Heart Protection

They raced forward in a random direction . It wasn"t until Yan Hui felt her inner breath was running out and the Propelling Sword was wobbling did she stop out of necessity .

She no longer had the power to bring them down in a steady descent . She cried out: "Cover your head!" They plunged into the forest at top speed .

They crashed through countless branches before they were stopped by a large tree . Then they started falling down, one layer of branch at a time .

Tian Yao was slightly heavier . He was the first to crash onto the ground . Before he could crawl away, Yan Hui crashed down onto his stomach . Tian Yao once again fell flat .

The stolen jian from the demon came whistling through the air . It stabbed itself into the ground right next to Tian Yao and Yan Hui .

The birds within the forest were startled by the two people"s appearance, flying off into the distance . The animals in the forest cried out in never-ending calls .

Yan Hui laid on top of Tian Yao and laughed along with the animals" cries . Her laugh seemed extremely happy . Yan Hui rolled off of Tian Yao . Now she was laughing while laying down on the ground .

Dawn was just upon them . On the horizon were small rays of light breaking up the darkness .

Seeing the sky starting to brighten, the animals" cries also started to die down .

She looked up at the sky . Not a word was said for a long time .

In the end, it was Tian Yao who broke the silence: "Didn"t you say you were going to knock me out and offer me up in exchange for your life?"

"I should"ve offered you up . " Yan Hui"s tone was gloomy and cold . It didn"t seem like she was joking .

Tian Yao turned his head and looked at her profile, but Yan Hui didn"t let him look . She sat up and drew her knees up . She grasped the hook that was still jutting out of her leg . She clenched her teeth, preparing to yank it out .

However Tian Yao frowned when he saw her movements . He immediately turned over and sat up: "Don"t . " He removed Yan Hui"s grip on the iron hook . "The hook has barbs . Do you want to rip out a chunk of your flesh?"

Yan Hui looked up at him: "So the helpful man still cares about these details . Didn"t you want me to amputate my own leg earlier?"

"I knew you wouldn"t cut it off . " Tian Yao shot her a glance and got up . He picked up the jian: "Lay down . I"ll help you get it out . "

In these situations, Yan Hui didn"t fuss . She laid down without a single glance at Tian Yao . She let him use the jian to trace a few movements over her calf .

When Tian Yao ripped her pants, he saw that the area where the hook had pierced her was already mangled . He looked over at Yan Hui"s face . She wasn"t looking at him, but her expression seemed resigned toward the pain he would cause . Tian Yao looked back down . His movements were extremely gentle .

In fact, he was feeling guilty .

This girl didn"t owe him a single thing . She had nothing to do with what happened twenty years ago . However simply because she appeared, he had to bind her to him . He had already dragged her into danger several times . He was feeling guilt over his actions .

It was just that his guilt was far from being able to shake his conviction . It was far from making him push away his "selfishness" . His desire to shake off this barely surviving situation was too strong .

So even if Yan Hui was in pain, he would coolly watch off to the side . Even if Yan Hui was hurt, he couldn"t let her go .

Because he was also tossed about in the fruitless struggles of the world . . . . . . . .

Lowest of the low .

Under the light p.r.i.c.ks of the jian and the skillful probing movements, Yan Hui endured the pain and m.u.f.fled a groan . Tian Yao had picked out the hook .

Yan Hui looked back . She saw Tian Yao throw aside the blood-covered hook . He started to speak: "The wound isn"t deep, so there isn"t major damage to the muscle . There won"t be any lasting damage . " He stepped away, intending to pick a leaf to wipe off his hands .

However, Yan Hui called out: "Stop . "

Tian Yao looked back at her . She staggered two steps over to him and sat down by his side . Then she suddenly ripped off a piece of Tian Yao"s clothes . She ripped that into strips then used them to bind her leg .

Tian Yao looked back at her . She staggered two steps over to him and sat down by his side . Then she suddenly ripped off a piece of Tian Yao"s clothes . She ripped that into strips then used them to bind her leg .

Tian Yao"s eyebrows twitched: "Without a single word, you just rip people"s clothes?"

"You"ve thrown me into the middle of your plans without a single world multiple times . " Yan Hui turned her head away in avoidance, but she snuck a glance at Tian Yao . "You don"t see me lecturing you . "

Indeed, that"s true .

Tian Yao didn"t utter another word . He turned around and pulled off several leaves and also plucked a few fruits . He handed the fruits over to Yan Hui: "We need to get going . When we get closer to towns and cities, the demons won"t be as vicious . "

Yan Hui took the fruits and speedily began to gnaw at one of them: "Ok, let"s go . "

She pushed herself up and limped forward a few steps, but she didn"t see anyone following alongside her . Yan Hui turned her head back . Tian Yao was watching her from behind: "Propelling Sword Technique?"

Yan Hui rolled her eyes: "If we could still ride the sword, then why did we fall from it? Did you think I wouldn"t go straight toward any towns or cities?" While she continued forward, she also said, "My inner breath is all gone . Let"s first go to a nearby town to recuperate and recover my magic . "

From behind, Tian Yao started to stride up with large steps . Yan Hui didn"t pay him any attention until he stepped in front of her and blocked her path . With his back facing her, he crouched down: "Get on . "

Yan Hui blankly stared .

