Zhong Ling was awakened by a gust of cold wind. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw that she was flying through the sky.
Thinking she was dreaming, she immediately prepared to put her head down and go back to sleep.
But even with her eyes closed, the wind whistled around her, chilling her until she shivered. She couldn't help grumbling:
"Why is the wind in this dream so cold?"
"Because you're not dreaming. Awake?"
"I am," Zhong Ling answered automatically, then immediately realized something.
"Who are you?"
She opened her eyes wide and saw that not only was she flying, she was being carried over someone's shoulder.
Because she was slung over his shoulder, she couldn't see his face. Only the robe beneath her looked somewhat familiar.
Where have I seen it before? Uh...!!
Her memories from before she lost consciousness flooded back, and Zhong Ling immediately realized what the black robe was.
Wasn't it the evil ghost that had gone into the room where she was being held to eat her, just like the ones in those storybooks?
At the thought, Zhong Ling's pretty face went pale with fright, and she began to sob.
"Grandpa Evil Ghost, don't eat me. My meat is sour and doesn't taste good."
"Please let me go. I'll have my parents offer you cattle and sheep when I get back."
???
Xu Xiao was utterly baffled. He had just brought her out of the Wuliang Sword Sect when he heard Zhong Ling talking to herself, so he had answered her.
He hadn't expected her to respond in tears.
Wait, does she think I'm a ghost?
Xu Xiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but faced with such a naive young girl, he felt like teasing her.
Lowering his voice, Xu Xiao spoke slowly.
"What's so tasty about beef and mutton? A tender-skinned little girl like you is much better eating."
"The best thing would be to take you and steam you whole. Now that would be a truly delightful taste."
At those words, Zhong Ling cried even louder on his back.
The girl, usually so full of mischief, truly panicked for the first time and could only plead desperately from behind him.
"Grandpa Evil Ghost, my meat really doesn't taste good. Please let me go."
"I'm lazy and I don't like bathing. You'll get a stomachache if you eat me."
"No, I insist on eating you. Hahaha."
Xu Xiao cackled as he teased Zhong Ling.
Seeing that they were almost at the entrance to the cave in Langhuan Blessed Land, he frightened her even more.
"My cave is just ahead. Once we get there, I'll strip you, wash you clean, and put you in the pot to steam."
"Mama!" Zhong Ling screamed in terror, then fainted from fright once more.
"Hehe, little girl, that's for saying I looked like an evil ghost before. You brought this on yourself, didn't you?"
Xu Xiao was a man who held grudges.
He didn't care who you were. If you provoked him, he would get back at you.
Of course, getting back at someone didn't necessarily mean beating or killing them; it depended on the person. Scaring a little girl like her was enough.
Soon, Xu Xiao returned to the cave. Seeing that Duan Yu had stopped cultivating, he tossed Zhong Ling off his back toward him.
"Catch! I rescued your little sweetheart for you too."
Duan Yu's feet slid across the ground, and with a few mysterious steps, he reached the spot where she would land. He stretched out both hands and caught Zhong Ling.
The footwork Duan Yu used was Lingbo Weibu, which had appeared many times in the show. Even though Xu Xiao had fooled him into learning the Northern Darkness Divine Art, the fellow was still thinking about running away.
Little Zhong Ling had woken again when Xu Xiao tossed her through the air. When Duan Yu caught her, she instinctively screamed:
"Don't eat me, don't eat me! I don't taste good!"
"Miss Zhong, what are you saying about eating you? Are you hungry?"
When the screaming Zhong Ling saw that the one holding her was no longer that fearsome evil ghost but Duan Yu, she was immediately delighted.
"Brother Duan, a ghost! A ghost wants to eat me." Zhong Ling wrapped her arms around Duan Yu's arm in turn, looking pitiful and endearing.
"Huh? Miss Zhong, what are you talking about?" Duan Yu was as baffled as a ten-foot-tall monk trying to scratch his head.
But before he could ask her to explain, Xu Xiao's voice drifted over:
"Well, well, well! Do you think I won't eat you just because your Brother Duan is holding you?"
Xu Xiao spoke with a wicked grin. Perhaps seeing the lively girl had given him a mischievous urge to tease her.
For the first half of his life, things had been too hard. He had always been running around just to stay alive, and now that he had some power, his true nature was slowly beginning to show.
"Evil ghost! Brother Duan, an evil ghost!"
Zhong Ling turned and saw Xu Xiao, then wailed. Fortunately, she wasn't frightened into fainting this time.
"Miss Zhong, don't be rude. This is Brother Xu. He's the one who rescued you."
Seeing Zhong Ling's reaction, Duan Yu knew that the girl had judged Xu Xiao by his looks and been frightened by his face, so he hurried to remind her.
After spending the past few days with Xu Xiao, he had come to understand his temperament.
If you didn't provoke him, he was easy enough to get along with, but if you did, he was terrifying.
Xu Xiao's face could be considered one of his flaws. If you insisted on making an issue of it, he would certainly single you out.
It was like pointing at a monk and calling him a bald donkey. That was pure courting death.
In any case, Duan Yu did his best not to associate Xu Xiao's face with ghosts and monsters, and in this way he had more or less gotten used to it.
After Duan Yu talked her around, Zhong Ling timidly poked her head out and glanced at Xu Xiao. She couldn't help asking:
"Brother Xu! Is he alive?"
"Hahaha, little girl, of course I'm alive. Why don't you come over and feel for yourself?"
Xu Xiao smiled. Pretty girls really didn't make people angry easily.
"No, no." Zhong Ling shook her head like a pellet drum.
Then, as if she had remembered something, she gave Xu Xiao a sweet smile. "Zhong Ling thanks Brother Xu for saving her life."
"How will you thank me? Will you offer yourself to me in marriage? Or give me ten thousand taels of gold?"
Xu Xiao continued teasing her.
"Brother Xu, I'll have my parents prepare a gift to repay you. Would that be all right?"
Hearing Xu Xiao's words, Zhong Ling didn't dare answer immediately. Only after a long while did she manage to get a sentence out.
Xu Xiao could only sigh silently at that.
Little girl, you're pretty quick-witted. Sigh.
He wasn't interested in Zhong Ling that way; he only wanted to tease her. But it did show one thing.
The world really did judge by appearances.
Just look at Zhong Ling, nestled in Duan Yu's arms and still unwilling to let go. That was enough to show that the girl's heart was already with him.
That was only natural. In many tales of the martial world and storybooks, when a woman ran into trouble and the one who saved her was a handsome, dashing young hero, she would offer herself to him in marriage.
If he was a rough-looking martial artist or swordsman, she would repay him by serving him as an ox or a horse in her next life.
For most people, their morals followed their eyes. There was nothing you could do about it!
But you people have no eye for looks. I'm not actually ugly. I only look scary because there's no flesh on my face. Just you wait until I get better. I won't be any worse-looking than Duan Yu.
At that moment, Xu Xiao's desire to learn martial arts grew even stronger. He immediately grabbed Duan Yu and had him teach him how to practice martial arts.