'An?'
A question mark appeared in Xia Fan's mind.
He was speechless in the face of these notifications.
"A woman is carrying me?"
It was hard to believe, and at the same time, shocking for him.
Opening his eyes, Xia Fan still saw only emptiness. It seemed he had been struck with temporary blindness from the snake's poison.
'Damn! I'm still poisoned. Could the pill I just obtained cure my condition?'
He hoped so—it was his last chance to survive. But along with the will to live came worry.
Xia Fan, who knew nothing about the person carrying him, felt afraid of pulling out a pill from nowhere and then suffering a disaster afterward.
'I hate this "destined" status. It feels like I'm always walking on the edge of hell.'
That was his true personal opinion. After all, how else could he explain that cursed monkey throwing the pit at him? It was all destiny's fault, as if it wanted him to suffer calamity after calamity.
'I have to take the risk. If I just wait, I'll die from the poison. The only option now is to take the pill and deal with the consequences later.'
Resolute, Xia Fan thought about extracting the pill from the system. The next instant, he felt something drop into his mouth. Touching it with his tongue, he realized it was round and had a sweet taste.
Swallowing it in one go, like medicine, a warmth rushed down his throat at high speed.
When it reached his abdomen, a pleasant energy spread through every inch of him, giving him a sensation of cleansing and expelling filth.
Unlike the Immortal Physique, which had simply transformed his body, this pill purified impurities.
'The poison in my body is going to be expelled… but what comes next won't be easy to face.'
Xia Fan let out a sigh, knowing his turbulent day had only just begun.
***
The cultivator carrying Xia Fan toward the grave suddenly stopped when she saw, right before her eyes, a green pill appear out of nowhere and drop into the mouth of what she had thought was a corpse.
"What the hell?"
She nearly stumbled at the sight, staring down wide-eyed as if she had seen a monster.
Right after, she also saw him expel waves of impurities from his body, filling the area with a foul stench.
Frowning, she set Xia Fan on the ground. Then she waved her hands, casting a spell that turned her spiritual energy into water.
Pouring it over the young man, she finally saw his true appearance.
"So handsome… I've never seen someone this beautiful in my life."
That was her genuine thought as she gazed at the youth, who resembled an immortal.
'Could it be that the heavens saved this boy because of his beauty? It would be a sin for someone so beautiful to die to a blind snake.'
The cultivator couldn't stop sneaking glances at him, this young man who in her eyes seemed to come from another world.
***
[Shen Qingyao's interest has increased by +5]
Xia Fan, who had been worried, was stunned by the notification.
'What the hell is going on?'
For the second time in a short while, he was utterly lost. This time, though, curiosity outweighed confusion. He opened his eyes again.
He was no longer blind. Above him, he could see the sky beginning to darken.
Straightening his back, he looked ahead and saw a sight worth remembering.
Before him stood a beautiful young woman with long black hair reaching past her knees. Her eyes glowed with radiant amber. She wore a white Taoist robe that hid, yet accentuated, her alluring curves.
'So beautiful… no! I need to deal with my current situation! The human heart is cruel.'
Xia Fan stopped admiring her, shook his head, and took on a serious expression. He opened his mouth and spoke:
"Did the immortal fairy save me?"
He said it aloud, though almost as if speaking only to himself.
Shen Qingyao, standing in front of him and trying to glance discreetly, didn't catch his words. To her, it only looked like his jaw had moved.
"What did you say?" she asked, puzzled, while stepping closer.
Xia Fan, seeing her approach, instinctively backed away.
"…"
'Does this woman want to capture me?'
That was his thought—in truth, just an excuse to cover his embarrassment at being so close to that fairy.
"Thank you for saving me."
He clasped his hands, even if timidly. He felt he should act politely, though at the same time there was a cold glint in his eyes.
'Should I find a way to kill this woman? Because of the pill?'
Dark thoughts lurked in his heart.
His antisocial nature made him distrust everything. To him, that cultivator was nothing but trouble.
"????"
Shen Qingyao, target of his malicious intent, noticed nothing, since the youth kept his gaze fixed on the ground.
"I only saved you from the snake. The rest has nothing to do with me," she explained.
Xia Fan looked at her and, hesitantly, asked:
"Immortal fairy, how did I survive? Wasn't I supposed to die from the poison? There was even a grave prepared for me."
He ended his words by pointing at the pit.
"I think the heavens saved you. It would be sad for someone like you to die here."
"Why?" Xia Fan grew suspicious. That explanation made no sense.
Besides, there were too many loose ends. Why would the heavens save an ordinary human? He knew the truth—he only wanted to confirm whether this woman deserved to die or not.
'If she pretends ignorance, I can let it go. It's my fault anyway. I knew there were people nearby, yet I still took the pill to save my life.'
To be honest, Xia Fan was terrified. He feared the fairy might capture him and pry into his every secret. His killing intent was only an illusion. He was a mortal! How could he defeat a cultivator?
'Just be ignorant! Let me leave. Damn fate, don't make this more complicated.'
He prayed it would be so.
Shen Qingyao, hearing his question, placed a hand on her chin and began to ponder.
Truth be told, the entire scene had been unrealistic—but not impossible.
In this world, there were people with great destiny who could be saved in unexpected ways. So the best response she found to give Xia Fan was simply:
"I think someone wanted to save you and sent a pill using spatial distortion, but doesn't wish to reveal themselves."
"You're right… I'll have to thank that senior later."
Xia Fan finally let out a sigh of relief. That fairy wouldn't capture him. Her explanation, this time, was far too convincing.
If he didn't have the system, even he might have believed it was the truth.