Jiang Zhaoxue slept very deeply. When she finally woke up, she found the sky already bright. She groggily stretched, and when she felt the garment draped over her slide off, she suddenly jerked awake. Something was wrong!

She looked around and discovered the boat had already docked, moored beside a small river. The mysterious young man from last night had disappeared without a trace, leaving only an outer robe draped over her.

The purple-black gorgeous silk outer robe flowed like water in the morning light. Jiang Zhaoxue reached out to touch it, but the instant she made contact with its cool texture, she watched the garment vanish without a trace.

Just like that person—disappeared without a trace.

Jiang Zhaoxue paused for a moment, roughly guessing this person’s identity.

In the book, Pei Zichen’s meridians were completely severed, yet he could still cross seas and climb mountains. He must have received someone’s help, and this was presumably the person who helped him.

As for his identity, a possibility surfaced in Jiang Zhaoxue’s mind.

The clothing he wore was the style most favored by Jiuyou Realm’s upper echelon—purple-black robes with flowing patterns. She had seen them in the Battle of Cangming Sea two hundred years ago. In that dream, after Pei Zichen became the authority figure of Jiuyou Realm, he also wore such robes.

This person should be from Jiuyou Realm. As for who exactly—she wasn’t familiar with Jiuyou Realm.

But she could confirm one thing: this person came to help Pei Zichen.

Whether in the book or this time, Pei Zichen had obtained the Su Guangji with the help of Jiuyou Realm’s demonic cultivators.

Regardless of where these demonic cultivators came from—whether she hadn’t properly repaired Jiuyou Realm’s barrier, or it had long been damaged with people lurking in the True Immortal Realm—in any case, these demonic cultivators were helping Pei Zichen.

Since they were friends rather than enemies, and she couldn’t probe their true nature, there was no need to overthink it now. Currently, the most important thing was Pei Zichen.

Jiang Zhaoxue shifted her gaze to Pei Zichen beside her, still unconscious. His face was pale, but his skin showed an abnormal flush, clearly indicating a high fever.

Yesterday his golden core was shattered, his meridians completely severed. At the end on the cliff, if not for the Tianji Lingyu, he would have died countless times over.

Although the Tianji Lingyu was a supreme treasure, its power wasn’t infinite. Bringing someone back from death defied heaven itself. The Tianji Lingyu had already saved him twice. No matter what divine artifact it was, it would be difficult to support saving a person’s life a third time.

Last night she had held onto a thread of hope that the Tianji Lingyu’s residual power could help him repair completely. But seeing him now with a high fever, his golden core likely still hadn’t returned—he merely had the body of a mortal.

Without spiritual power sustaining him, with only a mortal’s body, a high fever alone could truly kill him.

Then wouldn’t all her efforts be for nothing?

Jiang Zhaoxue absolutely wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen. In any case, things had already begun following the plot from the book. Since Pei Zichen ultimately became the number one person across the Three Realms in the book, she could raise Pei Zichen along the original path. When the timing was right, she’d activate the Spirit-Locking Array and use his spiritual power to nourish the Tianji Lingyu in return. That wouldn’t be bad either.

If following the original book’s path, she should take him into the snow mountain to find the jade ganoderma and reconstruct his meridians.

Jiang Zhaoxue’s mind turned over these thoughts. After determining her plan, she decided to first meditate and gather true qi, then take him up the mountain.

However, the moment she circulated her spiritual power, she discovered her spiritual power couldn’t be used.

It was like a stagnant pool of water. No matter how she tried to draw upon it, it seemed to have nothing to do with her, flowing silently through her meridians.

Jiang Zhaoxue froze, then quickly tried several more times, finding this was truly the case.

Her spiritual power was still there, but she couldn’t use it!

Was it a problem with this space, or a problem with this mountain or region?

Jiang Zhaoxue felt somewhat panicked for a moment.

She was a dharma cultivator who had never cultivated her body. Her physical body wasn’t much better than a mortal’s. And switching between her demon and human forms also required spiritual power, which she currently couldn’t do.

With just this body alone, forget about carrying Pei Zichen into the mountains to find jade ganoderma—even her own survival would be difficult.

With zero wilderness survival skills, her heart felt uneasy and anxious for a moment. Beside her, Pei Zichen groaned from discomfort, immediately jolting her back to clarity.

What could she do?

