A sharp scream pierced through the air.
The three of them grew anxious, thinking something had happened to Zi Ying. They quickly leaped back in her direction.
At that moment, Tian Fan had already sprung toward the spring. He leaped high into the air and landed right above the water. Before him, a small green snake slithered forward, flicking its red tongue as it swam toward Zi Ying. Without a second thought, Tian Fan struck out with a sword finger, instantly killing the snake. However, when he turned his head and took in the scene before him, he completely lost control of his body and, with a loud splash, fell straight into the water.
What he saw, after eliminating the snake and turning his gaze toward Zi Ying, was a completely n*ked girl, her beauty on full display.
Having gone days without a proper bath, Zi Ying had been eager to cleanse herself. She trusted that the three wouldn’t peek at her—two of them were her older brothers, and Tian Fan had even been considerate enough to cover her with a blanket back in the inn’s room. With that in mind, she boldly stripped off her cl0thes and enjoyed a refreshing bath.
But as she was washing, a water snake suddenly swam toward her, startling her into a loud scream.
No girl could remain calm in such a situation. Even though Zi Ying had already reached the Primordial Unity Realm, she still couldn’t suppress her instinctive fear. However, she hadn’t expected her panicked cry to bring Tian Fan rushing over.
Realizing she had been completely exposed, she immediately crouched down into the water, covering her most private areas with her arms, and glared angrily at Tian Fan.
“Uh… I didn’t see anything…”
A thin stream of red dripped from Tian Fan’s nose, staining the water around him a faint crimson. His clothes were completely soaked, and he hurriedly shut his eyes, attempting to retreat the way he had come. But in his flustered state, he accidentally bumped into Zi Ying, causing the two of them to fall into the water together.
“Damn it! I knew you were up to no good, bullying my sister!”
At that moment, Shangguan Jingyi and his brother arrived. The sight before them sent him into a furious rage, and Tian Fan wanted nothing more than to die on the spot.
“Roar! Roar!”
Nearby, the tiger cub Xiao Hua growled at Tian Fan, looking ready to pounce and tear him apart.
Shangguan Yunfeng, however, remained calm. He trusted Tian Fan more than his brother did, so he asked him to explain what had happened.
“So that’s how it was… It’s not really Tian Fan’s fault. He was just worried about Zi Ying,” Shangguan Yunfeng said after hearing the full story.
“Kid, you better be telling the truth. If I find out you’re lying, I’ll—I’ll hack you to pieces!”
Tian Fan rolled his eyes. This guy had clearly been traumatized by being tricked before, and now he was constantly on guard against him.
After that little incident, the three of them continued forward. Zi Ying had completely lost the mood to continue bathing. She waited for them to leave before hurriedly putting on her clothes.
“You call yourself a guardian? You didn’t even notice someone coming!”
Zi Ying pinched Xiao Hua’s furry cheeks with her small hands. The little tiger looked aggrieved—it was just a cub! How could it possibly detect the movements of someone at Tian Fan’s level?
Once dressed, Zi Ying’s face was flushed red as she slowly made her way toward the group. The nearby trees and grass suffered under her fury, left in a pitiful state of devastation.
The three men’s gazes simultaneously landed on her. Zi Ying’s black hair cascaded down her shoulders, shimmering water droplets making her look as enchanting as a lotus emerging from the water. Her purple dress accentuated her elegance, nobility, and purity, making her seem untouchable. However, her once bright eyes now flickered evasively.
As Zi Ying approached, Tian Fan’s face turned bright red. He quickly averted his gaze to the sky and said,
“The moon looks beautiful tonight!”
Shangguan Yunfeng’s lips twitched slightly, while Shangguan Jingyi outright pointed to the sky and sneered,
“Kid, that’s the sun. And it’s covered by clouds.”
Tian Fan: “…”
Step by step, Zi Ying closed in on Tian Fan, her face still flushed as she stared at him intently. The way she locked onto his eyes made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
‘Oh no, this girl is in the Primordial Unity Realm! I hope she goes easy on me… Why is my life so miserable?’
