Chapter 219: Gods Find It Hard to Save

Zu'an emerged from the study, a gloomy expression on his face. He was alone, and an unprecedented feeling of loneliness washed over him.

The Chu couple were talking intimately with Chu Chuyan, asking for more details about the secret realm.

Chu Huanzhao, though she had just spoken up for him, was still upset about him forgetting the gift.

Even Xue'er wasn't at the Chu residence anymore, otherwise he could have exchanged some playful jabs with her.

As for Cheng Shoubing, that unreliable fellow was out of the question; anything he told him would surely be spread worldwide by the next day.

Gazing at the bright moon in the sky, a wave of melancholy swept over him.

An ancient poem said, "Raising my head, I gaze at the bright moon; bowing my head, I long for my hometown." In his previous life, he found it hard to understand this sentiment. After all, he could call his family anytime, even video chat, and going home was convenient with planes and high-speed trains. Rapid technological advancements made it difficult for modern people to grasp the ancients' homesickness, until he arrived in this alternate world, especially after Qin Wanru had repeatedly targeted him.

He finally understood that the Chu family was not his true home.

Feelings of homesickness welled up within him, and Zu'an let out a long sigh. It seemed it was time to consider leaving.

He had considered this issue before, but back then, he had just transmigrated, knew nothing about this world, and had no money. Leaving impulsively would not have been a wise choice. Now, however, things were different. He possessed hundreds of thousands of silver taels, and had officially become a cultivator. Although his cultivation wasn't high, self-preservation shouldn't be a problem. Furthermore, he had secured a teaching position at Brightmoon Academy. By all appearances, he could now stand on his own.

As his thoughts drifted, a pleasant voice suddenly reached his ears: "What are you thinking about?"

Zu'an turned around to find Chu Chuyan standing behind him, though he hadn't noticed when she arrived. Her long, dark, lustrous hair cascaded down to her waist, further accentuating her snow-white skin. The tranquil moonlight cast a sacred glow over her entire being, as if a pure, ethereal fairy had descended to the mortal world. At that moment, she was gazing at him with misty, beautiful eyes, her gaze vast like a sea of mist, yet profound like the starry sky.

Zu'an secretly marveled. She truly lived up to her reputation as Brightmoon City's foremost beauty; every inch of her skin, every glance, could drive countless men to madness.

"Nothing," he replied. Though captivated, Zu'an didn't feel like teasing her as he usually would.

Chu Chuyan's expression was also complex at that moment. She had been observing from the side and noticed Zu'an enveloped in an aura of sorrow. Knowing that he was usually a carefree and optimistic person, seeing him like this indicated how much distress he must be feeling.

"I'm really sorry about what just happened," Chu Chuyan explained. "My mother didn't mean any harm; she was just overly worried about me, and her personality has always been like that. Her words might have been hurtful, but please don't take them to heart."

Zu'an was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected her to say something like this. She used to be very aloof and rarely initiated conversations with him, let alone offered explanations. Thinking of this, a smile appeared on his face. "I'm going to spend my life with you, not with her, so of course I won't care."

Chu Chuyan's face flushed slightly. It seemed she had worried for nothing; this guy was indeed as brazen as ever. For some reason, she had a fleeting illusion that his words had been a tease directed at her mother, but she immediately realized how absurd the thought was and quickly dismissed it.

"It's good that you don't mind. You've worked hard these past few days; go back and get some good rest," Chu Chuyan said before turning and walking away.

A moment later, she suddenly stopped and turned around with a surprised expression, looking at the man behind her. "Why are you following me?"

Zu'an shrugged. "Didn't you tell me to go back and rest?"

Chu Chuyan frowned, "Then why are you following me? Isn't your room over there?"

Zu'an looked surprised. "Wife, you haven't forgotten, have you? In the secret realm, you promised that we'd share a room when we got back. I thought about it, and my room is too small; you'd be uncomfortable living there. Your room is bigger, so I'll just move in with you..."

Listening to him freely fantasize about how he would arrange the room and what furniture he would move, Chu Chuyan felt a headache coming on. "When did I ever agree... agree to live with you?"

Zu'an looked at her with a strange expression. "You haven't forgotten, have you? No, that's not right. You're a famous cultivation genius with a photographic memory. It seems you're trying to go back on your word."

"I..." Chu Chuyan finally recalled that she had indeed said something similar at the time, and her face instantly turned red. "No, the situation was special then, and... and I didn't fully agree."

"That's no fun," Zu'an immediately grumbled. "The esteemed Miss Chu going back on her word? How about I find some others to arbitrate and let everyone decide what should be done!" With that, he made to leave.

"Oh, wait!" Chu Chuyan panicked. She was always sensitive about her reputation, and if this got out, she'd want to crawl into a hole and disappear. Seeing Zu'an's determined stride, she felt a sudden surge of coldness rise to her throat, and then, with a gasp, she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Noticing her unusual state, Zu'an was startled. He quickly returned and supported her. "What's wrong with you? I was just saying that casually. You didn't have to get so flustered you'd spit blood." He then noticed several unmelted ice shards in the blood on the ground and was momentarily stunned. Just as he was about to ask her, he found her body suddenly go limp and she began to collapse. He quickly caught her in his arms, only then realizing her lips were completely colorless, and her entire body was chillingly cold.

