Chapter 62 is an answer to Xie Baoqiong's question...

The only response to Xie Baoqiong's question was the sound of rushing water.

Wen Mao, his face cold, wrung out the cloth in his hand and threw it to Xie Baoqiong, who caught it.

"Clean your father up first."

After saying that, he left the room without looking back and went into the courtyard to gather the herbs in his basket.

Xie Baoqiong withdrew her gaze and shifted it from outside the door to Xie Zhuo on the bed.

Xie Zhuo's face and hands were covered in dust from the foot of the cliff, and the wound on his arm had been treated with medicine and re-bandaged.

The clothes near the wound were stained with blood.

Xie Baoqiong took the damp cloth in her hand, walked to the bedside, covered Xie Zhuo's face, and wiped it vigorously.

After he picked up the damp cloth, Xie Zhuo's face was indeed clean, but his originally fair complexion turned bright red.

Xie Baoqiong's hand trembled, and the wet cloth was put back on Xie Zhuo's face.

He peeked out of the house, but Wen Mao, with his back to him, didn't notice what was happening on his side.

Xie Baoqiong turned her back, took the wet cloth off Xie Zhuo's face and threw it back into the basin, then cast a cleansing spell on her hand.

In a short while, Xie Zhuo was cleaned from head to toe, even his clothes, which were covered in dust, became clean.

Only her face had a blush.

Xie Baoqiong looked away and focused on Xie Zhuo's clean clothes. Worried that Wen Mao might become suspicious, she pulled Xie Zhuo's sleeve to wipe her face and then covered Xie Zhuo with it.

Seeing that the clean clothes were now covered in dust again, he turned and walked into the courtyard.

"Brother Cat, I've cleaned Dad up."

Wen Mao put down the herbs in his hand, glanced down at Xie Baoqiong, and walked into the house.

His gaze swept over Xie Zhuo on the wooden bed, and when he picked up the wooden basin filled with water, his eyes darkened.

But his expression remained unchanged as he poured water, placed the wooden basin down, and led Xie Baoqiong toward the stream beside the village.

In July, as darkness falls, the stream offers a refreshing coolness that washes away the daytime heat.

As dusk fell, the children who would have played in the stream during the day were gone, leaving only the sounds of the wind rustling through the leaves and the babbling of the stream, adding a touch of solitude to the scene.

"The stream isn't deep, don't go too far," Wen Mao reminded him.

Xie Baoqiong, without taking off her clothes or shoes, waded directly into the stream.

He submerged himself in the water, as if he had returned to his days in Sishui Mountain.

Silver light pierced through the water's surface, distorting the moon's reflection.

Xie Baoqiong suddenly surfaced and retreated.

A cold light fell on the spot where he had been moments before, splashing water up to half a person's height.

"Catman Bro?"

Xie Baoqiong used her inner energy to dodge backward, her gaze following the cold light upwards.

Wen Mao swung his long sword at him once again.

The clothes, soaked with water, became heavy. Xie Baoqiong no longer dodged. The long sword, carrying a cold glint, struck him, making a sickening metallic clang.

Wen Mao sheathed his sword and landed on a rock that was higher than the stream:

"What exactly are you?"

Xie Baoqiong lowered her eyes to look at the sleeve that had been torn by the blade, her clear eyes gazing at Wen Mao bathed in moonlight and the blade that shone with the chill of the stream. Her voice was calm:

"And what is Cat Bro?"

A cold glint, like a blade in his hand, flashed across Wen Mao's usually calm face; it was unclear whether this was a question or an answer.

"Demon cultivator?"

The moment the two words, as light as the wind, landed on the stream, Wen Mao's wrist flicked, the blade turning towards Xie Baoqiong:

"No matter what your purpose is, I will not let you disrupt your current life."

After speaking, Wen Mao's figure disappeared on the stream stones.

In the blink of an eye, he flashed in front of Xie Baoqiong, his long knife thrusting straight at her.

Xie Baoqiong bent down, the tip of the knife piercing through his clothes, and two shadows flew out from the opened clothes.

He reached out to grab it, but the bird whistle brushed past his hand and fell into the stream.

The long sword came at her again. Xie Baoqiong turned her head to avoid it, touched the water with her toes, and pushed her head forward.

Wen Mao was thrown into the stream, and the splashing water droplets hit his face and rolled down his face.

Xie Baoqiong's dissatisfied voice rang out amidst the splashing water:

"You threw the bird whistle that my dad bought for me into the water."

Having regained his footing, Wen Mao glanced at Xie Baoqiong with a surprised look upon hearing her words, and silently sheathed his sword.

His sharp aura instantly subsided, like a sword returning to its sheath, restoring the simple and honest demeanor he had when he first met Wen Conglan:

"I'll help you find it."

The stream was not flowing rapidly, and Xie Baoqiong and Wen Mao both used their divine senses to search through this section of the stream.

Xie Baoqiong quickly found a bird whistle that had sunk to the bottom of the stream and held it up in front of Wen Mao, who was groping in the water:

"It's the same bird whistle as this one."

After showing it to Wen Mao, he dragged his wet clothes ashore, squatted down on the bank and used his spiritual power to dry the clothes while supervising the search for Wen Mao who was looking for the bird whistle.

When the moon was high in the sky, a damp hand suddenly reached out to Xie Baoqiong, who was dry and parched.

The plump ceramic sparrow in my palm still had water droplets clinging to it.

"Give."

Xie Baoqiong held another identical bird whistle in her own hand.

He looked up at Wen Mao, who was almost as tall as the moon, his wet hair still dripping water onto the ground.

