Zhou Kai steadied his mind, suppressing the stray, alluring thoughts drifting through his heart. Now was not the time for distractions; he had business to attend to.

First, he retrieved the newly acquired storage bag from his robes—the one belonging to that unlucky fellow from the Heavenly Spring Sect.

“Heh, not bad at all.” The corner of Zhou Kai’s mouth lifted in a sharp, satisfied arc.

Five hundred low-grade spirit stones—hardly a fortune, but a solid haul nonetheless. There were over a dozen translucent Spirit Gathering Pills and five Rejuvenation Pills radiating a faint aura of vitality. Beyond the essentials, he found a few changes of robes, two jade slips containing basic cultivation techniques, and an assortment of talisman-making materials.

“Pity about that white jade fan, though… turned to literal dust,” he muttered.

Having cataloged his spoils, he turned his attention back to Shen Hanyi.

She was slowly opening her eyes. Her blurred vision struggled to focus before finally settling on Zhou Kai’s face, which was hovering uncomfortably close to her own. That face—sporting a roguish glint and an inexplicably “sincere” smile—seemed more like a predatory beast to her than a savior.

“You…” her voice was a dry, rasping ghost of its former self.

Instinctively, she reached for the sword at her waist, only to be struck by the horrifying realization that she lacked the strength to even lift her arm. The backlash of forcing her Sword Embryo into the world was more devastating than she had feared. Her dantian was a void, her meridians throbbed with white-hot pain, and her muscles felt like lead. She was truly a fish on the chopping block.

Seeing the raw wariness in her eyes, Zhou Kai immediately dialed up his expression of utmost sincerity. He looked so grieved, so earnest, he was practically one step away from swearing an oath to the heavens that he was the most virtuous man alive.

“Fairy, don’t panic! Please, don’t panic!” He waved his hands frantically, leaning back to give her space and signal his lack of hostile intent. “I am Zhou Kai! I swear on my life, I bear you absolutely no ill will!”

He cleared his throat and began his performance. Counting on his fingers with a solemn face, he began meticulously listing her “debts.”

“Fairy, look, we need to be clear about the situation. First, back in that forest, you tried to cut me down. I didn’t die, and I even managed to escape. Technically, doesn’t that count as you owing me one life?”

Shen Hanyi: “…”

Back then, I was dying and missed the kill. What does that have to do with mercy? she thought, though she couldn’t say it.

Ignoring her speechless stare, Zhou Kai pressed on. “Then! That Chen An—a sixth-layer Qi Condensation expert—was hell-bent on capturing you. It was I, Zhou Kai, who stepped forward at the critical moment to launch a… ahem, to provide ‘tactical rear-guard assistance’ to help you finish him off! Such life-risking aid—doesn’t that count as a second life you owe me?”

Shen Hanyi: “…”

She remembered quite clearly that he had screamed, “Brother Chen, I’m here to help!” before nuking the man’s back with five lightning talismans. Was that assistance? No, that was pure, unadulterated shamelessness.

Zhou Kai grew more animated, looking like a grand hero who had sacrificed his very soul for righteousness. “Finally! And most importantly! That monster from the Heavenly Spring Sect—God, he was fierce! Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow to you, Fairy… who was it? Me! Still me! Zhou Kai!”

“I came back! I disregarded my own safety! I liquidated my entire life savings! A full arsenal of talismans and artifacts—I blasted him into cinders! Surely, this grace cannot be ignored? That makes three lives!”

Zhou Kai spread his hands, his expression a masterpiece of sincerity. “So, you see… Fairy… you owe me, Zhou Kai, exactly three lives.”

Shen Hanyi felt dizzy from his twisted logic. Her physical weakness left her without the breath to refute his sophistry. She couldn’t wrap her head around how a man could be a cold-blooded killer one second, a fleeing coward the next, and then—in the blink of an eye—this brazenly shameless.

