Chapter 5: Recognizing a Beautiful Woman by Her Fragrance

Watching Bai Dong's silhouette, the woman in black smiled again, but suddenly felt a twinge of pain from her injuries, causing her to furrow her delicate brows.

It is fragrant. The woman in black runs, drenched in sweat, with the wind at her back, a faint and subtle fragrance wafting in the air. Yet, it is not the scent enhanced by modern cosmetics, nor is it the aroma of incense or flowers, but rather a body fragrance that emanates from the depths of her skin. Bai Dong inhaled a few breaths, feeling a slight stir in his heart, but his grip on the sword tightened: "Who are you?" Heroes often find it difficult to resist the allure of beauty; one must be cautious not to inadvertently become Lü Bu, dying without a chance to voice grievances.

Bai Dong, rambling, walked up to the woman in black, raising his hand to pull down her veil. Was he really going to risk it to save someone without even knowing what she looked like? It seemed like a losing proposition no matter how you calculated it. However, upon touching the veil, he withdrew his hand and shook his head, saying: "No, who knows if you have some strange rule? If pulling down your veil means I have to marry you, that would be troublesome. You look somewhat pleasing above the neck, but who knows what lies below the nose? If you have a pig-like snout or a square mouth, wouldn't I be at a loss?" The old man Jin had encountered many such women in his writings, and he shook his head again, saying: "No, who knows if you have some strange rule? If pulling down your veil means I have to marry you, that would be troublesome. You look somewhat pleasing above the neck, but who knows what lies below the nose? If you have a pig-like snout or a square mouth, wouldn't I be at a loss?" The elder sister Mu Wanqing was a representative of such women, and Bai Dong suddenly came to a halt, jolted awake.

What are you doing! The woman in black gritted her teeth against the waves of intense pain radiating from her shoulder, firmly gripping the hilt of her sword

Do not throw flirtatious glances; are you expecting to be embraced or what? Can you maintain a bit of integrity? There is no enmity or hatred between us, so why would I want to kill you? Is your head really worth that much? I doubt it.

Save me, or kill me. The pursuers are about to arrive. If you save me, I will reward you handsomely in the future; if you kill me, my head can fetch a hundred gold pieces. You are a man, be decisive!

"You may stay here for the night. Once I leave, it will be as the wind howls and the waters of the Yi River turn cold. A brave man can both depart and return. If you can survive until tomorrow, you may leave on your own." Bai Dong turned and walked away. Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda. Having just come out of the mountains, he had already done such a great deed. From now on, may he have smooth sailing and great fortune, which should be a given.

Bai Dong shook his head, saying, isn't this just a crazy woman? She constantly shouts about violence and killing. I am a civilized person; I will neither kill you nor assault you.

A woman suddenly jumped out from the setting sun, like a burst of solar flares, abrupt and eerie

Hmm

You were struck hard first, clearly suffering internal injuries yet still desperately trying to escape. Along the way, you were also injured in the shoulder. It is truly remarkable that you managed to struggle this far. The pursuers must be close behind, right? Although I have never worked as a forensic doctor, I have seen many injury reports and can easily distinguish whether someone has sustained minor injuries, light injuries, or serious injuries just by looking at them. Fortunately, this girl in black has a good foundation; it seems she is not severely injured to the point of being incapacitated.

Bai Dong held the sword in hand, striking a pose reminiscent of Western fencing. The woman's face was now partially visible; the black mask only covered below her eyes, revealing standard almond-shaped eyes that were beautifully bright and watery, though unfortunately tinged with a hint of murderous intent

The woman in black looked at Bai Dong with some curiosity. This young man clearly had a Qin accent, yet his words had a strange intonation, speaking of things like flirtation and integrity, which sounded utterly baffling. However, it was evident that he meant no harm, and there was no killing intent in his eyes, which made her unconsciously breathe a sigh of relief

Dressed in black coarse cloth and with a black scarf covering her face, her hair styled in a manner typical of men, it is a pity that her disguise could only deceive the ancients; in the eyes of Bai Dong, she is nothing but a joke. This woman moves with incredible speed, as swift as a startled deer. Her right hand draws forth a glimmering blade, suggesting immense power, yet her slender waist and pert backside ultimately betray her. Moreover, the closer one gets, the clearer her delicate and enchanting breaths become. This woman moves with incredible speed, as swift as a startled deer. Her right hand draws forth a glimmering blade, suggesting immense power, yet her slender waist and pert backside ultimately betray her. Moreover, the closer one gets, the clearer her delicate and enchanting breaths become.

