Wholeheartedly, the Drowned Me is Also the Future

Late at night.

A crescent moon hung from the treetops, casting a cold, silvery glow.

Emperor Soul Village was deathly quiet; the villagers had long since fallen asleep.

Lin Qing pushed open the dilapidated wooden door with light steps and slipped out of the house.

He had temporarily set aside the matter of Er Ni; consuming the Whale Rubber had to be done as soon as possible.

Clutching the last piece of thousand-year Whale Rubber to his chest, he headed toward the small creek behind the village.

The dirt path under the moonlight shimmered with a grayish-white hue.

The thatched cottages on either side cast twisted, dark shadows.

A figure inside one of the windows watched Lin Qing running through the moonlight and asked in confusion, "Xiao Qing?"

Lin Qing had to be extremely careful during the process of consuming the Whale Rubber.

It was hard to say whether his small frame could withstand it.

Therefore, he had to make thorough preparations.

A small creek lay at the foot of the mountain behind the village.

The clear water flowed with a gentle murmur under the moonlight, reflecting points of light like shattered silver.

Lin Qing found a flat rock by the creek and sat down, pulling out the dark red Whale Rubber.

He took a deep breath.

Then, he swallowed it in one gulp!

The Whale Rubber melted the moment it touched his tongue, turning into a warm liquid that slid down his throat.

Almost simultaneously.

"BOOM!"

A scorching current of air exploded violently from his lower abdomen!

Lin Qing's entire body turned beet red in an instant!

His skin became scalding hot, as if flames were burning within his veins.

Not daring to delay, he stripped off his tattered clothes in a flurry and jumped into the creek with a splash.

The icy water enveloped his body, and the burning sensation eased slightly.

But soon, an even more intense wave of heat surged forth!

"Damn it, is the medicinal potency of this Whale Rubber really this fierce???"

He truly couldn't hold on; even his nose started to bleed!

Lin Qing gritted his teeth and submerged himself completely in the water.

The freezing creek water clashed fiercely with the heat inside his body.

He felt his consciousness beginning to blur, and the scenery before his eyes started to sway and spin.

All that remained in his ears was the sound of rushing water and his increasingly heavy heartbeat.

"No... I'll drown like this!"

He didn't want to lose consciousness and drown in the water.

Lin Qing struggled, trying to crawl back onto the bank.

But his limbs were limp and devoid of strength; he sank toward the bottom of the creek.

Before he lost consciousness entirely... he seemed to hear a voice.

It sounded very anxious.

"Xiao Qing!!!"

When he opened his eyes again, it was already dawn.

Soft morning light shone through the cracks in the broken window, casting several golden lines onto the floor.

Lin Qing realized he was no longer in the creek behind the mountain, but lying on his own rickety wooden bed.

He was covered by a thin quilt that, while worn, was washed very clean.

And...

He frowned, feeling that something was wrong.

It felt as if someone was hugging him!

Lin Qing snapped his eyes open to look.

Then, he froze completely.

Er Ni!

Lin Qing's mind went blank for three seconds.

Fragments of last night's memories rapidly pieced themselves together: consuming the Whale Rubber, jumping into the creek, his consciousness blurring, sinking to the bottom, and then... Er Ni's cry!

Lin Qing looked at the young girl sleeping soundly in his arms, a complex surge of emotions rising in his heart.

Er Ni saved me.

If she hadn't arrived in time, he likely would have drowned in that creek.

The girl's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Their gazes met.

"..."

Er Ni blinked in confusion at first.

Soon, she noticed the current state of herself and Lin Qing.

"Ah!"

A short, startled cry escaped her.

The girl's cheeks flushed a deep red at a speed visible to the naked eye, the color spreading all the way to her earlobes.

"Xiao Qing, I—I didn't do anything to you!"

She scrambled to sit up, desperate to explain.

She really hadn't done anything!

"Sister Er Ni."

Lin Qing interrupted her.

His voice was calm, carrying the hoarseness of someone who had just woken up.

"No need to say it."

