Chapter 5

After Xiao Xihe finished speaking, Xie Zhaixing fell into an eerie silence.

Seeing he wasn’t responding, Xiao Xihe wasn’t disappointed and continued guiding: “Do you know what I mean?”

“No, but it doesn’t sound like anything good,” Xie Zhaixing said coldly, eyeing her. “If you dare suggest anything related to dual cultivation, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

“…Of course not! How could I mention dual cultivation when you’re suffering like this?” Xiao Xihe declared righteously, feigning disbelief and vehemently denying it. “You’re so filthy-minded! What I meant by friction… was this.”

As she spoke, she rubbed his icy hand with hers. “Like this. Does it feel a little warmer?”

Xie Zhaixing closed his eyes, his jawline tensing sharply. “Stop talking.”

Xiao Xihe immediately quieted down.

Unnoticed, midnight had passed. Shady Valley was silent, not even the insects chirping anymore. Looking up through the dense canopy, a small gap revealed the sky, where moonlight poured through.

The moon on the fifteenth of August was truly round. Xiao Xihe rubbed her chilly arms and couldn’t resist opening her Cosmos Sack, struggling to pull out a blanket while Xie Zhaixing held her like a big monkey clutching a little one.

Though Xie Zhaixing’s embrace lessened the piercing cold, it was still uncomfortable overall. Sensing her restlessness, he ignored her at first, but when she kept fidgeting endlessly, he finally opened his eyes in exasperation. “The cold is emanating from my body. Are you planning to wrap us up and freeze to death?”

Xiao Xihe paused. “Why would we freeze to death?”

Xie Zhaixing stared at her blankly.

Xiao Xihe blinked, still not understanding.

“If you wrap ice in a blanket, what happens?” Xie Zhaixing asked after a long silence.

Xiao Xihe thought for a moment. “It slows down the melting… Ah, I get it. Demon Lord, you’re so smart.”

Xie Zhaixing glanced at her but didn’t acknowledge her insincere praise.

Xiao Xihe tossed the half-pulled blanket and the Cosmos Sack onto the ground, silently enduring the chill radiating from Xie Zhaixing. The night was deep, and she was so cold her limbs were numb, unable to sleep at all. As for Xie Zhaixing, though his eyes were closed, his Adam’s apple occasionally moved—clearly, he was still enduring the cold in silence.

Extreme cold turns into pain. Xiao Xihe knew he was suffering greatly and had less patience and composure than usual. She absolutely shouldn’t provoke him now; it was best to stay quiet until morning. But—

“Demon Lord, let’s talk to distract you. Otherwise, this long night will be unbearable.” But she was too bored, feeling like time crawled by, so she risked death to pass the time.

Hearing this, Xie Zhaixing opened his eyes and looked at her.

Xiao Xihe smiled ingratiatingly. “Demon Lord.”

Xie Zhaixing: “Hmm.”

He responded! Xiao Xihe perked up. “Do you usually sleep here?”

“Hmm.”

“Without a bed or blankets?” Xiao Xihe asked curiously. “Just sleep like this?”

“Hmm.”

“That’s so pitiful. I have lots of things in my Cosmos Sack. Tomorrow morning, I’ll make you a proper bed,” Xiao Xihe sighed, looking around. “I even have a spare tent, but your place is too small for it. We could use a tarp instead—there are branches all around to tie it to. I could also…”

“Are you pitying me?” Xie Zhaixing’s tone was unreadable.

Xiao Xihe paused. “Huh?”

“In all my years, you’re the second person to pity me,” Xie Zhaixing said, looking at her. His narrow eyes glimmered faintly, his brows and the corners of his eyes exuding a lazy charm.

This was the first time Xiao Xihe had examined his features so closely, and for a moment, she was stunned.

After a while, she snapped out of it and asked eagerly, “So, do you think I’m special and different? Not like those people outside who only care about how high you fly but never worry if you’re tired?”