"Wife, what's wrong?" Zu'an asked frantically.

"I... I'm fine, it's an old problem..." Chu Chuyan said weakly. She wanted to explain that she had suffered from this condition for years, and it had worsened after the last family competition, but before she could finish, she fainted.

"Don't worry, wife, I'll take you to a doctor." Zu'an panicked, picking her up, intending to notify Chu Zhongtian and the others.

"Don't bother. An ordinary doctor can't cure her at all."

At that moment, a distinctive female voice rang out. It possessed an inherent air of aloof superiority, yet also a captivating languor, making it instantly recognizable as Mi Li's voice.

"Empress sister, you're awake?" Zu'an asked, his face alight with surprise.

Mi Li scoffed coldly, "I woke up a long time ago. After all, I needed to check your current surroundings for any life-threatening dangers, lest I accidentally get dragged into trouble by you."

"So, did you find anything?" Zu'an quickly asked, curious himself.

"Not yet, but..." Mi Li's tone shifted, and she said coldly, "I saw very clearly the scene where that woman named Qin Wanru humiliated you. I thought you were someone important, but I didn't expect your status in their mansion to be so lowly."

Zu'an said with a dejected expression, "What can I do? She's the mistress of the Chu family, after all, and the mother of Chuyan and Huanzhao."

"No, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. That feeling just now was as if she was scolding me," Mi Li's voice rose a few pitches. "A mere Duchess acting so arrogant! Back in my day, even princesses and empresses wouldn't dare breathe heavily in front of me. Hmph, why don't I capture her and deal with her secretly? That would eliminate a hidden danger and prevent future complications." Zu'an's safety was her safety; any potential threat had to be nipped in the bud. As for Qin Wanru's life or death, Mi Li wouldn't care in the slightest. She was the type to rather kill a thousand innocents than let one culprit go.

Zu'an was startled. "No, no!" Although he didn't like Qin Wanru either, killing her for such a reason was simply too extreme.

"Oh, I see," Mi Li nodded. "That Qin Wanru does have some charm and allure. I didn't realize you, a lecherous fellow, would fancy mature women. Very well, I'll capture her and let you do as you please with her. Killing her after you're tired of her would be the same."

Zu'an: "..."

"What on earth do you understand?!" Zu'an asked, feeling extremely exasperated. "She's my wife's mother..."

He was interrupted before he could finish. Mi Li scoffed coldly, "That's just because your level is too low to encounter such things. Haven't there been countless filthy deeds within royal families throughout history? Between siblings, taking one's mother as a wife, taking one's daughter as a concubine, killing a brother to seize his wife... there's no telling how many such things have happened. What you're talking about is nothing."

Zu'an: "..."

The sheer amount of information was too much for him to process at once. After a long silence, he exhaled deeply. "Your circle is truly messed up."

"Your rank is too low; you can't even get into that circle. You're just sour grapes," Mi Li sneered.

Zu'an felt deflated. The crucial point was that, given her status, it was indeed the truth, leaving him no room for rebuttal.

"Let's talk about those things later," Zu'an said. "What exactly is wrong with my wife, and why can't an ordinary doctor cure her?" He felt the woman in his arms growing colder and colder.

"The cultivation technique she practices has an inherent flaw, or rather, it's a common problem with ice-element cultivation methods. To cultivate ice abilities, cold energy must enter the body. Over time, her meridians, body, and internal organs will all be invaded by this cold energy."

"Although various ice-element scriptures have their own ways to counteract the resulting negative effects, they cannot be completely eliminated. After all, cultivation is defying the heavens, and some penalties are normal."

Zu'an asked, puzzled, "If cultivating ice abilities has such major flaws, why are there still so many ice-element cultivators in the world?"

"While ice-element cultivation causes significant bodily harm, its power is also immense, offering unparalleled advantages in many areas," Mi Li explained. "There are plenty of people in this world willing to sacrifice something for greater power."

"Most ice-element cultivators either have a shorter lifespan than normal cultivators or find it difficult to conceive, but generally, their lives aren't in danger. Your wife's situation, however, is likely due to her cultivation speed being too fast. Furthermore, her ice-element cultivation method takes an unusual approach; while it grants greater power and faster progress, its negative effects are also far more severe than other ice-element techniques."

"Then, in the underground palace, the Traceless Illusion Lotus you gave her forcibly elevated her by a major realm, destabilizing her foundation and completely magnifying the hidden dangers in her body. Previously, she exchanged a palm strike with that old man from the Shi family in the academy's backyard. Although the injury wasn't severe, it caused the latent problem within her body to fully erupt. Now, the cold energy has spread into her vital organs. I'm afraid even immortals cannot save her; even immortals cannot save her."