Chapter 105: Crisis Approaches

"Let me see your injuries. As long as they're not too strange, I can handle them," Feng Baichuan said with a sigh as he approached the bed.

Yun Che, however, shook his head. "No need. I have a way to deal with these minor injuries myself, so don't trouble yourself. You are currently facing a great calamity, and there must be many things for you, as the clan leader, to attend to. You don't need to worry about us."

Feng Baichuan didn't insist. He nodded. "Alright, then. You two get some good rest here. If you need anything, just call us... I hope those villains arrive later."

Feng Baichuan closed the door and walked out, his face clouded with worry. Yun Che cupped his chin, lost in thought.

"Are your injuries really not serious? You fell from such a high place earlier," Lan Xueruo asked, concerned.

Yun Che shook his head casually, smiling. "I remember telling you before, Senior Sister, I am a divine doctor. To a divine doctor, these small injuries are nothing."

His injuries would definitely be considered severe by others, but in his eyes, they were just minor.

"A divine doctor? Even if you are one, does that mean you can throw your life away like that?" Thinking of how Yun Che had risked his life to save her twice, Lan Xueruo's eyes reddened slightly. "If you had truly died, I would never be at peace for the rest of my life."

"Haha," Yun Che chuckled. "Yuanba was right; Senior Sister is truly too kind. Originally, I was the one who implicated you, and I should be blaming myself, but now you're blaming yourself."

Lan Xueruo's eyes shimmered slightly. She bit her lip and softly said, "Junior Brother Yun, please don't be like that again in the future, okay? Actually, I have many protective artifacts on me, so I won't get injured that easily. If something similar happens again, you mustn't disregard your life to protect me. Just protect yourself."

"I can't do that," Yun Che replied, shaking his head decisively.

"Why not? Do you care so little for your own life?" Lan Xueruo's heart skipped a beat.

"No! I cherish my life very much. I will never allow myself to die, no matter the circumstances. It's just... it's just that..." Yun Che closed his eyes, preventing Lan Xueruo from seeing the deep sorrow that welled within them. "I once wronged a girl who was the kindest to me... and ultimately, she died in my arms because of me... The pain of that moment, I believe I couldn't forget it even after ten lifetimes. From that day on, I swore I would never again allow a girl who was kind to me to be harmed... never!"

"...That girl wasn't your current wife, was she?" Lan Xueruo looked at Yun Che, her gaze reflecting a complexity she didn't fully comprehend.

"Of course not. But she has been quite good to me, so I suppose I've been good to her too." Thinking of Xia Qingyue, Yun Che smiled softly. The few days they had shared a bed, though brief, were still beautiful memories. It was just that he might never see her again, yet her identity as his "wife" was firmly imprinted in his heart. She was his first wife in two lives, even if they had the name but not the reality of a married couple.

"Junior Brother Yun, you're only sixteen! Not only are you married at such a young age, but you've also had girls perish because of you... and perhaps other girls have been 'ruined' by you too. I've seen many flirtatious and promiscuous men, but it's the first time I've seen one as young as you," Lan Xueruo said with a smile. She was well aware of Yun Che's "wife" situation. A few days prior, she had sent someone to New Moon City specifically to investigate everything about him. The fact that his wife, Xia Qingyue, was a disciple of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace was common knowledge in Flowing Cloud City. This had subtly made her clan, the Xia family, the top power in Flowing Cloud City, with no one daring to provoke them. After all, among the Four Sacred Sects, the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace had the fewest disciples but was famously protective of its own.

Yun Che merely smiled, neither confirming nor denying, and instead asked, "Do you have anyone special in mind now, Senior Sister?"

"Me? Of course not. Senior Sister wouldn't go around flirting at such a young age like you do," Lan Xueruo said, smiling with pursed lips.

"Phew, good thing you don't. Otherwise, I'd be heartbroken," Yun Che sighed with relief, his expression visibly relaxing.

"...You little boy! Calling you promiscuous isn't unfair at all," Lan Xueruo said, tilting her nose and looking playfully reproachful. Then, she lifted her beautiful face, a hint of longing in her expression. "Your Senior Sister here is going to marry a peerless hero capable of conquering the world. A flirtatious young boy like you is completely not my type, let alone the fact that you're already married."

Yun Che: "..."

"Get some good rest. Little Snow was too tired from flying earlier and over-expended its energy, so it might need to sleep for a while. Once it wakes up, we can leave this place. As for the people here, I've already promised those two little ones that I'll help them within my capabilities."

After speaking a few more words with Yun Che, she clearly felt he was struggling more and more to speak, so she stopped bothering him. She walked out and gently closed the door.

"Interested in what they're guarding?" As soon as Lan Xueruo left, Jasmine suddenly spoke.

"Of course!" Yun Che replied, eyes closed. "Since there's a phoenix aura, it's highly likely to be something left by a phoenix! An ancient divine beast, the Phoenix! Even a single feather would be at the Divine Profound level! Now that outsiders have discovered this place, even if they don't get what's being guarded, it's very likely that word of this place will spread, and then we won't know whose hands it will fall into."