Although she hadn’t cultivated her body, she was still a Body Integration Stage cultivator. She had lived for two hundred years, after all. She couldn’t possibly count on Pei Zichen, a seventeen-year-old patient, could she?

“You can do this,” A’Nan encouraged her. “You’re going to raise a child in the future, and a crippled one at that. Right now this is just a small obstacle. You can overcome it!”

Hearing these words, Jiang Zhaoxue felt even more like crying.

A’Nan also felt his comfort wasn’t perfect, so he quickly changed the subject: “Hurry up. If you don’t find the jade ganoderma soon, looking at his current condition, he’ll probably die.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue’s heart sank. She let out a heavy sigh, finally stood up, and decided to first drag Pei Zichen off the boat.

Without spiritual power, the white crane had already returned to her spirit beast pouch to sleep. She only needed to drag Pei Zichen alone—counting it up, that was actually good news.

But Pei Zichen hadn’t regained consciousness and couldn’t exert any force. Jiang Zhaoxue struggled for a long time before finally dragging him off the boat. By the time she got him onto the ground, she had already begun sweating.

In the two hundred years since transmigrating here, she truly hadn’t suffered this kind of hardship.

She could only recall the future to motivate herself, thinking about how she was six months pregnant when Shen Yuqing abandoned her, when Pei Zichen strangled her neck…

It seemed she had a bit more strength now.

Without spiritual power, she couldn’t open her qiankun pouch. She had nothing.

She could only pull off her outer coat, desperately tear it apart, then strap Pei Zichen onto her back, using cloth strips to tie the two of them together to make it as easy as possible.

After tying him on, she looked up at the snow mountain not far away, somewhat bewildered: “How do I even walk there?”

“Head south,” A’Nan responded. It also seemed somewhat tired, its voice weak: “Jade ganoderma likes yang energy and generally grows on southern mountains. Plus, didn’t Pei Zichen find the jade ganoderma near an empty courtyard? Go there—there’s even a house.”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhaoxue carried Pei Zichen on her back and headed toward the mountain. Before long she reached the forest at the mountain’s base. Upon entering the forest, cold air hit her face. Jiang Zhaoxue’s breath caught. A’Nan quickly encouraged: “It’s fine! You can do it! Master, you can do it!”

Jiang Zhaoxue also felt she could do it. It was just climbing a mountain, just carrying a man up a mountain.

He was only seventeen—he was very light. She could do it.

Jiang Zhaoxue stepped onto the accumulated snow with Pei Zichen on her back and began walking forward following A’Nan’s guidance.

She had no experience traveling alone like this. She didn’t know snow could bury stones. When the two of them fell together, they would roll all the way down the slope, fall hard, and then have to climb from the beginning again.

She didn’t know that the higher up the mountain, the colder it got. Unable to use her spiritual power, she wouldn’t die, but she would also freeze like a mortal, her hands turning red from cold.

She didn’t know snow would conceal large pits and slopes. One step down and she’d bring them both tumbling down.

She didn’t know that in winter, forest animals had little food. For the first time in this life, she was so frightened by a tiger that she trembled, hiding in a tree hollow and praying to all her ancestors.

Jiang Zhaoxue just kept carrying Pei Zichen like this, walking continuously. She wasn’t even clear how long she had walked. She only remembered that toward the end she began cursing. She walked and cursed, feeling that in the future she absolutely must exploit Pei Zichen until he didn’t have a single artifact left to repay her for today’s suffering.

She carried him across narrow paths on cliffs. Drawing on years of flying experience, she overcame her fear of heights, but still couldn’t help feeling aggrieved. Even at the peak of her grievance, she didn’t dare cry. She was afraid tears would freeze on her face and hurt even more.

She could only curse Pei Zichen between gasps: “You little brat, I haven’t had a single good thing happen since meeting you. If you’re not filial to me in the future, I’ll definitely break your legs.”

“I’m telling you, you must remember today—no, also yesterday, the day before, every single day I’ve been with you!! You must remember my sacrifice. Even if I cut you to pieces in the future, you must be grateful!”

