Chapter 10: The Grand Acting Awards

Ying Zhao stared at Ji Ye in shock.

Although the medicine she provided was fine, she never expected Ji Ye to swallow it so decisively.

And Ji Ye regretted it the moment he swallowed the medicine.

He suspected he had been kicked in the head—why did he swallow it? What if it was poisonous...

Just as he was worrying, he suddenly felt a wave of itching emanating from his wound!

His heart raced with alarm. He hurriedly pulled up his sleeve and tore away the cloth strip, revealing the lacerated wound.

He had been hunted all the way, and since he was alone against a large group, it was inevitable that he would be outnumbered, leading to more and more wounds on his body.

What was visible now was only one of them.

When he had first encountered this person, he was already quite badly injured, but because he was on guard, he hadn't asked about that "immortal herb."

After leaving, in order to treat his injuries, he had been forced to disguise himself as a beggar to blend into the county town, planning to find an opportunity to sneak into the Witch Doctor Hall to find medicinal supplies.

Unfortunately, as he entered the city, he grew increasingly weak, so he could only find this deserted alley to rest temporarily and wait for his strength to recover.

He hadn't expected to encounter this strange youth again. This person had drifted down from the rooftop with such grace, as if weightless—definitely no ordinary person!

As expected, the moment he tested the youth, the person's demeanor changed.

Ji Ye stared fixedly at the lacerated wound. The wound was as wide as a palm, with the torn skin curling outward like a hideous, gaping mouth.

But at that very moment, it began to heal together at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Ji Ye's eyes widened in shock.

Just now, when he felt the itching across his various wounds, he thought he had been poisoned and hurriedly checked them, only to witness such a miraculous sight!

Was it because of the pill he had just swallowed? It seemed his gamble had paid off!

It wasn't poison; it was an immortal elixir!

Ji Ye was shaken to his core, but he struggled to maintain a calm expression, not wanting to appear like an uncultured bumpkin in front of Ying Zhao.

Seeing that the laceration on his arm had already healed, he couldn't help but ask Ying Zhao, "I wonder how much of such medicine you have left in your possession?"

Standing directly opposite Ji Ye, Ying Zhao naturally saw the healing process.

Even though she had seen the description in the product introduction—[Mid-grade Rejuvenation Pill can heal wounds instantly]—she was still incredibly shocked.

That was truly visible to the naked eye; it healed far too quickly!

Such an effect was simply too staggering.

No wonder it cost a thousand Merit Points per pill; the efficacy was truly too powerful.

Thinking about that Rejuvenation Pill, Ying Zhao felt as if her heart were bleeding. However, after seeing Ji Ye's reaction, she silently comforted herself: *It's fine. As long as I handle this and gain Ji Ye's trust, I can continue to fleece him in the future.*

Since she had healed Ji Ye's injuries this time, she wondered how many Merit Points she would earn.

While she secretly anticipated the reward, her face remained that of a transcendent expert: "This medicine is truly rare. My Master only granted me one pill and commanded me to come and assist you. Now that you have taken the Rejuvenation Pill, I shall take my leave first. When you encounter unsolvable troubles in the future and require my help, I shall certainly lend my utmost strength."

Ji Ye was surprised. "You are leaving?"

Ying Zhao secretly rolled her eyes in her mind: *Isn't that obvious? If I don't leave, am I supposed to stay and become Ji Ye's lackey? She came to fleece him, not to be his subordinate.*

However, she maintained her persona of a high-level expert, smiling meaningfully. "You are a man of destiny. My Master once said: 'When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a person, it will first strain his mind with suffering, weary his bones with toil, expose his body to hunger, and subject him to privation. It will disrupt his every endeavor, so that he may test his endurance and strengthen his nature, and increase his capacity for what he could not previously achieve.' Since you are destined by Heaven, the Heavenly Dao will naturally arrange many trials for you. Although I am commanded to assist you, I cannot interfere too much, otherwise, it will be detrimental to you."

Ying Zhao's nonsense was so well-delivered that Ji Ye was left half-believing, half-doubting.

He chuckled softly. "Your words are quite interesting, but I wonder who your master is?"

Ying Zhao smiled cryptically. "I have not received orders to reveal my Master's name, so I dare not disclose it. I hope you will be magnanimous, Young Master."

Ji Ye gave her a deep look, smiling like a demon. "In that case, how should I address you?"

Ying Zhao made up a name on the spot. "My name is Tianshu. May your journey be smooth and may you turn misfortune into blessing."

"Tianshu?" Ji Ye's smile was profound. "A truly good name. I shall take your auspicious words to heart, as well as the Rejuvenation Pill from earlier. If your prophecy comes true one day, I shall certainly not forget you."

He had guessed correctly; there was definitely a mysterious force behind this person!

Tianshu? It sounded like a code name rather than a real name.

He only wondered who this person's master could be to produce such an astonishingly effective immortal elixir.

Could they truly be an immortal?

Unfortunately, he never believed in immortals! And even less in the so-called Heavenly Dao!

His fate would only be held in his own hands; even Heaven could not interfere at will!

The Heavenly Emperor, was it? This person and the force behind them were targeting him because of that, weren't they? In that case, why not play along and use them? Once he ascended to that position in the future, he would surely drag out the force behind this person!

Ji Ye's thoughts raced, but his expression remained warm and gentle, like a refined and elegant gentleman of the world.

Ying Zhao had no desire to continue entangling herself with him for fear of exposing herself, so she bid him farewell and strode away.

Sensing the burning gaze following her from behind, she increased her pace imperceptibly and soon exited the alley.

Only after leaving Ji Ye's sight did Ying Zhao breathe a sigh of relief, while simultaneously feeling secretly fortunate.

On her way here, she had drawn a prize and won three storage slots.

Although each slot was only one cubic meter in size, it could fit her basket, making it very convenient for storing things. Fortunately, she had stored the basket inside beforehand; otherwise, if she had been carrying it when she encountered Zhou Fang and Ji Ye, it wouldn't have been so easy to pose as a transcendent expert.

However, just thinking about the Rejuvenation Pill she had just spent made Ying Zhao's heart ache.

She quickly asked Tianbao: [Tianbao, I hit Zhou Fang's subordinate earlier and intimidated her a bit. Does that count as crushing a villain? How many Merit Points did I earn?]

Tianbao's cheerful voice rang out quickly: [Congratulations, Master! You earned forty-two Merit Points. Also, because Master treated Ji Ye's injuries just now, you earned another five thousand Merit Points! You can draw five more prizes. Does Master want to draw now?]

[Eh?] Ying Zhao was somewhat surprised. [I earned that much?]

She decided to skip the prize draw for now; the location was unsuitable, so she would wait until she returned.

[Of course! Ji Ye is no ordinary person; he is the Heavenly Emperor. A single thought of his can affect millions of living beings. By healing his injuries, Master spared him from the pain of suffering and avoided some upcoming troubles, and furthermore, by letting him know his identity as the Heavenly Emperor, his resolve has become even firmer. Naturally, the Merit Points are high.]

Ying Zhao was quite excited: It seemed her gamble had paid off.

She asked Tianbao again: [He didn't undergo further darkening/villainization?]

Tianbao was as excited as a little fanboy: [Master personally helped him, how could he possibly turn dark?]

Ying Zhao was very satisfied, but she quickly asked: [Why was it only forty-two Merit Points for crushing the villain earlier?]

Ying Zhao: *I made it up.*

Ji Ye: *I pretended to believe it.*

(End of Chapter)