Chapter 25: This Is What I Deserve!

"Really?" Yang Qingyuan smiled faintly.

"Yes. On the way back just now, you kept your head down without saying a word, and your expression was terrifyingly gloomy..." Even now, recalling his expression, Wang Quanzui could not help but feel a lingering fear.

"Perhaps I was just thinking about some unpleasant things."

"Are you blaming yourself for not being able to save that child's father?"

Yang Qingyuan paused, surprised that Wang Quanzui would think that way. To be honest, he did not feel particularly strongly about it. Everyone has their own fate; if he happened to be there and saved someone, it was because their time had not yet come. But if he had given his all and still failed, it was simply their destined trial, and he was not saintly enough to burden himself with that guilt. However, since Wang Quanzui insisted on thinking so, he saw no need to correct her. After all, what he had been contemplating was far too distant for her.

Seeing his silence, Wang Quanzui assumed she had guessed correctly. She continued in a soft, childish voice to comfort him: "You don't need to blame yourself. You already did very well. Without you, that wolf demon would have wiped out the entire village before Uncle Yang arrived."

"Yes, I know."

Yang Qingyuan nodded. Feeling that the medicine had been applied sufficiently, he rose slowly, stifling the dull pain in his back, and frowned as he pulled his coat back on. "Thank you, Miss Wang Quan."

"Call me Wang Quanzui. We're friends, so don't be so formal."

Yang Qingyuan was slightly taken aback, then gave a helpless smile. "Alright, Wang Quanzui. Look, because I was tricked into going out with you, I've ended up with such a serious injury. Don't you think you should let me rest and recover?"

"I'm sorry... I didn't know things would turn out this way..." Wang Quanzui hung her head in embarrassment.

"Well then, rest well, and I'll be heading back. Oh! Don't worry, once I return, I will definitely report those two guys to Uncle Fei!"

"Sure, good luck. I'm rooting for you."

Yang Qingyuan smiled and nodded. After seeing Wang Quanzui off, he collapsed onto his bed, physically and mentally exhausted. Today’s events had been far too intense; even now, the memory made him shudder. If the wolf demon had been just a little stronger, or he himself a little weaker, would he have perished today? And why did the wolf demon display such an expression when he heard his name just before dying? With these thoughts, his eyelids grew heavy, and he drifted into a deep sleep.

***

Knock, knock, knock!

The next morning, as sunlight streamed through the window onto his face, Yang Qingyuan was awakened by a series of dull knocks at the door.

"Mm, who is it?"

Yang Qingyuan rolled out of bed and opened the door to find Yang Yitan poised to knock again.

"Oh, it's you..." Yang Qingyuan turned away, stretching and yawning.

"How is your injury?"

"How did you know I was injured?" Yang Qingyuan turned, looking at Yang Yitan with confusion.

"Little sister Zui told me. She asked me to bring you some top-tier healing medicine. She said you needed rest and didn't want to disturb you herself, so she entrusted me with the delivery."

As he spoke, Yang Yitan placed the various medicines on the table. Yang Qingyuan glanced at them—they were indeed all top-quality. As expected of the young lady of the Wang Quan family; she was truly generous! The market value of these rare medicines alone would be over a thousand taels of silver, the kind of treasures that would be snatched up instantly if put on the market.

Yang Qingyuan checked the wound on his back. After a night's sleep, it felt almost healed. With the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art protecting his body, not only had his physical strength increased, but his recovery speed far exceeded that of an ordinary person. He did not refuse the gifts; after all, she had tricked him yesterday, so he would consider these compensation. Besides, with Wang Quanzui's noble status, these trifles were nothing to her. But for a penniless person like him, this was a case of "robbing the rich to help the poor." All in all, he deserved it!

"Thanks. Please thank Wang Quanzui for me as well."

"I will." Yang Yitan nodded, his gaze toward Yang Qingyuan filled with a new sense of respect. "I heard about what happened yesterday. You were truly remarkable."

"Which part? Surviving by sheer luck after facing a minor demon king?"

"No, I mean your decision to step forward in that village's moment of crisis to save all those people." Yang Yitan shook his head. Such acts of chivalry—upholding justice and protecting the innocent—were exactly what he aspired to do.

"It was nothing; I just did what I believed to be right," Yang Qingyuan said, waving a hand.

"As I thought. From the moment you intervened at the wedding banquet, I knew we were the same kind of people." Yang Yitan smiled, a mysterious light flickering in his eyes.

"Hey..." Yang Qingyuan felt a chill from Yang Yitan's intense gaze and instinctively stepped back. *Wait, is it my imagination? Why does this kid give off the vibe that he’s about to turn gay every time we meet?* "If you have something to say, say it, but don't get so close. Let me state for the record: I am a man, and my interests are strictly limited to women."

Yang Yitan was slightly stunned. Although he didn't fully grasp the intent behind Yang Qingyuan's words, his upbringing as a scion of a great family allowed him to quickly regain his composure.

"I came to see you not only to check on your injuries but to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Shortly after you and sister Zui were ambushed yesterday, and not long after my grandfather left the Yang residence, someone took the opportunity to sneak in!"

"What? Such a coincidence?" Yang Qingyuan dropped his flippant expression, his brows furrowing as he became serious. Combining this with the wolf demon's reaction, he had a sudden feeling that the intrusion into the Yang household and the attack on the village were linked... "Wait, this intruder—were they human or a demon?"