Chapter 32 Yearning in the Heart, but Courage Gone: The cultivator covered his face...
The cultivator, clutching his swollen cheek, stared at Wu Jiangxue in disbelief: "You...you know I am..."
"Smack!"
Another crisp sound rang out, and Wu Jiangxue calmly withdrew her hand, while the other half of the cultivator's face swelled up.
Neither of those slaps touched the man's face; instead, she used her gathered spiritual energy to deliver the blows.
"puff……"
A laugh came from the side, and everyone's eyes immediately focused on the red-clad boy whose shoulders were still trembling.
Upon noticing this, Jiang Zhihe suppressed a laugh and said, "Um... you guys continue, don't mind me..."
When his gaze fell upon the cultivator's swollen face, his lips twitched as he tried to suppress a laugh, and finally he turned away and refused to look at him anymore.
Gu Xiaozhu was also holding back. She bit her lip and shifted her gaze to the other side, refusing to look at the cultivator.
"You, you all!" The cultivator was even more enraged, his face turning red.
He staggered to his feet, one hand covering his face, the other pointing at them, and roared ferociously, "I'm telling you! You'll regret this! Once I'm out of the secret realm, I'll go tell my father!"
At this moment, Teng Shao finally lifted his eyelids, his dark eyes staring straight at him, making him feel a chill involuntarily.
"Pshaw, you want to go out and complain? You'll have to see if you're even alive to get out of here."
The cultivator's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously took a step back, his face and tone softening involuntarily: "W-what do you want? Let me tell you, if I die, my father will definitely avenge me!"
Teng Shao: "Revenge? His son died unexpectedly in the secret realm, who is he going to seek revenge on?"
The man immediately shouted, "Bullshit! It's clearly you who want to..."
“Look closely, everyone here except you is one of our people. If we don’t say anything, and you can’t say anything, then isn’t that just an accidental death?” Jiang Zhihe finally recovered and stepped forward with a smile.
The cultivator's eyes widened, and his face turned deathly pale. He didn't even bother to utter any more threats; he simply staggered and fled in panic.
Jiang Zhihe watched the cultivator's figure gradually disappear into the distance, shrugged, and turned to the crowd, saying, "What a coward, running away at the slightest scare."
He then went to Teng Shao's side, patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "I know you really have murderous intent, but given your current situation, don't cause too much trouble."
Teng Shao glanced at him: "I'm not stupid."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhihe raised an eyebrow, smiled at him, and then went to find Gu Xiaozhu.
Teng Shao looked at the boy chattering away beside Gu Xiaozhu, and then at the genuine smile on the girl's face, and felt inexplicably irritated.
That kind of smile, bright and gentle, is the kind of smile that only appears when facing someone you trust completely.
She had never smiled like that when she was with him.
He clicked his tongue softly and then looked away.
Meanwhile, Wu Jiangxue approached the healer, her expression revealing worry: "Junior sister, did he do anything to you?"
The healer shook his head: "Senior sister, I'm fine."
Wu Jiangxue breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. If you encounter something like this again in the future, just take action without hesitation."
She looked at her hesitant junior sister and sighed: "Junior sister, I know that you were raised with the idea that healers should have a benevolent heart and believe that medical practitioners are born to heal the sick and save lives."
“But, junior sister, no one is born to bear any responsibility. So-called responsibility should be something you choose actively.”
"Junior sister, some people should not be saved, nor are they worth saving."
After listening, the female healer's face gradually showed a look of sudden enlightenment. After Wu Jiangxue finished speaking, she nodded heavily: "I understand, Senior Sister!"
Wu Jiangxue nodded.
Ling Qiu watched this scene and felt somewhat puzzled: "Are all the disciples of the Immortal Healer Valley so...naive?"
Jiang Zhihe shrugged: "Most of the people in the Medicine Immortal Valley grew up there, and they have spent most of their lives cultivating and studying medicine. They don't go down the mountain to gain experience much, so it's natural that some of them don't understand the wickedness of people's hearts."
Ling Qiu gasped, "No wonder every time I see people from the Medicine Immortal Valley, I feel that they have a kind of...pure stupidity."
After listening to their words, Gu Xiaozhu felt a sense of doubt arise in her heart:
The Valley of Healers in the original story shouldn't have been so...closed off, right?
Could it be another plot deviation?
After giving instructions to her fellow disciples, Wu Jiangxue turned and walked over here.
"How did you all end up together?" she asked, looking at the group. "And who is this...?"
Jiang Zhihe: "Ling Qiu and I met on the road. As for this person... his name is Teng Shao. He is a powerful rogue cultivator who joined our team to seize the secret treasure at my invitation!"
Wu Jiangxue: "Obtained...the secret treasure?"
Jiang Zhihe nodded: "Yes, I need this."
Wu Jiangxue: "Judging from your tone... you know what the secret treasure is? It hasn't even been born yet, how do you know?"
Jiang Zhihe blinked: "Guess?"
Wu Jiangxue: "..."
She rubbed her forehead, looking a bit annoyed. "Fine, let's not talk about how you convinced them. What about Xiaozhu? I've heard about the cracks appearing in the secret realm; she must have fallen in by accident."
"Seizing the treasure is undoubtedly fraught with danger. Are you really going to take her with you?"
