Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

Cangying Island, Cloud-shrouded Mountain.

The rain poured down as if to engulf the world. As night deepened, Shen Wei had no choice but to send out his divine sense to investigate.

His divine sense swept across the area, and found that only this solitary, dilapidated temple within a hundred miles could provide him with a place to stand.

Yunqian Mountain...

The name of this place sounds nice, but how come it's such a desolate place?

He looked up and saw that the temple seemed to have been neglected for years. Amidst the broken walls and ruins, a headless Buddha statue sat lifelessly in the center, looking particularly eerie.

Shen Wei had no choice but to enter and temporarily escape the storm.

He casually unleashed a wisp of spiritual energy, rekindling the remaining incense and candles on the altar, the faint flame barely illuminating the surroundings.

Then he found a dry straw mat to sit on and casually untied the cloth bag tightly tied around his waist.

A head, its eyes wide open in death, rolled out from the body, and Shen Wei's slender fingertips lightly touched the head's brow.

In an instant, the head seemed to be disintegrated from the inside by an invisible force, turning into a pool of thick blood, which then contracted and congealed, eventually turning into a drop of dark red essence blood.

The drop of blood flowed into Shen Wei's body through his fingertip, leaving no trace of blood or bloodstains at the scene.

After doing all this, he drew his sword, lowered his eyes, and slowly wiped the longsword with a corner of his robe.

Outside the temple, the rain pattered like a tide. In the quiet, deep night, Shen Wei's thoughts drifted away.

This job paid out three thousand spirit stones... enough for Gu Lengyue and me to live on for a while. I wonder if she's used to living alone...

It's a pity that the guy still managed to get away.

With that person's cultivation level, he could certainly give the evil dragon within him a good meal.

This so-called evil dragon is a cheat code that came with him after he transmigrated. And according to his investigation and speculation over the years, this unlucky thing may be the real reason why his family was brutally wiped out.

Legend has it that the Evil Dragon is a seed of an ancient demonic dragon that feeds on the essence and blood of humans and is extremely ferocious.

It has been ten years since it was planted on Shen Wei, and it has already passed its infancy.

Over the years, Shen Wei has had to provide him with human blood and essence every month for him to absorb; otherwise, it will devour his blood and essence, and in the long run, Shen Wei will surely die.

Of course, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. Accompanying the evil dragon is a huge improvement in cultivation.

What others struggle to achieve over years of arduous cultivation, he can often accomplish with half the effort thanks to the blessing of the Evil Dragon. This is an opportunity that countless cultivators dream of.

Actually, from this perspective, being parasitized by the evil dragon isn't entirely a bad thing.

However, if possible, he still felt it would be better without this evil dragon.

After all, she was an orphan in her previous life, and before she could experience the warmth of family for more than a few years after transmigrating, this thing ruined her life.

Just then, a powerful surge of spiritual energy burst through the rain, abruptly interrupting his thoughts.

His gaze sharpened, his fingertips instantly gripped the sword hilt, and he carefully put away the spirit stone pouch.

The next moment, a figure staggered and crashed into the temple.

She was an extremely beautiful woman, tall and slender, with flowing black hair and a cool, ethereal air.

However, at this moment, her once pristine white dress was now soaked with large patches of blood, the wet gauze and brocade clinging to her body, outlining her undulating silhouette.

As the wind howled, her skirt swayed gently, revealing a pair of long, shapely legs as smooth as jade.

Shen Wei's hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

Ye Qingci steadied herself against the doorframe, her breathing heavy.

The light was so dim that when she realized there were other people inside the temple, a hint of wariness flashed in her eyes.

Their eyes met, and surprisingly, a young man was sitting astride the Buddha statue, which should have been a symbol of compassion.

He was about twenty years old, dressed in black which made his skin look pale. His messy black hair swept across his sharp eyebrows and eyes. Although he was unkempt, you could still tell that he had an exceptionally handsome face.

Ye Qingci subtly observed him.

There was no trace of any sect affiliation on him, so he must be a rogue cultivator from a nearby mountain who was simply taking shelter from the rain.

