"I appreciate your kindness, Young Master Nie, but the group behind us is large. Their leader, Zhao Xingpu, is a Late-Stage Qi Sect expert from the Zhao Family—one of the Empire's Four Great Families. His Cultivation Techniques and Martial Arts are exceptionally refined, and at full power, his strength rivals the Peak of Qi Sect! They have a Tracking Master with them named Zhao Feng. As long as he's around, I'll be caught eventually, even if I escape now. Why would you risk your life for a stranger you've only just met?"
The Demon Race invasion from several years ago had cost Nie Yun his family, and he was filled with regret for not having cherished his time with them. Now, upon meeting Luoqing City, another person from Luoshui City, he was deeply moved. He recalled how Luoo Zhanhao had sacrificed his own escape, choosing to stand with Luoshui City to the very end so that its women and children could flee. Luoo Zhanhao's fearless slaughter of the Demons had earned Nie Yun's immense admiration! 'Now that I've met his surviving daughter, how can I possibly not help?'
"I have a plan. Don't worry, Miss Luoo, just go!" "But..." Before Luoqing City could say more, Nie Yun cut her off sharply. "Your father was a hero his whole life! He certainly wouldn't want to see you dishonored! Now go!" "...Young Master, please be careful!" Luoqing City said hesitantly before turning to continue her escape.
Before long, Zhao Xingpu and his men arrived in pursuit. Zhao Feng reported, "Young Master, Luoqing City paused here for a moment before suddenly rushing forward again. I'm not sure why." "What other reason could there be? That little beauty Qingcheng must have run out of steam and stopped here to rest."
Hidden in the forest, Nie Yun quickly formulated a plan. 'So that must be the Tracking Master. To ensure Luoqing City gets away safely, I have to eliminate him first. I may not be able to win a fight against all the others, but they won't be able to stop me from escaping. The only problem is that Zhao Feng is right beside Zhao Xingpu... that makes this difficult.' A moment later, his eyes lit up. 'I've got it!'
With that, he strolled out from the woods. "Would you be Young Master Zhao Xingpu?" The group was startled; they had no idea where this young man had come from and hadn't sensed his presence at all. One of them immediately grew wary. "Who are you? Why are you skulking around here?" "I'm just a disciple from a small city family," Nie Yun began. "I know my chances in this trial are slim. A moment ago, I heard from a distance that Young Master Zhao was chasing a woman, so I tried to stop her. But that little minx was too powerful! I was completely outmatched and ended up seriously injured. She didn't get away unscathed, though! I could tell she was already wounded, and after her True Qi flared up, her injuries must have worsened considerably. Heh heh... Young Master Zhao, once you've captured that beauty, do you think you could remember to give me some credit?" As he spoke, Nie Yun made his steps seem unsteady, even forcing some blood up his throat to fake the appearance of a grave injury.
"So that's why that little minx stopped here for a moment!" Zhao Xingpu realized. "You're a sharp one, kid. Once I catch that little beauty Qingcheng, I'll make sure to reward you." "Thank you, Young Master! Thank you!" Nie Yun said, bowing and scraping. Zhao Xingpu and his men didn't stop, continuing their pursuit. But just as they moved, a black shadow shot toward Zhao Xingpu like a lion pouncing on a rabbit. It was Nie Yun! In a flash, the powerful aura of a Late-Stage Qi Sect expert burst forth!
"You're courting death!" Among masters, victory and defeat could be decided in a split second! But Zhao Xingpu was no fool. He knew that Nie Yun had the element of surprise—his killing intent, honed to a razor's edge, was like an arrow loosed from a bow. He, on the other hand, had let his guard down, his momentum already spent. A direct clash was out of the question; he might even be injured. 'Even with so many men here, making it impossible for him to kill me, how could I allow my precious, noble body to be wounded?' Without a second thought, he used his Palm Force to covertly push the person beside him into Nie Yun's path! And that person was none other than Zhao Feng. Nie Yun almost burst out laughing. Though he had feigned a lunge for Zhao Xingpu, his true target had always been Zhao Feng. He had predicted that his ferocious assault would make Zhao Xingpu too afraid to counterattack, forcing him onto the defensive to evade the brunt of the blow. He never imagined Zhao Xingpu would simply serve Zhao Feng up on a platter. It was just as the saying goes: to wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to find it by chance without any effort at all!
Nie Yun, of course, would not let this perfect opportunity pass. A cold light flashed across the air. Wherever his blade pointed, Sword Qi surged, so powerful that even the pouring raindrops were forced to scatter! The glint of the sword flickered past Zhao Feng's neck in an instant. The last thing the pitiable Zhao Feng saw was his own headless corpse gushing blood. Framed by the heavy rain, the sight was strangely fitting.
