Chapter 608
The campfire was almost out of flame.
Her gaze was like a cold blade, sweeping over everyone.
"Did you all understand?!"
"I...I understand!"
Everyone was intimidated by her sharp aura and fell silent, bowing in agreement.
……
Deep within the Fengwan Mountains, in a secluded and hidden cave.
The campfire was almost out, with only a few embers radiating warmth, and the aroma of roasted meat still lingered in the air.
Jiang Xuan sat cross-legged by the fire, looking at Luo Luo, who was fast asleep on the pile of dry grass beside him, her belly slightly bulging, and her lips still bearing traces of oil and a satisfied smile. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Being able to take good care of this little girl was his only comfort at this moment.
When Luo Luo woke up earlier, she cried and wanted to find her mother. Jiang Xuan went to great lengths to soothe her emotions in a clumsy but sincere way. He ate some roasted wild game with her and told her stories to lull her to sleep.
He knew that Luo Luo's mother, that kind woman, was probably in grave danger. The thought of this filled him with intense guilt and self-reproach, making him cherish Luo Luo even more.
But the road ahead is still fraught with danger, and how to settle such a young and vulnerable child has become his biggest headache.
He set up the [Awakening of Insects Instrument] at the cave entrance and, using the limited materials at hand, constructed a simple spiritual array to conceal fluctuations in energy. Only after completing these protective measures did he truly begin to calm his mind, take the healing pills he carried with him, and circulate his internal energy to repair his severe injuries.
Time passed slowly in the quiet healing process.
Jiang Xuan estimated that it would take about five or six days for his injuries to be basically healed.
During this rare period of rest, aside from practicing internal energy to heal his injuries, he devoted most of his time to taking care of Luo Luo. Luo Luo was still young, and after experiencing such a great shock and change, her emotions were sometimes low and sometimes frightened.
Seeing that she was gloomy all day, Jiang Xuan suddenly remembered something.
With a thought, he took "Chirp Chirp," which had been awakened from its slumber in his palm.
The little guy rubbed his eyes sleepily and made a "chirp?" sound.
With a thud.
When Luo Luo saw this fluffy, round little creature with eyes as clear as black gemstones, she immediately forgot her sadness, her eyes lit up, and she let out a joyful cheer.
Wow! What an adorable little ball!
Chiu Chiu seemed to like this pure and innocent little girl very much. She wiggled her round body and jumped onto Luo Luo's outstretched palm, rubbing her head against Luo Luo's fingers, making Luo Luo giggle. Her silvery laughter finally echoed in the cave once again.
Watching Luo Luo and Qiu Qiu having so much fun, their little faces beaming with smiles befitting their age, Jiang Xuan felt a rare sense of peace.
With Qiuqiu by Luoluo's side, he was able to focus more intently on his healing.
Seven days later, Jiang Xuan's injuries were completely healed, and he returned to his peak condition.
He took Luo Luo and left the cave where they had temporarily hidden, and set off on their journey once more.
On the rugged mountain path, Jiang Xuan carried Luo Luo steadily forward. Luo Luo lay on his broad back, carefully cradling the dozing chick in her small hands.
"Luo Luo, remember what your brother said. If you encounter bad people or see something scary in the future, just close your eyes immediately, like this, okay?"
As Jiang Xuan walked, he kept giving him instructions with concern.
Luo Luo shook her head, her voice sweet but unusually serious.
"Don't be afraid, Luo Luo! I have Qiu Qiu with me! Qiu Qiu will protect me!"
As she spoke, she gently touched the soft downy fur of the chick with her little hand.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan couldn't help but smile helplessly.
This little girl now regards Qiuqiu as her biggest support and talisman.
He could only reply.
"Okay, okay, with Chiu Chiu protecting Luo Luo."
The mountain road winds its way through the unknown.
As Jiang Xuan carried Luo Luo on his back, another aloof and ethereal figure inadvertently flashed through his mind—Xia Zhi. He wondered...where was she now?
After several days of trekking, Jiang Xuan carried Luo Luo to a small town adjacent to the Fengwan Mountains—Qingliu Town. The town was small, but densely populated. Most of the residents made a living by gathering herbs and hunting in the mountains, which brought a considerable flow of tourists, making the town quite lively. Restaurants, inns, and shops were all available, and transportation was convenient.
At midday, the town's most famous restaurant, "Fengwan Restaurant," was bustling with activity, a gathering of people from all walks of life. The lobby on the first floor was especially lively, filled with the sounds of drinking games and lively conversations.
