Chapter 1130: The Price of Revenge

I knew she looked familiar!

A soft exclamation instantly confirmed a suspicion Fu Qian had been harboring.

He didn't mean the figure in the water, of course. He meant Lady Burning Ash.

The figure that had emerged from the sea was already completely unrecognizable, barely retaining a human shape.

Despite the mask, Fu Qian had found Lady Burning Ash seemingly familiar the moment he first saw her.

Now he finally realized who she was—Rachel.

Li Min's close friend. Back in Percy, she had helped Li Min avenge her teacher.

Only, back then, Rachel had sported a head of multicolored hair and acted like a street punk.

In stark contrast, she was now just as unrecognizable. Her demeanor had grown far too subdued, her entire style completely changed.

Since he couldn't be bothered to memorize the physical traits of irrelevant people, he hadn't immediately made the connection.

The situation playing out before him was perfectly clear: after the revenge incident, Rachel had ultimately chosen to stick by her close friend's side.

......

Blood mist billowed. Fu Qian entered his Blood Crusade State again, strolling right up to the edge of the cliff to carefully study the deformed body in the water.

Beyond a physical appearance that almost induced a visceral revulsion, her internal condition was clearly in shambles as well.

Facing the Rachel who had summoned her, Li Min clearly wanted to say something, but the only sound that escaped her was a hollow, wheezing hiss.

"Li Min..."

Rachel clearly couldn't bear the sight. She looked ready to jump straight in, but a moment later, Li Min raised a hand to stop her.

Covered in twisted horns and fine scales, its five fingers fused into a webbed structure, that hand was somehow still the most mobile part of her body.

Her other arm hung uselessly at her side, entirely stripped of mobility, its flesh blooming open from top to bottom like a sea anemone.

Then, Li Min pulled back that single working hand and pressed it against her chest.

White frost poured outward.

Starting from her palm, an intensely cold vortex erupted, rapidly sweeping across the surroundings.

At the center of the vortex, Li Min's entire upper body instantly crystallized into ice, locking her into a sculpture.

Watching this unfold, Rachel clenched her fists. Yet, strictly obeying her friend's request, she didn't step forward to interfere.

"Ra... chel..."

A moment later, as if draining the last ounce of her strength, Li Min let her arm drop and managed to force out a voice.

Her drastic move seemed to be a near-suicidal method of stabilizing her crumbling flesh just enough to regain her ability to speak.

Even so, she still sounded completely unrecognizable. Her voice grated like a rough file.

"You really did it! I thought..."

The moment Li Min called out her name, Rachel's mournful voice filled with irrepressible excitement.

"I brought you new Blood Dew."

She didn't waste time on sentiment. Swiftly pulling out a leather bundle, she opened it to reveal three glass tubes slotted neatly inside.

"You shouldn't have come in here..."

Staring at the items Rachel had presented, Li Min finally offered a faint shake of her head.

"Don't worry, I won't go too deep. But with your current condition, you're no longer fit to leave this place... Besides, just like before, you heard the sound and hurried over, didn't you?"

Rachel quickly explained, having anticipated the objection.

"You look like you're holding together decently. These should be enough to let you hold out for a while longer."

"I might... lose my hearing very soon. I can feel it."

Li Min remained resolute, unwilling to take the offering.

"Teacher's guess was right... The ash really can help suppress the fire I swallowed, and even mend my body. But it's far too chaotic. It simply can't be controlled or guided..."

"Even if I stay hidden in here, my body will likely break down soon anyway... Don't push this any further. Leave this place."

Li Min gazed at Rachel's face, nearly half of which was marred by burn scars.

"You've already done enough for me."

......

I see. So this is why Rachel got into the illegal trade?

Despite the sheer number of exclamation points in the pair's dramatic exchange, Fu Qian quickly pieced together a rough outline of the story.

Back then, to kill Claudio and avenge her teacher, Li Min had resorted to special methods to forcibly transcend Rank. After finally achieving her long-cherished wish, her own body had been pushed to the brink of collapse.

Rachel had apparently arrived soon after. Not minding that her friend had kept her in the dark, she must have found a way to smuggle her out.

Considering Li Min's condition at the time—and the high alert of the local Night Watchers following the chaos in Boxi City—the hardships involved were easily imaginable. Rachel's burns had likely been acquired during that very escape.

Following a method left by Li Min's teacher that might stabilize a crumbling body, Rachel had somehow transported her friend all the way here over a grueling trek.

Once she confirmed the method worked, she needed to gather materials to help stabilize her friend's condition. Stranded in an unfamiliar land, she had strayed off the right path and joined the much more lucrative poaching industry.

The Harmonica was their agreed-upon signal to meet.

Unfortunately, it looked like Li Min had finally reached her limit.

With his senses, Fu Qian could naturally tell that Li Min wasn't bluffing.

Her body was only one step away from total collapse.

The Ash Sea was synonymous with dead silence and chaos. A body mended by its power was effectively a mountain of spaghetti code pushed to its absolute limits.

Not to mention the fire Li Min had swallowed, which he could sense still hadn't completely died out.

The immense agony she must be suffering was entirely imaginable.

In contrast, her mental state had held up remarkably well. He wondered if the Commandment Residue he had casually activated back then had played a part in that.

Then again, who knows if it brings misfortune or blessing. Paired with her physical condition, an overly lucid mind almost felt like its own form of torture.

"Don't say that. This was my own decision."

Rachel clearly refused to accept Li Min's advice, forcefully shoving the items over without leaving any room for argument.

"Never give up. Maybe if you hold on just a little longer, you won't just cure yourself, but it'll be a blessing in disguise and you'll jump a few Ranks!"

......

Looking at the Blood Dew thrust in front of her, Li Min didn't refuse again.

Yet, the moment she reached out to take it, she finally seemed to notice the marks on Rachel's hands.

"Your body... what happened?"

"You came earlier than our agreed time. Did something go wrong?"

Clearly surprised that Li Min remained so sharp despite her condition, Rachel yanked her hand back. She looked like she regretted ever taking off her glove.

But after a brief hesitation, knowing her friend's personality all too well, she didn't bother with pointless denials.

"We ran into a little accident. Someone lured a Curse Abyss onto the ship, causing everyone on board to get marked. We were forced to retreat in here to hide from the threat."

"But don't worry. These things will dissipate in a few hours at most."