Everything happened so quickly that Zhu Zhuqing had yet to figure out what had happened.
To her, this handsome young man had seemed to be in league with the mounted bandits just moments ago, and the bandits had indeed treated him as their brother.
Yet the young man had mercilessly slaughtered them.
Immediately afterward, they had turned against each other.
Zhu Zhuqing could not comprehend that such an overpowered Soul Skill as "Sincerity" existed in this world. She simply assumed it was a case of dogs biting dogs.
But after Ning Rongrong summoned the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Zhu Zhuqing began to question the young man's identity again.
Judging by his appearance, he probably was not a mounted bandit.
Besides, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would never allow a direct-line disciple to accompany bandits.
Thus, Zhu Zhuqing concluded that Chen Ci was not a bandit. When she saw him chasing after the bandits alone, she hurriedly called out:
"Young hero, those bandits have killed countless people. Going after them alone will be dangerous!
"We're safe now. There's no need to put yourself at risk again."
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's voice, Chen Ci did not stop. He merely shouted:
"Just as you said, those bandits have killed countless people.
"We're safe now, but if we let them leave, more people will fall into danger and be plundered by them.
"If your injuries are too severe, miss, you can wait in the carriage with my Rongrong. I'll be right back."
Hearing Chen Ci's words, Zhu Zhuqing froze in place, her eyes filled with the sight of that young hero galloping away.
Chen Ci's words echoed in her heart, stirring ripple after ripple.
Just then, Ning Rongrong and the coachman brought the carriage over to Zhu Zhuqing.
Ning Rongrong stood at the carriage door and extended her hand toward the dazed Zhu Zhuqing.
Only when she saw the slender hand before her did Zhu Zhuqing come back to her senses. The galloping figure had already vanished.
Zhu Zhuqing took Ning Rongrong's hand and climbed into the carriage, just about to ask what had happened with Chen Ci earlier.
But Ning Rongrong swung herself onto the shaft horse's back and prepared to undo the traces connecting it to the carriage.
Once she had finished, Ning Rongrong looked back at Zhu Zhuqing and said:
"Miss, you're injured. Stay in the carriage with the coachman and wait for us to return."
Then Ning Rongrong urged the horse toward the direction Chen Ci had disappeared in.
Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a moment, feeling that her injuries were not so severe that she could no longer move.
With a sudden leap, she landed behind Ning Rongrong.
"Miss, your Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. You're a support-type Soul Master, yet even you dare to fight the bandits.
"All the more reason I shouldn't back down."
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, Ning Rongrong said nothing, merely muttering inwardly:
Why would I fight the bandits?
At most, I'll just cast enhancement Soul Skills on Brother Chen Ci from the sidelines.
But Ning Rongrong did not say this aloud. This was one of the few times she had ridden a horse, and she was so inexperienced that she could not spare the attention to talk to Zhu Zhuqing.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing could only hold Ning Rongrong tightly to avoid being jolted off.
And so, the two beautiful girls bounced and jolted toward Chen Ci, leaving the coachman alone, disheveled in the wind.
Before long, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing finally reached the area where Chen Ci was fighting the bandits.
Chen Ci had already killed most of the bandits, leaving only two or three cats, big and small.
But Chen Ci had already expended quite a bit of stamina and Soul Power, though the bandits had been scared out of their wits by him.
It was only a matter of time before Chen Ci killed them.
Just then, Chen Ci heard the rapid pounding of hooves.
Looking toward the sound, he saw Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong riding toward him on a single horse in a comical fashion.
The sight was so ridiculous that Chen Ci could not hold back his laughter.
When Ning Rongrong heard Chen Ci laugh, she immediately realized what he was laughing at and protested petulantly:
"Brother Chen Ci, hurry and help me stop this horse."
Ignoring his depleted stamina, Chen Ci ran toward the horse.
This out-of-control horse was far more frightening now than those few bandits who had already been scared out of their wits.
Chen Ci ran alongside the horse, leaped up, and sat behind Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
He reached both hands forward, trying to grasp the reins, but all three of them were extremely well-developed, especially Zhu Zhuqing, whose figure was positively voluptuous.