He looked into Er Ni's panicked eyes and said earnestly, "I have a rough idea of what happened... thank you for saving me."

"..."

Er Ni froze.

She looked at Lin Qing's calm gaze, and the flush on her face gradually began to fade.

Then, she gave a soft, "Mm."

She loosened her arms from around Lin Qing, turned away, and quickly put on her clothes.

By the time she turned back, she had returned to her usual self, though a faint trace of pink still lingered on her earlobes.

"Xiao Qing."

Er Ni sat down by the bedside, her tone gentle yet carrying a rare seriousness.

"I won't ask what you were doing last night, but it looked very dangerous."

She looked into Lin Qing's eyes.

"Don't ever do something so dangerous again."

Lin Qing gazed into her eyes, which were filled with worry.

After a long silence.

He suddenly spoke: "Sister Er Ni, could you do me a favor over the next two days?"

"Huh?"

Over the next two days.

Every night, Lin Qing would take Er Ni to the creek behind the mountain.

He would consume the Whale Rubber, jump into the water, and fight against the medicinal power.

Er Ni, whom he had brought along to help, would stand guard on the bank, watching him without blinking.

The first time, Lin Qing still passed out.

The second time, Lin Qing lasted a bit longer, but still couldn't hold on.

The third time, Lin Qing crawled onto the bank from the creek, gasping for air, but his consciousness remained clear.

He was training to adapt to the effects of the Whale Rubber.

Er Ni hurried over to wipe him down with the dry cloth she had prepared.

Under the influence of the Whale Rubber, his physical fitness had improved far too much.

Afterward, he pulled the last piece of Whale Rubber from his pocket and handed it to Er Ni.

"Sister Er Ni, this is for you. Consider it my thank-you gift."

Er Ni was stunned.

"For me?"

"Yes, eat it to enhance your physical fitness. It's a very powerful item for Spirit Masters."

Hearing this, Er Ni hurriedly waved her hands.

"No, no! I can't take something so important! You should use it yourself!"

Lin Qing, however, insisted on shoving the Whale Rubber into her hands.

"Sister Er Ni."

He looked at her and said very earnestly.

"Thank you for all your help over the years. If it weren't for you, I might have starved to death a long time ago."

"Not to mention the trouble I've caused you these past two days."

But Er Ni still shook her head.

"But... but I'm not a Spirit Master. Giving this to me is just a waste."

As she spoke, she tried to push the Whale Rubber back to him.

Lin Qing suddenly reached out both hands and cupped her small face.

"!!!"

Er Ni trembled all over.

Her eyes widened as she looked at Lin Qing, who was now inches away, feeling exceptionally flustered and panicked.

"Sister Er Ni."

For the first time, Lin Qing teased her with a smile:

"Just take it since I'm giving it to you. Eat it now, and I'll keep watch for you."

"Eh?"

Er Ni froze completely.

She stared blankly at Lin Qing, unable to refuse his sudden assertiveness.

"Alright then."

Under Lin Qing's guidance, Er Ni consumed the piece of Whale Rubber and jumped into the small stream.

Lin Qing stood guard on the bank, carefully observing her condition.

Er Ni was four years older than him, so there weren't any major abnormalities.

With Whale Rubber, the more one consumes of the same grade, the diminishing the returns.

He had already eaten four pieces of thousand-year Whale Rubber; eating more would have negligible effects.

Unless it was ten-thousand-year Whale Rubber.

As for him now, his physical fitness had far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

His strength, speed, and reflexes were incomparable to before.

He could easily take down a grown man now.

He could even lift Er Ni up with just two fingers.

"Ugh..."

In the stream, Er Ni suddenly let out a muffled groan.

Her small face turned crimson, her body began to sway, and she looked as if she were about to faint.

Lin Qing quickly jumped into the water and scooped her up.

Lin Qing froze completely.

He looked at Er Ni in his arms, her eyes unfocused and her cheeks flushed, and for a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Mmm..."

Er Ni responded vaguely, rubbing against his chest.

"Like little Qing..."

After saying this, she finally drifted into a deep sleep.