freely giving away her cultivation began to look increasingly haggard.

Normally, transferring inner force is a cyclical process—true qi flows out and must be promptly replenished with new energy. Any interruption or deviation could instantly rupture the qi gates, leading to dispersed cultivation and death. Naturally, controlling true qi wasn’t difficult for Changling, but she had forgotten one crucial point: Chu Tiansu had once told her that the only reason she could lie in the ice cave for eleven years without dying was because the circulation of true qi in her body kept her heart beating—her bodily strength, her every breath, all depended on her inner breath.

In other words, the loss of true qi meant the loss of life itself.

At first, Changling began to notice her strength dispersing. She froze slightly, immediately understanding the connection. If she let go now, she could still preserve herself, but she wouldn’t be able to fully clear the stagnant qi from Ye Qi’s meridians, and all her previous efforts would be wasted.

Once her resolve was set, she no longer hesitated. True qi flowed like a trickling stream from her palm into Ye Qi’s body. With each portion she transferred, her own breath grew weaker by that same measure.

Time trickled by drop by drop. Cold sweat drenched her entire back. Gradually, even her consciousness began to blur. Changling kept thinking she just needed to hold on for one more incense stick’s worth of time, but the weaker she became, the slower her true qi flowed. One incense stick became another, and she didn’t even know if she had ultimately succeeded in opening Ye Qi’s Triple Burner Meridian.

In any case, she had no idea when she finally lost consciousness.

The two of them lay there from late afternoon until dusk fell thick around them. As night was about to descend, the occasional cries of wild birds could be heard.

The wilderness was desolate everywhere, with only scattered twilight and cold spreading across the ground.

At the foot of the mountain hollow, five young women dressed in Qiang ethnic pleated skirts appeared. They held Miao knives in their hands, using them to cut through the obstructing weeds as they walked forward leisurely. Each carried a basket on her back piled with several brightly colored young serpents—clearly extremely venomous at a glance.

The woman leading the group appeared to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, likely the eldest among them. Seeing the sluggish behavior of those behind her, she said coldly: “Stop dawdling, all of you. If we can’t get back before dark and the Sect Master blames us, don’t expect me to plead on your behalf again.”

“Senior Sister Qingda, we’ve been walking for so long… We’ve barely rested at all…”

“That’s right, my legs are going numb… Even if we wanted to hurry, we can’t!”

The one called Qingda frowned in displeasure. “You still have the nerve to complain? The Sect Master sent you out to find beauties, but not only did you fail to capture a single one, you nearly fell into those Eastern Xia people’s hands… If I hadn’t arrived in time, would you even have the lives to return now?”

“We naturally remember Senior Sister’s life-saving grace… But beauties aren’t so easy to find, you know?” the youngest girl said. “The villages and towns in this area were already picked over by Senior Sister Ding and the others. What’s left are all crooked melons and split dates, and those who are too young aren’t suitable either…”

Qingda snorted coldly. “If you lack ability, don’t blame others… Just don’t let the Sect Master be unable to pick out satisfactory goods and make examples of you first!”

Upon hearing this, the young women’s faces turned deathly pale. The youngest junior sister hurriedly touched her own face, saying: “I… I’m so ugly, the Sect Master definitely won’t take a liking to me…”

“Me too, me too. In terms of looks, even if I’m not dead last in the sect, I’m at least second to last. You all must bear witness for me.”

Just then, one of the girls pointed ahead. “Senior Sister, look quickly—there seem to be people over there!”

Qingda turned her head and vaguely saw what appeared to be human figures under a tree ahead. The group carefully made their way through the grass and saw a man and woman lying by the stream—it was Changling and Ye Qi. Two of the young women crouched down to check their pulses. “They’re both still alive.”

“Oh my!” the youngest junior sister suddenly cried out.

Qingda: “What is it?”

The junior sister gazed at the people on the ground in wonder. “This young lady is so beautiful! In all my years, I’ve never seen anyone this lovely!”

“This young master is also extraordinarily handsome. Look at those eyes—even young ladies don’t necessarily have such long lashes.”

The other three immediately came forward to examine them closely. Though both were in disheveled states, their outstanding appearances were almost blinding to behold. Qingda couldn’t help but show delight on her face. “We’ve really stumbled upon ready-made fortune. If we bring this young lady back, the Sect Master will surely reward us handsomely.”

