Chapter 11
Whoosh!
The gleaming blade of a sword went through, and the girl holding it stood confidently, even exposing her back to her target. She knew that with a single move, her sword could easily cut through a mortal's flesh without any resistance. The overflowing confidence she had in her skills, plus her disdain for mortals, made her look smug in her success.
Since she was sure the lowly mortal was already dead, she sheathed her sword.
"Brother, let's just burn his corpse and pretend we kidnapped him," Mei Wan said as she turned to look at her brother.
But she was confused by the dumbfounded look in his eyes, and even En Bo had a look of disbelief. Then an ominous feeling of realization came over her. She hadn't heard the sound of the mortal's body hitting the ground. She recalled the feeling she got when her sword went through him—it was like she had hit nothing but air. Before she could react, she felt something hit the back of her head, and her vision went black.
"Truly a vicious little bug," Shin Jiao said in a cold tone as he turned his gaze to the two remaining members of the party.
"You! What did you do to my sister?" Lei Wan shouted in anger.
But hesitation and fear could be seen in his eyes. He wasn't a fool; he had seen what happened. What his sister had hit was an afterimage, and this supposedly mere mortal man had moved really fast, as if he were a cultivator. If he were to face this man, he would truly perish. Deep inside, he laughed at himself. What lowly mortal? This was a tiger acting like a lamb to eat its prey. But no matter how he looked at it, this youth, who didn't look older than him, wasn't a cultivator. Yet, how could he move so fast? Even when he scanned Shin Jiao's body with his spiritual sense, he still couldn't find a cultivator's aura.
"So, young master Wan? Do you want to be next? How about you?" Shin Jiao taunted, swapping his gaze between the two men.
"No, little brother… I mean, senior brother. We… I… I wasn't going to attack you. I'm just here to make sure they didn't do anything excessive," En Bo panicked, with a hint of fear in his voice.
"Did you kill my sister?" However, Lei Wan asked with a gloomy look, staring at his sister on the ground.
"Why? Do you want revenge? Hehe…" Shin Jiao replied with a grin. He really wanted to teach these two siblings a lesson. Although they were excessive and acted like tyrants, they couldn't hurt him anyway. Ever since he had turned a new leaf from being an agent to a researcher, his principles had also changed a bit. He wouldn't just take a life that easily as long as it wasn't a threat to his own. He didn't know how powerful the Wan Clan or the Thunder Sword Sect were, but if they became a threat, he wouldn't mind killing them. That is, as long as their leader wasn't a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, because in this continent, those beings were already nearing the peak of power.
Lei Wan's eyes turned red in anger. The more he looked at his sister, the more his judgment was clouded by his emotions. The fear in his eyes from before was not gone. En Bo, upon seeing this, immediately made his move by accurately striking Lei Wan's acupoints and making him faint.
"Senior, please excuse my companions for their folly. I assure you that this incident will not be a threat to seniors' safety," En Bo quickly cupped his hands in fear.
Shin Jiao just coldly snorted. He had already noticed that even though En Bo was acting like a tranny, their looks were far too beautiful to be one. It made him feel a little confused as he continuously observed the delicate features of the young person in front of him. Then he just shook his head. On Earth, many transvestites also looked like women because of the advancement of science.
"Go take them away from here. If I find you three loitering in this place, I'll make sure you won't see the light of day ever again," Shin Jiao said in a cold and emotionless tone. But deep inside, he was laughing. "Damn, I never got to say these words before. When I was working for the country, I would just kill anyone in the shadows. This truly feels good, Hehehe…"
"Yes, then, senior, please excuse this lowly one." En Bo once again bowed and moved to carry the two siblings. But when they were about to lift them up, a sudden tremor from underground disrupted their balance and made them fall.
...
When he was about to hit the ground, something burst out from under him. It was a beast that looked like a fat maggot and was about two meters in length. Its sharp mandibles directly hit En Bo, throwing them upwards, followed by a fountain of blood spewing from their mouth. The two unconscious siblings were also thrown to both sides.
