At that moment, Chu Feng walked up to Jie Baobao.
But his expression was grave.
The physical body he had just helped Jie Baobao restore was crumbling apart once more.
Jie Baobao's injuries were far more severe than Chu Feng had anticipated.
"Dispel the formation. Otherwise, the damage to your body will only continue."
Chu Feng said while holding Jie Baobao's severed hand.
When Chu Feng had originally helped Jie Baobao restore her body, his intention had been to reattach her severed hand.
But he discovered that because of the life-binding formation on Jie Baobao, he was unable to do anything with the severed hand.
And now, that formation was accelerating the draining of Jie Baobao's life force.
Yet Jie Baobao hesitated.
"Is the thing in that hand really that important?"
"What is it?"
"More important than your life?"
Chu Feng asked Jie Baobao.
He was somewhat curious — what exactly was it that Jie Baobao would rather die than let anyone see?
Even now, she was unwilling to dispel the formation.
"It's nothing."
"They want me dead regardless. Whether I let them see it or not, I'm going to die."
"As for now — whether I dispel the formation or not, I can't survive either way."
"I know my own condition."
"But..."
Jie Baobao had her head lowered, but at this point, as though she had made some kind of decision, she looked up and stared directly at Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, I'm so happy... that I got to see you again."
Jie Baobao said with a smile.
"This is my fault. I came too late."
Chu Feng felt a pang of guilt. Although his arrival here had been mere chance, if he had come sooner, Jie Baobao wouldn't be in this state.
Hearing his words, the smile on Jie Baobao's face grew even brighter.
"Back then, I thought — if someone as talented as you had been accepted by the Palace Master..."
"If you had grown up within the Seven Realms Sacred Palace, how wonderful that would be."
"But now I realize, I was wrong."
"It's actually a good thing that you weren't born in the Seven Realms Sacred Palace."
"The Seven Realms Sacred Palace isn't worthy of you."
Jie Baobao's voice grew weaker and weaker, yet the smile on her face only deepened.
"Why are you so foolish?"
"Even if you didn't want to show them your treasure, you could've just said a few bad things about me earlier. That would have given them no reason to harm you."
"Was it worth throwing your life away just to protect me?"
There was a hint of reproach in Chu Feng's tone.
He knew that Jie Baobao had protected him out of genuine goodwill — that was absolute loyalty.
But Chu Feng never wanted his friend to lose her life needlessly over something like this.
It was far too unjust.
However, Jie Baobao immediately replied: "Worth it."
Her unwavering resolve left Chu Feng somewhat at a loss.
"Chu Feng, do you know something?"
"There's actually one thing I deeply regret."
Jie Baobao said.
"What is it?"
Chu Feng asked.
"When my mother was pregnant with me, she was afflicted with a deadly poison, and I was affected as well. I was certain to die."
"It was your mother — the great Lady Jie Ranqing — who, ignoring everyone's objections, used a precious treasure to save my life and allow me to be born into this world."
"So my father named me Jie Bao."
"He didn't want me to ever forget Lady Jie Ranqing's grace."
"He wanted me to grow up and serve Lady Jie Ranqing, to repay her for the gift of life."
"But when I was young and foolish, I thought the name sounded awful, so I insisted on changing it to Jie Baobao."
"Looking back now, the name Jie Bao was actually..."
Before Jie Baobao could finish, Chu Feng cut in: "It really does sound terrible."
"The name Jie Baobao suits you much better."
He said.
Hearing this, Jie Baobao smiled again — sweeter than before.
But soon after, her eyes grew moist, and tears slid down her cheeks.
"I failed Lady Jie Ranqing. Not only did I not serve her, but I was also unable to protect you."
"But... I'm so glad that I went to the Peak of the Nine Heavens that one time."