Mu Yanfeng frowned and said, "Junior Sister, do not listen to those rumors. My relationship with Qingmiao is purely that of a mentor and apprentice."
I gave a cold snort. "Senior Brother, I have known you since we were children; do you think I don't understand you? What exactly is so special about Qingmiao that you would disregard your reputation like this?"
Mu Yanfeng looked helpless. "Hanxi, Qingmiao is my disciple. My guidance and concern for her stem entirely from my responsibilities as her master. Do not let your imagination run wild."
I bit my lip. "But I do not want you to suffer criticism because of her."
Mu Yanfeng looked at me with a steady gaze. "Hanxi, pay no heed to such baseless talk. My conscience is clear. As long as Qingmiao focuses on her cultivation and achieves success in the future, it will be enough to silence the gossips."
"I believe you, Senior Brother." I looked into his eyes and sighed softly. "I only hope Qingmiao does not let you down."
Mu Yanfeng patted my shoulder. "Rest assured, Hanxi. Qingmiao has great talent; in time, she will surely achieve great things."
I nodded, though my heart remained unsettled. His focus on Qingmiao made me anxious; I feared that one day, he would drift further and further away from me.
In the days that followed, I tried my best to ignore the rumors and focus on my cultivation. Yet, whenever I saw Mu Yanfeng and Qingmiao together, my mood was inevitably affected.
Until one day, Qingmiao hit a bottleneck in her cultivation and could not break through. She was dejected, and Mu Yanfeng was deeply worried for her.
Seeing this, I took the initiative to find Qingmiao and shared my own insights on cultivation with her. Qingmiao was immensely grateful and said, "Thank you, Junior Uncle! I will definitely work hard!"
Watching Qingmiao find her resolve again, I felt a sense of relief. Perhaps I should let go of my obsession and face this relationship with a peaceful heart.
From then on, Qingmiao practiced diligently according to my insights and finally broke through her bottleneck, advancing her cultivation to a new level. Overjoyed, she found Mu Yanfeng and me, and said excitedly, "Master, Junior Uncle, I have succeeded!"
A gratified smile appeared on Mu Yanfeng’s face. He looked at me and said, "Hanxi, this is all thanks to you." I gave an awkward smile in response. "I am glad to see Qingmiao make such progress."
Days turned into weeks, but a new crisis was quietly approaching.
One day, the sect received news that a nearby evil faction was plotting against us. The entire sect immediately went into a state of readiness, and Second Senior Brother and I volunteered to scout the area.
"Senior Brother, I am leaving tomorrow to scout," I said to him, my expression firm as I came to bid him farewell.
"So soon? It seems you have truly mastered your craft, Junior Sister." Mu Yanfeng raised an eyebrow, his gaze filled with a mix of concern and inquiry.
"Yes. Farewell," I said simply, preparing to turn and leave.
"Wait." He hurriedly called out to me, then carefully withdrew a warm, polished jade pendant from his storage bag and handed it to me. "Take this. It can withstand three attacks from anyone below the Nascent Soul realm. Keep it safe. Although I trust your strength, I still worry that something might happen to you." His eyes were filled with worry and reluctance.
"There is no need," I refused without hesitation, feeling that with Second Senior Brother by my side, we would surely be able to keep each other safe.
Upon hearing this, Mu Yanfeng’s expression darkened. The look of anticipation that had been there a moment ago vanished instantly, though he still managed to force a smile. "That is fine, too. With Second Senior Brother accompanying you, I feel more at ease." Yet, his smile clearly hid a trace of helplessness.
"Hanxi, you..." Mu Yanfeng hesitated, his lips trembling slightly as if he had more to say, but in the end, he said nothing. "Very well. Go on, then, and return as soon as you can." His voice carried a tremor I could barely detect.
"Very well," I replied briefly.
"Hanxi," he said the next day, standing before the sect, watching Second Senior Brother and me quietly. His voice sounded as if it might vanish with the slightest breeze. "You must return safely."
His gaze was profound and filled with deep affection. He kept watching our retreating figures until we were far away, his eyes full of loss, as if he had lost something precious.
