Master Luo Was Actually Very Strong (Please Keep Reading)

After she had enjoyed his comforting, Mo Xue left the bandit chief for Master Luo to question. She picked up a sword and set off after the fleeing bandits.

Shredded flesh and mangled corpses flew everywhere. Blood soaked the packed earth, and the sight left Luo Fanchen dazed.

"Mo Xue... has grown this strong?"

Luo Fanchen braced a hand against the wall, feeling rather defeated.

It was like watching the little sister who had curled up in his arms and cried for comfort just yesterday suddenly grow nearly as tall as he was. She no longer needed to huddle beneath his wings for shelter.

"That girl might be stronger than I was when I first arrived in Cloudmist City."

Luo Fanchen sighed softly. Mo Xue's fighting strength was probably close to the Qi Refinement Third Layer now.

Once she broke through to the Qi Refinement Second Layer and switched to the Heavenly Heart Art, he feared he would no longer be her match.

He had never had much confidence in his own fighting ability. He was glad to see Mo Xue grow stronger, yet he also felt a little lost.

Whether he liked it or not, the girl would soon be the one protecting him.

After a while, the cries of battle faded. Mo Xue came through the bloodshed leading several dozen elderly people, children, and women. Her embroidered shoes were soaked with blood, but her pretty face glowed with pleasure. She showed no disgust at all.

"Master Luo, these are innocent people who were abducted. I've confined the remaining bandits and their families underground. Qiu Yun has gone to deal with them."

Mo Xue's cheeks were faintly flushed, and her breath came in soft, fragrant gasps. She seemed still to be savoring the aftermath.

Luo Fanchen's brows drew together. He had noticed Mo Xue's extraordinary hunger for battle and killing. Was this a side effect of her Innate Sword Bone? Was that why the girl had been branded a Demoness?

He would need to guide her before long. If she killed without restraint and accumulated too much karmic debt, her inner demons might suddenly rise and drag her down the demonic path.

"Master Luo? Did this wretch upset you?"

When Luo Fanchen did not answer for a long time, the delight faded from the girl's face. She stepped closer and caught his sleeve, worry in her eyes.

She gave the half-dead bandit chief a light kick. Disgust filled her eyes, and her killing intent threatened to surge again.

"That's enough. Know when to stop. When we hunt bandits from now on, I'll lead the attack. You can support me."

"Huh? Weren't you going to give me a chance to practice, Master Luo?"

Luo Fanchen's expression turned strange. His lips moved, but in the end, he could not force out a word.

At the Qi Refinement First Layer, she'd killed someone at the second layer. Did she really need more practice?

"You've already done extremely well. You're improving so fast I can hardly believe it."

"Hehe. Actually, once I learned the Sword Manual, Qiu Yun couldn't beat me anymore~"

Mo Xue had been pouting in displeasure, but Master Luo's praise made her smile. Her swordlike brows relaxed as she shyly held his sleeve and gave it a gentle shake.

"I hardly ever get to come out. Let me do this for you, Master Luo~"

"You're already far stronger than others at your level. Even disciples of great Aristocratic Clans are no better. What you need to work on now is your state of mind."

"It's only a tiny bit of progress. I'm still far behind you, Master Luo."

Mo Xue looked earnest, but Luo Fanchen tapped her forehead with one finger and said helplessly, "You don't have to comfort me."

The girl was cold on the outside but gentle within. She always tried to spare his pride, and every sword sparring match ended with her conceding.

At that, Mo Xue frowned instead. She rubbed her chin with one small hand, confusion in her almond-shaped eyes.

"Master Luo, you aren't fooling me, are you?"

Mo Xue narrowed her eyes and studied his expression. Only after a long while did she decide he was not pretending.

"Hehehe. Master Luo, you don't seem to know how strong you are..."

She covered her mouth and giggled. The lingering bloodlust vanished from her face. She laughed until she clutched her stomach and tears sprang to her eyes, then gave him a meaningful wink.

"All right. You can be the main force on our next bandit hunt, Master Luo. I'll support you."

Mo Xue spread out the mission map and chose the most dangerous route on their journey: the Treasure Pavilion's trade road.

The bandit chief there was a cultivator-turned-robber at the fifth layer of Qi Refining named Chang Hao.

The man wielded a Flying Wheel with uncanny skill and was adept at Fire Arts. He was a difficult opponent; several cultivators at the Sixth Level of Qi Refining had tried to eliminate him, only to return in defeat.

"Let's start our next hunt here. Master Luo, let's go!"

"That's too risky. He's at the fifth layer of Qi Refining. We should strengthen Qiu Yun's Soul Banner first, then refine the Golden Roar Bear's medicinal power. Once our cultivation has improved and we've made every possible preparation, we can challenge him."

