Ni Wenhui had been rather unlucky recently.

Since childhood, she had been frail and prone to illness. Raised within the inner chambers of her home by her mother, she was always accompanied by either her mother or trusted servants.

This time, she had managed to sneak out with two close friends. First, she fell ill repeatedly during the journey, and just when she stayed in an inn to rest, she was caught in an unfortunate incident.

Even as her two friends protected her while leaving the inn, she was coughing heavily.

Since the three of them had snuck away from their elders, they didn’t dare openly take a flying boat, so they had to travel by carriage instead.

The carriage swayed as it moved.

And the people inside couldn’t sit still either.

Ni Wenhui’s face was pale, and her long, thick eyelashes cast small shadows beneath her eyes.

Her looks weren’t the kind that would instantly take one’s breath away, but she had a delicate charm—her round almond-shaped eyes, small nose, and cherry-like lips, with her face being just the size of a palm.

Her long-term illness had made her body more fragile than the average woman’s, and she preferred wearing white dresses, making her look like she could be blown away by the wind. She had been coughing for so long, it seemed like her lungs might come out with her next breath.

Jing Tao gently patted Ni Wenhui’s back and said worriedly, “Maybe I should take out an elixir and give you one.”

Ni Wenhui quickly waved her hand at the suggestion. “I don’t want it.”

Jing Tao said, “But this cough can’t go on like this.”

Ni Wenhui weakly smiled, tugging at the corner of her lips. “Those elixirs might be useful, but they’re just a quick fix. They don’t address the root of the problem. My master always says, ‘When water overflows, it spills; when the moon is full, it wanes.’ If I keep relying on elixirs to sustain my frail body, not only will it waste precious materials, but it might also backfire, as my body might not be able to handle the supplements.”

Jing Tao fell silent, a bitter feeling swelling in her heart. How could she not understand this logic?

The carriage was quiet for a long while.

Finally, it was Yu Ying, sitting across from Ni Wenhui and Jing Tao, who broke the silence. “If only half of Hulü Yan’s heart could be given to Wenhui…”

Before she could finish speaking, Ni Wenhui sternly interrupted her, “Yu Ying.”

Yu Ying was startled and immediately fell silent.

Ni Wenhui removed the handkerchief covering her mouth and shook her head at Yu Ying. “Don’t speak like that.”

Yu Ying bit her lip and unwillingly said, “But in terms of connections, clearly Yunyan Sect and the Hulü Family have closer ties.”

“This has nothing to do with the relationship between the two families. It’s simply that I don’t want to live by borrowing someone else’s life.” Ni Wenhui’s voice was soft but firm.

Though Ni Wenhui appeared weak, often huddled up while coughing, she was stubborn about this issue, and not even her mother could change her mind.

Yu Ying, knowing Ni Wenhui’s nature, didn’t press the matter further. She had only been venting her frustration.

After a brief pause, Yu Ying sighed. “That Mi Hefeng sure got lucky.”

Jing Tao, afraid Ni Wenhui might dwell on this, quickly changed the topic. “By the way, who do you think those people who barged into the inn were? We’re all in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, yet we didn’t sense anything strange!”

“They must be more powerful than us,” Yu Ying replied. “In the world of cultivation, there are countless people with higher cultivation than us. Are we supposed to guess from all of them?”

Jing Tao sighed, “True.”

Not to mention, the intruder had rendered everyone in the inn unconscious and kidnapped two people without leaving a trace. Whether those two were still alive was anyone’s guess.

The only fortunate thing was that they hadn’t targeted the three of them. Otherwise, given the intruder’s abilities, they probably wouldn’t have had a chance to resist.

Thinking of this, Jing Tao broke out in a cold sweat. She suddenly regretted sneaking Ni Wenhui out with Yu Ying.

They had thought that, being mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, they could easily protect Ni Wenhui. But now it seemed that their sheltered life under the protection of their elders had made them far too naive.

But now that they were already out, the best course of action was to stop lingering and get Ni Wenhui safely to Immortal Valley as quickly as possible.

After making up her mind, Jing Tao adjusted their route and informed the coachman they had hired on short notice.

They continued traveling for another day.

By the time the carriage stopped, the sky outside was covered in darkness, with only a few stars scattered across the night.

After winter had arrived, the temperature had dropped drastically.

Especially at night, the cold wind howled as if someone were crying in the distance, making the atmosphere eerie.

The wind battered against the carriage, producing creaking sounds.

Thankfully, the heavy breathing of the horses outside was reassuring.

This place was vast and desolate, with no village in sight, and it was known for frequent monster attacks. The coachman had said that these monsters, which grew by devouring humans, slept during the day and roamed at night, attacking anything that moved after dark.

As a result, everyone traveling through this wasteland knew to journey during the day and rest at night.

