Bitter Realm: A Happy Person Traveling Across China

In the distance, in a deep, secluded mountain forest.

A strange fluctuation occurred in the space, like ripples on water, followed by a flash of purple light, and three slightly disheveled figures staggered into view.

The three of them escaped using Ye Jinming's spatial escape technique.

"Hoo...cough cough..." As soon as Mu Shaoai landed, he couldn't help but cough a few times. Although the wound on his waist and abdomen had been treated simply, blood continued to seep out, staining half of his clothes red.

Although Mu Shaoai's face was pale, a bitter smile habitually appeared on his lips. "Oh dear... that was close. I almost had to go to the Immortal Mountain to sell dried tofu ahead of schedule."

Tan Wuyu was in no better shape; his clothes were torn at the chest, and his breathing was weak. Hearing this, he nodded slightly: "It was indeed extremely dangerous. If it weren't for Young Friend Ye's timely help and his miraculous technique that led us to safety, things might not have ended well today."

He looked at Ye Jinming, his eyes filled with sincere gratitude, but also with a hint of barely perceptible inquiry.

Although Ye Jinming's face was also slightly pale and there was blood at the corner of his mouth, his condition was obviously much better than the other two. After all, with the recovery power brought by the Dragon Essence, this minor injury was nothing!

However, Ye Jinming was currently scrutinizing Tan Wuyu and Mu Shaoai with a rather strange look, his gaze a mixture of oddness, scrutiny, and a hint of suspicion...

"..." Tan Wuyu felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and coughed lightly, "Young friend Ye, why... are you looking at us like that?"

He subconsciously checked himself and found nothing wrong.

Ye Jinming paused for a moment before finally speaking, his tone clearly tinged with surprise and teasing: "Gentlemen... let's not beat around the bush. Just now, I finally managed to use an array to restrict the movements and demonic energy of Yama Hanba. Logically, that should have been your prime time to unleash your attacks!"

"But why do I feel like your damage output isn't making any difference? So all my hard work controlling the battlefield hasn't resulted in any 'damage' from you guys? Are you guys throwing the game?"

"..." Tan Wuyu was speechless for a moment. A rare look of helplessness, even a bit of speechlessness, appeared on his usually calm and composed face. "Heaven and earth bear witness, young friend Ye, I have already used all my strength and held nothing back. The Yama Drought Demon's demonic body is far stronger than expected, and it cannot be broken by ordinary moves."

Mu Shaoai smiled wryly and pointed to the wound on his waist and abdomen: "Young friend Ye, you can tell from my injury that I have done my best."

Seeing the two men's increasingly miserable appearances and hearing their sincere words, Ye Jinming decided to let the matter drop for the time being.

Maybe the Yama and Hanba are currently in a newbie protection period!

Then Ye Jinming shrugged and waved his hand: "Alright, alright, you guys pass."

He looked up at the sky; the eclipse had passed, but dusk was deepening. "Since the two seniors are not in immediate danger, it is not advisable to linger here. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

After he finished speaking, before Tan Wuyu and Mu Shaoai could say anything to persuade him to stay or thank him, a hazy, clear light emanated from his body.

His entire figure quickly became transparent and illusory, as if merging into the air. In the blink of an eye, he turned into light and dissipated, leaving only a faint, strange spatial fluctuation in the spot, which soon returned to calm.

Silence returned to the mountains and forests, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the two people's slightly heavy breathing.

Tan Wuyu stared in the direction where Ye Jinming had disappeared, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "This Ye Jinming has a unique style of doing things. His magic and martial arts are all top-notch. What's even more rare is that his mind is unpredictable. He comes and goes like the wind. He is truly an extraordinary person."

Mu Shaoai smiled and said, "In such a critical moment, his presence is a blessing for China!"

Tan Wuyu then questioned, "How can you be sure he's not faking it?"

Mu Shaoai took a deep breath, her lips twitched, and she said with a wry smile, "Tan Wuyu, Tan Wuyu, you're something else. He just saved us, and you're already doubting him."

