Chapter 119

“Me,me, me! I have water here!”

Xu Ye, similarly unguarded, took out a water pouch from his storage bag. He was, after all, a clumsy man who didn’t know how to take care of others. After a moment of hesitation, he wisely reached out his hand and handed the water pouch to Qiao Yan.

The little fox, eager to save the person, didn’t think too much and directly opened the water pouch, pouring the liquid into the girl’s mouth.

It seemed she was indeed desperately thirsty. Initially, she collapsed on the ground like a dead fish, but as soon as her mouth touched the water, her eyes widened as if she had been revived.

—Then she spat out all the water with a fierce expression, shouting in agony, “It’s so hot!”

The water pouch was filled with scalding, boiling water. Pouring it into her mouth was not saving her; it was clearly attempted murder.

Seeing this, Xu Ye’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly exclaimed, “Really? Let me see!”

Feeling aggrieved, Liu Ying leaned closer to him, about to open her lips to let him see the blisters caused by the scalding water. But before she could even prepare her expression, Xu Ye snatched—

The water pouch from Qiao Yan’s hand.

Then she heard the voice of the sword cultivator, full of excitement from beginning to end, without even glancing at her. “This water pouch has such great insulation! I filled it with water before leaving the inn, and even after all this time, it’s still hot! I’ll buy one for my senior sister when we get back; she’ll definitely love it!”

Liu Ying: …

Does this person have a mental illness?

Later, when Liu Ying thought about this situation again, she felt like it was a lifetime ago.

She was so stupid, really.

She was too young, unaware that everything in fate comes with a price tag. When she heard Xu Ye’s words, she should have understood that she couldn’t afford the price behind them.

If she had escaped at that time, how nice would it have been.

These people, these sword cultivators—they’re all abnormal.

“Is this young lady a fellow cultivator from Liuming Mountain?”

Another young man stepped forward, with elegant brows and a handsome face, none other than He Zhizhou, renowned in the Xuanxu Sword Sect. “I wonder why the young lady fainted here?”

“My name is Liu Ying, a music cultivator from Liuming Mountain.”

Liu Ying cleared her throat lightly and said with sorrow, “I encountered an ambush from Niguang Island. Not only was my guqin destroyed, but I also suffered severe damage to my spiritual energy… In my haste to escape, I came here, but I don’t know how I fainted. I don’t know when they will catch up again. Please, everyone, help me!”

With a mournful gaze, she quickly glanced at Pei Ji and Ning Ning, not far away.

She had conversed with Rong Ci at the banquet, and when she mentioned Ning Ning, she had been glared at fiercely by Pei Ji.

Liu Ying wasn’t foolish; she deliberately put on a pitiful false face to ensure she wouldn’t be recognized.

He Zhizhou was always kind-hearted. Seeing her unstable condition, with signs of fainting again at any moment, he said solemnly, “Those deceitful cultivators are despicable! Miss Liu, this secret realm is extremely dangerous. Since you are already seriously injured, why not—”

Liu Ying had already thought of the lines for him.

—”Why not travel with us and let us protect you!”

She made a shy expression very skillfully. As she slowly lowered her head, she heard him speak with conviction, “Why not just give me all your tokens and withdraw from the competition to seek treatment outside!”

After saying this, he even patted his chest earnestly: “After all, you’re useless in your current condition; staying here is just playing with fire. For your safety, I’m willing to sacrifice my reputation and take on this villainous role of gaining without effort. No need to thank me!”

What a bolt from the blue, what a thunderbolt from the blue sky.

Liu Ying was stunned, and the elders watching the show from outside the Mystic Mirror all laughed.

This person really didn’t play by the rules. With his extraordinary thick skin, even the most seductive enchantress cultivator would have to retreat upon encountering him.

Liu Ying was momentarily speechless, unsure how to retort. Unexpectedly, she suddenly heard a clear female voice say, “Brother He, how can you treat the young lady like this? It’s not easy for her to venture out alone. It’s better to keep her by our side for now.”

It was Ning Ning.

Liu Ying gritted her teeth inwardly. The last battle with the Haoran Sect was exceptionally brutal, all thanks to this girl.

However, in terms of single combat, she would certainly be no match, and she couldn’t afford to reveal her hand at this moment. She could only pretend to be grateful and let out a sob: “Thank you so much for your help, miss!”

Ning Ning was talkative, enthusiastically introducing the names of the people present and then very thoughtfully saying, “Miss Liu is weak, so it’s better for her to rest here for a moment, taken care of by Brother He and Xu Ye. Pei Ji, Qiao Yan, and I will go ahead to scout the path. How does that sound?”

Liu Ying was clever enough to agree readily when she heard Ning Ning effortlessly agree to leave her behind. Her first reaction was that this girl might be playing tricks again.

But now, with her changed identity and appearance, she couldn’t be easily seen through. This thought was quickly pushed back into her mind.

She had thought that Ning Ning would be the most suspicious, but now she had been accepted so quickly. Suppressing a smile in her heart, she responded, “Okay.”

Time was of the essence in the trial, so the three of them turned and continued up the mountain, leaving He Zhizhou, Xu Ye, and Liu Ying looking at each other.

Niguang Island practiced seduction, and both men and women were experts in captivating souls.

These two had also participated in the deception in the Xiaochongshan. Liu Ying had harbored resentment for this and now finally had the opportunity to be alone with them, which made her smile inwardly.

If she didn’t enchant the souls of these two sword cultivators today, she would become a nun directly.

“Oops!”

Liu Ying made a move to get up, but in the moment she stood up, she twisted her ankle and fell straight into He Zhizhou’s arms beside her.

She didn’t forget the role she was playing as a delicate and weak flower, so with a slightly teary voice, she struggled, “S-sorry! I didn’t mean for it to happen like this.”

He Zhizhou was startled by this sudden attack, almost screaming and throwing her out. After seeing the person’s face clearly, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Miss Liu, you’re not feeling well, so you’d better sit down and rest for a while.”

Liu Ying, like a weak willow, nodded obediently, but a hint of a smile curled up at the corner of her mouth without showing any trace.

Although this man behaved like a gentleman, he had been deliberately touching her clothes all along, probably harboring ulterior motives.

As she was thinking like this, suddenly she heard He Zhizhou’s voice say, “What material is Miss Liu’s clothing made of? It feels very familiar to the touch.”

What a stupid excuse.

Liu Ying chuckled softly at his words. Although she knew that this statement was just an excuse he used to disguise his true intentions, she couldn’t hide her satisfaction between her brows and eyes.

This long dress was made of specially woven silk from the Tianyi Alley, decorated with cloud brocade satin. It was truly worth a fortune; even selling this man wouldn’t be enough to cover a fraction of its value.