Chapter 593: Ch 593 - How could he compare to the holy maiden Nangong Xi?

"Yino, don’t move around. My sword intent can help heal your foundation..."

Behind the curtains of the Jianlan Sect’s guest room, Yino sat cross-legged on the bed while the graceful woman in the black dress sat facing him, palms extended, channeling the Primordial Sword intent.

Ever since Lin Yuchen left, Zhihan had been badly shaken by Yino’s sudden coughing of blood.

She knew she was a failure as a Sect master. She possessed Tribulation Crossing stage cultivation, yet stood completely powerless while Lin Yuchen bullied and threatened her.

Yino had stood up to Lin Yuchen on her behalf, and not only had Zhihan been useless the entire time, she hadn’t even noticed he’d been injured internally by that crushing pressure...

She was drowning in self-blame. She felt so stupid, so utterly incompetent at everything except sword cultivation, and in the end she’d needed protection from a boy who was only at the Nascent Soul stage.

Bzzzz!

Holy golden sword intent poured into the boy’s chest and abdomen, but the moment Yino opened his eyes, he spat out another mouthful of blood.

Zhihan’s beautiful eyes trembled violently, an ache twisting through her chest.

"Lady Pei, I don’t have much time left..."

Yino came back to his senses and felt the sword intent working to mend his body, but his voice still came out weak and quivering.

He was, admittedly, putting on a bit of a performance.

After all, though his cultivation was far below Lin Yuchen’s, Yino had fully awakened his ancient phoenix bloodline. He was a genuine prodigy. He’d endured Ye Chaerin’s probing back then without breaking, so how could he possibly be on death’s door from a single burst of Lin Yuchen’s pressure now that his cultivation had surged?

It was just that Zhihan looked so frightened and guilt-ridden that he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to test her reaction a little more.

"Not much time...?"

"How can that be... Did that bastard secretly attack you just now? And I didn’t even notice..."

Pei Zhihan pushed more power into him, her eyes locked on Yino’s face, full of concern and helpless panic.

Yino coughed twice on purpose, then continued:

"But I do know of one way to save me..."

"What way? Tell me!"

"If Lady Pei would pass me the Secret Manual of the Primordial Sword Art... then by cultivating it, I could be reborn through fire, transformed completely!"

As he said this, his voice stayed deliberately weak, but greed still flickered in his eyes. He couldn’t quite hide the scheming behind his words.

Across from him, Zhihan froze. Pain and hesitation reflected in her beautiful eyes.

But soon, she seemed to catch something in his gaze, and in a wisp of energy that leaked from his body.

"Young master, are you teasing me?"

Zhihan blinked her clear, innocent eyes. The heartache and guilt she’d felt for the boy moments ago now turned to embarrassment, as if she’d been toyed with.

She could see his act was crumbling. Her lips pressed together in a soft bite, and her cold, flawless face puffed up with indignation:

"You... so you were after that all along! And here I was worrying myself sick over you!"

In truth, when Yino first said the Primordial Sword Art could save his life, Zhihan’s heart had genuinely softened.

The Primordial Sword Art was a Secret Art passed down solely by her Master. But a life hung in the balance. Yino had done her a favor today. If she stood by and let him die, it would go against everything she believed in.

And if it was to save someone’s life, surely her master would have forgiven her...

But who could have guessed that Zhihan’s sincerity would be played like a fiddle by Yino?

"Getting tricked by a pity act from a junior... shouldn’t Lady Pei be looking at her own shortcomings instead?"

The jig was up, so Yino dropped the act and casually wiped the trace of blood from the corner of his lips.

The internal injury from Lin Yuchen’s pressure was real.

But it was minor at best. After a few minutes of Zhihan channeling healing energy, he’d already recovered completely.

"Today I said the Primordial Sword Art could save my life, and you hesitated. So if one day I pretended to be terminally ill and said only Lady Pei giving herself to me could cure it, would you hesitate and then agree to that too?"

Yino spoke casually, but he was essentially lecturing this Tribulation Crossing stage sword prodigy to her face.

Zhihan listened in silence, burning with shame.

She’d never been good with words, never been one for arguments. Being called out like this left her even more tongue-tied.

"I only treated you as a benefactor because you helped me today. I was grateful. And now my good intentions are being scolded."

She lowered her eyes, pressed her trembling lips with a quiet hurt that tugged at the heart.

Compared to Yuyan, who was sharp-witted and fiercely independent, Zhihan was far softer in temperament and not nearly as quick on her feet. If Yuyan had been in her place when Lin Yuchen pulled that stunt, she would’ve drawn her sword and flipped the table long ago.

Thinking of this, Yino smiled faintly:

"Helped you?"

"I think Lady Pei is flattering herself a little."

The warmth suddenly left his voice, and Zhihan’s eyes widened slightly.

Yino stretched lazily and glanced toward the curtain separating them from the Divine Abyss Gate’s quarters:

"Before I ever met Lady Pei, I’d already made enemies of both the Lin mansion and the Divine Abyss Gate."

"So rather than saying I helped you today, it’s more accurate to say I was simply here to mess up Lin Yuchen’s plans."

He said it like it was nothing.

The words stung, but somehow they didn’t ring true to Zhihan.

She felt he was only saying this so she wouldn’t feel indebted...

But if she thought that way, wouldn’t she be exactly what Yino called her? Flattering herself?

"Whatever your real reasons were, you helped me out of a tight spot today. And Lin Che’s victory in the tournament wouldn’t have happened without you!"

"You healed my injuries just now. I’d say that makes us even."

Yino waved his hand dismissively.

Zhihan looked at him, but the weight on her chest refused to lift:

"You only got hurt because I failed to protect you... Healing you was just making up for my own failure. It can’t count as repaying the debt of you saving me!"

"Is that so?"

Yino turned to look at her with an amused glint in his eye, then the corner of his lip curled upward. "So what you’re saying is, you owes me a favor?"

"Mm... I owe you. If you’re ever in trouble, you’re always welcome to come find me." Zhihan nodded obediently, a gentle smile returning to her lips.

"Then, could I learn swordsmanship from you? Would you pass me the Primordial Sword Art as repayment?"

"That..."

Seeing her caught in a bind again, Yino sat up and waved it off, deciding to stop teasing her.

"Just kidding. I won’t make it hard for you. I should head back to my Senior Sister. If I’m gone too long, she’ll worry."

"Wai..."

A split second before Yino lifted the curtain to leave, Zhihan blurted out the word before she could stop herself.

Yino paused and looked back.

"Wait... Young master, take care..."

Zhihan stared at his face, hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod, her expression caught between uncertainty and something far more complicated.

What she’d wanted to say was that if Yino truly wished to learn the Primordial Sword Art, he could come to Jianlan Sect someday and try.

But...

On second thought, she remembered Ji Zichen, the overbearing Elders of the Ji Noble Family, and the Lin mansion that ruled the northern frontier with an iron fist.

They all had their eyes on the secret teachings of her master. If she brought Yino back with her, wouldn’t she be dragging her own cursed destiny down onto an outsider? What’s more...

Yino was Yuyan’s junior brother and dao companion. Strictly speaking, Yuyan was his sword master. If Zhihan took him on as well, wouldn’t she be stealing a disciple from her own friend?

So after turning it over again and again, the words of invitation never left her lips.