Chapter 119

“Miss Bai… Miss Bai, you’ve come… come… for a walk!” In the courtyard of the inn, Shi Zhongjian mustered his courage and approached the girl. He spoke the few words haltingly, his face filled with nervousness.

“Here we go again!” Bai Axiu sighed inwardly, but smiled and said, “Yes, Brother Shi, you haven’t rested yet!”

“I…I…” Shi Zhongjian’s mind went blank when he saw her beautiful face. He stammered “I” for a long time but couldn’t get the words out.

Bai Axiu was incredibly intelligent; how could she not see through Shi Zhongjian’s intentions?

However, unlike in the original story, she did not have the experience of being stripped naked and almost raped by Shi Zhongyu, so she had no feelings for the kind, honest but tongue-tied Shi Zhongjian.

As the little princess of Lingxiao City, she was pampered and spoiled growing up, and was used to choosing the best things.

Although Shi Zhongjian inherited his parents’ good genes, he was still far inferior to Nie Yun.

“Second brother, Miss Bai, what’s going on here…” A clear voice came from behind, making Bai Axiu happy. She quickly turned around, and the polite and distant look on her face turned into a bright smile.

Nie Yun slowly walked over, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, and said with a smile, “What a coincidence, are you going for a walk together?”

“No, no!” Bai Axiu shook her head like a rattle drum. “I just came out and happened to run into Brother Shi, so we didn’t go together.”

The light in Shi Zhongjian’s eyes dimmed instantly. Bai Axiu’s eagerness to distance herself was so obvious; how could he not hear it?

Nie Yun understood and continued, “We ate a bit too much for lunch, so why don’t we go for a walk?”

“Okay!” Bai Axiu nodded with a smile. “But Brother Shi just said he was a little sleepy and wanted to take a nap! Is that right, Brother Shi?”

She turned to look at Shi Zhongjian, while keeping giving Nie Yun meaningful glances behind her back.

“I…I’m not sleepy!” Shi Zhongjian scratched his head, looking bewildered.

“You!” Bai Axiu stamped her foot in frustration. “You just said you wanted to rest!”

“I didn’t say that!” Shi Zhongjian was even more confused.

“Hehe…Alright, alright, since you’re not sleepy, let’s go together!” Nie Yun stepped forward and gave Bai Axiu a meaningful look, making the girl blush instantly.

The three of them left the inn and strolled around the streets.

They were currently in Fuzhou, a coastal city located at the mouth of the Min River. As a result, the shipbuilding industry was highly developed, and overseas trade was booming. The streets were bustling with shops and merchants.

Nie Yun had brought Yue Lingshan here before, but at that time, firstly, his martial arts skills were not yet fully developed, and secondly, he had a mission to complete, so they were in a hurry and did not have time to explore the place properly. Now, however, they could finally have a good time.

Bai Axiu walked at the front, stopping frequently in front of the stalls. Having grown up in the snowy mountains, she had never seen such a bustling scene before. She was overwhelmed by the sights and chattered incessantly.

Nie Yun walked behind her, casually explaining the local customs and culture, answering her various questions from time to time, with a faint smile on his face at all times, showing no sign of impatience.

Throughout the journey, he displayed his gentlemanly demeanor and profound knowledge to the fullest, making the young girl’s smile even brighter.

Shi Zhongjian walked behind the two, watching Bai Axiu’s nimble, bird-like figure, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face, but he still didn’t dare to go up and talk to her.

“Oh!”

Bai Axiu suddenly exclaimed, ran quickly behind Nie Yun, grabbed his sleeve, and asked in a trembling voice, “Brother Nie, why do they look so strange? Are they monsters?”

Nie Yun looked up and saw several blond-haired, blue-eyed, high-nosed, deep-set-eyed Europeans walking towards them, presumably doing business here.

“Don’t be afraid. They are foreigners from Europe, not monsters. They just look different from us. Didn’t the Tang Dynasty also have Kunlun slaves who were all black? Look at these locals, they don’t seem surprised at all.”

