Could it be that I am the cruel villain?
Chapter 234 - 161: Close Custody

Chapter 234: Chapter 161: Close Custody

"The commotion we caused was not small."

"Even though it’s a far cry, this half an hour has been enough for the vast majority of people to get close. If we continue to dally, I’m afraid more and more people will come."

"When I pierced through that person just now, there were at least seven or eight gazes around us; they didn’t dare to surround us simply because they weren’t sure they could take us both down."

"If we don’t leave now, I’m afraid it will only bring more trouble. We might be able to handle four, but if there are more than six, we would have to think twice."

"Besides, just now I only asked you to help me with baiting a fish, Miss Lin. You did well, being able to exchange blows with a ninth level Qi Cultivation expert. I underestimated you."

A smile crept across his lips, but that also finally brought joyful delight to the always timid Lin Jiangxian.

It was evident that she cared much about being useful.

"No, I... I was just lucky. If Brother Jiang hadn’t helped me, I fear I wouldn’t have been able to hang on. I’m glad I could help you catch the fish."

Admiration shone in her eyes, relaxed and easygoing when Jiang Feng mentioned "more than six people," as if he truly didn’t take the multitude of experts in the mountains seriously.

Especially with that last sword strike, it carried a do-or-die momentum, that of a resolve to charge into the fray, and opened the door to a new world.

She had seen Foundation Establishment experts fighting before, but this person in front of her was the most formidable one she had seen among so many.

"Oh, right, this is for you."

As if suddenly thinking of something, Jiang Feng casually unfastened something from his waist and handed it over. The girl clearly appeared puzzled, but still instinctively reached out her hand, and then she realized...

"No! No, no! This... how could I accept this?"

Indeed, it was a Qiankun Bag.

Her hands that had already touched it immediately retracted, and her head shook like a rattle. She had been to the Immortal Exchanges in various towns, and even the price of the lowest level magic treasures were enough to deter her.

Not to mention a treasure like a Qiankun Bag. She knew her status well, not earning one’s keep, even if she had achieved a little, she definitely did not deserve such a generous reward.

Without her, those four would have been utterly crushed by Jiang Feng anyway. Besides, the mere fact that he was willing to take her into the mountains was already a huge advantage for her, how could she accept his belongings?

However, Jiang just smiled and did not take the item back.

"It’s a loan for you. We’ll be entering the mountains for a month. It’s one thing to carry your luggage on your back on regular days, but if it gets in the way during a fight, won’t that be a hindrance?"

"Moreover, holding the Token in your hand isn’t safe. Placed in the Qiankun Bag, it would be much safer even if you fought with others."

"On this journey, we’ll surely clash with others frequently, and we also agreed to distribute the Token. Once we’re up the mountain, it wouldn’t make sense to have a heap of them in my hands and only two on you, would it?"

"Two is only the basic requirement, I’m afraid it won’t be enough to gain access. Or do you intend to hang your spoils all over yourself and run around the mountains?"

"Take it. Its Divine Sense has been forcibly erased before, making it impossible to imprint a new Divine Sense now. It’s considered a defective product."

His voice was very gentle.

Like soothing an injured little animal, step by step, he tried to persuade her.

"...Yes!"

She nodded vigorously.

She didn’t understand why, but the young girl felt a sourness at the tip of her nose. Ever since that family tragedy seven years ago, she wandered the streets, never having the chance to revisit the mansion where she had lived for years.

She didn’t even dare to look in the direction of her former home, for fear of being recognized.

From that moment on, the whole world seemed to harbor malice against her. If she hadn’t learned a bit about the rudiments of cultivation, she most likely would have perished on the streets long ago.

Despite her weak cultivation base, she had still made it here on her own, wandering from the Xuanyin regions in the north, trudging along, stopping intermittently, seeking dew to quench her thirst, and when hungry, relying on that bit of Spiritual Energy to help locals with work in exchange for food.

Jiang Feng, with the help of the Amethyst Egret, covered thousands of miles in just a month.

But she took seven years traveling from Xuanyin to Purple Cloud.

"I... after this assessment is over, I will return this to you immediately, Brother Jiang, thank you."

She bowed politely as her hands received the feather-light Qiankun Bag, embracing it in her arms.

"No need, we’re allies now, we must help each other to stand out. Maybe in a few days, I’ll need your help to get out of trouble. If those elders take a liking to you, I might end up asking for your help to find a way out."

"Brother Jiang is joking, with your abilities, those big shots are sure to pick you first."

The girl smiled through her tears, wiping her nose a little. Now that the night had deepened, Brother Jiang probably couldn’t see her current state anyway.

"Alright, wrap it up quickly and be careful not to let others notice, otherwise, it might attract flies."

"Got it!"

She took down the bundle from her back, which contained some simple clothes for changing and dried food. Apart from that battered longsword, she really didn’t have anything else.

Following Jiang Feng’s lead, she clumsily connected her divine sense to the Qiankun Bag. She quickly got the hang of it, but it was then that she noticed there were other things inside the bag.

"Brother Jiang, inside this..."

"Once you’ve safely stashed everything away, get some rest early. Today’s battle was exhausting, and I’m getting a bit sleepy myself, ha~"

He already walked over and sat down not far away, carving a few wooden stakes with the same movements as before, sitting cross-legged on one and beginning to meditate to regulate his body.

"Mhm."

She nodded lightly, understanding that Jiang Feng had prepared all this for her in advance.

She tied the Qiankun Bag around her waist, but immediately removed it again, then she slid it under her outer garment to secure it against the inner lining, but then took it off again.

It was still not safe.

Eventually, glancing at Brother Jiang, who was resting with his eyes closed, the girl turned around, swiftly lifted her lining, revealing the cute red bodice embroidered with lotus flowers, and deftly stuffed the bag inside in the blink of an eye!

It should be very safe here, unlikely to be discovered.

Only then did she, with a flushed face, approach the wooden stake Jiang Feng had prepared for her, sitting cross-legged to refine the turbid Spiritual Energy within her body, in a state between asleep and awake, yet she felt unprecedented peace of mind as she meditated for the first time...

The night passed without event.

Unbeknownst to when, Jiang Feng had assumed somewhat the air of a great master.

His cultivation hadn’t been for as long as Lin Jiangxian, yet his mannerisms surprisingly resembled those of Liu Tangxi—which clearly showed the influence his senior sister had on him.

In fact, after seeing Miss Lin yesterday, he had already made up his mind to take this girl with him into the mountains. He had done a few things after leaving that alley.

The first was to choose a suitable Qiankun Bag. The one from the evil cultivator was obviously inappropriate as it could cause trouble. Wu Ming’s could not be used until after Foundation Establishment, so Wu Fangsheng’s was the most suitable. Furthermore, the Fan Yin Sect Leader was dead, which would save them from troubles.

His second task was to stop by the market to pick up a variety of tasty snacks and sweets, and he also went to the Immortal Exchange to buy a fine, lightweight longsword, as he had plenty of Spirit Stones from the lives he’d taken.

The last thing...

He took a basic cultivation technique, and on the front page, he penned down his own insights on body training, soul tempering, and Qi Cultivation.