Chapter 81: Awake

When Ye Mo awoke, it was midnight. He felt someone in his arms. Though the room was dark, his spirit sense revealed it was Yun Bing.

Before his second collapse, Ye Mo knew he was at Yun Bing's home. He had shut down his senses to recover; otherwise, the consequences could have been severe, perhaps even permanently hindering his Chi Gathering cultivation.

Discovering Yun Bing, he didn't react, immediately entering a state of cultivation. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious, but he awoke with her in his arms.

He soon understood. Yun Bing must have drifted to sleep on the bed, then, feeling the cold, subconsciously moved closer to the blanket. She hadn't undressed, suggesting a restless few days.

Although Ye Mo knew Yun Bing had saved him, he couldn't comprehend her actions. Their relationship was strained, bordering on hostile. Why would she save him?

He covered Yun Bing with the blanket, gently removing her hand as he prepared to leave. Regardless of her motives, he couldn't stay. If she woke and caused trouble, he might have to hurt her, and that was unthinkable given she'd saved his life. Had someone else found him, the outcome would have been far worse.

His overconfidence had been his downfall. He knew his power wasn't supreme in this place, but encountering a real opponent was still a shock; after all, these people didn't cultivate Chi.

As Ye Mo tried to get out of bed, Yun Bing's hand tightened on his shirt. He checked his wounds. His broken hand was healed, and the back wound, treated with an unfamiliar cream and his spirit Chi, was nearly fully recovered.

Examining his shirt, he noticed something odd—it looked like Yun Bing's clothing. Instead of struggling, he awkwardly removed it. He then remembered his bag, wondering if Yun Bing had retrieved it. It contained everything: money, clothes, documents, valuable medicinal herbs, and most importantly, the remaining Silver Heart Grass seeds and a piece of Purple Heart Vine. Losing them would be catastrophic.

He used his spirit sense to search the house, his heart sinking when he found his bag was missing. He had no clothes and no money.

He wanted to search for the bag immediately, but first, he needed to question Yun Bing.

Without hesitation, he shook her awake.

"Huh" Yun Bing screamed, recognizing Ye Mo instantly and covering her mouth. Removing her hands, she saw she was clutching his shirt—the one she'd apparently put on him.

Blushing, she awkwardly sat up. "Oh You you're awake?"

Ye Mo nodded. "Yes. Thank you for saving me. Did you retrieve my bag?"

"Bag?" Yun Bing frowned. She remembered something in his hand when she'd put him in the car, but hadn't checked. His immediate concern highlighted its importance.

She switched on the bedside lamp, noticing their awkward proximity: him shirtless, them sitting side-by-side at midnight. It resembled a scene from a romance novel. This led to a reflection on a child, and then Ting Ting, her own daughter, cruelly separated from her.

"What's wrong?" Ye Mo asked, noticing the change in her expression. "Did you remember where you put the bag?"

"Ah" Yun Bing snapped back to reality. "I remember putting some things in the car trunk. I don't know if it was your bag; I was in a hurry. I'll check now."

Ye Mo stopped her. "Wait. I'll go. Just tell me where your car is."

Yun Bing shook her head. "You mustn't go out. They're looking for you."

"You know what I did?" Ye Mo was surprised. He wondered how she knew about Song Shaotan's death.

Yun Bing rolled her eyes. "Six people were killed in a Ning Hai mansion yesterday morning. Don't tell me you don't know. I went looking for you and found you. Ye Mo, killing is wrong. Think before you act! Impulsiveness is destructive. You'll be running for your life."

Ignoring her final comments, Ye Mo pressed, "How do you know I killed them? Why did you look for me? How did you know where I was?"

Yun Bing's face showed guilt. "Ye Mo, I'm sorry. I was going to apologize. I only realized you saved me that day when I found the SD card from the security camera. I saw Shi Ying on the news from Ning Hai Technology University, and he looked like you. I was going there, but luckily, I found you."

"Looks like me?" Ye Mo had used Chi to obscure his face. How could she identify him?

"His face was similar. That's why I looked for you. Are you Shi Ying?" Yun Bing seemed to have forgotten other concerns.

Ye Mo nodded, confirming his identity. He understood her actions: the SD card had been the key.

"Knowing I'm a killer, why aren't you scared? Are you this calm around killers?"

Yun Bing was stunned. She hadn't felt fear, only concern. Had she always been so bold? And with Ye Mo, she felt no fear at all. Shaking her head, she replied, "I was worried, but not scared. Maybe because you saved me, or maybe because you only killed those who deserved it."