3: Chapter 3: Retreating to Advance – You're Definitely Taking the Blame

This gaze was like a poison-tipped ice needle, causing Lin Yun's whole body to stiffen.

He subconsciously took half a step back, as if scalded by the undisguised hatred in that gaze.

Just then, a rough, calloused hand rested on Shen Xiao's wrist.

A thick, warm stream of spiritual energy immediately probed inside, like a warm current, circulating once through his Meridians, which were almost frozen and thoroughly messed up by the power of the cold marrow.

Shen Xiao sneered inwardly, his mind sinking into the System interface.

[ "Breath-Concealing Pill" effect in progress... Simulating the near-death state of "spiritual energy exhaustion, Meridians ruptured, cold poison attacking the heart"... Simulation realism 99.9%... ]

Very good, as expected of something produced by the System, perfectly professional.

The spiritual energy that had probed his body circled once and was clearly bluffed by this "realistic" injury.

The next second, a more violent, icy cold aura surged back from the depths of his Dantian—the aftermath of the millennium cold marrow that hadn't been fully refined.

"Ngh!"

A muffled grunt came from above. Zhao Dezhu's large hand trembled violently, as if it had been frozen, and he quickly pulled it back.

Shen Xiao could "hear" this Deacon sucking in a cold breath.

This injury... was even more severe than he had thought!

There was actually such tyrannical cold poison remaining in his Meridians; this was clearly the mark left by forcibly conducting cold energy for someone else!

Zhao Dezhu's expression turned completely solemn.

He no longer hesitated, reaching into his Storage Pouch to pull out a jade bottle. From it, he poured out a Medicinal Pill the size of a dragon's eye, crimson all over, and emitting a faint warmth.

"A quasi-second-tier Spirit Pill, the Returning Yang Pill!" Lin Yun exclaimed, his eyes turning red.

This was a life-saving Medicinal Pill rewarded by the Sect to Foundation Establishment Late Stage Deacons. It was worth a thousand gold, and a single pill could pull a dying person back from the gates of hell.

Zhao Dezhu was actually just giving it to a piece of trash in his eyes?

Zhao Dezhu didn't even pay him any mind. He roughly pinched open Shen Xiao's chin and shoved that scalding hot Medicinal Pill right in.

The Medicinal Pill melted upon entering his mouth, and a massive, warm current instantly exploded, like a small sun dropped into a frozen river, violently dispelling the chill in his Meridians.

Although it couldn't eradicate the power of the cold marrow, it allowed his dilapidated "fake body" to quickly recover some vitality.

Comfortable.

Shen Xiao let out a satisfied groan in his heart, while simultaneously quietly guiding most of the medicinal power into his Dantian to suppress and refine the cold marrow.

"You, go." Zhao Dezhu's cold voice rang out, pointing emotionlessly to the other end of the Ice Cave, "Pick - up - that - pill - bottle - Shen Xiao just crushed - for - me!"

Every word seemed squeezed out from between his teeth.

Lin Yun's face turned from green to white. Under Zhao Dezhu's murderous gaze, he dared not retort and could only turn around in humiliation, walking toward the pile of porcelain shards like a stray dog.

He still held onto a final shred of hope in his heart.

That Medicinal Pill must be fake!

That despicable scoundrel Shen Xiao must have used some kind of trick to deceive Junior Sister Xia and Deacon Zhao. As long as he checked the pill residue, he would definitely be able to expose his lies!

He squatted down, carefully picked up the largest piece of broken porcelain, brought it to his nose to sniff, and then used his fingertip to dab a bit of the remaining powder.

An extremely peculiar fluctuation of medicinal power came through.

This... this is "spirit-dissolving powder"?!

Lin Yun's brain went "buzz," blanking out.

spirit-dissolving powder, an auxiliary ingredient for a third-grade poison pill. It is non-toxic, but after consumption, it can simulate the illusion of ruptured Meridians and dissipated spiritual energy for a short time. It is often used by some evil cultivators to escape like a cicada shedding its skin.

How could he... have this stuff?!

Could it be that he was acting from the very beginning?

He had long prepared to use spirit-dissolving powder to fake his injuries, and then bite back at me?

A chill shot straight from the soles of Lin Yun's feet to his crown.

He suddenly realized that he seemed to have fallen into a trap that had been designed from start to finish.

"What are you still dawdling for?!"

A cold reprimand came from behind him.

Xia Lengbai had stood behind him at some point, looking down at him. Her gaze was like looking at a pile of nauseating trash.

"Junior Sister, listen to my explanation! This Medicinal Pill is problematic, it's spirit-dissolving powder! He is acting!" Lin Yun, as if grabbing onto a last straw of hope, eagerly held up the porcelain shard in his hand.

However, Xia Lengbai only glanced at it indifferently. Then, she suddenly struck, fast as lightning, snatching the jade token at his waist that symbolized his status as an Inner Sect Disciple of the Qingming Sect.

"I will keep this evidence for Deacon Zhao."

She didn't even look at Lin Yun again, turning around to respectfully hand the jade token, still warm from Lin Yun's body heat, to Zhao Dezhu.

This action was more lethal than any words.

It represented a complete rupture and lack of trust.

Zhao Dezhu took the token expressionlessly and casually sealed it into a Storage Pouch.

His gaze then fell on the center of the now-empty cold marrow pool.

