"Sorry..."
Hu Qingxuan's gaze swept over Xiao Xuan, Xiao Fenghua, and the others.
Her voice choked with sobs, filled with endless regret and self-reproach:
"It was me... it was me who led you into this desperate situation, who brought you to the Medical Immortal Valley. Perhaps from the very beginning, it was a completely wrong decision."
She understood; her master and Martial Uncle were right.
Personal feelings seem truly insignificant in the face of the survival of a sect.
If she insists on letting the Xiao Family go today, Hu Qingxuan will truly become a sinner for all time in the Medical Immortal Valley.
But the thought of watching helplessly as the Xiao Family were handed over and left to fall into the hands of the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty and the Confucianism was equally agonizing, a consequence of such betrayal.
"Hahaha..."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Xuan suddenly let out a desolate yet magnanimous laugh.
Although he was bound and looked disheveled, his eyes were unusually clear at this moment:
"Miss Hu, please don't say that."
How can this be your fault?
Your chivalrous heart saved me from danger; the Xiao Family owes you a debt of gratitude.
As for today's situation, it is because the fate of my Xiao Family has run its course; this is our destiny.
Having lived this long, how could I not understand reason?
Miss Hu, there's no need to blame yourself. Xiao and the others harbor absolutely no resentment.
Upon hearing this, the members of the Xiao Family also suppressed the Resentment Qi on their faces and looked at Hu Qingxuan with complicated expressions.
Yes, if it weren't for her risking her life to help, they might have been captured or killed when the Imperial City fell.
While she may have made some mistakes due to a lack of foresight, her initial intentions were ultimately good.
If anyone has a problem, it's bad luck and a strong opponent.
Hearing Xiao Xuan's words, Hu Qingxuan felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and she felt utterly ashamed.
Kindness and responsibility were locked in a fierce battle within her, almost tearing her apart.
"No, in any case, today's situation is all because of me."
Logically, to protect my sect, I should hand you over...
Her voice trembled, her gaze shifting between the Xiao Family members and her sect elders, and she shook her head in anguish:
But I can't do it.
I cannot break my promise and watch you go to your deaths!
Her eyes gradually became empty and resolute, as if she had made a decision, and she murmured:
"Since that's the case... since I can't make a choice, can't face it... then let me, the sinner, be freed first."
That way, I won't be in a dilemma anymore!
Before the words were even finished, to everyone's utter astonishment...
A trace of sorrow flashed across Hu Qingxuan's face, then her eyes sharpened. She raised her right palm, gathered all her True Essence, and without the slightest hesitation, slammed it hard against the top of her head.
The palm strike was fierce; the attacker was determined to die!
"Xuan'er!! No!"
Zhang Ziyun's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she gasped in shock.
She shot out like lightning, trying to stop them.
However, she was still a few steps away from Hu Qingxuan, and Hu Qingxuan's palm strike was so fast, ruthless, and decisive that she simply didn't have time to react!
"Miss Hu, you mustn't!"
Xiao Xuan and the others were also shocked and tried to rush forward, but they were bound by ropes and could not move.
Shen Bixia and the surrounding disciples of the Medical Immortal Valley were all stunned. No one expected Hu Qingxuan to be so resolute, choosing to die to prove her innocence and escape this cruel choice.
Just as the hand, enveloped in True Essence, was about to shatter that smooth forehead, causing her to perish—
In the blink of an eye!
A blurry shadow, as if appearing out of thin air, abruptly appeared between Hu Qingxuan's palm and her forehead.
A long, steady hand with distinct knuckles grasped Hu Qingxuan's wrist with perfect precision.
A voice, slightly teasing yet tinged with helplessness and familiarity, rang clearly in Hu Qingxuan's ears, and in everyone else's ears as well:
"Miss Hu, so many years have passed, and you are still so naive."
It was the same then, and it is still the same now.
The voice paused, seemingly with a hint of amusement, yet also carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"Besides, you are my Maidservant. Even if you are to die, shouldn't you ask me, your master, for my opinion first?"
That voice, that tone...
Hu Qingxuan's body trembled violently. She looked up abruptly and met a pair of eyes as deep as the starry sky, which were now looking at her with a hint of complex emotions.
"Zhang... Zhang Yu?"
Xiao Fenghua was the first to react.
She suddenly covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at the tall, imposing figure who had appeared in the room at some unknown time, one hand gripping Hu Qingxuan's wrist, the other casually draped behind his back.
Ten years had passed, and he seemed unchanged, yet something about him was different. His aura was more restrained, like an unfathomable abyss beneath a calm sea.
"Young friend Zhang Yu?"
Xiao Xuan was also shaken, and an unbelievable look of surprise flashed in his aged eyes.
A miraculous escape!
He never expected that at this desperate moment, this young man, whom he had once placed high hopes on but thought might not be able to resist the overwhelming force, would appear here as if Divine Weapon had descended from the heavens!
"Boss?"
Li Dagang and the others, who were bound, also shouted excitedly and struggled to stand up.
The person who arrived was none other than Zhang Yu!
Using the faint connection between him and Xiao Xuan's communication jade talisman, combined with Shadow Kill's familiarity with the terrain of Yuhua Prefecture, he rushed all the way and finally arrived at the Medical Immortal Valley at the last minute.
"Zhang Yu?"
Hu Qingxuan stared blankly at the face so close to hers, the warm touch on her wrist feeling so real.
Ten years have passed, and his appearance has not changed much, but his temperament has become more and more profound, and his eyes seem to be able to see into people's hearts.
"Zhang Yu, you heartless bastard."
Where have you been all these years?
Do you know how worried we were about you?
Do you know that we...?
Xiao Meier didn't care about anything else. She was straightforward by nature, and even though she was tied up, she skipped and hopped towards Zhang Yu, then crashed headfirst into his arms.
Zhang Yu was still holding Hu Qingxuan's wrist when he bumped into Xiao Meier, who was crying her eyes out. He was at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated.
But he could feel Xiao Meier's trembling body and her undisguised dependence and joy, which touched a soft spot in his heart.
He gently patted Xiao Meier's back with his other hand, but his gaze swept over Xiao Xuan, Xiao Fenghua, Li Dagang and others who were tied up, and finally landed on Shen Bixia and Zhang Ziyun, whose faces were ashen and whose eyes were filled with doubt.
"Looks like I'm not too late after all."
Zhang Yu's voice rang out calmly, yet it carried an invisible pressure that instantly silenced the entire courtyard, leaving only Xiao Meier's soft sobs.
He released Hu Qingxuan's wrist, and Hu Qingxuan seemed to lose all her strength, staggering back a step. Zhang Ziyun caught her in time, but her gaze never left Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu's gaze swept lightly over Shen Bixia, then looked at Zhang Ziyun, and finally settled on Xiao Xuan and the others who were still bound. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
"Gentlemen, what does this mean?"
"You're tying me up and trying to force my Maidservant to her death?"
His tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.
But when it reached the ears of Shen Bixia and Zhang Ziyun, their hearts sank.
"Otherwise what?"
Shen Bixia retorted, "Are we, the Medical Immortal Valley, just going to sit here and wait to be killed by them?"