Volume 1 Chapter 11: Artificial Respiration
Tn: Edited at 5 / 15 /2025
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Xiaotian flew over to Ye Anping and glanced at the scorched, unrecognizable corpse on the ground. Despite its charred state, the lingering aura confirmed it—this was the very demonic cultivator who had attacked it and Feng Yudie.
Then it turned its gaze to Pei Lengxue, who was quietly meditating nearby, and Ye Anping, who was standing there looting the body without a care.
Two Foundation Establishment junior cultivators… and a pseudo Nascent Soul Realm demonic cultivator…
The two juniors didn't even have a scratch on them, while the demonic cultivator had been burned to literal cinders.
Was that even possible!?
Could it be… the powerful cultivator who activated the formation earlier had already left, and these two just happened to pass by afterward?
Xiaotian really hoped that was the case. No way it could believe that these two nobodies had managed to kill a Poison Gu Sect demonic cultivator. The difference in cultivation level aside, their talents were far inferior to Feng Yudie's. They came from the Hundred Lotus Sect, a third-rate sect, and didn't even have any decent techniques or magical tools. How could they possibly defeat that monster?
Wait, no—now wasn't the time to question any of this! Feng Yudie was still waiting to be rescued!
Without a second thought, Xiaotian rushed over to Pei Lengxue and tugged at her hair.
『Girl! Girl!!』
But Pei Lengxue, still seated in meditation, simply shivered as though a cold wind had brushed her ear. She jolted slightly and glanced around in confusion.
She only felt a breeze on her face—but something about it was chilling, unsettling, like a ghost brushing past her skin.
"Senior Brother," she said, brow furrowing, "something feels off."
Ye Anping cast a glance at the tiny creature tugging her hair and felt a strange mix of emotions.
Was this little Paimon look-alike... stupid?
"What's wrong?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"It just feels weird. Like… there's this creepy sensation." Pei Lengxue clutched her sword tightly and began scanning her surroundings with renewed vigilance. "Senior Brother, what if that demonic cultivator isn't actually dead?"
"He's definitely dead."
"But I really feel like… there's something right beside me..."
Xiaotian nodded frantically, shouting, 『Yes! I'm right next to you! Come on, notice me already!! Heaven, I'm begging you—just let her see me! Just once!』
"Seriously, don't worry." Despite hearing the tiny thing's cries loud and clear, Ye Anping didn't react in the slightest and remained utterly expressionless. "Let's head back to the town. It's about time we returned to the Hundred Lotus Sect. My dad's probably on the verge of exploding by now."
At that, Pei Lengxue's eyes widened, and she shrank back with a guilty start.
"Oh crap—you're right! We snuck out, didn't we? The Sect Master's definitely freaking out. We're so dead when we get back."
"Relax," Ye Anping shrugged, pulling out the scorched identity badge of Wu You. "Just show him this when we return. He won't scold you—he might even reward you."
"I already got scolded by Madam Kong before we even left," Pei Lengxue muttered.
"Huh?"
"She's totally going to beat me up this time."
"My mom's just a little… overprotective. I'll cover for you. Come on, let's go."
"Mm."
Ye Anping nodded, loosened his shoulders, and used a small earth-element technique to return Wu You's remains to nature. Then he turned and began walking toward the Martial Creek Town.
Pei Lengxue hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward—and shyly reached out to grab his hand.
"Hm? What's wrong?" he asked.
"Um…" Pei Lengxue lowered her head, blushing. "Can we… hold hands while we walk?"
『No! Don't go! Please don't go!』 Xiaotian wailed, but was completely ignored.
Ye Anping looked at her, then gave a soft, helpless smile.
"Didn't you just complain about me treating you like a kid? You're fourteen already and still want your Senior Brother to hold your hand?"
Pei Lengxue puffed up her cheeks. "But I want to."
『Don't gooooo!!』 Xiaotian had had enough and tried tugging on Ye Anping's hair now.
Still unfazed, Ye Anping replied, "Fine then. We used to do this all the time when we were little—running around the sect hand in hand."
"Mm! Hehehe~~"
The two of them strolled slowly in the direction of the town, hand in hand, while Xiaotian trailed behind them, yelling desperately in a voice hoarse from crying, trying to make them aware of his presence.
『Please save Yudie! Why? Why can't you see me?!』
『Waaahhh… I finally found someone who could talk to me… sob… and now… they're leaving again…』
Hearing the little creature crying so pitifully beside him, voice cracking from the strain, Ye Anping closed his eyes and exhaled softly. He came to a sudden halt.
"Hmm?" Pei Lengxue tilted her head toward him. "Senior Brother, what is it?"
"Remember that golden dragon that showed up earlier?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Let's go check it out. We might still find some kind of opportunity there."
"…Okay."
At those words, Xiaotian, who had been wailing with red, swollen eyes, suddenly froze. It looked up, and its teary gaze met Ye Anping's—squarely and unmistakably.
Back at the inn, Xiaotian had noticed this boy glance at it a couple of times. It had chalked it up to coincidence back then, but now…
『You! You can see me, can't you?!』
"…Junior Sister, where's your flying sword?"
"I'm tired. Carry me, Senior Brother."
『Hey! Kid! I'm talking to you!! Can you see me or not?!』
Ye Anping still completely ignored him and sighed, "You're too old to still be like this. Seriously."
"I'm tired! Carry me~"
Shaking his head, Ye Anping reached out and wrapped an arm around Pei Lengxue's waist, helping her up onto his flying sword. Together, they soared off toward the bamboo forest where Feng Yudie had fallen.
It wasn't far—no sooner had the sword taken to the sky than it descended again.
Ye Anping had expected Feng Yudie to be in rough shape, but when he saw her, his brow furrowed deeply.
Her face was pale as death, her eyes sunken in, skin mottled with black spots. Dried, blackish-red blood stained the corners of her mouth and chest.
Ye Anping's expression turned grim as he swept his spiritual sense over her.
No heartbeat.
"What?"
He leapt down from the sword and hurried to her side, kneeling to check her pulse.
His spiritual sense hadn't lied. Her aura and soul were still faintly lingering, but her heart had stopped. That explained her ghastly complexion and lifeless features.
If they delayed even a few more minutes, her soul would disperse completely.
He scanned the area quickly—still no one else in sight. No one was coming to save her.
His frown deepened.
Has the timeline changed?
Was it because he killed Wu You? Or had the butterfly effect from his and Pei Lengxue's cultivation shifts already derailed the story he knew?
"Senior Brother," Pei Lengxue said hesitantly, "isn't this the girl we ran into back at the inn…?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Give me a Coagulation Pill."
She quickly retrieved one from her storage pouch but hesitated as she looked at Feng Yudie's condition.
"Senior Brother… she's in no state to swallow a pill."
"I'll crush it with saliva, then feed it to her mouth-to-mouth. After that, I'll start chest compressions."
With that, Ye Anping popped the pill into his mouth and started chewing. Then, pinching Feng Yudie's lips apart, he leaned in—
Pei Lengxue gasped and quickly grabbed his arm.
"Senior Brother!!"
"What now?"
"I– I'll do it."
Ye Anping blinked in surprise, then slowly stepped aside. He nodded and reminded her, "Two breaths, thirty compressions. Just like I taught you. But don't use the same force you used in training—back then we were practicing on a spirit pig. Push that hard now, and you'll snap her ribs. Be gentle."
Pei Lengxue nodded seriously. She took a deep breath, placed a new Coagulation Pill in her mouth, chewed it quickly, then knelt beside Feng Yudie and pried her mouth open.
"Ptooey—"
Ye Anping: "???"