Li Chang'an never imagined that his Senior Sister would fall for Zhang Mazi's trap. But what truly left him stunned was how violently her body reacted to the drug.
The sounds of battle outside were drawing closer. He had already eliminated most of the spirit masters in the bandit stronghold, so Xie Yue and Yan weren't facing overwhelming pressure. Still, forcing their way through wouldn't be easy.
After all, this was the base of the Qiuming Mountain bandits. The only reason he had been able to move this fast was because he struck before they could react. Once they regrouped, the ones behind him—Xie Yue and Yan—would have their hands full.
Even so, Li Chang'an's mind drifted back to what had just happened with Hu Liena. His senior sister, always proud and composed, had ended up in such a vulnerable state…
When he found her, the drug's effects were already in full force.
Hu Liena lay on the edge of the bed, her robe loose and her body trembling. Her breathing was shallow, her face flushed an unnatural red, and a faint mist seemed to rise from her skin—evidence of internal spirit energy backlash. Her spirit power couldn't suppress the drug at all.
Li Chang'an had been stunned at first. But only for a moment.
Gritting his teeth, he charged his own spirit power and pressed his palms gently to her back, stabilizing her meridians with careful control. He guided the surging energies back into balance while simultaneously crushing a spirit herb under her nose that he took out from his personal storage.
But the drug was strong—too strong. It didn't just disturb her spirit power; it triggered an uncontrollable heat throughout her body. In her half-conscious state, Hu Liena clung to him tightly, her voice faint and confused, her grip trembling.
"Don't… leave…"
His heart clenched. She didn't know what she was saying.
Even as her body pressed against his, even as the heat threatened to burn away all reason, Li Chang'an never crossed the line. He endured the tension, the awkwardness, and the sheer proximity, and instead focused all his energy on draining the toxin from her system.
Again and again, he activated his martial spirit, drawing the medicinal fire away from her core. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Finally, after what felt like hours, her breathing began to even out, her flushed face started to pale, and her trembling slowed.
She had made it through.
Only then did he let himself slump to the ground, exhausted.
---
By the time Hu Liena walked out of the room, she had already changed back into her robe, her steps unsteady and her head lowered. Her face was still red, not from the drug, but from shame—and something else she couldn't quite name.
She remembered fragments. Heat. Panic. His presence. His calm voice. His firm arms.
She felt as though all the poise and pride she normally wore had been stripped away in that moment.
'Ugh… I really embarrassed myself just now. Looks like my dignity in front of my junior brother is as good as gone…'
But when she glanced at Li Chang'an, who stood nearby as if nothing had happened, she found herself reassessing him.
'Junior Brother is… actually quite handsome.
And if we really ended up together someday, that might not be so bad…'
Hu Liena quickly shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts. But her heart had already softened.
Just then, Li Chang'an finally broke the silence.
"Ahem. Senior Sister, let's just treat what happened earlier as something that didn't happen. You were drugged, that's all. You know it, I know it—no one else needs to."
He spoke in a calm, almost casual tone, as if he hadn't just risked everything to keep his distance in the most dangerous of situations. His restraint, his dignity, and his care all made Hu Liena's gaze soften further.
"Thank you, Junior Brother," she whispered. "If you hadn't been there, I… I might not have been able to protect myself…"
She didn't finish her sentence, but the gratitude and affection in her eyes were clear.
Just then, the door was flung open.
Xie Yue and Yan burst in, panting heavily from the fight outside. What they saw froze them in place: Li Chang'an and Hu Liena standing side by side, chatting casually… and Zhang Mazi lying nearby, dead, with a gaping wound through his skull.
"Wait… Chang'an, did you kill Zhang Mazi?" Xie Yue pointed at the body in disbelief.
Li Chang'an shook his head calmly. "He absorbed too many martial spirits and went insane. In the end, he basically self-destructed."
[Xie Yue. Points +2!
...…]
Of course, no one actually believed that. Especially not Hu Liena. Though her thoughts had been scattered at the time, she remembered hearing a fight. Zhang Mazi's death was almost certainly thanks to Li Chang'an.
Moments later, several spirit masters flew in from the distant sky. These were the reinforcements summoned by Duolong. But by the time they arrived, it was already over. All they could do was clean up the scene and, inadvertently, give Li Chang'an another wave of points.
With the battle done, the group stayed in the nearby town for a day to recover. Only after resting did they board the carriages headed back to Spirit City.
This time, Li Chang'an and his group had first pick of the carriages, while Song Rentou and his squad could only trail behind in silence, looking utterly defeated.
This mission had been utterly ridiculous. Song Rentou would never have guessed that three people would wipe out the Qiuming Mountain bandits before he even finished planning. They had barely started, and the mission was already complete.
But now, Song Rentou and his crew had added one more name to their list of threats:
That youth who had charged into the stronghold alone, swinging the Axe.
This kind of person couldn't be judged by common sense.
As they stewed in frustration, another wave of contribution points quietly rolled in—directly to Li Chang'an. He accepted them with a satisfied smile.
After all, to break into the mountain stronghold, he had burned through nine Spirit Power Fruits and one Spirit Ring Fruit. Though his level had now reached 16, he had spent nearly 1,900 points to get there.
He was broke. Very broke.
On the way back, Li Chang'an also noticed that Hu Liena was a bit more friendly toward him. She talked more. Smiled more. And even leaned a little closer when she laughed.
He didn't mind at all.
Although he hadn't formed a deep bond with her… he figured a "hand-holding" level of friendship was just fine for now.
Across from them, Yan clenched his fists.
He had worked just as hard to help during the mission. Why was the treatment so different?
Burning with jealousy, Yan swore to challenge Li Chang'an as soon as they got back. He had to show Hu Liena who the real strong one was!
Meanwhile, Xie Yue couldn't stop praising Li Chang'an.
"Chang'an, seriously—Yan and I were behind you, clearing the path, and even then we were nearly out of spirit power. How did you break through so quickly?"
This was maybe the third time he had asked.
Li Chang'an rolled his eyes.
'Bro, do you really think I can tell you I leveled up in the middle of battle using points? That I spent over a thousand points upgrading my spirit ring by a hundred years just to survive?'
He sighed and replied lazily, "Senior Brother, there are some things every spirit master keeps to himself. Even if you ask, I'm not telling. So why bother?"
"Exactly!" Hu Liena chimed in sweetly. "Brother, why are you always bullying my Junior Brother?"
Xie Yue blinked.
--
By the time they returned to Spirit City, it was already late afternoon.
As soon as Li Chang'an and Hu Liena stepped down from the carriage, they were met by people from the Pope's Palace.
Apparently, Bibi Dong had already learned about everything that had happened on Qiuming Mountain through her own channels—and she was taking it seriously.
That was what made her such a great teacher.
The moment she heard the news, her first thought wasn't blame, but concern. She planned to meet with her disciples personally, hear the full account, comfort them, and help them reflect on their experience.
Li Chang'an couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth in his heart.
_____
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