“Europa? What a strange name!”

Bai Axiu muttered something, then realized she was still tightly holding Nie Yun’s sleeve, and quickly let go in embarrassment.

She glanced up furtively, only to see Nie Yun’s expression calm and unperturbed, which made her feel a pang of disappointment.

“He was just keeping me company while we shopped and chatting, I guess he was just being polite to me out of good manners?”

Bai Axiu thought uncertainly, “Why isn’t he like Brother Shi… Oh dear! So embarrassing!”

Bai Axiu seemed to be thinking of something, and a few blushes instantly rose on her jade-like cheeks, making her even more beautiful and charming.

Nie Yun caught a glimpse of the girl’s shy and bashful demeanor out of the corner of his eye, and couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

For these innocent and pampered little princesses, going overboard with flattery right away is definitely the worst approach. Showing your charm while maintaining a touch of aloofness is the only way to make them flock to you like moths to a flame.

Otherwise, why were those wandering singers and artistic youths so popular with girls in their past lives?

Just then, a voice came from ahead: “You brat, how dare you bite me! I’m going to teach you a lesson today!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a “snap” was heard, as if a leather whip had struck him.

Nie Yun frowned and walked forward, with Bai Axiu and Shi Zhongjian following closely behind.

After walking a short distance, the three of them turned into a somewhat secluded alley.

A fierce-looking woman was seen lashing a whip at a girl squatting in front of her.

The girl simply covered her head and face with her hands, neither begging for mercy nor crying out, only letting out a cry of pain when the whip struck her.

Two burly men stood beside her, hands on their hips, looking at the girl with mocking expressions.

The woman’s whipping technique seemed to be specially trained; the whips only caused redness and swelling without breaking the skin, and it didn’t seem to hurt her much.

However, Nie Yun knew that although this method did not leave scars, it caused great pain to the person being hit, and might even leave hidden injuries.

Bai Axiu, being kind-hearted, couldn’t bear to see such a thing happen, so she immediately stepped forward and shouted, “Stop!”

The woman turned around and saw that the other person was a delicate young girl. Her eyes lit up, and then she glanced at Nie Yun and Shi Zhongyu’s not-so-robust figures. She then secretly winked at the two burly men and said with a smile, “Little girl, what can I do for you?”

Seeing her kind expression, Bai Axiu hesitated for a moment, then softened her tone and asked, “Why did you hit her?”

The woman pursed her lips, looking both helpless and worried, and said, “This girl knocked my things to the ground in the street. I need to see her parents to get compensation, but she not only disobeyed me, she even bit me!”

Upon hearing this, the girl immediately shouted, “You’re talking nonsense…” A burly man next to her reacted quickly, striking her hard on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious. He then nodded and smiled at Bai Axiu, saying, “This girl is unreasonable; she loves to curse as soon as she opens her mouth!”

Bai Axiu had been well protected by her parents and elders since childhood and was completely unaware of the wickedness of people. So, although she felt something was wrong, she didn’t think much of it and asked, “If she broke something of yours, I’ll pay for it for her!”

The woman pulled a paper package from her waist and said, “This is it, look!”

Bai Axiu, without suspecting anything, stepped forward and looked down.

A triumphant smile appeared in the woman’s eyes. She suddenly raised her hand, and a cloud of white powder flew towards her.

Caught off guard, Bai Axiu smelled a peculiar fragrance and felt her body go limp and weak, causing her to fall backward.

Shi Zhongjian was shocked and was about to rush forward to help when he saw Nie Yun extend his left arm to support Bai Axiu. Then, with a wave of his right hand, the woman screamed and fell to the ground.

The two burly men were about to pounce on Nie Yun and Shi Zhongjian when the woman made her move, but they were taken aback by the unexpected turn of events before they could even make a move.

Nie Yun didn’t hesitate and kicked them both, sending them flying and coughing up blood.