Seeing her silence, Zhou Kai assumed he had moved her. He quickly played the emotional card, adopting the persona of a weary, honest man. He let out a long, heavy sigh, his face etched with world-weariness.

“Ah… Sword Fairy… if I’m being honest… I’m just a lowly Guest Elder for a minor clan. My cultivation is pathetic; my life is hard. Back when I found you in that forest… you looked so… breathless… I thought you had passed. I thought… well, a senior expert like you must have extraordinary treasures. I thought I might ‘borrow’ them for a bit of admiration… as a way to remember your grace…”

He let an “embarrassed” blush creep onto his cheeks as he spoke of “borrowing for admiration,” as if he truly just wanted a keepsake of her beauty.

“But fate had other plans! Seeing you alive filled me with joy! Even though I am a timid man by nature, I have long admired your legend! Even if it cost me my insignificant life, I couldn’t watch you fall! Fairy… tell me… hasn’t it been hard for me? Letting go of past grievances and risking everything for you?”

He spoke with such heart-wrenching emotion that he almost believed his own lies. Having laid the groundwork, Zhou Kai abruptly pivoted. A confident, professional smile replaced the “honest man” facade.

“To be frank… while my cultivation isn’t high, I have a bit of a reputation in alchemy. I am a genuine second-grade alchemist.”

He puffed out his chest. “I’ve performed a quick diagnostic. Your injuries are catastrophic. The meridian damage is secondary; the real nightmare is the damage to the Innate Sword Embryo in your dantian…”

He paused, watching her reaction. As expected, at the mention of the “Sword Embryo,” her indifferent gaze sharpened with intensity. That was her foundation—the core of her existence.

Zhou Kai rejoiced. He had hooked her. “Your Sword Embryo is dim, fractured, and its foundation is failing. Your cultivation has already plummeted from the seventh layer to the fifth. Ordinary pills won’t touch this.”

He smiled mysteriously. With a flick of his wrist, two exquisite white jade bottles appeared in his palm. He uncorked one.

Hummm!

An incredibly rich, refreshing medicinal aroma flooded the cave. Just breathing it in made Shen Hanyi’s depleted spiritual energy stir; even the stinging pain in her meridians dulled. Her gaze was pulled toward the bottle as if by a magnet.

Zhou Kai brought it closer. “This is a masterpiece among second-grade pills—the True Condensation Pill! While it is designed to repair the qi sea, its pure medicinal power works wonders on an Innate Sword Embryo that shares its life with the host. It won’t be an instant fix, but with meditation, it is more than enough to stabilize your foundation.”

He shook the bottles slightly. “I happen to have two. And one of them… is an extremely rare high-grade variant.”

He fell silent then, looking at her with eyes full of “anticipation,” waiting for the inevitable.

Inside, he was already counting the points. Three lives’ worth of debt plus life-saving medicine? The ice had to melt now. According to every script he’d ever read, the next line should be: “Young Master’s kindness is too great… I have no way to repay you except with my body…” He could almost hear the system notification ringing in his ears.

But reality is rarely a script.

After enduring his “three lives” lecture and smelling the medicine, Shen Hanyi remained silent. She raised her cold, clear eyes and looked at Zhou Kai. There was no shyness. No gratitude. Instead, there was a terrifyingly serious scrutiny that made Zhou Kai’s skin crawl.

Finally, she spoke, her voice calm to the point of being frigid.

“Zhou Kai.”

“I… Shen Hanyi… distinguish clearly between gratitude and grudges.”

“You saved me three times. This debt… I will remember.”

“In the days to come… I will kill three people for you.”

“No matter who they are, or how high their cultivation… simply give me their names, and I will take their heads. If my strength is insufficient, if I cannot kill those three people…”

She paused. Her eyes didn’t flicker. She stated it like a simple law of nature.

“Then you may use your sword to stab me three times instead. I will harbor no complaints.”

“……”

The smile on Zhou Kai’s face froze into a grotesque mask.