Martial Peak
chapter-4840

As Yang Kai’s personal bodyguard, Xiao He was responsible for ensuring his safety. Over the years, she had done a great job as she could always discover and easily resolve the assassination attempts targeted at Yang Kai by those from White Lotus Sect.

It was close to impossible for anyone to press his sword against Yang Kai’s chest. As soon as Xiao He detected a hint of murderous intent, she would decisively make a move and kill the enemy; however, at this moment, Xiao He didn’t seem to have the intention of stopping the Saintess of White Lotus Sect even though the sword had been stabbed into his chest. Instead, she just looked at them with interest.

The cultivators behind Qu Hua Shang were all tensed up and soaked in a cold sweat.

They felt that the Saintess was playing with fire, for any slight negligence would cause her to lose her life. The assassination attempt tonight was already a failure. The moment their whereabouts were exposed, they were already at a huge disadvantage.

They were fully aware that they were unable to go up against the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple and his personal bodyguard. If the two of them had any murderous intent, none of them would survive.

The fact that the Saintess had penetrated Yang Kai’s flesh with her sword was no different from a mad provocation.

Nevertheless, while they were apprehensive, they also hoped that she would succeed.

If the Saintess could really kill the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple here, that would be a huge contribution to the Sect, and they would be rewarded handsomely as well.

Her sword was just finger widths away from his heart. If she could penetrate it, Yang Kai would instantly lose his life regardless how strong he was.

Although Qu Hua Shang could easily determine the life or death of the man in front of her, she found it hard to really do it.

She had the intention to kill him, and she was aware that her reputation would be greatly enhanced by killing Yang Kai here, which would help her stand a better chance of becoming the next Sect Master of White Lotus Sect; however, there seemed to be a voice in her heart that kept screaming at her that she would regret it for all her life if she really made a move.

A myriad of expressions came over her, then she said through clenched teeth, “You’re insane!”

As soon as she retracted her sword, blood started streaming out of the man’s wound.

She wouldn’t dare to look him in the eye as her gaze anxiously moved away. After tossing the sword at one of the personal bodyguards, she ordered, “Let’s go!”

The moment she turned around, Yang Kai clenched her arm.

“What are you doing? Let go of my arm!” Qu Hua Shang demanded.

“Kill them all!” Yang Kai ordered, then carried Qu Hua Shang up with both hands. She intended to resist, but he exerted some kind of force through his hands and rendered her powerless to do so.

Like a tornado, Xiao He charged towards the personal bodyguards as sword lights flashed through her weapon. By the time she stopped in her tracks, the personal bodyguards had already all collapsed to the ground.

Carried in the man’s arms like a child, Qu Hua Shang felt utterly ashamed. She kept thumping her fists against his chest, but her action was rather coquettish since she had lost her strength.

To the side, Xiao He just watched them with interest.

Yang Kai flashed a smile at the woman in his arms, “You stabbed your sword into my body twice. You probably can’t make up for it for your entire life, so you’ll have to continue doing it in your next life.”

Qu Hua Shang snapped, “I’m not going to make up for anything. I should’ve killed you just now!”

“Why don’t I give you one more chance?” Yang Kai winked at her.

Qu Hua Shang snorted, thinking that he was just probing her. She even suspected that if she had really tried to kill him just now, the man would’ve counterattacked. When that happened, she would’ve fallen into a worse state than being captured.

Since she was unable to defeat him or flee, she decided to make a concession and let him carry her. She took the initiative to wrap her hands around the man’s neck to stabilise herself. Wind could be heard howling while the view around her flew backwards rapidly.

“Where are you taking me?” Qu Hua Shang asked.

“You’ll find out when we arrive,” Yang Kai replied nonchalantly.

Three days later, Yang Kai found a lake in a certain valley. There were no traces that suggested that anyone had visited this place before, and the view was excellent. This place was suitable for a reclusive life.

After putting the woman down, Yang Kai said to Xiao He, “Keep an eye on her and make sure that she doesn’t flee.”

Xiao He nodded, “Don’t worry, she won’t be able to run away.” She then took a look at Qu Hua Shang’s legs, “Why don’t I break her legs?”

Qu Hua Shang couldn’t help but shudder as she looked at Xiao He as if she was a demon, and firmly declared, “Don’t do that. I’m not going to run away.”

Xiao He nodded, “You’d better be obedient, then.”

After that, Yang Kai left the place to fell some trees. It took him several days to build three log houses by the lake for the three of them.

The difficulty in the ninth life was very high. It wasn’t until Yang Kai had lived in this world for decades that his memory was restored, so it would be even harder to bring back Qu Hua Shang’s memory and shatter her Heart Barrier.

However, since he had found her, there was a target he could aim to achieve. He was ready to make Qu Hua Shang slowly open up to him. He believed that she would fall in love with him one day.

Moreover, it was a good sign that she had decided to give up on the idea of killing him in the end some time ago.

This meant that even though her memory had been sealed, she still had some instincts that pulled her back from killing him.

No one would come to this valley. Every day, Yang Kai would head out to hunt some food and collect firewood while Xiao He would keep an eye on Qu Hua Shang. No one in the world would’ve thought that three top cultivators were living a reclusive life in such a remote place.

