Xia Li turned to look behind him.
The newcomer was Liu Xiaoxiao. Her current demeanor was truly pitiful, as if her body carried some special magic that made people instinctively want to cherish and protect her.
This made Xia Li frown.
Liu Xiaoxiao's temperament before had been nothing like this—she'd had an active, cheerful feeling, like the girl next door.
"I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."
Xia Li didn't say "long time no see." Since their last meeting, at most a year had passed. Meeting Liu Xiaoxiao again within a year really couldn't be called long.
"You look like you're in bad shape... You must have had a hard time since we parted? Were your injuries done by Xuan Dan Sect?"
Liu Xiaoxiao looked at Xia Li with concern. After all, Xia Li was currently missing a hand, an eye, and his nose—he looked exactly like someone in dire straits after being severely wounded.
"No. I encountered other powerful enemies."
"Are you... alright?"
"Better than you'd imagine."
Xia Li immediately released his aura. Pseudo-Core realm strength was definitely not weak.
"You're truly as extraordinary as ever. You went from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment in three months, and in less than a year you've reached Pseudo-Core. I really can't catch up to you."
Liu Xiaoxiao's cultivation was still at Qi Refining Level Eight, which was actually quite fast. People from similar backgrounds would probably still be hovering in early Qi Refining at her age.
Her current strength could be considered genius-level in some small sects.
"You don't need to chase after me."
"But I want to... I want to..."
"Don't overthink it."
Xia Li responded coldly. He could clearly see that Liu Xiaoxiao's eyes looking at him were practically stringing together, that affectionate gaze needing no further explanation.
Just as Liu Xiaoxiao was about to say something more, another voice came from nearby.
"Junior Sister Liu, what are you doing here? May I ask who this Daoist friend is?"
An elegant young man approached Liu Xiaoxiao. His eyes looking at her were full of care.
But Liu Xiaoxiao showed a flash of impatience that Xia Li caught.
"He's the person who once saved my life. You can call him..."
Liu Xiaoxiao looked at Xia Li, silently asking with her eyes if she could reveal his name.
"I'm Qiu Yuan."
Xia Li answered directly, casually giving a false name.
"Greetings, Daoist Friend Qiu. I'm Bai Qi from Medicine King Sect."
"Greetings, Daoist Friend Bai."
Xia Li nodded, presenting himself modestly. This young man was no ordinary person. Though he hid it well, Xia Li's soul cultivation had birthed the Wisdom Ear, allowing him to perceive the sound of a Nascent Soul breathing spiritual energy within the other's dantian.
Cultivation had sound, because spiritual energy constantly circulated within the dantian.
Qi Refining sounded like wind, Foundation Establishment like rain, Golden Core produced clear chiming, and Nascent Soul rumbled like thunder.
This youth was Nascent Soul!
Only, why would such a genius run to Liu Xiaoxiao's side to act like a simp?
And he himself was Liu Xiaoxiao's white moonlight. What the hell was going on here?
"Senior Brother Bai, look—Big Brother Qiu is quite seriously injured right now. I remember you have Heaven Spirit Lotus. Could you gift it to Big Brother Qiu for limb regeneration?"
"Well... Junior Sister Liu, I still have important uses for the Heaven Spirit Lotus..."
"Then forget it. I was being presumptuous."
Disappointment flashed in Liu Xiaoxiao's eyes, making Bai Qi suddenly anxious. Gritting his teeth, he directly produced a segment of jade-like lotus root emanating three-colored profound light.
"But Big Brother Qiu is Junior Sister's life-saving benefactor. How could I not show my appreciation?"
After Bai Qi produced the three-colored jade lotus, Xia Li was instantly shocked. This precious medicine was worth a fortune—an excellent material for refining external incarnations, virtually priceless.
He could just give this away?
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This simp was too spineless!
"No, no, no—I can't accept gifts I haven't earned."
Xia Li quickly waved his hand in refusal. Though he lacked a right arm, he was planning to install serious hardware when he returned. For now, prosthetics were far superior to flesh.
"Big Brother Qiu, please accept it. This is my sincere gesture. To be honest, Junior Sister Liu also saved my life once."
"That's between you two. Since you have uses for it, use it where you need it most. That way you can protect what you want to protect."
After speaking, Xia Li glanced at Liu Xiaoxiao. Her state seemed off.
It appeared she was still trapped in hatred, unable to feel the warmth beside her, only remembering past happiness.
"Xiaoxiao, you don't need to worry about my affairs. You should be moving on to a new chapter in your life."
Xia Li definitely didn't want to be walking along one day and run into Liu Xiaoxiao, only to be told she'd killed Bai Qi and brought him Bai Qi's treasures and vital blood or something.
"But I..."
"Listen to me. I was your teacher for a time. The beloved shouldn't take favor for granted."
After speaking, Xia Li looked at Bai Qi. Bai Qi's eyes looking at Xia Li had softened considerably, with a hint of admiration.
Xia Li didn't want to keep up the act. He transmitted directly to Bai Qi.
【Daoist Friend Bai, you can't hide your cultivation from me. If you truly like her, you need to be more assertive. She's currently burdened by past hatred—her temperament is gradually becoming twisted. The gentleness you think you're showing isn't enough to be her support.】
After the transmission, Xia Li transmitted to Liu Xiaoxiao.
【This Daoist Friend Bai truly likes you, and his abilities are far beyond what you see on the surface. He's definitely not Foundation Establishment. Think about it—what good things could a Foundation Establishment cultivator produce?】
【You might think he's just a rich second-generation heir with family backing, but he lowered his status to approach you because he didn't want you to feel pressured. And you? You're treating him like a dog.】
【What I fear now is that one day when Daoist Friend Bai reveals his true strength, you'll blame him for deceiving you and turn against him.】
Xia Li laid it all out plainly, telling these two to stop playing this heart-wrenching game. Watching them made his scalp tingle and his neck feel cold.
After transmitting to both.
Liu Xiaoxiao also looked at Bai Qi, carefully examining the seemingly shy Bai Qi. Bai Qi now understood as well—if he didn't fight for this, things would go wrong.
"I'm sorry... Junior Sister Liu. I never told you my true identity. I just didn't want my status to make you feel pressured. Actually, I'm this generation's Medicine King Inheritor."
"Senior Brother Bai, you... you're actually... How could I possibly deserve..."
Liu Xiaoxiao panicked too. Thinking of how cold she'd been to Bai Qi, thinking of his attentive care, waves of unease surged from her conscience.
"It's fine. Junior Sister Liu, I know what you're thinking. You just didn't want me to be implicated by you, but you also wanted revenge. So you took my things while remaining cold to me—that's precisely proof that you care about me."
Bai Qi started making assumptions. Started self-hypnotizing.
Xia Li was shocked.
Wait, bro...
You're a natural-born Simp Sacred Body?
Liu Xiaoxiao's eyes flashed with embarrassment. She simply hadn't wanted to get too close to Bai Qi, but felt he was foolish and easy to manipulate. For her revenge, she did need Bai Qi's help.
She'd figured she'd make it up to Bai Qi later.
If she hadn't run into Xia Li this time.
She probably would have become an ungrateful wretch.
"Senior Brother Bai... I was wrong. I was too self-righteous. Perhaps this is what they mean by 'a bucket of rice creates gratitude, a bushel creates resentment.' I never thought I'd become such a person."
Liu Xiaoxiao couldn't help sighing. That aura Xia Li had found distasteful immediately faded considerably. Her eyes looking at Bai Qi now held much more sincerity.
