“Damn it! Where did that bitch run off to?”

“Blood Master said, alive or dead, we must bring her back!”

“Split up and search! She’s so badly wounded, she can’t have gone far!”

Lin Xi’s heart leapt into her throat.

[System Warning: Blood Shadow Sect pursuers are approaching, less than 5 km’s from the host’s current location! Immediate relocation advised!]

“5 kilometres? They’re already that close?”

In a panic, Lin Xi pulled a Concealment Jade Pendant from the system space and activated it, hiding both her and Luo Bingning’s auras completely.

But concealing her aura alone wasn’t enough, she had to find somewhere to hide.

Lin Xi scanned the surroundings and noticed a loose wooden plank in the corner of the hut.

She pried it open with force and found a narrow cellar beneath.

“Good thing this shack still has a basement.”

Gritting her teeth, she hoisted up Luo Bingning. Though this Empress looked frail, her body was unexpectedly heavy.

Maybe cultivators had denser bones than ordinary people.

After a great struggle, she managed to drag Luo Bingning into the cellar.

No sooner had she shut the plank than sounds of air being split rang out.

Boom—

Several figures landed heavily outside the hut, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Through the cracks of the plank, Lin Xi saw three cultivators in blood-red robes.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a vicious scar across his face and bloodthirsty eyes.

“It’s here! I sensed the aura of the Frost Empress!”

Scarface gestured and the three of them rushed into the hut to search.

“Strange, the aura was definitely here, where did she go?”

“Could she already be dead?”

“Impossible! Blood Master said she has the Ice Phoenix bloodline, even heavily injured she wouldn’t die so quickly.”

The three of them turned the hut upside down, even knocking on the walls.

Lin Xi didn’t dare breathe in the cellar, clutching Luo Bingning tightly.

The Concealment Jade Pendant worked well, but she still feared discovery.

“Damn it! Did she really escape?”

Scarface kicked over a broken table in rage.

“Third, search the east! Second, with me to the west! Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we’ll find her!”

“Yes!”

They split up and quickly left the hut.

But Lin Xi didn’t relax, she knew they might return at any moment.

The cellar was tiny, she and Luo Bingning were pressed against each other.

Luo Bingning’s body was cold, but her breathing had steadied a lot, it seemed the Supreme Healing Pill had worked.

Just then, Luo Bingning’s fingers twitched slightly.

As if sensing something, in her coma she unconsciously clutched Lin Xi’s hand.

Those icy fingers carried a trace of warmth that stirred a strange feeling in Lin Xi’s heart.

‘So this is the Empress? Even unconscious she has such presence.’

What shocked her more was that Luo Bingning’s lips parted slightly, whispering in a voice faint as a mosquito.

“Xi’er… don’t go…” (TL: ‘er is used as a form of endearment.)

The voice was barely audible, yet in the silent cellar it was crystal clear.

Lin Xi’s eyes widened.

‘She called me Xi’er? But this is our first meeting!’

[System Notification: Binding conditions partially achieved: The Empress has developed initial dependence on the host! Affection +10, current affection: 10/100. Please continue to strive for complete binding!]

‘This counts as initial dependence?’

Lin Xi looked at Luo Bingning gripping her hand and felt a complex surge of emotions.

A total stranger, yet in her coma she called her name?

And that tone of dependence… like a lover reunited after years apart.

‘No, wait, I’m a girl now and she’s a girl too, what does this even mean?’

Lin Xi’s mind was thrown into turmoil.

She had always been a straight man, being turned into a girl was already overwhelming, now she had to ‘collect’ the Empress?

What kind of bizarre setup was this?

Footsteps sounded again outside and Lin Xi forced herself to focus.

“Found anything?”

“No, nothing to the east.”

“West too, not even a shadow.”

Scarface’s voice dripped with fury.

“Damn it! Did she really escape?”

“Big brother, could she have used some concealment treasure?”

“Possibly.”

Scarface pondered briefly then sneered coldly.

“If we can’t find her, then destroy this place! I refuse to believe she can hide forever!”

“Burn this shack down!”

Lin Xi’s heart sank.

If they set fire, she and Luo Bingning in the cellar would be roasted alive!

Just as she steeled herself to fight, a long howl came from the distance.

“Blood Shadow Sect scum! Get out here!”

The voice brimmed with fury, shaking the entire valley.

“It’s the Qingyun Sect!”

Scarface’s expression changed drastically.

“Retreat!”

The three instantly turned into streaks of blood light and vanished into the night sky.

Lin Xi exhaled in relief but dared not move recklessly.

What if it was a diversion?

She decided to wait.

In the cellar, Luo Bingning’s breathing grew steadier and her complexion regained some color.

But she still clutched Lin Xi’s hand tightly, as if afraid she’d leave.

“Xi’er…”

She murmured again, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettishness.

Lin Xi’s heartbeat quickened.

This icy Empress, coquettish even in a coma?

And to her, no less?

‘Who exactly am I? Why does she know me?’

Lin Xi was utterly baffled.

She had transmigrated here, she shouldn’t be connected to anyone in this world.

Yet Luo Bingning’s reaction clearly said otherwise.

As her thoughts tangled, the system voice returned.

[System Notification: The Empress’s injuries have stabilized but still require further treatment. Host is advised to find a safe location to continue the healing process.]

[Quest Progress: Rescue Luo Bingning 30%]

[Remaining Time: 22 hours 15 minutes]

Seeing the countdown, Lin Xi felt even more pressure.

Though Luo Bingning’s wounds were stabilized, she was far from fully healed.

And with the Blood Shadow Sect cultivators possibly returning, this place wasn’t safe.

She needed somewhere more secure.

Once the outside was silent, Lin Xi carefully lifted the plank and peeked out.

The hut was a wreck, but empty.

She crept out and pulled Luo Bingning up as well.

Moonlight streamed through the broken roof, illuminating Luo Bingning’s stunning face.

Even unconscious, her beauty was breathtaking.

‘That face… definitely Empress-level.’

Lin Xi couldn’t help staring, then quickly tore her eyes away.

This was no time to be lovestruck, she needed safety.

She remembered the basic supplies in the system space, including a small tent.

It wasn’t much, but safer than this hut.

Hoisting Luo Bingning on her back, she headed deep into the mountain forest, away from the village.

Though Luo Bingning was light, Lin Xi soon panted from exhaustion.

After all, she was only a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl now, with limited stamina.

Finally, she found a hidden cave and stopped.

She gently laid Luo Bingning on the dry ground and began setting up the tent.

After much effort, she finally had a temporary shelter.

Lin Xi sat beside Luo Bingning, watching her peaceful sleeping face, her heart a swirl of feelings.

Moonlight filtered through the tent seams, casting mottled shadows on Luo Bingning’s face.

Her breathing was steady, her cheeks rosy again.

The Supreme Healing Pill truly was effective.

‘I’m exhausted, I need to sleep too!’

Stretching lazily, Lin Xi lay down beside Luo Bingning, breathing in her icy fragrance and drifting into sleep.