Chapter 44: Hehuan Sect Master Bai Yueguang 5 I am not your brother
After the two walked away, Ji Hanlin finally broke free from Wen Qianning's hand and said softly, "You...are overacting."
"Oh? I think your acting is pretty good. You can keep up with me no matter what. Are you enjoying it?" Wen Qianning raised her eyebrows and looked at him.
Ji Hanlin: "..."
Her tone was relaxed, as if she didn't care about the Qingyun Sword Sect's affairs, but when she turned around, a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes.
How dare these people harm Ji Hanlin?
Wen Qianning felt unhappy, so she dropped her nonchalant tone, patted his shoulder, and said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here. I don't think anyone dares to bully you."
Ji Hanlin looked up at her.
The woman's eyes softened, her voice remarkably firm. "I told you, even if your spiritual power can't recover now, it will definitely recover in the future. If it really doesn't work, I'll find you some rare medicinal herbs. Anything will do. There's always a way."
"You... don't believe me?" She moved closer and stared at him with her watery almond-shaped eyes.
The young man was slightly startled, his eyes flickering slightly. No matter how calm he was, he was only fourteen years old. At this time, his spiritual roots were completely destroyed and his sect betrayed him. It would be a lie to say that he had no hope at all.
But his expression remained calm, and he quickly asked a sharper question: "Why are you so sure?"
"A person without spiritual power, expelled from the sect, unarmed... What exactly do you intend to do by helping me?"
This question was a bit of a challenge, but Wen Qianning didn't seem annoyed at all. She was even amused. "You are quite defensive, kid."
She leaned closer, her eyebrows curved, and she looked relaxed. "Of course I do... I think you look like my brother, whom I've never met!"
"What I mean is, if I wanted to raise a younger brother, I would definitely raise someone like you."
Ji Hanlin paused and looked at her like a fool, obviously not believing a word she said.
"I'm serious," Wen Qianning blinked, looking at Ji Hanlin earnestly, her eyes full of sincerity. "You're good-looking. The first time I saw you, I thought if I had a brother, he'd be like you... But then I found out you were just a poor little kid being bullied by the sect. That's the kind of personality I find most endearing, okay?"
Ji Hanlin: “?”
The corners of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and he was completely speechless.
Wen Qianning paused, as if considering whether to explain himself more clearly. Ultimately, he sighed, "Anyway, if you insist on asking me why I'm helping you... let it be because I'm impulsive, or because I feel sorry for you. You don't have to worry about any ulterior motives on my part."
"As I said before, don't worry, I'm here, no one will dare to bully you in the future."
Ji Hanlin didn't say anything. He just stared at the woman in front of him, his eyes slightly gloomy.
There was a smile in Wen Qianning's eyes, as well as seriousness, teasing, and a hint of... unpredictable tenderness.
He couldn't see through her.
But his intuition told him that the woman in front of him would not hurt him. At least, there would be no danger in staying in the Hehuan Sect.
Then stay here for now.
One day, he would know what she really wanted.
*
Time flies, and three years have passed in a flash.
Ji Hanlin has been in the Hehuan Sect for three years. From the fifteen-year-old when he first came here with scars all over his body and his spiritual roots completely destroyed, he has grown up now and lost the immaturity of three years ago. He has a clear outline, distinct features, and is growing taller. Wen Qianning is not short, but she is only as tall as Ji Hanlin's shoulders now.
In three years, his body was completely recovered. Even thanks to Wen Qianning's special mental method and top-level resources, his foundation was more stable and purer than before.
But his cultivation has not yet fully recovered.
Cultivation is not just about accumulating spiritual power, it also requires opportunity and state of mind.
In a small attic in the main hall, the sandalwood windows were slightly open, letting in sunlight from outside.
Wen Qianning was lying on the table, with a yellowed ancient book open. The cover was a copy of the Hehuan Sect's cultivation method, but if you looked closely at the contents, you would find that this was not an ordinary cultivation method at all, but...
"Hmm... The seventh form of the Hehuan Jue, so this is the posture..."
She lowered her head, absorbed in study, gently tapping on the illustrations with a look of intense concentration, her brow furrowed slightly, even revealing a serious academic air. Unfortunately, what she was working on wasn't entirely proper, as some of the illustrations were... quite strange.
As she read, the tips of her ears gradually turned red. She quietly put the book into her arms with her fingers and fell onto the couch: "What kind of crap is this? Who would practice like this..."
Having said that, she still had to learn, because disciples of the Hehuan Sect, including Sang Yu, would always ask her questions about these secret techniques from time to time.
At this moment, there was a sudden sound at the door.
"Master," a familiar young man's voice rang out through the gauze curtains, "I have something to ask you."
Wen Qianning was startled and sat up straight as if he had done something bad. Without time to hide the book, he slammed the book on the table in a panic, with the illustration page facing upwards.
The next moment, the door was pushed open.
Ji Hanlin walked in with a clear and indifferent look and a leisurely pace, but his gaze only fell on the table for a moment and then paused on the book.
At first glance, the strange pictures on the book jumped into my eyes.
Wen Qianning almost lost her soul.
"You, you stop and don't move!" She screamed, quickly rushed to the table, and pressed the book under her arm as if it were a treasure. "Don't read it! This is not a book for you to read!"
