Chapter 107: Witnessing How Hard He Tries

A vine slowly bent down, leaning toward Ning Xianyu, and brushed against her head.

Ning Xianyu remained motionless, completely unaware.

Just as the vine was about to coil around her, a figure slowly appeared. "Do not move."

As the figure approached, the vines turned toward them as if they were sentient. The figure drifted closer, but just as they were about to reach Ning Xianyu, they suddenly sensed something amiss.

"Someone is coming."

How could that be?

The vines and the figure vanished instantly. The street fell silent, as if nothing had ever been there.

At that moment, Xuanyuan Tunhan stumbled down the hillside and walked toward the spot.

If Ning Xianyu had been awake, she would have been astonished. The man who was always as calm and steady as a mountain was now in a wretched state.

He was drenched in cold sweat, the veins on his forehead bulging. He pressed his hands against his torso, and with a pained grunt, he coughed up blood. Though his eyelids were heavy and threatening to close, he forced himself forward. The moment he caught sight of Ning Xianyu, a glimmer of vitality returned to his eyes.

"You... foolish woman."

He quickened his pace, his legs struggling to straighten, yet he rushed toward her. When he reached her side, he collapsed, nearly falling on top of her. But he twisted his body in mid-air, avoiding her.

"Ning Xianyu? Ning Xianyu?"

He had never addressed her by name before; his voice was raspy, yet strangely melodious.

But Ning Xianyu remained unresponsive, fast asleep in blissful ignorance.

Xuanyuan Tunhan could no longer hold on. He rolled over, wrapped his wide sleeves around Ning Xianyu to shield her beneath him, and drifted into unconsciousness.

Once he fell asleep, the figure and the vines reappeared. The vines watched from a distance, not daring to approach. The figure drifted over, observing their posture with surprise.

"I never imagined you would have a weakness."

If that were the case, things would be much easier.

The figure shook their head and turned away. The vines receded, and the area returned to calm.

When Ning Xianyu awoke the next morning, the sun was shining on her face, warm and bright.

She opened her eyes to find a crowd of people gathered around, looking down at her.

"Whoa, what are you all doing?"

One of them replied, "What are *you* doing? Why are you two sleeping in the middle of the street?"

*The two of us?*

Ning Xianyu remembered losing consciousness alone on the street yesterday. How could it be two of them?

She shifted, her body regaining sensation, and realized that someone was weighing her down. Based on the weight and the feeling, it had to be the Great Demon Lord.

"Ancestor, Ancestor, get up!"

He was crushing her. No wonder she kept feeling like she had a ghost sitting on her chest—the guy had been pinning her down all night while he slept.

What a detestable capitalist. It was bad enough he exploited her during the day, but he had to weigh her down at night too.

The System chimed in, "Don't talk about him like that. He was protecting you. I saw it all last night; it was so moving."

"Moving? What did you see?"

"I saw many trees here watching you, and some person I couldn't identify. The Great Demon Lord fought to stay awake, and only after he found you and shielded you with his own body did he lose consciousness."

If the System had a physical form, it would be wiping away tears of emotion. "You didn't see how hard he struggled to protect you."

Is that for real?

Ning Xianyu figured the Great Demon Lord was probably just being good to her because he was afraid he wouldn't have anyone left to exploit.

She pushed at him a few more times, but the Great Demon Lord didn't wake up.

Not wanting to be a spectacle, she had no choice but to get up, hoist the Great Demon Lord onto her back, and carry him back up the mountain.

The Great Demon Lord remained unconscious, which was deeply worrying. Ning Xianyu grew anxious, wondering if his body had suffered a backlash because he had forced himself to stay awake the night before.

She pressed her ear against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, but it was so slow that she could only hear a beat every long interval.

"The Great Demon Lord’s heart is beating so slowly... is he going to die?"

Ning Xianyu was on the verge of tears. If the Great Demon Lord died, what would she do? Would she be stuck in this village forever?

The System said, "Haven't you always wanted to get rid of him? If he dies, you can just leave. And when you die..."

"You're the one who’s going to die! Your whole family, your entire headquarters!" Ning Xianyu scolded the System furiously. "I don't want him to die. I want him to live."

Since arriving in this world, she had spent her days drifting along with her fellow disciples on the mountain. Later, she followed the Great Demon Lord everywhere. Even though she had been through much—traversing Flower Sound Island, the Demon Realm, and the Spirit Pivot Secret Realm—every experience had been with him. If he were gone, she wouldn't know what to do or where to go.

The System fell silent, eventually suggesting, "Why don't you find a local doctor and have them take a look at him?"

But the Great Demon Lord was a cultivator; could a mortal doctor even diagnose him?

Ning Xianyu didn't know what to do, and she couldn't find the "White Lotus." She had no choice but to run down the mountain to find a physician. After circling the streets, she finally found a medical clinic and begged the doctor to make a house call.

However, when the doctor heard they were outsiders and needed to go halfway up the mountain, he flatly refused.

"You outsiders never get sick. I'm not going."

Ning Xianyu was so frustrated she drew her sword. "Are you going or not?"

She pointed her blade at the doctor, doing her best to look fierce. But the doctor was unyielding; he took two steps forward and pointed to his own chest. "Go ahead, do it. Kill me."

*Wow, he's actually that brave.*

Ning Xianyu sighed, helpless. "If I bring the patient here, will you examine him?"

The doctor agreed.

She had no choice but to run back up the mountain. Seeing that the Great Demon Lord still showed no signs of waking, she hoisted him onto her back and returned to the village.

The Great Demon Lord was incredibly heavy. Her own frame was not sturdy, and without the ability to use spiritual energy, she was as weak as a chick. Carrying him felt as agonizing as lugging a sack of grain. She nearly tripped several times along the way.

When she finally made it to the clinic, she dumped him onto a chair.

"Quick, please, look at him. He’s been unconscious for a long time."

The doctor walked over and first grabbed her arm. "He seems fine, but you look like you're about to collapse."

Ning Xianyu felt dizzy, her limbs weak; she felt as though she might faint at any moment.

The doctor examined her. "Have you not eaten all day?"

Ning Xianyu thought back. She’d had a steamed bun yesterday morning, nothing for lunch, and a cucumber in the afternoon. She hadn't eaten anything since, so it certainly felt like a full day.

The doctor told her she was simply exhausted and starving, and that she would be fine once she ate. Only then did he turn to examine Xuanyuan Tunhan.

Ning Xianyu walked across to the opposite side of the street and pulled a spirit stone from her pocket to buy a bun, but the vendor refused the stone.

Frustrated, she pulled out some of the gold and jewelry she had collected. "See if you like any of these?"

The vendor still refused, showing nothing but disdain for gold and jewels.

"Then what do you want?"