At that moment, he didn't have the capacity to worry about anything else; the Fox-tailed Marten was moving too fast. Zhang Yang could only rely on his movement technique to keep pace, finding it difficult even to inflict damage upon it.

For Zhang Yang, the only solace was that he had managed to lure it away, buying Mi Xue ample time to escape.

As for how he himself would get free, Zhang Yang was no longer contemplating that.

The movement technique was taxing on his internal energy. Zhang Yang could feel his Neijin rapidly depleting, his forehead slick with sweat. He couldn't maintain this level of agility for much longer.

Even the Ginseng Pellet he carried was useless in this situation. A Ginseng Pellet needed to be used correctly to be effective; it wasn't a divine elixir that instantly replenished Neijin. He could only press on one step at a time, seeing how far he could manage.

"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"

The Fox-tailed Marten's cry suddenly intensified. It seemed agitated, and its movements grew even swifter.

As the Marten put on more speed, the pressure on Zhang Yang increased significantly. He could only desperately use quick, evasive movements to dodge its strikes.

In that instant, it was no longer him chasing the creature, but the Fox-tailed Marten relentlessly pursuing him.

Even while retreating, Zhang Yang instinctively moved in the opposite direction, away from where Mi Xue had fled. The further he was from the Marten, the safer Mi Xue would be. After all, the Marten was just a small creature; the structure of the villa rooms was quite sturdy. If she just shut the door, the little beast couldn't get in.

The faster he ran, the more urgently the Fox-tailed Marten pursued, its cries growing louder.

"Pfft!"

Zhang Yang, mid-flight, suddenly stopped and violently swept his hand backward. A blade-light flashed across the air, trailing the fruit knife.

The fiercely pursuing Fox-tailed Marten sharply twisted its body, evading the blade-light, though it lost its opportunity to wound Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang stood there, panting heavily, his remaining Neijin critically low. Most importantly, before him lay a cliff. It wasn't an exceptionally sheer drop, but trying to outmaneuver the Fox-tailed Marten here was utterly impossible.

The Fox-tailed Marten landed on a rock on the opposite side, watching Zhang Yang with equal wariness.

Though small, its intelligence was high. It recognized that the man before it was not easily dealt with; that last blade-light had nearly struck it.

Yet, it also had reasons it couldn't abandon the pursuit. Standing on the rock, it continued to squeak incessantly, though it held back from attacking for the moment.

Zhang Yang, meanwhile, seized every second, rapidly trying to restore the Neijin within his body.

A faint, bitter smile touched his lips.

If he had encountered this Fox-tailed Marten in his past life, it would have been the one running away. Zhang Yang’s Neijin back then was far stronger than it was now. His movement technique could have been faster then, at least fast enough to match the Marten's pace.

If his speed could match the creature's, the victor would undoubtedly have been him. The Fox-tailed Marten's greatest asset was precisely its speed combined with venom.

Alas, none of that mattered now. In his current state, he truly couldn't best this little beast, and with his Neijin so depleted, he could meet his end at any moment.

"Zhang Yang!"

Mi Xue, who had been running hard, finally reached his location.

She arrived breathless, drenched in sweat, her face etched with deep terror. Running alone, a girl alone on a remote mountain peak, required immense courage.

Zhang Yang's expression shifted drastically. He hadn't expected Mi Xue to double back, to chase after him.

This negated all his prior efforts. Now, he wasn't even sure he could protect himself, let alone Mi Xue.

Gritting his teeth, knife still in hand, Zhang Yang hesitated for no reason and poured every ounce of his remaining Neijin into a lunge toward the Fox-tailed Marten.

He had no time to choose, nor the luxury of deliberation. He could only act this way, or both of them would be doomed.

"Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!"

The Fox-tailed Marten’s instinct for danger was razor-sharp. It had dodged the central blade-light purely on instinct. As Zhang Yang moved, it reacted instantly.

However, this time, it didn't retreat. Instead, it lunged directly toward Zhang Yang.

The action was too fast. Whether Zhang Yang or the Marten, they collided in the blink of an eye. The Marten dodged Zhang Yang’s knife and sank its teeth deep into his arm.

By the time Zhang Yang registered the pain, it was too late, but his free hand reacted reflexively, striking back at the Fox-tailed Marten.

It was a pity this hand held no weapon; otherwise, that single blow could have severely wounded the creature.

The Marten's small body was sent flying by Zhang Yang's palm strike, tumbling down the cliff face. After rolling a few times, it scrambled back to its feet, let out a few sharp cries toward Zhang Yang, then spun around, scurrying down the cliff's edge until it vanished quickly from sight.

Zhang Yang collapsed onto the ground, his face turning ashen.

His fingers moved rapidly, pressing against pressure points on his body. Only after finishing did he dare look at his arm. In the center of his bicep, there were two deep fang marks, and the surrounding flesh had already turned completely black.

The Fox-tailed Marten, whose mere toxic breath could kill an ox, possessed a venom whose true potency was unimaginable. It wouldn't have been ranked among the Ten Great Poisons if it weren't so deadly.

"Zhang Yang, how are you?"

Mi Xue reached him then, asking with anxious concern.

As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes fell upon Zhang Yang's arm. Her delicate face immediately went bloodless. Even without understanding specifics, seeing the blackened skin and the deep puncture marks, she knew the situation was dire.