This made the space on the horse's back even more cramped, leaving the three of them no choice but to press tightly together.
Ning Rongrong was fine at the very front, but Zhu Zhuqing was another matter. Sandwiched between the two of them with Chen Ci pressed tightly against her, a lovely blush rose to her cheeks.
This was her first time being so close to someone of the opposite sex.
Zhu Zhuqing's heart beat rapidly, as though a little deer were careening around inside it.
Her Martial Soul was the Hell Spirit Cat, giving her a sense of smell unlike ordinary people's. Pressed so close to Chen Ci, she could smell that sun-warmed scent unique to men.
She could not help recalling the sight of Chen Ci galloping away earlier, pursuing the bandits alone.
At that thought, her heart beat even faster, and her face grew redder.
With their bodies pressed tightly together, Chen Ci finally reached the reins and easily reined the uncontrollable horse to a halt.
Seeing this, Ning Rongrong could not help praising him:
"As expected of Brother Chen Ci. You're amazing."
Chen Ci did not answer Ning Rongrong. Instead, he jumped straight off the horse and looked in the direction the bandits had fled.
These bandits were clever. They had not all fled in the same direction, and some had even run in the opposite direction from the main group.
Chen Ci frowned and said:
"Rongrong, enhance me. I'm going after the bandits."
Then he looked at Zhu Zhuqing and said:
"Miss in black, one of the bandits ran in the opposite direction. If you still have strength to spare, could you go after him and kill him?
"The strongest of these bandits are only Soul Masters in their teens in level. They shouldn't be too difficult for you.
"Rongrong can enhance your attributes too.
"If you can't, don't push yourself. I can kill them myself. It'll just take a little more time."
At this, Ning Rongrong cooperatively nodded her little head.
"Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's attribute enhancements are really powerful!"
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. With enhancements from a Soul Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, killing a Soul Master would not be difficult for an agility-attack-type Soul Grandmaster like her.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing nod, Chen Ci only then noticed that her cheeks had turned bashfully red at some point.
Could I have poked her?
That shouldn't be possible. Things were so urgent just now. I couldn't have been that lustful.
Forget it. Never mind that. Killing the bandits comes first.
Chen Ci said nothing more and charged straight after the fleeing bandits.
At the same time, Ning Rongrong used her enhancement Soul Skills again, boosting both their strength, speed, and Soul Power.
Chen Ci's strength, speed, and Soul Power immediately surged, and he soon put every one of the fleeing bandits to the sword.
By the time he returned to the same spot, Zhu Zhuqing had also killed the bandit who had fled in the opposite direction and returned.
The three gathered together and looked at the only horse there.
Ning Rongrong said:
"It looks like this is the only horse left.
"Then shall we ride like we did just now?"
Chen Ci had no objection. Ning Rongrong's riding skills were lacking, and as for Zhu Zhuqing, he was not quite sure how well she could ride.
Either way, he would most likely have to handle the horse, and if he had to choose one person to take with him, it would definitely be Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong understood this too, so she looked at Zhu Zhuqing along with Chen Ci.
At those words, Zhu Zhuqing's pretty face reddened, but at the thought of being pressed against Chen Ci this way, she did not object, tacitly agreeing.
Thus, the three sat as they had before, with Ning Rongrong at the front, Zhu Zhuqing sandwiched in the middle, and Chen Ci at the back.
The ride back was nothing like that brief moment of stopping the horse earlier. The atmosphere was charged with intimacy.
Now Chen Ci could fully feel the lovely curves of the beauty in front of him, his nose filled with the mingled fragrance of the two beautiful girls.
He was a hot-blooded young man, and inevitably had a certain physical reaction.
Feeling the hard object behind her, Zhu Zhuqing's face instantly turned scarlet, but she said nothing, merely somewhat surprised by its size.
Since Zhu Zhuqing did not mention it, Chen Ci naturally would not bring it up himself.
As the little horse rose and fell, Chen Ci's body swayed along with it. Zhu Zhuqing's face grew redder and redder, looking just like a ripe apple that made one want to take a bite...