However, if he didn't have any doubts, he wouldn't be Tan Wuyu, after all, the early Tan Wuyu was a prime example of "every man for himself".

He is cunning, ruthless, and betraying his teammates is commonplace for him.

He only toned it down a bit later, otherwise he would have been even more villainous than the villains themselves. (However, ignoring the eldest brother, Su Huanzhen was no less formidable. Including Wuji Tianzi, they were the three earliest rogues in the Bitter Realm.)

Tan Wuyu withdrew his gaze, glanced at Mu Shaoai, and said calmly, "One should always be wary of others. The timing of his appearance and the abilities he displayed were too coincidental. However..."

He paused, his tone softening slightly, "In any case, the debt of gratitude for saving my life is real. I was just curious, cough... uh..."

Before he could finish speaking, Tan Wuyu suddenly frowned, let out a muffled groan, clutched his chest, swayed, and looked even more pale, with a trickle of dark red blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

The internal injuries sustained in the fierce battle, coupled with the turbulence caused by the spatial escape technique, finally became uncontrollable and erupted in full force.

"See? You got your comeuppance for doubting your savior, now you're getting your comeuppance!"

Seeing this, Mu Shaoai couldn't help but tease him, but his hands moved quickly. Despite his injuries, he walked to Tan Wuyu's side, took out a needle pouch from his pocket, and said, "Don't move, relax."

Tan Wuyu sat down cross-legged as instructed. Mu Shaoai picked up several silver needles as thin as cow hair with his fingertips. His eyes instantly became focused and calm, without any trace of his usual playfulness.

His movements were lightning fast; the silver needles, accompanied by a subtle tremor, precisely pierced several major acupoints on Tan Wuyu's chest and back, each with its own unique depth and angle.

As the silver needles entered his body, Tan Wuyu's body trembled slightly. He felt several gentle, warm currents flowing into his body through the needles, beginning to regulate the chaotic and rampant true energy within him and guiding the stagnant blood back to its proper place.

A moment later, Tan Wuyu exhaled his breath.

With a "pfft," he spat out a mouthful of stagnant blood.

After spitting out the stagnant blood, he immediately felt the suffocating pain in his chest greatly relieved, and his breathing became much smoother. Although his face was still pale, he was no longer in so much pain.

"Thank you." Tan Wuyu took a breath and looked at Mu Shaoai.

Mu Shaoai's forehead was covered in even more cold sweat, his lips were turning purple, and his hands, which were applying the acupuncture needles, were trembling slightly. Clearly, this internal energy cultivation was a huge burden on his already severe injuries.

"How are you?" Tan Wuyu asked, his brows furrowed and his tone clearly concerned.

He knew that Mu Shaoai's injuries were mainly in his waist and abdomen, inflicted by the demonic blade of the Yama Drought Demon, and were by no means ordinary external injuries.

Mu Shaoai put away the needle pouch, waved his hand to indicate that he was fine: "Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing, this little injury is nothing to me."

"But you look terrible." Tan Wuyu stared intently at Mu Shaoai's purplish lips and abnormally flushed cheeks.

Mu Shaoai explained without any concern, "This is because the flames emitted by the Demon Blade prevent the blood from circulating. As long as it is soaked in the water of Crystal Lake, there will be no problem."

"Crystal Lake?" Tan Wuyu glanced at the still-bleeding wound on Mu Shaoai's abdomen, then at his weakened state. "It's not a short distance from here to Crystal Lake. Can your strength... still hold up?"

Mu Shaoai took a deep breath, and that familiar, languid smile, as if she had everything under control, returned to her face: "Ha, what's a little distance? Let's go!"

Then Tan Wuyu helped Mu Shaoai turn around and head towards Crystal Lake, a sacred place for healing...

Fortunately, Ye Jinming changed the direction he was leading them in, causing the Awakened Evils, who were planning to ambush them halfway, to miss their target...