Nie Yun looked down and saw a pair of bright, clear eyes staring at him intently, their eyes filled with surprise and shyness.

Their eyes met, and the girl immediately blushed deeply, quickly turning her head away.

Nie Yun felt a surge of emotion as he felt that slender, soft waist and the faint fragrance of a virgin.

Shi Zhongjian then realized what was happening and rushed to Nie Yun’s side, asking, “Brother, is Miss Bai…is she alright?” His voice trembled as he spoke, clearly terrified.

Nie Yun said, “That white powder must have been a sleeping potion. Her life is out of danger, but she can’t move.”

He looked around, found a clean spot, and gently placed Bai Axiu against the wall. Then he said, “Miss Bai, I apologize for the rudeness, it was all done in haste!”

Bai Axiu’s face burned, and she said softly, “No…it’s alright.”

Even so, his head was bowed low, and he didn’t dare to raise it at all.

Just now, Nie Yun not only put his arm around her slender waist, but his thumb also inadvertently brushed against the area below her breasts. Although it was just a light touch, it was enough to make her heart pound.

Nie Yun got up and went to the girl who had just been knocked unconscious. He squatted down and massaged her neck a few times.

With a soft moan, the girl slowly opened her eyes and saw a person squatting in front of her. Startled, she braced herself with her hands and quickly backed away.

Nie Yun said gently, “Miss, don’t be afraid, I’ve already subdued the bad guy!”

The girl, still shaken, looked around and saw that the woman and the big man were lying on the ground. She then felt relieved and buried her face in Nie Yun’s arms, sobbing.

Nie Yun was taken aback at first, then gently patted her back. Bai Axiu, watching from the side, felt a pang of sadness in her heart, and her lips pouted.

“Sister Bai, you’re so beautiful! No wonder Brother Shi’s eyes lit up when he saw you!” The girl who was rescued by Nie Yun said enviously, hugging Bai Axiu’s arm.

“You look beautiful too! You look like a completely different person after dressing up,” Bai Axiu replied with a smile.

The girl was no longer the disheveled and ragged girl she had been before. She wore a light green silk dress, her hair was tied in two buns, she had a round face and big eyes, and a gentle expression. Although she was not a stunningly beautiful woman, she was still exquisitely pretty and refreshingly charming.

The two women were sitting in the carriage, with Shi Xiaocui and Min Rou looking at them with loving expressions.

After rescuing the girl that day, Nie Yun woke up the woman and, after some interrogation, went directly to the gang’s hideout and slaughtered all the heartless human traffickers.

After the massacre, Nie Yun sent more than a dozen women and children from the hideout to the authorities.

Only this girl named Lian’er was homeless because both her parents had died.

Seeing her pitiful state, Nie Yun took her in and, with a wicked sense of humor, renamed her Shijian.

“Although it’s a bit of self-deception, ignoring it is like taking everything in stride!” Nie Yun said self-deprecatingly.

However, he did not know that the girl he saved was none other than the gentle and lovely little girl Shijian from the original story.

Without Nie Yun, she would have been sold to the Chang Le Gang, changed her name, become Shi Zhongyu’s personal maid, and ultimately died tragically at the hands of Ding Dang.

If Nie Yun knew, I wonder if he would sigh and say, “The gears of fate really do turn!”

Bai Axiu and Shi Jian were chatting and laughing when they suddenly heard Nie Yun and Shi Zhongjian’s voices coming from outside the carriage.

“Brother, why did you insist on killing all those people that day? Since they have realized their mistakes, why not give them a chance to correct them?”

Even with his saintly nature, Shi Zhongjian still felt uneasy recalling the bloody scene from that day.

In his view, as long as the other party admits their mistake, there is no need to go to extremes.

The two women exchanged a glance, both recalling the scene of Nie Yun’s bloodshot eyes and murderous aura that day, and fell silent.

