At first, the woman didn't understand why he had glared at her. But when she saw Xiao Bai's slightly flustered back as he left, a thought crossed her mind, and a faint blush spread across her face. She quietly scoffed to herself.
Once Xiao Bai was gone, she carefully examined her current physical condition. While she still couldn't move freely, the wound on her chest no longer felt unbearably painful. Instead, a soothing coolness spread through it. Thinking back to the embarrassing moan she had let out in front of the silver-haired young man, she bit her lip in frustration.
For so many years, she had always maintained an image of elegance and nobility. When had she ever lost her composure like that in front of a man—especially while being partially undressed? It almost felt as if she had been deliberately trying to seduce him.
As she wrestled with these complex emotions, her mind drifted to Xiao Bai's awkward posture when he left. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and a soft, amused glint flickered in her beautiful eyes.
Although she was still unmarried, she wasn't completely ignorant about matters between men and women. She understood that he must have been struggling just now. But precisely because of that struggle—because even in such a state, he had helped her dress and spared her from further embarrassment, never once taking advantage of the situation—she felt a faint trace of warmth toward him.
"What an interesting little guy."
She could tell that, despite his composed demeanor and mature actions, there was still a hint of youthful inexperience on his face. He was probably not that old.
---
Outside the cave, Xiao Bai stood by the waterfall, letting the cool mist wash over him.
"Sigh… I really have grown up." He chuckled bitterly. His eighteen-year-old body couldn't handle temptation at all. Even if his mind and willpower could suppress it, his physical reactions were completely beyond his control!
This was the first time he had felt so flustered in front of a woman. Even when he had faced Cai Lin before, he hadn't felt such overwhelming desire.
It wasn't that Cai Lin wasn't alluring enough—it was just that, when dealing with that prideful woman, he always had to maintain a level of vigilance. At the time, their relationship hadn't progressed far enough for him to lower his guard.
But with the woman in the cave… it was different.
Realizing this, Xiao Bai stroked his chin in thought.
For some reason, he had never felt wary of her from the beginning. It was probably due to the influence of the original story. In the original timeline, her actions made it clear that, once she let someone into her heart, she would never harm them—even if she herself had to endure suffering.
"She really is an interesting woman." Xiao Bai shook his head with a chuckle. "Since she's so interesting, I suppose I'll take my time unlocking that seal."
He still had seven days before setting off for Jia Nan Academy. As long as he made it back in time, there was no rush. As for gathering medicinal herbs, he could just collect them little by little over the next seven days. That was reasonable… right?
"Bang!"
A flash of earthy yellow lightning crackled beneath his feet, and not far away, a Greenwood Sheep that had come to drink water suddenly convulsed and collapsed.
Xiao Bai pulled a dagger from his storage ring and swiftly dealt with the animal, removing its four legs. He cleaned and processed them by the waterfall before carrying them back toward the cave.
---
Back in the cave, the woman was lying still with her eyes closed, seemingly attempting to mobilize the Dou Qi in her dantian to break through the seal.
Xiao Bai didn't disturb her. Instead, he casually sat by the bonfire, seasoned the lamb legs, and began roasting them over the fire.
He could sense that her efforts were futile for now. With her internal injuries still unhealed, her body was completely devoid of Dou Qi, and the seal prevented her from drawing on any energy. Without external help, the only way to break the seal was to gradually recover and absorb external energy bit by bit.
Before long, the rich aroma of roasting meat filled the cave. The woman slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the black-robed figure by the fire.
"Are you hungry?" Xiao Bai asked without turning around. Even a Dou Huang needed to eat when deprived of Dou Qi.
"No."
Just as the word left her lips, her stomach betrayed her with a low grumble. A faint blush crept onto her face, but seeing that Xiao Bai didn't turn to look at her, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
A few moments later, Xiao Bai removed the golden-brown roasted lamb leg from the fire. He placed it on a large leaf he had picked earlier, carefully cutting it into small pieces. Then, he walked over, helped her sit up, and set the leaf with the meat on her lap before turning back to continue roasting more.
The woman stared blankly at his actions. By the time she came back to her senses, he had already returned to the fire. She glanced at the steaming, fragrant meat on her lap, then back at his figure, as if wanting to say something… but in the end, she only murmured softly,
"Thank you."
"Consider yourself lucky today!" Xiao Bai smirked without looking at her. "I rarely cook for anyone. There are very few people in this world who are worthy of me personally making food for them."
He wasn't exaggerating.
