Fu Hongming expertly pulled out a handkerchief, beginning to chatter incessantly: "Junior Sister, your Third Senior Sister had a hard life!"
This familiar opening line.
Tian Ning was numb…
"She met the wrong person, falling in love with the yes-man of our former Fifth Junior Sister. That dog hid demonic qi within our Wanjian Sect, trampling on your Third Senior Sister's sincere heart. Knowing she was a Sword Cultivator, he not only destroyed her Dan Tian, but also, imitating that wicked woman who harmed the Second Senior Brother, severed her hand tendons… Wuwuwu, my poor Third Junior Sister, a Sword Cultivator unable to even lift a sword, how could she live… In the end, she was forced to become a Pill Cultivator…"
Tian Ning suddenly understood the situation with this pot of green stuff.
Normal Pill Cultivators are similar to Mortal Realm physicians. Third Senior Sister, with her resentment, has evolved into a poison cultivator…
"Senior Brother, shut your mouth!" Women can't stand hearing about their past dark history, especially failed love stories. She was harmed so badly by that damned yes-man! How could Senior Brother reveal her secrets! She grabbed the broom on the ground and charged towards them.
Fu Hongming, no longer able to cry, dragged Tian Ning and ran wildly out of Shi Qinxin's courtyard. Only when the woman behind them stopped chasing did they stop, panting from exhaustion.
"L-little Junior Sister… I'll take you to see Fourth Junior Brother!"
Tian Ning: "..."
She didn't think seeing Fourth Senior Brother was necessary today.
Before she could refuse, Fu Hongming pointed to a beggar picking trash by the roadside and shouted, "Fourth Junior Brother! Fourth Junior Brother!"
Tian Ning: "..."
Hearing the voice, the beggar hurriedly protected the trash he had just picked up, his eyes wary as he looked at the two approaching.
The man was tall and his figure didn't look like a beggar, but his ragged clothes were worse than those of a roadside beggar; he even treated the pile of trash he had collected as treasure, afraid that someone would steal it.
Fu Hongming introduced, "This is our new Junior Sister, Tian Ning."
"Junior Sister, this is your Fourth Senior Brother, Long Aotien."
Tian Ning: "..."
With a name like Long Aotien, how could he be so down and out?
Long Aotien showed no warmth; he didn't care about the new Junior Sister, fiercely protecting his precious trash: "I'm telling you, I don't have anything to give you!"
His bad attitude made Fu Hongming quickly explain.
"Junior Sister, don't misunderstand, your Fourth Senior Brother wasn't always like this."
Speaking of sadness, Fu Hongming's handkerchief made another appearance: "Your Fourth Senior Brother had a hard life! When he was born, auspicious omens descended from heaven; at three, he could draw spiritual energy into his body and begin cultivation, a legendary figure, a genius among geniuses! Unexpectedly, his fiancée betrayed him, his brothers became enemies, his clan plotted against him; he was not only cuckolded and his cultivation base reversed, they even stole all his possessions! Wuwuwu, my poor Fourth Junior Brother…"
Tian Ning angrily said, "That's too much! How could they reduce Fourth Senior Brother to a pauper!"
Tian Ning firmly believed, don't hit someone in the face, don't rob someone of their money!
"Yes! Yes! Your Fourth Senior Brother has had psychological trauma ever since, hiding his wealth, afraid of being robbed, even unwilling to wear better clothes!"
Fu Hongming wanted to cry with Long Aotien, but the latter guarded himself like a thief.
Tian Ning, for once, empathized and said to Long Aotien, "Fourth Senior Brother, don't worry, I'll give you all the trash from my courtyard! As long as I'm here, you'll have trash to pick!"
Long Aotien: "..."
Shouldn't normal people sympathize with him and give him some good things?
Fu Hongming cried four times, his voice hoarse; those who didn't know would have thought he went to a funeral.
"It's getting late; Junior Sister, go rest. If you're hungry, Senior Brother has Abstinence Pills here; eat one if you're hungry." Fu Hongming thoughtfully gave Tian Ning some Abstinence Pills.
This day was quite tumultuous. Recalling the unconscious Master and the abnormal Senior Brothers and Sisters, Tian Ning rarely sighed.
"Thankfully, Senior Brother is normal like me."
This thought completely vanished after one night.
After finally tidying up the courtyard at night, Tian Ning happily took out fruit wine from her Storage Pouch, enjoying a storybook under the gentle moonlight. When she reached a climactic part of the story, Tian Ning's eyes lit up!
For some reason, a disappointing fight broke out outside. Tian Ning didn't want to deal with it; she repeatedly resisted, unwilling to put down the exciting plot in the book.
But it was too noisy outside; she couldn't concentrate on reading.
What are they doing in the middle of the night!
This forced her to put down her beloved book and go see what was going on.
She saw Long Aotien, the trash picker from the day, lying on the ground outside. He was still wearing his beggar's clothes, but they looked even more worn; not only were they covered in dirt, his face was also bruised, as if he had been beaten…
"Fourth Senior Brother?" Tian Ning didn't understand his condition.
"Cough…" Long Aotien coughed up a mouthful of blood and said to her, "New… new… what's your name again?"
Tian Ning: "..."
He probably really couldn't remember: "Forget it. Sixth, quickly take Second and Third down the mountain to take refuge!"
Tian Ning felt like he was insulting her, but she had no proof.
"That madman has gone crazy…" Long Aotien pointed at Master's courtyard: "Go to a safe place to take refuge; I'll stop him!"
