Chapter 78: A Modest Display of Skill

Watching as Si Mengling tightly shut her eyes, her delicate cheeks tinged with a faint blush, Lin Xiaobao carefully sprinkled medicinal powder onto her wound, silently chanting to himself, “Form is emptiness, form is emptiness…” It wasn’t that Lin Xiaobao was a paragon of virtue; it was simply because Si Mengling was Lin Tian’s daughter, and he could never bring himself to take advantage of her vulnerability. With his right hand forming a sword gesture, he swiftly tapped several acupoints around the wound, channeling spiritual energy from his fingertips into Si Mengling’s body, allowing the medicine to work its healing magic.

A tingling itch spread across her chest as the warm spiritual energy seeped in, making Si Mengling almost sigh from the unprecedented comfort. Suddenly realizing that any sound escaping her lips at such a moment would be unbearably embarrassing—and knowing Lin Xiaobao’s character, he’d surely tease her about it—she forced herself to hold back.

Lin Xiaobao was hardly better off. Despite his bravado, when his fingers brushed against her snowy skin, the soft sensation coursed through him, making his breathing grow heavy. “I’m saving her. I’m saving her…” He kept reminding himself over and over.

Finally, after the medicine’s power had been fully activated, Lin Xiaobao was drenched in sweat. “It’s done. In less than three days, you’ll be fully recovered!”

Si Mengling opened her eyes. Glancing down, she saw the wound had already begun to scab. She immediately took out a garment from her storage pouch and draped it over herself, feeling a measure of gratitude toward Lin Xiaobao, who was so sweaty and exhausted—after all, he’d gone through all this just to heal her.

Of course, if Si Mengling knew that Lin Xiaobao’s sweating wasn’t merely from the exertion of healing her, but rather from his inner struggle over whether to explore the forbidden peaks during treatment, she might not feel quite so thankful.

Seeing that Si Mengling had dressed, Lin Xiaobao naturally withdrew the protective formation outside.

“Junior Sister, are you all right?”

“What were you doing?”

As the formation dissipated, Xu Youyi and Le Hongcai spoke simultaneously—one directing his question to Si Mengling, the other to Lin Xiaobao. Yet both regarded Lin Xiaobao with clear hostility.

“He saved us,” Si Mengling explained.

“He?” Le Hongcai’s disbelief was palpable. “Are you saying he rescued all three of us from the Green-Eyed Demon Spider?”

“Not only that—he healed your wounds, and Senior Brother’s poison as well.” Si Mengling spoke earnestly.

Impossible! The two simply couldn’t believe that Lin Xiaobao, who wasn’t even considered a martial artist, could possess such abilities. Yet when their spiritual senses swept over him once more, their expressions changed dramatically. They discovered that Lin Xiaobao, too, had reached the realm of spiritual cultivation, and their spiritual senses couldn’t penetrate his body at all; they couldn’t even gauge the true depth of his power.

“You…” Xu Youyi’s face darkened as he demanded, “Who are you really? What was your purpose in bringing us here?”

Clearly, if Lin Xiaobao possessed such strength, his previous claim that he brought them here out of fear for his life no longer held water. Furthermore, neither the Floating Cloud Sect nor the Snowfall Pavilion had discovered this mysterious valley after searching Jiuping Mountain for so long, yet Lin Xiaobao knew it perfectly well. There had to be more to this than met the eye, and Xu Youyi refused to believe otherwise.

“I have no ulterior motives—just wanted to bring her into the Ancient Seal.” Lin Xiaobao pointed at Si Mengling.

“Why take her into the Ancient Seal? Are you certain the Ancient Seal is actually here?” Xu Youyi pressed further.

Lin Xiaobao had no desire to explain himself to them. Shaking his head, he replied, “First of all, I have no obligation to answer any of your questions, since none of you can stop me from doing whatever I wish—including taking your lives.”

At his words, all three immediately became wary, as if ready to fight to the death should Lin Xiaobao make any move.

Lin Xiaobao shook his head again. “I simply want you to understand the nature of our relationship now. If I meant you harm, I wouldn’t have saved you. As for Si Mengling, she and I are connected by certain ties, which I cannot disclose. Next, I will take her deeper into the valley. You two may do as you please.”

The three mulled over Lin Xiaobao’s words; though they were hard to hear, they couldn’t deny the truth in them.

“You’re not afraid we’ll call for reinforcements? This is the territory of the Zongtai Kingdom. There are plenty of Floating Cloud Sect disciples nearby,” Le Hongcai said, feigning bravado.

“You dare call the Floating Cloud Sect?” Lin Xiaobao retorted, producing his Snowfall Token. “Not everyone in the Snowfall Pavilion is as friendly to Floating Cloud Sect members as I am.”

Seeing the token, the three instantly recognized Lin Xiaobao as a personal disciple of the Snowfall Pavilion, and understood why he was so young yet so powerful.

“You knew we belonged to the Floating Cloud Sect all along?”

Lin Xiaobao nodded. “Whether it’s the Snowfall Pavilion or the Floating Cloud Sect, those distinctions don’t matter. I just want to tell her a story. After she hears it, how she chooses is up to her. As for you two, you’d best leave the valley and find somewhere to recover.”

He paused, then added, “I bear you no ill will, and I hope you won’t tell anyone about this. I don’t wish to draw unnecessary trouble.”

The three exchanged glances. After a moment, Xu Youyi said, “I accept your arrangement. Without you, the three of us might well have ended up in the belly of the Green-Eyed Demon Spider. Dead men can’t do much else. But I hope you won’t harm Junior Sister—otherwise, even if you saved me, I’ll fight you to the death and repay your kindness with my life!”

His words were sharp, but Lin Xiaobao was not inclined to argue further. He simply nodded.

“Return to Kaiyang Town and await news from us. I won’t let the Snowfall Pavilion or the Floating Cloud Sect learn anything about the Ancient Seal. That I expect you to keep secret. As for any benefits gained from entering the seal, you’ll get your share as well.”

Hearing this, the three suddenly realized they had underestimated Lin Xiaobao. They never imagined he would consider claiming the Ancient Seal for himself.

Such a thought had never occurred to them; even if it had, it would have been fleeting. With their abilities, even if they found the Ancient Seal, they could never open it alone. Apart from seeking help from elders in their sect and gaining a few more rewards for their discovery, they had no other options. But Lin Xiaobao’s words brimmed with unwavering confidence, as if opening the Ancient Seal was no great feat at all.