Up until now, the only ones who had ever tasted his cooking were Xun'er and Xian'er. Even Cai Lin had never had the chance.
Hearing the narcissistic tone in his voice, the woman couldn't help but smile gently. She chuckled softly, "Well, I suppose that's my great honor then! I rarely cook myself, but once I recover, how about I make a meal to repay you?"
Thinking about this woman's cooking skills from the original story, Xiao Bai shuddered. Not only had she burned the fish she was trying to roast, but despite being a mighty Dou Huang, she couldn't even tell the difference between aphrodisiacs and regular seasonings. She was clearly someone who had never so much as lifted a finger in the kitchen. Who would dare eat something she made?
"Haha… we'll see about that." Xiao Bai responded perfunctorily. There was no way he was eating her food!
Who knew what strange things she might accidentally put in it—especially in what was bound to be a disaster of a meal?
"You little brat, are you looking down on me?" The woman's tone held a hint of dissatisfaction. No one had ever tasted her cooking before!
If not for the considerate way he had treated her earlier, she wouldn't have even made such an offer. With her status, if she had said this in the Jia Ma Empire, who wouldn't have been ecstatic? Yet here, she was actually being turned down!
Xiao Bai secretly rolled his eyes. Do you have no self-awareness at all?
Rather than arguing, he changed the topic. "By the way, I still don't know your name."
"Yun Zhi." The woman's beautiful eyes flickered slightly as she spoke softly.
"Of course… the same alias as always." Xiao Bai had expected this answer, but he still couldn't help inwardly complaining.
"And you?"
Hearing this, Xiao Bai pondered for a moment. Since she was using an alias, he might as well do the same. She likely knew some things about the Xiao Clan, and both Xiao Bai and Xiao Yan were probably on Yun Lan Sect's radar. It wasn't time to reveal his identity yet.
"Ah Niu."
At that name, the woman momentarily paused mid-bite. She didn't question its authenticity but had already drawn her own conclusions.
She couldn't sense his cultivation at all—there was no energy fluctuation from him, as if he were an ordinary person. But if he was just an ordinary person, where had the meat she was eating come from?
He was definitely a cultivator. Judging by his age, his cultivation likely wasn't very high, and he was probably using some method to conceal it.
The cave fell into silence. After exchanging names, neither of them seemed to have anything more to say.
Suddenly, a distant beastly roar echoed through the night.
Yun Zhi's delicate brows furrowed. She suddenly recalled the furious roar of the Amethyst Winged Lion King when she escaped. Now, the intelligent magical beasts in the area were probably all searching for her.
This is bad.
After thinking for a moment, she glanced at Xiao Bai. A trace of hesitation flickered in her eyes, but in the end, she couldn't bear to let the young man who had saved her get dragged into trouble. She sighed. "Ah Niu, you should leave as soon as possible."
"Why?" Xiao Bai asked casually.
"You should already understand my situation. That Amethyst Winged Lion King is surely searching for me. If its subordinates find this place, you'll be in serious danger." Yun Zhi's voice held a tinge of bitterness.
"And what about you if I leave?" Xiao Bai continued turning the roasting lamb leg over the fire. The flickering flames cast an unreadable expression on his face.
"That's my problem. You don't need to worry about it!" Hearing the approaching beastly roars, Yun Zhi became anxious, her tone turning cold.
"Alright then!" Xiao Bai immediately picked up the roasted lamb leg and walked out without hesitation. His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest reluctance.
"…!"
Yun Zhi blinked in surprise. His attitude had changed too fast! Just a moment ago, he had seemed concerned about her, and now he was leaving without a second thought?
She had wanted him to leave, but… she had also secretly hoped for something else.
Seeing him really walk away, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment.
Forget it.
She smiled bitterly to herself. What was she expecting? They were just two strangers who happened to cross paths. He had already done more than enough by saving her. How could she expect him to risk his life for her?
Yun Zhi shook her head with a wry smile.
What was she hoping for?
She reached for her storage ring and, with a flicker of light, a beautifully crafted blue longsword appeared in her hands. Resting it across her lap, she closed her eyes and quietly waited for the lion's minions to arrive. Even if she couldn't move, she wouldn't go down without a fight.
---
Outside the cave, Xiao Bai caught sight of two Tier 3 Magical Beasts charging toward the area. After a quick glance, he flickered away and vanished into the trees.
Perching himself on a large tree branch, he concealed his presence, took a bite of his lamb leg, and settled in to watch the show.