The coachman told the three girls to sleep in the carriage while he stuck talismans all over the carriage and horses for protection, then found a high branch to rest on while keeping watch.

The carriage wasn’t big, but it was just enough for the three girls to sleep in.

Jing Tao and Yu Ying positioned Ni Wenhui between them, placing high-level magical artifacts on all four sides before preparing to sleep. However, Jing Tao and Yu Ying didn’t dare sleep at the same time.

After what happened at the inn, their vigilance had significantly increased.

Once Ni Wenhui fell asleep, Yu Ying kept watch for the first half of the night, and Jing Tao would take over for the second half.

Time passed slowly.

In the stillness of the night, the chirping of insects outside the carriage was persistent.

Jing Tao sat by the window, continuously scanning the surroundings with her spiritual sense.

Suddenly, she sensed something, and her calm expression changed. She quickly turned and shook Yu Ying awake.

Yu Ying, still drowsy, asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jing Tao’s expression was serious. “It seems like someone’s coming!”

At that moment, the coachman’s voice came from outside. “Girls, three people are heading toward us.”

##

Ever since Mi Lu’s cultivation regressed from the peak of Qi Refining to the early stages, not only had his senses dulled, but his stamina had weakened. He had to catch his breath after every stretch of road.

The only consolation was that—at least he didn’t have to carry Hulü Yan while he was unconscious.

At least Hulü Yan had done something useful before passing out.

Although what Hulü Yan did might not seem so useful to the person struggling to pull the cart.

The cart’s wheels scraped against the gravel, producing a sharp, grating sound that was particularly jarring in the silent night.

Mi Lu frowned as he panted. “I’m not going any further.”

Ahead of him, Wei Sheng stopped pulling the cart and turned, casting a chilling glance at Mi Lu. “This area is full of fierce monsters. Even I used to pass through here quickly. Are you sure you want to stop?”

Mi Lu stepped forward and looked Wei Sheng in the eye. “What do you think?”

“I think we should keep going,” Wei Sheng rasped. “You want to reach our destination quickly, and I can’t afford to waste any more time on the road.”

At these words, Mi Lu’s gaze involuntarily shifted downward.

Wei Sheng had his arms forcibly torn off by Hulü Yan’s whip. Though his life had been spared and the bleeding stopped, his situation was still grim.

Moreover, Wei Sheng had been the one dragging the cart all this time, with Hulü Yan lying on top. Anyone would be exhausted, let alone an injured person like Wei Sheng.

But Mi Lu felt no sympathy for him.

“Alright, since you say so—” Mi Lu began.

Wei Sheng’s heart tensed, and a hint of hope flickered in his eyes.

But then Mi Lu said, “Let’s rest here for the night and continue at dawn.”

“…” Wei Sheng’s face twisted briefly in rage, his teeth clenched. “You already made up your mind. Why ask me?”

Mi Lu shook his head. “No, I decided after asking you.”

Seeing Wei Sheng’s reaction, Mi Lu felt pleased. He cheerfully explained, “Why would I take your advice? You’re full of tricks. Who knows what you’re scheming?”

Wei Sheng finally understood that Mi Lu had only asked him to make a decision in direct opposition. Anger surged through him, but before he could respond, Mi Lu cracked a whip, and the sound sliced through the air.

The whip struck the ground, scattering gravel.

Wei Sheng immediately fell silent, like a chicken with clipped wings, unable to make any further moves.

Mi Lu smiled at him. “Anything else to say?”

Wei Sheng: “…”

Seeing Wei Sheng subdued, Mi Lu sighed and said, “Alright, you’re no help with no hands, so just stand aside.”

Wei Sheng shrugged off the ropes and silently moved to the side.

He blended into the darkness like a ghost, his eyes filled with malice as he watched Mi Lu pull out a dimly glowing night pearl and rummage through his treasure pouch.

The night pearl, the treasure pouch, and even the whip—all of them had been Wei Sheng’s. Now they were in Mi Lu’s hands.

Hulü Yan’s lashes hadn’t just taken Wei Sheng’s arms—they had turned him into this sorry state, reducing a once powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator into a mere pawn for Mi Lu, a mere Qi Refining cultivator.

Damn it!

Wei Sheng’s mind seethed with hatred as he envisioned a hundred ways to exact his revenge on Mi Lu and Hulü Yan once he recovered.

But for now, he could do nothing but watch as Mi Lu shamelessly pulled out one magical artifact after another from his treasure pouch.

Just as Mi Lu was arranging the artifacts on the ground, a sudden sound broke the air—it wasn’t the crack of the whip this time.

Something was flying toward them.

The object struck one of the magical artifacts at Mi Lu’s feet, bounced off, and landed on the ground, kicking up some dirt.

Mi Lu was startled, then looked down to see an arrow standing straight up in the ground.

A steady, powerful middle-aged man’s voice followed, carried by the cold winter wind. “Who are you?”