That day, Hao Shuai was flying toward Hengyang City.
He suddenly spotted a tall, handsome young man on a hillside below, pestering a beautiful girl dressed in pink.
Hao Shuai stopped at the top of the slope to see what was going on.
He heard the handsome young man say, "Haha! I'm Tian Boguang, the Lone Wanderer. I always keep my word. I said you'd marry me, so you have to marry me."
Hearing the young man introduce himself, Hao Shuai knew exactly what was happening.
He looked around but didn't see Linghu Chong. According to the original story, shouldn't Linghu Chong have shown up too? Had the plot changed because Linghu Chong hadn't rescued the damsel in distress in Huayin County?
Fortunately, Hao Shuai had happened upon this scene today. Otherwise, if the plot had changed because of him and Yi Lin had really been forced into the bridal chamber, he would probably have felt terribly guilty.
While Hao Shuai was thinking about the plot, Tian Boguang tapped Yi Lin's pressure points and teased, "What a lovely scent! If I don't keep such a fragrant woman for myself, who should I save her for? Come on, let's go to the bridal chamber." He reached out with his left hand to touch Yi Lin's face.
Bang!
Coming back to his senses, Hao Shuai saw Tian Boguang daring to reach for Yi Lin's beautiful little face. He promptly rewarded him with a bullet, shooting through Tian Boguang's palm.
After injuring Tian Boguang, Hao Shuai flew straight to Yi Lin, wrapped an arm around her waist, and retreated with her. At the same time, he used his telekinesis to pin Tian Boguang to the ground.
"Are you all right?" Hao Shuai looked Yi Lin up and down. She was fresh and refined, with a radiant complexion—truly a stunning beauty. Her features even bore a slight resemblance to Dongfang Bai's. It was probably the world correcting itself. After all, they were sisters in this world.
"I'm fine. Thank you for saving me, benefactor." Yi Lin clasped her hands and thanked him.
"Good. What do you want to do with this lecher? Shall I kill him?" Hao Shuai asked.
Yi Lin glanced at Tian Boguang, pinned helplessly to the ground. "Heaven has a virtue of cherishing life. Let him go."
Hao Shuai had guessed she would say that. For someone as kind as Yi Lin, agreeing to kill a person would indeed be too much to ask.
Hao Shuai had originally wanted to kill Tian Boguang outright. Back when he'd read Smiling, Proud Wanderer, some people had always tried to whitewash Tian Boguang, claiming he was a hero and talking about how loyal and honorable he was. Hao Shuai found it ridiculous.
Whatever Tian Boguang had done, it couldn't change the fact that he was a lecher.
The right thing to do with a man like that was to kill him with a single stroke, not act like Linghu Chong, drinking and chatting with him and even calling him a brother. Put kindly, that was being easygoing. Put bluntly, it was consorting with a criminal!
But Yi Lin was right there, so Hao Shuai couldn't kill Tian Boguang in front of her. It seemed he would have to find another chance later.
So Hao Shuai withdrew his telekinetic force and said to Tian Boguang, "You're lucky today. This young woman pleaded for you. You won't be so lucky next time. Get lost!"
Tian Boguang scrambled to his feet. He didn't dare make any threats and immediately used his Lightness Skill to flee.
He knew he'd run into a great master. The man's inner power alone had left him unable to move.
"Miss, are you headed to Hengyang City? So am I. Let's go together," Hao Shuai said to Yi Lin.
"All right. My name is Yi Lin, and I'm from the Mount Heng School."
"I'm Hao Shuai. You can call me Brother Hao."
"Brother Hao," Yi Lin said sweetly.
Since he had only just met Yi Lin, Hao Shuai couldn't very well take her flying to Hengyang City. He had no choice but to accompany her on foot.
They strolled along, reaching a village around dusk.
"Yi Lin, it's getting late. Let's find somewhere to stay in this village for the night and set out again tomorrow," Hao Shuai said.
"I'll do as you say, Brother Hao."
Hao Shuai found the village chief and gave him a gold bean, asking him to arrange dinner and a place to sleep for the two of them.
The village chief looked at the gold bean, then immediately had his wife kill a chicken and cook several vegetable dishes. He also prepared two guest rooms.
After dinner, Yi Lin was tired from walking all day, so she went straight to bed.
Hao Shuai knew Dongfang Bai would be passing through soon. He ordered a pot of wine and slowly sipped it with some chicken.
A young man in brocade robes walked into the village. He was supposedly a young man, but he was more beautiful than a girl, with an exquisite face.
Hao Shuai had been keeping an eye on the village entrance. The moment he saw the young man, he knew it was Dongfang Bai. He stood up and hurried over, calling out happily, "Miss Dongfang, we meet again!"
Dongfang Bai looked at Hao Shuai and said, "Brother, you must have mistaken me for someone else. I'm a man."
"I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else. You just look a lot like someone I know." Hao Shuai looked disappointed.
"Oh?"
Dongfang Bai's heart skipped a beat, though her face remained expressionless. "Who?"
"The one I love!"
"That's ridiculous. Don't tell me you're fond of men?"
Dongfang Bai mocked him, but no one could tell what she was thinking.
"Of course not. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. It's just a shame..." Hao Shuai spoke gently, each word making Dongfang Bai's heart skip a beat. When he suddenly stopped, she couldn't help asking, "A shame about what?"
Hao Shuai sighed. "The first time I saw her was that night at Si Shui Nian Hua. I felt I'd fallen in love with her at first sight. But when I went back to Si Shui Nian Hua the next day to find her and help her buy her freedom, she was already gone."
"Si Shui Nian Hua? That sounds like the name of a brothel. You don't mind her background?" Dongfang Bai's face remained expressionless, but for some reason, her heart was a little tense.
"Of course I don't. I love her for who she is, not her status. Even if she were the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, I'd still love her. No one could stop me," Hao Shuai declared firmly.
"Enough of that. Meeting is fate, so let's have a drink together." As he spoke, Hao Shuai took Dongfang Bai by the hand and led her toward the table.
After leading Dongfang Bai to the table and pressing her into a chair, Hao Shuai poured her a cup of wine and handed it over. "I haven't asked your name, Brother. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Hao Shuai, unaffiliated with any sect."
Dongfang Bai took the cup and drained it. "My name is Dong Fang Bo. I'm unaffiliated too, just a wanderer in the martial world."
Hao Shuai smiled. "Neither of us belongs to a sect, and Brother Dong even bears some resemblance to the woman I love. It seems fate has tied the two of us together."
Hao Shuai kept finding excuses to clink cups with Dongfang Bai. Before long, the pot was empty. Looking at the scattered cups and dishes, he pretended to be reluctant and said, "All feasts must come to an end. Now that the pot's empty, it's time to rest. If only we had another jar of good wine, I'd gladly share another drink with Brother Dong. But alas, fate isn't on our side. I'll take my leave."
Sure enough, Dongfang Bai smiled and called out to stop him. "Don't be in such a hurry, Brother Hao. I know of a tavern nearby with decent wine. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a few more drinks?"
"Gladly! Let's drink until we're both drunk tonight." Hao Shuai had been waiting for her to say exactly that.
The two used their Lightness Skill—telekinesis in Hao Shuai's case—and followed the road to a nearby town.
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