Chapter 10: The Opportunities of Xiaobai

Shen Xiaobai was so frightened that she began to cry out, grabbing Lin Xiao's hair bun and pulling it desperately. "Brother Lin, wuwu, Brother Lin! Don't scare me, please get up quickly, get up quickly!"

Father—Mother—Wuwu, Xiaobai is scared—Brother Lin, please don’t die—if you die, Xiaobai will have no family left. Shen Xiaobai cried out to the sky, in her heart, Lin Xiao had already become as important to her as her deceased parents. Especially now, Lin Xiao was her everything.

As Lin Xiao and Shen Xiaobai walked a few steps, the nun squinted her eyes into a line, staring intently at Lin Xiao for a while. Suddenly, her eyes brightened again. She fixed her gaze on the ring on Lin Xiao's finger and the bracelet on his wrist, and with a strange smile, she said: "So that's how it is. How fortunate! This time, it is not I who owe them a favor, but rather they owe me a favor. Hmm, should I ask for five or six hundred Gathering Qi Pills, or three to five hundred Spirit Nourishing Pills, or perhaps... hmm, a few dozen 'Herbal Spirit Pills' would also be good. This time, it is not I who owe them a favor, but rather they owe me a favor. Hmm, should I ask for five or six hundred Gathering Qi Pills, or three to five hundred Spirit Nourishing Pills, or perhaps... hmm, a few dozen 'Herbal Spirit Pills' would also be good. How wonderful! Just in time, I have taken on a disciple and need a large quantity of spirit pills to assist her in her cultivation!"

Lin Xiao's face and lips had turned a purplish hue, and his body trembled slightly. From the torn fabric at his back, three long, dark purple-black marks were visible. A viscous, dark red plasma was slowly oozing from those three marks. Shen Xiaobai inadvertently touched one of the purple marks with her finger, only to feel a sharp pain at her fingertip; the mark was as hot as a coal, causing her delicate hand to blister. Shen Xiaobai was stunned with fear; if just a light touch with her finger resulted in such a reaction, what kind of suffering was Lin Xiao enduring inside?

The nun looked at Shen Xiaobai in surprise: "Who said that this monk is a bad person? I am a truly good person! To be honest, this kid is gravely injured; he is practically dead. I am skilled at killing, but saving people..." Her dark face suddenly flushed slightly, and the nun chuckled awkwardly: "Anyway, he is dying soon; letting him die quickly is also a form of compassion!"

Lin Xiao's body trembled, and another mouthful of blood gushed out. This time, the blood he spat out was purple. The blood plasma was also mixed with some black clots, resembling fragments of internal organs.

A heart-wrenching pain caused Shen Xiaobai to cough violently, and suddenly she opened her mouth, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood

A small group of black-clad bandits lazily emerged from a small gully at the foot of the hillside. One of them cursed, saying: "Damn it, which filthy woman is wailing here so early in the morning? Is it your father who has died, or has your lover been killed by us?"

However, she no longer had the strength to escape. The series of drastic changes had completely drained Shen Xiaobai's energy. She tightly held onto Lin Xiao, sitting dazedly on the ground, watching as those black-bladed bandits slowly closed in, surrounding her and Lin Xiao completely

Master

Just now, Lin Xiao and Ling Batian exchanged a blow in mid-air. Lin Xiao risked his life to channel all the sword intent into his own body, forcefully infusing it into the warhorse beneath him. However, a few strands of sword energy still injured his body. At that moment, Shen Xiaobai, who was tightly held in his arms, suffered collateral damage, also being wounded internally by a fine strand of sword energy. She was overwhelmed with sorrow and fear, as the five internal thieves had already disturbed her heart pulse, completely triggering her internal injuries. However, a few strands of sword energy still injured his body. At that moment, Shen Xiaobai, who was tightly held in his arms, suffered collateral damage, also being wounded internally by a fine strand of sword energy. She was overwhelmed with sorrow and fear, as the five internal thieves had already disturbed her heart pulse, completely triggering her internal injuries

The leader of the black knife bandits grinned as he reached out to grab Shen Xiaobai's little face, chuckling, "Brothers, I won't be polite this time."

The leader of the Black Knife Bandits chuckled, saying, "Today, I will be a bit gentler; everyone deserves to have a bowl of soup to drink!"

Softly collapsing onto Lin Xiao, Shen Xiaobai opened her eyes in confusion. She stared blankly at Lin Xiao's face, which was so close, and murmured to herself: "Brother Lin— with you here, Xiaobai is not afraid, not afraid!"