Shin Jiao was stunned by the scene, but he swiftly regained his senses. He quickly picked up a stone and, with a flick, hit the beast's head, and a bloody hole appeared. Before it could react, it had already died, not knowing what had happened or who had attacked it. This might be the creature the mantis was trying to hunt before meeting Shin Jiao. Upon realizing this, Shin Jiao felt a little guilty. Although he had set up this trap, En Bo had no grievances with him and was just collateral damage.
"Sigh… I don't have any bad blood with this guy. I guess helping them is not a problem," Shin Jiao said with a helpless sigh. He walked toward En Bo, who was lying on the ground. En Bo's face was contorted. They were clearly in pain, but when Shin Jiao's eyes went to the wound, he was dumbfounded. Because of the beast's attack, a large gash had ripped through En Bo's stomach and torn their clothing. White bones mixed with blood were visible. Luckily, their inner organs weren't hit, so they kept their life.
But the next thing Shin Jiao saw made him even more stunned. On En Bo's chest, there were clearly two large lumps of flesh. "Is science in this world also so advanced that transvestites can have boobs? But if that is so, why is she or he wrapping her or his chest with thick bandages?" Luckily for them, the bandages saved their life.
He wanted to ask some questions, but bottled it up for the time being and helped En Bo. He performed a first aid treatment on the wound, as En Bo had already fallen unconscious. He removed the upper garments and used them to wrap the wounds. Upon seeing En Bo's jade-like skin, Shin Jiao assumed that En Bo was really hiding their gender, and being a tranny was an ingenious idea.
He rummaged through their bags and found some pills, but since there were around five kinds, he didn't use any of them, as he wasn't sure which was which. He didn't want to cause this person to die accidentally.
After some time, En Bo woke up.
"Ugh…"
"What… what happened? Oww… my chest hurts." She suddenly cried. But then her eyes drifted to the person calmly sitting in front of her.
"You need to take some medicine. I don't have any on me, so I haven't treated you fully… here…" Shin Jiao casually said as he handed her the five pill bottles. Upon hearing his words, En Bo immediately reached for a pouch hidden in one of her sleeves. It was a small pouch, and suddenly she fished out a clear red bottle. She opened the lid and drank the liquid contents, then she slumped back down.
"Hmm… that pouch is a spatial tool. This girl is hiding a lot of things, even from her companions. They clearly don't have spatial tools as they have to carry these bags," Shin Jiao thought. He hadn't been able to give the bottles to her, as En Bo had acted so fast. It took a bit of time, but Shin Jiao saw that the blood-soaked bandage on her chest slowly became dry, which meant that the wound was closing. Then, after some time, En Bo's eyes slowly opened.
"Ugh…" En Bo slowly turned her gaze around and saw the man still sitting in front of her. She wanted to say something, but she felt the pain and immediately wanted to close her eyes. But then she noticed something. She noticed that her upper robe was already gone and her chest was wrapped with something that seemed to resemble her robe. She was a bit enraged and wanted to react, but the pain made her grit her teeth. Without a choice, she closed her eyes and circulated her Qi to speed up the healing process. She didn't have time to be distracted.
Less than an hour later, En Bo felt that the wounds on her chest were fine. She had used the concoction her grandmaster had given her in case of an emergency: the blood coagulating potion. She only had three of those and just used one. It was the first time she had received such a grievous wound, so she had no choice but to use it. When she opened her eyes, she immediately checked her body's condition. Upon feeling that there was nothing wrong with her body, she heaved a sigh of relief. She was also worried that Shin Jiao had taken advantage of her while she was unconscious. But she knew that he had already discovered her secret. Before getting up, she grabbed a set of robes from inside her spatial pouch and put them on after removing the bloody pieces of fabric wrapped around her body. She saw no one in the area and heaved a sigh of relief. When she was about to get up, she heard a rustling sound from the bushes, which startled her.
"Hmm… you're awake. If you're fine now, then go…" Shin Jiao said coldly, seeing that En Bo had already recovered and changed her robes.
"Umm… thank you. I hope you can keep my secret," En Bo said in a low voice. Shin Jiao just nodded. Although En Bo was a girl, she was a Core-Forming Realm cultivator, so carrying the siblings along with their stuff was a breeze. After she left, Shin Jiao just turned around and walked back to the cave in a carefree manner.
...