Ji Hanlin stopped and looked at her frantic appearance. His expression was calm as he said calmly, "...but I have seen it."
Wen Qianning: “…”
"Get out, get out, get out." She covered her face with one hand and waved the other to chase him out. "Just pretend you didn't see anything. Go away!"
Ji Hanlin didn't leave. Instead, he stood there quietly, watching her. A smile flashed in his eyes. When she blushed and tried to move the pornographic book into the drawer with her sleeves, he whispered, "The Sect Master usually looks quite serious. I didn't expect..."
Wen Qianning choked: "I'm doing academic research!"
Ji Hanlin nodded: "Yes. Research."
She wished she could crawl into the ground right where she was.
The young man opposite, although his face was calm, the corners of his lips were slightly raised, revealing a faint smile.
He thought to himself, the Sect Master looks so... cute.
He himself didn't understand the strange feeling that arose in his heart when he saw Wen Qianning.
She leaned against the table angrily and pretended to be calm to change the subject: "What are you doing here?"
"I heard from Sang Yu that you wanted to go to Yundu Lake." Ji Hanlin said calmly, as if the incident just now had never happened. "I also want to go with you."
The market in Yundu Lake has been unusually busy recently. It is said that some sea traders came from the East China Sea and brought many rare treasures that are rarely seen in the world. As soon as the news came out, cultivators from all sides rushed there, trying to find spiritual treasures or good fortune from them.
After hearing this, Wen Qianning decided to go and investigate. It would be great if he could find some treasure that could help Ji Hanlin improve his cultivation.
She originally wanted to go alone, after all, this was not a safe thing to do and she was afraid of being disappointed. However, she did not expect that Sang Yu had already mentioned it to Ji Hanlin.
Ji Hanlin's expression was serious and stubborn. Wen Qianning was stunned for a moment, her eyes fell on his handsome face, and she finally nodded.
"All right."
*
After a few days, Wen Qianning and Ji Hanlin set out together, taking a boat down the river from the sect. After two days of sailing, they arrived at Yundu Lake, where the market was in full swing.
The lakeside market was bustling with people, with tents everywhere and vendors of all kinds shouting loudly, creating a unique and lively atmosphere.
The two men changed into casual clothes and got off the boat, hiding their sect identities and walking slowly among the crowd.
But... the woman had a slender figure and elegant features, while the young man beside her had a cold temperament and a pair of deep eyes like cold jade sinking into water. The appearance of these two good-looking people together quickly attracted a lot of attention.
Because the leader of the Hehuan Sect has to deal with affairs on a daily basis, Wen Qianning rarely goes out. As soon as she stepped into this bustling market, her eyes were filled with light. She stopped and walked, and couldn't help but get closer to any new and interesting gadgets she saw.
"Wow, the lanterns over there are beautiful!" Wen Qianning pointed at a colorful lantern leaning against a stall, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes.
She walked over happily, picking and choosing, just like an ordinary girl.
Ji Hanlin stood by, saying nothing, only occasionally taking the gadgets she had chosen and holding them for her. When her palms touched those delicate and light objects, she felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
"Dear guests, come and look at this hairpin. It is made of high-quality cold iron and can be used for many purposes. It can be used for hair and self-defense!"
A vendor in front of them was shouting enthusiastically. His eyes lit up at the sight of the two. "This young man, this young lady, oh, their looks, wow... they're truly a match made in heaven! The hairpins I have here are perfect for your wife. Would you like to pick one?"
Madam… Hearing the merchant’s compliments, Ji Hanlin raised his eyebrows, a smile unconsciously forming on the corners of his mouth.
However, Wen Qianning beside him immediately smiled and waved her hand to deny their relationship: "We are not husband and wife, just brother and sister."
"Oh, is that so? Sorry, sorry, I thought..." The vendor was stunned when he heard this and smiled embarrassedly.
Hearing Wen Qianning was so eager to distance themselves from each other, Ji Hanlin, who was standing next to him, felt very uncomfortable for some reason and his face darkened.
"I'm not your brother." He whispered, so loud that only the two of them could hear.
Wen Qianning turned to look at him, thinking he was having another nervous breakdown. She patted his arm with a smile, "I know, but it's better to say this to others... Well, that's not important. Do you think this hairpin is beautiful?"
Looking at the hairpin in her hand, Ji Hanlin nodded, and without saying a word, he took out the coins and handed them to the vendor.
The vendor originally thought that the deal was going to fall through, but he didn't expect this young man to be so straightforward and generous. He smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits and he hurriedly said a few nice words.
"I'll help you put it on." Ji Hanlin said.
He walked behind her and reached out to insert the hairpin into the woman's black and smooth hair.
The movement was very light, and his slender finger bones brushed against the loose hair on her temples. The faint fragrance of her hair lingered, making him hesitate for a moment.
A pink crystal bead hung at the end of the thin hairpin, making the woman look even more delicate and beautiful.
"It looks good," he said.
Wen Qianning didn't notice his abnormality. She just turned her head to look at the bronze mirror on the stall and laughed happily.
Ji Hanlin stood behind her, his eyes showing emotions that he himself was not even aware of.
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