Better a Beast Than a Beastly Man!

Clang!

The sharp knife the young woman had raised high fell to the ground.

Sob, sob!

The moment the knife hit the ground, the young woman suddenly turned and threw her arms around Xia Daoming, bursting into tears.

Feeling the softness in his arms—especially that alluring expanse of pale, tender skin visible when he looked down—Xia Daoming, who had just killed so decisively and cleanly, suddenly felt somewhat at a loss.

Still, softhearted in the end, he did not push the young woman away.

"I'm sorry, benefactor, this humble woman lost... Ah!" Only after a long while did the young woman gradually calm down. Then, as if suddenly recalling something, she hurriedly let go, lowered her head, and bowed to Xia Daoming in apology.

But halfway through her words, she felt a chill across her chest. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, she instantly let out a shrill cry and reflexively covered her proud breasts with both hands.

Xia Daoming was rendered speechless by the young woman's flustered, bashful appearance as she covered her chest.

Just moments ago, she had been clinging tightly to him and refusing to let go!

What was with screaming and covering her chest now?

"I'll step aside for a moment," Xia Daoming said politely despite his speechlessness.

"Ah! Benefactor, don't go!" Seeing Xia Daoming about to leave, the young woman suddenly cried out in panic again.

"I forgot that people died here. How about you go straighten yourself up in the side hall, Madam? I'll stay here and clean things up," Xia Daoming said, stopping with his back still turned to her.

"Benefactor has saved this humble woman twice in succession. This humble woman's life has long belonged to you. So long as you do not find it offensive to your eyes, there is nothing for me to avoid," the young woman said.

Seeing that the young woman seemed intent on offering herself in return, Xia Daoming was startled and hurriedly said, "Upholding justice and aiding the righteous is what people like us ought to do. Madam need not take it to heart."

"This humble woman is Liu Qiaolian. Benefactor may simply call me Lian'er," the young woman said.

"So it is Madam Liu. Men and women should not touch hands when giving or receiving things. Madam should still go to the side hall and compose yourself," Xia Daoming said, still facing away from Liu Qiaolian.

Liu Qiaolian gave Xia Daoming's back a complicated look, then bowed. "Yes, benefactor."

With that, Liu Qiaolian walked to the corner of the Taoist temple wall, picked up a bundle that had been thrown on the ground, and headed toward the dilapidated side hall.

After Liu Qiaolian left, Xia Daoming began dealing with the corpses.

Before dragging the bodies outside the Taoist temple and hastily burying them, Xia Daoming naturally did not forget to search them.

To Xia Daoming's surprise, he found over a thousand taels in banknotes and loose silver on Green Bean Eyes and the other two martial masters.

More than a month ago, he had killed six martial masters from Hundred Herbs Hall, one of whom had even been a Fifth-Rank Great Martial Master, yet he had only found a little over a thousand taels in banknotes.

Of course, Xia Daoming had not converted the value of those four Three Yuan Blood Return Pills into silver.

But even if he counted them in, given their cultivation and numbers, they were still far inferior to Green Bean Eyes and the other three martial masters.

When Xia Daoming finished handling the three corpses and returned to the main hall of the Taoist temple, he saw Liu Qiaolian standing quietly before the pockmarked young man's body.

A fitted azure martial outfit perfectly outlined her full, willow-slender waist. Her glossy black hair was gathered into a simple drifting-cloud bun, making her look dignified and graceful without losing her mature charm.

Hearing footsteps, Liu Qiaolian hurriedly turned around and bowed to Xia Daoming. "Lian'er greets her benefactor."

"No need for such courtesy, Madam. How should he be handled?" Xia Daoming asked.

"His name was Liu Zhong. He was one of my younger male cousins. But ever since Liu Family Village was massacred, he had been my only family left in this world.

"I also regarded him as my own younger brother, giving everything I had to help him practice martial arts, hoping that one day he might achieve something in the martial path and avenge the blood feud of our Lineage.

"But I never expected fate to toy with people so cruelly. The person I regarded as closest to me first pushed me toward the Blood Feather Eagle to save himself, then pushed me toward that band of villains."

As she spoke, crystalline tears silently rolled down Liu Qiaolian's delicate skin.

Her watery eyes were filled with desolation and confusion, stirring pity in anyone who saw them.

"And yet, benefactor and I are neither kin nor acquaintances, yet you saved me twice in succession. I have no way to repay you. I beg you to take me in, so that I may serve you like an ox or horse for the rest of my life!" Saying this, Liu Qiaolian bowed deeply.

"I already said it: upholding justice and aiding the righteous is what people like us ought to do. Madam need not take it to heart, much less speak of repaying me by serving as an ox or horse," Xia Daoming said, thoroughly startled.

"Does benefactor disdain this humble woman's feeble willow appearance?" Liu Qiaolian looked up at Xia Daoming, her face full of desolation.

"Of course not. If you count as feeble willow, then there are no beautiful women left in this world," Xia Daoming replied without thinking.

"Does benefactor fear that this humble woman is doing this because I want you to avenge my Lineage?" Liu Qiaolian asked again.

Xia Daoming was stunned by her words.

He had never even considered taking Liu Qiaolian in, so how could he have thought that far?