Although they weren’t as saintly as Shi Zhongjian, they were all kind-hearted people. Twenty-seven of them died at Nie Yun’s hands that day, many of whom were elderly and frail.

Even the swordswoman, who had been tortured, felt a pang of pity.

Nie Yun was silent for a moment, then said, “Third brother, you are kind-hearted and always think the best of people. But I witnessed my family being killed by bandits. From that moment on, I swore that if I ever had the ability, I would kill all the evil people in the world and sweep away the darkness. Some people are evil to the bone. If you let them go, it will only cause endless trouble. Why do you think they begged for mercy that day? They regretted their lack of tact and provoking a master like me, not their sins. If it had only been you and Miss Bai that day, have you thought about the consequences? If she had been hurt, I… how would we face Old Master Bai and the others?”

Shi Zhongjian was rescued from Xie Yanke by Nie Yun that day. Although his life was not in danger, he could no longer practice martial arts.

Although he knew this, he never took it seriously. Now, after hearing Nie Yun say this, he truly felt what losing martial arts really meant.

He said dejectedly, “Brother, I’m really useless!”

Nie Yun shook his head, patted his shoulder and said, “Having martial arts skills isn’t always a good thing; sometimes it can even bring you trouble. In the martial world, you’re not always in control of your own destiny!”

He recalled his experiences over the past few years, which were filled with bloodshed, and sometimes he even found them terrifying.

“Heroes rise and fall with the times, and life in the martial world is fleeting. The world is like a tide, and people are like water; how many will return from the martial world?”

Nie Yun recited a line from a movie from his past life with emotion, but when he turned around, he saw Shi Zhongjian looking completely bewildered.

He laughed and said, “Third brother, don’t worry. With your elder brother here, I will definitely protect you from harm. It’s good that you’ve always been so innocent and kind!” After saying that, he spurred his horse forward.

The carriage was silent as the four women pondered Nie Yun’s words, each lost in their own thoughts.

“Brother Nie… so he’s like me, without parents either!”

Shi Jian’s eyes reddened, and tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. “He’s been trying to comfort me and cheer me up these past few days. He must have been feeling really bad inside! He’s the leader of the Huashan Sect, and I’m just a poor, lonely girl. Why is he so good to me?”

Originally grateful to Nie Yun for saving her from danger, Shi Jian has now quietly developed feelings for him.

“When you’re in the martial world, you’re not in control of your own destiny… This kid really sees things clearly!” As a seasoned veteran of the martial world, Shi Xiaocui naturally felt deeply about these eight words and admired Nie Yun even more.

“Yun’er…” Min Rou thought of the lonely boy who cried under the moonlight, missing his parents. Perhaps from that moment on, Nie Yun’s image was left in her heart, and this ill-fated relationship came about.

Even so, she never regretted it in the slightest.

Bai Axiu listened intently, her mind racing as she tried to decipher Nie Yun’s pause.

“He first said ‘I,’ and then changed his words to ‘we.’ What did he mean by that? And why did he change his words?”

The girl sat there quietly, her face shifting between contemplation, shyness, a sweet smile, and distress…

On this day, the group arrived at a small fishing village on the coast of the East China Sea.

The fishing village was deserted, and there wasn’t a single fishing boat on the shore. The group chose a clean thatched hut and sat down to rest.

As evening approached, a man in yellow robes, carrying a wooden oar, arrived at the fishing village and announced in a loud voice, “Welcoming envoy from Xia Ke Island, on the orders of the island lord, respectfully invites Headmaster Nie of the Huashan Sect and Headmaster Bai of the Xueshan Sect to depart.”

Hearing the sound, everyone came out of the house. The man walked up to Nie Yun and Bai Zizai, bowed and said, “These two must be Sect Leader Nie and Sect Leader Bai. My surname is Zhao. Please come with me to the island.”

Shi Xiaocui said, “We want to go too.”