“Mhm,” Xie Zhaixing responded perfunctorily.

Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Xihe proposed, “Then wouldn’t you want to save the life of someone so special?”

“No.”

Xiao Xihe: “…” What an ass.

After a moment of silence, she recalled what he’d said earlier. “Who was the first person to pity you?”

“The previous leader of Kunlun Sect.”

“The previous one? Did he resign?” Xiao Xihe asked curiously.

“He died,” Xie Zhaixing said, the corners of his eyes lifting slightly as he gave her a measured glance. “I killed him.”

Xiao Xihe: “…”

Thanks to the Demon Lord for killing the conversation. Xiao Xihe instantly became meek.

Time ticked by, and as dawn approached, the surrounding temperature grew colder. Xiao Xihe, drowsy from the cold, mustered her strength to pick up the Cosmos Sack. She pulled out a medicine box, hesitated when opening it, then guiltily shielded it with her body. She quickly took two pills, snapped it shut, and stashed it back into the Cosmos Sack.

“Low-grade spiritual medicine for headaches and fevers. Why are you taking that?” Xie Zhaixing recognized it at a glance.

Seeing he didn’t ask anything else, Xiao Xihe quietly sighed in relief. “Preventing a cold.”

Xie Zhaixing fell silent.

Though he often ignored her remarks, after spending time with him, she could somewhat predict when he’d respond and when he’d pretend not to hear. Right now, his silence when he should have replied was clearly unusual.

Xiao Xihe looked at him. “Is there a problem?”

“A dying person, yet so concerned about their health,” Xie Zhaixing slowly uttered the words he hadn’t said earlier. Though his tone was flat, every syllable dripped with mockery.

Xiao Xihe: “…” She shouldn’t have asked.

As they spoke, the horizon lightened to the color of fish belly. When the first ray of sunlight fell from the sliver of sky above, Xie Zhaixing released his hold on her.

Xiao Xihe struggled to get up from his embrace but immediately collapsed back onto the ground. “Ahhh! My legs are numb…!”

Xie Zhaixing curled his lips slightly, his fingers tapping his knee lightly. “Go make breakfast.”

Xiao Xihe was incredulous. “My legs are like this, and all you care about is— Huh? They’re fine now.”

She blinked, then tapped her knees again. There was no issue—the earlier numbness seemed like an illusion. Confirming she was fine, she instantly regained her energy, skipping off to make a few pancakes. After serving the Demon Lord, she ducked into her tent. Having frozen all night, her joints ached, and she worried about lasting effects. Wrapped tightly in her blanket, she soon fell into a deep sleep.

She slept until noon. The first thing she did upon waking was touch her head.

Perfect, not hot or painful—seems like the fever medicine from the novels works wonders. Xiao Xihe’s satisfaction with this world rose another notch. Smiling, she sat up, only to abruptly meet a pair of narrow, piercing eyes.

“Ah!” Xiao Xihe clutched the blanket in terror. “When did you get here?”

“Just now,” Xie Zhaixing replied, glancing at her. “Given how tightly you wrapped yourself in the blanket, you wouldn’t have gotten sick even without medicine.”

…How did you know I was wrapped up? Xiao Xihe eyed the disheveled goose-down quilt and muttered inwardly before looking at him. “What brings you here?”

“It’s time to cook,” Xie Zhaixing reminded her.

Xiao Xihe: “…What do you want to eat?”

Xie Zhaixing pondered for a moment. “Stream stone perch.”

Xiao Xihe pinched the bridge of her nose, got out of bed, and headed to catch fish. Xie Zhaixing followed leisurely behind as they made their way to the stream.

Most of the larger fish had been caught recently, leaving only small ones weighing about an ounce—still passable. Xiao Xihe rolled up her pant legs and waded into the water, bending down to stare intently at the surface before swiftly snatching one up.

“Impressive,” Xie Zhaixing praised from the bank.

