## AST 501 - Qing Shui’s Humanity, Tricolor Scorpion King

Qing Shui saw that the Ice Crane did not attack him again and had stopped. He was already drenched like a drowned rat and didn’t expect to meet someone. On top of that, it was someone who he had seen before, although they were not acquainted.

But Qing Shui didn’t think too much of it. He was just extremely curious why this woman had come here. Thoughts flashed across his mind and he remembered the moment she had lunged towards him with a sword earlier on.

She lacked energy. She was either injured or poisoned!

But Qing Shui didn’t consider doing anything for her. After all, they were not acquainted. Furthermore, the words that came out from this woman could easily freeze someone to death. Qing Shui would choose a strategic withdrawal when it came to women with this kind of personality. Under these circumstance, she should just be grateful that he didn’t have any wicked intentions……..

Qing Shui finally managed to observe his surroundings within the cave. The cave wasn’t very wide, but it wasn’t too narrow either. After all, even such an enormous demonic beast like the Ice Crane could fit inside, just that it couldn’t extend its wings.

The cave was about 50 meters in height and oval shaped, with a diameter of only about 50 meters. The ground was very clean and smooth on the stony surface, but it was pitch black within the cave.

Qing Shui didn’t look at that woman either. He turned around and walked to the other side of the cave. All he wanted to do now was to just sit down and do some thinking and rest for awhile. He had just gotten a great benefit and he felt extremely excited.

With his drenched body, he slid down against the wall and sat as he watched the mouth of the cave. Flashes of lightning streaked across the sky from time to time, illuminating the heaven and earth for a split second.

Qing Shui swept his glance across the woman dressed in azure. She sat leaning against the wall and had her arms wrapped around her knees. That enormous Ice Crane stayed by her side, as it chirped softly from time to time.

Should I still search the first treasure map at the Goddess Peak?

Qing Shui was now mulling over this question. His objective this time was to search for the place in the first treasure map. Because the location of the first treasure map he had gotten was the Flowerfruit Mountain. He had only managed to solve the second treasure map that had no clues by chance.

Not even the happiness in life could surpass this kind of accidental surprise!

Qing Shui suddenly felt a little homesick. This kind of feeling vexed him a little. After all, his age wasn’t too old yet. He was only a university student in his previous world but he had matured very early on in this world. He was far more knowledgeable compared to people of the same age and he clearly knew what he wanted in life.

Without realising it, the sky had gradually turned brighter. The rain outside had stopped about two hours ago. Qing Shui stood up and stretched lazily. The clothes on his body had already dried. Besides, he was still wearing the clothes from Heavenly Palace, which were made of natural silk. Even if they were wet, they weren’t absorbent. So if Qing Shui’s hair was dried, his body was basically dried too.

Qing Shui had planned to practise his fist technique outside first then go into the Flowerfruit Mountain to search for the Goddess Peak. He was wondering what the first treasure map would bring him.

However, he had no idea where the Goddess Peak was, so Qing Shui could only say that he was too lucky to be able to solve the second treasure map.

If he had ran away when he faced the Silver Wolf Queen, or if he was killed or if he killed the Silver Wolf Queen, he would never have solved this second treasure map.

Just when Qing Shi was about to leave the cave, he discovered that the woman was still sitting there with her arms around her knees. He could sense that her vitality was extremely weak with his spiritual sense.

She was slightly trembling. It was a pity that Qing Shui couldn’t see her so he couldn’t tell if she was injured or poisoned.

Arms?

Qing Shui saw her arms that were hugging her knees. To his surprise, there was a strand of black-colored qi about the thickness of a pinky finger spreading up her jade-like white arms in her sleeves.

Poison!

He was now certain that she must have been poisoned. But why didn’t she detoxify herself or ask him to assist her?

But Qing Shui quickly figured the answer out. A woman like her would choose death over asking him for help. He remembered how cold the woman’s voice was when she spoke. It was even colder than Shi Qingzhuang.

Remembering the coldness of her words from before, Qing Shui had planned to exit the cave immediately. He wasn’t going to return to this cave anyway so the life and death of this woman had nothing to do with him.

Qing Shui stopped after he walked out of the cave. He thought back to Yiye Jiange, Misty Hall’s Palace Mistress and other people who had helped him before. These people had saved him back then even when they were not related to him at all.

How could he walk away just because this woman had spoken a little too coldly……?

Qing Shui sighed and returned to the cave. After all, it wasn’t like this woman was his enemy. What was the harm in lending a hand to her? It was alright to be a good person as long as one doesn’t overdo it.

