Declaration to Protect His Delicate Wife

Fortunately, Zhang Wuji favored Zhao Min a little more. Even the original Song Qingshu had to admit that Zhang Wuji truly deserved to be called an honorable gentleman. According to the original plot, the two would soon regain their senses here, and Zhang Wuji would leave shortly afterward.

But to Song Qingshu's utter astonishment, Zhang Wuji let out a long sigh and cried emotionally, "Zhiruo!" Before Zhou Zhiruo could react, he stepped forward, wrapped an arm around her waist, lowered his head, and tried to kiss her cherry-red lips.

This shocked not only Song Qingshu but Zhou Zhiruo as well. However, she quickly came to her senses, broke free from Zhang Wuji's embrace, and dodged away.

What the hell, this wasn't in the script! Song Qingshu stared wide-eyed at Zhang Wuji from the bed, his thoughts in complete disarray. Seducing another man's wife in the dead of night—was this Zhang Wuji still the kindhearted gentleman from the original story? If he remembered correctly, Princess Shaomin was still waiting for him at home. He wanted to see how Zhang Wuji would clean this up.

The footsteps of patrolling disciples sounded outside. Zhou Zhiruo was both ashamed and furious. "Zhang Wuji! You... you..." For a moment, she did not know what to say.

"Zhiruo, you treated me very well ever since we were young. How could I dare forget your feelings for me? If it had not been for saving my foster father in Haozhou City last time, you would already be my wife." Zhang Wuji sighed and gazed at Zhou Zhiruo with deep affection.

Zhou Zhiruo's heart fell into turmoil. Hearing him bring up the wedding in Haozhou City, her heart filled with resentment. "You followed that demoness Zhao Min away before all the heroes in the world. When did you ever care about my feelings? Now you and Zhao Min are living together as husband and wife, and I have become Madam Song, yet you come here to speak of old feelings!"

"This..." Zhang Wuji was immediately left speechless, standing stiffly there without knowing what to say.

Seeing him like that, Zhou Zhiruo became angry for no apparent reason and raised her voice. "Sect Leader Zhang, we are a lone man and woman together late at night. It would inevitably invite gossip. Please leave at once!"

Zhang Wuji stood there in stunned silence before saying softly, "Then when I come again, I'll avoid your disciples, and we can talk slowly. There are many things I want to tell you."

As Zhang Wuji's figure vanished into the darkness, Zhou Zhiruo seemed distracted and absent-minded. Hugging her knees, she sat blankly in a chair. No one knew what she was thinking about; a shy flush would appear on her face one moment, followed by a trace of faint anger the next.

Only then did Song Qingshu have the chance to examine this bargain of a beautiful wife. Delicate as orchids, elegant and unworldly, she had indeed gathered the spiritual grace of the Hanshui River and the refined beauty of Emei. She fully deserved the original work's praise of her as "purely beautiful and elegant, with exceptional features." In the several television adaptations of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber from his previous life, the actresses playing Zhou Zhiruo had all been rare beauties, but the woman before him seemed even more outstanding. She possessed a touch more softness and allure than Gao Yuanyuan, and a touch more cool detachment than Zhou Haimei. No wonder the original Song Qingshu had been utterly infatuated with her, thinking of her day and night. Even after possessing Zhao Min, the greatest beauty of the Mongol State, Zhang Wuji had still been unable to let her go.

He recalled their wedding night. When Zhou Zhiruo saw that Zhang Wuji had not come to disrupt the marriage, she had been heartbroken and allowed Song Qingshu to do as he pleased. The original owner of this body had had the chance to take Zhou Zhiruo's virginity then and there, but unfortunately, out of jealousy and a man's pride, Song Qingshu had refused to take advantage of her vulnerability.

"What an idiot!" Song Qingshu gave his assessment with both admiration and frustration. Once a woman already had another man in her heart, it was nearly impossible to win her over through feelings alone. To drive that man's shadow from her heart, the best way was to begin with the body and reach the heart. Only by becoming her first man could he barely weaken her attachment to her first love.

"You put on airs and wouldn't take it back then. Now you're about to let some other man have her, and you've made me suffer along with you." Song Qingshu cursed his predecessor again in his heart, then secretly hardened his resolve. I'm deeply sorry for taking your body, but according to the plot, you would have died anyway. The only compensation I can offer is to do my utmost to protect your delicate wife from being defiled by other men, and to use your name to shake the world...

Over the next few days, the plot proceeded normally as in the original work. Zhou Zhiruo joined hands with Zhang Wuji to break Shaolin Temple's Vajra Subduing Demon Formation, and word spread everywhere that Zhang Wuji suffered Qi Deviation midway through and went on a berserk rampage.

Zhou Zhiruo had originally intended to kill Xie Xun and return to Emei, but Zhang Wuji's confession of his feelings that night made her abandon that notion for the time being.

After the Lion-Slaying Tournament, Zhou Zhiruo used Song Qingshu's severe injuries and inability to travel as an excuse to remain at Shaolin Temple. She sent most of her followers and disciples back to Emei, keeping only one or two attendants behind. The disciples all discussed how their sect leader was truly deeply devoted to her husband.

Song Qingshu watched coldly from the sidelines, and he could roughly guess Zhou Zhiruo's subconscious intentions. Yet after that night, Zhang Wuji never came again. As Song Qingshu improved day by day, the anxiety on Zhou Zhiruo's face became increasingly obvious.

Black Jade Intermittent Ointment was a sacred medicine for setting bones. Moreover, Zhang Wuji had used the Nine Yang Divine Skill to force its medicinal power directly into his bone marrow. Thus, after several days, Song Qingshu could already get out of bed and walk. Aside from some weakness, he was no different from an ordinary person.

"Zhiruo, why haven't we returned to Emei yet?" Song Qingshu asked Zhou Zhiruo tentatively.

"The roads are in chaos with war everywhere. We'll set out once you have fully recovered." Zhou Zhiruo's voice carried an unfamiliar chill.

Song Qingshu had struggled through the modern business world and had long learned how to read the situation and shamelessly persist. Now that he was effectively helpless, and the somewhat ruthless image of Zhou Zhiruo from television dramas in his previous life was far too deeply ingrained in his mind, he knew that she could send him to meet the King of Hell with a flick of her finger. All initiative lay in her hands. He was not foolish enough to lay everything bare before her. If he angered her and she cruelly killed him outright, she could easily live with Zhang Wuji in secret and then announce to the outside world that he had died of his severe injuries. Given the image of a virtuous wife Zhou Zhiruo had displayed during this period, no one would suspect a thing.

Thinking of the promise he had made to this body's original owner, Song Qingshu could not help but smile bitterly. There was only ever a thief for a thousand days, never a guard for a thousand days. If he wanted to preserve Zhou Zhiruo's chastity, he first had to take it himself. But... looking at how powerless he was now, Song Qingshu gave another bitter smile. He was now practically trash with a combat rating of five, while Zhou Zhiruo was a Super Saiyan before him. Forcing himself on her was definitely impossible.

Over the past few days, Song Qingshu had casually sought out topics to chat with Zhou Zhiruo. Her responses were extremely cold; only when the conversation turned to matters of the martial world did she react a little better.

Song Qingshu had originally only intended to become more familiar with her, but while their relationship made no progress, their accidental chats gave him a new understanding of this world.