"Strange, what exactly is this thing?" Evan Yang muttered in surprise as he saw the strange spiritual power settle back to normal. At the same time, he was secretly grateful for his Heaven‑Cold Seed—without it, his fate might have mirrored that of the girl before him, bedridden and unable to recover.
Meanwhile, the unconscious girl beside him slowly opened her eyes, struggling to sit up. She caught sight of Evan Yang, who was still dazedly examining the strange power inside him, and let out a startled cry: "Ah!"
Her cry snapped Evan Yang and everyone else back to attention.
Tyson “Big Tiger” rushed into the room just in time to see the girl, now alive and huddled at the edge of the bed, and shouted excitedly, "She’s alive! She’s alive! She’s alive!" He grabbed Evan Yang’s hand in his excitement.
"He really is strong," Evan Yang thought, feeling a sharp pain in his hand where Tyson was gripping him.
The others, seeing the girl come back to life so suddenly, all turned to Evan Yang, gathering around to thank him.
From the expressions and chatter of those around her, the girl on the bed finally remembered what had happened. At last, her big curious eyes settled on Evan Yang.
Tyson relaxed his grip on Evan’s hand, then came to the girl’s bedside and said, "Lily, thank this big brother—he’s the one who saved you!"
The girl called Lily crawled to the bedside, looking at Evan Yang with both eyes. "Thank you, big brother," she said.
"It’s all right. Just rest well now," Evan Yang replied, noticing that the girl’s complexion had improved greatly after the strange spiritual power left her body.
"What’s wrong?" Evan Yang asked curiously, turning around.
Tyson sighed, "Her illness is acting up again."
"Oh? What illness?" Evan asked, not knowing Lily had any other condition.
"She’s been frail since childhood and often coughs. That’s why she went to the back canyon to gather herbs," Tyson explained helplessly.
Lily quickly smiled and said, "I’m fine," after Tyson explained her illness.
"Let me take a look," Evan said, curiously reaching out to take her pulse like an ordinary doctor.
Tyson, having seen Evan heal Lily before, watched expectantly, hoping Evan could cure her chronic illness. Lily obediently sat on the bed, letting Evan take her pulse.
"So it’s just because her body is naturally weak," Evan found that Lily’s body was frailer than most people’s, unlike Tyson. Still, the two made an odd pair.
"Big brother, can you cure her?" Tyson asked nervously as Evan finished examining Lily.
"After you were bitten yesterday, did you feel any discomfort or cough again?" Evan asked curiously.
Lily shook her head and said, "It seems I haven’t coughed since I was bitten yesterday."
"Just as I thought," Evan Yang finally understood what was going on.
"Big brother, what’s wrong?" Tyson asked curiously, seeing Evan’s surprised expression.
"Nothing, it’s just a guess. Maybe that snow fox isn’t ordinary," Evan said with a smile, finally piecing together what happened.
"Could the snow fox cure Lily? Then I’ll catch it for her," Tyson said, still angry at the fox for biting Lily but thinking it could heal her after hearing Evan mention it.
"Don’t. It’s just a misunderstanding. If you want to cure Lily, I actually have another way," Evan said, stopping Tyson.
Tyson, excited that Lily’s years-long illness could be cured, said, "Big brother, just tell me what to do—I’ll go anywhere."
"It’s not about going somewhere dangerous. Lily isn’t seriously ill—she’s just physically weak. If she can cultivate, she’ll shed her mortal body and recover," Evan explained, deciding to take both orphans as disciples.
Tyson, not understanding what cultivation meant, asked, "Big brother, what’s cultivation? If Lily does it, will she stop coughing?"
Evan was about to explain cultivation to Tyson and Lily when noise erupted outside. Tyson, impulsive as ever, rushed out immediately.
Lily climbed out of bed and followed Evan Yang outside to see what was happening.
"Let go of the village chief!" Evan Yang saw a cultivator grabbing an old man as Tyson shouted loudly. Around them, a dozen cultivators and villagers faced off—the villagers brandishing hunting tools against the cultivators.
But hunters were no match for cultivators. Many villagers were already on the ground, some bleeding. Tyson rushed to the old man's side, trying to pry the cultivator's hand off, but the man was a mid-stage Foundation-Building cultivator. No matter how strong Tyson was, he couldn’t compete; the cultivator flung him aside with one hand.
Tyson, famous for his strength, realized for the first time that his power was useless against these people.