However, in stark contrast to the hustle and bustle on the first floor, the second floor of the restaurant was rather quiet. Most diners were either drinking silently or talking in hushed tones, creating an atmosphere that was subtly oppressive and eerie.
Jiang Xuan had changed into the simple moon-white robe given to him by Luo Luo's mother. Although it was a little worn from washing, it was clean and tidy.
His black hair was casually tied back with a straw rope, and he carried a bamboo basket on his back. Luo Luo sat obediently in the basket, curiously looking around at this unfamiliar place.
He carried Luo Luo on his back and slowly walked up to the second floor. He chose a relatively quiet spot by the window to sit down, then took Luo Luo out of the basket and placed her on the bench next to him.
After the little girl sat down, she blinked her big eyes and made a soft request.
"Brother Jiang Xuan, can Qiuqiu come out to play for a while?"
Looking at Luo Luo's expectant eyes, Jiang Xuan couldn't bear to refuse. He nodded, and with a thought, he picked up Qiu Qiu, who was dozing in his arms, and placed her on the table.
The little guy stretched groggily and chirped, immediately attracting Luo Luo's full attention. She reached out her little hand and carefully teased it.
The diners at several nearby tables glanced at Jiang Xuan as he went upstairs, their eyes lingering briefly on his seemingly ordinary yet upright figure and the iconic outline of the sword and bow on his back. They then looked away as if nothing had happened and continued drinking, but their deliberately cultivated calm only made them more suspicious.
Jiang Xuan's attention was quickly drawn to a commotion coming from downstairs.
He has excellent hearing and can clearly hear some diners talking about the "accident" that happened a few days ago.
"...Have you heard? A few days ago, that spirit-patterned shuttle that passed through here had an accident in the Maple Evening Mountains!"
"That's right! They say they were attacked by a rare and powerful ferocious bird, shot down directly from the sky, resulting in a wrecked car and fatalities!"
"Oh, what a tragedy! I heard there were over a hundred people on the bus, and not a single one survived..." "The authorities have already determined it was an accident."
This world is truly not peaceful…
Hearing these discussions, Jiang Xuan's hand gripping the teacup tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white. An indescribable sense of frustration and anger welled up within him. A ferocious bird attack? A fatal car crash? What a grand, utterly absurd excuse!
This was clearly a lie fabricated by the enemy to cover up that deliberate and brutal massacre! But he knew that even if he stood up and told the truth now, these ordinary people would only think he was talking nonsense, and no one would believe him.
This feeling of powerlessness made his chest feel tight.
Just then, footsteps and laughter came from the stairwell. A young man in a brocade robe and jade belt, with an arrogant expression, walked up the stairs with a fair-skinned, beautiful woman dressed in revealing clothes.
The young master's gaze swept across the second floor with a condescending scrutiny, finally landing on Jiang Xuan's table, or more accurately, on Qiuqiu, who was rolling around on the table acting cute.
"Hey! What's this? It's quite peculiar and cute!"
The young man's eyes lit up. He let go of his female companion's hand and walked straight toward Jiang Xuan's table.
The woman named Ajiao beside him quickly followed suit, flattering him in a sweet voice.
"Brother Ruiqing has a good eye! This little beast is really adorable!"
The young master, known as Rui Qing, proudly raised his chin, as if showing off, and said to A Jiao.
“In this Green Willow Town, there’s nothing that my Rui family wouldn’t want! This little trinket, I’ve got my eye on it!”
As he spoke, he completely ignored Jiang Xuan's presence, reaching out to grab the chick on the table. At the same time, he casually slapped out a bulging money bag with his other hand and threw it on the table, his tone carrying an arrogant condescension.
"Here, is this enough? This little thing is mine now!"
Jiang Xuan's eyes turned cold. Just as Rui Qing's hand was about to touch Qiu Qiu, the ordinary bamboo chopstick he was holding struck Rui Qing's wrist joint with lightning speed, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole!
"what!"
Rui Qing felt a sharp, tingling pain in her wrist, as if she had been clamped hard by iron clamps. She cried out in pain and pulled her hand back as if she had been electrocuted.
He looked at Jiang Xuan with a mixture of shock and anger, seemingly never expecting that this seemingly ordinary young man would dare to attack him!
"You...you dare hit me?!"
Rui Qing's face turned red with anger. Losing face in front of his female companion made him furious. Without thinking, he raised his other hand and slapped Jiang Xuan hard across the face! The palm wind howled, and it even contained a bit of strong spiritual energy!
