Chapter 222

Ning Ning was very cautious when returning to the inn.

Pei Ji had sustained severe injuries in his battle with Luo Yuanming. As soon as the elders heard the news, he was immediately sent to the clinic for treatment. Judging by the time, he should have returned by now.

After uncovering the secrets of the City Lord’s Mansion, the group’s adventures were exaggerated by storytellers, portraying everyone under Tian Xianzi as heroic figures who endured hardships and plotted with deep foresight.

The reversal of their reputation was as swift as the face-changing art of Sichuan opera, faster than the French surrender.

Sichuan Face-Changing Opera

(T/N: This was actually based on a popular meme on the internet (around 5 to 6 years ago) based on the historical fact that the French surrendered in only 46 days to the Nazis…but this meme/joke is not really depicting how the French really fought hard and brave against the Nazis, so most people found that the memes are actually distorting the original historical fact.)

People flocked to the inn to witness the excitement, and the rescued girls also came one after another to express their gratitude.

Fortunately, Tian Xianzi, their master, had already regained consciousness. The once powerful sword cultivator had now become a welcoming boy, listening in bewilderment as others narrated how the Xuanxu Sword Sect punished evil and promoted good and how their strategies were unexpectedly brilliant.

His small head was filled with big question marks; he couldn’t answer any questions and could only maintain a motionless smile while sitting in a chair, transforming from a sword cultivator to a statue of Maitreya Buddha. No matter which direction the wind blows, he remains unmoved.

(T/N:Maitreya Buddha..hehe…Tian Xianzi sitting like this infront of  everyone)

He appeared mysterious and serene, with the temperament of an otherworldly sage who does not fight or compete and is indifferent to fame and wealth.

—After all, if you asked Elder Tian Xianzi about his feelings after the great battle, he would sincerely reply, “The Jiuzhou Spring Return is really delicious!”

Ning Ning had a simple disguise on her face to ensure she wouldn’t be recognized by the commoners in Luan City. Her agile movements quickly brought her to Pei Ji’s door, where she knocked.

There was a brief silence inside, followed by a cold, emotionless young voice, “Come in.”

The door was unlocked and slightly ajar.

This was unusual for Pei Ji.

Ning Ning was puzzled but didn’t think too much about it. She pushed the door open with a bit of force.

With a creak, the scene inside the room gradually came into view.

Ning Ning was slightly stunned.

Although Pei Ji feared the dark, he didn’t like too much sunlight either. It was noon, and he had habitually drawn the curtains, casting the entire room in a faint shadow.

In the center of the room, at a round table, sat the slim and upright figure of the young man.

—Pei Ji was sitting on a round stool at the table, lowering his head to unwrap the layers of bandages on his upper body.

Oh, unwrapping the bandages meant he had taken off his shirt.

He seemed a bit irritated by the layers of bandages or perhaps had reopened a wound due to rough handling, frowning impatiently. When he heard the door open, he paused and turned his head with a cold expression.

Then his expression, as indifferent as a dead pond, froze in an instant. Though his demeanor didn’t change much, his pupils visibly contracted sharply.

Pei Ji hadn’t expected Ning Ning to be the one knocking.

He found the clinic noisy and disliked socializing, so he had returned to his room at the inn as soon as the bandaging was done. Coincidentally, an elder from Suwen Hall, who had nothing to do, saw him and agreed to come over at noon to change his medicine.

Leaving the door slightly open, he assumed the person outside was the elder. When he looked up, he was caught off guard by a different face.

Pei Ji’s grip on the bandage tightened.

He… was currently shirtless.

“Are you changing your bandages?”

Ning Ning had seen countless male students taking off their shirts and running like monkeys when she passed by the basketball court before. In addition, she often surfed the Internet to cultivate her sentiments, so she was not surprised by the scene in front of her. Instead, she was attracted by the scars on Pei Ji’s body, and her heart skipped a beat.

However, Pei Ji felt differently.

He had grown up in a village with little spiritual energy, where the common people weren’t as open-minded as those in the cultivation world nor as liberal as people in the 21st century.

According to the local customs, only married couples were allowed to see each other without clothes.

Later, when he joined the Xuanxu Sword Sect to practice swordsmanship, he understood that it was normal for disciples to help each other with injuries. Yet, the deep-seated memories from his youth and his solitary nature meant he had never exposed his wounded body to others.

Regardless, being caught shirtless while changing bandages for the first time was inevitably flustering.

The once cold and distant young man’s ears reddened, and he awkwardly turned towards the bed, trying to grab the clothes lying there.

In his haste, his wounds tore open, and the sharp pain made him momentarily dizzy, causing him to fall off the stool.

It was hopeless.

Not only had a girl seen his bare upper body, but his attempts to cover up were a complete failure.

Pei Ji felt he had lost all face in front of Ning Ning.

Cheng Ying’s spiritual form curled into a round ball, peeking out from the gaps.

In Cheng Ying’s view, the most effective line at this moment would be, “Since you’ve seen my body, you have to take responsibility.”

It was logical and irrefutable, sure to break down all barriers between them.

But Pei Ji, this useless boy, couldn’t say it.

Pei Ji endured the pain, one hand covering his reddened face, the other barely reaching the bed to grab his shirt and cover himself.

“What are you doing?”

Ning Ning was startled by his actions, watching as his wounds reopened and blood seeped out.

Without hesitation, she pushed the door closed behind her and went straight to Pei Ji’s side.

Even though he had fallen to the ground, he stubbornly used the shirt to cover his upper body. However, his current appearance seemed even more pitiful than before.

His long black hair was loosely tied, now half spilling lazily onto the cold floor, some strands brushing against his pale face and slender eyes, adding a vague sense of ambiguity to the scene.

Not to mention the deep red on his ears and his panicked gaze.