Shen Xiaobai was momentarily stunned; she witnessed the scene of those black-clad bandits being reduced to ashes. However, she felt no fear at all; instead, she inexplicably felt a wave of relief. But upon hearing that Lin Xiao had died, Shen Xiaobai erupted in a fit of hysteria: "Nonsense! Brother Lin is not dead, not dead, he is not dead at all!"

Shen Xiaobai had never witnessed such a horrific scene; she was trembling with fear, supporting Lin Xiao as they ventured deeper into the mountains. Lin Xiao had already fallen into a semi-conscious state, struggling forward purely out of instinct. Shen Xiaobai, being young and frail, had no strength to assist Lin Xiao in moving. She could only grasp the sleeve of Lin Xiao, pulling and tugging as they progressed.

Shen Xiaobai tightly held onto Lin Xiao, repeatedly saying: "Brother Lin is not dead, I don't want him to die; Brother Lin is not dead, I don't want him to die!"

With a thud, Lin Xiao, whose eyes were as red as fire, suddenly stumbled upon a round stone and fell headlong to the ground

Large tears fell down, continuously streaming down the dirty little face. Shen Xiaobai sat down beside Lin Xiao, holding Lin Xiao's head and crying loudly.

The root of all evil is lust— the sea of suffering is boundless, and there is no need for you to look back.

He casually pulled out a few pills and handed them to Shen Xiaobai. Lin Xiao finally exhausted all the remaining strength in his body and collapsed to the ground in a disheveled state. His body felt empty, devoid of any energy, and his mind was also blank. The few words he had just spoken had drained all of Lin Xiao's spirit. Before his eyes, an illusion appeared, as if the little white dog he had once loved the most had merged into one with Shen Xiaobai, who was crying and gasping for breath in front of him.

Shen Xiaobai's eyes lit up, and he earnestly bowed three times to the nun.

A clear chant echoed from the distant horizon, and as a gentle breeze swept by, the crowd found themselves momentarily shrouded in darkness. A middle-aged nun, with dark skin and a gaunt frame nearly eight feet tall, appeared before them like a specter. The nun's bald head bore nine ritual scars, and she wore a faded robe that was originally black, her large feet, measuring about a foot long, were bare and caked with mud. In her hand, she held a string of prayer beads made from human skulls, and her eyes, narrow and fox-like, glared ominously at the group of black-clad bandits. The nun's bald head bore nine ritual scars, and she wore a faded robe that was originally black, her large feet, measuring about a foot long, were bare and caked with mud. In her hand, she held a string of prayer beads made from human skulls, and her eyes, narrow and fox-like, glared ominously at the group of black-clad bandits.

The nun let out a cold snort, squinting her eyes to glance at the dazed Shen Xiaobai. Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock, a fierce light flashing in her gaze. On her emaciated face, which resembled a skeleton, there unexpectedly appeared a hint of uncontainable joy.

The leader of the black knife bandits trembled all over, quickly falling to the ground. He, along with his brothers, bowed to the nun, saying: "Esteemed senior, your presence is an honor. I have failed to welcome you properly, a grave offense, a grave offense."

Wow—ugh

The nun furrowed her brows, casting a fierce glare at Lin Xiao, and whispered angrily: "You brat, they are all dead, yet you still want to ruin my good deed. Hmm, to save him, it can only be done in that place. However, to owe them a favor for nothing, doesn't that seem a bit unwise?"

However, in this world, the hearts of some people are even harder than stone.

The nun gently shook the human bone prayer beads in her hand and coldly said: "Knowing it is a death sentence, yet you still do not die. What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for that group of useless people from the Silent Demon Sect to come and save you?"

Shen Xiaobai let out a surprised scream, and with tears and laughter, she threw herself onto Lin Xiao, vigorously patting his face. "Brother Lin, Brother Lin, you must hurry and take care of your health!"

Another black-clad bandit chuckled, "However, this little one is too tender; I fear that if the leader goes up alone, he might just strangle it to death in three to five moves. Where would that leave us with our fun?"

At this moment, Shen Xiaobai still did not know what kind of person this nun was, and thus, in a state of confusion, became her disciple.

The sky was at the brink of dawn, in the desolate mountains, on a slope covered with withered grass, a blood-soaked girl was wailing as she held a blood-soaked boy in her arms. Even a stone figure would likely shed a few tears upon witnessing this scene

With a gentle cough, the nun solemnly clasped her hands together and chanted: "Little girl, enough, enough, the Buddha has compassion for all living beings. I shall expend a little effort to save his life—however, I have a condition. If I save him, then you shall be my disciple from now on!"

The nun chuckled and said, "You are not allowed to see this fellow again until you have achieved mastery in your cultivation. Can you do that?"

