Chapter 117:

Wu Yingxue sat quietly, her sadness palpable, her expression numb.

It wasn’t that she was unintelligent—her mind simply struggled to process the weight of her grief.

Yet, Xu Xi’s words struck her like a bolt of lightning. She instantly realized the profound impact such a technique could have.

If it were created, it wouldn’t just affect the borderlands…

No, it would shake the entirety of Daqian to its core.

The girl’s confusion only deepened. Could such a technique truly be devised? And why would Xu Xi pursue something so thankless?

Xu Xi, with his immense talent, had no need for this kind of technique. Was he really planning to rebel?

“No, I have no interest in rebellion,” Xu Xi replied calmly, shaking his head and dismissing the idea.

Days passed.

The rain and dark clouds lifted, replaced by the blazing heat of the sun.

The sky stretched wide and blue, dotted with white clouds. Birds occasionally flew in flocks over Qingniu Town, their wings gleaming in the sunlight.

Beneath this bright sky, Wu Yingxue’s confusion grew more evident.

“Then why are you doing this? It obviously doesn’t bring you any benefit,” she asked, her voice tinged with frustration.

Creating a technique that everyone could practice would allow ordinary people to become warriors.

But for Xu Xi, who had already reached the innate realm, such a technique held no value.

Xu Xi didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stood in the sunlit courtyard, his palm shaped like a blade, slicing the air in inconspicuous arcs.

Tsk—

A sound like tearing cloth echoed as a sharp blade of Qi burst from his hand, striking down a demonic bird in the distance. Blood and feathers rained down, and the townspeople erupted in cheers.

“Brother Xu is amazing! We’ve got meat!”

“Aniu, hurry up and cut the best part for Brother Xi!”

“On it!”

The bustling voices filled the air, carrying joy and gratitude.

The demon bird’s body was tough, its flesh difficult to carve, at least for mortals.

Soon, the entire town became lively.

The old, young, women, and children gathered around, watching as the men struggled to carve pieces of meat from the creature’s corpse. Despite the difficulty, they smiled and cheered, their gratitude toward Xu Xi unwavering.

Even from indoors, Wu Yingxue could hear their voices. The raw sincerity in their thanks was almost tangible, layered with exhaustion and desperation.

“Yingxue, do you hear that?”

Xu Xi withdrew his hand and turned toward her.

“This is why,” he said softly.

His voice was calm, devoid of emotion, yet beneath the tranquility burned a suppressed fire, fierce and resolute.

“I have no interest in rebellion, no desire to become emperor, and no intention of becoming some martial arts master who reforms the world.”

“All I know is that in this land ruled by Daqian, in this land infested with demons…”

“Some people can’t survive.”

Life was slipping away.

There were countless reasons for death.

Being devoured by demons.

Crushed under exorbitant taxes.

Beaten to death by those in power.

These deaths were abnormal, rooted in cruelty and injustice.

“When people are hungry, they should eat—not demon flesh.”

“When people are cold, they should have clothes—not ragged straw mats.”

“When people are afraid, they should run—not stand frozen, awaiting death.”

“People should live as humans, with dignity.”

“If they lack power, then I’ll give it to them.”

As an innate warrior in the realm of observing principles, Xu Xi possessed a unique ability to perceive the subtle movements of heaven and earth.

With his heightened senses, he could see far beyond what ordinary eyes could.

And so, he saw it.

Beyond the walls of the town, where the demonic bird had fallen, people stared hungrily at its corpse.

Their stomachs growled audibly, but despite their desperation, they instructed A Niu to carve the tenderest parts for Xu Xi first.

They were starving.

So hungry that their legs trembled, their bodies frail from the brutal winter.

With no monster waves to provide food, Qingniu Town had lost its main source of sustenance.

The people were gaunt, their cheeks sunken, their skin tinged purple from long-term consumption of demon flesh. Yet they clung to life, eating whatever they could find—demon meat, weeds, bark—anything.

But it wasn’t enough.

It would never be enough.

They were already at the brink, with no way to continue living.

Watching this, Wu Yingxue felt a flicker of warmth in her heart—something she hadn’t felt since her grief had consumed her.

Xu Xi’s words echoed in her mind.

Live.

These three simple words resonated deeply within her.

Memories of her childhood surfaced, back when she was a noble princess immersed in novels and storytellers’ tales of heroes saving the world and slaying demons.

“Live,” she murmured, the word a faint echo of hope.

“What’s wrong, Yingxue?” Xu Xi asked, noticing her dazed expression.

Wu Yingxue didn’t respond immediately. Instead, her mind raced through fragmented memories and thoughts, piecing together the remnants of her ideals.

To her, Xu Xi seemed like the savior in those stories—a hero who would bring change to a broken world.

Finally, she spoke, her voice soft yet determined.

“Sir, can I work with you to develop this technique—a method anyone can practice?”

Her words surprised Xu Xi. He hesitated for a moment before smiling.

“Of course. But I can’t promise it’ll succeed. It’s far more likely to fail entirely.”

“That’s okay,” Wu Yingxue replied, her eyes brightening for the first time in days.

“I want to try. I want to help.”

With her newfound determination, Wu Yingxue’s spirit rekindled. She no longer looked like the despondent girl of before. Instead, she stood tall, her eyes filled with purpose.

Together with Xu Xi, she would work to refine the “Vital Energy Cultivation Technique” into something that could uplift ordinary people, giving them the strength to survive.

King Dingyuan’s defiance, her mother’s tragic death, the suffering of countless innocents—all of these fueled her resolve.

At seventeen, Wu Yingxue realized that the meaning of life wasn’t in grand titles or noble blood—it was in helping others survive.

She smiled brightly at Xu Xi, her voice steady and strong.

“At least for now, sir, I want to walk this path with you.”

The sun shone through the clouds, its light illuminating her renewed resolve.

At this moment, she found a new purpose.