I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 18

“Why are you here?”

Li Baiying avoided her touch, her tone cold. “Where did you go while I was in seclusion in the cave?”

How had she ended up being fished out by this person? Especially after the destruction of her family, she felt an instinctive distrust toward everyone.

“I was expelled from the family and had to go back to pack my belongings. I left you a note before I left.”

The young woman met her gaze calmly, without a hint of guilt. “The Third Elder attempted a coup and wanted to eliminate me, a thorn in his side, in advance. So, I went back to collect the keepsakes my mother left me and traveled all the way here, enduring hardships along the journey.”

“Is that so?” Li Baiying remained noncommittal, her wariness not entirely fading. “Do you have any proof?”

“No.” Qin Yixiao shook her head. “I left voluntarily, and they didn’t use force to pressure me. So, I can’t provide you with any more substantial evidence. Whether you believe me or not is up to you.”

As she spoke, she took out some herbs and crushed them. “Lie down. If we don’t treat it, the wound will fester.”

Li Baiying remained silent for a moment before turning to lie on the straw mat, allowing the other to remove the decaying flesh from her wound.

Having experienced utter despair in her heart, physical pain meant little to her now.

She didn’t even bother to ponder whether Qin Yixiao’s help was genuine or fake, or if she was merely trying to extract the last bit of value from her, a cripple.

“Actually, I’ve heard… the results of the Li family’s Bone Inspection Ceremony are related to the withering of the spiritual veins.”

After a moment of hesitation, the young woman spoke softly.

“Withering of the spiritual veins?” Li Baiying was taken aback, her unfocused gaze sharpening. “But there are three spiritual veins on Taichu Mountain. Why is it only our family’s spiritual vein that withered?”

“I don’t know.”

“What else do you know?” Li Baiying sat up abruptly, grabbing the other’s wrist urgently. “Tell me.”

“Even if I tell you, there’s nothing you can do about it now.”

Qin Yixiao firmly pulled her hand free, her tone turning cold. “If I were you, I’d focus on recovering first and stop thinking about seeking death at every turn.”

“…”

Li Baiying watched her figure disappear at the cave entrance, her fingertips still tingling with the warmth of the young woman’s touch.

She lay back down and closed her eyes, but her thoughts refused to settle.

She had never known about the withering of the spiritual veins. Or rather, her family had grown accustomed to reporting only good news and concealing problems, never publicly addressing the underlying issues. Only a few elders were aware.

“They still treat me like a child.” She clenched her fists, her chest tight with a tangled mess of emotions she couldn’t release.

For three days straight, Li Baiying remained in the cave to recuperate.

It was as if her once lively personality had turned taciturn. Aside from the necessary wound treatments, she spent most of her time sitting in a daze, like a statue facing the stone wall.

Useless. It was all useless.

She had tried every cultivation technique in her mind, but none could awaken her shattered meridians.

Any trace of energy that entered her dantian would dissipate completely within two seconds, leaving nothing behind.

The more she tried, the more she realized the reality of her being a cripple.

“Heh…”

She let out a bitter laugh, stood up, and walked out of the cave, standing by the pond to watch Qin Yixiao fish.

Strangely enough, though the pond appeared still and seemingly devoured all signs of life, small fish and shrimp often surfaced. Catching just two was enough to sustain their daily needs.

She didn’t disturb the focused young woman and slowly circled to the other side, moving along the dense aquatic plants toward the motionless school of fish in the depths of the cold pond.

She couldn’t just freeload, she had to catch something herself.

Splash!

No sooner had she bent down than a dark school of fish swam past her. Some even flicked their tails, splashing water onto her face. Then, as if taunting her, they nimbly flipped and dove to the bottom.

“Damn it!” Li Baiying instinctively wanted to strike out with her palm, but as soon as she tried to summon her inner energy, her empty dantian convulsed painfully again.

Clutching her abdomen, her frustration grew.

What had once been the simplest task, catching fish, had become impossible without her inner energy.

Refusing to accept this, she waded deeper into the water.

Her entire body was nearly frozen stiff, and more and more creatures swept past her, not just three-inch-long small fish, but also monstrous fish hundreds of feet long.

Without exception, they all rushed past her, not even considering her as prey.

Li Baiying sat quietly on the sandy bottom, her face pale, her expression twisted with an almost fanatical stubbornness.

She refused to believe she was truly cut off from martial arts.

Even without talent, as long as she could cultivate inner energy, she would one day have her revenge.

At the very least, diligence could compensate for lack of skill. She firmly believed that if she trained relentlessly, she would one day make Li Ruoruo and the others pay for what they had done.

If only her meridians would show even the slightest reaction, just a tiny hint would be enough.

Rustle…

The water rippled, and Li Baiying felt the air in her lungs slowly escaping. The instinct to survive urged her to surface quickly.

She ignored it, remaining seated, trying to sense even a trace of warmth from her icy dantian.

Nothing. Still nothing.

When the last bit of air left her mouth, her illusions shattered. Li Baiying mechanically parted the water’s surface and drifted upward like a lifeless corpse.

But then, a slender strand of aquatic grass gently wrapped around her ankle and abruptly pulled her downward.

Reacting instinctively, Li Baiying drew her knife and slashed fiercely at her feet.

Clang!

The blade struck the edge of the grass but was repelled as if it had hit a metal surface.

Left with no choice, she bent down and tried to untangle the grass with her bare hands.

“What kind of water grass is this?”

Tiny suction cups on its surface pulsed rhythmically, releasing a dark red liquid that clung to her skin. Strangely, she felt no discomfort. Instead, her frozen, numb skin began to sense a faint, elusive warmth.

Wait, warmth?!

In that split second, Li Baiying made a bold decision. Since she had nothing left to lose, she might as well take a gamble.

With that thought, she opened her mouth and drank a large gulp of the pond water. Instantly, a chilling cold surged through her body, making her shiver.

The pull on her ankle grew more pronounced. She settled into a cross-legged position, allowing the water grass to continue attaching itself to her. Soon, her body was completely buried in the silt, and the water’s surface returned to its former calm.

Unaware of these changes, Li Baiying focused all her attention on her dantian. For a fleeting moment, she sensed a strange, unfamiliar surge of inner energy flowing through her body.

“Heh… After all these years, I’ve actually encountered a promising seedling with the Crimson Flame talent.”

“And with shattered meridians, unable to gather qi. Excellent, truly excellent! Heaven is indeed helping me!”

“Who are you?” Li Baiying suddenly realized she could breathe underwater. She quickly took several deep breaths and asked loudly.

No one answered her. The waterweeds continued to rustle as they grew.

Soon, her entire field of vision was filled with towering dark green plants.

“I was once a martial artist, then converted to demonic cultivation. After being exposed, I was hunted by my sect and fled here to recover.”

An ageless voice drifted faintly by her ear.

“Senior, my Crimson Flame talent can help you, right?” Connecting the dots from the earlier remarks, Li Baiying quickly grasped the implied meaning and tentatively inquired.

“Indeed, you can help me. To be precise, it’s your current state with completely destroyed meridians that I need.”

“But as you are now, what qualifications do you have to negotiate terms with me?” After a burst of laughter, the voice snorted contemptuously.