Even she couldn't guarantee she'd escape unscathed from something like this. If Gu Xiaozhu went too, she might very well get injured, or even...
This is too dangerous.
Gu Xiaozhu also realized what was happening.
Right, Jiang Zhihe is going to retrieve the secret treasure of the secret realm. Should I go with him?
She's just a mortal... well, maybe she's a little special, but that little bit of specialness is completely insufficient to support her combat power!
If she goes with Jiang Zhihe, Jiang Zhihe will have to take care of her, and she will become a burden.
But... according to the system, the fragments are still with the treasure.
If I don't go myself, how can I get the fragments?
"I will protect her."
Jiang Zhihe spoke, his expression extremely serious.
Wu Jiangxue looked completely bewildered, as did Ling Qiu, who stood beside her.
Jiang Zhihe and Gu Xiaozhu got along so naturally along the way, and they didn't encounter any danger, that he almost forgot that they were taking a mortal to the location of the secret treasure!
“Brother Jiang, I’m not trying to be mean, but even if you like Miss Gu and want to be by her side all the time, you have to be realistic!” Ling Qiu earnestly advised, and then turned to Teng Shao, who was standing to the side, and said, “Brother Teng, you should try to persuade her too.”
Teng Shao glanced at him but didn't say anything.
Jiang Zhihe remained unmoved: "I have my own thoughts, which you wouldn't understand."
"Besides, I will protect her; she won't get hurt."
His face was full of confidence, which made him seem very convincing.
Although Wu Jiangxue and Ling Qiu didn't understand why he went to compete for the secret treasure and insisted on bringing Gu Xiaozhu with him, his attitude was so firm that they gave up.
While Gu Xiaozhu breathed a sigh of relief, she couldn't help but feel worried.
She was terrified that she would become a burden to them.
[Host, don't worry! Once we're inside the cave, I'll monitor your surroundings the whole time, and I can vaguely sense where the fragments are, so don't worry about not finding them.]
At this moment, Jiang Zhihe spoke up again: "Fellow Daoist Wu, would you like to join our team?"
Wu Jiangxue shook her head: "No, I still have to take care of my junior brothers and sisters, and besides, this isn't my goal this time."
Jiang Zhihe said with a regretful expression, "Well then, it's a pity, we've lost a great help."
Since the entrance to the cave where the treasure was located had not yet been opened, Gu Xiaozhu and the others set up camp near the Medical Immortal Valley camp.
The number of cultivators outside the cave gradually increased. They wore different clothes and gathered in twos and threes.
Gu Xiaozhu also spotted a familiar figure in white among these cultivators.
"That's...Ah Cui?" Gu Xiaozhu looked at the slender white figure being held in the arms of the cultivator and asked with some suspicion.
"Hmm? You know her? Is she your friend?" Just then, Jiang Zhihe walked over and heard this whisper.
Gu Xiaozhu's expression was somewhat complicated: "Hmm... I ran into them twice before in the secret realm."
Jiang Zhihe nodded: "I see..."
He also looked in that direction and saw a gentle expression on Ah Cui's beautiful face. Her slender figure was being embraced by the cultivator beside her, and she looked very petite and charming.
But if you look closely, you can notice the delicate eyebrows that are unconsciously furrowed beneath her hair.
“She seems very reluctant. Do you want to help her?” Jiang Zhihe asked.
Gu Xiaozhu paused for a moment, then asked, "How can I help?"
Jiang Zhihe turned to look at her: "It's simple, just bring her over here."
Gu Xiaozhu: "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?"
Jiang Zhihe looked at her and smiled, "Whatever you want to do, I will help you achieve it, so it won't be troublesome at all."
"Besides, she won't be coming into the cave with us. We can just leave her here in the Valley of Healers. It won't cause any trouble at all."
However, as it turns out, they still didn't consider things enough.
"I'm sorry, I won't go with you."
Upon hearing this, both Gu Xiaozhu and Jiang Zhihe were taken aback.
Gu Xiaozhu looked completely bewildered: "Why? You clearly..."
"Miss Gu."
Ah Cui interrupted her.
Those eyes, seemingly brimming with romantic allure, looked at her, yet they held a complex mix of emotions that were difficult to dispel.
"I'm sorry, I've already promised this young master, so... I won't be going with you."
Upon hearing this, the cultivator next to Ah Cui revealed a smug expression. He put his arm around Ah Cui's shoulder and looked at Jiang Zhihe with a beaming smile: "Young Master Jiang, Ah Cui said it herself, you can't force her, right?"
Jiang Zhihe glanced at him, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever. After a moment, he nodded: "Indeed."
Gu Xiaozhu gave A Cui a deep look, and finally sighed softly under A Cui's evasive gaze: "Alright, since this is what you want... then I respect your wishes."
She paused for a moment: "If that's really what you think."
After saying that, she left with Jiang Zhihe.
Ah Cui was held in the cultivator's arms, her shoulders trembling slightly but unable to relax. She watched the girl's departing figure, her lips parted slightly, then closed again.
Having lived in darkness all her life, she yearned for the sunlight the first time she encountered it, and so she reached out her hand.
...but the burning sensation was astonishing.
So she withdrew her hand, cowardly and self-deceivingly retreating into the darkness.
My heart yearned for it, but I no longer had the courage to pursue it.
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