Chapter 338: You Want to Kill Me

After a little over three double-hours, the wind and snow gradually ceased.

Yuan Yao withdrew from her cultivation state, she lowered her gaze to look at the spiritual energy condensed in her hand, which seemed a bit stronger.

She quickly rose to her feet, scanned the surroundings, and upon finding nothing amiss, she dispelled the barrier and immediately went to the nearest snow peak summit, taking out a map from her storage space to begin observing the terrain.

Just then——

The voice of the 250 System suddenly sounded.

【Congratulations, host, for successfully capturing one thousand target individuals, earning a reward of one thousand days of lifespan.】

Yuan Yao thought she had hallucinated.

"What did you say?!"

The 250 System repeated it again.

"I don't seem to have captured anyone!" Yuan Yao was dazed; even if she had captured targets, it was impossible to capture so many at once.

【Host, because you altered the plot's course, causing the one thousand target individuals who were not supposed to survive to stay alive, they thus directly completed their initial awakening.】The 250 System patiently explained.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao fell into thought.

"Is it because of the Blood Slave Field Master Hu Yan Cheng and the Witch Evil King?"

【Yes, but not entirely.】The 250 System said: 【If they had not died, following the original plot's development, by today, because of them, one thousand target individuals would have died.】

"Why exactly one thousand?" Yuan Yao keenly caught the key point.

【The system's data statistics count the host's indirect captures of target individuals; for every accumulated one thousand target individuals, the system will broadcast to Yuan Yao and grant lifespan reward days.】

"I see." Yuan Yao suddenly understood.

Suddenly, she thought of something and couldn't help but ask: "What if the opposite situation occurs? For example, someone saves many people in the later plot, but I kill this person, causing him not to appear in the later plot and thus unable to save those people—what would happen?"

【The host will have the corresponding lifespan days deducted.】The 250 System said.

"Will it deduct the number of target individuals I have captured?"

【No.】

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao roughly understood.

【The system must remind the host: if the host directly or indirectly influences the original book characters' directions, causing their death or preventing them from developing according to the original plot, then the host will bear all consequences. The punishment is deducting lifespan days.】

Yuan Yao's brow twitched slightly, she said: "If my lifespan days are completely deducted, does that mean I will die?"

【Yes. Important figures in the original book have a huge impact on the original plot's development, so, unless necessary, please host do not erase the existence of important figures.】

Yuan Yao softly sighed: "Then could you tell me who the important figures are?"

The 250 System fell silent.

"If you don't tell me, and I accidentally kill them by mistake, what should I do? Wouldn't I also die? Two-five, are you really so heartless as to watch me die because of this mistake?" Yuan Yao lowered her head and poked her finger, feigning pitifulness.

【According to the target individuals the host has encountered so far, Qian Yunzhou, Sikong Banxue, and Feng Xuanji are important figures.】

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao's mind conjured the images of these three.

She smiled and said: "Thank you, two-five."

The 250 System coldly replied: 【En.】

Immediately afterward, Yuan Yao began holding the map and comparing it with the surrounding terrain.

After looking for a while, she still could not find the true route.

She thought for a moment and decided to use her spiritual power to probe the surrounding terrain.

Not long after, she discovered a spot that resembled a marked point on the map.

She swiftly darted toward that place.

Upon arriving there, she confirmed that this spot matched a marked point on the map; after comparing, she actually found that she was getting closer and closer to the treasure location.

Overjoyed, she immediately set off along the route marked on the map.

After about half a double-hour, she arrived at a valley.

She faintly smelled a bloody odor.

Yuan Yao pressed her lips together, instantly went on alert, and cautiously walked forward; behind that snow mountain ahead, she actually saw a person lying in the snow, almost completely covered by snow.

She immediately recognized that familiar ghost mask.

It was him.

He appeared to be seriously injured and unconscious.

She guessed he was injured from fighting the Mountain King.

Yuan Yao did not step closer; instead, she chose to turn a blind eye.

She passed by not far from his side and then continued forward.

After walking a stretch, her expression suddenly changed, she turned her head and saw only a snow beast lunging at the unconscious ghost-masked youth, opening its mouth to tear at his body.

Yuan Yao hesitated for a moment, but still decided to step forward and rescue him!

Buzz!

Her spiritual power instantly invaded the snow beast's sea of consciousness, controlling it and making it leave for another place.

After the snow beast left, she lowered her eyes, suppressing the emotion in her eyes.

She stepped forward and arrived before the unconscious ghost-masked youth.

"Xie Yan?"

She called out several times, but there was no response.

Yuan Yao reached out and dragged him out of the snow.

Afterwards, she saw that the youth's originally pure white snow-like robe was now stained with shocking crimson blood, turning into a patch of dark red, and even more horrifying was that on his broad, sturdy chest, several ferocious and terrifying, deep-to-the-bone huge wounds had appeared!

She had not expected him to be so gravely injured.

She raised her head to look around, seeking a place to treat and bandage his wounds.

Soon, she spotted a place that could slightly block the wind and snow; immediately, she reached out and dragged the ghost-faced boy there.

As she dragged him along, a trail of blood was left on the snow.

Yuan Yao quickly set up a formation barrier to resist the wind and snow's erosion.

Afterwards, she lifted the boy's upper body and let him lean against the wall.

She gazed at his ferocious wound on the chest, her eyelashes trembling; she then drew the Phantom Spirit Sword, transforming it into a dagger, and was about to cut open his robe—

Her wrist was firmly gripped by an icy cold hand.

Yuan Yao felt a slight start in her heart; she lifted her gaze and met the boy's deep, gloomy eyes; his voice hoarse and icy, "Do you want to kill me?"

"No." Yuan Yao said.

Having said that, she reached out to pry open his hand, then prepared to rise and leave.

Since he had awakened, there was no need for her to stay.

Just as Yuan Yao was about to rise, Xie Yan suddenly seized her wrist again.

Because this sudden movement was too violent, it caused his wound to rupture again.

At the same time, a trace of scarlet seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Sorry…" he spoke slowly, "I misunderstood you."

Yuan Yao froze for a moment.

She said, "Mm."

Xie Yan gazed at her cheeks, reddened from the cold, pursed his lips, "Yuan Yao, let's talk calmly."

Hardly had he finished speaking when he began to cough violently, his whole appearance frail and weak.

Yuan Yao, however, said, "Xie Yan, don't forget what we once said."

"Let's treat each other as strangers."

She wanted to break free of his grip, but he held her fast.

"I've changed my mind, okay?"

"Yuan Yao."

He called softly.

"Don't draw boundaries with me."