Everything Has a Price

Lin Luoyu deliberately slowed her pace, only quickening her steps as she drew nearer. The surrounding trees had been flattened by a tremendous force, leaving behind a clearing where they once stood.

Further away, the sounds of battle still raged, but Lin Luoyu didn’t rush toward the fight. Instead, she stopped and turned her gaze to Cui Hao, who lay motionless on the ground, his clothes oddly pristine.

After a brief glance toward the dust-choked distance, Lin Luoyu strode to Cui Hao’s side and placed a hand on his wrist. The moment she touched him, she understood the situation.

Without hesitation, she struck Cui Hao’s chest with her palm. "If you have any last words, say them now."

"Cough…" Cui Hao’s tightly shut eyes flew open, and he shot Lin Luoyu a faintly resentful look. "A little gentler, would you? You’re going to actually injure me at this rate."

Lin Luoyu lowered her gaze. "You were lying there with your eyes closed, completely unharmed. How was I supposed to know what game you were playing?"

Cui Hao closed his eyes again and settled back into stillness. "I took a pill."

Lin Luoyu’s voice carried surprise. "One of Master’s pills?!"

Had Cui Hao actually inherited the same unyielding spirit as Second Senior Brother? Had she underestimated him all this time?

"You give me too much credit, Senior Sister. It was more like a candy—something made from honey gathered over three winters."

"So what’s your condition now?"

"Call it poison if you want, or say my spiritual energy is in turmoil. Either way, I can’t move. If you can’t muster any sympathy, just imitate Second Senior Brother—speak with a stern face."

Lin Luoyu stood up. "You seem to be underestimating me. Worry about yourself first."

Cui Hao said nothing, continuing to play dead.

Lin Luoyu drew her sword and advanced toward the battlefield. But before her spiritual sense could fully extend, the fighting abruptly ceased. A faint energy was rapidly retreating into the distance.

"We walked into an ambush! Cui Hao collapsed out of nowhere, and to keep the battle from harming him, I had to forcibly drag it over here."

Donggua’s urgent voice reached Lin Luoyu the moment she arrived.

Donggua was covered in blood, with fresh wounds still seeping crimson. Even Xigua, who already looked half-dead, now stood on one leg with an expression that suggested he’d rather not be alive, his body similarly marred by injuries.

Lin Luoyu asked, "Did all the ambushers retreat?"

Donggua’s face twisted with guilt. "They should have. It was just a small group, and none of them were particularly strong. But Cui Hao is only at the Foundation Establishment stage—their methods worked on him. This is all my fault."

Lin Luoyu remained expressionless, though she took a deep breath before speaking. "This place isn’t safe anymore. I’ll take Cui Hao with me. You two follow."

Donggua studied Lin Luoyu’s face—no sign of distress. Had Cui Hao’s ridiculous pill actually worked?

Regardless, at least the first step of the plan had succeeded.

Donggua gave a slight nod. "I’ll cover you."

As the group retreated, Lin Luoyu grabbed Cui Hao by the back of his collar like a chicken and began moving swiftly.

She said nothing, but Donggua clearly noticed that Lin Luoyu had altered their route.

After an ambush, the enemy likely knew their original path. Changing course was undoubtedly the right decision. Lin Luoyu’s ability to stay level-headed in a crisis made her a capable ally.

What a shame she was stuck with such a useless junior brother.

The group pressed on, heading straight for a towering cliffside ravine.

Unable to find the book by title? Try searching for the author—it might just have been renamed!

They took refuge in a low, narrow cave where Lin Luoyu laid Cui Hao down and placed a hand on his wrist.

As time passed, Lin Luoyu’s calm expression gradually darkened. The spiritual energy around her fluctuated slightly, leaking traces of pressure as her emotions churned.

Donggua, noticing Lin Luoyu’s expression, reached out to check Cui Hao’s other wrist—only for Lin Luoyu to flick her hand away with the scabbard of her sword.

Lin Luoyu’s gaze was steady, but beneath the calm lay unmistakable distrust and scrutiny.

Donggua had sensed Lin Luoyu’s wariness all along, but this was the first time she’d been so blatant about it.

Donggua retreated a step before speaking. "What’s wrong with him?"

"His meridians are severed, and his spiritual sea is in chaos." Lin Luoyu’s voice was icy. "Before we left, I gave him the sect’s most precious life-preserving elixir, but it’s barely had any effect."

She stood and swept her gaze over Donggua and Xigua.

"His condition is critical. I can’t afford to bring you two along anymore. I’m taking him straight to the Taidao Sect—it’s the only place that might save him now. You’re on your own. This is as far as I can help you."

Donggua quickly interjected, "That path is probably crawling with Evil Spirit Sect ambushes. If you rush in blindly and get caught, there’ll be no hope left. And even if you make it, his condition might be too far gone by then."

"Some things aren’t about whether they’re possible—they’re about whether they should be done." Lin Luoyu hoisted Cui Hao up again. "If we don’t go, he dies. If we do, there’s still a chance. At worst, I’ll trade my life for a sliver of hope for his."

Hearing this, Donggua’s mind settled. Her tone softened.

"I have a way to save Cui Hao without you risking your life."

Lin Luoyu’s gaze sharpened as she stared at Donggua.

Donggua raised a barrier of spiritual energy before producing an experimental item—a transparent crystal containing a murky, swirling mass of black-gray energy.

Lin Luoyu was silent for a moment before asking, "How can this save him?"

Donggua extended the crystal, her voice now almost seductively gentle.

"If you’re investigating the Mist Mystic Temple, then you know they once possessed the power to manipulate and evolve the energy of wishes."

"That was a rule—a Dao. What I hold here isn’t as pure as what the Mist Mystic Temple wielded, but it carries a fraction of that power."

"We don’t yet know the exact nature of its rule, but it has the abilities to devour, alter, and evolve."

"Used correctly, it can absolutely save Cui Hao. After all, no method surpasses the power of a rule."

Lin Luoyu studied the experimental item in silence before finally speaking, her voice calm.

"How do we use it?"

Donggua pressed the crystal lightly against Cui Hao’s chest.

"We use our spiritual energy and flesh to help Cui Hao evolve. If we can widen and repair his meridians, rebuild his spiritual sea—then these injuries won’t matter anymore."

Lin Luoyu’s eyes bore into Donggua. "This thing can do that?"

"Of course. Why else would the Taidao Sect and the Evil Spirit Sect both be hunting it?" Donggua’s expression was earnest. "You’ve treated me with sincerity, and I’ve taken note. It’s only right that I return the favor. Let me help you this time."

Lin Luoyu watched Donggua for a long moment before finally lowering Cui Hao back to the ground.

Donggua struggled to suppress a smile.

Cui Hao was a fool after all, thinking he’d truly gotten his hands on something good.

Nothing in this world came without a price.

And the cost of this thing?

It was deadly.