58 – Shadow

“Hey, why did they also took this road?” In a room on the second floor of the inn, Xue Qilin's eyes widened.

Just now, she felt that some martial martial pract.i.tioners are near, and their aura is a little familiar, so she opened the window to take a look, curious. It turns out that the people she detected are Shui Yuner and the Nangong siblings.

“What's so strange about that?” Sitting aside, Xia Xue took a sip of alcohol, and then carried on leisurely, “Apart from the affluent merchants, who else will use the official road that goes around a large circle?”

The official road from Chang'an to Luoyang goes around the Qinling mountain range, making it much longer than paths going directly through the Qinling mountain range.

Therefore, travelers and peddlers going to Luoyang from the west generally choose a path going through the mountain range instead of the official road in order to save time.

However, this choice has both advantages and disadvantages. Paths leading through the mountain range are a little less safe than the official road. You can easily run into bandits on those paths.

“Well, that's true.”

Shui Yuner and them obviously chose the route going directly through the mountains. Most people who make this choice will stop over in some villages between mountains.

“But it's still a little coincidental.”

There are several villages nearby, but they stopped over in the same village.

“So? Do you think that you and Shui Yuner are destined to be together?” Playing with her hair, Xia Xue disagreed. This seems to be a habit of hers.

“If I don't sigh, there's no need to ridicule me, right?” Xue Qilin left the window, sat across from Xia Xue, picked up the alcohol flask, and first filled Xia Xue's cup, and then filled hers.

“Hmm… Sigh, huh…” Xia Xue propped her face with one hand and shook the cup with the other, bored, “In fact, you feel happy, right?”

“What's there to be happy about?” Xue Qilin rolled her eyes and drank her alcohol.

“Little Qing and Little Qian, have they arrived yet?” Unwilling to be stuck here, she changed the subject.

“Who knows. Do you think I'm a clairvoyant?” Xia Xue responded unhappily, “Your antic.i.p.ation really makes one bristle with anger.”

In order to avoid the situation of some new disciple being unable to register because they arrived at the Merak Temple before the a.s.sessment results, Xia Xue had Gong Tianqing and Qian Duoduo go ahead of them and deliver the a.s.sessment information to Liu Chengzong.

As for her and Xue Qilin, they adopted a leisurely pace.

Anyway, they are not in a hurry. They are just enjoying the scenery along the way and looking for something delicious to eat.

Anyhow, Xue Qilin and Xia Xue have some similar traits. They both like to take it easy.

Needless to say, Xue Qilin dislikes troublesome things, and has a laid-back personality. As for Xia Xue – according to Qi Qiqi, she once wanted Xia Xue to a.s.sume a position, but Xia Xue refused because it is “too troublesome”.

“I'm bored…” The la.s.s laid her head on the table and stared at her cup in a daze.

“If you're bored, then go down and have some quality time with Shui Yuner.”

“That won't do…”

Next, two dry laughs sounded.

Xia Xue looked down at the la.s.s and sneered, “Are you being shy… Wait… what are you doing?”

Xue Qilin suddenly put her face in front of Xia Xue, causing the latter to panic.

“Take a closer look!”

“Are you nuts? I can't make heads of tail of it, how is that dogface of yours good-looking?” Xia Xue impatiently pushed away the exquisite face in front of her, but the other side didn't relent, and kept her face nailed in front of her.

“Take a good look, isn't the skin on my face delicate?”

“…”

A scornful look stabbed into her.

Unperturbed, Xue Qilin touched her face and said, “Tsk, how delicate! Can such tender skin be thick? Impossible.”

“So you talked so much and beat about the bush just to say that you're thin-skinned?” Xia Xue sneered, “Let me see if that's really the case?”

Then, she extended her hand lightning-fast.

“Ouch!” Xue Qilin exclaimed in pain.

Xia Xue pinched her right cheek. Not only that, she even twisted her hand.

“Let go! A gentleman uses reason, not force!” At the same time, Xue Qilin pushed Xia Xue's hand away.

“Where do you see a gentleman here?” The corners of her mouth curved, teasing Xue Qilin.

“Really, I thought Little Seven suddenly appeared.” Xue Qilin grumbled while rubbing her face.

“It seems that you're really afraid of Younger Sister Temple Master!” The fine cherry lips bent into a beautiful arc.

It's rare for the abstruse faintly pink eyes to reveal a pure smile. Different from derision, sneer, and ridicule, it is a smile of joy from the bottom of the heart.

“You even know how to smile happily.” As if she has encountered something magical, Xue Qilin blinked her eyes.

Xia Xue froze, and a bashful look streaked across her face, “Of course, or what do you think of me? A monster that can't feel happy?”