Tian Yao inclined his head to look at her: "With you dragging your leg, we won"t get far even if we walked the entire day . Get on . "

Yan Hui thought about it . What Tian Yao said was reasonable . Also he offered to give her a ride, so why not take advantage of it? Yan Hui hopped on his back, right then and there: "If you dare drop me, I"m going to throw a fit . "

Tian Yao ignored her warning and started to walk .

Tian Yao"s shoulders weren"t broad yet . However when Yan Hui laid on them, she felt like they were quite steady . Perhaps it was because of his steady steps . Every step was steady without any faltering . If he were any ordinary youth, if he was a little older, then conventional thinking would believe he was a very reliable man . . . . . .

Yan Hui rested her head on Tian Yao"s shoulders . Her eyes that were watching his footsteps started to blink shut .

Yan Hui rested her head on Tian Yao"s shoulders . Her eyes that were watching his footsteps started to blink shut .

When Tian Yao reached the top of the mountain, dawn had fully broken . Half asleep, Yan Hui saw an indistinct scene from many years ago, Ling Xiao bringing her to Chen Xing Mountain .

She had also rushed to their destination the entire night . She was so tired she couldn"t walk straight, but she was also scared of delaying her shifu"s plans . She didn"t dare to say she was tired or sleepy . Yan Hui tried hard to keep her eyes open and follow behind Ling Xiao . As they walked, the world darkened .

When she woke up, she was in the same position as now, lying on Ling Xiao"s back . In front of her, the monastery gates on Chen Xing Mountain were wide open . Sunlight streamed behind those gates in a brilliant gleam . Every pavilion and paG.o.da was illuminated; it was like a paradise .

Yan Hui couldn"t hold back her gasp of surprise which Ling Xiao heard . He inclined his head and warmly said:

"Yan Hui, from now on, this is your home . "

At that time, Ling Xiao"s tone was an unforgettable warmth in her life .

At that time, Yan Hui thought she was the luckiest child in the world . . . . . .

But now, Yan Huis unconsciously rubbed her neck . There was nothing there . Aside from her memories, there really was nothing that mountain held for her .

Tian Yao walked without stopping until noontime . They finally reached a road . Although there was no one on the road, ruts from wheels could be seen . It seemed like they weren"t far from civilization .

Tian Yao originally planned to wake Yan Hui, but after hearing her peaceful breaths, he fell silent . He continued to silently walk along the road . Not long after, he saw an abandoned temple by the side of the road . He walked into it and set Yan Hui down . Then he walked out of the rundown temple into the forest to look for some wild fruits to alleviate their hunger .

When he returned, Yan Hui was still laying there fast asleep . Tian Yao originally thought that Yan Hui was exhausted from last night ,and so she didn"t wake . However after sitting by her side for a while, he felt like something wasn"t right .

Yan Hui"s breaths were rapid, and sweat dotted her forehead . Although her eyes were closed, he could tell they were darting around .

Tian Yao frowned: "Yan Hui?"

She didn"t wake, but her eyes were moving even faster now .

Tian Yao thought for a moment . He reached out and shook her: "Wake up . "
She didn"t wake, but her eyes were moving even faster now .

Tian Yao thought for a moment . He reached out and shook her: "Wake up . "

That shake was like he had stabbed Yan Hui . She suddenly opened her eyes and sat up panting . Sweat freely trickled down her face . She clutched her chest . Still scared, she shakily wiped away the sweat .

Tian Yao"s gaze never left her . Seeing her actions, he doubtfully asked: "Bad dream?"

Yan Hui shook her head . She gasped for a short while before slightly calming down: "Sleep paralysis [1] .  That"s all . "

Hearing those two words, Tian Yao felt like he had never heard them before: "Sleep paralysis?"

"I frequently get them . I got used to them . " Although Yan Hui said it like that, her heart was still thumping . Ever since Ling Xiao had bestowed a sigil onto her, Yan Hui very seldomly saw ghosts or had sleep paralysis afterwards . It was broad daylight, yet ghosts could torment her in her dreams . It looks like this wild ghost soul wasn"t easily driven away . . . . . . .

Yan Hui gripped her hair . She felt like she was getting a headache .

Had she offended Tai Sui recently? How come troublesome situations and people were popping up one right after another . . . . . .

"What kind of cultivator are you that you"re still affected by this kind of demonic magic?"

While wiping away her sweat, Yan Hui said: "How would I know? Ever since I was small, I would come across these unclean things . I would be especially easily entangled by them . Later on, even xian cultivators couldn"t change this bad habit . . . . . . "

Yan Hui stopped speaking . She suddenly covered her chest and fell silent for a long time . She finally raised her head and looked at Tian Yao: "Before, you said your heart protection scale had entered my heart . That"s why I"ve lived till now . "

Tian Yao nodded .

"My heart is naturally defective . . . . . . Without your heart protection scale, I wouldn"t have live past ten days . . . . . . It"s due to you that I have lived . In other words, my life should"ve originally long faded away . I should be . . . . . . dead . . . . . . " Yan Hui absent-mindedly murmured, "No wonder, no wonder why . . . . . . "

It wasn"t that she had an innate gift of finding the strange . It was that she should"ve originally been the same as them, a ghost!

This heart protection scale turned her half-human, half-ghost . . . . . . .