The first thing Li Zhexian did upon waking—
Was pull out his Clear Spring Wine Gourd and take a long, hard swig.
The warm, fragrant liquor rushed down his throat, spreading a sharp heat through his body. As the alcohol circulated, his injuries slowly began to heal.
Peeking cautiously over the edge of the bird's nest he'd collapsed in, Li Zhexian scanned his surroundings.
After confirming there was no immediate danger, he stretched out his legs, casually hooking one knee over the nest's rim, letting it dangle and swing with ease.
He quietly drank and healed.
But his mind had already drifted back to that brutal life-and-death clash with Zhao Wuji.
"That was way too close…"
The thought echoed in his chest, fear trailing close behind.
"Luck was on my side this time."
"If not for that torrential downpour, my Frost Sword wouldn't have frozen Zhao Wuji for as long as it did."
"And without the rain to wash away my blood trail, he would have inevitably followed it.""
"Worse still…"
"There was a vicious beast nesting in this giant tree."
"Had it woken while I was unconscious, I'd be nothing but bones by now."
He wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, expression solemn despite his pallid face.
"I'm sick of this feeling… living or dying on luck."
"I'm still not strong enough. I have to get stronger—and the sword in my hand must become sharper."
A few more gulps of wine soothed his injuries further.
Only the fractures in his chest and wrist still ached faintly.
Thankfully, with his Melting Frost Spirit Body having been refined into his very bones, his recovery was far faster than most.
Li Zhexian exhaled deeply, then leapt down from the nest.
But as soon as he landed, he staggered slightly.
Aside from the lingering pain, a sharp hunger gnawed at his belly.
The wine might be strong—
But it wasn't food.
"How long was I out…?"
Clutching his rumbling stomach, Li Zhexian gazed out past the massive tree.
Around him, all the surrounding trees had been shattered at the trunk, the ground riddled with deep craters and churned earth.
But the terrifying destruction stopped mere meters from the tree he'd taken shelter in.
A chill wrapped around his spine.
He slowly clenched both fists.
"I, Li Zhexian, will remember this lesson."
"Next time…"
"Zhao Wuji, I will personally kill you!"
He didn't know what the situation at home was now.
Out of caution, Li Zhexian chose to avoid the woods.
He knew—his disappearance, coupled with the destruction of his residence, must have worried those close to him.
Circling through the forest's edge toward the city road—
He decided to head first to the Dugu residence, to report he was safe.
The palace was off-limits, but with Dugu Bo, a imperial enshrined elder, present, he could pass word to Xue Qinghe through him.
On the street, Li Zhexian was a mess—
His long hair tangled in ropes, face streaked with dried blood and mud, and his once-white robe torn and caked in filth and dried gore.
He looked utterly wretched.
Not even a trace of his former elegant, untouchable self remained.
Passersby shot him disgusted looks, keeping a wide berth of two meters around him.
But Li Zhexian didn't care.
He even smiled slightly.
After surviving death, walking through a bustling city again and seeing people alive and well—
He felt something warm surge in his chest.
A feeling that could only be called:
"This world is worth living in."
Before he reached the Dugu residence—
He passed by a steamed bun stall.
Outside, two bamboo steamers were puffing out thick, fragrant clouds of steam, laced with the rich scent of wheat and meat.
The smell punched him in the nose.
And that punch—
Was harder to endure than one from Zhao Wuji.
"Boss, five pork buns to go."
Li Zhexian slapped his Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse at his waist. Two bronze coins dropped into his palm.
With a flick of his thumb, the coins spun through the air and landed cleanly on the vendor's counter.
He took the oil-paper bundle, and ate as he walked—
a bite of meat bun, a swig of wine, his mouth glistening with grease.
After a few bites of hot food, a hint of color returned to his pale cheeks.
Rustle—rustle—!
Rustle—rustle—!
Suddenly—
A heavy, synchronized march echoed from the end of the street.
A squad of Imperial Guards surged forward like a tide.
The crowd hurried to the roadside, clearing a path.
Li Zhexian followed suit, still gnawing on his bun.
As the guards passed, he overheard two women with baskets whispering nearby:
"Heaven Dou's been a mess these past two days. The guards are patrolling even at night!"
"Right? I heard someone important died! They say he was the Crown Prince's close friend—a treasured guest of both the Dugu and Ye Clans!"
"They're saying the body was never recovered. Even the salvage boats in the moat are packed. That squad just now—probably heading to flip the entire eastern outskirts!"
"Even the Crown Prince, the Dugu Clan, and the Ye Clan are out there looking!"
Li Zhexian's chewing came to an abrupt halt: "..."
In the next moment—
He turned sharply and dashed straight for the eastern outskirts.
At the heart of a ruined courtyard—
Over five hundred Imperial Guards and two hundred Spirit Masters were conducting a full-scale search of the eastern outskirts.
They overturned every inch of land, leaving no corner untouched.
Among the search teams—
Were Xue Qinghe, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling.
Even the Heaven Dou Imperial Battle Team had arrived—
everyone except Yu Tianheng, who had returned to his clan for training. Yu Feng, Osler, and the Shi brothers were all present.
They spread out to cover more ground.
In a densely overgrown patch of woods—
Xue Qinghe mechanically swept her scythe through the underbrush, hacking apart the thick brambles before her.
Her lips were chapped. Her complexion pale.
Only her eyes still burned—
With a near-maniacal persistence.
"Young Master…"
Snake Lance Douluo sighed, trying to reason with her:
"You haven't had a sip of water in two days."
"Please rest. Let us take over the search."
But Xue Qinghe didn't respond—
She kept swinging her scythe.
"Young Master!"
Porcupinefish Douluo frowned.
"Zhao Wuji's claim might not be true."
"There's no body in the moat. And it's only been two days—Li Zhexian may still be alive…"
Snake Lance shot him a glare, yanking his sleeve.
Are you f*ing serious?
You call that comforting?
Sure enough—
The moment Xue Qinghe heard the name Li Zhexian—
Her body stiffened.
Her blurred vision flooded with fresh tears.
You goddamn idiot…
"What the fuck is wrong with you..." Snake Lance mouthed silently at Porcupinefish Douluo.
Porcupinefish stiffened in defiance.
But just then—
A tattered figure with a repressed aura slipped silently past them.
The man walked straight toward Xue Qinghe.
And then—
A familiar, teasing voice rang out behind her:
"Who made my brother cry?"
"I'm gonna beat him up."
The moment the two guards saw who it was—
Their bodies jolted. The tension vanished from their shoulders.
And Xue Qinghe's trembling frame—
Suddenly stilled.
She spun around.
Through the haze of anxious tears, she saw—
That mud-stained, blood-smeared face…
And those familiar, gentle black eyes, glinting with a soft, amused light.
Xue Qinghe covered her mouth—
And broke down sobbing.