Luo Fanchen looked grave and kept talking.

Mo Xue rested her chin on her hand and watched him quietly. She could not help smiling. "Master Luo, you have a talent for making people laugh, too."

"Come on, Master Luo. Stop fussing like an old woman. If you won't go, I'll sneak off by myself~"

Mo Xue crossed her arms with a little huff. She had only been half joking, but she could not hold back another laugh. Anticipation stirred in her heart.

Master Luo probably hasn't fought many real battles, has he?

"However few I've fought, it's still more than you have."

Luo Fanchen tried to maintain his dignity. He quickly removed the Storage Bag from the one-eyed bandit chief, called for Qiu Yun to dispel the Illusion Formation, and began Soul Refining.

"That's true, Master Luo. Strictly speaking, I've only fought three battles."

"..."

Luo Fanchen opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.

Mo Xue's talent for combat was even more terrifying than her Spirit Root. Her Innate Sword Bone was at least a top-tier physical gift, enough to rival the prodigies of the Dao Sect. Even though she had started cultivating late, she could still catch up and surpass them.

As for him... his real combat experience was much the same as Mo Xue's. His trip to Cloudmist City had practically been his first taste of intense combat.

"If you have no confidence in yourself, Master Luo, let's make a bet."

"You little girl. Show some respect."

"Are you afraid of losing, Master Luo?"

Luo Fanchen's face remained as calm as a still lake. He knew the little girl was trying to goad him, but he indulged her and let her finish.

"If I win, I'll lead all our bandit hunts from then on."

"If I lose, I'll listen to you and obediently support you."

"You're supposed to listen to me anyway, you rebellious little brat!"

Luo Fanchen reached out and pinched Mo Xue's soft cheeks. He did not stop until he had stretched her oval face as flat as a pancake.

The girl narrowed her eyes. It hurt a little, but she let Master Luo knead her cheeks and, in a rare moment, acted spoiled.

"Please, Master Luo. Let's bet on whether you can take down Chang Hao."

After muttering that, Mo Xue's eyes darted slyly around. She immediately added, "One-on-one. If you kill or capture Chang Hao in a single fight, you win. If you merely beat him in combat, I win."

In a fight between cultivators, one could usually kill an opponent only when one's methods countered theirs or there was a clear gap in cultivation.

"Hah. You have quite a lot of faith in me."

"I've always had faith in you, Master Luo~"

Mo Xue's eyes curved into crescents. She edged closer to Master Luo and quietly rested her forehead against his shoulder.

In just two months, the girl had grown from barely reaching his chest to being able to brush her cheek against his neck with ease. Her second growth spurt had been astonishingly fast.

"You really are strong, Master Luo. You just... lack a little confidence."

Mo Xue looked serious. Back at Flying Cloud Market, she had worried that she would become a burden to Master Luo.

For one thing, her cultivation had advanced slowly. For another, Master Luo was actually growing stronger even faster than she was.

Of course, she was much faster at breathing exercises and cultivation. But Master Luo's True Essence grew visibly more abundant every day.

She wanted to grow stronger as quickly as possible mainly because the world around them was in turmoil. She wanted to be of use to Master Luo soon.

"I'm strong?"

Luo Fanchen shook his head helplessly. Mo Xue's expression softened, but her thin voice was firm.

"Very strong. Qiu Yun said you were a genius too, didn't she?"

"She was just being polite..."

"Hah. You're always like this, Master Luo. You nearly fooled me, too."

Mo Xue poked Luo Fanchen's arm, a trace of reproach in her almond-shaped eyes.

Before she had learned the Sword Manual, she too had once believed Master Luo was weak. She could beat him outright when it came to sword moves.

But after mastering the Edgeless Geng Metal Sword, she had faced Master Luo again and discovered that his True Essence was so vast she could not fathom its depths. It felt like striking a city wall with a chopstick. Even if her moves were a little better, it was useless.

Master Luo could stand still and let her stab at him, and her Geng Metal Sword Qi still could not pierce the True Essence protecting his body.

What was the point of sparring like that? Naturally, she had gone along with him, used her sword moves, and surrendered.

"Master Luo... I'm actually very competitive."

Mo Xue gave him a long look, her upper lip tucked over her lower one. At her insistent request, Luo Fanchen weighed the matter and finally changed their planned route.

A smile at last appeared on Mo Xue's troubled face.

She could hardly wait to see Master Luo stunned by his own fighting strength.

Eleven updates? That's enough, everyone. What I need now is readers keeping up with the story, not so much monthly votes~ Please keep reading and turn to the latest chapter. Please!