Gu Baiying frowned slightly: “Is this why you weren’t affected by the illusion techniques?”

“I think so,” Zanxing said. “When I was confronting the mirage woman just now, I already felt the merfolk scale stirring, but I didn’t know if my cultivation level could activate the merfolk scale, so I deliberately provoked the mirage woman to buy time.” She looked behind her.

Azure light and shadow surrounded the secret chamber, safely enveloping the two of them. This place was like a barrier.

“How are you?” Zanxing helped him up to lean against the wall. “You said there was snake venom just now…”

“I can’t move,” Gu Baiying interrupted her.

Anyone bitten by the demon snake would be completely paralyzed. Never mind cultivation—being able to stay conscious was already difficult. Zanxing noticed sweat seeping from his forehead, and at the wound on his chest, bloodstains spread outward, looking truly alarming.

She reached to open her Qiankun Bag, but it still wouldn’t open. After trying several times, she had to give up. Zanxing tried her best to appear calm, comforting Gu Baiying: “It’s alright. Pythons are generally non-venomous. If it were truly poisonous, with such a big bite, you definitely wouldn’t have survived until now. Let’s wait a bit longer. Once the snake venom passes, we’ll figure out how to get out and reunite with senior brother and the others.”

“The merfolk scale won’t hold out much longer,” he said calmly.

“That doesn’t matter either. I can protect you,” Zanxing said, fidgeting with his robes.

The young man scoffed at her words: “When have I ever needed anyone’s protection?”

Zanxing’s movements paused for a moment as she looked at him and said, “Needing help isn’t shameful, martial uncle.”

Gu Baiying was stunned for a moment. After coming to his senses, he noticed Zanxing’s actions again and angrily said, “Yang Zanxing, what are you doing?”

Zanxing’s hand had reached inside his robes. Gu Baiying’s clothing was quite different from the Taiyan Sect’s robes. He didn’t seem to like wearing the sect’s thin gauze robes, preferring fitted brocade robes instead. The outer garment was snow-white, and the inner clothing was also snow-white—the satin was exquisite and soft, looking clean and pristine.

The woman raised her hand, and with a “rip” sound, she tore open a section of the inner garment. Gu Baiying’s face flushed bright red. Before he could speak, Zanxing said: “The Qiankun Bag won’t open, so let’s use this to treat the wound first.” Without caring whether he was willing or not, she placed both hands on his shoulders and pulled open his robes all at once.

“…Yang Zanxing!”

“I can hear you. You don’t need to shout so loudly.” Zanxing continued pulling at his clothes, drawing the snow-white robes down to his waist, exposing the young man’s lean body. “I’m just treating a wound. You don’t need to cry out like some chaste and virtuous man.” As soon as the words left her mouth, her gaze froze.

Gu Baiying had fair skin, and the skin beneath his robes was also pale, but this paleness wasn’t the delicate tenderness of a woman’s skin. It should be due to years of diligent cultivation, appearing firm and containing power. Now with the robes removed, she could see two bloody, mangled holes on his chest. The wounds were extremely deep, as if pierced through by snake fangs.

Zanxing couldn’t continue for a moment.

She knew Gu Baiying’s condition wouldn’t be very good—otherwise they wouldn’t have been forced into such a desperate situation by the mirage woman—but she hadn’t expected the wounds to be this severe.

“You…” she wanted to say something, but didn’t know what to say. Finally, she could only ask: “Does it hurt?”

Gu Baiying’s gaze shifted, turning his head away with an air of indifference: “Nonsense. The snake’s fangs are venomous. I’ve lost sensation and don’t feel anything.”

Zanxing nodded, wrapping the white cloth she’d torn around his chest and pulling it tight with efficient movements—

With a sharp “hiss,” Gu Baiying sucked in a cold breath and angrily said: “Yang Zanxing, are you trying to murder me!”

Zanxing glanced at him sideways: “Didn’t you say it doesn’t hurt?”

The man immediately fell silent. After a while, he stared at her suspiciously: “Are you deliberately getting revenge?”

Zanxing ignored him, lowering her head to wrap the bandages around him, circle by circle. Her movements were very gentle. When she reached around to his back, it was almost like an ethereal embrace.

Being so close, their breathing also drew near. The young man frowned slightly, seeming unaccustomed to such intimate contact with another person. However, unable to move at this moment, he could only allow himself to be “at her mercy.” Zanxing tied the final knot for him and raised her head, meeting Gu Baiying’s scrutinizing gaze.

His eyes were very beautiful. Even in such a wretched situation, they remained as clear as a pool of lake water. Seeing that Zanxing remained silent, Gu Baiying asked: “Hey, why do you have that gloomy expression?”

“Is your spiritual meridian problem very serious?” Zanxing asked softly.

Gu Baiying was startled: “Why are you suddenly asking about this?”

“From what the mirage woman said, you’ve been unwell, and there were signs of this beforehand. Why didn’t you say anything?” Without waiting for Gu Baiying to answer, she continued: “Is there any way to solve it? Duzhou is so vast—surely there must be some rare flowers and exotic herbs, spiritual fruits and pills that can repair spiritual meridians?”

This topic made Gu Baiying’s expression immediately show signs of irritation. His tone turned unpleasant: “Do you think spiritual fruits and pills are roadside cabbages that can be found just anywhere?” He looked at Zanxing over. “Besides, what does this have to do with you?”

Zanxing didn’t understand his sudden harshness and only said earnestly: “If you’re in danger, of course I’d be worried.”

He hadn’t expected Zanxing to answer so candidly. First stunned, after a while, he turned his head away somewhat awkwardly: “Stop with the crocodile tears and fake compassion. I haven’t been particularly good to you in daily life, and now you say you’re worried—who are you trying to fool?”

Though he said this, his tone was somewhat gentler than before.

Zanxing felt a bit of a headache. She said, “Is now the time to discuss this?” As she spoke, she reached out to pull his robes back up. Her hand had barely moved when it was pressed down by someone else.

She looked up in surprise.

Gu Baiying was pressing her hand, and this simple action seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He asked: “Yang Zanxing, how much Yuanli do you have left?”

“Not much. Although I’m not affected by the mirage woman’s illusion realm, I also drank Wu Fan City’s water, so my Yuanli is suppressed by the rules here.”

The secret chamber fell completely silent. Mimi uneasily swished her tail.

He released his grip on Zanxing’s hand and reached up to remove his vermilion hair ribbon, slowly placing it in Zanxing’s palm.

Zanxing didn’t understand: “This is…”

“It’s called ‘Zhu Yan.’ It’s a gift from my master, the sect leader. There’s an escape curse carved on it. As long as it’s activated with my soul power, no matter what kind of dangerous situation, it can help someone escape. It’s a life-saving spiritual artifact.” Gu Baiying lowered his eyes to look at Zanxing’s palm: “Fortunately, it wasn’t in the Qiankun Bag.”

“You’re not thinking of…”

“You are the one who received my mother’s inheritance, and also the one who can save all beings in the three realms in the future. Although even now I can’t see what’s extraordinary about you, you cannot die here.” After pausing, he continued: “In the Li’er Kingdom’s secret realm, you also helped me retrieve my mother’s belongings. I’m giving you Zhu Yan—consider us even.”