“Of course… huh?” Xiao Xihe paused in surprise, tossed the fish back, and caught it again, only to shake her head. After repeating this three or five times, she sighed. “We can’t eat these. Let’s pick something else.”

“Why?” Xie Zhaixing instantly frowned.

“It seems to be their breeding season. To avoid overfishing, it’s best not to catch them now.” Xiao Xihe trailed off, puzzled. Stream stone perch usually bred in spring and summer, when the weather was hot and the water warm. But now, with the weather turning cooler, why had they suddenly entered a collective breeding phase?

…Could it be a unique setting in the novel? She frowned and looked up at Xie Zhaixing. “Let’s eat something else.”

Xie Zhaixing’s brow furrowed slightly as he turned his gaze back to the stream. Xiao Xihe quickly waved her hands to block his view. “Don’t even think about it. It’s really not an option.”

Her insistence left Xie Zhaixing no choice but to relent.

“Here’s an idea—let’s catch a rabbit. I’ll make you honey-roasted rabbit meat,” Xiao Xihe said, stepping out of the water. “The honey-glazed rabbit will sizzle with juices, crispy on the outside and tender inside, even more fragrant than the spicy version. You’ll love it.”

Xie Zhaixing imagined it as she described and finally gave up on the stream stone perch.

The two ventured deep into the forest. Thanks to Xie Zhaixing’s thirty years of confinement here, he knew the terrain well and easily located a rabbit burrow. Unfortunately, after Xiao Xihe set up the trap and waited patiently, only a heavily pregnant rabbit appeared.

Then came a second, then a third—all round-bellied, peeking at them with comically plump heads.

“…Why are all the rabbits pregnant too?” Xiao Xihe was speechless. Was every animal in Shady Valley expecting?

Xie Zhaixing smirked. “Still catching?”

Xiao Xihe forced a dry laugh and quietly packed up the trap as the rabbits hopped back into their burrow.

Half an hour had already slipped by in the futile effort. Xiao Xihe abandoned the idea of foraging. “I have sweet potatoes in my Cosmos Sack. How about I fry some sweet potato balls and pair them with porridge?”

“Fry balls with sweet potatoes?” Xie Zhaixing looked at her as if hearing it for the first time.

Xiao Xihe immediately perked up: “Never had it before, right? A culinary wasteland like this can’t even offer such common dishes. Wait here, I’ll make it for you.”

After spending the past few days together—though her main goal remained unfulfilled—she had gained some understanding of Xie Zhaixing’s personality. For instance, when he was in a good mood, he wouldn’t mind her playful banter, often behaving just like an ordinary person.

Like now, Xiao Xihe could act casually around him without consequence. In fact, he seemed intrigued enough to follow her.

…Or maybe he was just genuinely hungry.

After lunch, time resumed its steady flow. Xiao Xihe still only saw Xie Zhaixing during meal times and seized every opportunity to persuade him into dual cultivation. Meanwhile, Xie Zhaixing continued to leave right after eating, showing no signs of relenting.

The sun set and rose again, and Xiao Xihe’s life finally entered its countdown.

On the afternoon of the third-to-last day, she suddenly felt dizzy. When she regained her senses, her nose felt wet and itchy. She instinctively wiped it, and her fingertips were stained crimson.

Staring at the blood, she froze for a long moment, truly sensing death’s approach for the first time.

She was going to die.

The second life she had fought so hard to obtain was about to vanish.

Would she return to the real world as a tormented vegetable after death? Or would she perish completely, with no chance of revival?

Xiao Xihe stared at the blood on her finger for a long time before tremblingly rummaging through her Cosmos Sack. Finally, she retrieved the powder she had hidden in the deepest corner—

Joy Union Powder.

…She would try to persuade him one last time. If he still refused, then she couldn’t be blamed for resorting to force. Clutching the powder tightly, she took a deep breath.

“Demon Lord, if you show no mercy, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”