Chapter 104: Crisis Arrives
"Let me take a look at the wounds on your body. As long as they aren't too unusual, I can handle them." Feng Baichuan walked to the bedside and said with a sigh.
Yun Che shook his head: "No need. I have my own ways of dealing with these minor injuries. Don't trouble yourself. You're facing a great calamity right now, and there must be many matters requiring your attention as clan leader. Don't worry about us."
Feng Baichuan didn't insist and nodded: "Alright then. Rest well here. If you need anything, feel free to call for us... I hope those villains will take their time getting here."
Feng Baichuan pulled the door shut and walked out with a troubled expression. Yun Che rested his chin on his hand and sank into deep thought.
"Are you sure your injuries are really fine? You fell from such a great height earlier." Lan Xueruo asked worriedly.
Yun Che shook his head with a relaxed expression and said with a smile: "I remember telling Senior Sister before that I'm a divine doctor. To a divine doctor, these little injuries are nothing."
To others, the wounds on his body would definitely be considered severe, but in his eyes, they were merely minor injuries.
"Divine doctor? Even if you really are some kind of divine doctor, can you afford to throw your life away like this!" Thinking about how Yun Che had risked his life twice to save her, Lan Xueruo's eyes reddened slightly. "If you really died, I would never be able to find peace of mind for the rest of my life."
"Haha," Yun Che laughed. "Yuanba was absolutely right. Senior Sister is far too kind. In truth, I was the one who dragged you into this. I should be the one blaming myself, yet now you're blaming yourself instead."
Lan Xueruo's gaze rippled. She bit her lip and said softly: "Junior Brother Yun, don't ever act like that again, alright? Actually, I have many protective treasures on me, so I won't get hurt easily. If something similar happens again, you mustn't throw yourself in front of me without regard for your life. Just protect yourself."
"I can't do that." Yun Che shook his head firmly.
"Why can't you? Do you value your life so little?" Lan Xueruo's heart jumped.
"No! I value my life greatly. No matter what happens, I will never allow myself to die. It's just... it's just..." Yun Che closed his eyes, not letting Lan Xueruo see the trace of sorrow deep within them. "I once let down a girl who was the best to me... In the end, because of me, she died in my arms... The pain of that moment, I fear I could never forget even after ten lifetimes. From that day on, I swore I would never let any girl who is kind to me be harmed again—never!"
"...That girl, she wasn't your current wife, was she?" Lan Xueruo looked at Yun Che, a complex emotion in her eyes that even she didn't understand.
"Of course not. But she was still good to me, so I suppose I was good to her in return." Thinking of Xia Qingyue, Yun Che smiled gently. Those few days they shared a bed, though brief, held beautiful memories. However, from now on, he might never see her again. Yet as his "wife," she was firmly imprinted in his heart. After all, she was the first wife of his two lifetimes—even if they were only married in name without the reality.
"Junior Brother Yun, you're only sixteen! Not only are you already married at such a young age, but a girl has withered away because of you... There might even be other girls you've ruined. I've seen many frivolous and flirtatious men, but someone as young as you is a first for me." Lan Xueruo laughed. She was fully aware of Yun Che's "wife" identity. A few days ago, she had sent people to New Moon City to investigate everything about Yun Che. The fact that his wife, Xia Qingyue, was a disciple of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace was common knowledge in Liu Yun City. This also made her Xia family seem like the top power in Liu Yun City, one no one dared to provoke. After all, among the four great sects, the Bing Yun Fairy Palace had the fewest disciples and was famously protective of their own.
Yun Che smiled and neither confirmed nor denied, instead asking in return: "Does Senior Sister have a sweetheart now?"
"Me? Of course not. Senior Sister won't be like you, flirting around at such a young age." Lan Xueruo pursed her lips and smiled.
"Phew, good thing you don't. Otherwise, I'd be heartbroken to death." Yun Che let out a small sigh, his expression visibly relaxing.
"...You little brat! Saying you're a flirt isn't wronging you at all." Lan Xueruo wrinkled her nose in mock rebuke. Then she lifted her exquisite face, a hint of longing in her expression: "Your Senior Sister will marry a hero who can conquer the world. A little flirt like you is totally not my type, especially since you're already married."
Yun Che: "..."
"Rest well. Xiao Xue (Little Snow) was too exhausted from flying earlier and might need to sleep for a while. Once she wakes up, we can leave this place. As for the people here, I've already promised those two kids that I'll help them within my power."
After a few words with Yun Che, she could clearly sense that he was struggling more and more as he spoke, so she stopped bothering him. She walked out and gently closed the door behind her.
"Interested in what they're guarding?" Mo Li suddenly spoke up as soon as Lan Xueruo left.
"Of course!" Yun Che said with closed eyes. "Since there's the aura of a phoenix, it's very likely something left behind by the phoenix! An ancient divine beast phoenix! Even a single bird feather would be at the Divine Xuan level! Now that outsiders have discovered this place, even if they don't get what the clan is guarding, they might spread news of this place. Who knows whose hands it will end up in then."
