My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

Chapter 484: Chapter 218: Fragrance Vanishes

She was soft and fragrant in his arms.

Qin Fang instinctively wrapped his arms gently around her.

...’She’s grown up so much.’

As Qin Fang’s hands gently encircled her, he noticed she was trembling slightly.

But as he held her, the look of joyful surprise on her face faltered. It was as if she’d only just realized what she was doing, and her body suddenly went rigid.

She quickly stole a glance at Qin Fang, only to find him gazing at her with such ’affection’ that she was left completely flustered.

...’Brother Qin has never looked at me like this before.’

She blinked, and her cheeks instantly flushed crimson.

Her heart began to race...

...’Brother Qin... he... ’

Just as her mind was growing fuzzy, her expression suddenly shifted. Her face, which had been bright red, turned deathly pale in an instant.

”Godfather, Godmother!”

She abruptly lifted her head from Qin Fang’s embrace and asked anxiously, ”Brother Qin, have you seen Godfather and Godmother?”

Qin Fang’s hand trembled.

...’Qinghe’s memory... it’s stopped five years ago.’

...’In other words...’

...’Her memory stops right before she was... refined into a ’Living Puppet.’’

An indescribable weight settled on Qin Fang as he watched the anxious, ’vibrant’ girl in his arms.

He finally spoke.

He said softly, ”Don’t rush, just tell me slowly... Master and Mistress... What happened to you all?”

As he spoke, he continued to hold her gently, giving her head a reassuring pat.

The girl’s anxious expression froze, and her cheeks flushed red. After stealing a quick glance at Qin Fang, she instinctively lowered her head and began to speak, her voice barely a whisper. ”About ten or so days ago, we came to this pla—”

Qin Fang’s heart froze. ’Ten or so days ago?’

But the girl in his arms suddenly fell silent. Qin Fang looked at her, confused for a moment.

He found her looking around blankly from his embrace...

...Clearly, she had noticed she was in an unfamiliar place.

After a long moment, she asked in confusion, ”Brother Qin, where... is this?”

Qin Fang didn’t know how to answer. He hesitated for a moment before gently reassuring her, ”I... brought you here. Don’t worry, you’re safe.”

”Oh.”

She quieted down at his words but couldn’t stop her eyes from darting around, filled with confusion.

”Keep going... and then what?”

Qin Fang encouraged her.

She gave a murmur of assent and began to recount her memories.

”After leaving Old Ox Back, we walked for about ten days until we came across a village at the foot of a mountain. We saw smoke rising from the chimneys from afar, but when we got closer, we realized... the village was empty.”

Her face began to pale as she recalled the scene.

”Every door in the village was wide open. The porridge in the pots was still warm, and the chickens were pecking in the yards, but there wasn’t a single person in sight... We walked around for a bit, but then Godfather and Brother Zhou sensed something was wrong and told us to leave immediately.”

At this, her brow furrowed, her eyes clouding with confusion as she struggled to remember. ”I was holding Xiao Jiu’s hand, following Godfather and the others toward the village entrance. We were just about to... when I suddenly felt a chill on the back of my neck, like something was coiling around it... My head grew heavy and groggy, and I heard strange whispers in my ears. After that...”

She frowned, trying hard to think for a moment, but a deep confusion filled her eyes. She murmured, ”After that... I think I passed out. It felt like I slept for a very, very long time...”

The moment the words left her lips, she clutched her forehead. Her brows knitted together in an expression of indescribable pain, and her body swayed.

In a daze, fragmented, bizarre images flashed through her mind. They were too blurry to make out, but they radiated a bone-chilling cold that made her tremble uncontrollably.

Qin Fang’s heart clenched. He quickly pulled her securely into his arms, rubbing her back to soothe her. His voice was low, hoarse, and gentle. ”It’s okay, it’s okay. If you can’t remember, don’t try to force it. It’s all in the past.”

Qin Fang’s comforting words gradually eased her pain. She paused, her expression dazed.

Suddenly, she looked up, her almond eyes filled with hope and anxiety. Her fingers tightened on his shirt as she asked again in a trembling voice, ”Brother Qin, since you found me, you must have seen Godfather, Godmother, and my brother, right? They’re all safe... aren’t they?”

Seeing the desperation in her eyes, Qin Fang felt a lump form in his throat. He fell silent for a moment before finally raising a hand to stroke her hair. His voice was soft, but laced with an almost imperceptible strain. ”Yes. Don’t worry, they’re all fine... They’re safe.”

His words were the reassurance she desperately needed. She let out a long breath, instantly relieved. Her eyes curved into crescents as a small smile graced her lips. ”I knew it, I knew it...” she murmured. ”As long as they’re okay, that’s good. That’s good.”

After her murmurs subsided, a flicker of fear returned to her eyes. Her fingers twisted the fabric of his shirt as she asked in a hushed voice, ”Brother Qin, what was going on with that empty village? Was it... was it done by that same group of people?”

Qin Fang knew exactly who she meant by ’that group of people.’ A murderous glint flashed in his eyes, but his voice remained incredibly gentle. ”Yes... it was them.”

”It really was them!” Qinghe shuddered and instinctively burrowed deeper into his embrace, her voice thick with lingering fear.

A pang shot through Qin Fang’s heart. He instinctively tightened his arms, holding her even closer.

Qinghe froze for a second. The tips of her ears began to burn, and a crimson blush crept up her neck, staining her cheeks. In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, ”Brother Qin... you’re... holding me very tight.”