**Chapter 171: Huang Aotian, I Brought Your Childhood Friend to You!**
Though Yun Zhonghe had only just met Su Xiaoxiao, he had already witnessed the sheer power of her misfortune abilities.
The pit they just fell into was filled with sharp stone spikes, and the two of them nearly got skewered like shish kebabs.
Su Xiaoxiao was indeed the reincarnation of the ancient Disaster Empress, with misfortune trailing her like a lost puppy. It affected everyone around her, and even herself—if it weren’t for Yun Zhonghe protecting her, she might have met her end right there.
But poor Yun Zhonghe also landed on a spike.
Fortunately, his low-grade magical robe was there to save his skin; once he activated his spiritual energy, it provided decent protection. Still, his old back was left aching like he’d been hit by a truck.
Thank goodness it was just his back. If it had gone somewhere else… well, that wouldn’t exactly be a laughing matter!
Luckily, the cave wasn’t too deep. Once he shook himself off, Yun Zhonghe felt confident that he could help Su Xiaoxiao crawl out.
Just a minor hiccup in their adventure.
Su Xiaoxiao was feeling a bit blue. She had just made a friend, and now her bad luck almost cost Yun Zhonghe his life—naturally, this terrified her.
She was scared that Yun Zhonghe might come to dislike her, shun her, or look at her like everyone else did.
The pain of such a shift was far worse than her bad luck; she’d rather deal with random strangers criticizing her than lose a budding friendship. If the person who wanted to be her friend distanced themselves, she’d really fall apart.
No wonder she felt so timid and insecure.
“Y-You know… I’m sorry…”
Gathering her courage, as Yun Zhonghe hoisted her out of the pit and continued on their merry journey to find Mu Jixue, Su Xiaoxiao clenched her little hands anxiously and couldn’t help but speak up.
Yun Zhonghe: ?
Her eyes were hidden behind her bangs, and she didn’t dare look up.
A dark aura, almost palpable, emanated from her.
Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but sweat a little: “Why are you apologizing?”
“Because my unlucky destiny nearly dragged you down with me! Honestly, I always seem to attract misfortune. Being close to me means being tangled up in my bad luck—just like before…”
She paused, then whispered again: “You really don’t have to worry about me. You can just leave me be and walk away on your own. It’s fine.”
Listening to her murmurs, Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but chuckle.
“We’re friends, right? What kind of friend just ditches another friend?”
Using a light and easy tone, he looked straight ahead, his expression completely unbothered.
His cheerful response took Su Xiaoxiao by surprise.
No one had ever been able to laugh after being hit by her misfortune like this.
Was he not afraid of dying?
Was Yun Zhonghe afraid? Sure, but to him, Su Xiaoxiao was no Plague God; she was a savior!
She was the woman who could save him from the flames of Huang Aotian’s chopping block!
He might need her help again in the future.
Sure, they were having a little misfortune at the moment, but so what? Yun Zhonghe was the number one bro in the country, and with Huang Aotian as their pal and a girlfriend blessed with good luck, what was there to fear?
Bring on the storm!
“Since I’ve decided to be your friend, there’s no abandoning buddies. Unless you look down on me, Yun Zhonghe, then stop saying that!”
His voice was filled with seriousness, as if Su Xiaoxiao’s words were a personal insult.
While Su Xiaoxiao had always sensed Yun Zhonghe’s reliability, she hadn’t expected his resolve to be so strong!
Could it be that her luck was finally turning around? Was she on her way to the pinnacle of life?
A strong desire surged within her.
Noticing her emotional shift, Yun Zhonghe couldn’t help but smile.
“And you, little girl, please stop saying you’re unlucky. The more you think that way, the worse things will get. You should be more positive and try to laugh a bit. Who knows, maybe some good luck will come your way!”
Yun Zhonghe subtly planted the seeds of optimism in her mind, while also dropping a tiny hint.
He had a bit of insight into her bad luck; the more pessimistic she was, the more misfortune would cling to her. If he could help her gradually become more positive, she’d learn to control her bad luck, possibly even turning it into her source of power.
Who knows, maybe Yun Zhonghe could even tap into her bad luck powers later!
Of course, that was a conversation for another day. Right now, the goal was to quickly connect with her heart, to become true friends, and help her escape from her current dark and gloomy mindset.
Yun Zhonghe already had a plan; he was destined to be the light that illuminated her heart, and he was about to take her to meet the person who could help.
In the original game, there was one person who had treated her as a true friend, unwaveringly supportive and never looking down on her.
That person was Mu Jixue!
In fact, Mu Jixue had known Su Xiaoxiao long before. When Mu Jixue was younger, she visited Su Family in Suzhou City with the head of the Lin Family, and that was when they first met and bonded.
So, Su Xiaoxiao could be considered Mu Jixue’s childhood friend.
Now, since Yun Zhonghe already counted himself as Su Xiaoxiao’s friend, all he had to do was take her to meet Mu Jixue. The reunion of these long-lost childhood friends would surely become a beautiful tale.
Yun Zhonghe would be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes!
And just like that, his status in the hearts of these two ladies would skyrocket!
What a perfect plan!
With this thought, Yun Zhonghe felt a surge of excitement.
He quickened his pace, practically wishing he could teleport to Mu Jixue and present Su Xiaoxiao to her, exclaiming, “Look! I brought your other childhood friend back!”
“Will good things really happen?”
Su Xiaoxiao muttered, pondering Yun Zhonghe’s earlier comment, uncertain if it would come true.
But since he spoke with such conviction, a flicker of hope ignited within her.
…
Meanwhile.
Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu had finally cleared out the pesky crow group that had been lurking around.
Now, she was anxiously gazing toward the way station, wondering why Yun Zhonghe still hadn’t arrived.
She was unwaveringly confident that he would come, but the longer he stayed away, the more worrisome it became. What if he ran into trouble?
Mu Jixue was genuinely concerned for Yun Zhonghe’s safety.
“Xue’er, should we search the forest? We might run into Yun Ge.”
Lin Zhongyu suggested, unable to contain her impulse.
Hearing this, Mu Jixue felt a surge of excitement.
“Alright, then let’s go, Little Yu…”
Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar aura suddenly appeared within their mental awareness.
The two were all too familiar with this presence; they had experienced it countless times before. Especially when Yun Zhonghe’s spiritual energy washed over, intertwining with their own.
There was no mistaking it!
Back when they were in the Myriad Path Divine Tower, Yun Zhonghe’s immense spiritual energy had expanded their Sea of Consciousness. They could never forget his signature vibe.
With joy, they realized Yun Zhonghe was safe.
“Wait, it seems there’s someone else too?”
Lin Zhongyu’s Golden Emperor Sacred Eyes detected two different spiritual energies approaching.
Moments later…
Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu saw Yun Zhonghe emerging from the trees, looking perfectly fine.
Well, except for the fact that he was holding a super tall girl with quite an impressive… well, you know.
Lin Zhongyu: !!!
And this girl’s outfit only covered the essentials.
Mu Jixue: !!!
