“Not a bad look in your eyes.”
Yun Liu nodded and continued forward, strolling through the forest, lost in thought.
That feeling of water melding together appeared again, waves of warmth flowing through his body, extreme fate tightly intertwined and impossible to sever.
Every time he tried to push away the Daughter of Fate, she only clung on harder, like a piece of sticky candy, impossible to shake off.
Is the condition worsening again?
The red-clad girl’s eyes reddened, her five fingers trembling slightly around her sword, deeply frustrated.
At that moment, the white-robed boy turned back again and reached out his hand.
“If you don’t want to go back, then follow me with the resolve to die. The Sacred Feather Festival is your probation period. Based on your performance, I’ll consider making you official—as my… Deadpool.”
Xiao Xinran’s eyes lit up.
She chased after him without hesitation.
She had already disappointed Yun Liu twice; there wouldn’t be a third time.
No matter what the identity, as long as she wasn’t a younger sister, it was fine—just being able to stay by Little Yun’s side was enough.
At dawn, the two set off, following the Sancha River northward.
Two streams of light streaked across the clear sky.
Long journeys consumed considerable qi sea; the two Foundation Establishment cultivators needed to rest at the major Main Cities along the way.
Perhaps they would even encounter Qin and Xing and the others sooner.
Not long after, Yun Liu sensed a strange fluctuation from the west.
It wasn’t far, and a faint cry for help reached his ears—familiar somehow.
Up ahead, a flash of white light abruptly turned.
Xiao Xinran hurriedly hit the brakes, twisting atop her flying sword.
Her speed dropped sharply, and her change of direction was clumsy.
“Wait for me!”
Getting closer, Yun Liu stowed his sword and landed, approaching on foot.
Within the forest, wind and fire raged, the heat intense.
Aside from that, the aura of grass and wood spirits was thick, as if cultivators were battling mountain fiends.
A Double Spirit Root Cultivator, and so close to the crash site?
Yun Liu’s heart stirred. He parted the undergrowth and, out of caution, lay low to observe from the woods.
After a while, Xiao Xinran crept up behind him, still not understanding why the boss was hiding.
“What is it? Could it be Demonic Sect Fiends wandering nearby?”
Xiao Xinran moved closer, her eyes widening in delight.
“It’s the Villain Princess!”
If Jing Tan’er was here, then Senior Sister Qin should be nearby too?
Just as the girl was about to call out, the boy clamped her mouth shut.
A withered tree spirit was entrenched in the forest marsh, white bones rising and falling in the mire.
Any passersby who wandered in had become the monster’s food.
A chestnut-haired girl, her body covered in mud, was trapped in the swamp, her legs entangled by vines, being slowly dragged under.
“Wretch! Get away from this Princess!”
Jing Tan’er wiped the sludge from her face, struggling fiercely, hacking several vines apart in succession, refusing to let any more reach her hands and neck. Her situation was perilous.
The withered tree spirit’s trunk twitched. It didn’t approach, but played cruelly with its prey caught in the net.
As a second-rank fiend, its demonic aura was vicious.
“Qin Sister! Ji Girl! Where are you?”
Jing Tan’er’s face was pale, her spiritual breath weak, her cries for help urgent.
It seemed she’d been badly hurt during the Spirit Boat’s fall.
From voice to looks, stature to cultivation, it was the same arrogant Villain Princess as last night.
Even her outfit hadn’t changed—there was nothing wrong with her at all.
But after what happened with Jing Rui, Yun Liu remained wary.
He hadn’t expected to encounter her again so soon—and alone, at that.
“She doesn’t look good. Do we really not need to help?”
“Let’s wait and see.”
Jing Tan’er swung her sword helplessly, her upper body sinking further into the muck, more vines wrapping around her.
“Nini! Lu’er! Don’t sleep!”
The girl called out in despair.
Only a small part of her head remained above the surface.
Finally, Yun Liu moved.
A flash of silver light crashed down from the sky, and a beam of day-bright moonlight struck the tree spirit’s crown.
Sword energy surged through the woods like a flood, obliterating tangled vines.
The tree spirit screamed, its withered bark peeling away to reveal twisted roots and crimson blood beneath, the stench overwhelming.
