Wayfarer

Chapter 960: I Only Care About You

Within the mountain cave, Liu Miaoyin's eyes widened with terror. She wanted to stop Xiao Nanfeng from leaving the cave, but it was already too late. He had rushed out. Soon after, a loud shout echoed from outside.

"Demons, today's grudge will be avenged in the future. The Great Zen Monastery will ensure that you meet your end!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.

"Today, I'll make sure you meet your end first. Kill him!" a wolf spirit roared.

The wolves gave chase as Xiao Nanfeng lured them away.

In the cave, Liu Miaoyin's mind was filled with regret. Why had she saved those monks? Were they even worth saving? Because of them, Xiao Nanfeng was now about to die. She blamed herself for not listening to reason—she was the one who should have died, but instead, she had let Xiao Nanfeng risk his life for her.

Memories of their time together flooded her mind.

"To love others, start by loving yourself. You are Liu Miaoyin first and a Buddhist prodigy second."

"I don't want you to become an emotionless statue. I hope you'll remain a human who chooses to do what she loves."

"The gentle evening breeze, roast meat, fine wine, and fireworks—don't you think such moments are more precious than anything else?"

"You're like the bright moon in the sky, and this sea of fireflies exists solely to adorn your starry backdrop. You're the protagonist of the world."

"Every girl deserves a bouquet of flowers, but you deserve an entire sea of them."

"Ha, getting mad because of a splash of water? You're too petty. Don't chase me—I can't run anymore. Ah!"

"Pick whatever clothes or food you want on this street. It's all on me today!"

"Let's go! Someone's holding a wedding banquet nearby. Let's crash it and get free food and drinks. This'll be exciting!"

"Run! They're chasing us! All we did was crash their feast—did they have to chase us for blocks? This family is far too stingy."

"If I abandoned you and ran off alone, would I even still be human?"

"I want to risk my life for you!"

Xiao Nanfeng's words echoed in her mind.

The thought of Xiao Nanfeng dying for her at the hands of the wolf spirits made her suppressed emotions erupt. Tears streamed down her face.

"It's my fault. Why did I do something so foolish for people who aren't worth it? The Buddhist sect? The world? I don't care about them anymore—I only care about your safety," Liu Miaoyin sobbed.

Unfortunately, she was too injured to do anything.

Her main body, flying through the clouds, was also filled with tears.

"Please be okay. You must be okay. Wait for me!" Her main body flew faster and faster.

A sonic boom resounded as she sped through the skies, attracting the astonished gazes of countless cultivators. Finally, after two hours, she reached the battlefield.

In the distance, Xiao Nanfeng was covered in blood. Large chunks of flesh had been torn from his body. He was so weak he couldn't even open his eyes. He had used the last of his strength to thrust a longsword into a wolf spirit's skull. With just a bit more force, he could pierce the spirit's mindscape, annihilating its essence and soul.

"Stop! Let go of our leader!" the wolf spirits roared.

"If you come any closer, I'll kill him," Xiao Nanfeng said weakly, gripping his sword.

The pack hesitated, not daring to move.

Liu Miaoyin's heart filled with joy—Xiao Nanfeng was still alive. @@novelbin@@

"Spirits, prepare to die!" Liu Miaoyin charged into the center of the battlefield.

"An Immortal?" the wolves cried out in shock.

With a thunderous blow, Liu Miaoyin sent them flying into the surrounding mountains. They spat out blood, gravely injured.

They tried to scatter and escape, but Liu Miaoyin had already drawn her sword. A single slash sent thousands of sword beams cutting toward the pack.

"No!" The wolf demons wailed in despair.

"Leave them alive!" Xiao Nanfeng said, before losing consciousness.

Liu Miaoyin frowned. She redirected her sword at the last moment. With a massive impact, the countless sword beams immobilized the wolf demons without killing them.

"How are you?" Liu Miaoyin anxiously rushed toward Xiao Nanfeng.

After confirming he was still alive, she let out a sigh of relief. Her tears flowed uncontrollably upon seeing his severe wounds and fragile state.

"How could you be so foolish?" Liu Miaoyin said, her eyes red with emotion.

An interminable amount of time passed before Xiao Nanfeng finally woke up.

By then, Liu Miaoyin's true body had left, leaving only her avatar, whose injuries had already healed.

When Xiao Nanfeng opened his eyes, Liu Miaoyin was feeding him medicine. She lit up with joy when she saw that he had regained consciousness. "You're awake?"

Xiao Nanfeng tried to sit up but winced in pain. He at least managed a reassuring nod. "I'm awake. Don't worry about me."

"How can I not? You..." Liu Miaoyin's eyes turned red again.

When she had cleaned his wounds, she'd seen how severely he was hurt—his body was almost unrecognizable. Despite all that, he was still trying to comfort her.

