Chapter Ninety-Five: First Encounter (3)

Watching the giant eagle drawing closer and closer, Che Wuyou couldn't help but change his expression. Compared to the enormous, powerful body of the eagle, even adults looked diminutive—let alone Che Wuyou, who was barely eleven years old.

It was midday, and the sun blazed fiercely. The sunlight cast the eagle’s slanting shadow over Che Wuyou like a vast, dark cloud slowly enveloping him. Whether it was the heat or the immense psychological pressure brought on by the eagle, sweat began to bead on Che Wuyou’s forehead.

Staring at the eagle’s long, sharp beak that shimmered with a ghostly blue metallic glow, Che Wuyou’s throat trembled slightly as he spoke, “Wait, you can’t peck out my eyes... If you dare blind me, I won’t tell you where the Restore Deficiency Pill is.”

Li Yiqiu’s body trembled at the mention of those three words. A faint chill settled over her delicate, beautiful face. “Where is the Restore Deficiency Pill? Tell me now! If you don’t, I’ll have Black Cang peck you to death.” She stared intently at the youth before her, threatening him. The Restore Deficiency Pill was incredibly important to her—without it, she had no future. Although she suspected the boy was likely deceiving her to buy time, she couldn’t help but ask.

“You must promise me you won’t harm me before I tell you. Otherwise, even if you kill me, I won’t tell you... Death is death whether I say it or not, so why should I speak?” Che Wuyou looked at Li Yiqiu, trying to relax his body and negotiate calmly. He knew his life rested on this girl’s whim, so he offered her a faint, friendly smile, striving to appear at his best.

“You...” Li Yiqiu’s anger flared as she watched the boy, whose face had turned somewhat dull, suddenly reveal a lazy, mocking expression. Many disciples of the Qingchi Sword Sect’s inner circle trembled or bowed respectfully before her; some didn’t even dare raise their eyes. Yet this boy not only threatened her but also dared to mock her—an unforgivable offense.

“If you won’t tell me, then you have no value anymore. I can still find out about the Restore Deficiency Pill from others... You might as well die.” Li Yiqiu glared hatefully at Che Wuyou. “Black Cang, peck him to death.”

This boy was truly detestable. In her entire life, no one had ever dared speak to her this way. He was utterly loathsome—daring to threaten her over the thing she cared about most. Killing him would be entirely justified.

After bargaining for a long time, Che Wuyou not only failed to save his eyes but now feared for his life. He inwardly cursed his miscalculation. Li Yiqiu, though appearing delicate, was exceptionally decisive and ruthless.

“Wait! Wait! I’ll tell you.” Che Wuyou’s expression grew sincere as he looked at the eagle’s beak waving before his eyes. “Because the Restore Deficiency Pill is missing because of me, it should be I who tells you.”

This cunning boy finally yielded to save his life, which made Li Yiqiu despise him even more. Yet she still wanted to give him a chance—if his explanation was good, what harm was there in sparing him? After all, she had already obtained the answer she sought. She hesitated slightly and said, “Speak. Why do you say the Restore Deficiency Pill is missing because of you? If you dare lie, I will make your death unbearable.”

The young girl looked down imperiously on Che Wuyou’s humble life like a god ruling over life and death. Her face was cold and indifferent, as if deciding a life’s fate was her natural right—because she was Li Yiqiu, daughter of the Qingchi Sect’s leader, one of the most powerful women in the Southern Border.

“Because I ate the Restore Deficiency Pill. I took the Restore Deficiency Pill that should have belonged to you.” Che Wuyou raised his head and looked up at the girl, who appeared like a goddess on high.

“...Impossible.” Li Yiqiu was shocked beyond belief and blurted out instinctively. How could such an ordinary boy have taken the Restore Deficiency Pill? Wasn’t it said that low-level cultivators needed the protection of experts from the Immortal Realm to consume it? Why would this boy say he took the pill? Was he trying to deceive her, to get revenge?

Li Yiqiu’s murderous gaze locked on Che Wuyou, and Black Cang stared at him with domineering menace. If Li Yiqiu gave the order, it would shred the boy to pieces without hesitation—how dare he consume the pill belonging to her master? What audacity!

Under Black Cang’s oppressive presence, Che Wuyou involuntarily took a step back, but his eyes still met those of the girl and the eagle calmly. Inside, he felt a profound peace, perhaps having accepted his fate, freed from many concerns. He slowly revealed everything.

“That’s basically how it is. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Master Li. He plans to imitate the methods of the Demon Sect and refine me into a human pill for you to consume. After all, my body contains the components of the Restore Deficiency Pill, so there’s still a chance of success.” Che Wuyou smiled bitterly, with a hint of sarcasm.

At this moment, he hated no one. The cultivation world was always like this—survival of the fittest. Li Yiqiu, in order to save her daughter, had taken a path that the righteous would not condone. But as a father seeing his daughter suffer, his actions were not wrong.

“Anyway, I have no parents. Since Miss Li insists on killing me, it would be better for your father to refine me into a human pill. At least then my death would have some meaning. But I have one condition—if you agree, I will cooperate fully with Master Li. Otherwise, I won’t cooperate with him to become a pill. Even as a vengeful spirit, I won’t let him succeed.”

Che Wuyou’s expression turned solemn as he stared at Li Yiqiu. “I’m also an alchemist. I know that advanced pills have their own spirit. Though I don’t know the exact method for refining a human pill, I think if I don’t cooperate, the chance of success will be greatly reduced. My soul’s resentment might cause the entire process to fail. On the other hand, if I cooperate fully, it will not only increase the chance of success but might even make the pill more spiritual.”

“What condition?” Li Yiqiu had evidently accepted this reality. Her heart gradually calmed as she listened to Che Wuyou’s earnest words. She was curious—what condition could make such a cunning person, who cared so little for his own life, agree to cooperate fully in being refined into a pill?