Watching her adorable flustered state, Lin Xuan laughed heartily. "Martial Aunt, there's no need to stand on ceremony. We're about the same age, so we can interact as equals. Calling me 'Martial Aunt's nephew' in private is fine, but if you really had to put on airs, I'm afraid your temperament couldn't bear it."
His words were exceedingly considerate, immediately easing Cheng Ying's embarrassment.
Cheng Ying cast him a grateful glance. Her lovely eyes curved into crescents, and even through the mask, one could tell she was smiling.
"Then... then I'll call you Young Master Lin." Cheng Ying's voice was soft, carrying the gentle grace of a Jiangnan woman. "Thank you for saving me just now, Young Master Lin. Actually... I was truly showing off before an expert. I thought you were an innocent passerby and wanted to save you, but I never expected..."
At this point, her face reddened again. Recalling how she had dragged him away and tried to make him flee, she felt utterly mortified.
"Ah, Little Martial Aunt, that's not right."
Lin Xuan said seriously, "At such a dangerous moment, Martial Aunt disregarded her own safety and still wished to protect me from harm. I will never forget that chivalrous heart and concern. Compared to the level of one's martial arts, such a kind heart is far more precious."
In this treacherous jianghu, a woman as pure and kind as Cheng Ying was indeed rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
Hearing Lin Xuan's praise, Cheng Ying felt sweetness bloom in her heart. Lowering her head, she fiddled with the jade flute in her hands. "Young Master Lin overpraises me."
"The smell of blood here is too strong. We shouldn't linger." Lin Xuan glanced at the corpses on the ground. "It's late, and the night dew