Chapter 135: The Persistent Man
“Um…” Chen Yin asked hesitantly, “You’re not talking about… the Heavenly Dao Fragment, are you?”
Nan Xiaoxiang raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Y-you’ve heard of it?”
Chen Yin exchanged a look with Qingying.
So it was true.
What was so special about this thing that everyone wanted it?
“Do you know what the Heavenly Dao Fragment is?”
“I’ve never actually seen it…” Nan Xiaoxiang frowned and lowered her voice. “But legend says it has the power to bring the dead back to life and regenerate flesh and bone. It can heal any injury or illness, no matter how severe.”
“I read about it in an ancient text passed down in my family. It said that the Heavenly Dao Fragment could be found in the Azure Cicada Ancient Domain, so I wanted to try my luck.”
“Do you know where it is, Young Master Chen?”
Chen Yin thought for a moment, then asked, “What do you need it for? To save someone?”
Nan Xiaoxiang simply lowered her eyes. “I’m a physician.”
“No physician could resist something that can cure all illnesses.”
“I thought you physicians didn’t believe in such miraculous cures.” Chen Yin teased.
“The world is vast and full of wonders. The path of medicine is long and profound. Perhaps it truly exists.”
Nan Xiaoxiang’s eyes dimmed as she spoke, lost in thought.
Seeing her reluctance to elaborate, Chen Yin shrugged. “Give up. There’s no Heavenly Dao Fragment in the Azure Cicada Ancient Domain.”
“And it’s not as miraculous as you think. Curing all illnesses? That’s just a lie.”
Nan Xiaoxiang persisted. “How can you be so sure?”
“Because I said so. Believe it or not.”
He said calmly, “If you want to waste your life searching for something that doesn’t exist, suit yourself.”
She bit her lip, her eyes flickering with a stubborn glint.
“If you know something about the Heavenly Dao Fragment, Young Master Chen, please tell me. I will repay your kindness in the future.”
“How will you repay me? With your body?”
Nan Xiaoxiang fell silent.
Chen Yin scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t even think about it. I don’t know anything, and I won’t tell you even if I did.”
“I advise you to leave and return to your clinic.”
Although Nan Xiaoxiang remained silent, her eyes still flickered with a stubborn determination.
She hadn’t given up.
Chen Yin noticed but didn’t say anything. If she was determined to throw her life away, he couldn’t stop her.
He would just escort her to the entrance and consider his duty fulfilled.
After a while, the fog thickened.
The temperature dropped slightly, and Luo Luo snuggled closer to Chen Yin, her small hand clutching his robe.
Chen Yin gently stroked her head and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be afraid.”
“Mmm…” she mumbled softly, nuzzling against him.
Qingying stood silently behind them. The fog grew denser, obscuring everything until even Chen Yin was just a blurry silhouette.
She took a step closer, her hand gripping his robe tightly.
Only Nan Xiaoxiang sat alone in a corner, the fog swirling around her, her vision turning gray, until she could no longer see anything.
She was scared.
But she forced herself to remain calm, her head lowered in silence.
Soon, even Chen Yin and the others were just blurry figures in the fog. She couldn’t help but call out softly:
“Y-Young Master Chen?”
No one answered.
Nan Xiaoxiang’s heart pounded with alarm. She stood up, her hand reaching out to where Chen Yin had been standing.
But there was nothing there.
She was alone in the fog.
Panic surged through her.
This wasn’t an illusion. The Nether Spirit Wind could truly sweep her away to an unknown place. If she got separated from Chen Yin and the others, she would be in trouble.
And with her injured ankle, she was completely helpless, adrift in a sea of fog.
“Young Master Chen?”
“Luo Luo?”
“Miss Qingying?”
She called out, her voice echoing in the fog, but there was no response.
She didn’t dare move, just crouched down and waited, her heart pounding.
She prayed for the fog to dissipate quickly.
Suddenly, she heard faint footsteps approaching.
They were very soft, but in the silence of the fog, they were incredibly clear and distinct, bringing a surge of hope.
“Chen—”
Before she could finish his name, a figure emerged from the fog.
It wasn’t Chen Yin. It was a middle-aged swordsman, carrying a strange-looking sword.
Nan Xiaoxiang had never seen him before and froze.
“Wh-who are you…?”
“Do you know Chen Yin?” the swordsman asked, his voice deep and magnetic.
Nan Xiaoxiang looked at him cautiously.