However, just as he was halfway through swinging his hand, Jiang Xuan's other chopstick, as if it were preordained, pierced another joint of his hand with unparalleled precision!
"Crack!"
A soft, crisp sound.
"Ow—!"
Rui Qing let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered. She jumped up in pain, clutching her hand, which was now weak and throbbing with excruciating pain. Her forehead was instantly covered in cold sweat.
"You...you're courting death! Do you know who I am? I'm from the Rui family..."
Rui Qing winced in pain, her eyes filled with resentment, and roared as she tried to threaten him by bringing up her family background.
However, Jiang Xuan had no interest in listening to his nonsense.
Just as Rui Qing roared, Jiang Xuan keenly sensed that the seemingly ordinary diners on the second floor suddenly became sharp, their gazes locked onto him like knives, and murderous intent was revealed!
Can't wait any longer!
Jiang Xuan suddenly stood up, and before Rui Qing could finish speaking, he grabbed his brocade robe by the collar and, like picking up a chick, threw him out of the window with a forceful swing amidst Rui Qing's terrified screams!
"what--!"
With a long scream, Rui Qing's figure traced an arc before crashing heavily onto the street below with a muffled thud, her fate unknown.
"Ah! Brother Ruiqing!"
The woman named Ajiao was terrified and screamed.
Jiang Xuan didn't even glance at her. He did the same thing, grabbing her by the collar and throwing her out the window amidst her even louder screams.
"boom!"
Another muffled sound.
Jiang Xuan clapped his hands, as if he had done something insignificant, and gave a casual comment.
"A pair of oddballs."
Luo Luo looked at everything that was happening in front of her, her little face showing a mixture of fear and curiosity, and asked in a low voice.
"Brother Jiang Xuan, are they... bad people?"
Jiang Xuan picked her up and put her back on the bench next to him, rubbed her little head, and spoke in a flat tone but with a hint of coldness.
"No, they are not bad people."
Luo Luo blinked in confusion.
Jiang Xuan added.
"They are idiots."
He paused, his expression turning serious, and spoke softly to Luo Luo.
"Luo Luo, listen to me, close your eyes now, and don't open them no matter what sounds you hear. The real 'bad guy' is coming."
Although Luo Luo didn't quite understand, she trusted Jiang Xuan completely and immediately obediently closed her eyes tightly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Almost at the same instant Luo Luo closed her eyes, Jiang Xuan suddenly picked her up and put her back into the bamboo basket on his back, securing her firmly.
His gaze, like a cold blade, suddenly swept over the dozens of "diners" on the second floor!
"Clang—!"
A clear, resonant clang of a blade echoed across the second floor! The [Flowing Light Battle Blade] had already appeared in Jiang Xuan's hand, its cold blade gleaming with a chilling light!
Without any warning, Jiang Xuan leaped up like a ghost, his battle blade drawing a sharp and unparalleled arc as he ruthlessly slashed at the three "diners" at the nearest table!
The three seemed to have been preparing for this for a long time. The moment Jiang Xuan suddenly attacked, they roared and charged forward at the same time! One of them swung his knife to block, another thrust his sword straight at Jiang Xuan's throat, and the third formed a hand seal, condensing an earthen-yellow spiritual shield!
"boom!"
The blade light and the spiritual energy collided violently, producing a deafening roar!
Meanwhile, on the second floor, something unexpected happened!
The "diners" who had been drinking and talking in hushed tones suddenly stood up as if they had received a unified command! The mediocrity and numbness on their faces vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling and murderous aura! Their movements were perfectly synchronized, and all sorts of magical weapons appeared in their hands in an instant—knives, swords, hooks, forks, and even strange weapons that shimmered with an eerie light!
Without the slightest hesitation, these long-disguised assassins, like a pack of wolves pouncing on their prey, launched a fierce attack on Jiang Xuan from all directions! The sharp killing intent intertwined as if it were a tangible substance, instantly filling the entire second-floor space!
"kill!"
A sudden burst of swordplay erupted! The killing intent raged like a violent storm!
The exquisite tables and chairs, under the violent impact of the spiritual energy, instantly turned to dust like paper! Cups, plates, bowls, and chopsticks flew everywhere, crashing against the walls with a crackling sound! The sturdy walls were also deeply cut by the dissipated sword energy, and even the entire wall collapsed in the violent collision! (End of this chapter)