"Li Zhexian!"
"It's already been a minute—where are you?!"
Zhu Zhuqing squeezed her eyes shut in despair, the stench of blood and venom from the incoming Swordtail Scorpion washing over her with the wind.
But—
A few seconds passed.
And the excruciating pain she'd braced for never came.
Her lashes quivered as she slowly opened her eyes.
What filled her vision was a white robe, soaked in blood.
"Li Zhexian?!"
Her teary eyes went wide in disbelief and joy.
Li Zhexian turned his head slightly, a pale smile tugging at his lips.
"Sorry, Zhuqing-jie. I was a few seconds late."
Zhu Zhuqing looked him over quickly, her gaze trembling when she saw the gaping wounds in his shoulders.
"Li Zhexian, you…"
"Now's not the time to talk. Let me take care of these Swordtail Scorpions first."
Li Zhexian raised his sword in his right hand.
The blade's edge pressed against the tail of the thousand-year Swordtail Scorpion in front of him.
"Perfect warm-up."
Before Zhu Zhuqing could recover from her shock—
Two purple Spirit Rings rose from beneath Li Zhexian's feet.
"Second Spirit Ability—Three Swords of Elegance!"
"First Spirit Ability—Greenblade Severance!"
Three Swords of Elegance: on the next attack, sword speed and sharpness are boosted by 300%.
The Qinglian Sword shimmered with an emerald glow. Lotus-shaped markings bloomed along the blade, and a sharp, boundless aura exploded forth.
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't even track his movements.
All she saw was a flicker of sword light.
Then—the tail of the thousand-year Swordtail Scorpion before her snapped cleanly off.
And it didn't stop there.
The same streak of green light sliced clean through several other scorpions as it swept forward, before gradually dissipating into the forest beyond.
"Huh?!"
Watching the scorpions scrambling in panic—seemingly uninjured—Zhu Zhuqing's pale face showed a trace of confusion.
But then—
Her pupils contracted sharply.
The scorpions suddenly split in half, green blood and entrails splattering the ground. They twitched a few steps further—then collapsed, dead.
Zhu Zhuqing swallowed hard, her voice unsteady:
"Li Zhexian… Did you really absorb the Spirit Ring from the Three-Tailed Sword Scorpion King?"
His sword was terrifying now.
That speed and sharpness—downright chilling.
"Cough… cough…"
Li Zhexian suddenly dropped to one knee, using his sword as a crutch to steady himself.
"Li Zhexian, what's wrong?!"
Zhu Zhuqing's expression changed drastically. She rushed to his side to support him.
The moment her hand touched his arm—
Warm, sticky blood met her palm.
Only then did she fully realize how badly he was hurt.
The wounds through his shoulders had split open. His skin was torn in several places, ripped by the overload of Spirit Power. Blood streamed out like a brook.
Her hands trembled as she tried to press down on his injuries.
Her vision blurred. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
She knew how terrifying that Three-Tailed Sword Scorpion King had been.
And the boy now collapsed in her arms—had killed it, and absorbed its Spirit Ring, in just one minute.
Zhu Zhuqing could imagine how desperately he'd fought… all to keep a promise of just one minute to her.
There was so much blood.
No matter how she pressed, she couldn't stop it from flowing.
"Li Zhexian… don't scare me like this…"
"Cough… cough…"
Li Zhexian opened his eyes with effort and managed a hoarse reply:
"Why are you crying? I'm not dead yet."
"Zhuqing-jie… help me up."
Zhu Zhuqing blinked through her tears—then laughed through them.
"Mm… yeah."
...
Outer edges of the Star Dou Great Forest.
A warm bonfire lit up a three-meter radius.
Under the quiet moonlight, a boy and a girl sat by the fire.
Li Zhexian lazily turned a skewered rabbit over the flames, taking the occasional sip from his wine gourd.
The fat sizzled, crackling as it dripped, releasing a delicious aroma into the night air.
Zhu Zhuqing was grilling a fish.
It was obvious she had no experience with such things—
Parts of the fish were burnt black, while others remained half raw.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Whether from the firelight or from shame, it was hard to tell.
"Li Zhexian… are your wounds okay now?"
"Mm."
Li Zhexian nodded.
"Had a couple sips of wine. Already scabbed over."
Zhu Zhuqing had tasted his wine before—she knew how effective it was.
But she still didn't know that the wine was actually his second Martial Soul.
"Tsk tsk…"
She smacked her lips and stared hungrily at his wine gourd.
Li Zhexian chuckled and tossed it to her.
"Drink."
"Thanks…"
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated—uncomfortable drinking directly from the mouth.
But seeing how casual he was about it, she blushed, then drank straight from the gourd.
"Li Zhexian, your wine is so good!"
Her face turned even redder from the alcohol, but she smiled at him.
The normally cool, aloof girl actually looked adorably sweet in that moment.
Li Zhexian shook his head with a laugh.
"Since when did little girls like you know how to appreciate wine?"
"Don't look down on me. You're not that much older."
Right in front of him, Zhu Zhuqing untied the slim belt at her waist.
Li Zhexian stared, dumbfounded, as she pulled out a delicate, palm-sized bottle.
"This is my wine!"
"You really drink?"
As a true wine-lover, Li Zhexian's eyes sparkled the moment he saw it.
"Let me have a taste."
Zhu Zhuqing tossed it over.
He eagerly uncapped it and took a big gulp.
She opened her mouth slightly, wanting to say something—
That little bottle had been with her for years, always close to her.
Now that he drank from it…
Did that count as an indirect kiss?
But he had already downed the whole thing.
She could only ask, flustered:
"So? Was it good?"
"Buuurp~"
Li Zhexian let out a wine-soaked belch and nodded excitedly.
"Not bad at all!"
"Fruit wine, right? Soft, lingering… hmm…"
He smacked his lips thoughtfully.
"And there's a faint floral note in it too—very unique!"
Zhu Zhuqing's face turned bright red and she looked away.
Floral note?!
What floral note?!
That subtle fragrance…
Wasn't from the wine—
It was from her lips after years of drinking from the bottle.
Li Zhexian, oblivious, shook the empty gourd and asked curiously:
"By the way, Zhuqing-jie… from your temperament, I'd guess you're not from an ordinary family."
"Why do you drink? Drowning some kind of sorrow?"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing blinked.
She hugged her knees and stared into the fire, dazed.
Yeah…
What sorrow did she have?
Born into the noble Zhu family, her marriage to the Star Luo Prince had been arranged from birth.
On the surface, her life was set for greatness—so why did she feel so stifled?
She tilted her head back and took a swig from Li Zhexian's wine.
The truth was—
She simply refused to accept her fate.
What Star Luo Prince?
She had never even met him.
She didn't want to be married off like a pawn.
Looking at the girl's sorrowful expression, Li Zhexian thought for a moment, then smiled.
"Zhuqing-jie, like I said—
I owe you a favor."
"If you ever need anything in the future—
I'll help you, no matter what."
Zhu Zhuqing lifted her gaze.
She looked into his sincere face, and a smile bloomed on her lips—radiant and breathtaking.
"Okay."