Please, Don’t Die - Chapter 60

Blood seeped into the earth, drying without a trace, leaving only a small patch of darkened soil.

You Dai and Xia Er’an worked together to eliminate another group of treasure-hunting cultivators.

With only ten days left before the closure of the Dongchuan Forest Secret Realm, disciples from various sects who had entered to seek treasures, whether they had gained any opportunities or not, had to begin their journey back immediately.

The return journey was not the start of relaxation; on the contrary, it was the time when they needed to be most vigilant against those who would kill to steal treasures.

Unlike other secret realms, the Dongchuan Forest was beyond the surveillance of the sects, and they couldn’t extract endangered disciples in time. The most they could do was distribute memory stones to the disciples, light soul lamps, and have people waiting at the exit to receive them. When the secret realm closed, which disciples could make it out would depend entirely on their own abilities.

The human heart was unpredictable, perhaps even harder to deal with than the monstrous beasts in the illusions.

He Qingsheng stood at the rear, flanked by Ying Qujie on one side and Chunyu Qianqiu on the other.

Chunyu Qianqiu pretended to be frightened and reached out to cling to He Qingsheng, while Ying Qujie subtly pulled her closer to his side.

“These scoundrels, too cowardly to face the guardian beasts of the spiritual treasures, yet full of schemes on the way back,” You Dai muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead and spitting at the fallen cultivators.

Ying Qujie’s longsword eagerly floated forward, ready to help dispose of the bodies, a task it seemed quite familiar with.

“If we can’t kill without leaving a trace, at least this sword can dispose of bodies without a trace. Might as well call it ‘No Trace Left,'” He Qingsheng teased Ying Qujie.

She grabbed the hilt to stop it, then coldly halted Yuan Qing and Yuan Bai, who had stepped forward to handle the task. Her tone turned serious. “Don’t dispose of the bodies. Let others recognize that this was the work of the Wenxin Sect.”

The group froze. Chunyu Qianqiu was the first to ask, “Why? Sister, isn’t this just openly making enemies for Wenxin with other sects?”

The others didn’t speak, but their faces showed the same confusion.

He Qingsheng glanced at the five bewildered youngsters standing in a row and changed the subject. “The robes you’re wearing, your elders emphasized that you had to wear them before departure, right?”

Xia Er’an nodded. “The elder in charge said the Wenxin Sect’s reputation precedes it, and our sect’s attire serves as a deterrent to keep those with ill intentions at bay. Senior disciples who entered the secret realm in previous years all dressed this way.”

As soon as Xia Er’an finished speaking, realization dawned on the group.

The Wenxin Sect’s tradition was to fiercely protect its own. In past years, during conflicts over treasure theft in the Dongchuan Forest Secret Realm, it was an unspoken rule that the Wenxin Sect would not be dragged in. If Wenxin disciples were in danger, others might even lend a hand to earn the sect’s favor.

As for daring to rob the Wenxin Sect? Such a thing would have been unthinkable before. Yet now, they had encountered it repeatedly.

By leaving the bodies untouched, He Qingsheng was using them as a new warning in place of their robes.

“But why would they dare to act now?” Chunyu Qianqiu bit her lower lip. “Has something happened outside?”

She quickly dismissed the thought, shaking her head. “We can’t contact our sect from inside the secret realm, but neither can they contact the outside world.”

“Let’s not panic. At least before we entered, the Wenxin Sect was fine. Right now, the most important thing is to protect ourselves and get out of the secret realm as soon as possible,” You Dai said thoughtfully, trying to reassure the group.

Xia Er’an asked, “What about Elder Li and the others?”

The original team entering the secret realm should have had twelve members. Besides the six of them, six others were still missing.

You Dai replied, “The elders are more experienced than us. The best we can do is not cause trouble for them.”

The others nodded in agreement. The five of them formed a team with seamless coordination.

He Qingsheng found herself lost in memories of past adventures, trailing behind her senior brothers and sisters.

Standing there now, it felt like the beginning of a new cycle.

You Dai and Xia Er’an quickly discussed their formation and set off. The two of them took the lead, Yuan Qing and Yuan Bai guarded the middle to protect Chunyu Qianqiu, while He Qingsheng and Ying Qujie brought up the rear.