His strike successful, Nie Yun immediately pulled back. Just as he prepared to flee, he saw that Zhao Xingpu had recovered and was now charging at him. The tables had turned completely. Nie Yun was now a spent force, while Zhao Xingpu's momentum was at its peak. But Nie Yun showed no signs of panic. Wind seemed to swirl at his feet as he executed an exquisite Body Technique, one that contained the profound mysteries of the Eight Trigrams, and narrowly dodged Zhao Xingpu's fatal strike. However, the prime opportunity to escape had passed. He was now surrounded by Zhao Xingpu's men. Just as Nie Yun was calculating how he might get away unscathed, Luoqing City, who should have been far away by now, reappeared.
"Young Master Nie, I couldn't bring myself to leave you in danger all alone. If you came to even the slightest harm, my conscience would torment me for the rest of my life!" Luoqing City was just that kind of stubborn, simple, and inflexible girl. Or, one might say, a little foolish? Seeing her return, Nie Yun nearly fainted. 'What was the point of all my careful planning?' "Miss Luoo, are... are you a fool?" Nie Yun was truly exasperated, yet at the same time, he found her foolishness... endearing.
"Little beauty Qingcheng, you've delivered yourself right to my door! I knew you were smitten with my dashing presence! Haha! You three, hold back this reckless punk. After I'm done with the lovely Qingcheng, I'll make him wish for a death that will never come!" Zhao Xingpu declared with a savage grin. He then launched an aggressive attack on Luoqing City. Luoqing City was no match for Zhao Xingpu to begin with, and now she was severely injured. How could she possibly withstand even a single exchange with him? As expected, after just a few moves, she was struck and sent flying once more. Droplets of blood trickled from her delicate lips, creating a truly pitiable sight.
The sight reminded Nie Yun of the day the city fell. 'Am I truly so useless? Fated never to protect those I wish to save? Absolutely not! The heavens may be blind, but I will not let you have your way!' A furious roar erupted from his chest. "Get out of my way!" With a single slash, he severed one of his opponent's arms. Employing a Body Technique as fluid as flowing water, he moved to the spot closest to Luoqing City. Rage burning in his heart, he unleashed a level of combat prowess far beyond his usual limits! The crisscrossing Sword Qi forced the very air to whine, sending wild grass and tree branches flying! An oncoming attacker was devoured by the sword's light before he could even react, his heart pierced by a dozen strikes!
Nie Yun rushed to Luoqing City's side and launched a rage-filled sword strike at Zhao Xingpu! Both were forced back three steps. Nie Yun had no time to spare; he scooped up Luoqing City, turned, and fled. With the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, Zhao Xingpu closed the distance and landed a palm strike squarely on Nie Yun's back. Nie Yun used the force of the blow to accelerate his escape, leaving Zhao Xingpu roaring in fury. A searing pain shot through Nie Yun, as if his insides were being churned by a violent storm. If he hadn't cultivated the Spirit Rhinoceros Body Refining Technique and its superior Defense, that one strike would have surely taken his life.
Even so, Nie Yun felt a coppery taste well up in his throat before he coughed up a mouthful of blood. The scarlet spray stained the snow-white fabric of Luoqing City's dress.
"Young Master Nie! Are... are you alright? What do we do now?" The usually calm and composed Luoqing City was now like a panicked kitten. "You... you're such a fool! If you hadn't returned, I could have escaped without a problem. Luckily, I killed their Tracking Master, so we don't need to worry about them pursuing us." "I... I'm sorry. I was scared you'd be in danger, Young Master Nie. If anything had happened to you, how could my conscience ever be clear?" Her hair was disheveled against his chest, and being this close to a man for the first time made her heart pound and her face flush. The bashful demeanor of a young maiden was on full display across her peerless features, making her seem utterly charming. "I still got hurt even though you came back, didn't I? What a fool." Although Nie Yun kept calling her a fool, his tone held no reprimand. On the contrary, he found her naivete innocent and her foolishness endearing. Hearing this, Luoqing City was so embarrassed she didn't know what to say. She could only bury her head in Nie Yun's chest, feeling the warmth of his firm embrace as the blush on her cheeks grew even more pronounced.
Nie Yun, completely oblivious to the stirrings of a maiden's heart, failed to notice Luoqing City's thoughts. He simply assumed her injuries were flaring up, so he said, "We're both seriously injured. We should find a place to recuperate. After running for so long, they shouldn't be able to find us. Let's go to that cave up ahead."