Be careful

"Senior Brother Xiao!" Ouyang Susu cried out, her face draining of color. Her scream finally brought a little focus back to Xie Jun's blood-red eyes.

She abruptly caught Xiao Qinghe in her arms.

Her hand met warm, sticky blood. It trembled, and even her breathing stopped. "Senior Brother?"

Xiao Qinghe had no idea what reckless impulse had made him rush forward to take the blow. All he knew was that Xie Jun's identity could not be exposed yet.

He slowly raised his hand and gently pressed it against the young disciple's hauntingly beautiful cheek, covering the faintly flickering demon mark. "Junior Sister, listen to me... don't let anyone see..."

Before he could finish, his hand fell limply.

Xiao Qinghe's vision went black. A second before he lost consciousness, he heard Xie Jun's terrified, trembling cry. "Senior Brother!"

When Xiao Qinghe woke again, it was pain that roused him.

"If you know it hurts, why were you so reckless?" It was Bai Yuqing's reproachful voice. Then a warm hand pressed against Xiao Qinghe's chest.

Right on his wound.

"Hiss..."

Xiao Qinghe sucked in a breath at the pain.

Only when he managed to open his eyes did he realize he was already lying in bed.

His master sat beside the bed in white robes, leaning forward slightly as he undressed him.

Xiao Qinghe resisted. "Master, don't..."

Bai Yuqing remained unmoved and stripped his upper body bare.

Xiao Qinghe had mediocre aptitude. He usually practiced internal cultivation methods and rarely trained with weapons, so his body was not as sturdy as those of his fellow disciples.

His thin layer of muscle was rather delicate.

Bai Yuqing gave a soft cough and turned his face away, but his hands kept moving.

He poured a handful of jade salve out and spread it over Xiao Qinghe's wound.

"Master... gently..."

Xiao Qinghe nearly passed out from the pain.

Was his master trying to heal him or kill him?

It fucking hurt!

Bai Yuqing paused, his gaze settling on him.

Xiao Qinghe lay bare-chested, both hands clutching the thin quilt, his body taut. His slender, graceful neck arched in unbearable pain, making one want to...

"Master, you're hurting Senior Brother!" Xie Jun's anxious voice rang out.

She stepped forward, intending to take over and tend to Xiao Qinghe's injury herself.

Her reddened eyes stayed fixed on Xiao Qinghe's wound, their gaze seeming to hold a thousand unspoken words.

Bai Yuqing came back to himself and swept her a cold look. "If you hadn't acted so rashly, why would Qinghe have had to suffer?"

Xie Jun lowered her head, clenching her fists so tightly that the veins stood out on the backs of her hands.

"Qinghe was injured because of you. Have you anything to say for yourself?" Bai Yuqing demanded sternly.

Xie Jun stood rigid and said nothing.

Something sounded wrong to Xiao Qinghe. "Master, Senior Brother Zhao started it..."

Bai Yuqing's expression cooled. "If he hadn't been trying to save you, how could he have been hurt?"

"That may be true, but..."

"She cannot escape responsibility." Clearly unwilling to hear Xiao Qinghe plead for her, Bai Yuqing glanced at Xie Jun. "You wayward disciple, kneel!"

Xie Jun's jaw tightened. She clenched her teeth so hard that a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

But she offered no explanation. Without a word, she knelt.

Xiao Qinghe's pupils contracted slightly.

Having read the original novel, he knew better than anyone how deeply Xie Jun's pride ran.

She was an unyielding young disciple who refused to bow to anyone even after her leg tendons were torn out, who had knelt on one knee only before the female lead in her entire life. How could she...

This plot was fucking surreal!

"Junior Sister, get up... ngh..." The moment Xiao Qinghe moved, the pain in his chest turned his face deathly pale.

Bai Yuqing pressed him back down and said sternly, "Instead of worrying about her, you would do better to worry about yourself. I taught you not to play the hero. Did you let every word go in one ear and out the other?"

Playing the hero was bad enough, but he had done it for this demonic young disciple!

He should never have softened and agreed to take Xie Jun as his disciple!

Xiao Qinghe was covered in cold sweat. How could he dare say anything?

In the end, Bai Yuqing could not bear to be harsh with his most cherished disciple, and his touch grew gentler. As for the young disciple kneeling on the floor, his expression remained cold, and he did not spare her another glance.

Even after he left, Xie Jun remained kneeling, head bowed, without a word.

She actually looked rather pitiful.

Compared with the future Lord of the Demon Realm, who would slaughter all opposition and unite the Demon Realm under her rule, she was still just a young disciple who had yet to shed her youthful innocence.

Xiao Qinghe sighed. "Master's gone. Get up..."

"Master was right to punish me." Xie Jun shook her head, her nails digging deep into her palms as she clenched her fists.

The more it hurt, the clearer her head became.

And the murderous ferocity in her eyes grew stronger.

One day, Zhao Guangyi would pay in blood for this sword wound!

Xiao Qinghe had no idea what this little demon was thinking. He merely assumed she felt so guilty that she willingly accepted her punishment.

At once, he found her a little more adorable. He reached a hand out from beneath the quilt. "Come here."

This time, Xie Jun moved swiftly. In a few strides, she reached the bedside and knelt on one knee, staring straight at him.

That look in her eyes was nothing like the vicious little lunatic who had nearly undergone Demonization earlier.

A surge of fatherly affection rose in Xiao Qinghe. He felt that taking that sword strike had not been in vain. At least he had secured this powerful protector.

At once, he felt even more strongly that Xie Jun was on his side.

He reached out again and pressed his hand to the young disciple's face. "Did anyone notice the demon mark?"

Xie Jun went rigid.

This was the second time Xiao Qinghe had touched her face. She should have recoiled in disgust, but her body seemed unwilling to obey her.

It seemed she did not dislike Xiao Qinghe's touch.

[Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!]

The readers suddenly went wild.

Xiao Qinghe had almost forgotten about that.

At the thought of whatever diabolical prose the system might be turning his every move into, he relaxed his hand and started to lower it.

As that warm touch left her, Xie Jun caught his hand before she knew what she was doing.

Then she gently pressed Xiao Qinghe's hand against her own face. "The demon mark disappeared. No one saw it."

Xiao Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief, but-

[Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!]

The readers went even wilder!

Now it was not just Xiao Qinghe's chest that hurt. His head hurt too.

But Xie Jun refused to let go. She gazed intently at him, her voice hoarse. "Senior Brother, why did you step forward and take that sword strike?"

Obviously, to raise your affection for me and secure you as my powerful protector!

But I couldn't say that!

"I'm your senior brother. It's only right that I protect you." Xiao Qinghe thought this excuse perfectly captured the affection between fellow disciples. Excellent.

Xie Jun pressed her thin lips together, then suddenly said, "If Master takes another disciple and you have another junior brother, would you also..."

Her voice was too quiet for Xiao Qinghe to catch. "Junior Sister, what did you say?"

"Nothing." Xie Jun lowered her eyes, a dark glint flashing through them.

One master was already enough of an eyesore.

There was no need for any extra junior brother to appear.

She alone was enough. She should be the only junior disciple he would risk his life to take a sword strike for.

Xie Jun closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly, nestling her left cheek into Xiao Qinghe's palm.

Xiao Qinghe's fingers were slender. Unlike other people's, his palms had no thin layer of calluses from weapons practice. Instead, they were fine and smooth, carrying a soft warmth.

The sensation was wondrous.

Before she knew it, Xie Jun nuzzled his hand. She liked touching her senior brother.

Then Xiao Qinghe froze.

Wasn't something a little off here?