Shrouded in a light mist, the bamboo forest was very quiet.
Liang Zhu remained vigilant as he walked silently behind Jiang He, his eyes darting between the bamboo stalks.
The lush bamboo forest generally gave people a feeling of relaxation and ease, especially in the middle of the summer when the spiritual fire energy was quelled by the greenery, making the atmosphere very comfortable.
But maybe it was an instinctive reaction.
Liang Zhu didn't like bamboo, especially bamboo that grew on land rich in spiritual energy. Because it grew quickly and densely, the wood's spiritual energy was very intense, which hindered the use of the spiritual sense.Therefore, the bamboo forest was an excellent ambush site for cultivators.
There could always be someone hiding in this bamboo forest waiting for an opportunity.
This was the first reason why he hated bamboo.
But there was also a second reason.
Bamboo forests reminded him of things he didn't want to think about.
... ...
*Thunderbolt---*On that rainy night, a thunderbolt illuminated the dark sky and also the tired and tense face of the man hiding in the bamboo forest.
The man looked as if he was twenty-one or twenty-two years old, and his face had not yet shed the youthfulness of a teenager.
In his right hand, he gripped a broken sword with countless gaps in its blade and limped toward the depths of the bamboo forest. And in his left hand, he held a swaddled baby, who was bawling with all its might.
"Oooaaahhhhhhhh--!!"
"Be good~ be good~~~ When we get out of this bamboo forest, I'll go find milk for you to drink... Don't cry, don't cry... Shhh--"
At this time, a figure flashed out from behind a bamboo on one side while another thunder flashed in the sky.
*Rumble---*
The man reacted with the speed of light, shielding the baby in his left arm as he raised the broken sword in his right hand in reverse, blocking the front of his neck.
*Ding---!*
The sword wind blew away the messy bamboo leaves on the ground, and the two swords crossed and collided.
The man who brandished the sword stared into his eyes and shouted, "Liang Zhu!!! Do you know what you're doing?"
"Yue Longxing... can't you let me go? There's no beef between you and me."
"That's the Second Princess in your arms!!!" Yue Longxing's eyes widened as he forced Liang Zhu to back away. "The **Central Region**'s energies have been in chaos for several years, and now it is at the end of its rope."
"So do we have to let an infant girl die?"
*Ding---!*
The two swords collided again.
"What's wrong with trading one life for the peace of an entire region?"
"... I can't accept it. And I was not the only one who saved the Second Princess."
"Of course, I know. How could you, a mere guard, bring the Second Princess out of the mountain altar?" Yue Longxing gritted his teeth hard. "Liang Zhu, it's not too late to turn back now! Hand the Second Princess to me, and you can go wherever you want after that. No one will hold you responsible."
"What if I say no?"
"Then, don't blame me for being ruthless..."
*Swish---*
*Ding---!*
The swords clash sounded again.
... ...
Lightning and thunder rumbled over the bamboo forest.
Before long, the clatter of swords in the forest finally ceased.
Liang Zhu used the broken sword as a crutch and half-knelt in the mud. His scarred body had now gained a few more wounds. Gritting his teeth, he raised his head to look at the lifeless Yue Longxing lying next to him and squeezed the hilt of the sword in his hand.
At this moment, in his mind, the world seemed to have stopped, and there was a shrill buzzing in his ears.
*Thunderbolt---*
The lightning illuminated the bamboo forest and his face once again.
The next moment, a cry brought his blank mind back to reality.
"Wooaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"... Little Princess..."
Liang Zhu clung to the consciousness that was about to slip away, and suddenly, he realized that the baby in his arms had stopped crying while he and his big brother Yue were fighting.
After a while, he pursed his blood-covered lips, and flicked his tongue on his teeth, making a sound. "Ting~~"
The howling baby in his arms closed her mouth instantly, opened her big eyes, and stared at Liang Zhu. Seeing that he stopped making any sound, she started howling again after a while.
"Oooaahhhhhhhhh-!"
"Ting~~!"
"Um..."
"You're such a weird little one..." Liang Zhu smiled bitterly and sat down, using his body to protect the baby in his arms. "From now on, you won't be the Second Princess anymore. I should give you a name. How about Ating? With my surname Liang..."
"Woo~~"
"Is that a yes or no? Let's take it as a yes." Liang Zhu sighed slightly and glanced at Yue Longxing again. "Let's go to the **Western Region**, well... if we can survive tonight..."
His voice became weaker and weaker as the already heavy eyelids could no longer withstand the pressure and slowly closed...
... ...
If there was a chance to start all over again, Liang Zhu vowed that he would never do that again.
He was so stupid.
In order to save an unrelated baby, he almost lost his own life.
Liang Zhu, following behind Jiang He, gritted his teeth slightly, wishing he could go back to that time and beat himself to a pulp with his own hands.
If he hadn't tied himself with this little baby, he would probably have reached the top of the ***Imperial*** Sect's *Justice Division* by now, and his cultivation would not have stopped at the late stage of *Foundation Building*.
His originally bright future was ruined because of an impulsive choice made in his youth, and he then became a nameless, statusless rogue cultivator, reduced to doing dirty work every day.
"Hoo..."
Liang Zhu exhaled lightly, put aside these regrets, and continued to scan vigilantly the surrounding bamboo forest.
After they walked for a while, Jiang He suddenly asked, "Liang Zhu, I heard that you were a disciple of the ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect before you came to the *Justice Division*?"
"Yes."
"And what do you think of the ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect?"
Liang Zhu frowned slightly. Ye Anping had given him a few tips regarding the answers he should give when these questions were asked, so he answered as instructed. "To tell you the truth, my talents were wasted there. It's just a small and poor sect."
"Ha... That's a bit arrogant. The ***Hundred Lotus*** Sect is still your sect, why are you saying bad things about it?"
"On the Immortal Path, when seeking eternal life, the affection toward master and sect must be left behind." Liang Zhu cupped his hands and said respectfully, "I came to the ***Imperial*** Sect to find a better place for cultivation."
"Then, we'll see..."
The words came to an abrupt end in the middle of the sentence.
Jiang He, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped and frowned.
Next to a green bamboo tree not far ahead, two horses, one black and one white, were standing there with their heads buried in the bamboo leaves on the ground, munching on them. There were saddles on the horses' backs, but there were no owners in sight.
"Why are there horses here?"
"Horses?"
Liang Zhu frowned slightly, looking sideways and forward. After seeing the two horses, he suddenly had a bad feeling. He quickly took out a protective magical item from his storage bag and put it in his sleeve. "Is there someone hiding in the forest?"
Jiang He smiled faintly, took a step forward, and used his spiritual energy to amplify his voice. "Why did you two fellow cultivators hide your heads and show your tails? I am Jiang He, Inspector of the *Justice Division*. How about we have a chat, fellow cultivators?"