Shen Xiaobai did not see how this nun appeared

Shen Xiaobai erupted with earth-shattering cries and the sound of books. She desperately grasped and rubbed Lin Xiao's face, hoping to bring him back to consciousness. However, Lin Xiao's vitality had already been completely extinguished, leaving only a trace of true energy to sustain his life. How could he possibly awaken?

How could her physique possibly compare to Lin Xiao's? The moment that trace of blade energy erupted, it plunged Shen Xiaobai into a life-and-death predicament

Little Bai—Haha, I'm here! Lin Xiao, in a daze, reached out towards the sky and murmured: "Father, the child is unfilial, the child is about to die!"

The jarring and unpleasant sound of laughter startled the morning mist on the hillside, causing the birds in the forest to take flight in a panic, fleeing into the distance

Shen Xiaobai had long been frozen in fear. The lascivious and sinister aura emanating from these black-clad bandits instinctively filled her with a profound sense of unease. Especially as these bandits approached her slowly with lewd smiles, Shen Xiaobai could only think of one thing: may she perish quickly. Driven by a girl's instinct, Shen Xiaobai sensed that something very unpleasant was about to occur.

"Are you not dead yet?" The nun widened her eyes, glanced at Lin Xiao, and frowned, saying, "Indeed, you still have a breath left! Sigh, why are you struggling so much? Wouldn't it be more peaceful if you died sooner? It would also spare my disciple from being disturbed! Hmm, you should really die sooner!" The nun raised her right palm, ready to strike Lin Xiao on the head.

Lin Xiao's blood-red eyes opened weakly, a fleeting glimmer of life appearing as he approached death. A strange power surged within him once more, and he suddenly sat up straight, grabbing Shen Xiaobai by the neck and shouting loudly: "Xiaobai, listen to me! Don't pay attention to me. There are pills here to avoid the miasma and poisonous insects in the forest. Take them and head in any direction to leave. Do not stay in the mountains—do not, do not stay in the mountains—" There are pills here to avoid the miasma and poisonous insects in the forest. Take them and head in any direction to leave. Do not stay in the mountains—do not, do not stay in the mountains—

The leader of the Black Blade Bandits raised his head and saw that the nun's attention was entirely focused on Shen Xiaobai. He hurriedly exclaimed: "Senior, if you have taken a liking to---"

With a loud thud, Shen Xiaobai fell heavily onto Lin Xiao. She tightly embraced Lin Xiao, her big eyes filled with tears, trembling as she looked at the nun and said, "You are also a bad person; you must not touch a single hair on Brother Lin's head!"

This group of black knife bandits consisted of about ten individuals, each appearing drowsy and covered in large patches of dew. They slowly ascended the hillside and happened to see Shen Xiaobai, who was sobbing in agony while holding Lin Xiao. Shen Xiaobai's face was smeared with blood, dust, and tears, making her small face unrecognizable. However, in the eyes of these black knife bandits, they immediately recognized Shen Xiaobai as a rare light beauty. The leader of the black knife bandits drooled as he exclaimed in a strange voice, "Oh, brothers, luck has come our way!"

A haze of crimson flames surged forth from each of the black knife bandits, gently engulfing them and transforming them into wisps of blue smoke. The flames consumed not only the physical bodies of these black knife bandits but also obliterated their souls, which had become utterly tainted.

In the midst of a fierce attack from Ling Ba Tian that triggered a complete internal injury, Lin Xiao suddenly let out a groan while in a coma. An inexplicable surge of strength coursed through him, and he abruptly opened his eyes. Perhaps it was instinct; he swiftly grasped and pinched Shen Xiao Bai's wrist pulse with one hand, while the other gently swept over her body, pressing several acupoints. He then retrieved three pills—a red one, a white one, and a yellow one—from a hidden compartment in his belt and placed them into Shen Xiao Bai's mouth before collapsing backward again.

Slowly, slowly, Lin Xiao closed his eyes

The Black Knife bandits all burst into laughter, and they said one after another: "Indeed, Captain, we were sent out to patrol the mountains, but we didn't expect to stumble upon such a great opportunity."

The nun strode up to Shen Xiaobai, casually grabbed Lin Xiao from her arms and tossed him aside. With a gentle smile, she said to Shen Xiaobai: "Little girl, this fellow is already dead. Death is a good thing; the sooner one is reborn, the sooner one can attain liberation. This is a joyous occasion! You and I are fated to meet, and I wish to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?"

As three pills entered her body, Shen Xiaobai suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart pulse ease, and a mouthful of stagnant blood was expelled, remarkably alleviating her internal injuries