Chapter 36: Survival Beyond Despair

Upon hearing these words, the crowd’s reaction was unanimous: never before had they witnessed such shamelessness in a person.

Wang Yuyan pointed angrily at Yun Zhonghe, her voice sharp with indignation. "Shameless! You clearly used the pretense of treating my cousin’s injuries as a chance to drain away his internal strength!"

Her fury caused her chest to heave slightly, a striking sight that caught Yun Zhonghe’s eye and drew an involuntary gasp of admiration. Wang Yuyan truly deserved her reputation as a peerless beauty; her figure was exquisite, and even her anger only added to her allure.

"Now my cousin’s condition is even worse than before—his inner energy..." As she spoke, her eyes drifted to Murong Fu. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, her sentence trailing off abruptly.

A look of utter shock appeared on Wang Yuyan’s delicate face. She covered her slightly parted lips with a slender hand, murmuring, "How could this be?"

Noticing her strange behavior, the others followed her gaze, their faces equally stricken with astonishment.

Murong Fu, who had been ghastly pale and as weak as a dying candle, now showed a faint flush of color. His once feeble breath had steadied. Though still frail, he was no longer hovering on the edge of death—his life had been saved.

Had Yun Zhonghe truly absorbed Murong Fu’s internal strength just to save him? Yet none had ever heard of such a method, that rescuing someone required absorbing their life’s energy.

Sensing the confusion in their hearts, Yun Zhonghe explained in a timely fashion, "Young Master Murong’s injuries were too severe, and I myself had suffered serious wounds earlier. If I hadn’t absorbed his internal strength, the two opposing energies within him would have clashed, and his body could not have borne it."

"Only by drawing out his strength, by risking death to find new life, was there a slim hope of survival."

With this explanation, the crowd suddenly recalled how Yun Zhonghe’s moves while solving the Zhenlong Chess Array had defied all expectations—and yet, by some fortunate mistake, he had broken the puzzle, leaving everyone stunned.

Wang Yuyan gradually recovered from her shock. A hint of shame flickered in her eyes as she looked at Yun Zhonghe.

Taking in the expressions of all present, Yun Zhonghe nodded in satisfaction. This was precisely the outcome he had hoped for. The only regret was that he had failed to eliminate Murong Fu altogether.

He sighed inwardly, but found some comfort in the fact that he had already drained Murong Fu’s internal strength; the latter was no longer a threat.

At this moment, Murong Fu, who had long lain with his eyes closed, slowly forced them open. Looking around at the crowd, a flicker of confusion crossed his face.

Where am I?

As Murong Fu regained consciousness, Wang Yuyan hurried to his side, her face alight with joy and concern. "Cousin, you’re awake at last?!"

Hearing her anxious voice, Murong Fu’s gaze settled on Wang Yuyan and his memory gradually cleared. He recalled betting his cousin’s fate against Yun Zhonghe for the whereabouts of the Great Qing Dragon Vein. Yun Zhonghe had reneged on the agreement, and the two had fought fiercely, wounding each other.

By now, that scoundrel Yun Zhonghe must be severely injured and unable to move, he thought. I must act quickly, lest someone else seize the advantage.

But as this thought flashed through his mind, Murong Fu’s darting eyes suddenly froze on a figure behind Wang Yuyan. His expression turned ashen, as if he’d seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Yun Zhonghe noticed Murong Fu’s reaction and smiled faintly.

Ignoring the pain in his body, Murong Fu raised a trembling hand to point at Yun Zhonghe, his pale lips quivering, unable to form words.

"How could a wretch like you still be alive?!"

After an indeterminate pause, Murong Fu finally shouted, his voice filled with horror.

"Cousin," Wang Yuyan said with deep concern, worried that Murong Fu’s agitation would worsen his injuries. She continued to gently pat his back in comfort.

"Young Master Murong, I did save your life. Isn’t such talk rather unfair to your benefactor?" Yun Zhonghe remarked.

"Nonsense," Murong Fu retorted instantly.

But then he noticed something was amiss—no one else spoke up. A flicker of unease crossed his heart as he glanced at his cousin beside him.

Wang Yuyan hesitated, unsure how to explain.

"It must be you! Villain, I’ll kill you!"

Murong Fu struggled to his feet and threw a punch at Yun Zhonghe. But with his injuries unhealed and his life’s energy drained, the blow was weak and powerless.

Yun Zhonghe simply sidestepped, easily avoiding the attack.

With so many eyes upon him, Yun Zhonghe could not simply kill Murong Fu outright. He retreated a few paces and stood several meters away.

Wang Yuyan immediately moved to restrain her cousin, fearing that provoking Yun Zhonghe further would have dire consequences, given Murong Fu’s current fragility.

Murong Fu, however, paid no heed to Wang Yuyan’s intentions. He stared blankly at his own hand, discovering that his inner strength had vanished without a trace.

Without martial arts, how could he ever hope to restore the glory of Great Yan?

Seeing her cousin so despondent, Wang Yuyan’s limpid eyes brimmed with pity.

"Cousin," she called softly, attempting to comfort him.

But as soon as her hand touched Murong Fu, he recoiled as if jolted by a tremendous shock, flinging Wang Yuyan aside.

Caught off guard, she lost her balance and cried out in alarm.

Yun Zhonghe inwardly cursed Murong Fu for his lack of gallantry. Such a beautiful face—if it were marred, he would be heartbroken!

Just as Wang Yuyan was about to meet the ground, Yun Zhonghe dashed forward in a blur, slipped an arm about her slender waist, and caught her in his embrace.

At that moment, Wang Yuyan resembled a startled little rabbit—her eyes squeezed shut, long lashes trembling.

After a moment, the pain she anticipated never came. She slowly opened her eyes to see Yun Zhonghe gazing at her with concern. "Miss Wang, are you all right?"

"Ah!" Wang Yuyan cried out again, hastily extricating herself from his arms, her cheeks flushed crimson.

Feeling the softness in his embrace, Yun Zhonghe’s mind wandered. He couldn’t resist caressing her waist.

Startled and indignant, Wang Yuyan was about to scold him for his impropriety—but seeing his serious expression, she felt as if her fist had struck nothing but cotton.

Yun Zhonghe smiled slightly and turned his gaze to Su Xinghe, who had been watching the drama unfold. "Now that everything is settled, may I finally meet the master?"

Su Xinghe nodded and led Yun Zhonghe to a stone wall.

As Yun Zhonghe was about to follow, he paused and glanced back at Wang Yuyan.

"Miss Wang, might I have the honor of your company?"

At these words, the bystanders could not help but look at him with disdain. Yun Zhonghe truly lived up to his lustful reputation—wherever he went, he had to have a woman by his side.