"Hmph! How could mere mortals lay claim to something left by an ancient divine beast?" Jasmine sneered disdainfully and then fell silent, as if giving Yun Che a warning.

In the silence, Yun Che examined his wounds. He then delved into the Sky Poison Pearl with his mind, quickly finding over a dozen medicinal ingredients he was looking for. After a brief refinement, he obtained a black, gel-like substance, which he evenly applied to his left shoulder. He then closed his eyes and soon drifted into a deep sleep.

When Yun Che awoke again, it was already the next morning. He had been roused by the chaotic sounds coming from outside.

"...If you're smart, unlock the seal formation on the back mountain immediately! You're the guardian family here, so you must know how to do it! Don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" This rough, volatile voice was laced with intense ferocity and threats.

"That seal formation has always been there; we have no idea what it is! We certainly don't know how to unlock it! We are just a small clan living in seclusion here. If there were truly any treasures, how could our clan have fallen to such a state?" This was Feng Baichuan's voice.

"Hahahaha! Do you think we're three-year-olds? That we'd believe your nonsense! Our leader and vice-leader have personally come today. If you try to play dumb with us again, do you believe we'll annihilate your entire clan?"

These voices... could it be...?

Yun Che quickly sat up in bed. His left shoulder still ached intensely, and his movements were stiff, but he was much better than yesterday. About half of his major and minor injuries had healed, and his body was no longer as weak as before; at least normal walking was no longer an issue. Just as he was about to get out of bed, the door was pushed open, and Lan Xueruo rushed in. Seeing that Yun Che was awake, she quickly said, "Junior Brother Yun, this is bad! The Black Demon Mercenary Group actually arrived today. There are over a hundred of them, and they've completely blockaded the village entrance!"

"How could they be so fast?" Yun Che frowned.

"Clan Leader Feng and the others were caught off guard too. The entire clan is now on high alert," Lan Xueruo said, her expression full of anxiety.

Just then, another loud shout came from outside: "Is that little beauty from yesterday here with you?! No treasure? Fine! Just hand over that little beauty to us first! Let the big brothers have some fun, and maybe we'll forget all about the treasure, hahahaha."

A wave of lewd laughter drifted from afar. Yun Che's brow furrowed sharply... He suddenly understood why this mercenary group, called "Black Demon," had launched such an urgent attack. Evidently, they hadn't been certain if there were any treasures here before. Based on the profound energy cultivation of the people here, anyone with a sound mind would deduce that even if there were treasures, they wouldn't be anything extraordinary. However, Lan Xueruo had exchanged blows with three members of this mercenary group yesterday, and her beauty was enough to astonish them. They weren't rushing here for treasure, but for Lan Xueruo! They were afraid that if they delayed even a step, she might escape.

"These villains!" Lan Xueruo bit her lip lightly, her face flushed with anger. "Junior Brother Yun, you're injured. Stay here, absolutely don't go out. I'll go teach them a lesson."

If Lan Xueruo had killed those three men directly yesterday, they wouldn't have been so eager to attack. Yun Che couldn't blame Lan Xueruo; after all, she was just a young girl with a naturally kind heart. He grabbed her hand, frowning, and asked, "What are the cultivation levels of the people in this mercenary group?"

"It seems their joining standard limits them, as everyone is above the Elementary Profound Realm! The lowest profound energy is at the first level of the Nascent Profound Realm, with over eighty people from levels one to five. There are more than thirty people above level five of the Nascent Profound Realm, and four individuals... who must be their leader and vice-leaders, have even reached the True Profound Realm," Lan Xueruo said, frowning. Such a lineup was something Feng Baichuan and his clan members, who were only at Elementary Profound Realm Level Ten, could not possibly withstand.

"True Profound Realm..." Yun Che gasped slightly, tightening his grip on Lan Xueruo's hand. "No! You can't go! You heard their shouts just now. Their target this time is very likely you. One hundred-plus Nascent Profound practitioners aside, just those few True Profound leaders are completely beyond what we can handle."

"They've completely sealed off the village entrance, so we can't escape even if we wanted to. And... perhaps I can manage," Lan Xueruo said, reaching up to unfasten the pearl necklace from her neck. Instantly, her profound energy aura rapidly surged, to Yun Che's surprise. "The pearls on this necklace are called 'Profound Lock Pearls.' Wearing it suppresses the wearer's profound energy by five levels. My true profound cultivation is at the third level of the True Profound Realm, so they won't easily harm me."

The change in Lan Xueruo's profound energy startled Yun Che. A third-level True Profound Realm at eighteen years old... This was an astonishing realm, entirely beyond even Xiao Luocheng, New Moon City's top genius! He asked in surprise, "Senior Sister, why would you..."

"I didn't want to draw too much attention, which is why I chose to do this. In any case, you stay here. I'll figure out a way to get you out."

After saying this, Lan Xueruo was about to leave, but Yun Che held her back again. "Even if Senior Sister has True Profound Realm strength, the other side has *four* True Profound practitioners! And perhaps their average level is even higher than yours... If there's absolutely no other way, I'll go out with you."