In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the tower's cool air, and slowly exhaled. When she opened her eyes again, they were as still as a deep well. She found a clean corner in the corridor, but instead of meditating, she leaned quietly against the cool stone wall, holding Tianya, and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing. A cool halo enveloped her, making her look like an emotionless jade statue.

When Biyao woke up again, she felt much better. The warm current within her body was still flowing slowly, but it no longer made her drowsy as it had at first. Instead, it brought a sense of fulfillment as her energy slowly returned. The dull pain in her chest had also lessened considerably.

She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Su Han's profile. He had adjusted his position at some point, still holding her hand, but his body was slightly leaning against the edge of the jade bed, his eyes closed, seemingly asleep. However, even in his sleep, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his grip on her hand remained firm and strong.

Biyao gazed quietly at his tired sleeping face, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside her. She thought, he must have been terrified these past few days.

She didn't move, afraid of waking him. Her gaze slowly wandered, taking in the grand hall. Ancient, spacious, it exuded a heavy, solemn aura befitting a righteous sect. This was the interior of the Zhenyue Tower of the Qingyun Sect. She had only heard her father and Aunt You mention it before, saying it was an important place for the Qingyun Sect to suppress the earth's veins and guard the region, and that ordinary disciples were not allowed to enter without permission. She never imagined that she would one day be lying here, and that she would be rescued by an elder of the Qingyun Sect.

Good and evil cannot coexist. She had heard this saying since childhood. But now, the ones who saved her life were Elder Mu and Lu Xueqi from the Qingyun Sect. The one who sheltered her here to recuperate was Shi Yue from the Zhenyue Tower. And the one guarding her side was Su Han, who came from Qingyun but remained detached from it.

Life is truly wondrous and ironic.

Just as her thoughts drifted away, the light at the entrance of the main hall seemed to dim for a moment.

Biyao turned her head to look, sensing the danger.

A white figure stood silently at the entrance, seemingly having been there for some time. Lu Xueqi had changed into a clean dress, still pristine white, spotless. Her complexion was slightly better than before, but still somewhat pale. Her cool and aloof face, illuminated by the dim light in the hall, appeared as if sculpted from ice and snow.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

For a moment, no one spoke. The hall was so quiet that Su Han's even, soft breathing could be heard.

Lu Xueqi's gaze lingered on Biyao's face for a moment, then swept over her clasped hands with Su Han, before finally settling back into Biyao's eyes. Her gaze was calm, devoid of joy or sorrow, revealing no emotion whatsoever, yet Biyao inexplicably sensed a faint, indescribable scrutiny.

Biyao moved first. She slightly curved her eyes in a gesture of goodwill. After all, this person had just saved her life in such a dangerous way.

Lu Xueqi seemed to pause for a moment, then nodded almost imperceptibly in response.

It was a very simple action, yet it seemed to break the stagnant atmosphere.

Lu Xueqi entered, her footsteps light and silent. She didn't approach the jade bed, but stopped a few steps away, her gaze falling on the Soul-Stabilizing Bead on Biyao's forehead. She sensed the stabilizing fluctuations emanating from it before speaking, her voice still clear and cold, but less icy than usual: "How do you feel?"

"Much better." Biyao spoke, her voice still a little hoarse and weak, but she could speak coherently. "Thank you... Miss Lu." She paused, then added, "And Elder Mu as well."

Lu Xueqi shook her head: "No need. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

“Saving you was my own choice,” Biyao said calmly, with a hint of her characteristic stubbornness. “It has nothing to do with you, and you don’t need to feel indebted to me.”

"It's a fact that you saved my life." Lu Xueqi's tone was calm but undeniable. "I will remember it forever."

During their conversation, both of them tacitly kept their voices down, seemingly afraid of waking Su Han. But this slight movement still woke Su Han, who was a light sleeper. His eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes, still looking dazed from just waking up, but he instantly became clear-headed. He first looked at Bi Yao to make sure she was alright, and only then did he notice that there was another person in the hall.

"Senior Sister Lu." Su Han released Bi Yao's hand and stood up, his movements somewhat stiff, clearly from maintaining one posture for too long. He nodded to Lu Xueqi, his eyes asking, "How's your meditation going?"

"It's alright now," Lu Xueqi replied briefly, her gaze sweeping over the bloodshot eyes and tired expression on his face. "You should go and regulate your breathing. Your true energy is depleted, and if left untreated, it will cause serious problems."

Su Han gave a wry smile: "I understand. But..." He glanced at Bi Yao, his meaning clear.

“I’ll keep watch,” Lu Xueqi suddenly said.

Su Han and Bi Yao were both taken aback and looked at her.

Lu Xueqi remained calm, as if stating something perfectly natural: "Elder Mu said that Miss Biyao is out of danger and only needs to rest. Now that I'm here, you can go and recover your strength without worry. If anything happens, I will call you."

Her suggestion was reasonable. Su Han's condition was indeed terrible, and he urgently needed to meditate and regulate his breathing; otherwise, his very foundation might be damaged. Bi Yao's condition was stable at the moment, and with a master like Lu Xueqi by her side to take care of her, it was certainly much safer than forcing herself to endure it. Moreover, Lu Xueqi had saved Bi Yao, and neither morally nor logically would it be detrimental to Bi Yao.

Su Han was torn. Reason told him he should accept it, but his emotions made it impossible for him to leave Bi Yao's side even for a moment.

"Go ahead," Biyao said softly, looking at him with a gentle smile in her eyes. "I'm fine now. Miss Lu is right. If you don't go and regulate your breathing, who will take care of me if I collapse?"

Her tone carried a long-lost slyness that belonged to Biyao, which eased Su Han's tense nerves a little. He looked at Biyao, then at Lu Xueqi, and finally nodded: "Then... thank you for your trouble, Senior Sister Lu. I'll be in the outer room. If anything happens, please call me immediately."

"Hmm," Lu Xueqi responded faintly.

Su Han gave Bi Yao another deep look before turning and walking towards a side door on one side of the main hall. It led to a smaller, quiet room, the place Shi Yue had previously told him he could use.

Only two women remained inside the main hall.

The atmosphere seemed to become subtle again.

Lu Xueqi did not approach the jade bed, but remained standing in place, her gaze calmly fixed on Biyao, yet seemingly looking through her to a more distant place.

Biyao looked at her quietly. This once-in-a-century genius of the Qingyun Sect, the aloof and icy Lu Xueqi, stood right in front of her. The distance between them was only a few steps, yet it felt as if an entire world separated them.

“You care about him a lot.” Biyao suddenly spoke, her voice soft and her tone flat, as if stating a fact.

Lu Xueqi's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. She neither admitted nor denied it, but simply asked in return, "Aren't you the same?"

Biyao smiled, a hint of life returning to her pale face. "Yes, I care. I care a lot." She answered crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation. "That's why I pushed him away and took that blow myself." As she spoke, her gaze fell on her chest, where beneath her clothes lay a gruesome wound and newly healing flesh. (End of Chapter)