"What exactly happened, Fourth Senior Brother?"
Within the entire Sword Protecting Mountain, Tian Ning clearly didn't feel the presence of outsiders, Xiaobai and Jiujiu didn't sense any threat, so why did Fourth Senior Brother look like the sky was falling?
Tian Ning looked towards that courtyard; could it be… Master woke up?
Long Aotien was badly injured, but he stubbornly got up and charged towards Master's courtyard with his sword!
"Sigh… Fourth Senior Brother, your injuries! Eat some pills first!"
The siblings entered Master's courtyard one after the other; Long Aotien unceremoniously kicked the door open!
'Bang!'
Tian Ning, who followed behind, entered the courtyard and saw Senior Brother, who kept using his handkerchief to cry earlier, now holding a Broadsword high, aiming for Master's face, who was unconscious.
Tian Ning: ???
Senior Brother at night wore red clothes; his originally unruly face now had an inexplicable evil aura, giving the impression of a good student suddenly turning into a social thug… Tian Ning was stunned, unable to react to this absurd contrast.
Long Aotien had seen it all before; his sword blocked Fu Hongming's Broadsword in time.
But because his strength was inferior, his hands trembled, and his sword couldn't withstand the force and flew away.
"Little Four, why didn't you let me kill this old geezer?" Fu Hongming raised an eyebrow, smiling slyly: "As long as this old geezer is gone, Sword Protecting Mountain can be disbanded, and we can all regain our freedom."
"Madman, you can't hurt Master!"
"What a bore."
Fu Hongming struck Long Aotien's chest with a palm; the powerful inner force sent Long Aotien flying ten meters away. He coughed up a large mouthful of blood after enduring the blow!
'Pfft!'
"Fourth Senior Brother!" What's going on? Tian Ning blinked: "Should I take you to escape…"
"Escape?" Long Aotien sneered.
For some reason, Tian Ning suddenly felt a kingly aura from him: "In my, Long Aotien's, dictionary, there are only two words: die in battle!"
He wiped the blood from his mouth, got up, and stood up. The man's back was straight; his clothes fluttered without wind; the moonlight shone on him, and the ragged beggar clothes didn't look as down-trodden as before, but more like a strong man about to awaken, on the verge of an outburst.
"I will use my lifelong cultivation to deal with this madman!" He had a profound expression: "Sixth, go! I'm afraid of accidentally hurting you!"
Tian Ning: "..."
Can you stop calling me that?
He shouted, "Sword, come!"
The long sword on the ground hummed, as if sensing its master's call and flying back into Long Aotien's hand.
His gaze was sharp, the sword tip pointed at Fu Hongming: "A glimmer of cold light, ten thousand rays, slaughtering the world, what does it matter?"
"Today, Fourth Junior Brother, I apologize for the offense!"
Tian Ning excitedly took out melon seeds.
My God! A live-action boss 1v1, so exciting!
Fu Hongming's lips moved slightly, his low voice steadily reaching the ears of the two: "Little Four, one more word, and I'll chop you up even worse later."
Long Aotien: "..."
Tian Ning thought she saw Fourth Senior Brother's shadow tremble, was it an illusion?
Comparing the momentum of both sides, clearly Fourth Senior Brother was stronger!
However, as soon as Fu Hongming moved, he directly pressed Long Aotien to the ground and beat him up. He didn't even use the Broadsword; the man was already bruised and swollen, angrily shouting, "Fu Hongming! Don't push it, my fate is in my own hands—I don't believe I'll never win against you!!"
It was clear that he was using all his strength…
Yet he still couldn't beat Senior Brother.
He was beaten so badly he howled, "Thirty years in the East, thirty years in the West, Fu Hongming, do you believe me… ahhhh…"
Fu Hongming threw him through the broken wall.
Tian Ning: "..."
If you're so useless, don't try to act tough, okay?
Fu Hongming frowned, seemingly really annoyed by Long Aotien's incessant chattering; he re-gripped his Broadsword; a layer of flame appeared, surrounding the blade: "If you want to get ahead of the old geezer so badly, I'll grant your wish!"
In the dark night, besides the moon, there was a ball of fire leaping and chasing after someone, exceptionally dazzling.
Tian Ning's melon seeds became more and more fragrant.
She was an excellent audience member, diligently appreciating the 'actors'' efforts; it was like a storybook turned into a 3D movie.
It was really great! If Senior Brother and Fourth Senior Brother became action movie actors, she would definitely cheer them on madly!
Unfortunately, this enthusiastic audience member was accidentally caught in the crossfire.
Everyone's courtyards were relatively close; Fu Hongming and Long Aotien fought fiercely, disregarding whose courtyard they were in; one fought heartily, the other suffered miserably. When they landed in Tian Ning's courtyard, Fu Hongming used Spiritual Energy, his Broadsword slashing out a fire dragon, narrowly dodged by Long Aotien, who almost got burned.
But the table behind Long Aotien wasn't so lucky.
"No!"
Tian Ning made a heartbroken gesture.
Her unread, limited-edition storybook was still on the table!
But the table, along with the storybook, was burned to ashes…
Tian Ning's heart ached; she held the ashes and mourned deeply, unable to control her grief.
A gentle night breeze blew, scattering the ashes, like the sand in the desert, forever out of reach, trying to grasp but only to dissipate, thus disappearing forever…
At this moment, Tian Ning's fists clenched.
"