After briefly explaining the situation to Jiang Youfu, the two of them headed toward the person they had discovered.
They needed to take a closer look.
When they reached the spot where the person lay, Lin Xiao stopped Jiang Youfu from helping and approached the individual himself.
As Lin Xiao reached the person's side, he noted that their breathing had not changed, and they remained motionless. Exercising caution, Lin Xiao knelt down and gently turned the person over.
The person was a young man, appearing to be around sixteen or seventeen years old.
His face was covered in blood and dirt, making it difficult to see his features clearly.
But as Lin Xiao examined him more closely, something about the young man seemed familiar.
After a moment's thought, Lin Xiao cast a cleansing spell on the man's face. In an instant, the dirt vanished, revealing a clean and pale complexion.
Looking at the familiar face, Lin Xiao finally remembered.
This young man was none other than the Qi Refining cultivator he had encountered being attacked in the Green Wilds Secret Realm.
Lin Xiao instinctively checked his cultivation level.
To his surprise, after a year had passed, the young man was still at the Qi Refining stage.
If he recalled correctly, this person was a disciple of the Tianxuan Sect.
His name was... Yuan Qing.
Lin Xiao couldn't help but find it odd that a disciple from such a renowned sect had fallen into such a pitiful state.
Then again, remembering how this person had been ambushed during their last encounter, it wasn't entirely surprising to see him like this again.
Noticing that Lin Xiao had been staring at the young man's face without moving, Jiang Youfu, a little nervous, asked, "Brother Xiao, what's wrong with this person?"
Lin Xiao snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Jiang Youfu, saying, "I've met him before. Let's not talk here. We'll bring him back."
At that moment, Senior Liao, who had been observing from the Soul Nurturing Pendant, spoke up, "This kid clearly has enemies. If his pursuers are still in Yuanling City, bringing him back there might get us noticed."
Lin Xiao had already considered this.
He sighed and pulled out the Qiankun Teleportation Array disk.
Luckily, they weren't far from Yuanling City. Even if they used the teleportation array to get inside, it wouldn't cost too many spirit stones.
Still, it would be more expensive than paying the standard city entry fee.
"I'll teleport him inside. Senior Liao, you and Youfu can walk through the city gates."
Clearly unable to tolerate Lin Xiao's stingy behavior, Senior Liao flicked a hundred spirit stones out of the Soul Nurturing Pendant and said, "Take it, you miser."
Lin Xiao looked at the spirit stones in his hand, feeling a bit exasperated. "Your spirit stones are still spirit stones, aren't they? I'm just trying to avoid unnecessary waste."
But he understood that Senior Liao wanted to simplify things and get them all back inside together. So, Lin Xiao decided not to argue further. Finding a concealed spot, he hoisted Yuan Qing onto his back and activated the Qiankun Teleportation Array.
——
When Yuan Qing opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a wooden ceiling.
The pain in his body and the sticky feeling from the blood and dirt were gone, but his body was still weak, and he found it difficult to move.
He realized that his clothes had been changed. He was now dressed in simple, plain clothes that he hadn't worn in years. His mind was filled with confusion.
It took him a while to recall that he had been chased and attacked in the wilderness. At the last moment, he had used his family's secret technique, burning his essence blood to escape certain death.
But given the state he had been in—drained of spiritual power, severely wounded, and on the verge of death—it was almost impossible for him to have survived.
He had only used the technique because he didn't want to die at the hands of his enemies, desperately clinging to the last sliver of life.
But now, in this situation...
Was he dead?
Or had he been saved?
Struggling, he managed to turn his head slightly and saw that he was in a simple, empty room with no one around.
Realizing that he was indeed alive, Yuan Qing gave a bitter smile from his position on the bed.
He couldn't believe that someone had actually rescued him from such a dire situation...
He noticed that his wounds were healing, and it seemed his savior had used high-quality medicinal pills.
Was it possible that there was someone kind-hearted enough to save him for no reason?
No, something wasn't right.
It was more likely that his savior recognized him as a member of the Yuan family and hoped to use him to gain some benefit from his family. That would make more sense.
But this person's plan would likely fail.
With a bleak expression, Yuan Qing's lips curled into a wry smile.
As someone who had been expelled from his sect, he wouldn't be of much value to the Yuan family.
If his savior discovered that their expensive medicine had been wasted, they might even be enraged.
Feeling exhausted, Yuan Qing closed his eyes again.
Whatever. His life was worthless now. If someone wanted to take it, they were welcome to.
The fatigue of his recovery soon overwhelmed him, and he drifted back into sleep.
When Yuan Qing woke again, it was because of a noise nearby.
He could hear someone speaking softly, not far from the bed.
"Brother Xiao, do you think this guy will ever wake up?"
Clearly, despite having been in the Foundation Establishment stage for a while, Jiang Youfu still hadn't developed the habit of using his spiritual sense to check on others.
But Lin Xiao had.
He had been monitoring Yuan Qing's condition the entire time, ensuring that nothing inappropriate was overheard.
So, as soon as Yuan Qing stirred, Lin Xiao was aware of it.
Yuan Qing, now fully awake, heard another voice that sounded vaguely familiar say, "He's already awake."
However, Yuan Qing couldn't immediately place where he had heard this voice before.
These two must be his saviors.
Realizing that they were aware he was awake, Yuan Qing decided not to pretend anymore. He opened his eyes and turned his head toward the direction of the voices.
"Thank you both for saving my life. I will repay this debt someday—"
Before he could finish, Yuan Qing froze upon seeing the person sitting by the table.
Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow and said, "Didn't you say something similar the last time?"
Yuan Qing blinked and finally remembered, mumbling, "You're... the benefactor from before..."
Recalling that this was the same Lin Xiao who had saved him in the secret realm, Yuan Qing suddenly felt deeply ashamed for suspecting his intentions when he first woke up.
Aside from his close family, Lin Xiao was the only person who had ever saved him selflessly, and now it had happened twice.
"I've told you, don't call me that. Doesn't it feel awkward?" Lin Xiao said.
Yuan Qing stared blankly at him and shook his head.
Lin Xiao spread his hands in exasperation, "Well, I think it's awkward. How about this—if you really don't know what to call me, just call me Daoist Lin."
Without waiting for Yuan Qing to respond, Lin Xiao continued, "What happened this time? Do you have that many people who hate you? Every time I run into you, you're beaten up."
Jiang Youfu chimed in, "Aren't you supposed to be some powerful disciple of the Tianxuan Sect?"