Chapter 11
◎Same Room◎
Seeing her tense expression, Jiang Qiye felt it necessary to make up a lie to explain: "Since I was entrusted by your father, I naturally have to look after you. If you are sensible, the people who are chasing you are dead and no longer a threat. You can go wherever you want in the future, and I will not interfere."
It was indeed wrong of her to take the money and run away, but it wouldn't be wrong for her to instinctively avoid a "third uncle" she had only known for a day, would it?
Giving so many grand pronouncements is really long-winded.
Pei Xueyan watched him leisurely walk into the room, as if she had been overthinking things.
She didn't close the door, and lowered her head to explain in a low voice, "My father and mother are gone, how am I supposed to know if you're really my third uncle? Besides, how can we share a room the first time we meet? What kind of reputation would that make?"
"Whether you want to call me that or not is up to you."
Jiang Qiye stopped dwelling on the matter of identity, flicked his sleeve, and the door closed automatically with a "click".
He pointed to the bathtub in the corner of the room, then turned to her and asked, "Shall we take a bath first, or have the food brought up?"
Pei Xueyan blushed and said embarrassedly, "Wei An grew up in the mountains and is indeed a bit carefree, not paying much attention to etiquette. But Mother also said that men and women should not touch each other, and even those who are from the martial arts world should not break the rules of etiquette..."
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Qiye took off his outer robe, casually draped it over the back of a chair, placed his sword on the table, and turned to walk out the door.
Pei Xueyan was stunned for a moment before she realized that it seemed they were going to share a room. However, he would leave first to avoid suspicion when she took a shower.
Pei Xueyan deliberately washed very slowly, rubbing her entire body until her skin was red, and even carefully rubbing her long hair several times.
Covered in dust and sweat from the morning, now soaking in warm water, it felt so comfortable that I almost hummed out loud.
Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and the room was already filled with steam, with water stains splashed all over the floor.
Jiang Qiye stood on the rooftop for a long time, lost in thought. When he returned to his room, he found that she hadn't finished washing up yet, and couldn't help but suspect that she had run away again.
I knocked gently on the door.
Pei Xueyan, half-asleep with her eyes half-closed, was jolted awake by the knocking on the door: "Third Uncle, don't be in such a hurry! Wait another fifteen minutes, and I'll definitely be dressed and ready to come out!"
Jiang Qiye didn't urge him any further, and just stood outside the door waiting quietly.
The sounds of her knocking over tables and chairs and hurried footsteps could be heard from inside the room from time to time. After a while, it finally quieted down.
The next second, the door behind the screen was pulled open, and Pei Xueyan walked out with her wet hair. The girl's cheeks were flushed, and she looked at him with a hint of anger. She stared at Jiang Qiye and deliberately said something hurtful: "Third Uncle was listening outside the door the whole time. What kind of gentleman is that? He kept urging me. I was so flustered that I even tripped and fell!"
As she spoke, she lifted her right sleeve, revealing a faint red mark on her fair arm, slightly swollen.
Jiang Qiye was speechless for a moment.
He deliberately acted like an elder today, but first she ran away, and now he's being accused of being ungentlemanly. He's definitely not a qualified third uncle.
Without offering any explanation, he turned and walked into the inner room, raising his hand to produce a small celadon jar from his sleeve.
Inside is the Qingzong Sect's ancestral ointment, which is most effective in treating bruises and sprains; the redness and swelling will subside within half an hour.
As he walked out of the inner room with the ointment, he happened to run into the waiter who came to clean the bath tub, and the floor was quickly wiped clean.
Once the room was clean and tidy again, he pulled Pei Xueyan's wrist, made her sit on a chair, gently rolled up her sleeve, squeezed the ointment onto his fingertip, and carefully applied it to the red mark.
The ointment felt slightly cool to the touch. Jiang Qiye applied it gently, but Pei Xueyan didn't feel anything from the ointment.
Just when her fingertips touched her skin, it felt like tiny electric currents coursing through her, making her tremble with an itch.
Having never had her wrist grabbed like this by any other man except her father, she asked softly, "Third Uncle... do you often touch other people's hands like this?"
Jiang Qiye didn't know what she meant.
He had never touched another woman like that, much less touched anyone else's wrist.
Unless he was going down the mountain to help someone in a heroic act, and would touch a patient's wrist to check their pulse, he rarely spoke to anyone else, let alone touched their wrist.
“At your age, you’re most prone to overthinking. When I went down the mountain to rescue people before, I inevitably had to check patients’ pulses and examine their conditions, so I naturally touched quite a few people’s hands.”
This conclusion is based on the knowledge that Xue Lian was the same age in the previous illusion, was emotionally rich, and was willing to die for love.
This is probably the feeling of teenage girls.
Unexpectedly, Pei Xueyan got angry after she said those words.
"Hmph!" Pei Xueyan immediately pulled her hand back, turned her face away from him, and said with a little temper, "Uncle always makes fun of me! If you think I'm overthinking, then I'm overthinking! No need to wipe it anymore, it hurts so much."
Jiang Qiye certainly didn't really want to argue with her, nor would he intentionally create an emotional distance between them.
He still needs this kinship to help her condense her core; if he really angers her, it will be a loss rather than a gain.
He tightened his grip on her wrist, his tone softening: "Hurry up and finish applying the ointment. I'll go ask the waiter to bring the dishes up. Dry your hair first, so you don't catch a cold."
Pei Xueyan didn't respond, but she didn't pull her hand away either, obediently letting him finish applying the ointment.
More than an hour ago, Pei Xueyan had bought a lot of snacks to fill her stomach while strolling around town, but now that the waiter had brought over a table full of dishes, her stomach still rumbled loudly.
