"Ah!"
Bitten fiercely by the venomous snake, Xiaobai Shengyi cried out in pain, but this torment was far less than what her loved ones had inflicted upon her.
"Sister! Save me! Please..." Xiaobai Shengyi gazed earnestly at Bai Murong, her eyes full of earnestness and pleading.
She didn't understand why Bai Murong had pushed her into the snake pit, but her long-standing dependence and trust in Bai Murong still held sway. Instinctively, she tried to rationalize Bai Murong's actions, convincing herself that her sister was trying to save the Prince.
However, when she saw Bai Murong leave with Qin Zhao without a backward glance, her entire world collapsed.
"Sister! Save Shengyi! Don't you want Shengyi anymore?"
Entangled by venomous snakes, her voice trembled with fear, but Bai Murong's retreating back sent a chill through her.
Why?
If her sister had the ability to take the Prince up, why didn't she do so from the beginning? Why, when she was willing to save the Prince, wouldn't she even spare a glance for her own sister?
"Ah!"
A venomous snake, adorned with ring-like patterns of deep red, black, and blue, suddenly reared its head and, with lightning speed, opened its bloody maw to bite Xiaobai Shengyi.
Xiaobai Shengyi's body was tightly coiled by the snake, making evasion impossible. In despair, she closed her eyes.
"Boom!"
A young boy in a red robe descended from the sky like a celestial deity, blocking Xiaobai Shengyi and landing a punch on the snake.
The snake was sent flying backward, but its venom was flung from its mouth into Xiaobai Shengyi's eyes. The highly corrosive poison instantly merged into Bai Shengyi's blood, surging and consuming. In mere breaths, Xiaobai Shengyi felt her consciousness blur, her body unable to stand.
"Fool, closing your eyes is useless! Don't you know to dodge... Bai Shengyi? What's wrong with you?"
Seeing Bai Shengyi's tightly shut eyes and silence, Qin Si grew flustered and sped up, rescuing her from the pile of snakes.
"Bai Shengyi? Don't scare me! I came specifically to save you. If something happens to you, wouldn't I suffer a huge loss?"
Qin Si leaped out of the snake pit with Bai Shengyi in his arms.
"Sister..."
The warm embrace made Xiaobai Shengyi believe that Bai Murong had changed her mind and returned to save her.
Her slender wrists and fair fingers gently but firmly clutched the hem of Qin Si's robe. In a daze, she mumbled, "Sister... Qin Si... don't abandon Shengyi... snakes, so many snakes..."
Qin Si's heart softened, and his voice unconsciously lowered, "I won't abandon you, don't worry."
As Qin Si spoke, he fed Xiaobai Shengyi all the antidote pills he had brought. However, the snake venom within her was of multiple types, and the highest grade of antidote pills Qin Si possessed was only fourth tier, offering limited help.
Qin Si pursed his lips, picked her up, and walked forward.
But before he could take more than a few steps, he heard the agitated voice of Xuanjing Tiger, his newly contracted partner.
"Roar, Master, the barrier here has a problem again, come quickly... Wait, are you in the Thousand Soul Worm Marsh of the Eastern Yue Jungle? A new spatial rift has appeared there..."
As Xuanjing Tiger finished speaking, Qin Si felt the searing pain of space tearing and pulling at his side. His heart jolted. His ice spiritual energy, which could only be used for offense, instantly transformed into a crystal-clear snow lotus, carrying the person in his arms as he flew away.
"Little fool, don't forget it was I who saved you..."
Before Qin Si could finish speaking, he was swallowed by the spatial rift.
Chaotic spiritual energy currents, like arrows, grazed and cut his face, but his expression remained as cold and stern as frost, showing no change, clearly indicating that these were commonplace for him.
Though a young boy, he already displayed the bearing of his future self.
"Chui Ming, stabilize the barrier. I'll come over after I mend this rift."
His red robe billowed in the wind, his black hair flying, his deep and cold voice carried through the air.
The ice-and-snow lotus Qin Si had released to protect Bai Shengyi, though limited in size, had consumed nearly a third of his spiritual energy. It faithfully delivered Xiaobai Shengyi to the exit of the Thousand Soul Worm Marsh before dissipating.
However, before Xiaobai Shengyi had even woken, Bai Murong emerged hand-in-hand with Qin Zhao.
"Your Highness, Shengyi is still young. Although she fled from battle, I ask that you, for the sake of my saving grace to you, not hold it against her if you see her."
For some reason, Bai Murong was no longer wearing her outer clothes and was dressed in the same gown as Xiaobai Shengyi. Her voice was gentle, yet her hand caressed a small bag of golden sand.
Qin Zhao said displeasedly, "Murong, you are too kind! We suffered so much to save her, and yet she abandoned us and ran off. This truly infuriates me! If it weren't for her..."
"Your Highness! Murong begs you!"
"Alright, as you wish."
Qin Zhao calmed down and said gently, "But I didn't expect that even though you haven't officially entered the Dao, Murong, your skills are not small. You even managed to save Sister Li and the others. I suspect those few are from hidden families. If you can foster good relations with them, it will bring you significant benefits in the future."
"Murong didn't think that far ahead. At the time, I was only thinking of saving people."
Bai Murong lowered her head bashfully, "Besides, that was all taught by my grandfather. Your Highness knows, I am merely an adopted daughter, and I must work harder."
"Your Highness, look, isn't that Shengyi?" Bai Murong looked in the distance with surprise, her gaze shifting slightly. Shengyi truly has a great life to be still alive after all this.
Her initial intention in coaxing her into the Eastern Yue Jungle was to ruin her. She never expected her to survive. To prevent Shengyi from implicating her, Bai Murong had no choice but to drag Prince Gong to find her.
After pushing her into the snake pit, Bai Murong thought she would never see this troublesome heir apparent again. Yet, even after all that, she managed to escape?
Despite a thousand thoughts swirling in Bai Murong's mind, her face displayed extreme worry. She supported Xiaobai Shengyi's neck with one hand while discreetly sprinkling the Starlight Gold onto Xiaobai Shengyi with the other.
"Your Highness, please help!"
Qin Zhao frowned and reluctantly said, "Fine."
Unseen by anyone, as the Starlight Gold entered Xiaobai Shengyi's body, a mass of black threads swiftly emerged from the Thousand Soul Worm Marsh, slithering like serpents into Bai Shengyi's body...
"...Snake... it hurts..."
Xiaobai Shengyi awoke from her unconsciousness. "My eyes? Why can't I see?"
But no one cared about her condition. Bai Murong's eyes darted, and she snorted, "Shengyi! Although you abandoned me and the Prince in the snake pit just now, we still saved you. You must remember to repay us in the future."
"Especially His Highness, he was injured saving you. You should return home and confess your fault to your grandfather."
Qin Zhao immediately reacted and agreed, "It's nothing. It is my duty to protect you all."
...
The memories were fragmented and trivial. By the time Bai Shengyi awoke from them, seven days had passed.
"Awake?"
A deep, cold voice carried a trace of undetectable worry.