A Family of Hopeless Romantics, Except for the Evil Little Junior Brother

"First Senior Brother, calm down!!"

Li Xuanxiao rode the wind on his sword, chasing after his First Senior Brother, Xue Yun, as he followed his trail beyond Shushan.

"I've already lost my father—I can't lose her too. That saying is true… Only after losing something do you realize how much you cherish it.

My father was like that. She is like that. I will not let myself regret it again."

Li Xuanxiao: "Senior Brother, have you forgotten why you embarked on the path of cultivation in the first place?"

"You're absolutely right—I love her!!"

Li Xuanxiao: .........

It was clear that his Senior Brother wasn’t listening to a word he said.

Xue Yun’s cultivation was far superior to Li Xuanxiao’s. Even at full speed, Li Xuanxiao couldn't keep up.

Stopping in the middle of a dense forest, Li Xuanxiao sighed helplessly.

From the distance, Xue Yun's voice echoed, "If I can't have her, then what does it matter if I rule the world?!!"

Li Xuanxiao: (⊙o⊙)…

My hopelessly love-struck Senior Brother…

Abandoning the chase, Li Xuanxiao decided to return and report the situation to the sect.

Just then, the sound of battle erupted below.

Glancing down, he saw a fierce fight breaking out in the forest.

A figure was struck down and plummeted directly toward him.

Li Xuanxiao instinctively reached out to catch them.

The person was clad in black robes, with long, slender, porcelain-white legs and a face so stunning it was almost unreal.

Hiss—

This is trouble.

Li Xuanxiao suddenly felt a headache coming on.

This plot… Why did it feel so cliché? So overused?

He didn’t know who this woman was—whether she was righteous or evil.

Should he save her?

Saving her might bring unnecessary trouble.

But leaving her would go against his principles as a disciple of Shushan.

At that moment, he noticed her injuries.

She seemed to have been struck by a cultivator who practiced demonic techniques.

Li Xuanxiao narrowed his eyes slightly.

After a brief hesitation, he made his decision.

"........"

Zhao Lu slowly opened her eyes, looking around in confusion.

She found herself inside a cave.

Glancing down at herself, she realized her clothes had been removed, and her wounds had been treated.

"You're awake."

A clear, composed voice rang out.

A man?

Zhao Lu’s expression flickered, and for a moment, she panicked.

Countless stories she had secretly read behind her father’s back suddenly flashed through her mind.

The male and female protagonists would always meet like this.

And judging by the voice, the other party was undoubtedly a young man.

Zhao Lu turned her head. "You…"

She froze.

Because standing before her was not a person.

It was… a paper figure?

Yes, a paper figure.

Zhao Lu blinked. "You… who are you?"

"Men and women should not have physical contact, so I had no choice but to take this approach."

"Then where are you?" Zhao Lu looked around.

Aside from the paper figure, there was no sign of anyone else in the cave.

At that moment, outside the cave, Li Xuanxiao had concealed himself underground using Earth Escape techniques.

Using the paper figure, he spoke:

"I'm not in a position to show myself. Just rest here in peace. I've already given you an antidote. Do you know who the ones who attacked you were?"

Zhao Lu hesitated for a moment. "I don’t know. I was just traveling when they suddenly ambushed me."

An ambush?

Li Xuanxiao recalled the moment he had treated her wounds. Her attire—inside and out—was nothing like that of an ordinary person.

Most likely, she was a noble from the royal palace.

"Were there three of them?"

"Yes!" Zhao Lu nodded.

Li Xuanxiao continued, "Take a look—were these the ones?"

Following the direction the paper figure pointed, Zhao Lu finally noticed three corpses inside the cave.

"It’s them!"

She was slightly stunned.

She had considered herself one of the strongest among her generation—otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to run away from the palace to explore the world.

Yet the moment she stepped out, she was ambushed and completely overwhelmed.

And now, all three attackers had been slain.

Clearly, her savior's strength was terrifying.

Now that he had confirmed there were no survivors, Li Xuanxiao said,

"Good. Since the enemies are dealt with, just focus on recovering. I’ll take my leave."

"Wait!" Zhao Lu hurriedly called out, "Young Master, you saved my life. I have no way to repay such a great kindness. You refuse to meet me in person, fine—but at least tell me your name and sect! How else can I repay you in the future?"

"No need. Eliminating demons is simply my duty. You don't have to dwell on it."

Without giving her a chance to respond, Li Xuanxiao disappeared into the distance.

The paper figure in front of Zhao Lu burst into flames, quickly disintegrating into ashes that scattered with the wind—leaving no trace behind.

Zhao Lu watched the scene unfold and knew her mysterious benefactor had already left.

"This…"

She looked down at the white bandages wrapped around her body.

They were wrapped with incredible precision—flawless in technique.

Clearly, her savior was an extremely meticulous person.

As she lowered her gaze further, her face suddenly flushed red, tinged with an embarrassed, ambiguous air.

Because she realized that the bandages extended across her chest, the inside of her thighs, and other… private areas.

The fabric was soaked in a special medicinal solution with hemostatic and detoxifying properties.

Suddenly, Zhao Lu remembered something.

She hurriedly removed the purple crystal hanging from her chest.

A Recording Stone.

This purple crystal was exquisitely crafted—any ordinary cultivator would assume it was merely an ornament and never suspect it was a Recording Stone.

Fortunately, it had not been damaged during the battle.

Zhao Lu activated it.

In an instant, an astonishingly handsome face appeared in the recording.

His features were sharp yet refined, perfectly proportioned.

He wore a pure white Daoist robe, his sleeves billowing, drifting effortlessly with the wind.

The Daoist robe was impeccably tailored, fitting his tall and slender figure perfectly, making his posture appear as straight as a pine tree, exuding an air of elegance and transcendence.

Delicate cloud patterns and soaring cranes were embroidered on the robe, as if these auspicious creatures had been brought to life, fluttering around him in harmony.

His entire presence radiated a sense of unwavering righteousness.

"It's him… the one who saved me…"

Zhao Lu blinked.

She watched as he slowly removed his outer robe, her face flushing red once more.

At first, he had indeed intended for the paper figure to handle the bandaging, but clearly, the paper figure wasn’t capable of such precise movements.

Zhao Lu was not the type to obsess over being seen by a man—especially in a life-and-death situation.

If not for him, she would have already perished.

Judging by his attire, he was most likely a disciple of Shushan.

But… he saved me, so why wouldn’t he even leave his name?

A man of righteousness, dedicated to slaying demons and upholding justice, performing good deeds without seeking recognition…

Possessing such exceptional strength and an unshakable moral character—

It was impossible not to develop admiration for him.

This was Zhao Lu’s first time leaving the imperial palace.

From this day forward, she understood something.

In life, one must never meet someone too stunning at the very beginning.

"..........."

The Sect Leader of Shushan was dead.

Yet Shushan did not fall into chaos.

The Sect Leader had four disciples, and among them, the most respected and capable was the Second Disciple, Daoist Lingxu.

For years, while the Sect Leader remained in seclusion, it was Lingxu who had been managing the sect’s affairs with meticulous order.

Now that the Sect Leader had passed, Lingxu took over, and no one raised any objections.

After returning to Shushan, Li Xuanxiao reported everything about First Senior Brother to his master, Daoist Lingxu, without leaving out a single detail.