"Hmph! The possessions of an ancient divine beast are not something mere mortals can defile." Mo Li let out a disdainful snort and fell silent, as if warning Yun Che.
In the quiet, Yun Che examined his wounds, then sank his consciousness into the Heavenly Poison Pearl. He quickly found more than a dozen herbs he needed. After a brief refinement, he obtained a clump of pitch-black gel-like substance. He spread it evenly over his left shoulder, then closed his eyes and quickly fell into slumber.
When Yun Che woke again, it was already the next morning. He was roused by the commotion outside.
"...Be sensible and undo the sealing array on the back mountain immediately! You're the guardian clan of this place, so you must know how to undo it! Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!" A rough and irritable voice, laced with intense malice and threat.
"That sealing array has always been there. We have no idea what it is, let alone how to undo it! We're just a tiny clan living in seclusion here. If there were really any treasures, why would our clan have fallen to such a state?" Feng Baichuan's voice rang out.
"Hahaha! Do you take us for three-year-olds? You think we'd believe such nonsense? Today, our leader and deputy leader have personally come. If you keep playing dumb with us, do you believe we'll annihilate your entire clan!"
………………
These voices... Could it be...
Yun Che quickly sat up from the bed. His left shoulder still throbbed with pain and was stiff to move, but it was much better than yesterday. The larger and smaller wounds on his body had healed by nearly half, and he was no longer as weak as before. At least, normal walking was no longer a problem. Just as he was about to get out of bed, the door was pushed open, and Lan Xueruo rushed in anxiously. Seeing that Yun Che was awake, she hurriedly said: "Junior Brother Yun, it's terrible! That Black Demon Mercenary Group has already arrived today! Over a hundred people have completely blocked off the village entrance."
"How could they be so fast?" Yun Che frowned.
"Clan Leader Feng and the others were caught off guard as well. The entire clan is now on high alert." Lan Xueruo's face was full of anxiety.
At that moment, another loud roar came from outside: "Is that little beauty from yesterday in here? No treasure? Fine! Hand over that little beauty first! Let us have some fun first, and maybe we'll forget about the treasure, hahaha!"
Loud, lecherous laughter drifted in from afar. Yun Che's brows knitted tightly... He suddenly understood why this mercenary group called "Black Demon" had attacked so urgently. Obviously, they hadn't been sure whether there was a treasure here before. Anyone with a normal mind could tell from the clan members' cultivation levels that even if there was a treasure, it couldn't be of much value. But yesterday, Lan Xueruo had fought with three members of this mercenary group. Her beauty was enough to make them think she was a heavenly being. They hadn't rushed here for a treasure—they had come for Lan Xueruo! They were afraid she would escape if they delayed even a single step.
"Those villains!" Lan Xueruo bit her lip, her face filled with anger. "Junior Brother Yun, you're injured. Stay here and don't go out. I'll go teach them a lesson."
If Lan Xueruo had killed those three people yesterday, they wouldn't have been so eager to attack. Yun Che couldn't blame her; after all, she was still a young girl with a soft heart. He grabbed her arm and frowned, asking: "What are the cultivation levels of the people in this mercenary group?"
"It seems to be limited by their recruitment standards. Everyone is at or above the Initial Xuan Realm! The lowest is at Xuan Entry Realm Level 1. There are over eighty people between Xuan Entry Realm Level 1 and Level 5, over thirty above Xuan Entry Realm Level 5, and four people—likely their leader and deputy leaders—who have even reached the True Xuan Realm." Lan Xueruo said with a furrowed brow. Such a lineup was far beyond what Feng Baichuan and his people, who were only at Initial Xuan Realm Level 10, could handle.
"True Xuan Realm..." Yun Che took a deep breath and tightened his grip on Lan Xueruo's hand. "No, you can't go! You heard their shouts just now. This time, they might be targeting you. Not to mention the hundred-plus Xuan Entry Realm members, even the few True Xuan Realm leaders alone are beyond our ability to handle."
"They've already completely sealed off the village entrance. Even if we wanted to escape, we can't. And... maybe I can handle them." As she spoke, Lan Xueruo unclasped the bead necklace around her neck. Immediately, her profound aura rapidly rose under Yun Che's astonished gaze. "The bead on this necklace is called a 'Profound-Sealing Bead.' Wearing it suppresses the wearer's profound strength by five levels. My true cultivation level is True Xuan Realm Level 3. They won't hurt me that easily."
The change in Lan Xueruo's profound aura surprised Yun Che. True Xuan Realm Level 3 at eighteen years old—this was a startling realm completely beyond that of New Moon City's number one genius, Xiao Luocheng! He asked in surprise: "Senior Sister, why did you..."
"I didn't want to attract too much attention, so I chose this method. Anyway, stay here. I'll find a way to take you away from here."
With that, Lan Xueruo turned to leave but was again pulled back by Yun Che. "Even if Senior Sister has True Xuan Realm strength, the enemy has four True Xuan Realm experts! And their average level might even be higher than yours... If there's truly no retreat, I'll go out with you."