The youngest junior sister continued gazing at Ye Qi’s delicate features. “This young master… can we take him too?”

Qingda had already ordered someone to carry Changling. Seeing her junior sisters’ faces full of budding romantic feelings, she raised an eyebrow. “If you like him, take him back too. As long as the Sect Master has no objections, you can use him however you please.”

The junior sisters became jubilant, practically ready to clap their hands in celebration. Had Ye Qi not been unconscious at this moment, hearing that last statement would surely have made him cough up several more mouthfuls of blood.

By this time, the sky had completely darkened.

The young women carried Ye Qi and Changling down the mountain. They hadn’t gone far when they heard shouts from behind.

“Young Master Ye—”

“Young Hero Ye—where are you?”

Upon hearing the calls, Qingda and her group suddenly changed color. The youngest junior sister couldn’t help but panic. “It seems people are coming. Could they be looking for this young master?”

“Most likely.” Qingda instructed: “Walk faster. Don’t let them discover our tracks.”

This wild ridge was covered in nothing but wild grass and dead branches. The slightest sound would alert others, especially since the newcomers were all seasoned veterans of the martial world. They quickly spotted the figures ahead and called out: “Hey, please wait—”

When those behind called for them to stop, those ahead broke into a mad dash instead. The pursuers sensed something amiss and immediately employed their lightness skills to catch up quickly, shouting: “You young ladies needn’t be afraid. We’ve come looking for someone. Have you seen a young gentleman… Eh?”

The speaker paused, apparently seeing something, then called back: “The people ahead seem to be carrying the young master!”

Qingda glanced back, seeing the group traveling together in numbers, and said: “They want this man. We’ll take the woman.”

The youngest junior sister was unwilling. “Senior Sister, that’s not—”

Before she could finish speaking, sword qi pressed in from behind, accompanied by a stern voice: “Put them down immediately!”

The young women suddenly retreated. Seeing they all possessed martial skills, those behind showed no more mercy and quickly blocked their path. Qingda drew her Miao knife and, looking at the opposition that outnumbered her group by double, feigned surprise: “Who are you people?”

This group was precisely the Eastern Xia martial artists who had mistakenly abducted Changling thinking she was Mingyue Fei.

Leading the charge at the front was a young fellow with a simple, honest face—undoubtedly Yu Ping. After parting ways with Ye Qi, they had followed the signal trail all the way here. First, they set off the arranged fireworks as planned, then waited until the Yan Army retreated before storming into the Dazhao Temple to rescue all the sect masters.

Originally, everything had proceeded smoothly beyond expectations, but they had failed to rescue the very person who had devised the plan.

Yu Ping was concerned for Ye Qi’s safety. Upon hearing that a young lady had taken him away, he couldn’t care about the Yan Army that might counterattack at any moment. He led two groups of young people to split up and search for Ye Qi—and sure enough, he had found him.

The several women before him looked bewildered. Yu Ping couldn’t quite determine if they were friend or foe. “I am Yu Ping of the Feiying Sect. This young master is also our friend…” He tilted his head to confirm that the person slumped over Qingda’s shoulder was indeed Ye Qi. “I wonder why he would be in the hands of you young ladies…”

“Oh, you know him?” Qingda appeared enlightened. “We also happened to be passing by. Seeing this young master unconscious, we intended to bring him home for treatment… When we saw you pursuing us earlier, we thought you were the ones who harmed him.”

Yu Ping said: “So it was a misunderstanding. Thank you, young ladies, for your assistance… If you could possibly…”

Qingda turned to her junior sisters. “Xiao Die, Cui Zhi, return this young master to them.”

Though the youngest junior sister was reluctant, she still complied. After Yu Ping’s group received Ye Qi, they quickly crouched down to examine his injuries. Seeing his pulse was stable, they realized they had misunderstood good people and were about to express their thanks when a junior brother behind them suddenly pointed at the person on one young woman’s back: “That young lady…”

“She’s my junior sister. She injured her legs and can’t walk properly.” Qingda bowed to them. “It’s getting late, and we still need to return to our sect. After nightfall, this place isn’t very safe either. You should all leave soon as well.”

