Chapter 15

It felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. Ye Xiyin felt that not a single part of his body was warm; it was as if the blood in his veins had frozen solid.

"So cold," he whimpered, shivering.

The surroundings were exceptionally noisy, with people seemingly talking, but as soon as he spoke, the discussions gradually died down. A moment later, Ye Xiyin felt himself being pulled into an embrace. The unique scent of another person drew near, and the embrace grew increasingly warm, like a small furnace, gradually melting the cold air around him.

A flow of energy that was not his own began to circulate through his organs, warming his meridians bit by bit.

The agonizing sensation vanished abruptly. Ye Xiyin let out a contented sigh and nuzzled into the warm embrace. After causing the person holding him to stiffen slightly, he fell into a sound, carefree sleep.

When he woke up again, the environment around him had changed.

Ye Xiyin stared blankly at the roof beams for a long time before realizing he seemed to be in his quarters at the county magistrate’s office.

The previous sensation of freezing cold felt like a hallucination. Ye Xiyin propped himself up with his arms and looked around. He only remembered fainting suddenly; he had no memory of what happened afterward.

He opened the world channel to observe the discussions. Seeing that he had only been unconscious for one night, Ye Xiyin heaved a sigh of relief. He checked his clothes, finding them to be the same ones he had worn before sleeping. Thanks to the system, even after sleeping in them all night, the fabric remained as smooth as new.

His body still felt sore. Ye Xiyin fed himself a pill to clear negative status effects, then began to observe his character panel.

Fortunately, thanks to the experience points from the minions and the two bosses, his level had reached five. Although this leveling speed was too slow for a typical player, Ye Xiyin’s health bar had increased significantly. Combined with his silk-lined armor, he was no longer a fragile paper-thin character who would fall from a single punch. At the very least, it would take two.

After amusing himself, Ye Xiyin continued to scan his panel, only to notice something amiss. His stats had indeed increased, but his health bar appeared to be frozen by something resembling ice, and beneath it sat a red negative status icon.

"Cold Poison—what is that?" Ye Xiyin tilted his head, perplexed. He had just taken a pill to clear negative effects; why hadn't it cleared this status? None of the medical texts he had read so far contained an explanation for this. He truly could not figure it out. If only his game system allowed him to access the game’s official website and forums; there might have been information there.

Outside, the noise grew, and someone pushed the door open.

It was He Qiting and the others. Seeing that Ye Xiyin was awake, they all looked relieved.

"Thank goodness, little Xiyin, you’re finally awake," Qingyun Qiuyue rushed over.

"I’m sorry for making you worry," Ye Xiyin comforted her, his gaze meeting He Qiting’s, who had entered a step behind. He blinked his eyes at him with a smile.

To his surprise, He Qiting, who was never one to shy away from eye contact, looked away first, seemingly avoiding him. Ye Xiyin paused, his fingers curling in confusion.

"What do you mean 'sorry'? As long as you’re safe and sound, that’s what matters," Qingyun Qiuyue said, though she looked at Ye Xiyin with a touch of melancholy, not noticing the shift in atmosphere.

"Is there a problem?" Recalling the persistent cold poison, Ye Xiyin braced himself, having already made a guess.

Qingyun Qiuyue hesitated, unsure how to put it into words. Finally, Xu Ziche, unable to watch any longer, spoke up directly: "You’ve been poisoned."

"Was it that powder from the other day?" Ye Xiyin had prepared himself, so he accepted the news quickly.

Seeing him calm, the others felt relieved. Xu Ziche continued, "Yes, but that powder was likely just a catalyst. The poison was probably already in your system. When the man in black realized he couldn't capture you, he used the powder to draw the poison out. It seems the one who poisoned you and this man in black are on the same side."

Ye Xiyin was pensive. According to the setting, the original owner’s life had been simple before coming to Yancheng, and he had rarely encountered danger, save for the time his senior brother was injured. Even then, he hadn't seen the attacker.

"Could it have been when I was captured by the Tengshe Gang?" Ye Xiyin frowned. It didn't make sense; the Tengshe Gang was just a minor sect. Could they really use something like Cold Poison? Or perhaps this sect was not as simple as it seemed?

"That’s not important; the main issue is the cold poison in your body," Xu Ziche said, feeling distressed to encounter an ailment he couldn't solve himself. "It’s fine when it's dormant, but when it flares up, it feels like falling into an ice pit, with every meridian in your body freezing over. It is unbearable. Simple medicine cannot cure it; to root it out completely, one would need the Yang-heavy Diamond Sutra from the Shi Sect."

The situation was more troublesome than he had imagined. Ye Xiyin asked in distress, "So, must I go to the Shi Sect?"

"Not you, we," He Qiting said suddenly.

Ye Xiyin’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at him. This time, He Qiting did not avert his gaze, though his expression remained unnatural. Ye Xiyin didn't understand the sudden change in his behavior and wanted to ask, but with everyone else present, he had to keep it to himself.

Just then, Xu Ziche spoke again. "Before that, *ahem*..." He coughed, his gaze falling on He Qiting, who had gone silent again. "His cultivation technique is extremely Yang-oriented. If the poison flares up, you can use his inner energy to suppress it temporarily; it will make you feel better."

"It’s just that... it might require being a bit intimate." Meeting Ye Xiyin’s overly confused and innocent eyes, Xu Ziche’s voice trailed off. Damn it, it was for medical purposes, but why did he feel like he was helping his buddy take advantage of a pretty NPC? It must be He Qiting’s guilty conscience rubbing off on him.

"Intimate?" Ye Xiyin didn't understand, staring at him curiously.

Yes, that was exactly the look that made one feel even guiltier. Xu Ziche said awkwardly, "It means he needs to hold you. Because when the cold poison flares up, your body turns freezing, a cold that most people can't bear. Plus, transferring inner energy takes time, so you might need to hug..."

"You had a flare-up last night, and that was how it was resolved."

He couldn't hide this from him; it all depended on whether Ye Xiyin could accept it.

Ye Xiyin’s train of thought, however, was a bit different from what he expected. So, the freezing cold he felt in his dream wasn't a hallucination, and the warmth that followed was due to He Qiting’s help.

So, He Qiting wasn't avoiding him because he found him a burden?

His mood suddenly lightened, and his minor worries vanished. Flushing, he said, "It—it’s fine. Besides, it’s to help me."

After all, they were both boys; it shouldn't... be a big deal, right?