The man said, “This is a problem. The small boat cannot bear the weight. Moreover, the island lord has issued a strict order to only welcome Sect Leader Nie and Sect Leader Bai. If we carry one more person, the small boat will surely capsize, and I will also lose my head.”

Shi Xiaocui sneered, “Do you think you have a choice?” As she spoke, she leaned forward and placed her hand on the hilt of her knife.

The man ignored Shi Xiaocui completely, and said to Nie Yun and Bai Zizai, “I will lead the way, please follow me.” After saying that, he turned and left.

The group followed him to the seaside, where they saw a small boat moored in the water. The boat was narrow and short, barely enough for three people, let alone a fourth.

Shi Qing and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. Shi Xiaocui was unwilling to give up, but the man was neither afraid of death nor willing to budge, so they had no choice but to abandon the idea of ​​going to the island together.

Knowing this was the case, Nie Yun smiled and said to Shi Qing and the others, “Xia Ke Island has never been discovered in decades, which shows that its location is quite secluded. If someone doesn’t lead the way, it’s impossible to find. Since the island lord has made such arrangements, we can only follow his lead.”

Shi Xiaocui’s eyes reddened, and she shouted to Bai Zida, “Old man, I will wait for you here for three months. If you do not come to meet me on the eighth day of the third month next year, I will jump into the sea and die.”

Bai Zizai was also heartbroken. He didn’t want his wife to see him crying, so he turned his back to her and said, “Old woman, don’t talk nonsense. If you die, what will happen to Axiu? Remember to make sure she gets back to Lingxiao City safely!”

Nie Yun smiled and said, “Grandma Shi, don’t worry, I will definitely bring the old man back safe and sound! Father, Mother, you don’t need to worry either, just wait patiently.”

Shi Qing stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, saying solemnly, “Yun’er, be careful in everything you do on the island.”

Min Rou stepped forward, tears welling in her eyes. She used all her reason to control herself from throwing herself into Nie Yun’s arms, and said in a trembling voice, “Yun’er, I…we’re all here waiting for you, don’t forget!”

Nie Yun nodded with a smile.

Bai Axiu bit her lip, her eyes filled with struggle, and suddenly cried out, “Brother Nie, I… I’ll also wait for you here for three months. If you don’t come back, I’ll… I’ll jump into the sea with Grandma too.”

The expressions of the others immediately changed. Shi Xiaocui and Min Rou both let out a long sigh, Shi Qing frowned slightly, Shi Zhongjian and Shi Jian both looked gloomy, and Bai Zizai glared hatefully at Nie Yun.

Nie Yun sighed and said with a wry smile, “Miss Bai, I am just a wanderer, why do you have to do this to me?”

“Who told you to…you…” She lowered her head, looking somewhat embarrassed, then raised her head again and said, “Anyway, remember, I mean what I say.”

She stared straight at Nie Yun, showing no intention of looking away.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Nie Yun said, “Miss Bai, although I don’t know why you favor me, I am already extremely fortunate to hear these words. Even if it’s just to save your life, I will definitely come back. Take good care of yourself.”

After saying that, he turned around and jumped onto the boat.

Bai Zizai snorted irritably and followed him onto the boat.

The man in yellow stepped into the small boat and rowed with a wooden oar. The boat, carrying three people, slowly drifted away from the beach.

Then he turned the boat around, hoisted a yellow triangular sail, caught the gentle north wind, and headed south.

The people on the shore stood on the cliff edge by the beach, gazing intently until the boat gradually shrank and finally disappeared from sight. Min Rou could no longer hold back and began to sob.

Shi Jian clasped her hands together and prayed silently, “Heavens, please bless Brother Nie to return safely. I ask for nothing, I would be content just to be a little maid by his side.”

Shi Xiaocui hugged Zi Axiu and whispered, “Silly child!”

Bai Axiu rested her head on her grandmother’s shoulder, tears welling in her eyes, but a smile remained on her face as she said, “He said he would come back for me.” She emphasized the word “I”.