Chapter 764: 764 Simple Girl
"Young brother, are you really not from the Yang Family?"
The Great Elder of the Hu Family held his composure better than Hong Liu; at this point, he actually started to somewhat believe that the youth was not a spy from the Yang Family, because what spy would remain so unguarded and unconcerned in the face of so many people from the Hu Family? At the very least, they would put on an act, right?
"I already said I’m not!"
Because his internal injuries had not fully healed, Yun Xiao did not want to provoke further trouble, so he simply nodded and then made as if to walk away.
"Young brother, although you are not a spy from the Yang Family, the current situation of the Hu Family is somewhat special, so could I ask you to refrain from leaving for the time being?"
The Great Elder of the Hu Family spoke with a rather gentle tone, outwardly discussing the matter with Yun Xiao but imbuing his words with an unmistakable attitude; it seemed, despite his kind words, he had not completely dispelled the suspicion that Yun Xiao had connections with the Yang Family.
"And what if I say no?"
With Yun Xiao’s personality, he was never one to be threatened, especially by the Hu Family’s strongest, merely a Peak of Qi Seeking Realm Cultivator. Therefore, he just coldly replied.
"Whether you can leave is not up to you!"
This time, it wasn’t the Great Elder who spoke; Hong Liu, standing nearby, had already exuded a formidable Meridian Qi, revealing himself to be a Cultivator who had reached the Early Stage of Qi Seeking Realm, and his aura looked astonishing.
"Young brother, please don’t make this difficult for us. Trust me, once this period passes, we will surely let you go safely. How about it?"
The Great Elder of the Hu Family did not rebuke Hong Liu this time, but rather faint Meridian Qi also wafted from his body, the implications clear; it seemed as if they would immediately act to subdue Yun Xiao if he attempted to walk away.
"Sigh, alright then, since you all extend such a gracious invitation, I will respectfully comply!"
Yun Xiao seemed to have thought of something, and just as the situation was about to turn sour, he spread his hands and said such a sentence, which left the eagerly prepared Hong Liu and the others dumbfounded.
What a joke, is this a gracious invitation? It’s nothing short of capturing and binding me. In Hong Liu’s view, the youth was probably just too proud to admit his fear outright, he must have been truly scared inside.
"Smart boy, come with me!"
Since Yun Xiao had shown understanding of the situation, Hong Liu did not make a move, but gestured to Yun Xiao who followed. The Great Elder of the Hu Family, however, suddenly flashed a trace of strangeness in his eyes.
To the Great Elder’s senses, this tanned youth appeared to only be at the Early Stage of Spirit Vein Realm in Meridian Qi Cultivation, but the feeling he gave was somewhat odd.
It seemed that this apparent Early Stage Spirit Vein Realm Cultivation was not that simple; as a result, the Great Elder was even more resolute in his intention to keep control of the youth, because the current state of the Hu Family truly could not afford any incidents.
Yun Xiao followed the Guard Captain named Hong Liu, walking towards several tents. He changed his mind because he suddenly realized that following the Hu Family might better help him stay inconspicuous.
After all, both the Spirit Fighting Commerce Division in Yuyang City and the Special Envoy Xia Yong from the commerce headquarters only knew of Yun Xiao’s ties with the Lin Family in Yujiang City; they probably wouldn’t pay too much attention to the relatively trivial Hu Family, right?
Right now, Yun Xiao was looking for a quiet place to recuperate from his injuries, and the Hu Family, whose strongest was only at the Late Stage of Qi Seeking Realm, was undoubtedly the best place to conceal his identity.
"Uncle, what’s the matter?"
Just as Yun Xiao stepped into the area of the camp, an extremely gentle voice suddenly emanated from a tent, and then the curtain of that tent was flipped open, revealing a frail and graceful girl.
The girl was quite beautiful and no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, even younger than Yun Xiao himself. There was still a hint of naivety on her face, which made her look delicate and fragile, as though a gust of wind could knock her over.
"Ying’er, why have you come out?"
Seeing the girl emerge from the tent, the Great Elder of the Hu Family quickly stepped forward with what seemed like a reproachful tone. However, it was filled with immense concern. From the young girl’s address, Yun Xiao also understood that these two were uncle and niece, related by blood.
"Eh? Who is he?"
Ignoring the concern of the Great Elder, the girl named Ying’er’s eyes immediately turned towards Yun Xiao; after all, compared to the other Hu Family guards, this man’s face was undoubtedly very foreign to her.
"Miss, he is from the Yang Family..."
"He’s just a young brother who happened to pass by, and he will be staying with us for a few days!"
Just as Hong Liu blurted out intending to call Yun Xiao a spy from the Yang Family, the Great Elder interjected sharply, cutting him off. With the Great Elder speaking up, naturally, Hong Liu fell silent.
"Just passing by?"