"From the moment Liu Zhong pushed me toward the Blood Feather Eagle, I had already given up all thoughts of revenge. Later, Liu Zhong pushed me toward that band of villains, and all my hopes turned to ashes.

"Fortunately, benefactor saved me once again and spared me from violation. But I no longer know how I should go on living for the rest of my life, or why I should live at all. Sob, sob!" As she spoke, Liu Qiaolian suddenly crouched down, covered her face, and began weeping bitterly.

Seeing the woman cry so heartbreakingly and despairingly, Xia Daoming suddenly understood.

Liu Qiaolian wanted to serve him as an ox or horse not merely to repay his kindness. Rather, after suffering one devastating blow after another, the obsession that had sustained her life had collapsed with a thunderous crash. She needed a reason, a goal, to give herself the courage to keep living.

If he rejected her now, even if he was not driving her to death, he would be forcing her to become a walking corpse.

"Actually, my own life is not settled yet either..." After a long time, Xia Daoming finally could not bear it and spoke.

"It's all right, it's all right. This servant has saved up some money over the years. Wherever Master wishes to settle down, we can purchase some property there. Master need only focus wholeheartedly on martial arts; this servant will handle all matters of daily life.

"Moreover, this servant knows several trade routes between the north and south. If our funds are insufficient, this servant can continue working as a traveling merchant between the north and south." Seeing Xia Daoming's tone soften, Liu Qiaolian abruptly stopped crying and lifted her head.

Xia Daoming stared at Liu Qiaolian, her face streaked with tears like pear blossoms after rain and unspeakably tragic in beauty. Hearing what she said, he was completely dumbfounded, his entire worldview turned upside down.

If I really agree, those guys from my previous life who shamelessly lived off women would look utterly pathetic compared to me!

"Ahem, Madam Liu, you truly don't need to do this. It makes me..." Only after quite some time did Xia Daoming recover enough to speak.

"Master may simply call this servant Lian'er. And this servant has never been married, nor will I ever marry for the rest of my life. I only wish to serve Master and repay the two times you saved my life," Liu Qiaolian hurriedly said.

Xia Daoming felt a splitting headache.

Though he had saved this woman twice, if he accepted such support from her, he truly felt less than a beastly man.

But if he refused, judging by the woman's state, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance she would prove her resolve through death.

If that truly happened, how could Xia Daoming bear it?

"If Master will not agree to let this servant repay this kindness for the rest of my life, then even if this servant dies now, I will die with my eyes unable to close!" Liu Qiaolian suddenly dropped to her knees.

Damn it, just as I thought!

Fine then. Saving one life is worth building a seven-story pagoda. If I do not enter hell, who will? Better a beast than a beastly man!

Seeing this, Xia Daoming sighed helplessly toward the heavens in his heart. "Lian'er, get up. Although we are now master and servant, if you ever regret it and wish to leave, you may do so at any time."

"I, Liu Qiaolian, swear that I will spend the rest of my life repaying benefactor for saving me twice. Should I violate this oath, may five bolts of lightning strike me down, and may I never be reborn for all eternity!" Hearing this, Liu Qiaolian not only did not rise, but instead swore with a solemn face.

"This..."

Xia Daoming did not know whether he simply did not understand the women of this world at all, or whether women like Liu Qiaolian were an exception.

But no matter what, with matters having reached this point, Xia Daoming could only accept it.

"Lian'er, how should he be handled?" Xia Daoming returned to the old topic, though his form of address had changed.

"No matter how he treated me, we were still brother and sister in the end. This servant will go bury him now," Liu Qiaolian said.

"Mhm." Xia Daoming nodded and moved to drag the corpse away.

In the end, Liu Qiaolian called him Master and stubbornly refused to let him do such work.

She would not even allow him to dig the grave.

Xia Daoming had no choice but to let her have her way.

Ever since Xia Daoming agreed to take her in as a servant, Liu Qiaolian seemed to have found a new purpose and meaning in life.

After burying Liu Zhong, she began cleaning the Taoist temple, making Xia Daoming's bed, drawing water from the well in the rear courtyard, boiling water...

Watching Liu Qiaolian bustle about, how could Xia Daoming, who came from a modern civilized society, bear to merely watch? He wanted to step in and help, but Liu Qiaolian simply would not allow it.

Helpless, Xia Daoming could only sit in meditation and circulate his blood and vital force, letting what the eye did not see leave the heart untroubled.

Night fell quickly.

Long-unseen firelight flickered to life within the Taoist temple.

As Xia Daoming ate the dinner Liu Qiaolian had prepared, he chatted with her now and then.

Only through their conversation did Xia Daoming learn that Liu Qiaolian, who dressed herself like a married young woman, was actually a year younger than him, only twenty-three this year. Aside from occasionally traveling north and south as a merchant with Liu Zhong, she normally lived in Li City.

"You live in Li City? What a coincidence! I'm heading to Li City this time to study martial arts under the Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School. You know Hidden Dragon Martial Arts School, right?" Xia Daoming asked in delight.

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That is all for today's update. Thanks to readers Autumn Divine Light, Thousand-Mile Solo Wanderer, Gazing Beyond the Ridge, RPG Defense, and others for their tips.