Chapter 165 - Starting Today, Yang Ying Has a Friend, and That’s Me

Realizing what Meng Xing was implying, Yang Xing grew cold. “We’re not the only ones here. If we have no pills, we’ll go rob them!”

Meng Xing quickly analyzed the situation. “Right! The Qingyun Pavilion’s strength is too great. We’ve lost our trump cards, and our clan’s disciples are more than half gone. We’ll easily suffer heavy losses by going against them! As for those monsters, they’re even harder to deal with than the Qingyun Pavilion!”

Yang Lin gnashed his teeth in hatred, as though he could barely stomach the names that followed. “Yang Ying and his group! If we snatch their pills back, we can survive!”

The Qingyun Pavilion, the monsters, and Yang Ying’s group. Judging by strength, Yang Ying’s group was the weakest. No matter from which angle considered, they were the best target.

With the plan set, Meng Xing swept a cold glance over everyone. “Prepare well! If you want to live, fight with everything you got! Whether you survive depends on your performance this time!”

Everyone hurriedly assented. “Understood!”

In truth, they understood that fighting desperately wouldn’t guarantee a few more days. However, if they didn’t, even living a few extra days would become a luxury.

Yang Lin was filled with malice. “That bastard! I’ll make him see how severe the consequences of betraying me are!”

***

𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Within a small mountain hollow, Zhi Xuan stared at the distant cave with tear-filled eyes. “How hateful... Not believing me... So hateful..”

Gu Han had just sent her here under the pretext of keeping watch. Of course, she knew that he just didn’t want her to hear their conversation. Grievances and unwillingness swirled in her heart.

***

Inside the cave, Gu Han frowned deeply. “Marrow-Draining Pill? What kind of thing is this?”

From the name alone, he knew it was no good.

Yang Ying shook his head. “I don’t know. I found this pill in a secret place. There was only a name and fragmentary notes. Nothing else. Not to mention the Yuqing Sect, even in the Northern Domain, or even in the black market, I’ve never heard the name of this pill.”

Gu Han sighed. “And you ate this pill?”

“Yeah, the Marrow-Draining Pill has strength and cultivation progress comparable to special physiques and bloodlines! However, it also has a drawback. It will fully drain all of a person’s potential for a short period.” Yang Ying nodded. “Before this, I told you I only have a Mortal Physique, and the cultivation art I practiced was even crude and clumsy. That was actually the truth. I have my current strength thanks to this pill.”

Gu Han finally understood why Yang Ying, who clearly seemed like the most ordinary type of cultivator, had such high cultivation and combat power.

After a moment of silence, he asked again, "Is the pain you were enduring just now the price of it?”

Yang Ying shook his head. “If it were only that, then it would be fine. Within ten years, my progress will accelerate, and the pain will come more often. At first, it was half a year, but now it’s only about half a month. Of course, there are also its benefits...”

Saying this, he showed Gu Han his cultivation level: the ninth stage of the Spirit Profound realm.

Gu Han’s heart sank. One month ago, Yang Ying was only at seventh-stage Spirit Profound realm. Now, he had almost caught up to Gu Han.

Yang Ying’s tone grew even heavier. “The price...”

“What else?”

A trace of regret flashed in Yang Ying’s eyes. “I have no hope of stepping into the Soaring Realm in this life.”

Gu Han fell silent. He could hear the helplessness and despair in Yang Ying’s tone. For a cultivator, nothing was more despairing than having their path of advancement cut off.

He didn’t understand why Yang Ying had pushed himself to this point. “But why?”

A trace of sorrow flashed in Yang Ying’s eyes. “To live. My mother must live and so does my younger sister! Aside from me, no one will protect them, so I must become stronger. I must make the Yang family members fear me. Only then can I protect their lives.”

Then, he glanced at Gu Han. “But I don’t have a Supreme Stage like you, a special physique like Yang Lin, or an awakened great bloodline like Murong Yan. I just have an extremely ordinary Mortal Physique. Growing stronger is almost hopeless.”

Gu Han grew more solemn, not saying a word.

Yang Ying had bottled up such matters for too long. Now that he found an opportunity, he couldn’t stop spilling his heart out. “You want to know something? Back when I discovered that pill, I was really happy. I knew that I had a way to protect them. Indeed, after taking the pill, both my strength and realm increased rapidly. My cultivation speed was a thousand li a day. Even Senior Brother Luo noticed me. Only later, he seemed to have discovered my secret...”

Gu Han was stunned. “Discovered? And he still allowed you to join the Qingyun Pavilion?”

Yang Ying felt complex. “Senior Brother Luo is eccentric. He wasn’t even angry when he discovered my secret. Instead, he asked, ‘Since you’ve already gambled your life once, would you dare gamble it again?’ Of course I did! I’m not afraid of gambling my life. I’m only afraid that even after gambling my life, I still can’t see any hope. Senior Brother Luo gave me just that. You know, he has a rule—”

Gu Han nodded. “I know, it’s guessing the amount of essence crystals!”

Yang Ying suddenly laughed. “That’s right. My luck was good, I guessed right, so Senior Brother Luo gave me permission to enter the Qingyun Pavilion!”

Gu Han was silent for a moment. “But if you guessed wrong, you’d be dead.”

“It didn’t matter. If I couldn’t enter the Qingyun Pavilion, the three of us wouldn’t live much longer anyway.”

“Then why did you—”

Yang Ying seemed to guess what Gu Han wanted to say. “Be greedy for wealth? Actually, I can’t use much of those resources myself. They’re all left for them. While I am still able, I must do everything I can for them. Otherwise, later on, I won’t be able to.”

Gu Han couldn’t hold back. “Then why?! If you cared about them so much, you shouldn’t have—”

Yang Ying smiled. “I shouldn’t have helped you? Like I said, I owed you. Besides, my mother once said, no matter how difficult life is, one cannot lose their conscience. I’ve always remembered her words.”

Seeing that Gu Han went silent, Yang Ying comforted him. “Speaking of which, if you hadn’t taken me to make a fortune, who knows how many years it would take me to save up those resources. Perhaps I’d never save enough. It’s precisely because of you that I could accomplish these things, and my younger sister can even cultivate a Heaven-tier technique. Her aptitude is quite good, much better than mine, actually. So thank you!”

Gu Han shook his head. “There’s no need for that. Since we’re friends, making a fortune together is only right.”

Yang Ying instinctively said, “I don’t have friends...”

Gu Han stared at him, full of seriousness. “You didn’t before but starting today, you do.”

Yang Ying fell silent.

Gu Han slowly stood up and patted his shoulder while smiling very sincerely. “How does it feel?”

Yang Ying hesitated for a moment. “It feels... pretty good?”

Gu Han slowly closed his eyes. “Then that’s good. Wait for me a moment.”

“Why?”

“Just thinking hard, seeing if I can solve your problem.[1]”

1. *E/N: “I have a friend...” ☜