Chapter 055: I Will Not Let You Die

The weather within the secret realm was rather strange; the morning had been bright with sunshine, but as afternoon passed, the sky suddenly broke into rain, reflecting Yan Shu’s mood perfectly.

She was about to use her spiritual power to shield herself from the downpour when, unexpectedly, a slender hand appeared in her view, gripping the handle of an umbrella.

An umbrella opened above her, sheltering her from the rain.

Xiao Jihan stood beside her under its cover, his gaze fixed ahead as he spoke, “This is the middle circle. Although it’s still considered the outskirts, the demon beasts and monsters here are at least second rank, and third rank ones are commonplace. As the sky darkens, they emerge.”

Hearing this, Yan Shu’s heart tightened. Both she and Xiao Jihan possessed mutated and evolved spiritual roots, respectively—types that allowed them to cultivate effortlessly, even while sleeping. In just half a day, their spiritual power had already recovered to half its strength.

The problem, however, was that the Hao Yuan Pill had yet to be fully refined. Spiritual energy continued to leak, attracting monsters.

A single third-rank demon wolf was hard enough to handle; if a pack appeared, Yan Shu felt she was doomed to martyrdom.

She looked at Xiao Jihan. “Should we find a safe place to hide for now? Wait until you’ve refined the Hao Yuan Pill completely—and restore our spiritual power while we’re at it?”

Xiao Jihan nodded. “That’s possible, if Master knows where is safe.”

Yan Shu: …

“Maybe we should retreat to the outer circle? Wait until our spiritual power is fully restored before coming back in.”

Xiao Jihan glanced down at her, his voice calm. “Master may not be aware, but the Brahma Heaven Secret Realm only allows entry, not exit. Once you’ve stepped into the middle circle, you cannot return to the outer circle. Likewise, once you enter the heartland, you can’t retreat back to the middle circle. I had originally planned to recover before entering the middle circle, but…”

He didn’t finish, but his meaning was clear.

Because Yan Shu had suggested traveling together, they had entered the middle circle earlier than planned.

Yan Shu was nearly in tears. “I didn’t know it would turn out this way. Maybe you should—”

She had intended to suggest that he crush his jade talisman and leave the secret realm, but then remembered she didn’t have a talisman herself, and the heavenly laws wouldn’t allow her to stray too far from him. If he left, what would she do?

Would she be struck dead by lightning?

Besides, the Medicine King’s inheritance awaited him. If her presence altered Xiao Jihan’s fate, not only might the heavenly laws punish her, but she herself would never forgive it.

The protagonist wouldn’t die; only she, the expendable one, would perish. If death was inevitable either way, why drag Xiao Jihan down?

Xiao Jihan, however, misunderstood her intent. His grip on the umbrella tightened, and his phoenix eyes grew colder. “Rest assured, Master. I won’t implicate you. In a moment, I’ll go on ahead.”

Affection Level: 0 (First Encounter)

Yan Shu: !!!

“What nonsense are you talking about?!”

Her affection level dropped five points in an instant, and Yan Shu grew anxious. “I came here for you. Even if I die for you, that is fate. How could I let you face this alone now that I’m here?”

Wouldn’t the heavenly laws strike her dead on the spot?

To die for him—wasn’t that her lot?

Xiao Jihan’s long lashes trembled. He looked deeply at Yan Shu, who was clearly anxious, and spoke in a hoarse voice, “Don’t worry. I won’t let you die.”

Affection Level: 6 (First Encounter)

Wow!

Not only had the affection level returned, it had increased by one! Most importantly, the protagonist had promised her he would not let her die!

What was the protagonist? He was the favored child of the heavenly laws! Famous for always keeping his word, never failing to fulfill a promise!

Yan Shu felt she could cry with joy. Heaven and earth, at last she had the protagonist’s assurance and could stop fearing she’d be used as fodder!

Xiao Jihan gazed into Yan Shu’s watery, almond-shaped eyes, seeing himself reflected within their depths. Her attention was so focused, her eyes full of his image.

He felt a little uncomfortable, shifted his gaze away, and was about to speak when she suddenly asked softly, “You won’t make me wish I were dead, will you?”

Xiao Jihan froze, recalling the day when he overheard in the corner of that house in Brahma Heaven City: “You damned ghost, you always make me wish I were dead.”

“Little temptress, that’s called being driven to ecstasy!”

Xiao Jihan: …

He turned his face away, coughing lightly. “No.”

Yan Shu finally relaxed, not just relieved but grinning happily. After the laughter, though, she remembered their current predicament and quickly asked, “What should we do now?”

Xiao Jihan pondered for a moment, then frowned and asked, “Did you exchange the Mystic Spirit Mirror with Yu Wenche?”

“I did.” Yan Shu understood his implication. “Are you suggesting we team up with Yu Wenche?”

Xiao Jihan nodded. “Yu Wenche is in the Transformation stage. Even if he suppresses his cultivation to the Golden Core level, he’s still the highest-level cultivator in the entire secret realm, apart from you. He’s surrounded by disciples of the Primordial Sect. Only thirty disciples from any one sect are permitted entry into the Brahma Heaven Secret Realm.”

“Because the Primordial Sect has so many disciples, to maintain their top ranking, all those who entered are Golden Core disciples. With them, even in the heartland, we’ll be safe. The only issue is, with them around, we may not get any spiritual treasures, and we might even have to hand over our demon cores.”

Yan Shu didn’t mind any of that.

She shrugged. “Consider it a protection fee. Once you’ve fully refined the Hao Yuan Pill and we’ve recovered, we can part ways.”

Thinking of this, Yan Shu recalled Qiao Yue Ru. The Medicine King’s inheritance was inside the forbidden area, and only Qiao Yue Ru knew the entrance.

She thought for a moment, then turned to Xiao Jihan. “Have you contacted Qiao Yue Ru?”

Xiao Jihan frowned slightly. “After entering the secret realm, she contacted me once, wanting to team up. I refused.”

Yan Shu: …

Perfect. Now not only is the supporting female character deviating from the script, but the protagonist isn’t following it either!

Yan Shu was anxious, but couldn’t say too much outright.

She considered, then said, “Do you remember I once told you that, after divining your fate, I learned you had a special opportunity in this secret realm?”

Xiao Jihan nodded. “I remember.”

He hadn’t believed she would expend her lifespan to divine his fate, but now he did.

“Master means that my opportunity is related to Qiao Yue Ru?”

Yan Shu affirmed, lying smoothly, “When I divined your fate, not only did I see your opportunity, but I saw it was tied to a woman. I didn’t know who she was at first, until I saw you and Qiao Yue Ru at the Treasure Pavilion.”

Mentioning the Treasure Pavilion evoked unpleasant memories for both.

Yan Shu’s displeasure stemmed from her affection level dropping so precipitously; Xiao Jihan’s was harder to pin down—perhaps he felt deceived.

Both deliberately avoided recalling the Treasure Pavilion episode. Xiao Jihan thought for a moment and said, “For now, teaming up to refine the Hao Yuan Pill is most important. Why don’t I contact Qiao Yue Ru, and you contact Yu Wenche? Whichever is closest, we’ll seek out.”