Chapter 848: The Graceful Yanzhi

Xiao Nanfeng searched the forest for Yanzhi, but it was so vast that she was nowhere to be found.

"Forget it. Who knows where she ended up? She might have moved on by now. I'd be better off heading back to Mt. Baoping and waiting there," Xiao Nanfeng thought to himself.

He made his way back just like that. Strangely enough, the wild beasts and spirits along the way ignored him altogether. Even the mosquitoes and poisonous snakes that brushed past him didn't bother with him.

"What a strange world..." he muttered.

Of course, it wasn't all bad. He even attempted to attack a spirit along the way. The injured spirit stared at him for a moment before turning to flee, not wanting to fight with him. In the end, he managed to kill a spirit and brought it back with him to Mt. Baoping.

No one in Mt. Baoping paid him any attention.

Outside the mountain, he cooked the spiritbeast's meat and even snuck into the highly guarded archives. He was able to stroll around without being stopped.

"This isn't a cultivation sect at all—it's an assassins' guild!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed in shock.

The more he explored, the more worried he became about Yanzhi's safety.

"She's the main character, so she should be fine... right?" he wondered, worried.

He searched a variety of locations throughout the mountain, not daring to steal too much. He simply picked out a few healing pills and supplements that he'd found.

Then, he laid in wait outside the mountain.

Gradually, survivors returned, each badly wounded and weakened.

Finally, on the tenth day, he felt his chest unclench. The influence of being outside the boundary zone had abated. Xiao Nanfeng knew that Yanzhi had to have returned, and he rushed over. He found her limping toward him, bloodied and bruised all over.

"Yan!" Xiao Nanfeng cried out, rushing over.

The past two weeks had pushed Yanzhi to her limits. She had skirted death multiple times, clinging only to her dream of avenging her family. Along the way, only Xiao Nanfeng's Primose had kept her company.

When she finally made it back to see Xiao Nanfeng rushing toward her, her nose twitched. She felt the urge to pour out all her suffering to him, but she was too exhausted and injured. As she let herself relax, her vision went black and she collapsed, falling into his arms.

Xiao Nanfeng's heart ached. He picked her up and quickly carried her to a secluded valley he had identified in advance.

There, he fed her the best healing pills he had found. Yanzhi quickly regained consciousness.

"Nanfeng, I thought I was about to die!" Yanzhi cried out, shaken.

Xiao Nanfeng held her close and patted her back gently. "You've made it through. You're safe now. I'm here with you."

Yanzhi clung to him, crying for a long while before she finally calmed down. Only then did she realize that she was still in his arms. She blushed faintly.

"Alright, now. Have some food, and eat these pills so you can recover more quickly," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Got it!" Yanzhi nodded.

Being with Xiao Nanfeng made her feel especially safe.

After the meal, Yanzhi recuperated for a little and felt much better, though he didn't let her wash up just yet, or it would have been suspicious.

"These past few days, I learned that the cultivation techniques they taught us are incomplete. I found the full version, so let me teach it to you," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"Ah? Alright!" Yanzhi nodded in amazement.

She didn't know how Xiao Nanfeng had survived the trip through the forest, but he didn't seem harmed at all. She couldn't help but look at him with growing admiration.

Xiao Nanfeng taught her the full version of the techniques he had obtained.

They rested for a whole day before returning to the grounds in the mountain.

Of the five hundred disciples who had been recruited in their cohort, only half had survived the first trial.

Xiao Nanfeng very much wanted to leave, but he wasn't skilled enough to flee with Yanzhi just yet. For now, he had no choice but to remain and to keep cultivating.

Yanzhi's talent was particularly impressive, and she easily kept up with Xiao Nanfeng. Thanks to their dedication, they were far ahead of their peers, though they both kept their talents hidden.

As time passed, more trials followed.

The death toll only continued to rise. Two years later, of the initial five hundred children, only a hundred were left.

After the crucible they had endured, these remaining children were all fearsome and skilled at wilderness survival.

Over the course of the two years, Xiao Nanfeng would wait for Yanzhi after each trial. While the other children grew colder and more ruthless, Yanzhi remained warm and trusting under Xiao Nanfeng's care. They relied on each other, and she longed to share all her secrets with him.

Meanwhile, Immortal Qingyang recruited another five hundred children to train.

The remaining hundred from Xiao Nanfeng's batch were sent on assassination missions.

