Chapter 1176: Misunderstanding

"What!" Yu Yanluo's face turned pale. This mine was the foundation of the Yu family; if it truly collapsed, it would be a devastating blow to them.

To clear these ruins and rebuild, it would require an unknown amount of manpower and resources, and crucially, time.

It would likely take at least ten years, possibly even eight, before production could resume.

Given the Yu family's current precarious state, could they even survive that long?

Zu'an quickly said, "We should find a safe place as soon as possible. Let's not get buried alive here."

Debris was falling everywhere; it was clear this place wouldn't hold much longer.

"This way!" Yu Yanluo quickly composed herself. No one knew this underground mine better than she did.

Zu'an followed her, running for a while, when he suddenly felt something was wrong. He looked back and saw Yan Xuehen hadn't moved; instead, she swayed unsteadily and then collapsed to the ground.

Startled, Zu'an instantly summoned the Great Wind, teleporting to her side and catching her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Yan Xuehen slightly opened her eyes. Seeing it was him, she pushed him away with a hint of embarrassment and annoyance. "I'm fine, let go of me!"

"You can't even stand, and you say you're fine." Zu'an naturally wouldn't let go at such a moment. Holding her, he hurried towards Yu Yanluo's location, dodging various falling earth and rocks along the way. Several times, debris narrowly missed them, grazing their clothes; had it been even slightly off, they would have been buried.

Yan Xuehen looked up at the man holding her, watching him awkwardly dodge while carrying her. She suddenly felt a sense of detachment.

Her cultivation had always been peerless; she was accustomed to protecting others, never needing anyone to protect her.

Now, being protected for the first time, and by a man at that, felt truly strange.

As she thought about it, her cheeks flushed slightly. She awkwardly turned her face away, no longer looking at him.

The group fled for dozens of miles before the shaking in the mine tunnel gradually subsided.

Seeing the tunnel behind them completely buried by earth and rocks, everyone felt a lingering fear. Had they been even a little slower, they would have been buried alive.

In their prime, Yun Jianyue and Yan Xuehen might have survived, but in their current state, being buried would have been a death sentence.

"Ice Stone Woman, how did you become so frail?" Yun Jianyue noticed their retreat was completely sealed, unsure if they could ever return to the surface, and her mood soured.

Yan Xuehen was about to answer when, as she opened her mouth, her throat tasted sweet, and she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood to the side.

Yun Jianyue was initially a little gleeful, but then she noticed the blackness in the blood and her expression changed. "You're poisoned?"

"It's just a minor poison, nothing serious..." Before Yan Xuehen could finish, Yun Jianyue had already grabbed her wrist.

Normally, Yan Xuehen would never let her great rival grasp her pulse, but now, weakened and powerless, she couldn't resist.

Yun Jianyue examined her, and her face immediately darkened. "Nothing serious? You already have one foot in the grave!"

Zu'an and Yu Yanluo were startled. "What exactly happened?"

At this point, Zu'an felt his hand was wet. He quickly helped Yan Xuehen sit up, then checked his hand, finding it covered in blood that reflected a strange, dark light.

Yan Xuehen's previously snow-white clothes were soaked with blood on her back.

Zu'an suddenly recalled the scene where she had saved him from the death worm earlier. "Were you hit by the dark light shot from the death worm's mouth?"

Yan Xuehen's lips were already pale. She said faintly, "I just had an injury at the time. Normally, no matter how fast that worm attacked, it couldn't hit me."

Yun Jianyue, beside her, sneered, "You're almost dead and still putting on airs. Are all you people from White Jade Capital so obsessed with saving face that you'd rather suffer?"

Yan Xuehen wanted to retort but lacked the strength.

"Sigh, it's also my fault. You've acted abnormally several times just now, and I didn't notice in time," Yun Jianyue said, her tone suddenly softening, no longer bickering with her.

Yan Xuehen was somewhat surprised. "Shouldn't you be happy if I'm dying?"

"Hmph, if I had killed you fair and square, I would naturally be happy. What's there to be happy about with this kind of death?" Yun Jianyue pulled out a pill and placed it by her mouth. "This is an antidote, but the death worm's poison has already invaded your meridians and organs. This pill can only buy you a little time."

Yan Xuehen shook her head. "What joy is there in life, what fear in death? I've long since detached myself from life and death. Why should I owe you a favor just before I die?"

"Ice Stone Woman, why are you so stubborn?" Yun Jianyue felt an itch in her teeth, an urge to push Yan Xuehen's head to the ground.

At this moment, Zu'an's faint voice came from the side. "Actually... I can cure her."

Hearing this, Yan Xuehen found some unknown strength and instantly refused, "No!"

Yun Jianyue was first stunned, then clapped her hands and laughed. "Excellent! This is very good, very good indeed!"

Didn't this Ice Stone Woman usually pretend to be an icy beauty who showed no interest in men? The key was that all the men in the world fell for it.

If they knew their ice goddess had been defiled by another man, and that it was a master and disciple sharing one husband!

Once word got out, she would truly be ruined, and the thousand-year reputation of White Jade Capital would be destroyed.

Thinking of that scene, Yun Jianyue almost burst out laughing.

This Ice Stone Woman has fought with me for so many years, and finally, I've won!

Huh, but why did she suddenly not feel so happy?

Seeing Yun Jianyue's strange expression, Yan Xuehen immediately guessed her thoughts. She felt so ashamed and indignant she wished she could die; if Zu'an truly saved her using "that method," she would rather be dead.

"I don't want you to save me, let go of me!" Yan Xuehen's heart pounded with panic, and she struggled frantically. Unfortunately, her limbs were weak, and her struggles looked more like playful teasing between lovers.

Zu'an quickly said, "Don't get agitated, be careful the poison doesn't reach your heart."

"Let the poison reach my heart then!" Yan Xuehen just wanted to die immediately; otherwise, if Zu'an saved her with "that method," she wouldn't have the face to live.

Zu'an: "..."

At this moment, Yu Yanluo's expression was strange. "Ah Zu, can you... still manage?"

Since the two had been together for so long just now, she was truly a bit worried about his physical condition.

She felt the whole situation was odd, as if her man was about to be shared with another woman.

Yet she found no reason to object. After all, it was to save a life, and Yan Xuehen had just sustained such severe injuries precisely to save Zu'an.

"No problem," Zu'an replied, somewhat puzzled why she would ask such a question.

Hearing their conversation, Yan Xuehen wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Yun Jianyue patted his shoulder. "You're getting a good deal, boy. Make sure you serve our beautiful Miss Yan well."

Normally, she should have been enjoying the show, but for some reason, she found she wasn't as happy as she expected.

Yan Xuehen's face was beet red, feeling as if smoke might be coming from her head. Unfortunately, her blood surged, her vision blurred, and she couldn't speak to refuse.

Her heart felt cold. Was she truly unable to escape this fate?

At this moment, Yun Jianyue said with considerable annoyance, "Ice Stone Woman, do you need to make such an expression? Weren't you willing just a moment ago?"

This woman seemed to be gloating after getting an advantage.

Yan Xuehen felt bitter. Just now, she had thought she was certainly going to die anyway, so she wanted to save Zu'an before her death, to prevent the man who had saved her and all living beings from dying silently.

But the problem now was that Zu'an knew a peculiar cultivation method that could heal her *after* the act.

Her willingness stemmed from the belief that she would die soon, putting an end to everything.

But now, thinking about facing a flood of worldly gazes afterward, she shivered with dread.

At this moment, Zu'an's peculiar voice rang out, "Are you two misunderstanding something? The way I 'save' people doesn't require physical intimacy."