As soon as the flying boat took off, Mi Lu noticed a few strong, middle-aged men emerging from the bushes below. They seemed to have sensed something and were now looking around, trying to figure it out.

Mi Lu felt that their attire looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite recall who they were.

However, since the San Xiu had already mentioned that these people weren’t here with good intentions, and considering that Han Tu Abyss wasn’t a place filled with rare treasures, aside from some disciples needing experience, no one would normally come here.

In other words—

Those people likely had the same goal as Mi Lu.

They were here for Hulü Yan.

Mi Lu frowned and was just about to ask the San Xiu about it when the San Xiu suddenly spoke up, “They’re disciples of the Medical Hall.”

“Medical Hall?” Mi Lu was surprised. “Why are the people from Medical Hall here? Aren’t they based in Jiu Yao County?”

There was an entire plain between Jiu Yao County and Echeng County, and normally, the two territories wouldn’t interfere with each other unless something major happened.

Moreover—

The Medical Hall…

Mi Lu mulled over these three words carefully.

He quickly remembered.

In one of his previous lifetimes, after his death, he was bound near Hulü Yan and watched helplessly as Hulü Yan slaughtered the first sect—the Medical Hall.

Although the head of the Medical Hall appeared to be from a righteous sect, he had secretly been practicing dark arts for years, creating zombie puppets. In one incident, he lost control and was attacked by his own creations, leaving his neck gnawed to the point where only a thin layer of skin remained, rendering him unable to speak ever again.

It was this man who took Hulü Yan’s tongue.

But the Medical Hall and the Hulü Family rarely had any dealings with each other. Mi Lu wondered who had bridged the gap between them.

The more he thought about it, the deeper Mi Lu’s frown grew.

The San Xiu glanced meaningfully at Hulü Yan, who was lying on the small bed where Mi Lu had placed him, and then responded to Mi Lu’s earlier question. “The disciples of the Medical Hall didn’t come all this way to admire the scenery. Apart from your friend, what else in Han Tu Abyss could possibly attract their attention?”

Mi Lu remained silent.

What the San Xiu said was exactly what he had been thinking.

The San Xiu stared ahead and said, “But don’t worry. They didn’t notice us earlier.”

After a pause, the San Xiu added, “Still, once they realize your friend has been rescued, they probably won’t have much trouble tracking you down. It’s always better to be prepared.”

“I understand,” Mi Lu replied. “Thank you for the warning, big brother.”

The San Xiu acknowledged with a hum, hesitating for a moment before finally speaking up, unable to keep his thoughts to himself. “Sixth Young Master, don’t blame me for speaking out of turn, but since I’ve accepted your spirit stones, there are some things I must say in advance.”

Mi Lu looked at him. “Please speak, big brother.”

The San Xiu’s gaze landed on Hulü Yan, and he spoke solemnly, “Judging by the Medical Hall’s actions, your friend is likely not an ordinary person. By saving him, you may have taken on a lot of trouble. Have you really thought this through?”

Mi Lu followed his gaze and noticed that Hulü Yan, who had been unconscious, had somehow woken up.

Hulü Yan’s empty eye sockets stared blankly in Mi Lu’s direction, his face carrying a confused expression.

Mi Lu walked over.

Hulü Yan’s head moved slightly, following Mi Lu’s steps.

Mi Lu distinctly remembered that Hulü Yan’s ears had also been sacrificed, yet somehow, he could still accurately sense Mi Lu’s position.

He squatted by the small bed, staring at Hulü Yan’s face for a while before turning to the San Xiu. “I’ve thought it through.”

He didn’t want to go through an eleventh reincarnation.

Even though he had no conscious awareness when playing his role as an NPC, the suffering he experienced was real, and so was the pain.

Since death seemed inevitable, he might as well try something different.

He didn’t expect to return to the real world after death, but he desperately wanted to stop being cannon fodder in this book world, endlessly repeating the same events without awareness.

Of course, if he could return to the real world…

Mi Lu felt a pang of bitterness. Even after hundreds of years, with his memories of the real world fading, he still missed his family, his friends, and classmates, and even the information-packed 21st century.

On the other hand, the San Xiu simply sighed and said nothing more.

•

The Mi Family was different from other noble families. While most families sought peace and quiet by building their estates in remote, scenic locations, the Mi Family was closely tied to the court and loved by the people, so their estate was located in the bustling market district of the Capital City.

The entire estate was surrounded by lush bamboo groves, obscuring the view from the outside. A protective barrier even muffled any sounds from within, making it so that passersby couldn’t hear a thing.

Mi Lu lived in the northwest corner of the estate, where the ground was higher, and his house was hidden completely by the dense bamboo.

In front of the main hall was a small square, and at the center of the square, there was a lotus pond. It was lotus season, and the green leaves and pink flowers were in full bloom.

When the flying boat landed, it stirred up a gentle breeze, causing the lotus blossoms to tremble.

Mi Lu wiped some of the blood and dirt off Hulü Yan’s face and body while still on the boat. Although Hulü Yan wasn’t completely clean, at least his face was no longer stained.

That was when Mi Lu realized how handsome the protagonist was. Even though Hulü Yan wasn’t yet fourteen, you could already tell he was going to grow up to be breathtaking.

No wonder that even after Hulü Yan became so twisted, a swarm of admirers still threw themselves at him, heedless of the danger.

