Chapter 298

Many times, he had thought in despair that if one day his broken body could no longer hold on, closing his eyes might actually be a kind of relief.

“If I saw you suffering, I wouldn’t be happy either.”

When Ning Ning spoke, her breath brushed gently against his skin, like soft, delicate silk spreading around him.

She paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words, then awkwardly continued, “I like Pei Ji, so… don’t hate yourself, okay?”

It was an overwhelming gentleness.

A shy seed quietly sprouted in his heart, and in the once barren and desolate world, a soft new green finally appeared.

The water flowing from her gradually passed over its fragile leaves and stem, wrapping around it bit by bit, slowly seeping into it.

Pei Ji couldn’t explain this feeling.

All he knew was that when the girl’s lips gently pressed down and he heard her say the word “like,” the rippling water seemed to nourish the new leaves, making them grow rapidly in an instant.

They swayed gently, brushing against his chest, and his heart beat powerfully.

That’s why he cared so much about her.

No one could escape such tenderness, and Pei Ji willingly sank deeper into it, savoring every moment.

The young man rubbed his chin against her head and placed his right hand on Ning Ning’s lower back, pulling her down slightly.

She was slender, and when she leaned down, she landed perfectly on his chest.

Pei Ji’s hands were much warmer than usual, carrying a heat that made her heart race, and he pressed her tightly into his arms.

Their chests were so close that Ning Ning couldn’t tell whose heart was pounding so fiercely.

All she could hear were the heavy, rhythmic thumps that left her head spinning.

It was a hug tinged with possessiveness.

Countless days and nights of yearning to touch her, and now Pei Ji finally had her in his arms.

Yet he still wanted more.

“I know.”

Pei Ji’s movements were still clumsy.

His hand rested on her back, afraid to move, unsure of how to.

All he could do was rub his chin repeatedly against her soft hair, greedily enjoying the realness of holding her: “…I know.”

=====

Not long after Ning Ning woke up, the other members of her sect came to visit her.

The first to burst into the room were Lin Xun, Meng Jue, and the loud and cheerful Zheng Weiqi.

Senior Sister was in a good mood, accompanied by a tall, handsome young man.

The man was dressed in white with white hair, looking quite like a leading man from a xianxia drama.

Seeing Ning Ning’s curious gaze, he smiled warmly and said, “Greetings to you both. I am Qiu Baishuang, Weiqi’s cousin. I will soon be appointed as the Lord of Luan City.”

“My cousin grew up in Luan City and just returned from subduing demons in Nanling a few days ago.”

Zheng Weiqi explained cheerfully, “He was the one who presided over the closing ceremony of the Ten Method Assembly.”

Ning Ning was taken aback.

“The closing ceremony?”

“You’ve been asleep for so long, the assembly ended ages ago.”

Zheng Weiqi tapped her on the forehead.

“You are too reckless! You actually swallowed the Lingshu spiritual herb directly. If it weren’t for the elders of Baicao Hall working together to rescue you, you would probably have died.”

She smirked and squinted at Ning Ning.

“Aren’t you curious about your ranking in the conference?”

To be honest, Ning Ning hadn’t held out much hope for her performance in the Ten Method Assembly.

She had exhausted her spiritual energy on the 62nd Floor and left the tower early with Pei Ji, so in terms of demon-slaying numbers, she was sure to fall short of the others.

But seeing the excitement on Zheng Weiqi’s face, Ning Ning still politely asked, “What rank?”

Zheng Weiqi grinned and held up a single finger.

A “one.”

Ning Ning blinked in confusion.

“Why do you have that expression! You’re first place in the Golden Core stage, Ning Ning!”

Zheng Weiqi suddenly jumped up, more excited than Ning Ning.

“Do you know the level of the Shadow Demon? And the Black Flood Dragon? Even I would struggle against them, but you took them both down! My little junior sister is a genius!”

Ning Ning blushed from the praise and murmured softly, “I didn’t actually contribute much against the Black Flood…”

Zheng Weiqi retorted, “Your senior brother’s achievements are yours, and yours are still yours! As a sword cultivator, the sword is your true partner. Men are just tools!”

She paused, then continued excitedly, “Oh, when my cousin announced you were first and the Mystic Mirror showed your battle with the Shadow Demon, the whole city lord’s mansion went wild! You were incredible! My little junior sister is unmatched!”

Zheng Weiqi’s endless stream of rainbow farts left Ning Ning feeling dazed.

She absentmindedly touched the tip of her nose and asked, “What about Pei Ji?”

A brief silence filled the room.

Meng Jue and Zheng Weiqi exchanged a glance for some reason, both smiling slightly.

Meng Jue took over the conversation:

“He came in second. In Qiong Mountain, you used the snow to create light to send all the soldiers off peacefully. Just the points they earned for you alone far surpassed everyone else. Adding in the black flood dragon and the beast tide, you were undoubtedly far ahead of the other Golden Core stage disciples.”

His eyes shifted as he spoke, the smile deepening in them.

“It’s just a pity that Pei Ji insisted on staying by your bedside, so neither the first nor second place showed up at the ceremony.”

Hearing this, Zheng Weiqi couldn’t help but chime in: “Speaking of the Qiong Mountain battle, how did you come up with such a brilliant plan? As soon as the sword light appeared—wow, my heart melted! A ton of junior disciples came to me asking for your communication talisman address, but I turned them all down.”

“I-I also think Senior Sister is amazing.”

Lin Xun, who rarely spoke, blinked at her, his eyes sparkling with tiny lights.

He said earnestly, “Senior Sister’s determination to risk her life for those soldiers… was truly remarkable!”

Ningning, feeling shy, subtly hid a bit behind Pei Ji.

In the original story, Pei Ji was supposed to be the one to take first place by a significant margin.

After the Ten Methods Assembly, many disciples referred to him as the “God of Slaughter,” for no other reason than his decisive killing style.

In the secret realm, he repeatedly fought demons far above his level, carving a bloody path with just his Golden Core cultivation.

But Pei Ji had left the Demon Refining Tower early for her, even though the trial wasn’t over yet.

Now, the situation had completely diverged from the original story, yet the system had never issued any warnings…

What was its true purpose?

Ning Ning couldn’t figure it out, but then she heard Zheng Weiqi’s voice: “By the way, cousin, you’re usually so elusive; how did you have time to visit my junior sister today?”

Qiu Baishuang smiled and said, “I heard you finally passed the academy exam, so I prepared a surprise for you.”

Oh, right.

Senior Sister Zheng had been able to attend the Ten Methods Assembly because she passed the written test.

Strangely enough, Senior Sister always maintained the “Ten years of studying, nothing to show—read two lines, forget three” motto.

According to her, memorizing was an enjoyable experience, but Zheng Weiqi wasn’t someone who indulged in pleasure, so she never memorized anything at all.