Then, Lu Shen closed the distance between himself and Tangsu Ming.
In one swift motion, Lu Shen seized Tangsu Ming by the neck, lifting him slightly off the ground, his fingers tightening as he speak.
"You see" Lu Shen said calmly, leaning in close, his voice cold,
"I'm going to kill you. Slowly. Painfully. Unless you do exactly as I say."
Tangsu Ming's eyes widened in terror as he felt his breath being cut off, struggling to gasp for air as Lu Shen tightened his grip around his neck.
"You… you can't do that…!"
His words barely escaped his lips as Lu Shen's grip tightened.
"What do you want?" Tangsu Ming gasped, his voice trembling with fear.
"Your points" Lu Shen replied coldly.
"All of them. Transfer them to me and maybe I'll let you live."
Tangsu Ming hesitated, but the pressure on his throat increased.
"Fine! Fine! I'll do it!"
With shaking hands, he made the transfer. A moment later, Lu Shen felt his device vibrate as the points were transferred.
Lu Shen was satisfied.
Lu Shen smiled. "Good choice."
"Lu Shen, let me go!" Tangsu Ming cried.
With a single flick of his arm, Lu Shen send him flying like a ragdoll.
Tangsu Ming than crashing into a nearby tree. The impact shattered his hand upon contact with the tree trunk. Tangsu Ming cried out in agony as pain surged through his body, his hand broken and various body parts fractured.
"AAARGH!" Tangsu Ming screamed
"You bastard… just you wait…"
Tangsu Ming coughed violently, spat blood, and passed out.
Lu Shen stared at him for a moment, then let out a short laugh.
"Ha! Guess that's all you had."
After the intense battle, Lu Shen approached Feng Yue with concern on his face.
He gently examined her wounds and sighed in relief when he saw nothing life-threatening.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine" she said softly.
"Thank you, Lu Shen."
"No need to thank me" he replied with a warm smile.
Feng Yue's heart skipped. Lu Shen smiled, it was gentle, caring. But her thoughts drifted to what he'd done to Tangsu Ming, and a chill ran down her spine.
'He smiles like that… after being so ruthless…'
"Let's go, Feng Yue" Lu Shen said, breaking her out of her thoughts.
Lu Shen took a deep breath and slowly walked over to Feng Yue. Without saying a word, he gently reached down and scooped her into his arms.
Feng Yue's eyes widened in surprise and blush appear on her face.
"W-What are you doing?"
But Lu Shen didn't answer. His gaze was calm, steady, without any impure thoughts.
His face, though bruised and covered in dirt, held a strange warmth that made her heart skip a beat.
Her cheeks flushed pink. She lightly struggled in his arms at first, trying to regain her composure.
"I can walk…" she whispered, though her body trembled.
But as she looked up at his face, so close, so quiet, so full of exhaustion and worry, she sighed softly.
"…Just this once" she mumbled with red face.
Then, slowly, she rested her head against Lu Shen's chest. His heartbeat was steady, and for the first time in days, she felt safe.
Her body relaxed as he carried her through the fading light of the battlefield, step by step, they walk in silence.
----
Ten minutes later…
Tangsu Ming regained consciousness, his face pale and twisted with pain.
"Lu Shen… you bastard... you've messed with the Tang Clan…"
He clutched his shattered hand, tears of fall from his eyes.
"AHHHHH!"
His scream echoed through the forest.
----
Meanwhile, Lu Shen and Feng Yue reached a quiet cave.
After reaching the cave and finding a suitable spot, Lu Shen gently placed Feng Yue near the fire he had just lit.
As the fire crackled gently, Lu Shen turned to her.
"Feng Yue, you can heal here. I'll guard you."
"Okay."
She sat down to meditate, her face tense with pain. Every movement was a struggle and she could barely lift her arm.
The only reason she hadn't passed out in Lu Shen's arms on the way here was sheer willpower. She had forced herself to stay conscious.
Lu Shen looked at the beautiful girl covered in blood, felt pain in his heart.
Why do I feel this way?
We're not that close… So why does it hurt to see her like this?
Why i pick her in my army without second thought?
With pain expression, he took out healing medicine from his storage and knelt beside her.
"I'll help you" he said gently.
"ok" Feng Yue replied without hesitation.
Lu Shen carefully knelt beside her, opening the container of healing medicine. he slowly applied medicine not to hurt Feng Yue, he applied the ointment to her wounds, starting from her face and down to her hand.
Why… why did I agree so easily? Feng Yue wondered.
And why i want to be close with him?
She glanced at him and found him already looking at her. Their eyes met.
His gaze was warm and tender.
Is Lu Shen always this handsome?
Wait, what am I thinking?!
Her cheeks turned red from her neck to her whole body.
Lu Shen noticed the sudden warmth from Feng Yue and tilted his head.
"Are you okay?" he asked, gently touching her cheek to check for a fever.
"N-nothing's wrong!" Feng Yue blushed, face turned even redder.
But she didn't push his hand away.
Their eyes met, time seemed froze. They were both captivated, lost in each other's gaze, their surroundings fading into the background.
The moment felt long, like time was holding its breath. They looked at each other, feeling something strong but not saying it.