Time passed by slowly.

Initially, Qu Hua Shang was against this kind of life. Those from White Lotus Sect had nurtured her for years. As soon as she stopped cultivating in seclusion, the White Lotus Matriarch gave her the title of Saintess. She was also one of the candidates who had the hope of becoming the next Sect Master.

As a powerful young woman with a bright future, it was expected that she hated to live like a captive.

Nevertheless, she was clever enough not to try fleeing. That was because she knew that it was impossible for her to flee from Xiao He.

With that said, she made sure to let Yang Kai and Xiao He know that she abhorred them by glowering at them every time they met. Other than having meals, she would never leave her house.

Yang Kai had already expected it, so he didn’t mind it, nor did it bother Xiao He. The only person in the world she was concerned about was Yang Kai.

Soon, three months had passed.

Time could really change a person.

Qu Hua Shang was initially doubtful, but now, she could confirm that the man who was old enough to be her father had really fallen in love with her.

Although he had restricted her freedom over the past few months, he took very good care of her in all other ways. Every time he looked at her, his eyes were brimming with care. Anyone could see the longing behind his eyes as long as they were not blind.

Qu Hua Shang didn’t understand the reason behind it. Before she was captured by Yang Kai, she had only met the man once. At that time, she had stabbed her sword into his chest and almost killed him.

She was fully aware that she was beautiful, but she didn’t think she was charming enough to make someone like the former Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple fall head over heels for her.

If he could easily be attracted to beauty, he couldn’t have become the Temple Master of Grand Qi Temple.

After three months of living together, the tension between them had eased.

In the middle of the night, Qu Hua Shang and Yang Kai were lying on the roof of a log house. With their hands placed behind their heads, they looked up at the starry sky.

“Old man, where did we stop last night?” Qu Hua Shang gazed at the brightest Star in the sky and asked.

“The eighth life,” Yang Kai replied.

“Oh, continue from there, then. Who were you and me in the eighth life?”

These days, Yang Kai had been telling Qu Hua Shang about a love story of nine lives.

Everything he had said came from his own experiences, but to Qu Hua Shang, it was a strange story that was touching enough to elicit tears from naive young people.

She was willing to listen to it as there was nothing else she could do here, so it was a good way to kill time.

In the eighth life, both of them were from different Sects. However, these Sects were arch nemeses, just like what was going on between Grand Qi Temple and White Lotus Sect. It was expected that their love story was full of hardship.

Nevertheless, they were just Common Disciples of their own Sects, unlike in this life where both of them held powerful positions.

Despite the hardship and several attempts to kill each other, they resolved their differences in the end and married.

Qu Hua Shang attentively listened to the story. Although the story itself was banal, Yang Kai was able to make it interesting with his vivid descriptions. It was as though he had personally experienced it.

Just then, someone could be heard sobbing from behind them.

Without even turning her head, Qu Hua Shang let out a sigh, “Big Sister Xiao He, why are you crying again?”

“It’s such a touching story…” Presently, Xiao He was seated with her legs crossed behind them. She started bawling her eyes out as tears slid down her face like pearls with a snapped string.

Every time Yang Kai told Qu Hua Shang about this love story of nine lives, Xiao He would come over and listen to it as well. Without fail, she would always break into tears in the end.

She was more passionate about the story than Qu Hua Shang.

Suddenly thinking of something, Yang Kai asked, “Xiao He, if you were the Sect Master of one of the Sects in the eighth life, what would you do after finding out that someone in your Sect was in love with a disciple from an opposing Sect?”

Without pondering on it, Xiao He replied, “I would have agreed to let them get together regardless of what it took!”

Yang Kai put on a bright smile, “You really did. Thanks!”

Xiao He was perplexed, “What do you mean?”

Yang Kai didn’t explain anything.

In fact, Xiao He, as his Sect Master in the eighth life, had really allowed Yang Kai and Qu Hua Shang to get together, just like she had said just now. In order to help them, she even decided to destroy the opposing Sect despite knowing that she would also be killed, thus clearing the biggest obstacle between the two of them.

Now that they were in their ninth life, Xiao He’s reply matched what she had done.

Yang Kai could now confirm that Xiao He was a real person who had barged into this Samsara World somehow. However, it wasn’t certain about her identity in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.

“Old man, according to you, we’re supposedly in our ninth life now, right?” Qu Hua Shang asked.

“Yes, it’s the ninth life, as well as the last.”

“Is it because of what we went through in our previous lives that you fell in love with me at first sight?”

“Yes.”

Qu Hua Shang couldn’t help but sneer, “You’re pretty amazing, old man. The story you’ve fabricated is so moving that I’ve almost believed it.”

Xiao He appeared beside her and looked down at her, “How could you not believe him? You should believe it and get married to him tomorrow. It’s a love story of nine lives. It will be complete after you two get together.”

Qu Hua Shang snapped, “I’m not going to get married. You should do that yourself.”

After giving it a thought, Xiao He shook her head, “The person I’m waiting for hasn’t found me. I’m not going to get married.”