As Zi Ying neared, Tian Fan broke into a cold sweat, silently praying to every deity and demon he could think of.
“Forget it, little sister. It was an accident. I already gave him a beating for you just now,” Shangguan Jingyi suddenly said.
Tian Fan hadn’t expected him to step in on his behalf. His eyes lit up, and his opinion of Shangguan Jingyi instantly skyrocketed. Wow, how had he never realized before how adorable this guy was?
“Waahhh!”
All of a sudden, Zi Ying crouched down and burst into tears.
“Little sister, don’t cry! I’ll beat him up some more!”
Upon seeing Zi Ying cry, the Shangguan brothers panicked. If they returned to the family and those old geezers found out their little treasure had cried so much that it hurt her eyes, they would probably have their skins peeled off.
Bang!
“Damn it! You did that on purpose! Didn’t you say to just make it look real and go easy?!”
Tian Fan muttered under his breath, baring his teeth in pain from the punch.
“Damn it! Didn’t you see how heartbroken my sister is? We had to make some noise!”
Shangguan Jingyi whispered.
Bang!
“Ah…!”
Bang!
“Ah…!”
Shangguan Yunfeng was speechless. These two fools—was there a need to scream like that?
“Xiao Tiantian, you bullied me, didn’t you?”
At that moment, Zi Ying suddenly spoke.
“Uh…”
Slap!
Just as Tian Fan was lost in thought, Shangguan Jingyi smacked him on the back.
“Yes, it was my fault! Zi Ying, please forgive me! You can ask this brother to do anything!”
Tian Fan glared fiercely at Shangguan Jingyi before cautiously coaxing Zi Ying, afraid that if he spoke even a little too loudly, he would startle this little ancestor.
“Really?”
Zi Ying buried her face in the crook of her arm, sounding pitiful and aggrieved.
“Really!”
Tian Fan immediately affirmed.
“You can’t go back on your word! If you do… Hmph, never mind! Just don’t go back on it!”
Zi Ying didn’t lift her head and continued speaking.
“I won’t! Absolutely not! If I do, may I be struck down!”
Tian Fan declared firmly, pointing to the sky. Then, realization suddenly struck him, and he almost wanted to slap himself.
“Damn it! Since when did you become her brother?! Stop randomly claiming relatives!”
Shangguan Jingyi protested immediately.
Zi Ying remained pitifully curled up with her head buried in her arms. But as soon as she heard Tian Fan’s words, the little girl shot up to her feet.
The three of them: “…”
Damn it, tricked again.
“Hand it over! That character on your forehead!”
Zi Ying stretched out a delicate, fair hand and waved it in front of Tian Fan’s face.
“Uh… Little Yingying, bro—ah, no! I really can’t give it to you!”
Caught off guard, he almost blurted it out naturally. He immediately swallowed his words.
“Hmph! I knew you weren’t reliable. If you were, pigs would be flying by now!”
Zi Ying huffed angrily, tilting her little head up as she stomped forward.
Tian Fan: “…”
By now, the sky had darkened, and the moon had risen in the heavens. The four of them carefully continued onward.
“Huh? There’s a thatched hut!”
Shangguan Yunfeng called out, making Tian Fan roll his eyes. This guy’s ability to spot new things was ridiculous. He was always the first to notice everything. Did he have some sort of supernatural vision? Tian Fan couldn’t help but have such a wicked thought.
In the pitch-black forest, an old, dilapidated thatched hut appeared out of nowhere, standing in stark contrast to its surroundings. Strange, unnatural white mist swirled around it, and an eerie atmosphere permeated the area.
Creak!
In the end, the group still pushed open the wooden door. After walking all day, they had to rest somewhere.
However, the moment the door opened, Tian Fan suddenly felt a chill run down his spine—like an ancient, terrifying demon had just been released.
“Back! Retreat!” he shouted.
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