Yun Liu slapped his forehead—he’d used the Sword Scripture of Celestial Phenomena by reflex.
How sinful.
Jing Tan’er gasped for breath and waved at Yun Liu in delight, struggling through the mire.
The tree spirit’s trunk shriveled in fear.
It tried to sink into the swamp to flee, but Xiao Xinran appeared from the other side, her spirit sword blazing.
With a fiery arc, she sliced the monster in two.
After dealing with the tree demon, Xiao Xinran pinched her nose and retreated to the Pavilion Lord’s side, barely suppressing a smile.
Jing Tan’er gripped the hilt of Yun Liu’s flying sword, struggling to pull herself onto the bank.
She tore away the broken vines from her legs and collapsed like a dead fish.
Yun Liu teased, smiling brightly:
“A humble subject arrives late to rescue. Forgive me, Your Highness.”
“Huff… Huff… And you’re laughing? At ease already!”
Jing Tan’er hung her head in misery, her filthy figure reeking.
Why did she always lose face in front of the Prince Consort!
She fled into the trees, used the Five Elements Spell to clean herself up, changed into new clothes, and finally emerged, face still red.
Only then did Yun Liu notice Nini and Lu’er lying nearby as well.
He relaxed a little and bent to infuse them with spiritual energy.
The two little girls had just been scolded by Elder Min Hen and, before they could recover, had landed in this mess—truly unfortunate.
Jing Tan’er came bounding out, flailing her limbs and angrily denouncing Jing Rui’s crimes, still unaware that the detestable aunt had already colluded with the Demonic Sect, intent on treason.
“Listen, last night, boom, the Wuya Court was attacked, and that disrespectful Offering from Qingshan Sect was in on it too. Are they plotting rebellion or what? Senior Sister Qin was amazing—she blocked the thieves all by herself, and then a giant Fiery Bird burst out, smashing even the Golden Crow!”
The little princess rambled incoherently, her words scattered.
“Take your time. I saw parts of it myself. There are more mysteries to this.”
Yun Liu held back laughter and offered a cup of Spirit Tea.
Jing Tan’er gulped it down, steadied herself, and pointed accusingly at her two dazed companions.
“See? I saved these two useless things. They escaped before the Spirit Boat crashed and ended up here. Hmph, if this Princess hadn’t been injured, would I need anyone to save me?”
“Chongchong, you’re right.”
The last line was clearly meant for Miss Xiao, but she only dug at her ear, uninterested.
“I see.”
Yun Liu narrowed his eyes, his divine sense sweeping over the three—nothing unusual.
It sounded a bit odd, but also reasonable. Maybe he was just overthinking.
“So what now? Will Senior Sister Qin and the others be in danger?”
Jing Tan’er looked at Yun Liu with puppy eyes, relying entirely on the Prince Consort.
“Qin Cha’s cultivation is nothing to worry about. Even if they got separated, they’d leave word at the nearby Shanhai Pavilion in the Royal Capital before heading to Yudu.”
“Then what are we waiting for? I want to go back and report Jing Rui to Father with all my might!”
At the princess’s command, the two maids instantly summoned a cloud carriage, legs crossed haughtily.
“Doesn’t seem fake.”
Yun Liu mused as he rose skyward on his sword.
He couldn’t just strip a princess noble of her clothes to check her body on the spot, could he?
That imposter was a mystery.
Even after questioning, Jing Rui hadn’t discovered her true identity—only that she was dispatched from above, her cultivation and power unknown.
The treasure ship had just crashed, and Jing Tan’er had made a dazzling entrance right after—seamlessly.
Would a fake really dare be so bold?
A new storm of thoughts swirled. Xiao Xinran didn’t understand, nor did she care.
She was too busy pondering how to be a proper Deadpool.
Bodyguard?
She understood that best.
In popular novels, the noble lady’s personal soldier always leapt into action at critical moments, risking everything to save her, inseparable day and night—sometimes even falling in love over time.
How come she’d never realized the Protector Daoist role was this exciting before?
But no matter.
The roles were reversed now, and was in full swing.
Just her style!
But… does a Deadpool have to die?
Is it okay not to?
If she died, how could she renew her contract?