The two magical beasts sniffed around by the river beneath the waterfall, following the scent trail toward the cave. Upon reaching the entrance, they seemed to detect something inside. With a few loud roars, they cautiously stepped into the cave.
Though he appeared to be spectating, Xiao Bai had already locked onto the two beasts with his soul perception.
He just wanted to tease Sect Leader Yun a little—he wasn't actually going to abandon her.
Inside the cave, Yun Zhi gazed at the two Tier 3 Magical Beasts, a hint of despair flashing in her eyes. If it were a Tier 1 beast, she wouldn't have much trouble dealing with it in her current state. Tier 2 would still be manageable—she might stand a chance if she fought with all her might. But two Tier 3 beasts? That was beyond her ability to handle right now.
"Am I truly going to perish here today?"
Gripping the longsword in her hands, she slowly ran her fingers across the blade, a trace of sorrow flickering in her gaze.
She never expected that, as a Dou Huang, she would end up dying at the claws of two Third Rank Magical Beasts.
Using her sword as support, she struggled to stand. Her eyes turned sharp as she shouted coldly,
"Come at me, beasts!"
Seeing the human woman before them, the two magical beasts, already wary, revealed a bloodthirsty gleam in their eyes. Their claws dug into the ground, itching to strike.
"Roar!"
The two beasts lunged at Yun Zhi from different directions.
Seeing this, Yun Zhi swung her longsword, executing a sword technique without Dou Qi reinforcement. She slashed at one of the beasts, completely ignoring the other. She intended to exchange injury for injury—if she could take down one first, she might still have a chance to survive.
"Slash!"
Even though her Dou Qi was sealed and her internal injuries remained untreated, her instincts as a Dou Huang remained sharp. She targeted the beast's weak point and used the sharpness of her sword to carve a long wound across its abdomen. However, the force of the impact sent her tumbling to the ground.
But what puzzled her was that the second beast, which had clearly been lunging at her, suddenly froze mid-air and fell straight down instead of attacking.
"Roar!"
The dazed beast quickly snapped out of it. Its eyes regained clarity as it let out a furious roar and prepared to pounce on her again.
Meanwhile, the wounded beast grew even more bloodthirsty. It let out a low growl and, despite its bleeding wound, continued dragging itself toward her.
At this moment, Yun Zhi felt a wave of despair wash over her.
She had held on through sheer willpower, but now, no matter how much she tried, her body refused to move. She watched the two magical beasts approach, and, unable to resist any longer, she closed her eyes.
Memories began to flash through her mind—childhood moments, her teenage years, her adulthood, her Master, and even Yanran… But in the very last moment, to her surprise, Ah Niu's figure appeared.
"I wonder if he made it out safely?"
The thought flickered through her mind and was gone.
A long moment passed, and yet the pain she expected never came.
"Did I pass out from fear?"
Just then, a familiar voice, laced with amusement, rang beside her ear.
Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at a large face hovering right in front of hers.
A trace of confusion flashed in her eyes before she turned her gaze toward the two magical beasts—both now lying lifeless on the ground.
In that instant, she knew—he had saved her again.
"Didn't you leave?" Yun Zhi blinked, her eyes carrying a hint of surprise and joy.
"I did! But halfway through, I suddenly realized that my clothes were still on you, so I had no choice but to come back." Xiao Bai's gaze flickered toward the black robe she was wearing, hesitating as if unsure whether to continue.
"Heh…" Yun Zhi chuckled softly. She didn't believe his excuse at all. But just as she was about to respond, she noticed his suddenly odd expression.
Following his gaze, she looked down at herself.
Her originally pale face instantly turned scarlet, and an overwhelming sense of shame flooded her heart.
Never in her life had she wanted to die more than at this very moment!
At some point, the black robe covering her had slightly loosened, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of bare skin. From their current angles, it was almost completely exposed!
Hurriedly, she reached out with her jade-like hands, clutching the robe closed.
She took a deep breath, then reopened her eyes, which were now filled with icy killing intent. Staring at the man before her, who was deliberately avoiding her gaze, she spoke in a voice as cold as the winds of the Nine Netherworlds.
"Tell me—how would you like to die?"
"It's not my fault! I was just about to warn you, but I was afraid you'd get embarrassed!"
Xiao Bai instantly leaped backward, grabbed the corpses of the two beasts, and turned to leave.
Watching his retreating figure disappear, Yun Zhi's expression shifted between shame and anger.
Her years of pristine reputation—completely ruined!
No matter how cold and indifferent she usually was, she couldn't possibly remain calm about this.
Front and back… He had seen everything!
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