Yingshi had never considered the possibility that the unruly palpitations she was feeling right now might, in some small part, be transmitted from the person standing opposite her.
If she had observed more carefully, she would have noticed that Shuangjian was also very different from his usual self, and his reddened ears were only the most insignificant manifestation of this.
His unconscious swallowing, noticeably heavier breathing, constantly rising body temperature, slightly trembling fingers, his stiff, wooden reaction, and many other unspeakable changes almost made Shuangjian suspect that his demon core's flare-up period had arrived early.
The feeling of being out of control was very unpleasant, yet he was unable to pull away.
Even when he heard Yingshi's muffled "Will you hug me too?", he didn't hesitate; his hands, which had been hanging by his sides, involuntarily wrapped around her.
A genuine, intimate, and tight mutual embrace.
The voice in his heart that often questioned him had been silent for days since he had reached a state of inner consistency.
But at this moment, it asked again: Han Shuangjian, do you regret it?
Do you regret bringing up the concept of the blood pact, putting yourself in a position where you can't back down?
Do you regret actively creating a bond, quietly waiting for its constraints?
An existence that can affect your freedom—you approached her to use her, and accompanied her to compensate her. So what was the purpose of forming a blood pact with her?
Was it solely to overwrite the mark left on her by someone else?
...Perhaps that was part of the reason, but there had to be more to it.
You were bewitched by that "more," bewitched to the point of your mind swaying and your reason crumbling, which led you to commit such a crazy act of handing your weakness over to another.
So, do you regret it?
—The answer was actually no.
He did not regret it.
He actually found sweet delight in his close embrace with Yingshi.
He trembled at the formation of the blood pact, because from then on, he and she had a tangible connection.
In this instant of connecting with something "real," he himself seemed to become a genuine, certain existence.
He was equally real, and thus it felt as if he could stand against all that was void.
Thus he no longer feared pain, no longer feared losing himself, no longer feared the absurdity revealed in those repeating cycles of reincarnation, and no longer feared the giant hands of fate that tried to manipulate him.
Amidst the sky full of wind and snow, he could touch another person's body temperature; beneath the boundless silence, he could hear another person's words...
Outside the cave, the wind and snow had not ceased. The sobbing wind passed through the rock crevices, but it could not mask their drum-like heartbeats.
"...It's too tight!"
Yingshi struggled weakly, her face flushed red.
It would have been fine if she hadn't made the suggestion of "Will you hug me too?". Shuangjian would have just stood silently, letting her vent.
But after she made the request, the force with which Shuangjian hugged her back was so tight! Their bodies were pressed tightly together without the slightest gap. His head was lowered by the side of her neck, and his scalding breath sent ripples through her ears, like wave after silent wave, constantly washing against her crumbling defenses. She couldn't take it anymore... It was too much!
Yingshi was in complete disarray, her entire body going soft. She couldn't bring herself to actively push Shuangjian away, so she could only "cry for help" verbally. Fortunately, Shuangjian immediately realized it was inappropriate, promptly letting go of her and taking half a step back.
"Sorry..." He was apologizing again.
"..."
Yingshi calmed her breathing and didn't speak. Her wandering gaze met Shuangjian's at a certain moment, and she hurriedly lowered her head to avoid it, not knowing where to put her hands and feet.
The distance suddenly widened, and the embrace that had just been filled was abruptly empty. The mountain wind poured in, making her heart shrink slightly from the cold, bringing a strange sense of loss.
Oh, it turned out that the fire, without spiritual energy to fuel it, had already gone out.
Yet in the space, it seemed as if a trace of lingering warmth still remained...
"Do you feel any discomfort in your body?" Shuangjian asked. "The blood pact has suppressed the effect of the Celestial Silkworm's Weeping Silk. You should mostly be able to move freely now."
His voice still carried a low huskiness, making Yingshi's mind wander involuntarily. She even wanted to say: How about we continue cuddling for a while? I still want to cuddle!
But her reason knew this wasn't right. Seeing that Shuangjian's tone had already returned to normal, she quickly frowned to drive away the "evil thoughts" in her mind, pretending to be calm as she said, "N-no discomfort! I can move freely too. Um... well, after we get out of the Tianshan Snow Plains, will the Celestial Silkworm's Weeping Silk on my body still need to be unbound?"
She brought up a question she didn't care about at all right now, pretending that she had gone through a rather serious thought process.
