Several burly men sat warming themselves by the fire, their eyes fixed on Xiao Mo and his companions.
But Xiao Mo remained with his eyes closed in meditation, the Spirit-Collecting Blade resting on his lap. He seemed to be asleep, completely ignoring their stares.
Wangxin, meanwhile, kept tugging at the corner of Xiao Moâs robe. It wasnât that she seemed afraid of the bandit-like men, but rather that she was worried Xiao Mo would get into a bad mood and slice them to bits with a single stroke.
The scar-faced man glanced at the Han Familyâs wife and daughter, unable to stop himself from licking the corner of his mouth, his eyes burning with a fiery gaze.
But he would also glance at Xiao Mo from time to time, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes.
After all, Xiao Mo had a saber resting on his thigh, and the scar-faced man had no idea how strong he was. If he happened to be from some Martial Arts Sect and had a penchant for righting wrongs, it would be a huge problem.
But the thought of giving up on this mother-daughter pair filled the scar-faced man with extreme reluctance.
This pair was truly exceptional. The mother still possessed a mature charm, ripe like a peach, while the younger one was pure and beautiful, like a lotus bud yet to bloom.
On a boring night like this, if he could just...
"Heheheh..." Just thinking about it filled the scar-faced manâs heart with a strange excitement.
âAs for that female Monk...â
âAlthough the female Monkâs beauty seemed otherworldly, and it was the first time Iâve ever seen a woman so beautiful,â
âMonks were the kind of people you generally couldnât afford to provoke, nor did you want to.â
âNot to mention she was a female Monk, which was just too strange.â
Years of experience in the pugilist world told the scar-faced man that if he did anything to her, he would likely be "Subdued" as a demon a few days later.
"Hey, Zhang San, donât we have one of those... Spirit Testing Stones? You got it with you?" the scar-faced man muttered to the underling beside him.
"Yeah, yeah." Zhang San knew what his boss was planning and quickly took the Spirit Testing Stone out from his robes.
Whenever a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Realm was within a meterâs distance, the Spirit Testing Stone would grow hot.
It wouldnât be able to sense them unless they were one of the legendary Golden Core Realm Immortals.
But how could a legendary Immortal possibly take shelter from the rain in a ruined temple like this? They could cross several miles with a single step.
The scar-faced man took the Spirit Testing Stone, picked up a jug of wine, and walked toward Xiao Mo.
In the scar-faced manâs mind, if the man had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, he would back off.
But if he hadnât, then with his own Cultivation at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, there was really nothing to be afraid of!
"Brother, from the looks of it, you practice the saber. May I ask what Sect you hail from?" the scar-faced man asked with a smile, walking forward with a wine gourd in hand.
"I have no Sect," Xiao Mo said slowly, his voice extremely cold.
"Hahaha, I donât have a Sect either! I got lucky back in the day and found a Saber Technique manual. I trained on my own all the way to the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer."
As the scar-faced man spoke, he paid close attention to the reaction of the Spirit Testing Stone in his robes.
From beginning to end, the Spirit Testing Stone did not grow hot.
Once the scar-faced man confirmed his target was not in the Foundation Establishment Realm, he relaxed.
"So, Brother, Iâm a man who likes to make friends. And I especially like a man of your extraordinary bearing. Care to share a drink?"
the scar-faced man said with a smile, his tone much more relaxed.
"I wonât," Xiao Mo replied without ever opening his eyes, a clear show of disrespect.
"Alright then. You get some rest, Brother."
The scar-faced man didnât press the issue. He took a swig of wine and sat back down with his men.
Zhang San sidled up to his boss and asked excitedly in a low voice, "Boss, whatâs the word? Can we make a move?"
He had been lusting after that mother-daughter pair for a while now, especially the female Monk!
He had never seen such a beautiful woman!
"Not a problem. Heâs not in the Foundation Establishment Realm, so donât worry."
The scar-faced man gave a wicked grin and licked his lips.
"We got caught in this downpour, but whoâd have thought weâd find a fleeting affair in this temple!"
"Boss, can I be second with the female Monk?" Zhang San asked, swallowing hard.
"What the hell are you talking about, you punk?"
the scar-faced man scolded in a low voice, smacking Zhang San hard on the head.
"Rule of the pugilist world: you never touch a Monk. Those old bald donkeys are fiercely protective of their own, and I, your boss, have no desire to die. Besides, this is the first time Iâve ever seen a female Monk. Do you think youâd find a female Monk in any ordinary temple?"
"Got it, Boss!"
Zhang San nodded, a hint of regret in his expression.
âBut if he couldnât touch her, he couldnât touch her. The mother-daughter pair was pretty good, too.â
And after getting the go-ahead from their boss, the other menâs gazes toward the Han Familyâs mother and daughter grew even more brazen.
Han Zi and his family naturally felt their hostile gazes, but they took comfort in the fact that they had four or five guards by their side and thought the men wouldnât dare to act recklessly.
Time ticked by, second by second. The only sound in the temple was the CRACKLE and POP of the bonfire.
"Wangxin, how about we make a bet?" Xiao Mo transmitted to Wangxinâs mind.
Wangxin turned her head to look at Xiao Mo, responding with her mind, "A bet? What are we betting on?"
"If these bandits make a move on the Han Family, letâs bet on who can make them repent and turn over a new leaf. You use your methods, and Iâll use mine."
Xiao Mo transmitted, his eyes still closed.
"If you win, Iâll promise you that from now on, I will devote myself to good, study the scriptures with you, and even stop killing if you ask me to.
But if you lose, you have to promise me one thing."
"What is it?" Wangxin asked.
Xiao Mo: "I havenât thought of it yet. Iâll tell you when I do."
Wangxin lowered her lovely head and hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, I promise. But... youâre not allowed to send me away..."
"Deal."
With that final word transmitted to her mind, Xiao Mo said no more.
Time passed, second by second. Before they knew it, the dead of night was upon them.
"Ahem..."
The scar-faced man cleared his throat a few times and called out to the Han Family.
"I say, my good sir, itâs so boring in the dead of night. And this autumn rain chills one to the bone. Why donât you have your wife and dear daughter come over for a few drinks to warm up?"
"Youâre too kind, friend, but thereâs no need," Han Zi said with a smile. "Weâre warming ourselves by the fire here. Itâs not that cold."
"My boss is doing you an honor by asking you to come over. Enough with the damn excuses!" Zhang San shot to his feet, furious, showing the Han Family no courtesy whatsoever.
"Watch your mouth!"
The scar-faced manâs brow furrowed as he chided his underling.
"But my good sir, my second brother here may be crude, but heâs not wrong. When youâre away from home, people should get close to look out for each other, right? Well, since you wonât come to us, I guess weâll just have to go to you."
With that, the scar-faced man and his group stood up, chuckling, and walked toward the Han Family.
Watching this scene unfold, Wangxin tightly clenched the hem of her robes.