My luck is unfortunate, encountering you, this great trouble. Since I do not wish to kill you, it would be hard for me to stand by and watch you die... Forget it, considering you are a woman, I will lend a hand to save you this once

The woman in black struggled a few times, but ultimately gave up this futile effort. After holding her breath through her severe injuries, she managed to reach this place. Once she let her guard down, it would be impossible for her to rise again; she could only entrust her life to this unfamiliar young man. Perhaps it was the instinct for survival that prompted her, as she unconsciously stirred feelings of affection, which she had never shown to men before, sending him a flirtatious glance.

The woman in black widened her eyes. The person before her was adorned with a sword and a book pouch. Although he wore a cloth headscarf, he clearly resembled a scholar. Were all scholars from the Qin state so rude? Moreover, how did he know the rules of the sect? It was impossible for her to lower her veil and marry him; she would only marry an extraordinary man in her lifetime. However, killing him with a single sword strike was something she could consider.

Injury to the internal organs and the expulsion of black blood is a positive sign; however, you will also lose your ability to move, for at least half a day

The woman in black glared at Bai Dong, thinking that if he dared to take advantage of her, she would fight back with all her might, even at the cost of her own life. Fortunately, Bai Dong showed little interest in her; the reason he was willing to save her was simply that he did not want to kill her, nor did he want to witness her being slaughtered by pursuers at such a promising moment after his return, as that would be quite a misfortune.

"Nonsense, if we are to act, we must do it thoroughly. The pursuers are almost here, right? If I don't make some arrangements, won't I be easily seen through by others?" Bai Dong shot her a glare, then loosened his hair bun, picked up her sword, and gently made a shallow cut on his left cheek, just enough to let the blood appear without flowing, the wound extremely light, and it would not hinder future recovery. The woman in black immediately understood, and couldn't help but smile sweetly, as if in gratitude, yet also as if mocking the world for having such a man who cherished himself so much. Clearly intending to feign an injury to deceive the pursuers, yet his actions were so gentle, lacking the fierce and bold spirit expected of a warrior. He first loosened his hair bun, then picked up her sword, and gently made a shallow cut on his left cheek, just enough to let the blood appear without flowing, the wound extremely light, and it would not hinder future recovery. The woman in black immediately understood, and couldn't help but smile sweetly, as if in gratitude, yet also as if mocking the world for having such a man who cherished himself so much. Clearly intending to feign an injury to deceive the pursuers, yet his actions were so gentle, lacking the fierce and bold spirit expected of a warrior.

The wind howls and the waters of the Yi River are cold, can a brave man go and return? Are all the men of the Qin state this intriguing?

Except for the men and women of Yishi Village, everyone else requires caution when dealing with Bai Dong, and women are no exception. Moreover, just by looking at her attire, one can tell that this girl is either a mountain bandit or a ranger; who knows if she might suddenly stab him with a sword? Caution is the key to navigating through life, as one cannot afford to cry over a capsized boat in a ditch.

She was laid flat in the pit, her clothing was grasped, and a piece of cloth was torn off. Just as the woman in black was about to resist, Bai Dong shot her a glare: "If you don't want to die, keep your mouth shut." He then went outside to fetch water, added some precious salt, mixed it well, and poured it over her shoulder wound. The woman in black immediately let out a terrible scream, her apricot-shaped eyes wide open like copper bells.

Bai Dong looked at the right shoulder of the woman in black. Beneath the torn black fabric, a large patch of snow-white skin was exposed, marked by a winding scar, from which blood continued to seep out

The woman in black came to a halt, looking at Bai Dong with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. With her skills and martial arts prowess, she could tell at a glance that Bai Dong had considerable expertise. Although his initial stance seemed somewhat absurd and was something she had never heard her master speak of, it made her hesitant to act. It felt as if no matter how she attacked, he would always be one step ahead and strike her first.

I ... ... The woman in black wanted to respond, but as she opened her mouth, a large amount of black blood spewed out. She could no longer utter the rest of her words, collapsing onto the ground, gasping for breath, her eyes losing their luster.

"Endure it; you can't even handle a little pain, yet you talk about me beheading you for a reward? Is it so thrilling to boast and play the hero?" Carefully, he cleaned her wound and then bandaged it with a strip of cloth. After inspecting his handiwork, he nodded in satisfaction and patted her on the head: "The wound should be fine, but as for your internal injuries, it depends on how tough you are. I've done all I can." With that, he went to retrieve the black-clad woman's sword.

Bai Dong was still unaware that he had inadvertently escaped a calamity. As he spoke, he picked up the woman in black and walked into a cave. He had originally planned to spend the night there and descend the mountain to Lantian the next day. This cave had been chosen in advance; it faced the morning sun and was dry. Most importantly, there were no ferocious beasts inside. He started a fire to drive away the insects and ants in the cave, making it the perfect place to spend the night.