Lin Feng, clothes in tatters, sprinted through the trees with the girl in his arms.
Yunlu, only fourteen, was light—barely a burden at all—so he held her in the most comfortable posture he could manage, supporting her back and legs.
Peeking through a tiny slit between her lashes, Yunlu watched the boy who had rescued her from the brink of death.
—And because Lin Feng had absolutely zero interest in this little girl, his hands hadn't wandered anywhere inappropriate; he really was just carrying her properly.
Even so, for a girl who had never had close physical contact with a boy, her cheeks were blazing red. Though her school teachers had repeatedly told her never to get "too close" to boys, she knew perfectly well Lin Feng was only holding her like this to save her, so even with her breath a little unsteady, she didn't scream or struggle.
Despite the embarrassment, she continued to "pretend to sleep."
But after marching through a Withering that should have killed her ten times over, she knew full well what kind of danger Lin Feng had faced for her sake.
Yunlu clenched her fists subtly.
She had decided—once they got out, she would beg her father to give Lin Feng a proper reward.
—No, not just beg. She'd make up Father's mind for him.
She would give Lin Feng all the Mora they brought on this trip.
But… he touched me… Isn't that too rude?
Yunlu's face got even redder as she recalled his hands supporting her, and how she had failed to object in time.
Teacher once said:
If a boy touches you, he is wrong.
If you don't stop him, you are wrong too.
So… both sides are wrong?
—The inexperienced girl tied herself into mental knots.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng had no idea what sort of drama was unfolding in her head.
Once he calmed down, he had already noticed she was awake.
His guess was simple: she was probably shaken by the entire ordeal and didn't know how to face reality yet, so he decided to let her "wake up" after they reached her father.
A few minutes later, Lin Feng finally cleared the forest and spotted the merchant waiting anxiously in the agreed spot. He let out a sigh of relief.
"Uncle, as promised, I've brought your daughter back."
He gently set the girl down and nudged her shoulder.
"Young miss, wake up. Stop pretending."
He spoke casually, addressing the girl who'd been sneaking glances at him the whole way as if he couldn't tell.
"I—I wasn't pretending!"
Yunlu bolted upright, red to the ears.
"My little Lu! My little Lu!"
The merchant—eyes bloodshot from worry—rushed forward.
In his haste, he stumbled over a stone and nearly crashed head-first into the ground.
Lin Feng moved instinctively, catching and steadying him.
"Uncle, I understand how relieved you must be, and I don't want to cut between you and your daughter," Lin Feng said, stepping back, "but I still need to ask you two to head to the Forest Rangers' post in Gandharva Ville for an incident report."
"And after what happened, both of you must be exhausted. You should take the opportunity to rest."
The merchant finally calmed down a little.
He turned toward Lin Feng, expression solemn.
"Young hero, my surname is Yun—single name Shan. I'm a traveling merchant under Feiyun Commerce Guild. Please, just call me Yun Shan."
"You saved my daughter. If there is ever anything I can do for you in the future, come to Feiyun Commerce. Whatever your request, I will do everything in my power."
Seeing the tears in Yunlu's eyes—and the injuries all over Lin Feng's arms—Yun Shan spoke from the heart.
"For now, please escort us to Gandharva Ville. After the formalities are settled, allow me to host you for dinner. Then we can properly discuss your reward."
"Alright, Uncle Yun," Lin Feng replied with a smile. "Just call me Lin Feng. Don't be too polite. I'll lead the way. Keep a close eye on Yunlu—don't let her wander off."
Yunlu puffed her cheeks at being treated like a child, but still latched onto her father's sleeve obediently.
As they walked, she recounted the events after the horses bolted—selectively omitting some things, as she didn't want her father to worry even more.
Thanks to Lin Feng guiding them, the paperwork at the Ranger Station ended quickly.
His coworkers, however, stared at him in disbelief when he reported the collapse of the Withering.
He maintained a flawless "Three Sacred Replies":
"Ah?"
"I'm not sure either."
"No idea what happened."
If he weren't a ranger himself, they might not have accepted it.
Once the formalities were done, Yun Shan dragged Lin Feng straight to the most luxurious restaurant in town.
Faced with a table full of expensive dishes, Lin Feng realized—this "merchant uncle" was definitely not an ordinary peddler.
During the meal, Yun Shan explained.
He was the son-in-law of the Feiyun Commerce Guild—his wife being the Guildmaster's younger sister. Though loving, the couple had only one daughter: Yunlu.
Because Yun Shan excelled at business, he'd been sent to Port Ormos to negotiate with the guild branch there.
Yunlu, who'd spent all her years studying in Liyue's academies, had begged to accompany him since she'd never traveled abroad before.
Since the route between Vimara Village and Gandharva Ville was generally safe—patrolled regularly by rangers—he had not hired mercenaries. Until today, he thought that decision reasonable.
Now, after nearly losing his only daughter, Yun Shan could hardly speak without choking up.
Lin Feng glanced at Yunlu, who was nibbling politely at her food, posture impeccably straight.
He'd guessed from her bearing that she wasn't a commoner—she had the elegance of a well-taught young lady, skin fair, manners gentle.
But he hadn't expected that she was related to someone he knew —in this world, at least.
Yun Shan was the uncle-in-law of Xingqiu of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. That made Yunlu Xingqiu's cousin.
In other words, Yun Shan?
Definitely wealthy. And well-connected.
After half the dishes were gone, Yun Shan produced a small pouch and a jade token, placing both before Lin Feng with great formality.
"Since you do not like being called 'benefactor,' and I am a few years older, allow me the liberty of calling you Little Brother Lin."
"This pouch contains the reward I prepared for you. I am a vulgar man; I only know how to express gratitude with vulgar things like money. Please, don't look down on it."
Lin Feng accepted it directly.
He could feel the Mora inside—not a huge amount—but he didn't refuse.
If he rejected the reward outright, Yun Shan would only feel guilty.
Lin Feng thanked him sincerely and put it away.
"Hah…" Yun Shan exhaled in relief.
He didn't carry much Mora on this trip—this wasn't a major trade mission—so he'd feared Lin Feng would feel undervalued.
Seeing him accept it eased his heart immensely.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/FicHaven786