Chapter 23: She looks like she is about to shatter.

Xi Renxie heard this and tightened his grip even further.

"Ugh!"

The constricted collar made Xia Huanjiao feel as if she were suffocating.

It was unbearable.

So agonizing.

Her breath was being pulled away bit by bit; no matter how hard she tried to inhale through her nose, no air could reach her lungs.

It was so painful...

The scent of gunpowder hung in the air, making her feel even worse.

Was she really going to die here?

In such a stifling, pathetic way?

This was... too humiliating!

Xia Huanjiao struggled, reaching out to grab Xi Renxie’s wrist, clawing at his skin with all her might. She opened her mouth, trying to bite his hand. No matter what happened, she would not resign herself to her fate!

It was precisely this struggle that caught the attention of the demonic cultivator.

To be honest, he had seen plenty of upright gentlemen and members of righteous sects who remained unyielding in the face of death. But a little bean like this, a child as soft as dough, was a rare sight.

She was so firm, so tenacious—if she were a child of the demonic path, she would surely be a promising talent. It was such a pity.

"If you were one of ours, you would surely achieve great things."

As he spoke, he seemed to recall something amusing. A wide grin split his face, and he leaned down to whisper in the little one's ear, his voice laced with temptation: "How about this? Why don't you join the demonic path?"

"Your small frame is naturally fragile and riddled with flaws; using our demonic techniques would be the best way to mend it."

Xia Huanjiao opened her eyes with great effort. She could even sense the metallic tang of blood in her nasal cavity, as fresh drops trickled down from her nose, landing on her cheeks before sliding down to the ground.

She kicked her legs frantically.

"In your dreams!" she gasped out.

"Tsk." Xi Renxie pursed his lips. "You truly refuse to shed tears until you see the coffin."

With that, he prepared to take the child's life.

Suddenly!

Xi Renxie’s face drained of color, and he released his grip.

The little one fell onto the filthy ground. Xia Huanjiao clutched her throat, gasping for air. Her movements were so desperate that she began to cough violently.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

A searing pain radiated through her throat, leaving her in agony. Yet, in her heart, she was joyful.

She had survived.

A figure landed before her, shielding her from the gaze of the demonic cultivator. A long sword, radiating a bitter chill, seemed to coat the ruined dead wood and weeds in the courtyard with frost.

It was Xu Yingying!

Her voice was colder than ever, carrying a fierce, undying intensity.

"Die!"

The moment the Ningxue Sword was unsheathed, a cold light struck straight at Xi Renxie's vitals. As a demonic cultivator who relied on poisons, how could he possibly match a sword cultivator? Moreover, he was merely a minor Golden Core practitioner. Fighting against Xu Yingying was nothing short of suicide.

The long sword pierced through his skull. His black eyes widened, as if he had died with lingering resentment, though he could see nothing at all.

Xu Yingying flicked her long sword, the blood droplets vanishing into the weeds as if they had never touched the blade. Only after she had finished did she walk over to Xia Huanjiao, looking down at the disheveled little one with an expressionless face.

Xia Huanjiao felt a pang of guilt.

Yes, guilt. This frail body of hers had been nurtured back to health by Yingying bit by bit, and now it was back to square one.

Just as Xia Huanjiao was about to say something, she heard a sigh. Xu Yingying crouched down, picked her up, and fed her a cool medicinal pill.

"Why didn't you call for me?" she asked, her voice tinged with helplessness.

Xia Huanjiao lowered her head.

She had only wanted to make things easier for the children acting as the anchors for the barrier. Even a little less suffering mattered. When she had rescued that little girl, she had discovered many treasures in that room—likely things Xi Renxie had stashed away. She didn't know why he hadn't kept them in a spatial pouch, but anyone would be anxious if they found their treasures missing.

The little girl had told her there were no other children there, which was the final straw that made Xia Huanjiao decide to blow up the house. There would be no innocent lives harmed in the explosion. The house itself was the anchor for the formation; destroying it would shatter the barrier.

She just hadn't expected that Xi Renxie wouldn't go to check on his treasures first, but would instead grab her and refuse to let go. That was something she hadn't calculated.

Xu Yingying knew that Xia Huanjiao was someone with her own ideas, and that her actions were the result of careful deliberation. Fortunately, there was no threat to her life, otherwise, Xu Yingying didn't know what she might have done.

"Alright, let's go back."

She wasn't going to pursue the matter further.

Just as the two were about to leave, a timid voice rang out from the smoke, causing Xu Yingying to stop in her tracks.

"Little brother, a-are you going to abandon me?"

Xia Huanjiao’s hand, which was covering her neck, paused. A flash of awkwardness crossed her round face. Oh no, she had been so focused on explaining things to Yingying that she had forgotten about the little girl.

However, to Xia Huanjiao's surprise, Xu Yingying’s expression darkened, and the Ningxue Sword in her hand began to hum with hostility.

As the smoke cleared, the little girl’s pale, slender figure appeared before them. Her white hair hung loose, and tears were streaming from her red eyes. She was wearing one of Xia Huanjiao's spare outfits, which was now tattered from the explosion.

She looked so pitiful.

It made Xia Huanjiao’s conscience ache. Damn it, she really was too pitiful.

The little girl looked at Xia Huanjiao with longing, taking a step forward.

*Clang!* The Ningxue Sword plunged into the ground in front of her, forbidding her from moving another inch.

Xia Huanjiao opened her mouth, hesitating. She reached out to tug on Xu Yingying’s sleeve. "Yingying?"

She felt a lingering doubt. Xu Yingying rarely showed such hostility, especially toward a child who had no power to fight back.

Something was wrong—very wrong. This kind of abnormality needed to be kept under her own eyes to be clearly understood. But she shouldn't say that in front of this poor little thing. After all, she looked like she was about to shatter.

Sensing Xia Huanjiao’s desire to keep the little creature, Xu Yingying reluctantly withdrew the Ningxue Sword, though her gaze remained unfriendly.

The little girl ignored Xu Yingying’s attitude, trotting over to Xia Huanjiao’s side. She reached out to grab Xia Huanjiao’s ankle, but Xu Yingying sidestepped, avoiding the touch. The move was almost childish.

Xia Huanjiao watched the two of them squaring off and felt a massive headache coming on. She couldn't fathom why the usually mature and steady Xu Yingying had suddenly become so petty, bickering with a child.

Xia Huanjiao had to step in as the peacemaker.

She looked at the aggrieved little girl and asked, "What is your name? Where is your home?"

When the little girl heard the first question, a smile appeared on her face. But as soon as the second question followed, the smile vanished instantly.

Still, she replied honestly.

"My name is Yuan Yuan."

"For now, I have no home."