Faced with that thunderous strike, Bian Yuqing neither dodged nor evaded, charging straight into it instead. At the same time, under the urging of her will, the sky full of bracelet shadows hurtled toward the middle-aged man.
One bracelet shadow after another slammed down, but the middle-aged man emerged completely unscathed. The bracelet shadows, on the other hand, shattered on impact — after all, they were mere phantom projections with no real killing force.
The distance between them closed in an instant, and a head-on clash was imminent.
A look of delight crossed the middle-aged man's face as he thrust his longsword forward.
With a sickening rip, Bian Yuqing's body shuddered as the blade pierced clean through her chest.
Gritting through the searing agony, Bian Yuqing's face twisted into a savage mask as she roared: "Die!"
The moment the word left her lips, a bracelet smashed into the middle-aged man's skull. There was a wet, cracking sound — like a watermelon being split open — as red and white sprayed across the void.
The headless corpse swayed twice, then plummeted from midair.
Bian Yuqing's own body trembled as well. She clutched the wound in her chest, staggered several steps, and opened her mouth, from which a spray of crimson blood burst forth.
A gentle breeze stirred, and Yang Kai suddenly appeared beside her, one hand catching her as he frowned. "You could have ground him down. There was no need to be so reckless."
Just now, Bian Yuqing had held an absolute advantage. With him watching from the sidelines, all she needed was a bit more time, and she could have killed her opponent at minimal cost — possibly without a single scratch. What Yang Kai hadn't expected was that she would choose a mutually destructive approach.
The middle-aged man was certainly dead, but she'd taken a sword through the chest. The wound was terrifyingly close — another inch off and she would have died first.
Bian Yuqing wiped the corner of her mouth and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "It's not just you men who can fight with fire in your veins."
Yang Kai fell silent.
Bian Yuqing probably felt guilt over Kou Wu's death, which was why she'd rather risk serious injury to kill her opponent as quickly as possible. It was indeed a matter of pride and blood.
"Feel better now?" Yang Kai asked.
Bian Yuqing shook her head. There was not the slightest satisfaction of revenge on her face — instead, her expression was one of deep desolation.
Biyu Sect was gone. She had always relied on Kou Wu, and now even he was dead. She was left utterly alone, and a sudden sense of bewilderment about the future washed over her.
"Treating your wounds comes first." Yang Kai glanced at the sword still lodged in her chest, his brow furrowing slightly.
If she hadn't shifted her body at the critical moment, that strike would have killed her outright. It wasn't that Yang Kai couldn't have intervened to save her — he simply knew the blow wouldn't be fatal, so he'd held back.
If this wound wasn't treated promptly, there could be lingering consequences.
Bian Yuqing shook her head again. "We need to collect Kou Wu's remains first. There are wild beasts out here."
Yang Kai sighed. "Where?"
"That way!" Bian Yuqing pointed in a direction.
Yang Kai wrapped an arm around her and shifted his figure to set off, but Bian Yuqing suddenly said, "Their rings…"
Yang Kai reached out with a casual wave, and several streaks of light shot up from below. Three spatial rings, along with the artifacts belonging to the other two cultivators, were drawn into his hand.
The wealth of Dao Origin Realm cultivators was nothing in Yang Kai's eyes, but for Bian Yuqing it was a considerable sum — he couldn't very well let it go to waste.
He tossed the items casually to Bian Yuqing, and only then did they depart.
Before long they arrived at the spot. A corpse lay sprawled on the ground, face up — and it was none other than Kou Wu. True to what the middle-aged man had said earlier, Kou Wu's death had been swift. The fatal wound through his chest meant he likely hadn't felt any pain.
Bian Yuqing's eyes reddened slightly. She sniffled, forcing back the stinging tears, and slipped free of Yang Kai's embrace before descending to the ground.
She stood in silence for a moment, then spoke softly: "You followed me and never got riches or glory out of it. In your next life, find yourself a better place to go."
The tears finally slipped free, tracing down her cheeks. She bent down and carefully collected Kou Wu's remains, placing them into her own spatial ring for safekeeping.
Yang Kai watched quietly and said nothing.
Only after Bian Yuqing had finished did she fly back up. He then guided her toward a nearby mountain peak.
His divine sense swept the area and located a cave. Once they were inside, Yang Kai produced several spirit pills and said, "Open your mouth."
Bian Yuqing obeyed without hesitation, opening her mouth wide. Yang Kai flicked his finger and sent the pills flying into her mouth.
Before she could even react, Yang Kai suddenly gripped the hilt of the sword still embedded in her chest and, with a speed that defied reaction, yanked it free in one swift motion.
Bian Yuqing's body went rigid. A heartbeat later, a heart-rending scream tore from her throat.
But Yang Kai was already pressing his fingers like a blade against several points on her body, stemming the flow of blood. He rose to his feet. "Absorb the medicine's potency on your own. The wound is nothing serious."