Then, she suddenly poked Xue Qilin in the tip of her nose.

The h.e.l.l! Startled, Xue Qilin suddenly pulled back.

In the la.s.s's impression, it is impossible for the the girl in front of her to behave so intimately with others.

“What… am I that scary?”

The voice is soft and penetrating, the eyes have a plaintive expression, and the fair face is flushed.

Xue Qilin narrowed her eyes. After being silent for a while, she asked, “… Are you drunk?”

“Probably.” Then, Xia Xue had a hiccup.

A breath with a hint of alcohol a.s.saulted her nose.

“She's really drunk…” Xue Qilin facepalmed, and then looked at the cup in Xia Xue's hand from the corner of her eye.

In the Merak Temple, Xue Qilin has had drinks with Ye Zhen, Qi Qiqi, and Li Wanting.

Of the four people, Xue Qilin and Li Wanting have the same alcohol tolerance, Ye Zhen has a little higher tolerance, and Qi Qiqi… she could nonchalantly drink the other three under the table.

As for Xia Xue's alcohol tolerance, she is the extreme opposite of Qi Qiqi – after only drinking two cups, she is already half inebriated.

“I'm not drunk! If you don't believe me, then take a look!”

Xia Xue slapped the table and stood up, shaky.

Then…

“What the h.e.l.l?” The la.s.s exclaimed.

Xia Xue pounced at her.

A beautiful girl throwing herself into your arms must be a wonderful thing. However, at this moment, Xue Qilin popped more than one nerve.

“Eat my loli kick!” Xue Qilin leaped violently, span in the air, whipped out her slender right leg, and kicked Xia Xue.

“Oops!” Xue Qilin reacted and blurred into motion at once.

When Xia Xue was about to hit the bed that looked a bit old, the la.s.s's pet.i.te figure intruded between the two like a phantom. She took Xia Xue into her arms and averted a collision.

“That was close!” Xue Qilin gave a long sigh. She has almost gotten “into deep water”.

Then, her face suddenly froze.

A soreness that she has never felt before a.s.saulted her mind. Xue Qilin almost couldn't stand it.

“So comfortable.” The girl in her arms rubbed against her chest and sighed.

Xue Qilin's cheeks flushed unnaturally, and she quickly put Xia Xue on the bed.

Evidently dissatisfied, Xia Xue wrinkled her eyebrows and turned over.

Soon, Xue Qilin heard her steady breathing.

“Hey, are you asleep?”

No response.

It seems that she's really asleep.

“How unexpected… Little Xue can't handle her liquor.” Gazing at Xia Xue sleeping peacefully on the bed, Xue Qilin murmured. At the same time, she vowed not to let Xia Xue touch alcohol again, at least when she is around.

“Well, what am I going to do next?” Xue Qilin rolled her eyes slowly, “Why don't I go down and chat with Little Yun? Will she be surprised to see me here?”

Xue Qilin strolled towards the door.

Then…

She suddenly turned around, and her sharp gaze shot out the window.

It is dim outside, everything is hidden behind the curtain of rain.

“…” Soon, Xue Qilin retracted her gaze.

For a moment, she felt a stabbing gaze fall on her.

“Hmm, was it a misconception? Am I becoming paranoid?” Xue Qilin wrinkled her nose.

She found nothing.

Hiding in the dark, a girl quickly looked away and held her breath.

“That's the ‘Natural Disaster' for you!” After the la.s.s in the inn retracted her gaze, she sighed.

“I was almost spotted, and I am quite confident about my stealth ability.” The girl thought aloud, dejected!

Then, she heaved a sigh of relief.

“I still can't find an opportunity…” She fished out a dark dagger from her clothing, and the blade of the dagger reflected an ominous dark light, “I wanted to let you see blood.”

Perhaps there won't be an opportunity… The girl has been following the la.s.s for a few days, unable to find a chance to attack.

Her father didn't allow her to accepted this mission. But the girl felt that she has the ability to complete the mission, so she accepted the mission secretly.

a.s.sa.s.sination is different from head-on combat. If your cultivation base is lower, that doesn't mean that you can't kill an opponent with a higher cultivation base.

What it emphasizes is the element of surprise.

If you're unable to react, what does it matter if your cultivation base is higher?

The girl is aware that her a.s.sa.s.sination skill puts her in the top three of the sect. Even though her cultivation base is a little lower than that of her opponent, but as long as she grasps an opportunity, she still has the chance to succeed.

However, the reality is regrettable.

When the girl was feeling disheartened and frustrated…

“Ah?” She saw a group of people in government clothes approaching the inn of horseback.

“Can you create an opportunity for me?” The girl looked at the group, and expectation surged in her heart.