Kind Liu Yu?

"Ah, right. Of course, you couldn't know that," Liu Yu thought, regarding Lie Xu's question as natural while her blush gradually faded. "The Sun Kingdom has various cities and villages that are protected by the powers of our Scalding Abyss God. But there are temporary settlements outside those safe zones which, at certain times, are stable and secure enough for significant and highly profitable activities. That is why thousands of people migrate from the safe areas to these temporary zones in search of opportunities. Besides them, cultivators in pursuit of challenges are also constantly heading toward the forbidden areas, often passing through these temporary zones.

"But such migrations do not always work out. Occasionally, these travelers die or get injured on their journeys. Since they are usually relatively strong cultivators, their losses would be very detrimental to any forces of the kingdom. Therefore, there are rewards for those who can save these migrants."

"Oh? So the kingdom rewards anyone who performs a rescue? And what if I'm a native of another kingdom or an enemy of the kingdom?" Lie Xu contemplated one of the many problems such a thing might imply. He found it hard to believe that reality could be that simple.

"As expected from a prodigy like you, Brother Lie," Liu Yu said with a smile, intrigued by the mindset of the young man. "Rewarding the rescue of an enemy—does that make sense? It depends. Saving one for free and then letting them go is pure madness. But saving them in exchange for something more valuable might have a positive impact on the kingdom. So even a rescued enemy can be of great value to their rescuers.

"And at the end of the day, we all face the dangers of the Primordial Void. The cursed dust does not distinguish between sects or states. It threatens everything and everyone, corrupting and destroying bodies and bringing forth the Destruction Monsters."

With a sigh, she concluded, "In any case, think carefully. Cultivators generate resources and stimulate both financial and spiritual movement, but they also connect people. Who can say that you wouldn't be a great help in someone's life in the village? Perhaps if you hadn't been saved, I'd have perished within a month or two. Fate is unpredictable. Karma must not be underestimated. A single moved stone can bring about great destruction or the prosperity of ten generations. No matter how terrible the Primordial Void is, we must look at this world with hope and positivity."

Lie Xu felt the words from Liu Yu's sweet mouth strike him like thunder. He paused for a moment to reflect on her philosophy and reasoning, coming to the conclusion that her words must be true. However, something in Liu Yu's melodious words unsettled him deep in his core. He couldn't understand why, but a strange, alien sensation stirred in his heart.

Even so, he could not deny the logic and meaning of what Liu Yu had told him.

He remained alert, but felt a slight easing of the pressure regarding his situation in the village.

Seeing a small wooden bench in front of a little fountain, where harmless birds flitted from one side of the square to the other, Lie Xu seized the opportunity to sit and rest a while. His wounds were burning, reminding him that his loss of memory had not spared him from the many injuries on his body.

Liu Yu stood in front of him, recalling her duty. With one hand she handed Lie Xu a white vial, sealed with a brown cork. "This is a level 3 healing potion. It is suitable for treating the physical injuries of third-realm cultivators. Take a sip now and then continue to take that dosage once a day until the vial is empty. This will reduce your pain and accelerate your recovery."

Lie Xu accepted without hesitation. If Liu Yu wanted to poison him, or if that were the intention of the people in the village, he wouldn't even be here to begin with. Suspecting anything now was, in his opinion, a little too late.

The moment he tasted that viscous, strong-smelling liquid, a chill ran down his spine; he paled and trembled from head to toe. For a moment, Lie Xu felt as though he were about to vomit.

"The taste is awful. I know. Most medicines don't taste good. You'll have to get used to it," she laughed at the situation, amused by the sight of an adult man reacting thus.

Normally, only children would have such a reaction!

"Your memory loss not only makes you extremely weak in knowledge but also in experience. I fear you will suffer a bit before you adapt, Brother Lie."

As soon as Liu Yu realized that Lie Xu wasn't going to throw up, she explained the rest of his treatment. "I also want you to use this level 3 medicinal paste. Apply it after bathing, before going to bed. It will cleanse your wounds and aid healing, as well as reduce sensitivity at the sites where it's applied. Use it until the jar is empty."

He received a small rectangular item, shaped like a can of tuna, still sealed. Without ceremony, he tucked it into one of the pockets of the coat that Lan Renshu had given him before.

"Thank you, Fairy Liu," he said as he took a deep breath, trying to forget the horrible taste of the potion. "Please, thank Lady Xue again later. You and she have been as good as angels to me."

She giggled softly, "You really know how to speak."

But then, suddenly, the voice of a man blew from behind where Lie Xu and Liu Yu were standing. "Senior Sister Liu!"

Liu Yu and Lie Xu turned their eyes toward the source of the voice.

No more than 60 meters away from the bench where they were facing each other, two young men appeared among the trees. One was slightly behind, while the other was a bit ahead; both wore overcoats of the same color with yellow and white symbols.

The two young men had strong physiques, with clearly well-developed muscles, even though their clothes nearly completely concealed them. Yet their faces showed no signs of youth—their skin had a burned appearance, similar to many people Lie Xu had seen in the village. This was the most common mark in this world, the traces of damage caused by the dust.

Liu Yu murmured softly to Lie Xu, "Avoid revealing that you have lost your memories. The fewer people who know about it, the better."

Lie Xu did not question her; he got up to see who was approaching them. 'Trouble?' His senses suggested as much—or else Liu Yu wouldn't have given him such advice.

"Senior Sister Liu, who is your companion? Aren't you going to introduce us?" asked the younger of the two, smiling with his chin raised, as the wind gently tossed his jet-black hair.

"Lie Xu, these are Du Ming and Yao Feng. They are two colleagues from the Night Hunt Sect. They will be your seniors when you join the sect," she introduced the two, without explaining who Lie Xu was.

"What do you two want here? Do you have something to report to me?" Liu Yu inquired, steering clear of delving further into Lie Xu's introduction.

Du Ming, the young man with black hair, slightly ahead of Yao Feng—a tall guy with a large horizontal scar across his forehead—looked at Liu Yu with a gleam in his eyes. "We rarely see Senior Sister out of Lady Xue's house. Of course, we wouldn't miss the chance to approach you and invite you for a friendly training session. I heard that Senior Sister is looking for training partners for your next breakthrough. We're interested, hehe."

Yao Feng laughed loudly and pointed at Lie Xu. "Aren't you planning on fooling around with a harmless kitty like this one, right, Senior Sister Liu? Your little friend clearly isn't used to hardships. Look at how fair his skin is."

In the Primordial Void, having skin that is fair and unblemished by the dust—as the skin of Liu Yu and Lie Xu—was either a privilege of the strong or a mark of the weak.

If one was strong enough, their mana would be sufficient to protect them from the corrosive dust; otherwise, only the cowardly act of staying hidden indoors would preserve their skin unblemished!

"A harmless kitty?" Lie Xu felt his left eyelid tremble as one of his fists subconsciously clenched.

Liu Yu had no doubt about Lie Xu's potential, but without his memories, how would he cope with the pressure from Yao Feng and Du Ming? Stepping forward, she retorted to the two, "That's not something you need to worry about. Lie Xu is my patient, and I must accompany him to his place. Farewell."

Without waiting for a reply—even from Lie Xu himself—Liu Yu grabbed one of his arms and led him away from the central square. Her expression darkened, and the good humor from earlier vanished. Even the sounds around them, from human chatter to the footsteps on dry leaves, seemed to disappear. She walked without looking back, taking Lie Xu far away.

'Damn! This shouldn't have happened!'