Chapter 49

"Miss Nangong, we meet again."

Nangong Ling looked at Duan Lei, who stood before her with a long red spear on his back, feeling somewhat surprised.

With Xiaohong's speed, they had only stopped for a meal, yet Duan Lei had managed to catch up. This expert, ranked twenty-second on the Great Qian Heroes List, was no pushover.

At this moment, two more people stood beside Duan Lei, one unarmed and the other wielding a knife.

"I am Xie Dingkun, ranked thirty-second on the Great Qian Heroes List, known as 'Thunder Palm.' I greet Miss Nangong."

"I am Hu Tianyi, ranked fortieth on the Great Qian Heroes List, known as 'Gale Knife.' I greet Miss Nangong."

These two men announced their names, and they were both young talents from the Great Qian Heroes List, which surprised Nangong Ling a bit.

"Brother Duan, what brings you here again?" Nangong Ling's tone was tinged with a hint of impatience.

"Duan Lei is deeply concerned for Miss Nangong's safety, to the point of losing my appetite and sleep. I have come with these two good friends to escort you." Duan Lei's eyes were fixed on Nangong Ling's beautiful face and graceful figure, his desire barely concealed.

"There's no need, Brother Duan. I appreciate your concern." Nangong Ling's tone grew colder.

"We insist, and we hope Miss Nangong will agree." The three of them said in unison.

"Since that's the case, if you can keep up with Xiaohong, then follow me." Nangong Ling flicked the reins and urged her red unicorn horse forward, trying to shake off the three men behind her.

Unexpectedly, although their mounts were not as fast as Xiaohong, they were not ordinary either. With Xiaohong carrying two people, the distance between them did not widen much.

"Do you plan to take action?" Nangong Ling whispered to the woman in green behind her.

"If they harm you, I will act." The woman in green replied coldly, "If they just follow, it's none of my business."

In this world, it seems only my master and my sisters truly care for me.

Nangong Ling thought, gripping the reins tightly...

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"Zhong Wen, what do you want to tell me?" Lin Zhiyun asked softly, her back to Zhong Wen, her voice tinged with a hint of distance.

Looking at this palace master, who was beautiful as if she were not of this world, Zhong Wen hesitated for a long time before deciding to reveal some information about himself, half-true and half-false.

"Sister, I know you have doubts about me." Zhong Wen sighed, "At this point, I will tell you the truth. I really don't know the identity of this body."

Lin Zhiyun turned to stare at Zhong Wen, trying to gauge the truth in his words.

"I come from another era." Zhong Wen said, word by word.

"What?" Lin Zhiyun was taken aback. The information in Zhong Wen's words was beyond her comprehension.

"I mean, my soul comes from ancient times and accidentally entered this dying body." Zhong Wen racked his brain to come up with a story that was close to the truth but also fit the world's background. "Then, this body was brought back by Xiaodie and Qiqi and revived by you and Ning'er, so I came back to life as well."

"You... you..." Lin Zhiyun pointed at Zhong Wen, taking a few steps back, feeling as if she had seen a ghost.

Is it that serious! Am I that scary?

Zhong Wen suppressed his annoyance and continued, "To be honest, I was a disciple of the Medicine King Valley in ancient times, so I am proficient in medicine and alchemy. The cultivation techniques and spiritual skills I possess were all obtained in exchange for treating people."

"What about that醍醐灌頂 (Tihuguan Ding) technique?" Lin Zhiyun asked curiously, having calmed down a bit.

"This is a power I gained when my soul crossed over. Don't ask me why; I don't know either." Zhong Wen's fabricated story almost perfectly integrated his unusual abilities with the "New Huazang Pavilion." At first glance, there were no obvious flaws.

"Why did your soul cross over near Qingfeng Mountain? Was it just a coincidence?" Lin Zhiyun, her curiosity piqued, couldn't help but ask.

"Not necessarily. Do you know where the many spirit stones I gave you came from?" Zhong Wen's face showed a strange smile. "The Medicine King Valley of ancient times was actually located in the valley below this Qingfeng Mountain. After I woke up, I found the ruins of the Medicine King Valley and obtained the wealth left by my sect."