Meanwhile, Cherry Lao had already solidified her cultivation and felt happy with her progress. It had been many months since she had stayed in this forest, and she had started to miss her sect, the feeling of being smug because she was better than others, the kind 1st elder whom she treated as her father, and the Lotus Clan. Although she had some grudges against the disciplinary committee and her master who wanted her dead, she still felt a lingering fondness for the other sect members who had been good to her.
So right now, she felt a bit conflicted. On one hand, there was Shin Jiao, a mortal young man who had helped her in her time of need. She owed her life to him. On the other hand were her dreams and ambitions in life. She wanted to talk to Shin Jiao and tell him her thoughts, but she didn't know where to start.
While she was in deep thought, the cave's door moved and slowly opened. This startled Cherry Lao a bit. She knew how heavy the cave's stone door was; no mere mortal could move it. So, when she saw Shin Jiao, she now remembered that he had always been able to open this door. This made her even more confused, and a question popped into her mind: "Is he really just a mortal?"
"Shin, you're back!" Cherry Lao said after recovering from her daze.
The sudden change in her attitude bewildered Shin Jiao. He just looked at her without saying a word, trying to think of what to say, as he didn't want to see her cold and aloof side.
"Yes, I didn't get anything today. Just some level 3 beast cores," Shin Jiao replied casually.
"Umm… Shin, I… I wanted to talk to you about something," Cherry Lao said, feeling a bit hesitant. The two of them sat and talked on the side of the bed. Cherry Lao explained her dreams and thoughts to Shin Jiao, how she wanted to go back and pursue immortality. She also told him about her dilemma and worries.
After hearing her words, Shin Jiao heaved a deep sigh.
"It's okay. I understand your concerns. If you really want to return to your sect, I'll accompany you. As a friend, I will do my best to support you," Shin Jiao said after hearing her out. Then beads of tears slowly formed in the corner of her eyes. She didn't know why, but when Shin Jiao said they were "just friends," her heart felt a bit conflicted.
In the months they had stayed together, she had realized how blissful it was to have someone taking care of her. If this was what they called love, then she might already be in love with him. But why was he so dense and seemed to feel nothing after all they had been through? He still called her his friend; she didn't want that—she wanted more. For once in her life, she wanted to be selfish.
"Shin, I… I think… I like you. But then… we… we can't be together… However, I… I still…" Cherry Lao said in a low voice, a tear already escaping the corner of her eye and rolling down her jade-like skin.
"I know… that's why I didn't say anything. You are pursuing immortality. As for me… I'm not sure what I am yet," Shin Jiao replied, as he truly wasn't sure if his cultivation would also give him immortality or if he would just be a very strong and powerful mortal. He wasn't that dense; he just couldn't accept these kinds of feelings yet.
"What do you mean?" she asked, lifting her head. Her beautiful eyes seemed to sparkle like stars.
"Cherry, I'm not a normal mortal. I am very strong, and if I'm not wrong, I can even defeat you in a contest of strength. But I don't know why I have this strength; I was just born with it," Shin Jiao told her half of the truth. This was what he planned to say as a cover for his strength—a mortal with the inborn strength of an immortal, just like the Greek hero Hercules.
Upon hearing this, Cherry Lao nodded in understanding. Her eyes showed as if she suddenly understood everything about him. But what ticked her off a little was the proud declaration of this puny mortal that he was stronger than her, a primary stage Golden Core Realm cultivator. She would choose a time to try and teach him a lesson, but for now, she didn't want to ruin the nice atmosphere between them.
"So… you mean, you also like me, right?" she asked to confirm his feelings.
Shin Jiao felt a little conflicted. Though he wouldn't deny that he felt something special for Cherry Lao, his heart was still conflicted as he still had feelings for his ex-girlfriend. But if he acted like it was nothing, then he wouldn't be Shin Jiao. So he would just let nature run its course. This time, he decided that if he ever loved again, he would give his best to loving that person. However, if that person ever left him, then so be it.
Seeing the conflicting look on Shin Jiao's expression made Cherry Lao feel a little disheartened. She had already told him her feelings; why wasn't he responding? Although it wouldn't last, she still wanted it. At least for that short time in her life, she had at least felt loved without regrets.
When she was about to say something, Shin Jiao moved closer to her and gently grabbed her soft hands.