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Chapter 220: Ye Yaar
🕑 Added 2024-10-13 10:16:06 +0000 UTCPain.
Bai Li Changqing felt nothing but darkness around him, the sharp pain in his body intensifying. Was he... dead?
So this is it... He thought to himself. He had accepted the risk of death ever since becoming an assassin. But then, an unexpected warmth began to spread through his body.
What is this? Could there be fire even in hell?
Slowly, he opened his eyes, a blinding light piercing through his vision.
Huh? I’m... not dead?
Though his entire body ached with pain, he could now move his eyelids and, eventually, his body. He tried to sit up, and a woman's voice cut through the haze.
"You're awake?"
As his blurry vision cleared, Bai Li Changqing saw a young woman. She was dressed in simple, worn-out clothes, her attire patched in places. Her high ponytail swayed as she moved, revealing a slender figure and a plain face. She sat beside a small campfire, stirring a pot of fish soup.
"Did you save me?" Bai Li Changqing asked as he slowly sat up, his voice hoarse.
"I just dragged you from the riverbank," the woman responded casually. "Didn't expect you to wake up so soon. You're tougher than you look."
As she spoke, Bai Li Changqing propped himself up, his body still aching all over. His gaze shifted toward the river a short distance away. The recent rain had swelled the water, and it seemed he had been swept to safety by sheer luck.
Lucky indeed, he thought, glancing at the woman again. "Thank you."
The woman shook her head, uninterested in his gratitude. Bai Li Changqing, uncertain how long he had been unconscious, remained wary of the two Martial Saints who had been pursuing him. Fortunately, this secluded area by the cliff, with its strange energy that even affected Martial Saints, seemed to be a safe haven for now.
"Here, drink some soup."
The woman ladled a bowl of fish soup and handed it to Bai Li Changqing.
"Thank you," he said again, accepting the bowl. His hunger was undeniable, and he quickly drank the soup, the warmth spreading through his body.
Refreshing!
"Someone was chasing you?" The woman asked, her curiosity piqued as she eyed his battered body.
"Yes," Bai Li Changqing nodded, not bothering to hide the truth.
"I'm leaving soon," he said after a pause, his voice calm but determined. "You saved my life, so if there’s anything you need, anything I can do, I’ll repay the favor."
"What can you do?" The woman asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
Bai Li Changqing frowned slightly, thinking for a moment before answering.
"Kill people."
The woman’s eyes widened slightly, but not with fear. Instead, she asked, intrigued, "So, you're a killer?"
"No," Bai Li Changqing shook his head. "I'm an assassin."
"An assassin, huh?" The woman became more serious. "Well, I do have someone I want dead."
"Who?" Bai Li Changqing asked, his voice steady.
"The Emperor of the Canglong Empire," she said, her tone deadpan.
“...”
The room fell silent, but then the woman burst into laughter. "Just kidding. But seriously, if you could, I’d want the Earl of Changbo dead."
"Earl of Changbo?" Bai Li Changqing raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, he's in Yueyao City."
"Consider it done," Bai Li Changqing nodded without hesitation.
"By the way, what's your name?" The woman asked.
"Bai Li Changqing," he replied.
"I'm Ye Yaar," she introduced herself.
"Ye Yaar..." Bai Li Changqing muttered her name, looking at her with curiosity. "What are you doing in a place like this?"
This remote, secluded area at the bottom of a cliff was not a place anyone would come without reason.
"I'm here looking for medicinal herbs," Ye Yaar smiled faintly, glancing at a small basket nearby filled with various herbs. "Rare herbs grow in places like this."
"Well, we should leave," Bai Li Changqing said, standing up. He summoned Jiemie into his left hand with a thought, checking his storage ring to make sure nothing had been damaged. Luckily, the sword remained sheathed, and its terrifying aura had been contained. As his hand gripped the sword’s hilt, he could feel his strength returning, and his wounds began to heal rapidly.
Ye Yaar watched his movements curiously, but said nothing. She assumed his caution came from being pursued and didn’t think much of it.
"If we want to get out of here unnoticed, we should take this route," Ye Yaar said, pointing toward a narrow path.
"Good. We need to stay hidden. The ones hunting me are two Martial Saints," Bai Li Changqing said, his face growing more serious.
"Martial Saints!?" Ye Yaar exclaimed, surprised. In any empire, Martial Saints were at the very top of the power hierarchy. "You must be pretty dangerous to have two Martial Saints after you."
"Less talking, more moving. Lead me out of here through a secret path, or they’ll kill us both," Bai Li Changqing urged. He didn’t want Ye Yaar to be caught up in his troubles. If the Martial Saints found them, they would kill her without a second thought.
"Heh, don’t worry. I know this place like the back of my hand," Ye Yaar smirked confidently, leading Bai Li Changqing through a concealed path.
After navigating through the dense, rugged terrain for a while, they finally reached safety.
Bai Li Changqing breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed they had managed to avoid the Martial Saints for now.
The next assassination target could wait. Bai Li Changqing had learned from his recent encounter that the gap between a Martial King and a Martial Saint was far greater than he had anticipated. He needed to grow stronger first. With Jiemie in his possession, his power would undoubtedly rise quickly.
"Let’s go. I’ll take you to the village. You’ve probably got multiple broken ribs and a fractured spine," Ye Yaar said, adjusting the herbal basket on her back with a grin.
"Alright," Bai Li Changqing replied, momentarily caught off guard by her confidence, but he nodded. Though his wounds had stopped bleeding, they had not fully healed.
Ye Yaar led Bai Li Changqing through the countryside with ease, and soon they arrived at a small, quiet village nestled among the hills.
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