Yu Ping and the others all clasped their fists, watching as Qingda’s group strode away. However, Yu Ping’s junior brother frowned and said: “Didn’t the Sect Master say that Young Master Ye was rescued by a young lady? But these women said they happened to be passing by…”

This wouldn’t have been a problem if left unmentioned, but once the words were spoken, everyone’s expressions suddenly changed. Seeing the group hadn’t gone far, Yu Ping immediately leaped forward. “Wait, please—”

Before he could fully pronounce the word “wait,” there was a whooshing sound, and something flew straight at his face. Yu Ping instinctively swung his sword to strike it. The thing split in two but continued writhing on the ground. He heard someone behind him shriek: “Snakes! They’re snakes!”

Yu Ping shuddered. Rustling sounds came from the grass, and from who knows where, colorful snakes suddenly emerged. Upon seeing these venomous serpents with blue mouths and fangs, Yu Ping and the others’ scalps went numb. They retreated while slashing. In the chaos, someone was bitten by a snake and immediately howled in pain.

At this point, chasing after those people was impossible. These inexperienced young martial artists were forced into a wretched state by the bizarre snake swarm and couldn’t think of a way to escape for the moment. While worried that the junior brothers carrying Ye Qi might drop him, Yu Ping shouted at the top of his lungs: “Snakes fear fire! Find a way to make some fire!”

“Fire! It’s fire!”

Yu Ping whipped his head around. A feathered arrow carrying flames rushed toward them, barely grazing his shoulder to pierce an attacking venomous snake. Following this, one fire arrow after another streaked through the air—those arrows seemed to have eyes, perfectly avoiding everyone while simultaneously cutting down a row of venomous snakes. Scattered sparks fell to the ground, instantly igniting a patch of dead wood and grass.

Before everyone could recover from their brush with death, through the billowing smoke, a mounted troop appeared beneath the moonlight. Yu Ping focused his gaze and saw these people wore buttoned cloth armor and fur hats—the military uniform of Eastern Xia.

The soldiers pulled their reins to clear a path, and a person rode forward on horseback, wearing an ink-blue crown robe with dark cloud-patterned sleeves, presenting a distinguished bearing.

Yu Ping and the others immediately recognized the newcomer and stepped forward to bow: “Lord Fu!”

“Lord Fu, why have you come?”

The man dismounted, nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and upon seeing Ye Qi being carried on someone’s shoulder, quickly walked over to help him down. “What happened to the Marquis?”

“Marquis? What Marquis?” Yu Ping and the others looked completely confused.

The man reached out to check Ye Qi’s pulse and froze slightly. “You don’t know he is He Yu, Marquis He?”

“Mar… Marquis He?!” Yu Ping was dumbstruck. “Young Master Ye clearly said he was… a friend of Marquis He. How could he be…”

“Exactly—why would Marquis He personally come with us to Dayan…”

“Forget it. Since he deliberately concealed it, you can hardly be blamed.” The man’s voice was gentle, giving listeners an inexplicable sense of comfort. He looked at Ye Qi and shook his head, signaling his subordinates to take him onto the carriage. He personally treated the wounds of the two who had been bitten by snakes. “Fortunately, the poison hasn’t reached their internal organs yet… Why are you all here?”

“We originally came to rescue Young… Marquis He,” Yu Ping said. “After leaving the Dazhao Temple, we encountered those young ladies.”

“Young ladies?”

Yu Ping nodded and briefly recounted what had happened earlier.

After listening, the man first surveyed the scorched snake corpses littering the ground, then walked a few steps with his sleeves folded. “From the sound of it, these women are from the Five Poisons Sect.”

“Fi-Five Poisons Sect?” A sudden chill ran down their spines.

Who didn’t know that Mingyue Fei, the culprit who abducted the masters of eight sects and poisoned half the martial artists of Eastern Xia, came from the Five Poisons Sect?

A single demoness had already stirred up such tremendous chaos—who knew how terrifying the entire Five Poisons Sect must be?

Only now did Yu Ping realize that retrieving their lives from those women’s hands was truly heaven’s blessing. At this thought, he was practically ready to kneel in tearful gratitude. “If not for Your Lordship’s appearance, we would have been unable to escape today.”

“No need for courtesy. You all rescued Marquis He in time—this kindness, the court will naturally remember.” He politely gestured for them to rise. “The Five Poisons Sect has always only abducted women. Why would they lay hands on the Marquis…”

“Speaking of which, they did abduct a woman.”

Upon hearing this, Lord Fu looked toward Yu Ping with puzzlement.