"What!" Lin Zhiyun was shocked to hear that there was an ancient sect's ruins right under her feet. She then came up with a reason for Zhong Wen, "Are you helping me because you hope to use the power of the Piaohua Palace to revive the Medicine King Valley in the future?"

"If I say yes, will you help me?" Zhong Wen looked into Lin Zhiyun's beautiful eyes, asking word by word.

"Owing you so much, although I cannot join the Medicine King Valley, if you need help in reviving your sect, I, Lin Zhiyun, will naturally do my best." Lin Zhiyun nodded, her tone firm.

"Palace Master, I was just a minor disciple back then. How could I have such grand ambitions?" Zhong Wen suddenly grinned, "Reviving the sect, forget it. As long as you don't drive me away, I am content. In this era, I have no familiar friends, and I have already considered the Piaohua Palace my home."

"Where have I ever driven you away?" Lin Zhiyun rolled her eyes. Learning Zhong Wen's secret, her attitude unconsciously became a bit warmer.

"Sister, I know you still have some reservations about me." Zhong Wen said sincerely, "To dispel your doubts, I had to reveal my deepest secret. Please keep it confidential. If it gets out, I might be captured by the Holy Land people for study."

"Of course, I won't tell anyone." Lin Zhiyun promised quickly, "Zhong Wen, don't worry too much. The sage of the Wen Dao Academy is upright. As long as you don't do evil, he won't trouble you."

"Sister, you're thinking too simply." Zhong Wen shook his head, "Have you ever thought about why I don't recognize the script of Great Qian?"

Lin Zhiyun was taken aback, a shocking possibility coming to mind.

"I come from ancient times. What you call 'ancient divine script' is my script." Zhong Wen said seriously, "If the Holy Land people knew I could recognize all ancient divine scripts, can you guess what they would do?"

Zhong Wen's words sent a wave of shock through Lin Zhiyun. In this era, the number of ancient divine scripts a major power possessed directly determined its authority and status. If people knew about Zhong Wen's ability, his personal freedom would likely become a luxury before they extracted all his knowledge.

"How could you so easily tell me such an important secret?" Lin Zhiyun complained, "If I had ill intentions, wouldn't you be in trouble?"

"In my heart, the Piaohua Palace is my only family in this era." Zhong Wen looked at Lin Zhiyun with clear eyes, "Even at great risk, I don't want Palace Master to have any doubts about me."

"You silly child." Lin Zhiyun felt both moved and ashamed, "I was wrong to doubt you."

"If the roles were reversed, I might be even more cautious than you." Zhong Wen, hearing the warmth in Lin Zhiyun's tone, teased her with a smile.

"Don't worry, I will take this secret to my grave." Lin Zhiyun said solemnly.

"Thank you, Palace Master." Zhong Wen couldn't resist stepping forward and holding Lin Zhiyun's soft hands.

In her emotional state, Lin Zhiyun didn't notice Zhong Wen's bold move and instead said with concern, "Don't tell anyone else in the Piaohua Palace for now. Although Qiqi and the others wouldn't intentionally harm you, young girls might slip up unintentionally."

"Sister, to be honest, the cultivation technique that Sister Shangguan is re-practicing was taught by me, which is why she agreed to join the Piaohua Palace." Zhong Wen continued, "My family is the Piaohua Palace, so the cultivation techniques and spiritual skills I possess will only be taught to Piaohua Palace disciples. What about Qiqi and the others..."

"No wonder. I was wondering why a high-ranking Tianlun expert like Sister Shangguan would join a small sect like ours." Lin Zhiyun calmly withdrew her hand from Zhong Wen's grasp, lightly tapping his forehead, and said softly, "It turns out you were working behind the scenes. Well, it's my fault as a master that my disciples have suffered. If Qiqi and the others are willing to learn, teach them. In the future, they should remember your kindness."

"Palace Master, you are wise!" Zhong Wen flattered her with a smile.

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