I was starving.
As she ate her food, she caught a glimpse of Jiang Qiye sitting to the side, his posture as elegant as a celestial statue. He only picked up a few bites of vegetables before getting up, walking to the bedside, and closing his eyes to meditate.
Only then did Pei Xueyan completely let down her guard.
This man must be a Taoist who is obsessed with martial arts and cultivation. He has an otherworldly appearance and exudes a divine aura. What evil intentions could he possibly have?
After she had eaten until her belly was round, she asked the waiter to clear away the dishes and walked to Jiang Qiye's side. She whispered, "Third Uncle, you are the elder. You can sleep on the bed. I'll just sleep on the table for the night."
Jiang Qiye slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on her. He stood up and said in an unquestionable tone, "You sleep in the bed. I need to meditate. Don't worry about me."
Retreat?
Do you want to meditate all night?
Jiang Qiye walked outside the screen, raised his hand and conjured a futon out of thin air, sat down cross-legged, and quickly closed his eyes again.
She sat on the edge of the bed, still feeling a little uneasy. She didn't dare to actually lie down, so she just leaned her head against the bedpost, trying her best not to fall asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, a very faint, strange sound suddenly came, as if someone had stepped on a tree branch and broken it.
Xueyan suddenly woke up with a start, and immediately got up to go outside.
Jiang Qiye had heard the sound long ago, and in a flash she was at the door. By the time she came out, the door was already closed.
I looked up and saw her, and said softly, "Go to sleep."
The voice remained calm, without the slightest hint of emotion.
Pei Xueyan couldn't contain her curiosity and pressed on, "Who's outside? Is it... is it people chasing me?"
"An unknown soldier".
After Jiang Qiye finished speaking, he turned around and walked back to the futon, sat down cross-legged again, and quickly resumed his meditative posture.
Only then did Pei Xueyan feel completely relieved.
She went back to bed, lifted the covers and lay down. The soft bedding wrapped around her body, dispelling the fatigue of the past few days.
This was the first time she had slept in a safe bed since she went into hiding, and she felt completely secure.
Before long, he fell into a deep sleep.
Jiang Qi can meditate for three days without moving and can fast for a long time without eating.
Not to mention staying still all night, even sitting for three days straight without eating a single grain of rice is nothing unusual for him.
Master often said that he was one of the few disciples in the Qing Sect who could calm his mind and deal with things in a calm manner. This composure was truly rare among his peers.
However, during meditation, my ears are exceptionally sensitive; even the slightest sounds, such as the rustling of grass outside the window, the chirping of insects and birds under the eaves, can be clearly heard.
It was the sound of human footsteps.
Chen Weian's enemies have caught up with him.
It's easy to think about. Her clothes are still in that dilapidated thatched hut. This town is the closest town to the area outside the mountains.
With a little inquiry, it's easy to find an inn.
Jiang Qiye understood.
Wei An's parents' enemies were just martial arts practitioners, ordinary people. With his cultivation level, he could kill them with a simple wave of his sleeve.
This time, he did not intend to use his spiritual power.
He heard a sound on the roof, opened his eyes, gently pushed open the door, and floated up to the roof like a falling leaf.
His robes fluttered in the moonlight as he slowly drew his sword.
The three people on the roof were shocked to see a strange man suddenly appear and stand there so provocatively with a sword in hand.
People in the martial arts world value swift retribution and quick revenge. Without saying much, the three exchanged a glance and then drew their swords to attack Jiang Qiye.
Jiang Qiye simply held the sword in one hand, standing firmly on the spot without moving an inch.
With a few crisp clangs, the sword flashed, and the longswords in the hands of the three men were instantly sliced into several pieces.
The shattered sword floated up, hovering lightly half a foot in front of the three people's necks.
The three men were quite tough, showing no fear whatsoever.
One of them gritted his teeth and glared at Jiang Qiye, shouting defiantly, "I'm not convinced! I just didn't use my full strength earlier, let's have another match!"
A hint of indifference flashed in Jiang Qiye's eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed his sword aside, then raised his hand and swept the broken sword hanging in the air, causing it to fall onto the roof tiles with a soft clatter.
Seeing that they were no longer restrained, the three men disregarded all the rules of the martial world. They exchanged glances and pounced on Jiang Qiye together, throwing punches and kicks, trying to overwhelm him with their three-on-one advantage.
Jiang Qiye stood still, not even lifting his eyelids.
Just as the three men's fists and feet were about to land in front of him, he slightly turned his body and dodged the fist of the man in front as if he were taking a leisurely stroll.
The punch carried brute force, grazing his sleeve as it struck the tiles, causing several pieces of green tile to shatter and roll away.
The sound quickly woke up the person who had been living in constant fear for the past six months.
Jiang Qiye originally wanted to finish quickly, but then he sensed Pei Xueyan getting up and walking over.
They immediately pretended to be locked in a fierce and evenly matched fight.
Taking advantage of his distraction, the two men behind him immediately attacked from behind, one targeting his lower back and the other gripping his wrist.
After a few moves, his patience ran out.
Jiang Qiye used his sleeve to deflect the flying tile, while Chang Lingfei flew over, grabbed the attacking wrist, and gently twisted it.
Several people fell down.
He then extended his palm, and the force of his inner energy caused the three men to cough up blood from their chests.
His martial arts skills were completely destroyed.
After doing all this, he deliberately clutched his chest and managed to cough up a little blood.
Pei Xueyan quickly helped Jiang Qiye up as he fell from the roof. Seeing the blood on his lips, tears instantly streamed down her face. She choked out, "Third Uncle, are you hurt?"
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