C6 I Think I Can Explain It

Next to the man stood another young guy in his early twenties, dressed in a sleek black outfit, holding a drawn sword. It was clear he had been the one to act just moments ago. However, his gaze at Bai Liyuv was rather odd, shifting from her to Soong Qingyuan, who lay on the ground with his clothes in tatters, and then back again, his expression peculiar.

Bai Liyuv blinked at him, then glanced down at her current state. Her expression soured a bit. After all, she was crouched beside a man with her hair disheveled and wearing a red dress, while the man's clothes were torn to shreds. It looked suspiciously like something out of an old story about a ghost draining a man's energy at night, only to be caught in the act.

"It's not what it looks like! I can explain! Really! Seeing isn't always believing!" Bai Liyuv exclaimed, raising her hand in a complex gesture, internally crying a storm. Her ladylike image was ruined!

"Are you human or a ghost?" the young man asked coldly, frowning as he stared at her blood-smeared face.

Bai Liyuv's eyebrows shot up, clearly displeased. She stood up quickly, hands on her hips, giving him a sidelong glance. "Do I look like a ghost to you, all disheveled like this?"

The young man looked at her, then at the scattered powder on the ground, its strong scent indicating it was something unsavory. His gaze at Bai Liyuv grew even more peculiar. Bai Liyuv's eye twitched, and as she stepped closer to the two men, her face suddenly changed. She coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.

Blood splattered directly onto the two men.

“Master?!” The man, seeing his companion's clothes soaked in blood, felt his heart skip a beat. Without a second thought, he dropped to his knees, pleading for forgiveness. “I am at fault, please punish me!”

The man referred to as Master wore a mask, making his emotions unreadable, but the air around him grew colder, causing the kneeling man to feel a deep unease. Who could have predicted that the woman would get so close and splatter blood all over the Master? The Master was known for his fastidiousness, and this punishment was bound to be severe.

Silence hung in the air, the atmosphere unbearably tense.

After a long pause, the Master’s robe shifted slightly as he slowly stepped forward, standing over Bai Liyuv, who had fainted. He looked down at her, lost in thought, his thumb gently rubbing a jade ring on his right hand. The kneeling man, sneaking a glance, was taken aback. This gesture was a telltale sign that the Master was deep in thought. Was he contemplating how to punish the audacious woman lying on the ground to quell his anger?

Then, to his shock, he saw the Master crouch down and lift the woman's chin for a closer look!

His heart raced with disbelief. The Master had never allowed any woman near him, and now he was willingly approaching one? Was he following a different Master altogether?

"Miss Bai." The man spoke slowly, his voice deep and remarkably elegant, though devoid of any emotion.

The words barely registered before the man kneeling on the ground reacted, his eyes widening in surprise as he glanced at the woman on the floor. He quickly added, "The Third Miss from the South Suppressing King's Mansion? Isn't she your..."

"Woo San," the man interrupted as he stood up, speaking calmly, "Take her back and make sure she's well taken care of."

Woo San swiftly got to his feet, moved closer to the woman on the ground, and then glanced at the chaotic pile of bodies in the abandoned temple. Though puzzled, he dared not question further. He hoisted the woman over his shoulder and, in a flash, exited the temple.

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