“I’ve heard of him… Why are you looking for him?”
…She didn’t know if this man was a friend or foe. It was better to be safe.
The swordsman smiled faintly. “I have some personal business with him. But I got lost in this fog and can’t seem to find my way.”
“Would you be willing to lead me to him, Miss?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know where he is in this fog.”
Although her voice was polite and gentle, her eyes were wary.
“I see.” The swordsman shook his head regretfully. “That’s a pity.”
“…A pity. My orders were to eliminate all his companions.”
“Without exception.”
Nan Xiaoxiang’s eyes widened, and countless tiny, almost invisible black dots swarmed out from her sleeves.
But the swordsman simply narrowed his eyes, and an invisible wave of sword energy erupted around him, obliterating the black dots.
“That was an interesting trick. I almost fell for it.”
He walked towards her slowly and sighed. “…My apologies.”
Seeing him raise his sword, Nan Xiaoxiang felt a surge of fear, a chilling premonition of death.
She bit her lip, ready to use her last resort.
But before the swordsman could strike, a bright sword light pierced through the fog.
It hurtled towards the swordsman, who, his eyes flashing with a cold light, retreated swiftly.
The sword light dispelled a small section of the fog, revealing Chen Yin and the others.
Chen Yin stood before Nan Xiaoxiang, his Eternal Light sword in hand, shielding her protectively.
“It’s you?”
Chen Yin looked at the man with surprise.
Qingying also recognized him as the one who had been chasing her. She frowned.
“You followed us here?”
Ye Huang gripped his sword tightly, his eyes fixed on Chen Yin.
Seeing Chen Yin’s arrival, Nan Xiaoxiang’s legs gave way, and she sank to the ground, her body trembling.
“Another one of your enemies…” she whispered weakly.
“I apologize, Miss Nan.” Chen Yin’s eyes turned cold. “Consider this me repaying your favor.”
“I spared your life once, and you still dare to come after me?”
Ye Huang didn’t answer, just raised his eyelids slightly, as if he were still half asleep.
“Not talking? Playing dead, huh?”
Chen Yin’s gaze hardened. “Then don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
This time, he wasn’t going to spare him.
The Eternal Light sword blazed with light, its clear, high-pitched ringing echoing through the air.
The fog dissipated instantly as the immense sword light hurtled towards Ye Huang.
Ye Huang’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he raised his hand, and a wisp of black energy, almost invisible, silently flew towards Chen Yin.
The sword light and the black energy collided, passing through each other harmlessly.
In the blink of an eye, the black energy entered Chen Yin’s body, making him frown.
…What was that?
Ye Huang, facing the incoming sword light, knew he couldn’t block it.
As he turned his head, he suddenly noticed something that looked like a formation core, revealed by the dissipating fog.
A formation?
Heaven hasn’t abandoned me!
Without hesitation, he channeled his spiritual energy into it. The formation core lit up, bathing the area in a bright light. A teleportation force enveloped them.
Chen Yin’s eyes widened, and he shouted, “Luo Luo!”
“Hide in the void!”
Luo Luo, startled, reached for Chen Yin’s robe, but the master-servant contract compelled her to dive into the void.
“Young Master!”
“Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”
Before the light completely engulfed them, Chen Yin sent a comforting message to Luo Luo through their contract.
The next moment, they vanished, leaving behind only a massive sword scar that had cleaved through the passage.
The collapsing rocks blocked the path, the dust taking a long time to settle.
A few minutes later, Luo Luo cautiously peeked out from the void. Seeing the unfamiliar and dark surroundings, her ears drooped sadly.
“Young Master…” she murmured worriedly.
Unsure where the Nether Spirit Wind had taken her, Luo Luo didn’t dare wander around or disrupt the formation.
She knew that Young Master, Sister Nan, and Sister Qingying were all inside. If she accidentally damaged the formation, they would be in danger.
And with such a loud commotion, other treasure-seeking cultivators might be drawn to the area.
…She had to protect the formation until Young Master returned.
With that thought, she took a deep breath, and her body began to transform.
Her skin was covered in soft, white fur, her body growing larger, her features becoming more delicate and fox-like. She quickly returned to her true form.
A large white fox with blue eyes settled down, her powerful aura, amplified by her awakened bloodline, radiating outwards.
A clear warning to anyone who dared to approach.
…Young Master. Luo Luo curled up beside the formation.
Please come back soon.
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