Chapter 54: Old Ma the Boss

To say nothing of other things, the airship’s energy supply certainly needed to be replenished, and they would have to add some appropriate food as well. At the same time, they needed to understand the situation in the vicinity and search for Han—after all, they couldn’t simply ignore him.

So, the group divided the tasks among themselves. An Yi and Huron stayed behind to help Xiao Yang tidy up the airship, while Wujue took Xun’er to scout the surroundings.

Wujue, employing his light-footed skill "Crossing the River on a Reed," drifted away, stepping nimbly across a few leaves on the lake’s surface and soon disappeared from sight. Xun’er, meanwhile, used her sorcery to follow directly behind Wujue, letting him carry her along. By the time Wujue realized he had been tricked, he was at a loss for words.

The two drifted along the water for nearly half an hour before finally spotting the shoreline. Xun’er grew playful and began trailing her hand through the water, sending sparkling droplets flying everywhere.

Suddenly, Wujue exclaimed, “This is bad—the leaves won’t hold!” He felt the leaves beneath his feet split apart, sinking into the lake and nearly dragging him down as well. Xun’er, suspended in midair, uttered a quick spell and, with the force of her magic, swept the two of them up, flying straight to the shore.

Landing, they tumbled to the ground. Only after rolling over did they find themselves safely on solid earth, and in the process, Wujue found himself embracing Xun’er, her small body surprisingly full and supple.

Realizing the inappropriateness of their posture, Wujue quickly pushed Xun’er away, saying, “Mercy, mercy! I have behaved most unbecomingly.”

Xun’er, ever mischievous, giggled. “Wujue, after all this time, you’re still so easily embarrassed! Hey, have you ever thought of leaving the order for real?”

“Well… I haven’t made up my mind yet.” Wujue sighed and closed his eyes, memories flooding back—how hard it was to look back on the past. “Why do you ask?”

“If you did, I could marry you!” Xun’er leaned in close, blowing a gentle breath toward his face, her charm leaving Wujue momentarily entranced.

But he soon regained his composure, pressing Xun’er’s shoulders and shaking his head. “Xun’er, you’re too naughty. Using sorcery to tease me like this.”

“Big monk, you’re just too honest, how could I resist tricking you?” Xun’er teased, pretending to get up and run away.

But Wujue reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back with a bit too much force, and they ended up tumbling together again, awkwardly seated on the ground, staring at each other in silence.

As Wujue gazed at Xun’er, it was as if, in that instant, he traveled back in time to the carefree days he once shared with Ayao.

Everything seemed so alluring, so full of yearning.

Xun’er, under the warmth of his gaze, blushed despite herself, her eyes growing misty. She leaned against Wujue’s chest and whispered, “Monk, what are you looking at?”

“Nothing! I just thought of Ayao.” Wujue abruptly turned his head away, silently reciting sutras in his heart.

Xun’er’s cheeks flushed an even deeper red. She stood up, laughing. “Monk, what kind of training did you do growing up, to be so… well, you almost killed me there?”

Noticing the change in Wujue’s lower body, she realized she had said something awkward and quickly turned and ran ahead.

Wujue rose hurriedly, straightening his clothes, silently cursing himself—his discipline was not meant to be tested this way.

He hurried after Xun’er, who was still a bit annoyed and deliberately kept her distance.

Wujue called from behind, “We’re strangers in a strange place, miss. Please be careful and don’t stray—what if you’re attacked by zombies or monsters?”

Xun’er snorted, “Me? Attacked by monsters? Do you even know who I am?”

No sooner had she finished speaking than a shadow dropped from a tree ahead, landing right in front of her. Luckily, Wujue reacted swiftly, pulling Xun’er aside just in time.

Upon closer inspection, it was an infected zombie, struggling frantically. Its head, however, had been pierced by a short arrow and could no longer resist. Wujue stomped on its head, crushing it, and looked around warily. He saw several people in athletic wear approaching, their faces obscured by gas masks, their demeanor hostile as they leveled crossbows at the two of them.

Wujue raised his hands. “Who are you? Don’t do anything rash—we’re not zombies.”

One replied, “You can’t be sure. Zombies are getting better at disguising themselves and can now even latch onto living people. Besides, we’ve never seen you before. Where did you come from?”

Of course, Wujue couldn’t reveal that he was a monk who had crossed over from Daling Temple. He answered calmly, “We’re from Tianhai City. It’s already fallen. We’re looking for a refuge.”

“Refuge? There’s no government anymore—where are you going to hide? Are you joking?” Another man spoke harshly. “That little girl’s pretty cute. Why don’t we let the boys have their fun with her? As for the monk, he’s bad luck. We might as well kill him.”

Hearing that the other party was ready to kill them, Wujue’s expression darkened. He quickly began to calculate how long it would take to deal with them from this distance.

There were five men in total—three in front and two behind. Two held crossbows; the rest were armed with machetes and similar weapons, none of them seeming particularly formidable.

Wujue judged that, with his Iron Shirt skill, he could withstand the crossbow bolts, but his speed would be reduced by twenty to thirty percent. Speed, then, was crucial.

He began to quietly channel his energy, gathering true qi at the joints of his limbs, ready to strike at any moment.

Unexpectedly, Xun’er, after hearing their words, glanced back at Wujue, her face still playful but her eyes filled with pitiful innocence. “Uncle, what if they kill you? I don’t want you to die. Uncle, let’s beg them, okay?”

She then turned, stumbling toward the men, pleading, “Please, don’t kill my uncle. He’s my only family. I’ll do anything you want, just don’t hurt him.”

She dropped to her knees, tossing her head so that her hair fell in disarray, gazing up at the men with a look that would melt anyone’s heart.

The man who had spoken second swallowed hard. “That monk sure is lucky, raising such a good girl. What do you say, brothers? Should we have our fun first?”

He reached out to grab Xun’er, but before he could, someone seized him by the collar from behind. “Don’t dig your own grave. Looking to die sooner?”

It was the fat man who had been standing at the back of the group. At some point, he had stepped forward and now tossed the would-be assailant aside. Turning to Wujue and Xun’er, he said, “Kids don’t know any better. Forgive them for their rudeness. Please, don’t take it to heart.”

He waved a hand in front of Xun’er, instantly dispelling the sorcery she had been weaving.

In truth, Wujue had already sensed Xun’er’s unusual behavior and hadn’t spoken up, thinking to teach these youths a lesson. However, he hadn’t expected to encounter a true expert among them.