Second Senior Brother and I moved cautiously through the forest when, suddenly, shadows stirred all around us. Dozens of experts from the evil faction surrounded us in an instant. They were clad in black robes, wearing eerie masks, their weapons gleaming with a cold light.
"Second Senior Brother, watch out!" I shouted in alarm.
I saw Second Senior Brother’s gaze sharpen. With lightning speed, he drew his sword and engaged the enemies charging at him without hesitation. His movements were as agile as a dragon’s, his sword techniques as fierce as the wind, and in a heartbeat, he had repelled several foes.
However, the enemies continued to pour in like a rising tide. Gradually, we were tightly encircled and fell into a difficult plight. At that critical moment, I let out a fierce shout: "Second Senior Brother, I am coming to assist you!"
The moment the words left my lips, I took flight. My sword danced like a silver dragon, and my sword aura shone like a rainbow. Moving like a gale, I wove through the enemy lines with agility, my strikes sharp and powerful, each blow carrying the weight of a crashing sea.
Just then, a ferocious-looking expert from the evil faction swung a gleaming broadsword at me with brute force. I reacted quickly, dodging to the side and using a clever maneuver to parry his strike, precisely piercing his wrist. The broadsword instantly flew from his hand. I followed up with a fierce roundhouse kick, the sheer force knocking him hard to the ground.
Before I could catch my breath, several more vicious enemies swarmed me. I remained calm and composed, executing a masterful set of sword techniques. The clashing shadows of our blades wove a seamless defensive web, preventing the enemies from getting close.
Seeing my chance, I exerted force and unleashed a surging, powerful sword aura that swept out like a tidal wave, instantly driving back the enemies in front of me.
Under my bold and fearless assault, the enemy formation began to descend into chaos.
Just as we thought the tide was about to turn, a cold arrow whistled from the distance, aimed directly at Second Senior Brother.
"Second Senior Brother, watch out for that arrow!" I cried out.
But the arrow moved too fast. Second Senior Brother could not dodge in time, and it struck him squarely in the shoulder. He let out a muffled groan, his face turning pale instantly.
"Despicable cowards! How dare you strike from the shadows!" Infuriated, I swung my sword with even greater intensity, charging toward the direction from which the arrow had come.
At that moment, several enemies seized the chance to attack the injured Second Senior Brother again.
"Don't you dare touch him!" I was frantic with worry, fighting to beat back the enemies in front of me while trying to move to his defense.
At this critical juncture, Second Senior Brother gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as he swung his sword to parry the attackers.
I finally broke through the siege and reached his side, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
"Second Senior Brother, hold on! We will fight our way out of this!" I shouted.
He nodded slightly, his eyes firm. "Very well. Let’s break out together!"
Back to back, we supported each other, engaging in a life-and-death struggle with the enemy.
As the fierce fighting continued, Second Senior Brother’s wound began to worsen due to his constant, violent exertion. Blood gushed from his shoulder, staining a large portion of his clothes. His face grew paler, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his stance began to waver.
I was beside myself with anxiety. While fighting to fend off the enemies, I shouted, "Second Senior Brother, sit down and rest! Stop moving around!"
However, he gritted his teeth and said, "No, we cannot afford to relax now!"
Knowing we could not go on like this, I seized a gap between waves of enemies, tore a strip from my own garment, and bandaged his wound to slow the bleeding as much as possible.
"Second Senior Brother, you must hold on!" I gripped his arm tightly, trying to impart my own strength and courage to him.
He nodded weakly. "Don't worry. I won't fall so easily."
Though the wound was temporarily treated, the situation remained dire, and the enemies did not give us a moment’s respite, swarming us once more.
Just as I was focused entirely on the enemy before me, I failed to notice a hidden undercurrent behind me. That expert from the evil faction, who had been lurking in the shadows, seized the moment I was unguarded and launched a sudden, silent strike from behind.
His speed was ghost-like, impossible to trace. In that fraction of a second, my reaction was a beat too slow to mount an effective defense.
He unleashed a powerful palm strike, slamming it mercilessly into my back. A wave of searing pain hit me, and I could not stop a cry of agony from escaping my lips. My body pitched forward involuntarily. The sudden, unexpected blow had caught me completely off guard, and I lost my balance instantly...