However, at this moment, the protagonist hadn’t yet reached the level of madness where he could challenge the heavens.

For now, the protagonist was just a small, fragile figure in Mi Lu’s arms. His long black hair, unbound, fell softly, and his slightly parted lips made him seem so vulnerable that Mi Lu felt like he could easily take his life with just a bit of pressure.

But Mi Lu merely tightened his hold a little, covering Hulü Yan with his outer robe. After saying goodbye to the San Xiu, he quietly climbed through a window and into his room.

Just as his feet touched the floor, a surprised voice called from behind him, “Young Master?”

Mi Lu was startled, but he quickly composed himself and didn’t turn around. Keeping his back to Liu Li, he asked, “Why are you here?”

Liu Li, frightened by Mi Lu’s chilly demeanor, stammered, “M-My lord, you’ve been staying in bed for days, and that’s not good for your health. The lotuses outside have bloomed, so I thought I’d invite you out to see them.”

“I’ve already told you—” Mi Lu took a deep breath, intending to scold her. “These days, I just want to rest quietly. Without my permission, no one is to set foot in my room! Are you ignoring my words, or have I been gone so long that you think you don’t need to listen to me anymore?”

“I was wrong!” Liu Li, terrified, immediately begged for forgiveness.

Mi Lu cut her off, “Enough. Leave now and stand guard outside. If anyone comes, notify me first.”

“Yes, Young Master.” Liu Li, not daring to linger, bowed and quickly exited.

Just as she reached the door, Mi Lu suddenly called out to her. “Wait, have someone bring some food.”

Liu Li thought to herself that the young master had already begun preparing for his fasting regimen. But she knew better than to ask questions, so she replied in a nervous tone, “Yes, Young Master.”

“Nothing too heavy—just some porridge and light dishes.”

“Understood.”

Once Liu Li left, Mi Lu headed towards the inner room.

He gently laid Hulü Yan on the bed. In such a short time, Hulü Yan had woken up and fallen back asleep multiple times.

This time, Hulü Yan woke up again, his head turning toward Mi Lu as if silently observing him.

Next to Hulü Yan was a person dressed in white silk undergarments, and from their figure and appearance, they looked exactly like Mi Lu.

It was an illusion Mi Lu had set up to fool Fei Cui and Liu Li.

He reached out and peeled off the talisman stuck to the clothes.

In an instant, the “person” turned into several segments of white lotus root arranged in a human shape.

After tidying up the lotus root, Mi Lu turned his attention back to Hulü Yan.

Hulü Yan still had his head turned toward him, and those dark, hollow eye sockets gave Mi Lu an eerie feeling, like he was being stared at.

Mi Lu squatted by the bed and frowned.

Although he had been weak and sickly since childhood, surviving thanks to the many miraculous medicines his parents sought out, and had learned a lot as a result, he had no idea how to treat Hulü Yan’s current condition.

People who had been sacrificed couldn’t be treated the same way as regular injuries, and Mi Lu wasn’t sure if the pills in his bag would even work on Hulü Yan.

It wasn’t that Mi Lu was reluctant to use the pills—he was just afraid that instead of helping, they might end up causing harm.

After thinking it over, Mi Lu decided not to risk it.

In the end, he only used a cleansing spell on Hulü Yan and washed the soiled bedding.

Liu Li personally brought the meal, but after Mi Lu’s earlier scolding, she didn’t dare enter the room and left the food on the table in the hall.

Mi Lu cast a cleansing spell on himself as well, changed his clothes, and then brought the meal into the inner room.

The porridge was still hot, steam rising from the bowl.

Mi Lu gently stirred the porridge with a spoon, blowing on it to cool it down. Once it was no longer too hot, he scooped up a small spoonful and brought it to Hulü Yan’s lips.

The blind Hulü Yan seemed startled by the sudden appearance of the spoon. His head jerked to the side, clearly trying to avoid it.

At the same time, a wary expression crossed Hulü Yan’s face, and a shadow of something darker flickered there, like a cloud thickening before a storm. In a moment, it covered his entire face.

Despite his inability to properly control his new “hands” and “feet,” Hulü Yan began to struggle, sitting up from the bed. But his movements were jerky and mechanical, like a rusted machine that jammed with each step.

Mi Lu watched in shock as Hulü Yan climbed out of bed. A sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

Before he could even stand up—one hand still holding the spoon and the other the bowl—Hulü Yan lunged at him.

The familiar sharp pain exploded in his chest.

It felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed his heart and was squeezing tighter and tighter, crushing it into pieces.

Mi Lu couldn’t move.

The pain consumed his mind.

It hurt.

It hurt so much it was unbearable.

His vision was going dark. If this continued, he really might die.

Especially since he could feel his spiritual energy being drained again. Golden threads of energy gathered in his body, weaving their way out from beneath his skin, wrapping around Hulü Yan and then sinking into him like water into a sponge.

Finally, the bowl slipped from Mi Lu’s hand and fell to the ground with a crisp sound, startling Liu Li, who was standing outside.

“Young Master?” Liu Li’s voice called from the hall. “Young Master, are you alright? What happened?”

Liu Li called out several times but received no response. After a moment’s hesitation, she nervously walked toward the inner room.

Her footsteps grew closer and closer.

Just then, Hulü Yan suddenly released Mi Lu, grabbed him, and leaped out the window.

Behind them, Liu Li’s shocked scream rang out, “Young Master—”