The process lasted only a few minutes, but for some reason, as Ye Ping’an continued drawing out the venom, he began to notice something odd—there was a strangely pleasant scent coming from the boy’s body.
Even the small, delicate foot resting near his ankle… was starting to look dangerously enticing. He had the absurd urge to lean in and give it a lick.
Ye Ping’an jolted in alarm. Wait a minute—wasn’t this snake’s venom supposed to cause numbness?
That’s what the books had said!
Why on earth was he getting hallucinations and… those kinds of impulses?
He quickly shook his head, silently chanting in his mind: He’s a boy. He’s a boy. I like full-figured older women.
I do not like boys. Forcing the inappropriate thoughts away, Ye Ping’an focused once more on extracting the poison.
Once he was sure there was no more venom to suck out, he let go of the boy’s leg.
Shaking his head again to clear it, he uncapped his water flask and rinsed his mouth out several times, spitting each time with exaggerated effort.
Then he poured some of the water over the boy’s wound for good measure.
Next, he took out a clean strip of cotton cloth and some medicinal powder from his pouch.
He evenly coated both the wound and the cloth with the powder, then gently wrapped the boy’s calf with practiced movements.
He’d suffered plenty of scrapes and bruises himself while training with his junior martial sister—carrying first-aid supplies was just a habit by now. Today, they had finally come in handy.
After finishing the bandage, Ye Ping’an stepped away to put a bit of distance between them.
Meanwhile, the boy, watching Ye Ping’an’s flurry of actions, finally breathed a sigh of relief. His expression cleared as his mind returned to normal.
Then, eyes gleaming with hope, he looked longingly at Ye Ping’an’s water flask.
Maybe it was the blood loss, or maybe just the lingering fear—but the boy was terribly thirsty.
He hesitated, then asked softly, “Big brother, could I… have a sip of water?”
Ye Ping’an didn’t think much of it. He hadn’t touched the flask’s mouth directly while rinsing, so it wasn’t contaminated.
Plus, they were both just boys, still young—nothing to get awkward about. Without hesitation, he handed the flask over.
The boy’s eyes lit up. He grabbed it eagerly and, after a quick “thank you,” began guzzling the water like someone dying of thirst.
Not until he drained the entire flask did he finally stop, his face flushed with satisfaction.
Then, as if suddenly realizing he’d finished all the water, his cheeks turned red. He shyly handed the flask back to Ye Ping’an with an apologetic look.
“Sorry… I was just really thirsty.”
“It’s fine,” Ye Ping’an waved it off as he clipped the flask back to his belt. He tilted his head, curiosity piqued.
“By the way, little brother, what are you doing out here in the first place?”
“L-Little brother…?” the boy blinked in surprise.
“What? Are you older than me?” Ye Ping’an raised a brow.
“I’m ten this year. How old are you?”
Could it be this kid was older?
But he’d clearly called him “big brother” earlier! Was he trying to backtrack now?
“No, no! You misunderstood, big brother,” the boy quickly explained.
“I’m nine. You’re older. I just… I was just happy, that’s all. Ever since my parents passed away, the other kids in the village stopped playing with me.”
“Some even called me a jinx, said I brought misfortune and caused my parents’ death. So when you called me little brother just now… it didn’t feel real.”
He lowered his head, voice soft and embarrassed.
“I see…” Ye Ping’an nodded in understanding. So that’s what it was. Poor kid. Without missing a beat, he pulled out a line straight from a classic wuxia tale.
“Well then, from now on you can call me big brother—and I’ll call you little brother. I’ll even teach you how to train.”
“Really? Okay! Big brother!” the boy agreed at once, his face lighting up.
“So what were you doing here all alone?” Ye Ping’an asked again.
“My home’s not far from here,” the boy began.
“When I was little, my parents used to bring me here all the time. I have a lot of memories in this place. Now that they’re gone… I just come here on my own, to remember them.”
“In two days, I’ll be sent back to the main family estate, and it might be a while before I can return. So I wanted to visit one last time.”
“I see. Then how’d you end up getting bitten by that snake?” Ye Ping’an nodded, gesturing toward the black snake in the distance, which had long since stopped twitching.
The boy flushed in embarrassment but answered honestly, “I was chasing a butterfly… and wasn’t paying attention.”
“That snake came out of nowhere and bit me. I managed to grab a tree root and swatted it away, but I also tripped over a rock and cut myself. After that, I couldn’t move.”
He lowered his eyes.
“I had a dagger hidden in my clothes, but… even if I’d drawn it in time, I probably wouldn’t have been able to kill the snake. I’ve always been terrified of snakes.”
“And even if I had killed it, I would’ve died from the venom anyway…”
His voice trailed off, tinged with frustration and helplessness.
Then, as if remembering something important, he looked at Ye Ping’an and bowed solemnly.
“Big brother, you saved my life. If you ever need anything, I’ll never hesitate to help you in return.”
Ye Ping’an scratched his head, tempted to confess that the snake probably wasn’t venomous at all… but seeing the sincerity in the boy’s eyes, he swallowed the words.
Now that the boy had calmed down, if Ye Ping’an admitted the truth, it might crush him. Who knows how he’d take it?
So instead, Ye Ping’an straightened up and said seriously, “As cultivators, it’s our duty to help those in need. You don’t have to repay me.”
“If you really want to show your thanks, then be like me—whenever you see injustice, step up and do something about it.”
“Wow… Big brother, that’s so cool!” The boy’s eyes sparkled with admiration, full of pure, unfiltered awe.
“Heh, it’s alright, I guess,” Ye Ping’an chuckled, clearly enjoying the praise.
“You’ve got to develop a strong sense of justice like I have. Now, can you stand?”
“I will!” the boy nodded determinedly. He tried getting up—once, twice—but kept stumbling, eventually lowering his head again in disappointment.
“I… I don’t think I can.”
“Forget it then. Where’s your house? I’ll carry you back!” Ye Ping’an crouched in front of him and waved.
“Hop on!”
“Th-Thank you, big brother…” The boy hesitated, then carefully climbed onto Ye Ping’an’s back, resting his arms around his shoulders.
“It’s that way!”
He pointed in a direction, and Ye Ping’an immediately started walking.
Along the way, the two chatted like old friends reunited, trading stories and laughing freely.
Ye Ping’an may not have been the protagonist of any epic tale, but now that he had a devoted little fan trailing after him, he made sure to show his best side—and he thoroughly enjoyed the boy’s endless stream of compliments.
What he didn’t notice, however, was the faint blush that never left the boy’s cheeks the entire way back.
And by the end of the walk, the boy’s face had gently nestled against Ye Ping’an’s back—like someone who had finally found a place to rest.
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