“My hands hurt so much…” Jiang Zhaoxue felt like all the grievances of this lifetime had accumulated on this day. Those hands that had been coated with mutton fat jade balm for a lifetime had cracked from the cold. She sniffled and began fantasizing about the future: “Pei Zichen, when you prosper in the future, you must buy me lots of fragrant balm, and gold, silver, and jewels. I like jade—the kind with really good transparency and luster. And sapphires—royal blue, unheated, super big ones strung together and hung around my neck…”

“Also, I want to become a Nine Realm Fate Master. I want to be number one in the world. I want no one to be able to bully me or Penglai anymore…”

“I want to beat you, Shen Yuqing, and Gujun all into pig heads. I want to never lose again when gambling with fate!!!”

…

As she rambled on making wishes, Pei Zichen hazily woke up.

He felt like he was dreaming.

He dreamed he was lying on Jiang Zhaoxue’s back. Unlike him, she was so warm—warm to the point of being hot.

He leaned on her shoulder, quietly looking at her face.

He thought this must be a dream.

When he had nothing, when everyone had abandoned him, hated him, resented him, he fantasized about Jiang Zhaoxue—this person who was the only one to give him a piece of candy—appearing in his life.

But how could that be possible?

Shifu’s wife couldn’t even remember his name.

Her eyes forever followed Shifu and had never looked at him. How could she be that young lady? And how could she possibly follow him down the mountain cliff?

But this dream was too beautiful. Someone had finally grabbed hold of him, so even if it was a dream, it didn’t matter.

He was too tired. He only leaned quietly on her back, watching her, hoarsely confirming: “Shifu’s wife?”

Jiang Zhaoxue’s steps paused, and she knew Pei Zichen had woken up.

But awake or not, his meridians were ruined anyway. She still had to carry him.

So she responded impatiently: “Yeah.”

Hearing this response, Pei Zichen smiled and spoke again: “Shifu’s wife.”

“Mm.”

“Shifu’s wife.”

Over and over, repeatedly confirming, calling to her again and again.

After responding several times, Jiang Zhaoxue finally grew impatient and couldn’t help but say: “Just say what you want to say. Stop going ‘Shifu’s wife, Shifu’s wife, Shifu’s wife.’ Are you done or not?!”

However, Pei Zichen had already lost consciousness again. Jiang Zhaoxue’s curses fell on deaf ears.

Jiang Zhaoxue was so angry she nearly coughed up blood, but realizing he probably thought he was dreaming, she was too lazy to quibble with him.

By nightfall, Jiang Zhaoxue couldn’t walk anymore. She found a cave to sit in and set Pei Zichen down.

She didn’t know how to make fire. She could only use leaves to collect snow and pour it into Pei Zichen’s mouth to give him water.

She had spiritual power in her body. Although she couldn’t use it, she could go without eating or drinking and wasn’t afraid of temperature changes.

But Pei Zichen was different. He needed to eat.

They had walked for two days. He hadn’t eaten for two days.

Although he had improved somewhat today, Jiang Zhaoxue could also see that if he continued starving like this, he might starve to death.

“I’m not going to let the child starve to death, am I?”

Jiang Zhaoxue pondered this. A’Nan spoke honestly: “It’s possible.”

Jiang Zhaoxue thought for a moment and finally decided: “My original form was a tiger after all. I should be able to catch a rabbit, right?”

“Uh…”

A’Nan didn’t know how to speak up.

Never mind that she was in human form.

Even in tiger form, a tiger who had never learned hunting skills… whether she could catch a rabbit was really hard to say.

But A’Nan didn’t dare dampen Jiang Zhaoxue’s enthusiasm, so he watched as she enthusiastically went into the forest. After searching left and right, she spotted a small gray rabbit.

Jiang Zhaoxue crouched in ambush not far away, determined to kill with one strike.

She observed the small gray rabbit, quietly approached, and when she got close to her target, she leaped! Perfect—

Landing.

The rabbit predicted her appearance before she landed, hopped to the side, and darted into the forest.

And she crashed directly into the snow, her nose hitting the ground and breaking the skin.

She furiously raised her head and pounded the ground several times with her fists, finally confirming that she couldn’t catch a rabbit and might really starve Pei Zichen to death.

She thought left and right, looked down at her scraped hand, and finally said: “Forget it. I’m rather lazy. Feeding him blood is more convenient.”

With that, she patted the dust off her bottom and walked back to the cave.

Pei Zichen was still in his initial position, unconscious against the wall. She walked forward, took out a dagger from her sleeve, decisively made a cut on her hand, grabbed his hair to force his head up, exposing his complete and beautiful face, brought her bleeding hand to his lips, and commanded coldly: “Drink!”