"I'm fine. Why did you come back?"

Zhang Yang forced a smile, though he knew, having been bitten by the Marten, his fate was sealed.

"I... I was worried about you. Are you really okay?"

Mi Xue appeared distraught. Zhang Yang looked anything but fine. The blackness spreading across his arm was visible to the naked eye.

"Silly girl, I would have been fine if you weren't here. Once you ran off, I could have escaped too!"

Zhang Yang smiled wryly, shaking his head, speaking a deliberate lie. Being bitten by the Fox-tailed Marten—even his ancestor from his past life, that Great Sage of Medicine, would have faced immense trouble. Without the precise antidote, self-salvation would be impossible. For the current him, it was virtually hopeless.

"I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you. I don't know what happened, but I had a feeling that if I truly ran away, I might never see you again. I can't leave. Even if I die, I want to die with you!"

Tears streamed down Mi Xue's face. She threw herself into Zhang Yang's embrace and wept loudly.

Mi Xue cried heartbreakingly, speaking the truest words in her heart. While fleeing earlier, she had genuinely felt that premonition.

Zhang Yang gently stroked her hair. His eyes were filled with profound reluctance, yet also the gratifying happiness of finding fulfillment. In a moment of danger, Mi Xue refused to abandon him and chose to die alongside him. For him, that was enough. A girl willing to die with you is the one who truly loves you. No matter what, this life’s Zhang Yang had finally found true love.

"Zhang Yang, the color on your arm... it's spread more!"

Mi Xue stopped crying for a moment, glanced at his arm, then looked up with renewed worry.

"I know. Once this color spreads completely, I will have to leave," Zhang Yang said with a slight smile. The Fox-tailed Marten's venom was too potent. Even with the Ginseng Pellet consumed, he couldn't resist it. The pressure point manipulation he performed earlier only slowed the venom's spread; it couldn't stop it entirely. The Marten’s poison was too fierce; even chopping off the arm immediately wouldn't have helped. Otherwise, Zhang Yang would have chosen amputation to survive, rather than foolishly waiting to die here.

"Leave?"

Mi Xue looked momentarily confused, then her expression twisted sharply as she understood his implication.

"It's alright. Everyone faces this day eventually; mine has just come a few decades early!"

Zhang Yang draped an arm around Mi Xue's shoulder, smiling faintly, though his own heart was bitter. In his past life, he met misfortune with a plane crash, only to transmigrate to the present. Now, just as his good days were beginning, he faced this result. He wondered if fate was playing a cruel joke on him, or if he was truly cursed. He just didn't know if he would have a chance to transmigrate again this time.

"Z-Zhang Yang, this is poison, isn't it? Is there... is there a way to cure it?"

Mi Xue’s voice trembled, her face contorted with deep fear. Zhang Yang hadn't explained the full situation clearly, but she had guessed. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence could understand such an obvious development.

"Yes, it is poison," Zhang Yang admitted this time, not lying.

Mi Xue clutched Zhang Yang tightly, tears immediately starting to flow again. It was poison, meaning that small creature was venomous, and highly so. That was precisely why Zhang Yang had urged her to run, staying behind to deal with the poison beast, all to create an escape window for her.

Zhang Yang had succeeded. Though she ran back, at least she was no longer in immediate danger. But Zhang Yang himself was poisoned, and even with his medical expertise, his prognosis was grim. Mi Xue understood the outcome all too well.

"This poison, is there any way to solve it?"

Mi Xue asked softly, the blackness on his arm continuing to advance. With every spread, her heart felt as if it were pierced by a needle.

Zhang Yang smiled faintly. "There is!"

"What method?" Mi Xue snapped her head up suddenly. His words ignited a sliver of hope in her chest. If there was a way, that was all that mattered. Right now, she only wanted to save Zhang Yang, to see him completely well again.

"The saliva of the Fox-tailed Marten—the little beast that bit me just now!"

Zhang Yang gave a self-deprecating laugh. The Marten’s venom could only be countered by its own saliva, meaning its spit. The problem was that Zhang Yang was no match for it; he couldn't defeat it moments ago, and certainly not now. If he couldn't fight it, there was no way he could capture it to procure its saliva. Furthermore, the antidote required fresh saliva from a live Fox-tailed Marten; even a dead one wouldn't suffice. This made any solution impossible for Zhang Yang, hence his despair.

"What are you doing?"

Mi Xue suddenly jumped up and sprinted toward the cliff edge. The drop was steep, and it was night; one slip meant falling into a place of no return. Worse still, lurking below the cliff was an even more terrifying entity. The Fox-tailed Marten, which Zhang Yang couldn't defeat, would inflict an even crueler fate on Mi Xue should it bite her. At least he had his Neijin reserves to sustain him; Mi Xue had none.

...................................................

First update. I spent the entire day writing and neglected my family. Today is my son's birthday. I can't take him out to play, but Xiao Yu will take him out for dinner shortly and resume updating when I return. Regarding monthly votes, we currently have 25, far short of the expected 68. An extra chapter for every ten votes—that means at least four more chapters now. Can my friends give Xiao Yu a bit more support? If we can just reach 50 votes, Xiao Yu will add another bonus chapter! I had planned five bonus chapters; I will now make it six. Including the guaranteed chapters, that makes eight updates in total. (To be continued)