“Yes.” Shen Zhiyi looked at the fluttering red silk and suddenly thought of the key to the antidote for the Heart-Shattering Poison—

Blood.

Whose blood is it?

How should we solve this?

She pondered for a moment, staring at Duan Xingzhi's fingertips.

Not as good as...

Should she and he both try it?

"Come on, let's go home." She eagerly pulled Duan Xingzhi along and rushed towards the pharmacy.

Home?

Duan Xingzhi stared at Shen Zhiyi's flowing hair, and in the howling wind, he could hear the gentle flow of his own blood vessels.

Like a pounding heartbeat.

They were even noisier than the people at the Yue Lao Temple.

A thought began to grow wildly in his mind.

He couldn't wait for the day the valley would be opened.

Tonight, he will explore that treacherous path.

He wanted to leave the valley to earn money for her, to buy her lots and lots of jewelry, hairpins, dresses, and all the little trinkets she liked.

He wants to support her.

I won't be her gigolo!

The two returned to the pharmacy; it was already late at night.

Shen Zhiyi endured the pain, pricked herself with an acupuncture needle, then pulled Duan Xingzhi's hand over. Before doing so, she closed her eyes and mentally prepared herself.

call……

It's just another pain...

Duan Xingzhi looked down at her troubled expression, and felt a slight unease in his heart.

She didn't hesitate at all when she stabbed herself.

Why are you so heartbroken and reluctant to let him go?

Duan Xingzhi's eyes were deep and dark.

Suddenly, he reached out and wrapped his hand around hers, which was holding the needle.

Shen Zhiyi was startled by the heat of his palm. Before she could recover, Duan Xingzhi had already taken her hand and, without hesitation, inserted the silver needle into his fingertip.

The movements were fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Blood gushed out instantly, gleaming a dark red luster in the candlelight.

He remained expressionless, and even squeezed the bowl harder, letting the blood drip into it.

"Is that enough?" He looked up at her, his gaze as deep as the night. "If not, there's more."

He didn't know what she was going to do.

They don't care.

He would willingly give her anything she wanted, not just a few drops of blood, but even his life.

Shen Zhiyi looked up, her eyes brimming with tears.

"You...how could you hit me so hard..." Her voice trembled with tears, and her small hand, held in his palm, trembled slightly. "It hurts so much..."

Duan Xingzhi was stunned.

He felt a pang of heartache seeing her tearful face.

He bent down and wiped away her tears.

"Ayi."

He suddenly called her name, his voice low and tender, "Don't worry about me."

He was very close.

An overbearing aura overwhelmed her along with the night, thick and gloomy, entangling her.

Shen Zhiyi's heart started racing.

“Who gave you permission to call me that…” She looked away.

Duan Xingzhi smiled and said, "Mm."

"It was my own decision."

Shen Zhiyi suddenly felt that the candlelight in the room was burning too brightly, making the air even thinner.

It made her a little breathless.

Her cheeks were also steamed into a thin powder.

"Drink this." She lowered her eyelashes, bit her lip, and pushed her blood in front of him.

Duan Xingzhi was about to pick it up.

"etc."

Shen Zhiyi suddenly took his bowl, poured some blood into another empty bowl, and then poured some blood from the other bowl into it, mixing them together.

Just in case, she had to try out multiple possibilities at once.

She drank his.

He drank hers.

Then they drink together what they have blended together.

In that case, there's no need for another injection.

Duan Xingzhi was somewhat puzzled by her behavior, but he didn't ask any further questions.

It can be understood as their fusion.

Perhaps it's some kind of ritual?

It was proof that she wanted to be with him forever.

Blood mingles.

What could be more intimate than this?

He obediently drank her blood.

Shen Zhiyi felt relieved and wiped her mouth with a damp cloth.

Duan Xingzhi, however, slowly brushed his fingertip across his lower lip in front of her, glancing down at the crimson dot on it.

It was her blood.

He stared intently at her, then lowered his head and carefully licked away the bloodstains on her skin.

His gaze was deep and dark, as if he were staring at his prey.

Shen Zhiyi paused, her hand holding the damp handkerchief, and her cheeks flushed red.

She hurriedly turned around, avoiding his gaze.

The blush on her face gradually spread to her ears.

"I...I'm going back to sleep now."

She hurriedly went outside.

Maybe when they wake up tomorrow, the empathy between them will be gone...

Duan Xingzhi followed her to the door as if to protect her, watched her close the door, and then stood outside the door for a moment.

Only after the candles in the room went out and there was no further movement did he turn back to his own room and change into a set of black, practical clothing.

As his memories gradually returned, his martial arts skills also began to regain their former refinement.

Duan Xingzhi silently slipped into the darkness.

He found his eagle-head mask and longsword in a corner of the pharmacy, put them on, and silently swept across the village, speeding towards the treacherous path leading out of the valley.

The moonlight was deep and bright.

Shen Zhiyi was asleep when she suddenly felt a sense of suffocation.

She woke up with a start, clutching the corner of the blanket, breathing heavily.

It looked as if it had just swum out of the deep night.

She was drenched in sweat and felt inexplicably panicked.

"Xiangru!"

Xiangru immediately pushed the door open and came in.

"Miss, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

“What about the slaves?” she asked uneasily.

Xiangru shook her head. "After he parted ways with Miss, he went back to his room. He should be resting now, right?"

"No, I have to go check it out." Shen Zhiyi threw off the covers and got out of bed.

Xiangru found an outer robe and helped her put it on.

"Miss, please take your time."

Shen Zhiyi arrived at Duan Xingzhi's door and gently knocked, but no one answered for a long time.

She felt increasingly uneasy.

Those who hate slaves are the most shrewd.

Normally, he wouldn't miss a single sound, so why hasn't he answered the door after so long?

She turned to Xiangru and said, "You stay here and keep watch, I'll go in and take a look."

She pulled her cloak tighter, pushed open the door, went inside, and gently closed it behind her.

"Hate slave?"

It was pitch black all around.

She followed the moonlight to the bedside.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, a large hand suddenly grabbed him, flipped him over, and pressed him down onto the soft couch!