Pei Zichen’s breathing was already very weak, almost without any breath.

After her command, he made no movement.

This made Jiang Zhaoxue inexplicably afraid. When a person had lost even the most basic instincts…

She couldn’t help but press the wound down a few more points against his lips, gripping his hair tightly: “Drink! Are you stupid?!”

As she spoke, blood seeped into his lips through the crevices, staining his teeth. His fingertips trembled lightly, as if something was awakening.

Seeing him still not moving, Jiang Zhaoxue was just about to let go and withdraw to think of another method when she felt his lips move slightly.

A human’s instinctive sucking motion, but perhaps because this person’s temperament was inherently gentle, even his survival was exceptionally tender and lingering.

He started with what seemed like a kiss-like touch, then began taking small sips slowly, and after that, as if nearly addicted, devoutly licking and pressing the wound, unconsciously struggling to extract and absorb every last drop of blood.

Jiang Zhaoxue gripped his hair, calmly looking down at him, yet her muscles unconsciously tensed. She felt an tingling itch where his soft tongue licked and sucked.

She watched the person before her coldly, feeling as if he were a withered leaf soaked in water—his life force returning, slowly unfurling.

Her heart also slowly settled as he revived.

As his complexion improved, his blood-drinking speed also slowed.

Jiang Zhaoxue sensed he was about to wake and curiously called to him: “Pei Zichen?”

Hearing his own name, Pei Zichen seemed to slowly gain consciousness. His pupils dilated as he opened his eyes, as if awakening from a sensuous dream, looking bewilderedly at the woman before him.

Blood stained his pale face, making him appear extraordinarily beautiful and even somewhat demonic. A’Nan gasped but didn’t dare comment.

Pei Zichen stared blankly at the woman before him. His gaze shifted from initial confusion to gradual doubt, and finally, as if he had at last reacted, he hurriedly retreated. Then he realized his body was completely out of his control, and his entire person crashed heavily to the ground.

Seeing him fully awake, Jiang Zhaoxue withdrew her hand and turned around, sitting calmly to the side, explaining: “All your meridians are severed. Who knows how many have reconnected. If you can use them, use them. If you can’t, get used to it for now.”

Hearing this, Pei Zichen looked at the ground with shock and uncertainty.

Memories from before the cliff fall came flooding back madly. His entire person began trembling uncontrollably.

“Heaven’s mandate cannot be defied. Your insistence on living is itself a sin. Your parents and elder brother died because of you. They too died because of you.”

Shen Yuqing’s words, like a verdict, echoed in his ears. He thought of his parents, his elder brother, Gu Jinglan, his three junior martial brothers, and also Pangpang…

His eyes reddened as he spoke hoarsely: “It won’t work…”

Jiang Zhaoxue looked over curiously and saw Pei Zichen as if trapped in a nightmare, constantly repeating: “It won’t work…”

“What?”

Jiang Zhaoxue stood up puzzled, wanting to check if Pei Zichen had burned out his brain with fever.

However, the moment she approached, Pei Zichen seemed extremely frightened and shouted: “Don’t come near!”

Jiang Zhaoxue’s movements froze. She watched as Pei Zichen looked at her agitatedly: “I’m a Heaven-Forsaken One—don’t come near!”

Jiang Zhaoxue paused, quickly understanding Pei Zichen’s meaning.

A Heaven-Forsaken One would not only bring about the great calamity of the Heavenly Dao but was also destined to lose all six relations.

Anyone who came close to him would inevitably be implicated.

Thinking of Gu Jinglan, thinking of Pangpang, looking at the young man before her with reddened eyes showing both fear and longing in his gaze, Jiang Zhaoxue felt a moment of sympathy.

Her habitually cursing tone also became much gentler.

“It’s fine.”

Pei Zichen stared at her warily, then watched as Jiang Zhaoxue walked forward. She crouched halfway before him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

Her hand was very warm, covered in wounds. Pei Zichen wanted to refuse her but couldn’t move, or perhaps… didn’t want to move.

“I know what you’re afraid of. But Pei Zichen, I’m a Fate Master.”

She stared into his eyes: “My life and death aren’t governed by heaven. And your life and death, from the moment you summoned me—”

“Are governed by me.”