The woman was completely hidden by her bamboo hat. Qing Shui slowly made his way in front of her. That Ice Crane left out a soft cry at Qing Shui, but he didn’t know what it was trying to tell him. Was it trying to intimidate him or was it something else?

However, he noticed that the Ice Crane didn’t have any intention to attack him!

Qing Shui reached out in an attempt to grab the woman’s arm. But he stopped for a while when his hand was halfway there. He paused for about two breaths time before grabbing on to those jade-like arms that were surrounded by black gas.

Her arms were freezing!

He pressed on her pulse and felt her faint heartbeat. Even when her hand was grabbed by Qing Shui, she didn’t wake up. This made Qing Shui sigh emotionally. If he was a bad guy, what would he do now……?

He looked at her wonderful and well-developed body. One could tell that this woman had a lithe figure even when she was seated. Her upper torso was bent and those gentle curves were extremely gorgeous.

After pondering for a moment, Qing Shui reached out to take off her bamboo hat in the end!

A lovely pale face came into Qing Shui’s view. Very gorgeous. The shape of her face exuded a classical aura. Her beautiful hair was done up, making her appear as if she had a strong personality and was self-opinionated. Her nose was sharp and straight. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her long lashes were like the wings of a butterfly!

Her serenity was like a hazy dream!

Qing Shui snapped himself out of it and felt that she was still breathing weakly. He hurriedly retrieved a Five Dragon Pellet. His heart throbbed when his hand touched the woman’s smooth and jade-like chin. He quickly stuffed the Five Dragon Pellet into her mouth. In his haste, his index finger slipped in along through her lips.

He happened to touch that delicate pink tongue. Qing Shui couldn’t help but shiver when his fingertips came into contact with the tip of her tongue. He quickly retracted his hand. He was afraid that he would do something animalistic to her.

Although the Five Dragon Pellet weren’t really good for treating other injuries, it was the best at detoxification. Qing Shui could feel the woman’s vitality gradually recovering.

He reached out to press a few points on the woman’s arm and pricked on her fingertips with Gold Needles. Jet black blood dripped out of her fingertips!

Qing Shui held on to the woman’s arm and allowed the jet black blood to drip onto the floor!

But Qing Shui had forgotten to put the bamboo hat back onto the woman and she opened her eyes that had been tightly shut.

Right at that moment, Qing Shui saw it. The woman had opened her eyes!

Qing Shui had already thought that this woman was very beautiful earlier on even when her eyes were tightly shut. But now that she had opened her eyes, he saw that her eyes were like the moon in the dark night sky. Her eyebrows were like the distant mountains. It was as if ripples of water could be seen in her pitch black eyes. They were cool, yet at the same time felt like a world of ice and snow. Their cold elegance could keep men a thousand miles away.

Qing Shui was speechless, although he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. He’d usually remain at a respectful distance from icy women like this.

In his opinion, an icy person like this was usually a person who had been hurt in past. Qing Shui could tell that this remarkably stunning woman viewed men as her enemies from the way she looked at him.

So he had a hunch that she must’ve been hurt by a man before. In the past, Qing Shui had wondered who could bring himself to hurt such a beautiful woman. Now, he knew that a woman that was as beautiful as a porcelain could easily be harmed.

Calamities befall on beauties and beauties were mostly born under an unlucky star!

Nothing gold can stay, beauty is a fragile gift!

The fact that the woman didn’t make a fuss was out of Qing Shui’s expectation. She didn’t blame him for taking off her bamboo hat and didn’t even retract her arm that was in Qing Shui’s hand.

But her gaze never once left Qing Shui!

When dark red blood had leaked out, Qing Shui took out the Golden Sore Ointment and poured it on her fingertips. He then stood up and walked outside!

He felt extremely smothered right now, and didn’t want to stay a moment longer here so he’d rather leave without saying goodbye!

“Thank you!”

These two words sounded extremely strange with an icy voice. Qing Shui didn’t even know what to feel about it so he just waved halfheartedly and prepared to leave the cave.

“I’m very hungry right now and am not capable of leaving here. Are you going to just abandon me here after saving me?” An icy voice rang out, making Qing Shui who was about to take a stride stay.

Although her vitality had recovered, her body was still very weak. Qing Shui was aware of that too. But since she had an Ice Crane with her and she should have some rations with her, Qing Shui felt that she would be able to recover after resting here for two days.

This woman had unexpectedly opened her mouth now even though she didn’t even ask him for help when her life was in danger. How could Qing Shui not be surprised about this?

Qing Shui had his back turned to the woman so he didn’t see how the women had frowned and bit on her lips before saying that when he was leaving.

Qing Shui helplessly walked back. He reached into the realm and took out a pot. Then he went out for a round, brought a turtle back and proceeded to boil a pot of All Aspect Nourishment Soup in front of the woman.

