Boring.
Ling Yao wanted to leave. The two old women outside were easy to deal with. Just as she stood up, a dark shadow suddenly fell before her, startling her greatly.
She stared with wide eyes at the person who had dropped from the rooftop. His face was covered with a black cloth, and his features were hidden, but his eyes, also wide with shock, met hers.
Was he afraid of her?
Afraid of what? She was just a little girl, still wet behind the ears.
The one who descended was the imperial hidden guard who had been following them. He had always been afraid to approach the Divine Martial General, but now that he finally had a chance, he naturally came to investigate.
However, the moment he made eye contact with the little girl, he almost cried out, "Divine Maiden!"
Those clear, piercing eyes were too similar.
But that was impossible; she was just a child.
The hidden guard dismissed the thought, yet he remained suspicious, beginning to wonder if this was the child of the Divine Maiden and the Divine Martial General.
"What are you doing?" Ling Yao asked.
Her voice was soft and sweet, and she was as exquisitely carved as an immortal child. Only the Divine Maiden could give birth to such a child, right? kuAiδugg
But, wouldn't she be a bit too old? Could the Divine Maiden have such an old child?
"Tell me your relationship with the Divine Martial General, and I will help you escape."
His voice, deliberately disguised, was somewhat hoarse. Ling Yao frowned slightly, narrowing her eyes at him.
Was he here for Xiao Shan?
He didn't seem very smart.
"He's my man."
The hidden guard: "...... Don't talk nonsense. Children who lie wet the bed at night."
Damn it, who was calling her a bed-wetter! Ling Yao picked up a cup and threw it at him.
"You wet the bed, you're wetting it now, and you'll wet it when you're old, the whole family will!"
The hidden guard, afraid of making noise, caught the teacup. Seeing Ling Yao's fierce yet adorable appearance, he was truly baffled, thinking this little girl was quite temperamental, which was very much like the Divine Martial General.
"Who are you? Why are you asking about me and the Divine Martial General?"
Ling Yao suddenly moved closer to the hidden guard, tilting her head to meet his gaze. Her pure eyes were like beautiful gems, causing the hidden guard to momentarily lose himself.
But he quickly shook his head, regaining his composure, only to become dazed again soon after.
Ling Yao was still young, and after much effort, she managed to mesmerize the person before her. She learned that he was an imperial hidden guard.
No wonder his willpower was so strong.
After clarifying everything, she erased his memory and sent him away.
After what that person had done, how could she possibly want to go back with him now?
She never wanted to return to the capital in this lifetime.
Ling Yao's spiritual energy was insufficient, and she was exhausted. She slumped onto the bed and fell asleep.
At the dead of night, a howl erupted from the front hall of Hongcui Fang, startling everyone. Prostitutes, still naked, were jolted from their drunken stupor and emerged from their rooms, cursing. They saw a terrifying man standing in the hall.
He held a knife, its tip still dripping blood. At his feet lay a man, his throat slit, still writhing.
"Murder!"
Amidst the chaos, the madam was shoved out, her clothes not even properly on, revealing half her chest. Her old face, devoid of makeup, was as pale and dry as a piece of deadwood.
"You, who are you? Do you know, do you know whose establishment this is?"
She waved for her thugs to advance.
Over a dozen burly thugs surrounded him, but soon they all lay on the ground, groaning, either with broken legs or dislocated arms.
The madam, terrified, turned and whispered urgently to a male prostitute, "Quick, go call Master Lou."
Xiao Shan glanced around coldly. The utterly filthy scene made his tiger-like eyes blaze with world-ending killing intent, and a dark, terrifying aura emanated from him.
He kicked the still-gasping man and pointed the tip of his knife at the madam.
His voice, like it came from hell, asked, "Where is the little girl that Lai San brought in today?"
Little girl, little girl...
The madam, terrified by the bloody knife, felt her legs go weak, almost collapsing to the ground.
"Wh-what little girl?"
The madam's mind was not cooperating. Lai San, Lai San... She suddenly widened her eyes.
The money tree!
Just then, a little girl stumbled out from a corner, still groggy. However, the scene was so chaotic that no one paid attention to her.
Xiao Shan was about to erupt when his gaze sharpened, precisely locking onto the small figure.
She swayed unsteadily, her eyes half-closed, passing through men and women half-dressed and exposed.
Damn it!
Xiao Shan leaped up abruptly, stepped onto a table, and climbed onto the second-floor railing.
Everyone thought he was coming up to kill them and screamed wildly, scattering in all directions. The madam, trying to run, went limp and collapsed to the ground, being trampled and yelping.
Ling Yao, startled by the commotion, woke up. Her large, wet eyes darted around. Being bumped, she flew towards the railing.
"Xue Niang!"
Xiao Shan's long arm shot out, pulling her back. He held her tightly in his arms, panting heavily, a wave of fear washing over him.
It took a long while for him to recover his breath.
Meanwhile, everyone around them cowered in rooms and corners, watching the terrifying man hold a child motionlessly for a long time.
Call the officials! Call the officials!
The madam struggled to get up, glaring at the two with anger. But as she looked around, she found no one useful.
Held by Xiao Shan, Ling Yao began to feel drowsy again, feeling safe.
She could fall asleep even in such an environment. Xiao Shan instinctively assumed she had been drugged and his killing-intent-filled tiger eyes turned towards the madam again.
The madam, who had just regained some courage, crumbled to the ground again under his gaze, which was as if he were looking at a dead person.
Xiao Shan did not want to deal with such messy affairs in front of Ling Yao, especially when her health was already precarious. Therefore, he lingered no longer, carrying Ling Yao out of Hongcui Fang.
After they left, the madam began to shout loudly, and soon, the owner she had notified arrived.
The nephew of the local magistrate, the famous wealthy merchant, Master Lou, Lou Jinye.
"Truly tired of living. A foreigner dares to run wild in my Fengyang City."
After leaving, Xiao Shan took Ling Yao to see a doctor. The doctor said she was weak in various aspects but had not been drugged.
He was perplexed. The little girl ate a lot and looked healthy. There was no reason for her to be so weak after being abducted. What exactly was going on?
"Xue Niang, don't scare me!"
He was already on edge, automatically classifying anything unreasonable as related to her extraordinary body. Could there be lingering consequences after her Nirvana?
Could she... die?
Ling Yao opened her eyes and saw Xiao Shan's eyes filled with sorrow and fear.
Although he quickly concealed it, she still saw it.
"A Shan, what are you afraid of?"
Xiao Shan pursed his lips, rubbing the back of her small hand repeatedly with his thumb. "I'm not afraid."
"Don't be afraid. I still have the ability to protect myself. Ordinary people can't hurt me."
The worry in Xiao Shan's brows did not dissipate.
"After Nirvana, will your body have any lasting ailments?"
So that was what he was worried about.
Ling Yao sat up and hugged his neck.
"No, as long as you are here, I will be healthy and live with you."
She felt so heartbroken. Her A Shan was such a heroic and carefree man. She wouldn't allow him to frown, didn't want him to become so insecure, so full of worry.