Chapter 109: Each Pursues Their Own Interests

Xue Feng had said all that needed to be said, so he rose to his feet and prepared to leave.

Huo Tianqing, seeing that he was about to depart, bent at the waist in a gentle bow.

Xue Feng nodded in response, then strode out of the grand hall, accompanied on either side by Jing Ling and Lie Yang, who followed closely at his left and right.

As Huo Tianqing watched them leave, the murderous intent he had so long concealed flickered once more in his gaze—a darkness so profound and chilling that anyone who saw it would tremble in fear.

He stood in the hall, his mind replaying the message that had been sent to him, his entire being seething with rage.

How dare they call Yingying a stain? Who gave them the right? Are they not tarnished themselves?

The fire in his eyes burned ever brighter; his fist clenched tight, and the surge of killing intent made every furnishing in the hall tremble violently.

Only after a long while did the trembling subside, and Huo Tianqing finally mastered his emotions. He brushed his sleeve lightly, composed himself, and set off for the study, intending to find Xie Yingying.

By this time, Xie Yingying had just finished applying her medicine.

She could have been done long before, but when she carefully smeared the crushed pills onto her inflamed wound, it felt as though someone had rubbed salt into it—ten thousand grains all at once, with a hand ceaselessly grinding it in. The pain was so excruciating that she nearly collapsed several times, her face turning even paler.

After a while, numbness set in. She lowered her head to examine the wound and, though the pain had dulled her senses, the injury itself seemed much improved. A smile broke across her face, and she murmured to herself, “I didn’t expect this to actually work!”

Then, glancing at the medicine left in her hand, she gritted her teeth and, despite the pain, applied all of it to her wound.

In that instant, it felt as if a wildfire scorched through her, overwhelming her senses and tormenting her consciousness with wave after wave of agony.

Xie Yingying bit her lip, but a faint whimper still escaped from between her clenched teeth.

Only after the time it took for a cup of tea to cool did the pain finally subside, giving way to numbness once more.

Sweat drenched her forehead, and her hands shook as she fastened her collar. The next moment, the study door swung open.

Huo Tianqing entered, his expression calm but his aura ice-cold, frost seeming to form beneath his steps.

From a distance, he saw Xie Yingying—her face as white as paper, her fingers trembling. His brows knit in worry, and he quickly crossed the room in long strides, gently helping her to her feet.

Seeing her drenched in cold sweat and pale as death, Huo Tianqing’s heart ached with pity.

Yet Xie Yingying still managed to wave him off with a shaky hand, forcing a smile at the corners of her mouth. “I’m fine.”

Hearing this, Huo Tianqing smiled as well, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I forgot to mention, that medicine is quite potent.”

She suddenly suspected that he hadn’t forgotten at all, but rather done it on purpose, and was about to tease him about it.

But then she saw his face gradually darken, his expression turning grave and serious.

She stilled her jest, her smile fading. “What is it?”

“Yingying, I suppose Bai Shengyun has already told you he intends to take you away?” Huo Tianqing’s words were clipped, as if he could barely contain his fury. “You must not leave with him, do you understand?”

Xie Yingying nodded, but seeing the severity in his eyes and hearing the urgency in his tone, she grew curious. “Why?”

“I just received word—the elders of the Celestial Fox clan have trained death warriors. They want to capture you and bring you back to Gu Feng Mountain to punish you.” Huo Tianqing’s voice was trembling with rage. “So you must not go back with him. He only wants to take you back to your death!”

Xie Yingying thought of how Bai Shengyun had treated her these past days, and her voice grew hoarse.

“But if he truly wanted me dead, wouldn’t he have killed me already?”

“Have you forgotten the Celestial Fox curse?” Huo Tianqing retorted coldly, anger glinting in his eyes. “Only by returning to Gu Feng Mountain might the two of you break the curse. That’s the only way he can regain his freedom. He’s just using you!”

At his words, Xie Yingying pressed her lips together, a strange ache rising in her chest that left her deeply unsettled.

Though she found it hard to believe, on reflection she realized it made sense. The Celestial Fox curse was almost impossible to break; Bai Shengyun was hardly the type to have only her by his side. Killing her to break the curse was the simplest and least troublesome solution—exactly the sort of thing a scoundrel like him would do.

As she dwelled on this, Bai Shengyun, without her noticing, stepped into Huo Tianqing’s palace.

As the master of this place, Huo Tianqing sensed his entry at once, annoyance flashing in his eyes.

Despite the layers of defensive arrays he’d laid, Bai Shengyun had entered as easily as if there’d been none.

But as a grandmaster of arrays, Huo Tianqing knew Bai Shengyun could not have done this alone.

Outside the hall, Bai Qirui watched Bai Shengyun’s receding figure with a sly glint in his eyes.

Not wishing to trouble Xie Yingying, Huo Tianqing rose silently, gazing out the door at Bai Shengyun, who was now standing at the threshold. “I’ll be right back,” he said quietly.

Xie Yingying wondered what business could require him to leave so abruptly, but seeing him depart at such a brisk pace, she asked no further, choosing instead to sit quietly and focus on her recovery.

Outside, Huo Tianqing stepped out and immediately saw Bai Shengyun approaching.

He stood before the study, hands clasped behind his back, and gave a curt snort.

“Yingying has told you—she will not go with you to Gu Feng Mountain.”

Bai Shengyun did not reply. His face remained cold as he formed a seal behind his back. The purple-gold bell at Xie Yingying’s ankle trembled softly, emitting a clear, melodious chime.

Startled, she looked down to find the bell glowing faintly, its spiritual power gathering.

Suddenly, Bai Shengyun’s voice sounded inexplicably in her mind: “I’ve found a way to resolve the Celestial Fox’s primal energy and the curse within you. As long as you return with me to Gu Feng Mountain, you’ll survive.”

Xie Yingying nearly jumped in fright. “How are you speaking to me?”

“Through the purple-gold bell,” Bai Shengyun replied tersely, then continued impatiently, “All you need to do is come with me to Gu Feng Mountain, enter the Fairyland Peach Orchard under the guise of marriage, and help me retrieve something. Then we’ll part ways for good. I’ll save your life, and we’ll be even—no more ties between us!”

There was a hint of sorrow in his final words, but Xie Yingying did not notice, her mind caught on the promise of “no more ties.”

Did this mean she would escape the original fate of her predecessor at last?

She was on the verge of agreeing, but in that moment, Huo Tianqing’s warnings echoed in her mind—

“You must not return to Gu Feng Mountain.”

“He wants you dead!”

“Bai Shengyun is using you!”

Her gaze dropped, that bitter ache rising once more in her heart.

“Hurry and answer,” Bai Shengyun urged, now engaged in a silent standoff with Huo Tianqing outside, his voice tinged with impatience.