Chapter 457: Elder Brother Zhao, You’re Hurt!
After the white shadow vanished, Zhao Tianjiao’s two followers coughed up more mouthfuls of blood. However, because the source of the frigid qi was gone, they were finally able to suppress it, leaving them as ashen-faced as death and looking around with lingering fear.
Both of them felt overwhelmed with grief at how unlucky they were. First, they were attacked by Chen Yueshan, only to be surprised by an actual spirit creature, whereupon they nearly lost their lives.
Of course, the reason for it all was Bai Xiaochun, and as of this moment, they yet again swore to themselves that they would never do anything to provoke him. And in fact, they were already trying to think of ways to curry his favor. After all, if they got swept up in any more of Bai Xiaochun’s sudden brainstorms, they might end up getting killed before they even got to the Wildlands.
As for Chen Yueshan, after looking around to confirm that the white shadow was gone, and the ice spikes surrounding her were fading away, she turned her attention to Zhao Tianjiao.
Zhao Tianjiao was sweating and gasping for breath. Ever since reaching the mid Gold Core stage, it had been rare for him to encounter anyone who was a match for him in a fight. And then he reached the great circle of the Gold Core stage, after which the only opponents who could cause problems for him were Nascent Soul experts. As such, he had come to be quite confident in his abilities.
But at the moment, his heart was pounding with fear. From what he could tell, the cultivation base power unleashed by that white shadow was definitely less than the Nascent Soul stage!
“It had battle prowess comparable to the great circle of Core Formation. And yet it was so formidable that not even Nascent Soul experts could match up to it!” Breathing deeply, Zhao Tianjiao looked around the area and realized that, up to this point, they were still alone. No one had come to investigate the sounds of battle. Apparently, that white shadow had sealed down the entire area just before the fighting broke out.
Now that the shadow was gone, though, the sealing had been removed.
As Zhao Tianjiao got his breathing under control, he prepared to go track down the white shadow. As for Chen Yueshan, she moved to follow.
Off to the side, Bai Xiaochun was wiping the sweat from his brow and pondering how he was willing to go the extra mile for Zhao Tianjiao, when suddenly he realized that Zhao Tianjiao seemed to want to go chase after the shadow. Bai Xiaochun immediately cleared his throat loudly.
When Zhao Tianjiao didn’t notice, Bai Xiaochun’s anger spiked, and he cleared his throat even louder.
Thankfully, Zhao Tianjiao hadn’t reached the point of being completely beyond hope. After hearing Bai Xiaochun clear his throat, he stopped in place, suddenly remembering that the point of tonight’s mission wasn’t the spirit entity, but rather, to make sure that Chen Yueshan felt a sense of security.
Suddenly, his heart swelled with gratitude for all the help Bai Xiaochun had given him. Glancing over at him, he couldn’t help but think that Bai Xiaochun really was a true friend. Putting a somber expression on his face, he abandoned any thoughts of chasing after the white shadow, and instead held his arm out to prevent Chen Yueshan from proceeding any further.
“Junior Sister Yueshan,” he said calmly, “there’s no need to chase after it. Since the spirit entity decided to flee, I doubt it can be tracked down any time soon. If we go running off into the night, it could easily cut us down one by one.”
“If only father were back!” Chen Yueshan said through gritted teeth, both fear and anger visible in her eyes. “Then that damned spirit would definitely have been destroyed in body and soul!”
Based on what she knew of her own battle prowess, if she had been alone just now, she would have been no match for the white shadow. Without Zhao Tianjiao there, she might have met a similar fate as Ji Fang.
The mere thought of Ji Fang’s grisly death left Chen Yueshan’s heart pounding with fear.
“Many thanks, Elder Brother Zhao,” she said softly.
Zhao Tianjiao’s heart leapt with excitement, but he didn’t let it show on his face. Turning to Chen Yueshan, he spoke in the deep voice that Bai Xiaochun had instructed him to use, making sure it was coupled with a look of complete sincerity. “Junior Sister Yueshan, as long as I’m around, I won’t let you get hurt in any way!”
Clearly, Zhao Tianjiao was willing to brave countless spears and swords, even seas of flame for Chen Yueshan’s sake. He would face countless dangers, and go through hell and high water without even a single frown! He would die for her without regret!
His words, the expression on his face, the way that he had fought heroically against the white shadow, and most especially the sincerity in his eyes, made him seem to thrum with both veins of steel and tender sentiments. When he looked into Chen Yueshan’s eyes as he spoke, it was like molten lava pouring into her heart.
