In short, Haitang felt ashamed of her subconscious thoughts.

...

Over at Chu Xuan’s side, he carried the warm, delicate body of the beauty in his arms, slowly traversing through the dark underground.

By now, about half an hour had passed, and the sounds of battle were getting farther away from them, nearly indistinguishable, which could barely be considered a successful escape.

However, Chu Xuan still didn’t relax his vigilance, nor did he dare to surface to the ground.

The elder in the blood robe is unlikely to fight to the death with that horned serpent; either he kills it quickly, or if unable to, he will choose to shake off the opponent.

After all, finding Chu Xuan and Pei Shurou is his goal. Perhaps that old fellow is madly searching for their traces now, wouldn’t surfacing lead to certain death?

One could say that the depths of the underground are the safest place, were it not for considering that the environment below ground is much harsher than this human world underground; he’d want to take Pei Shurou down even further.

Chu Xuan checked her injuries; they were indeed severe. Especially the last palm strike left a bloody handprint on her shoulder that continued to devastate her vitality.

Moreover, Chu Xuan noticed Pei Shurou seemed to have a fever; her cheeks were flushed, body temperature high, and she was sweating.

Her brow furrowed tightly, and she was mumbling something indistinct.

Chu Xuan felt he couldn’t delay any longer; she needed to regain consciousness, take medicine, and heal her injuries.

Otherwise, relying solely on himself, he wasn’t a miracle doctor; merely transferring some magical power wouldn’t cure her.

Fortunately, Chu Xuan used "Know the Terrain" to scan and found a nearby underground river, one section flowing through a quiet subterranean cavern.

He immediately darted there, then emerged from the soil, carrying Pei Shurou to the riverbank.

Chu Xuan inspected the water quality; it was very clean, so he scooped up the cool clear water, wiped her forehead sweat, and softly called: "Wake up, Fairy Pei, wake up."

Stimulated by the cold water and as Chu Xuan transferred magical power while gently shaking and calling, Pei Shurou gradually awoke.

Her delicate face was very pale, her brows tightly furrowed, and a tear mole beneath the corner of her right eye made her look gentle and frail, making one want to protect her with care.

Initially, Pei Shurou’s eyes were still a bit confused, but with the glow of the underground moss, she gradually saw Chu Xuan’s face clearly, and her expression suddenly changed!

She trembled all over, her eyes instantly filling with tears, struggling desperately, but her body was weak with little strength, only able to struggle while shouting, "Let go, let me go."

Chu Xuan was somewhat at a loss; I hadn’t done anything, why such a big reaction? Could it be that this Yun Ni Fairy was extremely averse to any physical contact with men?

"Fairy Pei, don’t get excited. You are severely injured; let me lay you down. Don’t move."

While speaking, Chu Xuan laid the beauty in his arms flat on the ground.

During this process, Pei Shurou bit her lip hard, tears streaming down, making it seem as if Chu Xuan had tormented her.

Chu Xuan was a bit troubled; why did this suddenly happen...wait!

His face changed dramatically; could it be she recognized me?

In theory, time travel is not cosmetic surgery; Chu Xuan during the Celestial Evil Period should look the same as now.

But he had analyzed it before; outsiders shouldn’t be able to associate his appearance with the Celestial Evil Demon Venerable.

Otherwise, it’s been more than six hundred years since Celestial Evil died, meaning many would recognize his face; if Chu Xuan were flamboyant outside, he should already have been recognized.

So Chu Xuan speculated there must be certain conditions to meet between "recognized" and "unrecognized," which were also a self-protection mechanism set by Celestial Evil for the resurrection plan.

Ji Mingyu’s case clearly showed recognition; just feigned ignorance at first.

Pei Shurou initially truly didn’t recognize, but suddenly, somehow, she met the condition and had such a reaction upon seeing "Celestial Evil Demon Venerable" holding her.

This is bad; Chu Xuan looked at Pei Shurou, silently crying with closed eyes, feeling incredibly complicated.

On one hand, the identity was exposed; on the other, Pei Shurou’s strong reaction further confirmed he must have done something unforgivable to her in the past.

Things like capturing her, using her as a plaything, perhaps this, or that...even causing traumatic stress disorder.

What should be done now? Apologize?

No, my memories haven’t recovered; I don’t know what I might have done to you!

Moreover, apologizing means admitting to being Celestial Evil Demon Venerable, right??

No way! Chu Xuan decided firmly not to admit it.

Though it felt a bit unfair to Pei Shurou and resembled an irresponsible scoundrel.

But his real identity absolutely must remain concealed, or it would bring about disastrous consequences.

Thinking of this, Chu Xuan gently said to Pei Shurou: "Fairy Pei, do you remember what happened before?"

"You were attacked by the Golden-Winged Roc and Mo Luo Palace cultivators. Haitang and I received a distress signal and rushed to your rescue."

"Then you were injured by Blood-Robed Elder; I saved you and hid underground."

"I assure you, during this process, I did nothing to offend you."

"If I caused you discomfort, I apologize."

Suddenly, Pei Shurou opened her eyes, looking at Chu Xuan with mixed emotions:

Hatred, fear, confusion, disorientation...as if not knowing whether she was in reality or a dream.

Ultimately, the severe injuries and the cold ground behind helped her regain clarity.