Based on this, she drew her conclusion.

Although this place is a desolate and deserted land, this person arrived before me...

Although this person has a cold demeanor, his eyes are quite clear and honest, and he doesn't seem like someone who's difficult to get along with... Now that the rain is pouring down and I'm so badly injured, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to make do with him for a while.

Shen Wei was stunned when he saw the person who came. The reunion scene he had imagined countless times actually happened in this kind of place.

However, she was not as aloof as before; in fact, she was... somewhat disheveled.

"This... fellow Daoist."

She was seriously injured and had difficulty speaking.

"I am an elder of the Shangqing Sect. I was framed and chased here by thieves... Now that it's pouring rain, may I take shelter for a moment?"

Her initiative in revealing her identity was not to show off, but because the five great immortal sects were so renowned that almost everyone in the Great Zhou Dynasty knew of them.

Even if this person harbored malicious intentions, they should have been wary and wouldn't dare to easily harm her.

Shen Wei thought to himself, no wonder he had searched so many times without success.

"I didn't arrive much earlier than you, so it's up to you."

Thank you.

Ye Qingci was slightly taken aback, thanked him, and sat down opposite Shen Wei on his right.

She didn't recognize me, as expected.

Yes, it's been a full ten years.

When they first met that year, he was just a young boy who barely reached her shoulder.

To her, he was nothing more than a mortal she had casually saved during her long journey of cultivation, whom she had forgotten in an instant.

Shen Wei suppressed his emotions and ultimately did not reveal his identity.

Now he has a new name, a new identity, and a new life.

All of this was hard-won, the result of countless days and nights of forbearance and dormancy.

One cannot live in the past forever.

As for that unfinished debt of gratitude...

Shen Wei looked up, his eyes swirling with emotion.

Debts must be repaid eventually, but there's no need to rush it.

He gathered his thoughts and casually tossed the medicine from the cloth bag, which landed in front of Ye Qingci's straw mat.

Ye Qingci trembled slightly, becoming somewhat wary of this sudden act of kindness.

"These are all common wound medicines."

Shen Wei spoke calmly, offering no further explanation.

Ye Qingci remained silent for a moment, looked at him for a while, and finally tilted her head back and swallowed the medicine.

The young man in black before her... his features gave her a sense of familiarity.

She shook her head inwardly. Perhaps it was a hallucination caused by her serious injuries, or perhaps it was because the dilapidated temple was too dark and the candlelight too flickering, making everyone she saw seem vaguely familiar.

After that, the two remained silent.

Once the last flickering candle had fulfilled its final purpose, the temple returned to darkness.

Shen Wei slept peacefully, breathing evenly, as if he were in his own bedroom.

Ye Qingci hesitated to close her eyes, whether out of wariness of the young man beside her or vigilance against the enemy who might catch up at any moment.

As the night deepened, her clothes became soaked through but half-dry. She lay on her side on the dry straw mat, clutching her sword and shivering.

The sword was cold, but her heart was even colder.

Ye Qingci never imagined that the sect she was so proud of was actually involved in such shady dealings...

Perhaps it was a misunderstanding, perhaps it was a coincidence, perhaps... there is still room for reconciliation.

But when the evidence was laid bare before her, when she saw with her own eyes the buried remains, the altered files, and the deals made in the name of justice that were actually based on despicable acts...

She still drew her sword.

The sword was aimed at the sect that had raised her for many years, and at the principles she had fought to the death to uphold.

She cultivates the path of ruthlessness, severs selfish desires, upholds justice, acts with a clear conscience, and seeks clarity of mind.

If she disregards the righteous path because of personal feelings, and condones evil because of gratitude and righteousness, then what is the point of all her years of arduous cultivation?

Even in this state, she has no regrets.

As the night rain gradually subsided, the dripping sound of water from the eaves pattered on, and my thoughts slowly settled down.

Perhaps it was because her injuries were too severe, or perhaps it was the steady breathing of the young man next to her that gave her a rare sense of security, but she unknowingly fell into a deep sleep.

This sleep was perhaps the most restful she had ever had since she went into hiding.