Upon hearing this, the young girl named Ying’er showed a hint of melancholy, then grabbed the arm of the Great Elder of the Hu Family and shook it, saying, "Then let’s not have him follow us. If those evildoers from the Yang Family catch up, he might end up being an innocent victim!"
For reasons unknown, the moment these words came out of the girl called Ying’er, Yun Xiao’s favorable impression of her increased significantly. Compared to the Great Elder of the Hu Family and Hong Liu, who were both straightforward and tactful in their coercive methods, this girl’s nature was undoubtedly much better.
Or maybe it was because the girl was naive and not as cunning as the Great Elder of the Hu Family, but it was this simplicity that made Yun Xiao feel that the Hu Family was not so dislikeable after all.
"Hehe, this young brother is all alone in Yulei Mountain which is quite dangerous. Following us might be a bit safer!"
The Great Elder of the Hu Family clearly doted on this girl a lot. Hearing her innocent words, he did not point out their naivety but instead crafted a reason to convince the girl beyond doubt.
"Is that so?"
The girl named Ying’er titled her head, looking at Yun Xiao with a face full of curiosity. Having always stayed within her family, she was naturally curious about everything outside, especially when facing such a stranger.
"The Elder is right. Look at these wounds on me; they were caused by a fierce Vein Demon I couldn’t defeat. I will have to rely on everyone’s care from now on!"
Yun Xiao, not wanting the naive girl to be exposed to too much deceit and cunning, went along with what the Great Elder had said. Such fabrications were effortless for him, to the point where everyone else, including Hong Liu, were impressed.
"Alright, then you can follow us for now, but..."
Ying’er nodded her head and blinked her big eyes as she spoke, then with a bit of hidden worry, added, "If we encounter any trouble later on, you must remember to dissociate yourself from us, the Hu Family. That might be the only way to save your life!"
Hearing this, Yun Xiao’s fondness for the girl multiplied yet again. Whether it was the Long Xiao Battle God from his previous life or the reborn Yun Xiao, the years had been filled with blood and scheming, and he had rarely seen such a simple-hearted girl.
This girl named Ying’er was like a lotus unsoiled by mud, a blank slate, kind-hearted, and always reminding Yun Xiao to take care—it was truly rare.
But looking at that pure and flawless face carrying hidden worries, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but secretly sigh. In this dog-eat-dog world, how long could such a simple heart remain untarnished?
Perhaps the girl at this moment simply was unwilling to accept the sudden hardships. From the few words Yun Xiao had heard, he knew that the Hu Family was probably facing a matter of life and death.
"Big brother, what’s your name?"
After a few words of conversation, Ying’er felt a lot closer to the young man before her. She asked curiously, perhaps because, compared to the Great Elder of the Hu Family and those older guards, it was not so easy to come across a peer of a similar age.
"My name is... Star!"
Yun Xiao, who hadn’t come up with a pseudonym on the spot, suddenly thought of a young girl in black and blurted out an odd name, causing both the Great Elder of the Hu Family and Hong Liu to show a sneer.
The name sounded made up on the spot, and with the Great Elder’s experience, he knew that this young man before them was hiding his true identity, possibly with some ulterior motives. It was something they had to guard against.
"Star? Like the stars in the sky? It sounds really nice!"
The naivety of Ying’er spared her from thinking too much. After praising it, her face suddenly turned red as she quietly said, "My name is Hu Ying’er, the ’Ying’ that means bright and clear!"
"Hehe, stars in the sky, bright and glittering, our names do have a resemblance!"
Yun Xiao’s face showed a smile, saying something that made Hu Ying’er, who rarely spoke with young men, blush even more, and made the Great Elder of the Hu Family secretly alarmed.
"Alright, Ying’er, it’s getting late. You should rest early. We need to continue our journey tomorrow!"
Seeing Hu Ying’er’s demeanor, the Great Elder of the Hu Family looked at Yun Xiao with disgust, thinking that this slick young man should not lead his naive niece astray, and promptly spoke.
"Okay!"
Seeing her second uncle speaking up, Hu Ying’er reluctantly glanced at Yun Xiao but eventually said unexpectedly, "Second Uncle, you all must not bully Brother Star!"
"I understand!"
Hearing this, the Great Elder of the Hu Family couldn’t help but feel bemused, thinking how after only a brief exchange, the young man was already called ’big brother.’ Did this self-proclaimed Star really possess such charm?
Even Yun Xiao was surprised, but he quickly attributed it to Hu Ying’er’s excessive naivety. Such a girl could probably be easily deceived by a few words, even to the extent of forgetting her way home.
"Young man, I warn you, stay away from our miss. Otherwise, I, Hong Liu, will certainly teach you an unforgettable lesson!"
Seeing Ying’er stepping into her tent, Hong Liu could no longer hold back his wicked threat, keeping his voice very low as if afraid of being overheard by the miss. However, the message behind his words was clear, troubling Yun Xiao and turning his expression somewhat awkward and strange.