Xie Baoqiong took a step back to avoid the splashing water:

"Here you go, consider it payment for helping me carry my father down the mountain."

Wen Mao noticed Xie Baoqiong's movements, and the moisture on her body was instantly dispelled by spiritual power.

Xie Baoqiong offered a reminder:

"Remember to dry the water inside the bird whistle."

Wen Mao sat down not far from Xie Baoqiong, holding a bird whistle. Wisps of mist rose from his palms, blurring his sharp eyebrows and eyes.

Xie Baoqiong blew the bird whistle in her palm, and seeing that the water had stopped flowing, she asked:

"Why did you want to kill me? And how did you know I was...?"

The jade pendant given to him by Su Xiaochun was clearly hanging firmly around his neck, and he did not think that Wen Mao's strength was enough to see through the illusion of the jade pendant.

The bird whistle, which Xie Baoqiong could barely hold with both hands, only took up half of Wen Mao's palm.

Wenmao looked across the stream at the village through the rising steam:

“I didn’t mean to kill you. You’re not human.”

The two overly simplistic answers only fueled Xie Baoqiong's questions.

He was about to retort when he realized he couldn't refute Wen Mao's first statement.

Not long ago, when Wen Mao first attacked him, he indeed did not sense any killing intent.

Therefore, he didn't notice Wen Mao's knife until it was right in front of him.

Can……

"What makes me seem inhuman?"

Xie Baoqiong held up her fingers and waved them in front of her eyes. They were exactly the same as those of a human, with neither an extra nor a missing finger.

Wen Mao cast a glance:

"You don't look like it."

And you performed the ritual in the house this afternoon.”

"Human cultivators can also use those spells." Xie Baoqiong had just finished refuting when she suddenly realized:

How did you know?

“The water is clean, but your father’s clothes are clean too,” Wen Mao said, recalling Xie Zhuo’s clothes, where even the bloodstains had disappeared.

“It’s dirty…” Xie Baoqiong puffed out her cheeks and whistled again.

The chirping sounds leaped and danced in the stream.

Wen Mao, however, became interested and his voice mingled with the bird whistling:

"Didn't anyone recognize you?"

"Chirp, yes," Xie Baoqiong replied indistinctly, a bird whistle dangling from her lips.

Not only were there suspicions, but even Rong Feng, who had seen him a few times recently, seemed to doubt him, looking at him with eyes that seemed to want to see right through him.

"Your father is just a mortal man; he is not actually your father."

Didn't he recognize me?

The sound of birdsong echoed overhead, and Xie Baoqiong asked in return:

"Isn't Aunt Wen just a mortal?"

Wen Mao nodded, put the bird whistle, which was no longer emitting moisture, into his pocket, stood up, and looked back at the courtyard.

"Yes, she is a mortal."

"So she knows you don't, right?"

Xie Baoqiong threw the question back at her.

Wen Mao did not answer Xie Baoqiong's question. His dark gray pupils reflected the moon, the stars in the night sky, and the lights in the courtyard. Even his inorganic dark gray eyes seemed to be tinged with warmth by the firelight.

“I am, I am her child, I am… Wenmao.”

Wen Mao walked over to Xie Baoqiong, picked her up from the ground, and walked back.

Xie Baoqiong was feeling uncomfortable being carried by Wen Mao, and the noisy bird whistling sounded again: "You're being a bit rude."

Wen Mao simply hoisted Xie Baoqiong onto his shoulder and hurried back.

"It's late, you're walking too slowly."

The night breeze, carrying moisture, blew on the two of them, bringing a refreshing coolness.

Carried on her shoulder, Xie Baoqiong found a comfortable position, lowered her head, and asked:

What did you mean by what you said when you were fighting with me just now?

Wen Mao paused for a moment, then said, "It's nothing."

Xie Baoqiong was skeptical: "You actually wanted to kill me, didn't you?"

"..." Wen Mao didn't respond, but quickened his pace as he carried him.

When the two returned to the courtyard, they happened to run into Wen Conglan, who was just coming out of the gate.

"Mother, we're back."

Wen Conglan was carrying a lantern, and her worried expression calmed down the moment she saw them:

"I was just about to go out to look for you. Where have you been? Why are you back so late?"

Wen Mao put Xie Baoqiong down on the ground: "Brother Mushi played in the water for a while and came back a little late."

"It's clearly..." Xie Baoqiong's mouth was covered.

"I'll take Mu Shi back to his room first."

His sleeve was torn by a branch; I'll mend it for him later. Xie Baoqiong stared blankly as she was taken back to Xie Zhuo's room.

Wen Mao put him down and, disregarding his wishes, made a promise:

“If you tell anyone about what happened tonight, I will tell him who you are.”

Wen Mao pointed at Xie Zhuo, and it was obvious who he was referring to.

“My father hasn’t woken up yet, he can’t hear you even if you speak.”

Xie Baoqiong showed no sign of panic at the threat. She kicked off her shoes, climbed into bed, and lay down next to Xie Zhuo.

There was only one bed in the room, and he didn't want to sleep on the floor, so he had to squeeze in with Xie Zhuo.

Wen Mao stood by the bed, watching him complete a series of actions, finally meeting his gaze in those round, dark eyes, and said coldly:

"Once he has recovered, you should leave this place."

While Wen Mao was speaking, Xie Baoqiong sat up, took off her clothes, and handed them to Wen Mao:

"Brother Cat, make sure it's fixed."

Wen Mao took the clothes, picked up the oil lamp, and left the room.

The room darkened, and moonlight streamed in through the half-open window.

Xie Baoqiong lay on her side facing Xie Zhuo. Senior Xin's magic was too effective; she wondered when Xie Zhuo would wake up.