When He Qingsheng possessed the small wooden puppet, she had mostly perched on Ying Qujie’s hand or head. This now resulted in the two of them standing uncomfortably close, the hem of Ying Qujie’s cyan robe tangling with her sleeve. Yet, He Qingsheng didn’t find anything amiss about it.

Chunyu Qianqiu, however, kept glancing back, his frown deepening with each look.

“Physician Ying, why aren’t you wearing the Wenxin Sect’s disciple robes?” He Qingsheng asked curiously, eyeing Ying Qujie’s unconventional attire.

Chunyu Qianqiu’s ears twitched. “Junior Brother Ying is on an exchange from the Xuandan Sect. His registration hasn’t been finalized yet. But Wenxin has more resources, I think you should stay here, Junior Brother.”

Exchange.

He Qingsheng was familiar with the concept. Unlike the rigid systems of mortal kingdoms, the Twelve Walls were composed of sects and great families. It was common for families to send disciples to different sects or for sects to dispatch members to study various schools of thought. Switching sects before formal registration wasn’t unusual.

She herself had once been on an exchange at Wenxin for a while, until an incident forced her master to drag her back to Fuliu.

He Qingsheng lowered her gaze, belatedly feeling the weight of the seven-year gap between her and Ying Qujie.

Ying Qujie’s hand brushed against hers as they walked, their proximity almost accidental.

This distance… it felt too close.

She subtly shifted a step away.

Ying Qujie suddenly stumbled, as if he had stepped on something. Before He Qingsheng could reach out to steady him, he regained his footing, returning to that same intimate distance.

Their robes remained entwined like drifting clouds.

Ying Qujie glanced at He Qingsheng’s raised and then lowered hand, a flicker of frustration crossing his eyes before his expression turned serious again. He called out to the group ahead, “There might be something unusual nearby. Senior brothers and sisters, stay alert.”

Hearing this, Chunyu Qianqiu finally turned his attention forward, focusing on their surroundings.

With Chunyu distracted, Ying Qujie asked He Qingsheng casually, “Where do you want me to go?”

He Qingsheng thought for a moment. “The Xuandan Sect excels in both medicine and poison, with deeper foundations in those arts than Wenxin. But Wenxin offers more techniques for self-defense. Stay or leave, it’s up to you. Go where you feel most at ease.”

“And you?”

“Hmm?”

“Where do you want to go?” Ying Qujie took her hand, his fingers brushing against her palm beneath the wide sleeves, where a spirit-summoning spell was faintly glowing.

He Qingsheng hadn’t expected Ying Qujie to be so perceptive. She smiled. “Physician Ying, what are you talking about?”

She tried to pull her hand back but failed.

With a resigned sigh, she extinguished the spell and declared loudly, “Physician Ying is my only old acquaintance here. Of course, I’ll follow you, wherever you go, I go.”

You Dai turned back to tease them. “Junior Brother Ying and Miss Heqing seem very close.”

“Naturally!” He Qingsheng finally wrested her hand free and gave Ying Qujie’s shoulder a firm, righteous pat.

She didn’t know how Ying Qujie had explained her presence to You Dai and the others, but aside from Chunyu Qianqiu, none of them seemed suspicious or wary of her identity.

It was strange.

He Qingsheng fiddled with the beads on her tassel, contemplating how to slip away without Ying Qujie noticing.

Though it might seem a bit heartless, Ying Qujie should follow You Dai and the other four for now. By sticking to the route she indicated, safely exiting the Dongchuan Forest Secret Realm wouldn’t be a problem.

The secret realm wasn’t just filled with new disciples like You Dai and Xia Er’an, there were also senior sect members leading the groups.

While the new disciples might not recognize He Qingsheng, the elders might still remember her.

The relationships among the Twelve Walls were intricate and tangled. When she killed the elder’s disciple from the Zhenyuan Sect, she had inevitably offended some powerful clans.

Bringing her along would only make Ying Qujie unwittingly gain enemies.

But Ying Qujie seemed to have eyes growing on her, figuring out how to shake him off was proving to be quite the challenge.

“Buliuchen, come forth.” Ying Qujie called out.