Moved, Xiao Nanfeng instinctively reached out to wipe her tears.

The moment his hand brushed her face, he froze, realizing his impropriety. Liu Miaoyin's face flushed, but she pretended not to notice.

"Take your medicine—it'll help you recover faster," Liu Miaoyin said, her cheeks still red.

"Alright," Xiao Nanfeng replied with a faint smile.

He allowed Liu Miaoyin to care for him. After a few days, he finally began to recover.

Neither of them spoke of their unspoken feelings.

"Did you kill the wolf spirits?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"No, not yet. You said to keep them alive. Why?" Liu Miaoyin asked curiously.

With a bitter smile, Xiao Nanfeng said, "After this trial, you'll be leaving. I thought of taming these wolf spirits as a form of protection for myself."

Liu Miaoyin was silent for a moment before looking at him. "I think you're still not strong enough to protect yourself yet. I've decided not to leave for now."

Xiao Nanfeng looked at her in surprise.

Liu Miaoyin immediately lowered her head, her ears burning red. She was clearly flustered but determined in her decision.

"Thank you," Xiao Nanfeng said, his mood lifting.

Liu Miaoyin nodded, her face still flushed. She offered no further explanation.

"Let's go see those wolf spirits," Xiao Nanfeng said.

Liu Miaoyin followed him to where the wolf spirits were held.

The wolf spirits were all severely injured. Liu Miaoyin had sealed their cultivation, leaving them unable to heal or recover.

"If you're going to kill us, just do it! The disciples of the Great Zen Monastery are despicable scum. Are you keeping us alive just to torture us? We won't let you humiliate us!" one wolf spirit snarled.

"You slaughtered innocent people, and now you have the gall to call others despicable?" Xiao Nanfeng retorted coldly.

"I didn't slaughter anyone! It was those monks who framed me! The monks of the Great Zen Monastery raised vile demons, harmed the people, and then captured us to take the blame and glorify themselves!" the wolf spirit said.

"Ridiculous! The disciples of the Great Zen Monastery would never collude with demons to harm the people!" Liu Miaoyin said angrily.

"Hah! They've done it countless times. Don't pretend you don't know. We've seen it with our own eyes. The Great Zen Monastery is the most hypocritical of the Buddhist sects. They raise demons to bolster their power and fool the masses. They've done plenty of wicked deeds," the wolf spirit said venomously.

"Lies! You're courting death!" Liu Miaoyin's eyes burned with fury. She was poised to strike.

Xiao Nanfeng quickly stopped her. "Calm down."

"My master always taught me not to be swayed by the lies of demons. These demons deserve to die. You don't believe them, do you?" Liu Miaoyin asked.

Xiao Nanfeng had his suspicions but reassured her, "I don't believe them either. But I want their deaths to be justified. The Great Zen Monastery can't be slandered without proof."

"Right!" Liu Miaoyin said, slightly appeased.

"Let's detain them for now and investigate. Agreed?" Xiao Nanfeng suggested.

Liu Miaoyin frowned. "You still believe them?"

"Will you come with me?" Xiao Nanfeng asked gently.

After a pause, Liu Miaoyin, recalling how Xiao Nanfeng had nearly died for her, nodded. "Alright."

The two set up a formation in the valley for the wolf demons before leaving quietly.

Two months later, they returned. This time, Liu Miaoyin looked utterly shaken.

"How could this be? How could they commit such atrocities? How are they any different from demons themselves?" Liu Miaoyin's faith seemed on the verge of collapse.

Xiao Nanfeng held her hand and comforted her, "Their lack of virtue is their problem. We just need to stay true to ourselves."

Warmth spread through Liu Miaoyin's heart as she nodded.

"I think whether a spirit becomes a demon depends on its nature. Evil spirits are demons, but kind spirits are not. Would you agree?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

Liu Miaoyin nodded. Over the past two months, she had fully embraced Xiao Nanfeng's perspective.

"Humans are guided by tradition and morals, so they know right from wrong. But spirits have no such guidance. If left unchecked, they're bound to commit atrocities. I think if we restrain them with laws, much like humans, it could prevent disasters and even encourage good deeds. Don't you agree?"

Liu Miaoyin looked at him. "If you want to tame them, go ahead. Don't worry about me."

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head and said, "I don't care about anyone else's opinion—I only care about yours."

Liu Miaoyin's face turned bright red. She didn't know how to respond.

"Come, let's tame them together," Xiao Nanfeng said with a smile.

Liu Miaoyin nodded and followed him, Xiao Nanfeng's words still echoing in her mind. Unconsciously, a small smile graced her lips.

Taming the wolf spirits went relatively smoothly, for Xiao Nanfeng was a master of persuasion. He revealed that he was half-spirit, making the wolves far more receptive. As a human emperor, he promised them great rewards if they followed him when he regained his throne. The wolves were soon utterly convinced.