Considerate and Gentle Junior Disciple Brother

The cold glint that suddenly flashed before Zhou Zhiruo's eyes made her blink.

When her vision cleared, she saw a smooth cut across the throat of the mountain bandit on the ground.

Blood was steadily welling from the incision.

The bandit, who had been knocked unconscious, twitched twice before lying completely still.

Gu Shao'an, standing nearby, sheathed his sword.

Zhou Zhiruo was momentarily stunned by the scene, but then a sense of relief washed over her; one less nuisance to deal with.

At the same time, not far away, Miejue was still dispatching bandits with a palm strike each.

However, a portion of Miejue's attention remained fixed on Gu Shao'an and Zhou Zhiruo.

Especially when Zhou Zhiruo had faced the bandit earlier, Miejue's internal true energy had been circulating at its peak, clearly ready to intervene at any moment.

Under Miejue's watchful gaze, Gu Shao'an's guidance, and then his decision to let Zhou Zhiruo fight the bandit herself after she had adapted, were all clearly observed by Miejue.

Miejue hadn't spoken earlier because she wanted to see how Gu Shao'an and Zhou Zhiruo would react to these four bandits.

And Gu Shao'an's reaction far exceeded Miejue's expectations.

Not only did he decisively use Sunset Swordplay to eliminate three bandits in a very short time, but he also protected and guided Zhou Zhiruo as she fought the remaining bandit.

Especially when Zhou Zhiruo was fighting the bandit, Gu Shao'an maintained a stance with his right hand on his sword, ready to strike at any moment, which made Miejue's eyes light up.

He knew when to act decisively, and even when not acting, he maintained sufficient vigilance without the slightest carelessness.

Even the critical Miejue could find no fault with Gu Shao'an's actions.

Miejue smiled gently, but to the other bandits, the Abbess now appeared somewhat different.

What kind of decent person smiles with such satisfaction while crushing someone's skull?

For a moment, some bandits who noticed Miejue's smile felt an inexplicable dread in their hearts. They dared not advance, their eyes filled with terror.

Just then, a more furious roar drowned out the clamor.

"Get out of the way, you damn good-for-nothings!"

The voice boomed like rolling thunder! The crowded mass was forcefully parted by a brute force!

He was of medium build but exceptionally stout, wielding a thick-backed ghost-head blade with a peculiar design. The blade flowed with a cold, bloody light in the firelight.

As the one-eyed man appeared, two more figures leaped over the heads of the bandits simultaneously.

The one on the left was burly, carrying a pair of golden melon hammers.

The other was as stout as a bear, with a square face but a sinister expression.

He carried no weapons, but his steps were steady, indicating excellent lower body training.

His gaze was like a falcon's, sharp and piercing as he swept over Miejue and the others, finally settling on Miejue.

These were the three leaders of the mountain stronghold.

Upon seeing these three leaders, the bandits who had been terrified into despair by Miejue's ruthlessness seemed to have found their backbone, and they began to speak repeatedly.

The one-eyed Third Leader's Adam's apple bobbed as he let out a beast-like growl, "Who are these blind fools! How dare they desecrate my stronghold?"

The burly First Leader raised a hand to stop him, his voice low like a muffled drum.

"Who are you? Why have you trespassed into my stronghold and what is your intention?"

His gaze was fixed on Miejue, a subtle sense of vigilance stirring within him.

The mountain wind whipped the flames, crackling and illuminating the tense standoff between the two sides.

The noisy bandits gradually quieted down as the three leaders appeared, especially after the First Leader spoke, forming a stifling encirclement.

However, Miejue seemed to ignore the three leaders and turned to look at Gu Shao'an and Zhou Zhiruo behind her.

"The last bandit was knocked out by Zhiruo. Zhiruo should have killed him. Young disciple, why did you overstep your bounds?"

As if surprised that Miejue would suddenly question his recent actions amidst dozens of bandits staring them down, Gu Shao'an paused slightly before replying, "The future is long, and my senior sister is pure of heart and should be allowed to remain innocent and carefree. I felt that some things could wait a few more years."

Miejue's expression was unreadable. "This junior disciple of mine is indeed thoughtful and gentle."

Gu Shao'an smiled and said, "As a junior disciple, isn't it only right to treat my own senior sister well!"

His frank and direct words brought a gentle expression back to Miejue's face.

In two more years, Miejue would be forty.

For ordinary women, that age was old enough to be a grandmother.

As a woman, who wouldn't want to have their grandchildren around them?

Yet, Miejue was usually quite strict with her disciples, making Zhou Zhiruo and Zhao Jingxuan appear timid and cautious in her presence.

Gu Shao'an's relaxed yet polite demeanor, his casual yet subtly affectionate words, made Miejue feel even happier.

As parents, who wouldn't dote more on sweet-talking, well-behaved children?

The same applied to teachers.

In this world, there has never been favoritism without reason.

However, looking at Gu Shao'an's handsome and refined appearance, and then thinking about Gu Shao'an's thoughtful and considerate way of handling things, Miejue couldn't help but think to herself, "I wonder how many girls' hearts Shao'an will break in the future."

If it were any other junior disciple like Gu Shao'an, Miejue would inevitably feel a chill and even warn disciples like Zhiruo to stay far away from him, lest they be led astray.

But with Gu Shao'an, Miejue felt that her disciple should be like this.

The flames raged, and dozens of mountain bandits watched with predatory eyes.

In such an atmosphere, Miejue chatted leisurely with Gu Shao'an, completely disregarding the bandits present.

This arrogant posture immediately made the three bandit leaders feel belittled.

The one-eyed bandit leader said in a deep voice, "You damned nun, you're looking for death."

After speaking, as if unable to contain his inner rage, the one-eyed bandit leader grabbed his saber, gathered his energy, and charged at Miejue.

"Attack together!"

Seeing this, the First Leader among the three immediately spoke, joining the Second Leader in the attack.

The three charged at Miejue in a triangular formation.

In the blink of an eye, they covered nearly twenty feet, their momentum fierce.

Facing this scene, Miejue let out a cold snort, her deep nasal tone filled with disdain.

With a light tap of her toes, her body leaped up, actively jumping into the encirclement of the three.

Seeing Miejue enter uninvited, the three were stunned before they all attacked.

The one-eyed Third Leader's ghost-head blade whistled through the air, accompanied by the Second Leader wielding his golden melon hammer and the First Leader using his Eagle Claw Skill to try and capture her. The three attacked from advantageous angles, instantly pouncing.

It had to be said that the three were extremely familiar with each other and had practiced joint attack techniques.

As they attacked in unison, their moves sealed off all of Miejue's escape routes!

However, facing the combined assault of the three, Abbess Miejue's expression remained calm.

"Tricks of a petty performer."