There, a faint, sweet, cloying scent had not yet dissipated.

He reached out and summoned, and a wisp of ice crystal stained with powder flew into his palm.

After a brief investigation with spiritual energy, Zhao Dezhu's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he snapped his gaze toward Lin Yun's cuff.

The spiritual energy fluctuations there were identical to the remains of the beast-attracting powder in his hand!

The evidence was irrefutable!

"I... I was trying to lure away the Black Crow to save them!" Lin Yun was completely panicked, explaining incoherently, "I sprinkled the beast-attracting powder on myself to lure the guardian beast away!"

"Oh? Lure away?"

Zhao Dezhu sneered and pointed at Shen Xiao's back.

There, a black feather ice spike was still viciously embedded in his flesh, piercing through the entire shoulder blade, and the flesh around the wound had frozen into a blackish-purple color.

"If you were truly trying to lure the enemy, why did this Black Crow only target Shen Xiao and Junior Niece Xia from start to finish? And you, apart from your robes being a bit disheveled, have you suffered even the slightest injury?"

Zhao Dezhu's voice was like the winter wind, scraping the color from Lin Yun's face.

Yes, why?

He couldn't figure it out himself!

Clearly, the scent on Shen Xiao was stronger, but later that beast seemed to have gone mad, attacking him and Xia Lengbai, while leaving the "main course," Shen Xiao, aside.

Of course he couldn't figure it out; the "Scent Transfer Talisman" that Shen Xiao had exchanged for 1 point of destiny value was just that tyrannical in its effect.

"Uh..."

Just in this dead silence, Shen Xiao in Xia Lengbai's arms let out a painful groan. His eyelids trembled with difficulty a few times, as if he had exhausted all his strength to barely open them a slit.

His vision was blurry, and he precisely avoided Zhao Dezhu, his gaze falling only on Xia Lengbai's worried face.

He didn't speak, just reached out with his only movable hand, still stained with blood, and tremblingly, gently tugged on Xia Lengbai's sleeve.

The simplest, yet most effective action to ignite a woman's protective instinct.

"Deacon... Deacon Zhao..."

Shen Xiao's voice was as thin as a thread, as if he might stop breathing at any moment. "Don't... don't blame Junior Brother Lin... He... he was just too afraid... and accidentally... spilled the beast-attracting powder... I beg you, don't punish him..."

This display of "magnanimity" was like the loudest slap, fiercely striking Lin Yun across the face.

Too afraid?

Accidentally?

This was a hundred times more vicious than directly accusing him of being "despicable and shameless"!

Once these words were out, Lin Yun's image in Zhao Dezhu's heart instantly downgraded from a "Genius with flawed character" to a "despicable wretch who fled in battle, was cowardly, and framed his fellow disciples"!

Zhao Dezhu looked at Lin Yun's face, which had turned the color of a pig's liver, the disdain and disgust in his eyes almost overflowing.

He felt that saying even one more word was a waste of breath. He simply waved his sleeve, and a palm-sized cyan spirit boat flew out. It grew against the wind, instantly transforming into a three-zhang-long skiff, hovering in mid-air.

"Take him, and go!"

[Ding! Child of Destiny Lin Yun's Luck has been damaged, destiny value - 10!]

[Plunder successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a reward: Extreme Dao Sword Embryo (Fragment 1/3)!]

A mysterious stream of information instantly flooded into Shen Xiao's mind.

It was an illusory, sword-shaped fragment that seemed to be condensed from tens of thousands of sword lights. The moment it appeared, it resonated wonderfully with the "Ice Soul Sword Intent" he had just obtained.

Success!

Shen Xiao was ecstatic inside, but on the surface, he tilted his head and "fainted" again, his body leaning softly into Xia Lengbai's arms.

Xia Lengbai carefully helped him up, and with Zhao Dezhu's help, the two of them lifted Shen Xiao onto the spirit boat.

Lin Yun, like a prisoner, was restrained by Zhao Dezhu with spiritual energy and thrown to the stern of the boat.

The spirit boat vibrated slightly, rose steadily into the air, turned into a streak of cyan light, and sped off in the direction of the Qingming Sect.

The biting cold wind whistled by his ears.

Just as Shen Xiao was peacefully "pretending to sleep," calculating his next step, he suddenly felt the hand resting on his waist make an unusual movement.

A cold, slender finger was tracing lightly and heavily with a fingernail on his palm.

The force was very clever, carrying a hint of irresistibility, breaking through the thin epidermis and leaving a tiny, stinging blood mark.

It was as if she was branding a private possession with her own exclusive mark.

Shen Xiao's heart sank abruptly.

He forced himself not to open his eyes, merely concentrating his Divine Sense into a line, quietly "looking" at the woman beside him.

Outside the spirit boat's flight shield, the drifting clouds retreated rapidly.

Mottled light and shadow reflected on Xia Lengbai's face; she was looking down, gazing at him in her arms.

In those cold, clear eyes, there was not a shred of the gratitude and worry that a savior deserved.

Replacing it was a kind of nearly greedy scrutiny, a kind of paranoia and obsession of finally having snatched back a beloved object.

She was not looking at a person.

It was a treasure she had sought for a long time, lost and regained, which she would never allow anyone else to touch.

Holy crap.

Shen Xiao's heart skipped a beat.

This script... seems a lot more exciting than the original story.