Chen Yueshan instantly began to breathe more rapidly, and her heart started racing as wildly as a frightened baby deer. The sensation she got from looking at Zhao Tianjiao made her almost dizzy, and as she heard his words ringing in her ears, and saw him standing there like an indomitable hero, she thought back to everything they had experienced just now, and for some unknown reason, suddenly felt a strong sense of security.
Gradually, her face began to flush, and she bowed her head, her mind blank, as if she wasn’t even sure of what she was thinking.
Zhao Tianjiao’s two followers gasped, and their faces went pale. Although they had already recovered from being injured, when they saw Chen Yueshan’s expression change, they couldn’t help but think back to the instructions Bai Xiaochun had given earlier, and all of a sudden, he became more godlike to them than ever.
“I can’t believe it actually worked!” the first one thought.
“Heavens!” thought the other. “Elder Sister Chen’s affections have clearly been aroused!”
The two followers exchanged a shocked look.
Zhao Tianjiao was already going wild with excitement, and had to struggle to keep himself under control. He almost couldn’t restrain himself from throwing his head back and roaring to the sky. As of this moment, everything he had done was worth it, and his gratitude toward Bai Xiaochun couldn’t be greater. At the moment, he wanted to reach out and embrace Chen Yueshan, but then he hesitated, nervous about the fact that he didn’t know what to do next. He quickly looked over at Bai Xiaochun.
Bai Xiaochun immediately sighed inwardly. “How can Zhao Tianjiao be so dense?” he thought. “Even at this point he still has to ask me what to do? What a headache….”
For a moment, he simply rubbed his forehead and thought about how much of a good person he was.
Then he dropped his hand, and at that point, his expression was one of utter anxiety. Leaping forward toward Zhao Tianjiao, he suddenly shouted, “Elder Brother Zhao, you’re… you’re injured! Heavens! It looks bad. Elder Brother Zhao, are you alright?!”
Almost immediately, Bai Xiaochun’s voice pierced into Chen Yueshan’s daze, and she looked over with concern written on her face.
Zhao Tianjiao turned to Bai Xiaochun, shocked, and was about to say that he wasn’t hurt at all, when Bai Xiaochun suddenly reached out to support him by the elbow, and simultaneously jabbed him hard in the back.
Zhao Tianjiao finally realized what was going on. Letting out a miserable groan, he caused his face to drain of blood and then said, “I’m hurt… I’m hurt, and it’s bad!”
He suddenly lurched to the side as if he might fall over.
Chen Yueshan was in a bit of a daze, but when she saw what was happening, she leaped forward to support Zhao Tianjiao by the other elbow. This time, Zhao Tianjiao didn’t act dense at all, and managed to fall into her arms.
“Junior Sister Yueshan, it doesn’t matter if I’m injured, I still won’t leave your side. I’m staying right here to protect you!”
Chen Yueshan’s flush deepened, and her heart quivered. Not bothering to check whether he was really injured or not, she cast a glare at Bai Xiaochun and then began to lead Zhao Tianjiao in the direction of her cabin.
Zhao Tianjiao leaned up against her, and as he passed Bai Xiaochun, looked over and winked. By this point, his admiration for Bai Xiaochun was like the crashing of the waves of the Heavenspan Sea, ceaseless and unending….
Bai Xiaochun chuckled inwardly as he watched Chen Yueshan and Zhao Tianjiao head into her cabin. As of this moment, he felt so pleased with himself that he could hardly stand it. Without even thinking about it, he stuck his chin up, waved his sleeve, and assumed the pose of a lonely hero.
“With the snap of a finger, I, Bai Xiaochun… ah, never mind. No reducing anything to ashes today.” After all, it was a wonderful day for Zhao Tianjiao. Motioning to Zhao Tianjiao’s two followers to come along, he turned to leave deck 2.
The two followers didn’t dare to ignore Bai Xiaochun’s gesture, and immediately followed along.
Upon returning to deck 3, which was the origin of the original scream that had preceded the arrival of the white shadow, Bai Xiaochun mingled with the crowd to see if he could figure out what had happened. Soon, he found that the victim was one of the eight Chosen whose cabins were on deck 3.
His happy mood quickly dissipated, to be replaced with nervousness. He quickly hurried back to his own cabin, although even after closing the door, he still felt unsettled.
“Everyone who has died so far has been from deck 3. Plus, I actually attacked that white shadow just now. What if it comes back for revenge…?” The more he thought about the situation, the more anxious he got.