"You little b*tch, you really can run, huh? You made me work so damn hard to catch you."
As Zhu Zhuqing finally collapsed and couldn't even crawl anymore, a triumphant, mocking laugh echoed behind her.
The woman behind her was so thrilled she ordered everyone else to stop attacking. Her high heels clicked rhythmically on the ground as she strutted slowly to the front of the group from the rear.
Her expression was relaxed, her walk casual and showy, her long legs twisting with every sway of her ample hips.
In her right hand, she twirled a blade of some unknown grass, spinning it lazily as she walked.
When she reached Zhu Zhuqing's side, she pulled out a dagger that gleamed with a chilling light and gripped it in reverse. She crouched down, leaned in close to Zhu Zhuqing's ear, licked her lips, and said:
"Don't blame me. Big sis had no choice. Besides, I did give you a chance. Who told you to be so ungrateful?"
After speaking, her eyes suddenly turned ice-cold. She raised her right arm high and stabbed down viciously, as if venting her rage.
Lying on the ground, Zhu Zhuqing's heart sank the moment she realized she'd lost all feeling in her legs.
Especially as those familiar footsteps drew closer, a surge of bitter resentment erupted from deep within.
"I just wanted to live. Is that such a crime?Why... why does everyone treat me like this?"
Exhaustion overwhelmed her, and the poison creeping through her veins made even opening her mouth difficult.
Those words remained unspoken, left to echo as a desperate howl in her mind.
In her black pupils, the icy glint of the dagger was reflected. Death was only seconds away. In the depths of despair, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but secretly hope:
"If only... someone could suddenly come save me. That'd be amazing."
Of course she knew that, in this vast forest, the odds of running into a soul master—one both willing and strong enough to save her—were basically a fantasy. It was no different than delusional wishful thinking.
But her will to live was too strong. The little kitten refused to give up even that last sliver of hope.
Besides daydreaming, what other choice did she have?
Then, as if her prayer had really been answered, a brilliant golden light suddenly exploded before her eyes.
At that exact moment, the falling dagger—and the vicious face behind it—suddenly changed course and recoiled.
Replacing it in her vision was a smile so warm it seemed to pierce straight into her soul.
That smile… was like a god descending from the heavens. It instantly reignited her shriveled heart with hope.
Nangong Lingyun wore a fierce golden lion-tiger battle armor—but flashily left off the helmet, deliberately showing off his devastatingly handsome face.
With a voice as warm as spring, he said:"Miss, are you alright?"
"Uh… passed out already?"
He had been planning to deliver a heroic, righteous monologue to impress the two women—or well, to declare.But he didn't even get through half a sentence before the little kitten shut her eyes and fainted completely.
Nangong Lingyun couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with these villainous side characters. His smile vanished, face returning to calm.
He looked up and said coldly:"Leave. Or die."
Before arriving, he had even fantasized—
If Zhu Zhuyun really was pretending to hunt Zhu Zhuqing just to secretly help her escape, like in some fanfic tropes, then today might be a win-win situation.Sisterly drama? That would've been spicy.
But now… he wasn't in the mood anymore.
…
Who knew how much time passed. In Zhu Zhuqing's murky mind, a faint spark of awareness flickered to life—her thoughts began to clear.
She tried to open her eyes.
Her consciousness was rapidly returning. She could feel the soft bed beneath her and the wind rustling outside.
But her eyelids were like they were weighed down by a thousand pounds. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't lift them.
It wasn't until much later that the pressure suddenly vanished.
Zhu Zhuqing sat up with a jolt.
The utter despair and terror before she fainted made her instinctively tense her muscles, summon her martial spirit, and spring her razor-sharp cat claws from her hands to guard her chest.
But in the next moment, her expression froze as she looked around.
Her torn black leather outfit was gone—replaced with a pretty pink dress decorated with little bunny prints.
Her limbs were no longer weak. Power flowed through them clearly.
Her first reaction was pure joy:"I… I really got saved?"
Her heart pounded wildly, and her pale face flushed with emotion.
The terror of death made survival all the more intoxicating.
Her second reaction was more bashful:"The one who saved me was a man, right? I only had that one outfit… he must've seen everything."
Still, even knowing that, Zhu Zhuqing didn't feel the slightest resentment.
Only deep gratitude.
Compared to her life, what did modesty matter?
You can't demand someone saving you to keep their eyes shut the whole time. That'd be ungrateful beyond reason.
Plus, her injuries had been severe. Her back, legs, and arms were covered in gashes down to the bone.
When awake, she could suppress the pain, but if she'd fainted without help, she could've bled out and died.
After spacing out briefly, Zhu Zhuqing quickly began checking her condition.
To her astonishment, all her wounds had vanished completely—not even a scar remained.
Her movements were smooth, pain-free, and perfectly fluid.
Most importantly, her body showed no signs of assault—everything was intact, perfectly unviolated.Clearly, the person who saved her hadn't taken advantage of her.
She let out a subtle sigh of relief.
With a leap, Zhu Zhuqing jumped off the bed.
As soon as she stepped out of the tent, she saw a tall young man practicing martial arts about ten meters away.
Wearing only shorts, his bare upper body and calves revealed a perfectly toned physique and streamlined muscles.
What shocked the little kitten most—
Every punch and kick he threw carried the ferocity of a rampaging tiger.
The aura was terrifyingly powerful.
"You're awake?"
Sensing someone behind him, Nangong Lingyun stopped his training, turned slowly, and gave the same warm smile he wore the day before.
Even as a seasoned, veteran LSP (let's just say "connoisseur of beauty"), who had seen plenty and considered himself worldly—
He couldn't help but feel stunned the moment he saw her.
In this fantasy world, cultivators' bodies were nourished by spiritual energy, so ugliness was rare. The average face here outclassed most so-called beauties from his previous life.
But even among these top-tier looks, Zhu Zhuqing was at the pinnacle.
Her skin was like the purest, silkiest milk with a natural glow—so white and delicate it was almost shocking.Who knew human skin could look like that?
And paired with a body that looked nothing like her age—pure bombshell curves—
She instantly raised Nangong Lingyun's standards of beauty.
The only flaw: maybe she looked a little too cold.
(End of Chapter)