Chapter 9

The pit was like a bottomless abyss, deep and dark. The two of them fell for quite a while before landing on the ground.

Upon impact, there was a loud noise. If it weren’t for the lunar energy supporting them, their internal organs might have been displaced.

When they landed, Yuehua still shielded Xie Fuyi with his body. However, despite this, Xie Fuyi still twisted his foot.

The pit was like a deep well, damp and deep, not spacious at all, and quite dark. Looking up, they could only see faint light filtering through the gaps in the grass above.

“Are you alright, Afu?” Yuehua’s first concern upon landing was for Xie Fuyi, as he reached out to check on the person in his arms.

Apart from a sprained foot, Xie Fuyi was protected quite well. It was Yuehua who was more seriously injured, with blood seeping from his lips and his white clothes stained with scratches from sharp stones and branches.

Feeling the dampness on his hands, Xie Fuyi sighed. “I’m fine, but you’re bleeding…”

“Just some superficial wounds,” Yuehua forced down the blood in his throat and surveyed their surroundings.

“We’re too deep from the ground here, and it’s steep and difficult to climb. With my current injuries, it might be difficult to get back up,” he continued.

For Yuehua, this place would have been manageable if he hadn’t been injured, but with his existing wounds and the ones from the fall, it became much more challenging.

“We’ll rest for a while. Once I’ve regained some energy, I’ll take you back up,” Yuehua said.

Xie Fuyi nodded helplessly. If Ye Baixiao couldn’t see them when he returned, he would likely come looking for them.

However, what was originally a hero saving the heroine had turned into both of them falling into this pit. How did that happen?

The cave was dark, and the bottom was very damp.

Yuehua spoke softly, “How’s your foot?”

He took off his coat and laid it on the ground. “Sit here, let me take a look.”

“It’s actually not too bad,” Xie Fuyi said as he sat down with Yuehua’s support, holding the night pearl Yuehua handed him to illuminate the area.

Yuehua squatted in front of him and reached for his ankle. Seeing that it was already swollen, he gently brushed his fingers over it, and the flowing energy relieved the pain.

“Fortunately, no bones are injured. I’ll massage it first, and then apply medicine when we get back,” Yuehua said.

Xie Fuyi’s foot was clean and slender, with a moderate-sized sole. His skin, never exposed to sunlight, was pale, and his toes were distinct, with nails as beautiful as pink shells. As a young physician who often refined medicine, he exuded a faint herbal fragrance even from his feet.

Yuehua couldn’t help but feel a flutter in his heart. His hand paused momentarily during the massage, and his slender fingertips trailed over the instep.

“Are you alright, Afu, Immortal Master?” After a while, the sound of Xie Fuyi sneezing echoed, and he instinctively scratched his itchy foot, which brought Yuehua back to reality—

He was usually aloof and had a cleanliness obsession. When had he ever crouched in front of a low-level cultivator like this, removed a man’s shoes and socks, and held another man’s foot to channel spiritual energy?

Yet, he couldn’t help but be captivated by these feet.

“It’s still a bit swollen; it’s best not to exert too much force right now,” Yuehua calmly said, quickly helping Xie Fuyi put his shoes and socks back on to prevent him from catching a cold.

Yuehua stood up and noticed Xie Fuyi’s trembling shoulders from the cold. Thinking of Xie Fuyi’s low spiritual power, he hesitated for a moment, then gently encircled him, “It’s cold in the mountains at night, especially in this damp and chilly place. It would be warmer if we were a bit closer to each other.”

Xie Fuyi was indeed feeling cold. Although Yuehua’s embrace provided some warmth, he naturally seemed to carry a chill.

Xie Fuyi couldn’t help but miss Ye Baixiao—he had a high body temperature, and his broad chest was like a warm stove.

Despite holding Xie Fuyi close, Yuehua felt that the person in his arms was still icy. With one hand holding him and the other pressing against his back, he slowly channeled the remaining spiritual energy to warm him up.

As the person in his arms gradually warmed up, Yuehua couldn’t shake off the tender thoughts that had arisen moments ago, nor could he erase the touch in his heart.

As the two depended on each other in the valley bottom, on the other side, Ye Baixiao couldn’t find Xie Fuyi upon his return, and his expression changed—especially since the man he had rescued was also missing!

