Chapter Seventeen: The Reason for Showing Mercy

“It’s getting late.”
Xiao Lin descended the mountain amidst the lingering snow.

When he saw Tang Qianxue again, she wore a smile and appeared remarkably at ease. “Has that evil entity been purified?”

“Senior sister,” Xiao Lin called softly, his voice calm, “there’s no need for you to blame yourself.”

“I’m not blaming myself at all.”

Tang Qianxue blinked her bright eyes swiftly, a trace of suspicion flickering within them. “Little Qilin, what nonsense are you talking about? I’m perfectly fine.”

Seeing this, Xiao Lin sighed. “Senior brother’s return means the Fallen Sword Immortal has been purified, which also means our master has passed away... Whether you remain calm or feel sorrow, both are natural reactions. But the one thing you mustn’t do...”

“Is smile.”

At these words, Tang Qianxue’s cheeks stiffened slightly, her smile turning forced. “I’ve always had this cheerful disposition, so what if I’m smiling...”

Catching her reaction, Xiao Lin’s suspicion deepened.

He spoke slowly, “Little brother can only conclude that senior sister has been upset for a while due to her own limitations. In a moment of distress, you masked your true feelings with the opposite emotion.”

He paused, his voice suddenly soft, “Senior sister, you truly are...”

“Not one to lie in the slightest.”

As the words fell, Tang Qianxue’s expression shattered like a fragile mask.

She stared blankly at Xiao Lin, tears instantly blurring her vision.

“Little Qilin, our master... he’s dead...”

“Mm.”

“Master, he really is gone...”

“Mm.”

Xiao Lin responded gently with each word.

It was all irrevocable.

No words, no actions could change that.

Thus, this was the best comfort he could offer.

As the voice drew closer, a soft figure suddenly pressed into Xiao Lin’s embrace.

After holding him tightly, Tang Qianxue abandoned her last shred of restraint, burying her face in his chest and crying aloud, as if venting all her helplessness and the pain of Shen Wuya’s passing.

Xiao Lin appeared somewhat helpless at this, yet his eyes held a quiet calm—like a deep, still well.

From his palm emanated a faint aura of Asura’s righteousness, which he sent into Tang Qianxue’s body, sweeping through and eradicating any lingering evil energy.

Not long ago, the Fallen Sword Immortal had spread deceitful words.

Though his soul was scattered, some residual influence might remain.

Especially now, with Tang Qianxue emotionally disturbed and unsettled, she was most vulnerable to infiltration.

He had to ensure all hidden dangers were eliminated.

There was no room for carelessness.

After all, he had just cleaned up the mess left by the old man.

Miss Tang must not cause him any more unexpected troubles.

Moreover, on both emotional and rational grounds, he hoped Tang Qianxue would never truly fall into darkness.

However, for the sake of the production’s ratings, it was clearly inevitable.

If Tang Qianxue’s descent into darkness was destined, he only wished to delay it.

And before that time, do everything possible to plant a “heart anchor” within her.

So that even if she did turn dark, she would at least have a reason to show mercy.

So that he would not have to...

Take her life with his own hands.

The inspection complete.

Though Tang Qianxue still wept, Xiao Lin felt the time was right.

He spoke with a hint of surprise and doubt, “Senior brother?”

Tang Qianxue instantly looked up, her eyes rimmed red.

She sniffled sharply, “Senior brother awake?”

“No, little brother was mistaken,” Xiao Lin shook his head. “It seems the Fallen Sword Immortal’s corruption on senior brother was quite deep. To be safe, senior sister, we should hurry back to the sect and have the elders examine him.”

“Mm.”

Tang Qianxue nodded slightly, stepping back a few paces, freeing herself from Xiao Lin’s embrace, her demeanor natural, without a trace of awkwardness.

After all, Xiao Lin was her junior brother. What harm was there in a comforting hug?

Only when she noticed a tear stain on his chest did Tang Qianxue feel a bit embarrassed. “Um... Little Qilin, I’ll wash this clean for you when we get back.”

“Senior sister actually does laundry?!”

Xiao Lin was truly shocked.

His disbelief was so evident that Tang Qianxue nearly bristled like a cat caught on its tail. “Why wouldn’t I know how to wash clothes? Is that such a difficult task?”

Xiao Lin ignored the question and asked, “Senior sister, what do you call yourself?”

“Me?”

“No, the phrase you just used.”

“‘This lady’...”

“That’s the problem.” Xiao Lin folded his arms and paced slowly. “You say ‘this lady’ all the time. It’s only natural for little brother to suspect you’ve never done a lick of housework.”

“This lady... I... fine, it’s ‘this lady’!”

After some hesitation, Tang Qianxue declared, “It’s not that I can’t do it, just that I don’t want to. But I’ll prove it by washing your clothes when we return!”

“All right,” Xiao Lin chuckled softly.

At last, the mood lightened.

Too heavy an atmosphere wouldn’t do; if the production team cut the scene, that would be troublesome.

“Sweet, sweet, sweet.”

“I was a bit sad at first, but this interaction made me laugh.”

“I refuse to believe such a powerful character would just exit like this. Likewise, the Fallen Sword Immortal can’t be gone for good—I have a feeling they’ll both return.”

“The little junior brother is clearly comforting Tang Qianxue, right? When facing the Fallen Sword Immortal, he was like a villain himself.”

“The more Xiao Lin acts like this, the more I like his character. I love this kind of special treatment.”

“Seems it’s not just Tang Qianxue who gets special treatment, but a distinction between the righteous and the demonic paths.”

“Damn, now I kind of want to see Tang Qianxue turn dark and clash swords with Xiao Lin. That’d be epic.”

“Earlier lines, what you love is your life!”

[Popularity +1...]
[Popularity +1...]

Suddenly, Xiao Lin’s expression tensed slightly.

Such a rare look caught Tang Qianxue’s attention immediately. “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Lin glanced at Li Changhe, still unconscious and carefully laid on the ground. “Senior brother hasn’t woken up. How are we going to return?”

They couldn’t possibly walk back, could they?

By then, Shen Wuya’s seventh day memorial would have passed!

Yet Tang Qianxue remained unflustered. With a flick of her delicate hand, a palm-sized flat boat appeared in her palm. “What’s the difficulty?”

“What’s this?” Xiao Lin asked, puzzled.

“A flying artifact. You just need to infuse it with spiritual energy, and it will suddenly grow large enough to carry us through the air. Though not very fast or sturdy, it’s more than enough to get us back to the sect.”

Tang Qianxue glanced at Xiao Lin with a half-smile. “How is it that little Qilin doesn’t even know about this?”

Xiao Lin was speechless...

Tang Qianxue’s tone made him sound like some unsophisticated country boy who had never seen the world.