Lu Shen's hand stayed on Feng Yue's face softly and they both felt a special feeling growing. Neither of them wanted to end this moment. They enjoyed the quiet closeness between them.
Slowly, they both moved closer, their faces just inches apart.
Then...
Clink!
The medicine container slipped from Lu Shen's hand and hit the ground.
They both jolted.
The noise made them snap out of their moment.
Lu Shen hurriedly picked up the container, feeling a bit embarrassed with his cheeks turning slightly red.
Feng Yue smiled gently, her face getting even redder.
"Sorry".
Feng Yue chuckled softly, smiling despite her embarrassment.
"It's okay."
"Thank you for helping me" she said gently.
"You're welcome" Lu Shen replied, eyes meeting hers with a sly smile.
"Let's make sure you're fully healed" He carefully secured the container and continued applying the medicine to Feng Yue's tender hands.
After a while, he paused.
"Are there… any other wounds?"
Feng Yue hesitated.
But feeling that he was trustworthy enough to help her in her dire situation, she decided to place her trust in him.
"There is one more… but…" she looked away.
"Close your eyes for a moment."
Lu Shen blinked.
"O-okay…"
He closed his eyes obediently. Feng Yue pulled out a long dress and slipped it on, showing only her back.
"You can open them now."
Lu Shen opened his eyes and froze.
Lu Shen saw Feng Yue's back, his expression shifted from focus to one of deep concern and anger on himself.
Her back was full of bruises and cuts, clearly how much pain she had endured.
Her beautiful body had to endure so much pain.
What caused her to endure this much?
His brow furrowed in worry and his eyes softened with sadness.
"…You've… been through so much" he said softly, voice full of guilt.
"I should've come sooner…"
Feng Yue shake her head slightly. "You came when you did. That's enough."
She understood that Lu Shen couldn't have known she was being attacked by others. It was fortunate that he didn't ignore her and that's what mattered to her.
Lu Shen's heart ached at her words, but with heavy heart, he nodded.
Lu Shen's hands trembled slightly as he applied the ointment.
His touch gentle and apply it. Each stroke of his hand was filled with care and regret for not being able to protect her sooner.
"I won't let anyone hurt you again" he thought, without realizing he'd said it aloud.
Lu Shen didn't know why he made this promise, but seeing her in this condition pained his heart deeply, and he couldn't bear to witness it again.
Despite the pain, she felt safe and trusted Lu Shen, knowing he would do everything to keep her from harm.
Feng Yue closed her eyes, comforted by his touch. A small smile touched her lips as she drifted into sleep.
----
Her whole life, only her mother and grandfather ever showed her warmth.
As for clan.
Upon learning that she was born without knowing her father, her clanmates started to bully her.
To make matters worse, her mother suddenly fell ill and remained in a coma until this day.
As the clan leader, her grandfather faced immense pressure to handle clan matters, leaving little time to care for her.
Then one day, he was gravely injured by his past enemy, forcing him to undergo advanced medical treatment to extend his life, even after treatment, Sadly her grandpa also fell into a deep sleep, leaving her alone, at just six years old.
After those tragic incidents, the Feng clan elected a new clan leader, who happened to be her grandfather's younger brother.
However, upon assuming control over the Feng clan, he became someone who cared little for his responsibilities, instead indulging in wine and the company of women all day long.
As a result, other clan elders began to exploit the Feng clan, solely focusing on actions that benefited themselves while the power of the Feng clan weakened day by day.
As her clan elders and other clan members consolidated power, they viewed Feng Yue, as the granddaughter of the previous clan leader, as a potential threat who might one day rebel against them.
As a result, they took away Feng Yue's servants and resources for cultivation. Even her clanmate within the clan, of the same age as her, began to bully her relentlessly.
Can you imagine what it's like for a six-year-old girl to wash her own clothes, cook her own meals, and sleep in a crumbling house that could collapse at any moment?
To live every day in fear, not of monsters, but of loneliness, hunger, and the cold silence of an empty home?
That was Feng Yue's reality.
She didn't get to cry.
She didn't get to ask why.
She simply had to survive… all alone.
She didn't even understand why those incidents were happening at the time. It was only as she grew older that she began to understand everything.
So she closed off her heart and became a cold, reserved lady, enduring humiliation day after day for ten long years.
Ten years passed.
Feng Yue thought that living like this, she wouldn't have to suffer any more. But she was dead wrong.
The greedy clan elders, in an attempt to improve relations with another clan, decided to marry off someone from the clan, and that someone was none other than Feng Yue.
That incident began to happened because although Feng Yue had no cultivation resources, she did have spiritual fruits and grains to eat, which resulted in her having a beautiful figure.
Moreover, her mother, being one of the top beauties, only added to her allure. The person who wanted to marry happened to see her when he visited the Feng clan, and at first sight, he fell in love with Feng Yue.
When That rich, lecherous man proposed a political marriage with the Feng clan, the elders didn't hesitate.
They offered Feng Yue like a gift and never asking her opinion.
That day, Feng Yue felt like her soul was torn apart, crushed into power, and merged once again, only to be shattered again.
If the man she was going to marry had been a good person, she might have accepted it as fate. However, this man was known for being very playboy, going to brothels almost every day.