Ye Baixiao’s eyes darkened as he searched almost every place Xie Fuyi usually went for medicinal herbs.

“Where did they go?” Ye Baixiao’s anxious heart surged with turmoil, causing his figure to sway. When he reopened his eyes, they were a deep crimson.

“Now you decide to let me take control of the body?” the man’s voice carried a cold, mocking tone.

“Stop the nonsense and find him quickly!” a cold voice echoed in his mind.

No one would have thought that the Demon Venerable Chiye, would be the inner demon derived from the War God Ye Baixiao. They shared the same origin, and a hundred years ago, Ye Baixiao finally sealed Chiye within his own body. But now, only the secret arts of the demon race could swiftly search the mountains and plains.

Chiye cursed under his breath and quickly formed seals with his fingers. Instantly, countless crimson demonic shadows stealthily emerged. His sinister eyebrows were cold as he commanded, “Find that foolish man for me, search every inch of this mountain.”

With his command, the demonic shadows vanished, blending into the entire valley.

…

At the bottom of the valley, Xie Fuyi had fallen into a deep sleep in Yuehua’s embrace.

Yuehua sniffed the medicinal fragrance emanating from him, his mind in turmoil. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he stared at the person in his arms—his warm brows and eyes, his straight nose, his rosy lips that seemed so plump…

Yuehua’s throat moved slightly as he couldn’t help but lean closer, almost touching noses with him.

Suddenly, his expression turned cold, and he shot a surge of spiritual power towards a corner—the crimson demonic shadows dispersed immediately.

Yuehua’s heart chilled. Was this a demonic technique? How had they tracked them here?

It seemed Chiye was about to emerge. If the Dragon God couldn’t be found soon, there would be great trouble in the world…

Yuehua furrowed his brows slightly, pondering a plan.

On the other side, Ye Baixiao, seeing Xie Fuyi disheveled in Yuehua’s embrace, with Yuehua displaying clearly inappropriate intentions, his face turned ashen. He teleported swiftly towards the location where the demonic shadows had reported.

Laughter echoed in his mind, “Why the hurry now? What were you dawdling for before? Groveling before him every day like a dog, hoping for a bit of favor? If you had found him a bit later, that man might have already been taken.”

Ye Baixiao narrowed his eyes, his movements becoming even swifter. Coldly, he said, “Shut up.”

…

The valley fell quiet once more. Yuehua looked down at the person sleeping peacefully in his arms, his thoughts gradually becoming clearer—he had never felt this way about anyone before. Once the matter with the demon race was resolved, if he was willing to return with him to Yaoxian Sect…

As Yuehua gazed at him lost in thought, he couldn’t help but curl his lips slightly.

Just then, a cold wind swept through, and with it, a flurry of fallen leaves accompanied by a figure descending. Immediately, a sharp sword intent assaulted Yuehua, forcing him to muster all his spiritual power to resist. In the next instant, the person in his arms was snatched away by residual afterimages.

“Who goes there? Release him!” Yuehua, thinking it was the demon race pursuing them, tensed up. But as he was about to act, he met Ye Baixiao’s dark, icy gaze.

“You?” Yuehua knew the man was Xie Fuyi’s disciple, and there was a possibility he was the Dragon God.

Yuehua scrutinized Ye Baixiao, his gaze probing. “Ah Fu said you were severely injured and saved by him, losing your memory and sometimes your spiritual power… But you emit the aura of the Dragon God?”

He wanted to confirm if the man before him was indeed the Dragon God rumored to save all beings.

However, Ye Baixiao didn’t spare him a glance, carefully inspecting the person in his arms—swollen ankles, a still-cold body…

Ye Baixiao wrapped the person carefully in his coat before lifting him up horizontally, then glanced at Yuehua. His expression was cold. “There’s no Dragon God here, only Xie Fuyi’s disciple. Immortal Master Yuehua, once you’re healed, return to Yaoxian Sect as soon as possible.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he embraced Xie Fuyi and in an instant, left the valley floor without considering how to take the moonlight with him.

Xuehua was slightly stunned, the other party did not deny it. Moreover, was this called sometimes having spiritual power and sometimes not? With such profound spiritual power, deceiving Xie Fuyi, staying here, and worshiping a pharmacist with a spiritual power status as a teacher, what was the purpose?