Chapter 441 - 205: Killing Intent Under the Night (2)

Jiang Ran nodded lightly:

"Wildfires cannot burn it all; the spring breeze brings it back to life.

"If you’re going to kill someone, you have to be thorough... Otherwise, in ten or twenty years, some reckless punk will pop up—a shifty-eyed bastard with designs on your daughter, who ends up wanting to kill you for revenge.

"Bringing turmoil to your home and trouble to your later years. Why bother with all that?"

Hua Yuerong was taken aback. ’So the Shocking God Saber likes reading storybooks, too,’ she thought.

"So, you’re saying you approve of what the Setting Sun Sect did, Hero Jiang?"

She glanced at Jiang Ran.

But Jiang Ran took a letter from his robes and handed it to her.

"See for yourself."

By the light of the fire, Hua Yuerong read the letter, and her expression suddenly darkened.

A moment later, she slowly closed her eyes.

"I know that ’a friend of the Setting Sun’... doesn’t necessarily mean a friend *from* the Setting Sun Sect.

"But with a signature like that, the Setting Sun Sect is highly suspicious.

"But if it was the Setting Sun Sect who attacked me today...

"Then they’re clearly not as... public-spirited and righteous as they appear to be.

"What are they really after?"

Jiang Ran shook his head slightly and took the letter back.

"What kind of good people hide their faces and refuse to show themselves in public?

"Alright, now that you’ve eaten, get some rest.

"You’re having trouble moving right now. Tomorrow, I’ll find a good horse, and we’ll need to get moving as quickly as possible.

"First, we’ll rendezvous with my companion."

"Thank you, Hero Jiang."

Hua Yuerong nodded, found a clean spot, and curled up.

The weather was cold, and Hua Yuerong’s clothes were quite thin.

Jiang Ran’s Inner Energy was profound, making him long impervious to heat and cold, so naturally, he had no warm clothing on him either.

He could only tell her to move forward, a little closer to the fire.

This time, Hua Yuerong was very obedient, obediently scooting forward.

Seeing Jiang Ran sitting to the side with no intention of resting, she asked:

"Aren’t you going to sleep for a while, Hero Jiang?"

"We’re in the middle of nowhere. If I fall asleep, what if a wolf comes and carries you off?"

Jiang Ran glanced at her and smiled. "Don’t worry about me. You sleep."

"Hero Jiang..."

Hua Yuerong couldn’t help but ask again:

"Before... why did you save me?"

"Hm?"

Jiang Ran didn’t understand at first. "What do you mean? Are you saying I should have abandoned you?"

"No... I mean, Bai Xichao gave me that poison... You, you could have taken advantage of the situation... but you didn’t."

Hua Yuerong gazed at Jiang Ran. The young woman had suffered a great catastrophe and had a near-death experience, so it was only natural for her mind to be racing.

Jiang Ran understood what she meant and couldn’t help but chuckle.

He reassured her with a few words:

"Since I had a way to help, there was no need to resort to taking advantage of someone in distress."

’In truth, if he really had no other way, he might have just left her there and ignored her... After killing Bai Xichao, he would have come back to check if Hua Yuerong was alive or dead.

’If she was lucky enough to survive, he would then figure out a way to save her.

’If not, then that was her fate.

’In any case, there was no way he was letting Bai Xichao get away.’

"Hero Jiang, so you truly are a man of honor and righteousness."

Hua Yuerong was indeed comforted by Jiang Ran’s words. She slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Jiang Ran was silent for a moment, then stoked the campfire to make it a little bigger.

...

...

Hua Yuerong did not wake up naturally from this sleep.

In the dead of night, Jiang Ran gently shook her shoulder to wake her.

After opening her eyes, Hua Yuerong first shivered and hugged her arms, then looked at Jiang Ran with a hint of confusion.

"Hero Jiang..."

"Shh, be quiet."

Jiang Ran spoke in a low voice.

Hua Yuerong immediately shut her mouth. Although she was a little nervous, she still looked around as calmly as possible.

She could hear the sound of footsteps, dense and numerous.

The two of them were hiding in a patch of reeds. The campfire was gone, but they could still feel its residual warmth.

Apparently, Jiang Ran had discovered someone was nearby and had just extinguished the fire.

Even Bai Xichao’s head was now hanging from Jiang Ran’s waist.

The newcomers were moving quickly, but not toward them.

In the blink of an eye, they swept past the reeds and hurried off in another direction.

Only after the group had left did Jiang Ran frown slightly.

"What place is over there?"

Hua Yuerong blinked her eyes. "I don’t know either... I’ve lost my bearings."

"..."

Jiang Ran felt that was understandable.

After all, she had first been dragged along by Bai Xichao, and then he himself had knocked her unconscious. Although the reeds were a somewhat distinctive landmark...

...how could she know the group’s destination when she couldn’t even tell east from west?

"Hero Jiang, I saw that group was dressed in black and masked. They don’t look like they’re up to any good... Should... should we follow them and see?"

Jiang Ran was silent for a moment.

In truth, if it weren’t for this whole affair with the Setting Sun Sect, he wouldn’t be willing to meddle in other people’s business, especially with a burden like Hua Yuerong by his side.

But since he knew there was a Setting Sun Sect nearby—one that liked to appear and disappear like ghosts, seemingly acting in the name of justice but actually having ulterior motives...

...Jiang Ran figured he should probably go and take a look.

So he said to Hua Yuerong:

"We can go, but you have to listen to me."

"Of course."

Hua Yuerong nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice.

Jiang Ran gave her a slightly surprised glance, then nodded.

"My apologies."

With that said, he grabbed her by the shoulder, executed the Celestial Nine Steps, and leaped into the air, following the trail of the men in black from behind.

The place this group was heading to wasn’t too far.