With a shing, the longsword unsheathed, its cold gleam flashing as it coiled around him, forming a protective barrier.

“So that’s really its name.” He Qingsheng mused absentmindedly.

“Buliuchen, No Trace Left. Buliuhen, No Regret Left. It’s a good name.”

“True. Kill all your enemies, and there’d indeed be no regrets left.” He Qingsheng nodded in full agreement.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at Ying Qujie’s lips, his eyes brimming with helplessness as he shook his head slightly.

To him, the word “hen” (hatred) was better interpreted as regret.

The phrase “leave no regrets” lingered on the tip of his tongue before he swallowed it back deep into his heart.

A clear, piercing bird cry suddenly split the silent sky, followed by a howling gale that sent countless withered leaves swirling into the air.

The ground emitted an eerie creaking sound, and in the next moment, earthen walls erupted from the earth.

The massive formation took less than three seconds to fully manifest, and within the walls, raging flames burst forth.

Ying Qujie was the first to raise a barrier, blocking the initial wave of fire.

Chunyu Qianqiu reacted swiftly, conjuring a water shield to envelop the group.

A secret technique of the Chunyu family from Yingxian Yuan.

He Qingsheng’s eyes flickered. Suddenly, she felt herself lifted off the ground, Ying Qujie had hoisted her by the waist and placed her atop Buliuchen.

The scorching earth beneath their feet made it unbearable, but with Chunyu Qianqiu’s water-based spells, they managed to stay steady.

You Dai, Xia Er’an, Yuan Qing, and Yuan Bai were practically hopping in place as they communicated.

“Don’t panic, form the array!” You Dai barked.

“Yes!” The three responded in unison, swiftly weaving a spiritual formation beneath their feet to counter the roaring flames.

As the fire intensified, bubbles burst along the surface of the water shield with a hiss, filling the air with thick steam that blurred the nearby earthen walls.

In less than half a quarter-hour, Chunyu Qianqiu was already struggling to hold back the flames.

The fire within the walls wasn’t the work of a single person, it fed on spiritual energy to sustain itself.

Even if Chunyu Qianqiu’s cultivation were a level higher, he’d still be worn down to death here.

Xia Er’an watched Chunyu Qianqiu anxiously and proposed, “If this goes on, Qianqiu won’t last! Senior Brother, let’s gather our sword intent and break out!”

“But if we do that, we’ll have no defenses left!”

Chunyu Qianqiu bared his little fangs. “Forget about that, Senior Brother. Even if we die, at least let’s fight first, no regrets!”

Watching them quickly settle on the “screw it, let’s fight” strategy, He Qingsheng couldn’t help but find it amusing, Chunyu Qianqiu really was her kind of person.

“Physician Ying, toss them into the spirit realm for now.”

Five pairs of wide, hopeful eyes instantly locked onto He Qingsheng, as if they’d suddenly spotted their savior.

A sudden surge of responsibility washed over her, and she urged Ying Qujie to shove them all inside.

The moment Chunyu Qianqiu withdrew, the water shield lasted only a second before a crack split open under the flames.

Like a reaper’s scythe, the fire surged forward with terrifying speed.

In place of the water barrier, an overwhelming surge of baleful energy clashed head-on with the inferno.

He Qingsheng tilted her head slightly towards Ying Qujie and said, “Let Liuwuhen follow the killing aura and chop up the filthy bastard behind this!”

Ying Qujie instantly grasped her meaning and immediately flung out his longsword.

A flash of cold light, wrapped in black-red killing aura, tore through the air with unstoppable force. The sword shattered the earthen wall and shot straight towards the treetops of the ancient tree.

“Quite the choice of hiding spot.”

He Qingsheng wrapped an arm around Ying Qujie’s waist, pulling him close as she soared into the air.

The formation above the earthen wall suppressed spiritual energy, but that didn’t matter, she wasn’t using spiritual energy anyway.

It could be said she completely ignored the obstruction, heading straight for the caster with clear intent.

He Qingsheng’s gaze locked onto Ji Shi among the casters, Ji Yuchen’s own uncle, one of the four main peak elders of the Zhenyuan Sect.

Her lips curled slowly into a smirk.