"But I'm no match for him alone. Can you help me?" Her gaze finally returned to Xiao Yan. In those swollen, reddened eyes, Xiao Yan saw loneliness—and trust in him.
Huo Zhi truly had no one to rely on now. Within the Heavenly Tomb, it would already be decent if the other prodigies did not seize the chance to kick her while she was down. There was even less chance that they would join Huo Zhi in dealing with someone as dangerous as Tang Qiying.
"Of course." Xiao Yan answered without the slightest hesitation. Whether it was to help Huo Zhi or because of the deep enmity he already bore toward Tang Qiying, he could not possibly refuse her request.
Seeing Xiao Yan's immediate response, the taut string in Huo Zhi's heart seemed to loosen slightly. For the first time in a long while, a faint smile appeared on her face. In a lightly teasing tone, she said, "But whether it's the Flame Clan or me, we have nothing now. We can't afford to pay you."
Seeing her like this, Xiao Yan's worries eased considerably. He knew very well that Huo Zhi would need time to fully emerge from her breakdown. Her current behavior could be considered a very good start.
"Um, now that this young lady is better, can I leave too?" Feng Qiu, who had been standing dozens of yards away like a door guardian, doing his utmost to release the pressure of a late-stage Half-Saint and deter everyone around him, stepped closer by a few paces. He looked at Xiao Yan eagerly. First intimidated by Xiao Xuan's name, then detained by Xiao Yan to stand guard for so many days, and having witnessed Xiao Yan's unconscious outburst during that time, Feng Qiu had gradually come to realize