Perhaps a long, long time ago, Shu Qingyi's hands would be used to turn the pages of books, or to help his parents with chores. Back then, even slightly heavy work would require a great deal of effort for his frail body.
But now, among his peers, his strength was considered outstanding. No matter what he did, most things were a piece of cake.
Yet, his hands only remembered the feeling of killing.
He thought that from now on, these hands would only continue to hold sharp blades, continuing to drift in life and death, until one day, he too was cut down by someone else's blade.
But today, these killing hands were touching a growing, still very weak life.
That faint fetal movement was like a ripple in a pool of stagnant water, greeting a wisp of spring breeze that came by chance.
Shu Qingyi lowered his eyes, his fingertips trembling slightly, and even his breathing became extremely light.
Mu Ran smiled softly, "Our child must really like you to be so well-behaved, purposely moving for you to touch."
He clearly knew that the "we" she spoke of referred to her and her husband. However, upon hearing the words "our child" from her mouth, he still could not help but feel a sudden palpitation.
It was as if he had become the "we" she was talking about.
It was truly too absurd.
This woman actually let her guard down completely, truly allowing his hand to touch the fragile life in her womb.
And in that instant, he was actually at a loss.
Shu Qingyi instinctively rejected this feeling of losing control. He abruptly withdrew his hand and took three steps back in succession, keeping a further distance from Mu Ran.
"Since you are fine, Madam, please rest well here. I will go look around for some food."
He turned and left the cave, disappearing from sight in an instant.
Mu Ran wanted to call out to make him stay, but she was too late.
She leaned helplessly against the stone wall, lowered her eyes to look at her round belly, reached out, and gently poked it with her finger. "Look at you, you actually scared away your young father."
The flesh and blood in her womb was perhaps tired from moving just now, and gave no response.
This was also the reason why Mu Ran had not planned from the beginning to directly tell the youth in green that she was his future wife.
His guard was too high; he would not allow any existence that threatened him to stay by his side. If she really spoke out her true identity, she was afraid he would definitely think she was some mountain spirit or ghost in this secret realm, naturally born to bewitch people.
After all, right now, just letting him touch the child in her belly was enough to scare him into running far away.
Shu Qingyi stood in the dense forest and killed several more vicious beasts. Relying on the rising killing intent, he finally calmed the unfamiliar and out-of-control emotions in his heart.
A small blue fish swallowed the souls of the vicious beasts, burped, and slowly swam to its master, its eyes revealing doubt and concern.
Shu Qingyi remained silent for a long time before saying, "That woman is very dangerous."
The little fish raised its head, killing intent fully exposed in its eyes.
— Master, I will go kill her!
Shu Qingyi cast a cold glance over.
The little fish shivered again.
Shu Qingyi retracted his gaze. "She is still useful."
The little fish approached him again, wagged its tail, and asked with its eyes — What use?
Shu Qingyi stopped talking.
The little fish got a bit closer, its tail wagging more vigorously — So, what use?
Shu Qingyi turned his face away.
The little fish swam again, continuing to position itself in front of its master.
— What use is she exactly?
Shu Qingyi reached out and swatted it. The small blue fish instantly flew far away, turning into a shooting star and disappearing without a trace.
Right at this moment, a commotion came from not far away.
Shu Qingyi immediately concealed his figure and hid in the dark.
"Leave the thing behind!"
The wind stirred in the forest as two figures dashed out, emitting a chilling aura.
The leading woman wore a bright red gauze dress, her skin as white as snow, and her features seductively beautiful. It was exactly the rumored Fairy Hongfu.
The long whip in her hand was like a crimson poisonous snake. The tip of the whip gleamed with a cold light. Every crack of it tore through the air, producing a sharp piercing sound.
Standing beside Hongfu was an elder with white hair and beard, who was her martial uncle, Old Man Longsword.
He held a white jade umbrella painted with red plums. The umbrella ribs concealed sharp longswords, and the red plums on the canopy looked like bloodstains. His temperament was as cold and hard as frost.
The two had a clear target, pointing straight at the purple-clad figure fleeing in panic ahead.
Looking at the clothes worn by the purple-clad disciple, he should be someone from the Heavenly Desire Palace. At this moment, his robes were stained with dust, his face was deathly pale, and he was tightly guarding a spiritual herb with flowing spiritual light in his arms, clearly the supreme treasure they had their eyes on.
"Daring to kill the people of my Red Flame Peak to steal treasures, I will leave you without an intact corpse!"
Hongfu's red lips parted slightly. Her voice was delicate yet full of ruthlessness. The long whip lashed through the air, striking straight at the purple-clad disciple's back.
The purple-clad disciple hurriedly spun around to dodge, nearly dropping the spiritual herb. He gritted his teeth and shouted angrily, "Your Red Flame Peak has already robbed so many things. What's wrong with me taking just one treasure? You are pushing people too far!"
Old Man Longsword snorted coldly. The umbrella canopy suddenly closed, and a chilling longsword was unsheathed from the umbrella, its sword aura pressing straight toward a vital spot. "A thief from the Heavenly Desire Palace, also worthy of talking about morality?!"
Old Man Longsword said, "Martial Niece, if this Flowing Radiance Herb is paired with the Poluo Flower, it will increase cultivation by at least three hundred years. Let's take him down together and bring this spiritual herb back to our sect!"
Hongfu said, "Alright!"
The purple-clad disciple knew he was no match for them. The two's attacks were as fierce as an inescapable net. The aura of his cultivation method was chaotic around him; he was already at the end of his rope, about to lose his life on the spot.
Just at this critical moment, a hazy mist arose around them, and a sudden blizzard struck, blurring their vision.
Before Hongfu and the elder could react, an invisible burst of energy suddenly exploded, repelling their attacks.
"Who is it?!" the elder shouted sternly, spinning the red plum umbrella to block in front of him.
Hongfu quickly retracted her long whip, her beautiful eyes turning cold as she swept her gaze across the empty forest. "A coward who hides their head and shows their tail, daring to meddle in my, Hongfu's, business?"
The only response she got was a gentle breeze.
Hope ignited in the eyes of the Heavenly Desire Palace disciple. It must be a fellow sect member coming to save him!
Finally, a figure appeared in the mist.
Hongfu and Old Man Longsword hurriedly raised their weapons, ready to fight the person behind the scenes.
But in the sky full of wind and snow, that figure was thin and elusive, with floating footsteps, seemingly not like a living person.
Hongfu tightened her grip on the whip, her red dress fluttering loudly in the wind and snow. Her gorgeous features condensed with killing intent. "Playing the devil, come out!"
She lashed out the long whip in her hand, hitting the figure squarely. Yet, in the next moment, the figure scattered in the wind and snow like light smoke, not leaving even a trace of aura behind.
Old Man Longsword and Hongfu's hearts suddenly sank.
Oh no — it's an illusion!
By the time they realized and turned back, the supreme spiritual herb that the Heavenly Desire Palace disciple lying on the ground had been tightly guarding was already gone. He seemed not to have reacted to what had happened either, looking completely bewildered.
Hongfu was exasperated. "You despicable scoundrel, you treacherous villain, I will definitely kill you!"