"Yes." Shuangjian nodded, his expression faint. "The Daoyi Immortal Alliance has the materials for unbinding. When the time comes, we can sever those puppet threads at the first opportunity. You don't need to worry."
How could he possibly let Qin Yuman's puppet threads remain on Yingshi's body?
Not even if they had already been rendered useless.
"Okay." Yingshi nodded obediently, her hands silently kneading her sleeves as she dragged out her voice to ask another question. "Then the one-way command of the blood pact..."
Shuangjian's eyes flickered slightly. "If you wish to use this function of the blood pact on me, just silently recite the mental incantation I told you earlier and activate the pact. However, this consumes a large amount of spiritual energy. When you feel powerless, you must stop in time. If there is anything you want me to do, you can just tell me directly."
"Eh?" Yingshi suspected she had heard wrong. She opened her eyes wide in confusion, pointing back at herself in astonishment. "How could it be me commanding you?!"
What did that mean?
Could it be that she was the "master" in this evolved master-servant contract???
Seeing Shuangjian nod amidst her shock, Yingshi drew in a sharp breath, feeling dizzy as if someone had smacked her hard on the head.
She had a preconceived notion, thinking that the blood pact overpowering the puppet technique was fighting fire with fire, and assuming that she was naturally the one being commanded!
She thought she trusted Shuangjian and was willing to hand herself over to him, but she never expected that Shuangjian's trust in her was the greatest, and his sacrifice was far more than she had imagined!
He was actually willing to give to this extent... How could she ever repay him? How could she offer an equivalent exchange?
Even in reality, besides her parents, was there anyone else who treated her this well?
Yingshi was moved again. Her heart felt hot and sour, accompanied by a slight numbness that made her curl her fingers and toes.
"I won't manipulate and command you like that. I said I would treat you very well too! Really! I don't want to remember that mental incantation anymore!" she promised incoherently.
Shuangjian smiled at her.
His smile was always so shallow and fleeting.
Yingshi's gaze probably became too passionate because of this. Shuangjian's smile slightly faded, and he turned his head away somewhat helplessly, saying softly, "We should go."
"Yeah!"
Forming the blood pact took a considerable amount of time. At this moment, it was already the final toxic zone of the Tianshan Snow Plains.
When only one hundred disciples remained in this preliminary trial, the competition would end.
The beaded bracelet on their wrists flickered once again; they now needed to rush to the only remaining safe zone.
Yingshi and Shuangjian came out of the cave, and the sky over the snow plains had already turned a deep ink black.
There was not a single star in the sky, and the environment was as oppressive as ever, but Yingshi felt incredibly cheerful.
No longer needing to be carried around like a piece of luggage, she frolicked in the snow, itching to bust out a set of military martial arts moves.
Along the way, they did cross paths with quite a few disciples, all of whom she eagerly eliminated. She refused to let Shuangjian lift a finger, volunteering to be the muscle protecting him, and realized that her own strength was actually pretty good!
Moreover, the time it took for her spiritual energy to replenish seemed to be shortening, even giving her a sense of an inexhaustible supply. Yingshi had a vague feeling that this was probably related to the blood pact.
Even without actual physical contact, it was as if she and Shuangjian were connected by something invisible. In this vast, otherworldly realm, she and he had formed an "us."
...This feeling was truly wonderful—addictively good, intoxicatingly good.
Immersed in this sheer satisfaction, Yingshi remained full of drive until they pushed deep into the final circle. Then, the long-absent heavenly broadcast echoed once more.
"Duan Qinghe of the Guiyuan Sword Sect displays an 'unstoppable' momentum once again. His tracks have appeared at the southern ridge of the Heavenly Mountain, Xuejin Cliff..."
Xuejin Cliff was the final safe zone. All the surviving disciples were currently here, so this broadcast about his geographical location was actually quite meaningless.
However, the name "Duan Qinghe" immediately perked Yingshi up.
The third male lead from "I See Frost and Snow" was about to make his appearance!
Duan Qinghe was a traditional supporting male character with slightly more screen time than Qin Yuman. Hailing from the Guiyuan Sword Sect, one of the top three sects in the cultivation world, he was a classic favored son of heaven. He was also the type of character in old-school leveling novels who most easily became the male lead's foil, destined to be slapped in the face by the protagonist.
In the original novel, Duan Qinghe was initially a highly anticipated elite among the younger generation. But once the male lead appeared, his halo instantly dimmed. Not only did he lose to the male lead in the final match of the Tiangang Martial Tournament, but every subsequent opportunity was also snatched away by the male lead.
