While Chen Yi and the others accompanied Hua Xianzi on a detour to the west, heading to her hometown for a family visit.
Hua Xianzi looked at Chen Yi and softly said, "Brother Chen, thank you."
Chen Yi smiled, his expression slightly unnatural.
Beside them, Xie Changle teased with a smirk, "I say, Hua, you only thank Chen Yi and not me?"
Xiao Xuanzhen didn't catch his implication but chimed in anyway, "Right, Hua, didn't I also follow along?"
Hua Xianzi blushed, casting a glance at Chen Yi before lowering her head.
The pitter-patter of rain began to fall.
Giant trees stood one after another, their lush branches and leaves providing shelter, making the forest seem dim in the rainy weather.
Raindrops hit the leaves and were gathered by the uneven veins.
In no time, the accumulated water bent the leaves and slid off in a flash.
Chen Yuan collected the rainwater with a leaf, his tall and sturdy frame awkwardly taking a cautious stance.
His handsome face bore signs of fatigue, but there was a hint of mirth in his eyes.
Having collected the water, Chen Yuan carefully approached a nearby cave, saying with a smile:
"Senior Sister Ling, have some water."
Ling Yinrong leaned inside the cave, covered with Chen Yuan's overcoat, her rounded shoulders exposed and her face pale but managing a smile.
"Are you planning to thank me with just this rainwater?"
Saying this, she took the water, her arm fair and translucent but wrapped in a tightly-bound bandage, faintly crimson with blood.
"Great kindness does not require thanks," said Chen Yuan with a sheepish smile. "Thanks to Senior Sister's protection, otherwise I would have already perished at the hands of the Southern Barbarian Sect."
Ling Yinrong rolled her eyes at him and scoffed, "If it weren't for Chen Yi's sake, I wouldn't have bothered to help you."
With that, her tone carried a hint of resentment.
It was all so infuriating.
That day, Chen Yuan and Lu Zhao came to her for directions and ended up dragging her into being an "accomplice."
Especially once they learned she was a disciple of Sword Edge Mountain from the Grand Void Sect, Chen Yuan insisted on following her no matter what.
He bombarded her with questions, all about his junior brother—Chen Yi.
If it were not for Ling Yinrong later stating she hadn't returned to her sect for a long time, she might still be listening to the endless "Hehe, how's my junior brother?"
Throughout their time together, Chen Yuan often talked most about his and Chen Yi's childhood in Kyoto Prefecture.
If Ling Yinrong hadn't seen the descriptions on the Heavenly Pride List, she might have doubted whether this brother from Wuliang Mountain truly was the Absolute Blade Inheritor.
His optimism and active disposition were quite different from the image she had of the Absolute Blade Inheritor.
But what was even more infuriating were those from the Southern Barbarian Sect.
In recent days, Shamans sent wave after wave, never giving Ling Yinrong a chance to explain, repeatedly coming to ambush them.
With her temperament, she naturally couldn't tolerate such life-and-death threats.
Therefore, she ended up staying together with Chen Yuan and Lu Zhao and even joined forces to kill several Shamans.
Chen Yuan didn't mind her tone and continued smiling, "You are my junior brother's senior sister, and therefore also my senior sister."
Ling Yinrong drank the rainwater, a bit of color returning to her face, but still said irritably, "Is this how you treat your senior sister?"
"Under the circumstances..."
Chen Yuan smiled awkwardly, "I've sent Lu Zhao to look for food, he'll be back soon."
Ling Yinrong nodded, pulling the overcoat tighter around herself and said, "Staying in the Southern Barbarian Land is no solution; we must leave as soon as possible."
Chen Yuan hesitated, then nodded, "I'll follow Senior Sister's lead."
At that moment, a rustling sound came from outside the cave.
Both of them paused, focusing on the noises outside.
After listening for a moment, Chen Yuan was about to say it was Lu Zhao when they heard the whistling of something flying through the air outside the cave.
"It's the Southern Barbarian Sect!"
Chen Yuan's expression changed, without a second thought, he grabbed Ling Yinrong and dodged to the side.
Several feathered arrows shot past them, embedding into the cave wall.
"Not good, let's go!"
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