Chapter 341: You're Just Being Stubborn

Xie Yan took the puppet out of his storage space, removed the seal placed on it, and then gently placed the puppet in her palm.

Yuan Yao saw that Yuan Batian was unharmed, and then let it return to the space.

At this moment, the boy couldn't help but cough.

"Can you still hold on?" Yuan Yao saw him so frail, as if a gust of wind and snow could blow him away, her brows slightly furrowed, she couldn't help but ask.

"I can't really hold on..." Xie Yan's voice was weak; he staggered and was about to fall.

Yuan Yao quickly reached out and supported him.

Saying that, she thought briefly, then bent over and horizontally lifted him up, "I'll take you back to that cave."

Xie Yan seemed slightly resistant to this posture, wanting her to put him down, he pursed his lips and said: "I can walk myself."

"Xie Yan, just be stubborn."

Yuan Yao glared at him.

Ignoring his request, she held him and darted toward the cave.

Hearing those words, Xie Yan felt a subtle sensation arise in his heart.

Suddenly, he reached out and embraced her neck.

Yuan Yao's body stiffened; his icy fingers touching her neck skin gave her a slight itch, and her mind became considerably clearer.

She did not lower her head to look at him, but continued forward toward the cave.

Their breaths and auras gradually intertwined.

They arrived outside that cave.

Yuan Yao suddenly recalled the place where she and Xie Yan had broken ties, which was also in a similar cave; she set Xie Yan down, then helped him enter inside.

"Treat your wounds yourself." After Yuan Yao helped him sit down, she said: "I'll wait for you outside."

Xie Yan: "Did you see it?"

"See what?" Yuan Yao didn't react at first; when she met Xie Yan's deep, gloomy gaze, her heart gave a slight start: "... No... I didn't see."

After saying that, she immediately turned and walked toward the cave's exterior.

The ghost-faced youth leaning against the wall kept his gaze fixed on her silhouette until her figure disappeared from view.

Outside the cave.

Yuan Yao found a spot and sat down.

There were still traces of Xie Yan's blood on her clothes; she frowned slightly.

At that moment, the wind and snow grew stronger.

Yuan Yao reached out to catch the snowflakes drifting from the sky; her palm grew cold from the freeze.

She suddenly spoke: "Xie Yan, why did you come to the Heaven Snow Mountain Range?"

"I want the Mountain King's beast core." The boy inside the cave, who was re-bandaging his wounds, heard this, his hand paused slightly, he lowered his lashes, and replied.

"Did you obtain it?"

"... No."

"Is the Mountain King also injured?"

"Yes, it fled with serious injuries."

"You two really are both losers, huh." Yuan Yao sighed, then immediately set up a defensive barrier against the wind and snow for herself.

She took a third-grade Healing Wound Pill, and was about to seize the opportunity to sit and cultivate when the boy's voice came from inside the cave.

"Are you looking for treasure?"

Yuan Yao replied: "Yes."

She did not continue speaking.

The howling of the wind and snow gradually grew louder.

After an unknown amount of time, Yuan Yao suddenly noticed some sound, alertly opened her eyes, and saw the boy's figure.

At this moment, the boy had already changed into new robes, but still wore his previous attire; he said: "Go in."

Finally, he added: "This blizzard won't stop anytime soon."

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao let out an "oh."

She rose, just as she dispelled the barrier, a blast of wind hit her face, the cold pierced her bones, making her shiver slightly.

And in the next instant, the boy erected a spiritual shield beside her.

Yuan Yao faintly smelled blood and medicine coming from him; she lifted her head to glance at him, then withdrew her gaze.

The two entered the cave together.

After entering the cave, the boy set up a barrier at the entrance.

The two sat opposite each other in silence.

The air was filled with a hint of awkwardness.

Previously they were always at odds, but now getting along so peacefully made them feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Yuan Yao gave a light cough: "Once the blizzard stops, I'll leave."

Xie Yan slowly lifted his eyes: "Are you going to look for treasure alone?"

Yuan Yao nodded: "Yes."

Inside the cave, a brief silence fell until the boy spoke.

"I'll accompany you."

A flicker of surprise appeared on Yuan Yao's lovely face; she instinctively refused: "No need..."

Xie Yan is extremely tall, wearing a ghost-faced mask, and with his cold, vicious eyes, he inadvertently carries an oppressive aura: "Are you afraid I'll kill and loot treasure?"

Yuan Yao shook her head.

"No, right?"

At this moment, Xie Yan reached out his hand toward Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao stepped back half a step.

Xie Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, "Your hair has snow on it."

Hearing this, Yuan Yao immediately raised her hand and brushed her hair; the white snowflakes originally clinging to the ends of her hair fluttered down.

Xie Yan gazed at her, "Yuan Yao, you're guarding against me."

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao's gaze flickered.

"No, right?"

"Really not?" Xie Yan saw through her nervousness at a glance.

Yuan Yao crossed her arms, let out a deep sigh, and feigned helplessness: "Xie Yan, don't think too much."

Having seen her true appearance, Xie Yan would naturally not be easily fooled by her.

Moreover, during the Flowing Light Secret Realm, he had already witnessed how she handled every situation with ease...

It's very similar to now.

Xie Yan raised an eyebrow, "Don't you have anything you want to ask me?"

Yuan Yao secretly thought: I don't want to get to know you too much, lest you change your mind later and plan to kill me to silence me.

"You're not after the Mountain King's beast core, are you?"

"Yes."

Yuan Yao's face lit up slightly: "Then you don't need to follow me on the treasure hunt, since you have your own things to do."

Xie Yan rubbed the emerald jade gourd at his waist nonchalantly, "But I'm seriously wounded now; facing the Mountain King would be like a lamb entering a tiger's mouth."

After a brief pause, he lifted his eyelids and gazed at her with a half-smile: "Once my wounds heal, going after the Mountain King won't be too late. What do you think?"

Yuan Yao said: "Then just stay here to recover from your injuries."

"Yuan Yao." He called softly.

Yuan Yao's eyelid twitched, and she looked at him, puzzled.

Xie Yan slowly said, "Shouldn't friends share weal and woe? Are you deceiving me?"

As he said the last sentence, his tone hesitated slightly.

"Xie Yan, we are friends, that's true. But we aren't friends who share weal and woe; we're more like nodding acquaintances, right? Do you understand?" Yuan Yao calmly said: "We're merely casual acquaintances."

Hearing the four words "casual acquaintances," Xie Yan's expression changed slightly.

He lowered his eyes and said nothing more.

Seeing this, Yuan Yao also found a spot in the cave and sat down.

Although they were not far apart, at this moment they had no further communication.

Yuan Yao took out the spiritual power puppet technique manual, began studying it, and deliberately ignored Xie Yan's presence.