What made him special, however, was that he did not fall into the cliché of turning evil due to the massive psychological gap. From beginning to end, he remained an upright, resolute, and proper gentleman, which made Yingshi rather fond of him when she read the book.
"Duan Qinghe is about to appear! Let's see what he looks like. I actually quite liked this character when I read the book," Yingshi said with anticipation.
"...Is that so?" Shuangjian's long eyelashes drooped as he asked softly, "Does he have any extraordinary qualities?"
His expression remained calm. Even though he found the words Yingshi just said to be incredibly grating, causing his heart to sink involuntarily, he showed none of it on his face.
Shuangjian instinctively began to recall that defeated opponent from the Guiyuan Sword Sect whom he had clashed with repeatedly in his previous two reincarnations. All he could remember was the man smiling bitterly, tossing aside his sword, and cupping his hands to concede, saying he was inferior in skill and willing to bow down.
Duan Qinghe had mediocre abilities, a weak temperament, and an unremarkable appearance. Why would Yingshi admire such a person? This was the first time she had... expressed curiosity about a character from the book.
The wind of the snowy plains whipped snow against his face. Shuangjian restrained himself from comparing this to the evaluation Yingshi had once given him, but his subconscious refused to let him off the hook, continuously replaying Yingshi's furious glares and harsh scoldings in the thatched hut.
"I feel like his personality is quite likable," Yingshi said with a beaming smile. "Gentle, polite, kind, sincere... just like you!"
With every word she blurted out, Shuangjian's heart sank a fraction more. When he heard that final concluding remark about their similarity, he felt as if he had plunged into an icy cavern. A chilling cold exploded from his chest, instantly spreading to his limbs and bones.
Did those four words truly have anything to do with him?
The word "sincere" in particular felt like an ice-quenched dagger, precisely piercing through all his wishful thinking, reminding him once again that a monstrous lie still lay between him and Yingshi.
How could someone who was even faking his own identity bear the word "sincere"?
Shuangjian heard himself state numbly in a strained voice, "The descriptions in the book are ultimately incomplete. What kind of person he truly is might only be known after making personal contact with him."
"...You have a point. Maybe he isn't a good person after all."
Yingshi's tone was no longer as bright. She suddenly felt a stifling sensation in her chest and developed a bizarre, slight annoyance toward this Duan Qinghe.
This feeling was too strange. How could her mood change so abruptly?
It was so uncomfortable... as uncomfortable as having an 8 AM all-English class on a Monday morning with a professor who absolutely loved calling on students to answer questions!
Yingshi gloomily rubbed her dully aching chest. Then, a sudden flash of insight hit her: could this inexplicable emotion be transmitted to her from Shuangjian?
She let out a sound of surprise, sidled up to Shuangjian, tilted her head to look at his blurred features in the dark, and tentatively asked, "Shuangjian, do you dislike Duan Qinghe?"
Shuangjian remained silent for a long moment before saying impassively, "...I have only heard of his deeds from you and know very little about him, so it is hard to comment. It is just that, being in the same trial grounds, anyone we meet is an opponent, and a clash is inevitable..."
As his voice faded, he suddenly glanced toward a massive boulder over ten meters away.
Two or three silhouettes emerged from behind the stone. The leader was clearly taken aback upon seeing Yingshi and her companion, immediately becoming guarded and refusing to step forward.
He was dressed in white and held a sharp sword. He looked unfamiliar, but following right behind him were a familiar man and woman—it was actually Xinmei and Wei Kai!
Yingshi blinked and took a long time to recognize her two fellow disciples. This was not only because it was hard to see clearly in the dark, but also because those two looked far too disheveled, almost like refugees fleeing from a famine.
"Xinmei!" Yingshi shouted joyfully. She quickly turned around to pull Shuangjian, saying happily, "This is great, it's our people! Let's go meet up with them!"
"..." Shuangjian pursed his lips, silently allowing Yingshi to pull him along to meet the three of them.
His indifferent gaze remained fixed on the outsider who had mistakenly wandered into the Yunshui Sect's gathering spot, feeling that his memory had not deviated at all.
Duan Qinghe indeed had an ordinary appearance, mediocre temperament, and low spiritual energy. He was as bland as water, and his deliberate attire as a white-clad swordsman only made him look more pretentious.
He was far, far inferior to him.
Shuangjian thought coldly.