After all this soup was not only good for the body but also particularly good for patients who had ‘just recuperated from a serious illness’ as it could bring about many great benefits!

The woman silently watched Qing Shui as he busied himself. She had stood up by now, but was no longer wearing her bamboo hat. Her lithe and alluring figure slowly walked towards Qing Shui. Her waist gently swayed, her perfectly round rear brought about a wave of blazing flames with every step.

The grace of icy flames!

A familiar fragrance wafted in the air. Qing Shui turned his head to find that the woman was already standing beside him. Her gaze never seemed to have left him from the moment she had opened her eyes.

But soon enough, the fragrance of the All Aspect Nourishment Soup’s wafted in the air. It was sweet yet not overwhelming, but also smelled very rich at the same time. Just by smelling it one’s appetite would increase. After all, it was a better version than the one he had boiled back in Yu He Inn since he had a more complete collection of spices now compared to before.

The woman had only now turned her gaze to that decent-looking pot of turtle soup that smelled oddly appetizing. She suddenly felt especially famished, even her stomach started growling softly.

Her sickly delicate face was tinted red. Her icy countenance was indescribably breathtaking, even Qing Shui secretly praised her beauty.

He filled a bowl and handed it over to the woman!

The woman hesitated for a moment before accepting it, as if she had wanted to say something but didn’t say it in the end.

Qing Shui also filled up a bowl for himself!

The woman drank the soup bit by bit with a small spoon. Qing Shui was gulping it down instead. He could never understand if it was in the women’s nature to do so, or if their grace were nurtured by some other reasons…...

A beautiful woman would always look graceful and lovely no matter what they were doing. Grace and loveliness belonged to beautiful women. They only made a beautiful woman look good and refined. If an ugly woman tried to be elegant, she would look disgusting.

Austerity belonged to ordinary women. If an attractive woman lived austerely, she would appear to be a little adorable.

“Would you like to have another bowl?” Qing Shui asked the woman gently after she emptied her bowl.

Just when she was hesitating, Qing Shui took her bowl and filled it up before handing it back to her!

Qing Shui didn’t utter a single word after she emptied her bowl this time. Two bowls were enough, even if she had been hungry for a long time.

……...

The woman looked significantly better after drinking the All Aspect Nourishment Soup. Her poison had been detoxified. After eating a little, her body had recovered a little and she looked more energetic now.

“How were you poisoned?” Qing Shui asked while putting his things back into the Realm of Violet Jade Immortal. The woman wasn’t bewildered by it. Qing Shui was guessing that she possibly owned an Interspatial Silk Sachet too.

“Tricolor Scorpion King!”

The woman’s response stirred Qing Shui heart. He remembered his Poison Scriptures. The scriptures had mentioned that only poisonous things that reached a certain level of toxicity would emit colors. Tricolor Scorpion or Tricolor Scorpion King, these were considered extremely strong.

He also remembered that there were some Poison Talismans among his Heavenly Talismans. These were drawn by using substances that were concocted out of these poisonous beings.

The most poisonous of them all was said to be the ‘Seven Poison Talisman.’ A talisman that was drawn by using the seven most poisonous iridescent poisonous substances as raw materials. Its toxicity was rumored to be able to even poison some legendary beings to death. It was a pity that the Seven Poison Talisman was also a thing of legends.

The Tricolor Scorpion King was already very poisonous. For now, Qing Shui felt the need to gather some of these things as they might come in handy in the future.

“Do you think you can still find that Tricolor Scorpion King?” he lifted his head to look at the woman.

The woman was startled, but she still nodded at Qing Shui affirmatively.

“Do you think you can bring me there?”

The woman looked at Qing Shui, as she slightly furrowed her beautiful eyebrows!

“It will be fine. I will definitely let you leave safely,” Qing Shui looked at the woman’s facial expression. She must be worried that it would be dangerous since she had been poisoned once.

“I’m not afraid. My life was saved by you, so it’s alright even if it was returned to you.” The woman said indifferently.

That rendered Qing Shui completely speechless.

The woman still appeared to be a little weak but it wasn’t like he was in a rush to go there right away. He had planned to stay here for two days and wait until she had recuperated before setting out. He turned around and walked out of the cave.

The first sunray had revealed itself from the east. He practiced his taichi fists on the flat ground outside of the cave, facing the east. The spiritual qi of the Flowerfruit Mountain was richer compared to outside. Unfortunately, it was too dangerous here. Even the people from the biggest sect on the Greencloud Continent who were stationed here couldn’t withstand the rage of the demonic beasts here.