Chapter 151: First, Let's Try

The circling hunting falcon let out a clear cry, indicating it had received the signal.

Ye Xi'an stepped into the icy stream without hesitation; the current slammed against her legs, yet she felt no cold, only a growing heaviness in her heart. If Ji Jiangci had caused any trouble, she would blame herself to death.

Lin Zhi Jing saw Ye Xi'an's anxiety, stepped forward and lifted her from the water, kept up with Yi Yang, and whispered while running, "This is Ji Jiangci's own fault; who made him so useless? If you weren't clever, aging wouldn't be such a simple matter." Most likely, Ji Jiangci and Ye Xi'an will both be broken inside.

After crossing the river, dense jungle blocked the view. Bao Jing descended from the sky, taking human form, his face grim: "The area is too vast, the aura is chaotic; we can't pinpoint the exact location."

Lin Zhi Jing crouched, carefully inspecting the ground and foliage: "No new traces; he may have stopped nearby."

Ye Xi'an closed her eyes, trying to sense with her spirit power, but even in the dream her spirit was heavily drained; at this moment she could only vaguely feel a chaotic emotion, full of despair and self‑loathing. That direction…

She snapped her eyes open and pointed toward a particularly dim area ahead to the left: "There!"

The four of them immediately sprinted in that direction. Pushing aside layers of vines and branches, they finally reached beneath a massive ancient tree and saw the curled figure.

Ji Jiangci sat on the tree roots, back to them, hugging his knees, his head buried deep in his arms. The garments that once fit him now hung loosely; the exposed skin on the back of his neck sagged, and his white hair radiated a gray, decayed aura in the dim light, as if all his life force had been drained in an instant.

Ye Xi'an's heart skipped a beat; she took two steps forward, her voice hoarse: "Ji Jiangci…"

Hearing her, Ji Jiangci curled tighter, like a wounded beast that refuses any approach. "Stay back!" his voice muffled from within his arms, heavy with rejection and panic, "Don't look at me like this… I beg you…"

"I love you no matter what you look like!" Ye Xi'an rushed forward recklessly, crouching before him, trying to pry open his embracing arms.

Ji Jiangci jerked his head up; the once gentle, affectionate teal pupils were now veined with blood, filled with shattered despair and intense self‑loathing.

His deep facial wrinkles and sagging skin were even more pronounced up close. "Like?" he scoffed, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, "You like an old man on the brink of death? Don't fool me, Ye Xi'an, and don't fool yourself!"

He shoved Ye Xi'an's hand away with such force that she staggered back, but Lin Zhi Jing behind her caught her.

"Ji Jiangci, what the hell are you doing!" Bao Jing, his anger flaring, stepped forward to seize Ji Jiangci's collar.

"Bao Jing!" Ye Xi'an immediately stopped him, steadied herself, and looked back at Ji Jiangci, her gaze more resolute than ever. "I didn't deceive you! I said, no matter what you become, you are my partner!"

"Partner?" Ji Jiangci seemed to hear the biggest joke. He pointed at his own face, at his white hair. "The way I look now, even I find myself disgusting! How could I be worthy of you? The most noble female of Zhu Shen Xing should be beside a powerful male like Lin Zhi Jing, a gifted male like Bao Jing, even a youthful, vigorous male like Yi Yang! Not me! A… a useless old man!" He shouted the last three words, filled with endless anguish.

The gentle Ji Jiangci vanished, leaving only this hysterical old man.

Yi Yang's tears fell with a pattering sound as he sobbed, "Brother Ji, you're not a waste… you were the best to us…"

"That was before!" Ji Jiangci cut him off, his gaze fixed on Ye Xi'an. "Before, I could cook for you, protect you with wood abilities, make you happy… and now? Even standing here I feel eyesore! I only bring you shame!"

"You won't!" Ye Xi'an declared firmly, "Your appearance has changed, your life force is depleted, but all that can be restored! Lin Zhi Jing must have a way, right?" She turned to Lin Zhi Jing, a hint of pleading in her voice.

Lin Zhi Jing adjusted his glasses: "In theory, the loss of the life source can be partially recovered with advanced elixirs and long‑term cultivation, but fully restoring it to its former state is very difficult."

Hearing that, the light in Ji Jiangci's eyes was completely extinguished. He lowered his head, murmuring, "See… it's hard… impossible to recover…" He seemed trapped in his own world, refusing any interaction with others.

Ye Xi'an watched his condition, her heart aching beyond words.

"Ji Jiangci!" she crouched again, cupping his face, forcing him to look at her. "Look at me! Listen carefully— even if you remain like this forever, even if your hair stays white, your face stays wrinkled, even if you can never use wood abilities, I— Ye Xi'an— will never abandon you!"

Her voice rang loudly, bearing undeniable power, causing Ji Jiangci's body to tremble.

"I don't believe…" his lips trembled, his gaze flickered.

"You don't believe?" Ye Xi'an pressed closer, "Then I'll prove it to you right now!"

She finished speaking, without waiting for his reaction, and immediately bowed her head to kiss his cracked lips.

Ji Jiangci's eyes widened, a wave of nausea rising; he shoved Ye Xi'an away, frantically wiping his own lips.

"Wait." Ye Xi'an suddenly seized Ji Jiangci's hand; perhaps she still had one final way to save him.

Before, she had used her own bodily fluids to repair Bao Jing's wings; could she now restore Ji Jiangci's life force?

But she wasn't ready to tell Ji Jiangci, fearing the method might fail and give him false hope.

Ye Xi'an swallowed the idea she wanted to voice and simply said, "Let's first try the reagent Lin Zhi Jing mentioned."

"Can you truly accept the me I am now?" Ji Jiangci's eyes rimmed with crimson, fragile as glass.

Ye Xi'an nodded; in truth she wasn't lying— even though Ji Jiangci's appearance had aged, his posture remained upright, his features gentle, presenting the demeanor of a refined elder; even after just kissing him, no nausea arose.

Ye Xi'an's resolute demeanor made Ji Jiangci hesitate, then nod. He had truly fallen in love with Ye Xi'an; he didn't want to leave her.

Lin Zhi Jing watched the tender scene between them, feeling a bit embarrassed to interrupt, but he truly had no such advanced elixir; such reagents are usually exorbitantly priced, either contributed to the Marshal or bought up by powerful families.