Chapter 216: Headed Towards Wuliang Mountain
Two lotus flowers, embroidered with the words "My heart is the same as yours, never betray our feelings," adorned her robe. Ye Mo chuckled; this nun was quite the romantic. But if she’d actually killed her lover, as Yu Lian claimed, she was terrifying.
He’d glimpsed her bandage earlier and worried she’d noticed his observation. Carefully, he extended his spirit sense. Knowing she was heavily injured and lacked her usual fighting senses, he judged his detection unlikely to be noticed. Still, he proceeded cautiously.
After observing for a time, he saw no sign of detection. Her face was pale, her eyes sunken. Relieved, he prepared to apply medicine to the wound near her bandage.
The moment he lifted the bandage, a flicker of killing intent crossed her eyes. Ye Mo sneered; ruthless indeed. He was treating her wounds, and she was plotting his murder. He'd need to be more vigilant.
He produced a small herb from his ring, lowered his head to shield his actions, extracted its juice, added it to the medicine, and applied it to her wounds.
“Finally done,” Ye Mo breathed a sigh of relief.
The nun blushed slightly and whispered, “Thank you. Without you, I’d be dead.” Her shyness was palpable; the exposure of her injury had clearly embarrassed her.
Ye Mo felt a shiver run down his spine. Despite her age, she acted like a young girl. He shuddered.
Her composure was unnerving. Had he not seen the earlier flash of killing intent, he might have believed her. He compared her to Nie Shuangshuang—both were masterful actresses, but this nun surpassed Nie Shuangshuang by far.
Seeing his dazed expression, the nun assumed he was captivated by her appearance. More killing intent surged; did he dare to lust after her? Yet, embarrassment colored her cheeks. She still needed his help.
“I haven’t asked your name,” Jing Xi stammered, clearly struggling to repay him.
Ye Mo waved his hand, averting his gaze. “My pleasure to save a beautiful woman. No need to repay me. I’m Da Hu. What’s your name?” He’d spontaneously thought of the name, inspired by Er Hu.
“Thank you, Da Hu. I’m Jing Zier. I was gathering herbs when attacked. I barely escaped, thanks to my martial arts skills,” Jing Xi said shyly.
Ye Mo thought contemptuously—she'd copied his "wild beast" excuse. However, he feigned shock. “You know martial arts? I’ve heard there are hidden masters. Sister Zier, are you one?”
He mused, Since you want to play innocent, I'll play along. He'd adapt to whatever she said.
Jing Xi played along, affecting a prolonged shyness, as though starved of male companionship. Each word was tinged with embarrassment. She looked down. “I’m no master. I learned a few moves from my master, a true master.”
Aha, she wants me to ask about her sect, Ye Mo realized, feigning nervousness. “Sister Zier, does your sect accept male disciples? I’ve always loved martial arts.”
A look of understanding flickered in Jing Xi’s eyes. “I can inquire, but if your talent is lacking, there’s nothing I can do. Otherwise, once I recover, I can teach you secretly.”
“Let me take you back. It’s too dangerous here,” Ye Mo said nervously. He was truly nervous; her agreement would reveal Luo Susu’s location.
Jing Xi smirked—he’d taken the bait. Quickly regaining her composure, she pretended to be embarrassed. “Our temple is on Wuliang Mountain. It’s quite far; it might trouble you.”
Wuliang Mountain! Ye Mo was surprised. He knew hidden sects existed there but hadn't expected Serenity Temple to be among them. She’d traveled far from Wuliang Mountain to Shen Nong Jia.
After a moment, he replied, “No trouble at all. I planned to visit Wuliang Mountain. Let’s go together.”
He sneered. She'd maneuvered him into escorting her. They'd both achieved their goals.
Carrying Ning Qingxue had evoked a gentle warmth; carrying this nun filled him with unease. His spirit sense constantly monitored her, fearing she'd strike. Were it not for Luo Susu, he’d never carry such a volatile person.
Jing Xi proved far more familiar with Shen Nong Jia than he. Under her guidance, they escaped within two hours.
Seeing Ye Mo only slightly breathless, Jing Xi revised her assessment of him. His stamina was remarkable. He’d carried her for hours and seemed only mildly tired. She didn’t know he was perfectly fine.
What intrigued her was that he’d seemed lustful earlier but showed no advances despite carrying her for over two hours. This was strange.
Unaware he’d almost exposed himself, Ye Mo cautiously asked, “Sister, how do we reach Wuliang Mountain? Train or plane?”
“No need. I’ll drive,” Jing Xi said, pointing to a parking lot.
Ye Mo was astonished. She drove a military-plated Audi SUV. This nun was truly extraordinary.
She, in turn, was surprised by his driving skills. He’d started clumsily but after two hundred kilometers, he’d mastered the car and increased speed, eventually reaching 256 km/h and accelerating. He wanted to reach Luo Susu as quickly as possible, fearing the nun’s recovery.
Jing Xi observed him skeptically. Was he really a tourist? Despite their intimacy, he hadn't made any advances. More importantly, his driving skills had improved remarkably. He was smart, but she'd never seen such rapid learning. He also scanned his surroundings while driving, his attention seemingly elsewhere.
Was he feigning incompetence? But to what end? Jing Xi felt a rising suspicion.
Ye Mo, preoccupied with thoughts of Luo Susu, hadn’t noticed her suspicion. He’d learned quickly, remembering Wen Dong's lessons.
Jing Xi, seeing his continued inattention despite the increasing speed, could take no more. A crash would be fatal, especially in her condition.
“Da Hu, slow down! I’m dizzy!” she exclaimed.
Ye Mo started. He'd been using his spirit sense to navigate, realizing now that this was a mistake. His speed and inattention had aroused suspicion. He’d been subconsciously driven by a desire to reach Luo Susu quickly.