Chapter 5: A Brother’s Gift

Song Zhiyou’s nose stung, her voice choking.

“Brother, is it really you? I’ve missed you so much…”

Song Zhiyou never expected to encounter Song Lingtian here.

Though only around sixteen or seventeen, the young man stood tall with a resolute face, his aura unfathomable and sharp as a blade.

In just half a year, he had become a world apart from the person in Song Zhiyou’s memory.

Song Lingtian also hadn’t expected to meet Song Zhiyou here.

“Ayou? I came specifically to fetch you this time… I never expected to stumble into this place.”

Song Zhiyou’s heart skipped a beat.

She wanted to use the protagonist’s plot armor to leave this godforsaken place, but… if she were taken away by the protagonist, wouldn’t she be sent to the heavens ahead of schedule?

As she spoke, her mind raced.

Recalling carefully, the book seemed to have mentioned that Song Lingtian once had a change of heart and came to bring Song Zhiyou back.

But when he neared Heyang City, sensing a heavenly treasure emerging in the mountains, he turned away without a second thought to vie for the opportunity, forgetting all about fetching his sister.

That mountain—could it be Mount Qixia?

And at that time, the original owner’s foundation hadn’t been completely ruined.

If Song Lingtian hadn’t come here for the treasure but had instead sought out his sister first, even if he’d given her the most basic healing pill…

Song Zhiyou shook her head, not dwelling on it.

She remembered the general outline of this plot in the book, though most place names and times weren’t specified.

But this time… could she steal her brother’s opportunity?

The book said that the treasure Song Lingtian obtained was a millennium-grown Jade Nectar Lotus from the earth vein.

It was precisely through the daily nourishment of this Jade Nectar Lotus that he forged a translucent Dao heart.

And… the Jade Nectar Lotus could produce Jade Nectar Dew, milky white in texture!

It was the big white treasure Song Zhiyou had been dreaming of!

Song Zhiyou got a little excited.

But according to the book’s progress, Song Lingtian was already at the peak of Qi Condensation.

Not someone she, a mere Qi Refining cultivator, could withstand.

Song Zhiyou calmed down again, lost in thought.

Song Lingtian didn’t notice anything amiss with Song Zhiyou’s expression.

Looking at his sister—emaciated, dusty, and bloodstained—a blazing fury ignited in his eyes.

“Who dared to hurt my sister like this? They clearly don’t take me seriously!”

Song Zhiyou mentally scoffed. If not for him, she wouldn’t be in such a miserable state.

But that didn’t stop her from playing the victim.

Her voice was low and gloomy, sounding especially dejected. “I wanted to pick more herbs for you, to have when you come back. But then an earthquake hit, and I fell down, breaking my leg…”

As she spoke, she eagerly pointed to the Heart-Calming Orchid at her waist.

“Silly girl, I have cultivation resources. You don’t need to save everything for me,” Song Lingtian’s fury instantly subsided, replaced by a pang of guilt. “Here’s a Bone-Tempering Pill. I was going to use it to temper my bones, but now it’s yours.”

Song Zhiyou nearly rolled her eyes.

When Song Lingtian had become a waste, he had taken all of her cultivation resources without a shred of shame.

After his outburst in the Song family, he had even taken everything from the small hut, leaving not a single coin for the original owner.

Back then, he never said anything about not needing her to save things for him.

Just as Song Lingtian handed over the pill, a hoarse voice in his mind grew anxious.

[Boy! This pill is crucial for tempering your bones, and we got it with great difficulty. How can you just give it away?!]

Song Lingtian frowned, his face resolute.

[Senior Bai, she is my own sister.]

Besides, deep down, he knew his sister wouldn’t take…

“Thank you, brother!” Song Zhiyou snatched the pill bottle from Song Lingtian’s hand, her apricot eyes reddening. “You’re so good to me.”

With that, she opened the bottle, tipped her head back, and downed the contents in one gulp.

Song Zhiyou had only intended to guilt her brother into carrying her to reduce the danger, but she never expected this bastard to actually hand over the pills!

An unexpected bonus.

As for whether Song Lingtian genuinely meant to give them—that didn’t matter at all. As long as they were in her hands, they were hers.

“Eh, brother, how come there seem to be two?”

*Chew, chew, chew.*

“And they taste different.”

*Chew, chew, chew.*

Song Lingtian’s originally resolute face crumbled bit by bit.

He hadn’t expected that when he gave, Song Zhiyou would actually take!

And…

“Ayou! Stop! Inside there is also a Marrow Cleansing Pill, it’s…”

It was the one he had fought for half a month in the secret realm!

These two pills: one for tempering bones, the other for cleansing marrow.

But… now both had gone into Song Zhiyou’s stomach!

Song Zhiyou paused, her chewing stopping as she swallowed it all in one gulp.

She tearfully grasped Song Lingtian’s hand. “Brother, how did you know I was injured recently and damaged my meridian foundation?”

“You prepared so much for me specially. From now on, I’ll treat you even better. I’ll take care of you in your old age and see you to the grave.”

Song Lingtian stared blankly at his short, chubby sister with tears in her eyes.

He felt he should be touched, yet he also felt a strange irritation, as if something was off.

His emotions were complicated, but Song Zhiyou didn’t give him a chance to dwell on them.

“Brother, protect me. Once I’ve refined these, I’ll come and serve you.”

Two completely different forces clashed inside Song Zhiyou’s body—one intent on shattering her bones, the other on tearing her meridians apart.

She had to focus all her concentration on refining both pills.

Seeing Song Zhiyou already sitting cross-legged, Song Lingtian opened his mouth but ultimately remained silent, guarding her as protector.

Staring at the empty pill bottle and the cavern that showed no sign of any heavenly treasure, a rare look of bewilderment appeared in Song Lingtian’s eyes.

How… did things suddenly turn out like this?

Did Song Zhiyou deliberately take his two pills?

But quickly, Song Lingtian dismissed the thought.

When he was once deemed a waste, Song Zhiyou had given him all her cultivation resources from the family, even at the cost of her own cultivation.

Even when he made no progress with double the resources, she still trusted and encouraged him.

Moreover, the pills were given by his own hand…

Song Zhiyou had only him as her brother, and all her hopes rested on him. She couldn’t possibly have any ulterior motives.

And…

An aged voice rang in his mind.

[Boy, don’t blame me for being blunt. The Bone-Tempering Pill and Marrow Cleansing Pill are extremely potent and oppose each other. Taking them together will only cause qi and blood to reverse, bones to dislocate, and meridians to clog. This girl will become a complete cripple!]

[However, by doing so, she has also purified the two pills, making them less violent and conflicting. If you refine this girl later, you might even forge a spiritual meridian and holy bone!]

Song Lingtian’s eyes were filled with inner turmoil.

[Senior Bai, is there really no way to save her?]

[If you had stopped her before she entered meditation, there might have been a chance. Now… hah, unless she can endure it on her own!] But that was utterly impossible!

Hearing this, Song Lingtian fell silent.

Even he, a peak Qi Condensation cultivator with excellent talent, had never considered taking both pills together.

The risk was too great.

Given Ayou’s talent and cultivation, there was no way she could make it through.

And she would never want to live as a cripple, holding him back and embarrassing him.

At that time, he would live on with her share and take revenge on the Song family…

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