Xiao Nanfeng and Yanzhi were separated once more.

For Xiao Nanfeng, assassinations were a dull affair; his targets didn't notice him even as he held a blade to their necks.

"Do I even need money anymore? I can take as many valuables as I want, but no one will notice me unless I'm next to Yanzhi. What good are poems, soap, or glass?" Xiao Nanfeng thought, frustrated.

The fact that he could only spend the wealth he had accumulated when he was by Yanzhi's side made things particularly awkward for him.

Still, there were some perks. He could freely access various techniques and gain valuable knowledge for some time after each mission.

After leaving Mt. Baoping, they were stationed at a branch of the assassins' guild. Xiao Nanfeng would return early after each mission to wait for Yanzhi.

He wished he could leave the organization with her, but unfortunately, her stellar performance during her assassinations left her a target of attention among their superiors. He was forced to stay.

Another three years passed in such a manner. Of the original five hundred disciples, only twenty remained.

At sixteen, Yanzhi was a graceful young woman and the guild's top assassin. She attracted significant attention, whereas Xiao Nanfeng remained at the bottom of the rankings due to his unusual circumstances.

Because of the "birthmark" on Yanzhi's face, she was spared unwanted attention, and their life together remained peaceful.

After each mission, Yanzhi would seek out Xiao Nanfeng.

On one moonlit night, Xiao Nanfeng prepared a feast. The two of them sat on a grassy hillside, enjoying peach blossom cakes, watching fireflies, and basking in the moonlight.

After a while, Yanzhi's expression grew somber.

"What's wrong? Does it not taste good?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"No... It just makes me miss my dad. He used to buy peach blossom cakes for me," Yanzhi replied, her eyes reddening.

Seeing her like this made Xiao Nanfeng's heart ache. Although the two of them had become close to each other, she still hadn't opened up about her past. Her sadness was buried deep within her.

"Would you like me to sing for you again?" Xiao Nanfeng asked gently.

"Hm? Of course!" Yanzhi's eyes lit up.

"This song is also from my hometown. It's called Water Melody," Xiao Nanfeng began.

Yanzhi's face lit up with anticipation.

"When will the bright moon appear? I lift my cup and ask the blue sky. How many years will pass tonight in the celestial palace? ♪

"I hope only for longevity, That we might share this beautiful moon Despite the thousands of leagues that separate us. ♪”

Yanzhi was an excellent student even in matters not pertaining to cultivation, and she naturally understood the beauty of the song. Suddenly, she looked toward Xiao Nanfeng and felt her heart stir. He was quite handsome, wasn't he?

Sensing her gaze, he turned to her. Yanzhi suddenly blushed.

"Keep singing. Let me dance to your song," she said, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

She walked toward a relatively flat patch of grass and began to dance in her white dress.

Under the moonlight, she looked like a fairy who had descended from the heavens, bare-footed and graceful. Her beauty mesmerized Xiao Nanfeng.

His heart skipped a beat. "If I took her back to Earth—those influencers and celebrities would hardly stand a chance. Even with their filters and photo edits, they wouldn't even have a fraction of her beauty and elegance.

Xiao Nanfeng continued to sing, his eyes glued to the dancing beauty before him.

When the song ended, Yanzhi returned to his side and studied his expression. "What are you thinking about? You have a funny look on your face."

"I think I finally understand what made some emperors indulge themselves and neglect their duties," Xiao Nanfeng replied, laughing.

"Huh?"

"With beauties like you around, I'd ignore courtly affairs too."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Yanzhi's neck and cheeks flushed a deep red.

"I'm praising your beauty," Xiao Nanfeng replied, laughing.

"You're awful!" Yanzhi cried out, flustered. She gave him a playful punch.

They laughed as they shared a quiet, joyful moment under the moonlight.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes was watching them from a distant mountaintop—their supposed master, Immortal Qingyang. Of course, by now, they had learned that he wasn't an Immortal at all, nor their master. He was a high-ranking assassin in the guild known as Qingyang Zi.

Qingyang Zi watched Yanzhi dance with lust in his eyes.

"So the birthmark on Yan's face was fake all along... Without it, she's a true beauty. I recruited such a treasure without even knowing it!" He grinned slyly.

"She's always been cold to everyone except her brother," one of his subordinates said. "She's very skilled, and by far the top of her cohort."

Qingyang Zi smiled. "No matter. Once she's mine, I'll tame her well."