"What do you want from us?" The village chief, seeing so many young villagers hurt, glared angrily at the men before him.
The cultivator laughed, "It’s simple. You’ve lived here for years, so you must know the mountains well. If you cooperate and guide us, we’ll let you go."
Ray Boone, the leader, stepped forward and said with a smile, "Old man, this isn’t a game. You people can’t possibly beat us."
Hearing this, the chief and villagers realized the man was right—even Tyson, the strongest among them, couldn’t withstand a single blow. And there were more than ten such men here.
"Let go of the village chief!" Tyson, unwilling to give up, stepped forward again, only to be kicked by Ray Boone and sent tumbling to Evan’s feet.
Evan Yang frowned and helped Tyson up, noticing his hands bleeding from scraping the ground. The scene reminded Evan of his own childhood, when he was bullied.
"Big brother..." Tyson was deeply upset, watching helplessly as the villagers were bullied by outsiders.
"Don’t worry," Evan said, patting Tyson on the shoulder. Tyson didn’t understand, but he could sense a strange aura from Evan that made him a little afraid.
Not only Tyson and Lily, but even the cultivators were now looking at Evan Yang with surprise.
Ray Boone stared at Evan in shock and asked, "Brother Yang, what’s wrong?"
"Let them go," Evan Yang said simply.
"Brother Yang, you must be joking. We still need them to lead the way," Ray Boone replied, displeased.
"I’ll say it again—let them go," Evan said calmly, his expression unchanged.
Ray Boone, relying on his group’s numbers, sneered, "So, Brother Yang, you don’t want to join us on the treasure hunt?"
"I’d be ashamed to associate with the likes of you!" Evan Yang hated cultivators who bullied the weak, and even if it meant losing out on the treasure hunt, he wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.
"What?!" Several cultivators cursed angrily at Evan Yang’s tone.
Ray Boone and the other cultivators tightened their grip, as if trying to provoke Evan. Evan flashed forward—villagers saw two strange figures, Tyson and Lily thought they were seeing things. When they blinked, Evan was already beside the chief, freed him, and kicked the cultivator away. The man didn’t even realize what happened before pain shot through his body and he was sent flying.
"Ah!" The cultivator stopped, furious, blood pouring from his mouth.
"Chief, are you all right?" Evan Yang withdrew his protective hand and asked.
Neither the villagers nor the cultivators saw what happened—they only saw Evan’s shadow flicker, and the cultivator holding the chief fly out.
Ray Boone, whose cultivation was at peak Foundation-Building, was the first to react. He shouted angrily, "Brother Yang, are you really going to oppose us?" The other cultivators prepared for battle, unsure what had happened.
It was only now that the villagers understood what had happened. They looked up to Evan Yang, admiring his heroic figure.
Tyson ran to Evan’s side and shouted at the cultivators, "Don’t think we’re afraid of you just because you’re strong!" The villagers also prepared to fight.
Ray Boone inwardly mocked the villagers—how could mere mortals compete with cultivators? Evan, however, told Tyson and the others, "Step back. Leave this to me."
"But..." Tyson was reluctant to retreat, unsure of Evan’s identity, but he didn’t want to leave him alone.
"Don’t worry," Evan Yang said with a reassuring smile.
Ray Boone sneered, "Brother Yang, let’s see how long you can protect them!"
"Ah!" The cultivator stopped, furious, blood pouring from his mouth.
"Chief, are you all right?" Evan Yang withdrew his protective hand and asked.
Neither the villagers nor the cultivators saw what happened—they only saw Evan’s shadow flicker, and the cultivator holding the chief fly out.
Ray Boone, whose cultivation was at peak Foundation-Building, was the first to react. He shouted angrily, "Brother Yang, are you really going to oppose us?" The other cultivators prepared for battle, unsure what had happened.
It was only now that the villagers understood what had happened. They looked up to Evan Yang, admiring his heroic figure.
Tyson ran to Evan’s side and shouted at the cultivators, "Don’t think we’re afraid of you just because you’re strong!" The villagers also prepared to fight.
Ray Boone inwardly mocked the villagers—how could mere mortals compete with cultivators? Evan, however, told Tyson and the others, "Step back. Leave this to me."
"But..." Tyson was reluctant to retreat, unsure of Evan’s identity, but he didn’t want to leave him alone.
"Don’t worry," Evan Yang said with a reassuring smile.
Ray Boone sneered, "Brother Yang, let’s see how long you can protect them!"