Supreme Sword Exalt

“What?” Gu Han was momentarily stunned.

Help? Help with what? With your cultivation, why would you need help from a mere Meridian Opening cultivator like me?

With desperation, the young man pleaded once again, “Little Brother, you must help me! If anyone asks, swear you never saw me! Don’t even say a word about me! My lifelong happiness rests in your hands!”

The next moment, he was gone like the wind, leaving no trace behind.

Happiness? What happiness? Gu Han was still bewildered.

Ah Sha peeked out timidly from behind him. “Young Master, who was that? Did he want our spirit herbs?”

“Ignore him. That guy might be insane. What happiness nonsense? It’s got nothing to do with me.” Gu Han quickly stashed the spirit herbs away.

Complaints aside, he didn’t dare linger any longer. If that man returned and noticed the spirit herbs in his possession, the loss would far outweigh the gain.

Hoisting Ah Sha onto his back, he deliberately sprinted in the opposite direction of the young man at full speed.

***

About an hour later.

Upon seeing no pursuers behind, Gu Han quietly sighed in relief. “Whew...”

Thank goodness they didn’t follow.

Battling against the demonic vine had drained most of his energy. Having pushed himself to the limit for so long, even someone as resilient as him felt exhausted.

Ah Sha wiped the sweat from his forehead. Her heart ached for him. “Young Master, should we keep running?”

Gu Han shook his head. “No. Let’s find a place to rest first, and then—”

A deafening roar reverberated, cutting him off. “ROAR!”

Gu Han’s heart dropped. It was a demonic beast. And judging by the sound, a terrible one.

Without wasting a second, he raised his sword and prepared for battle. First the demonic vine, then that mysterious man, and now a ferocious beast with formidable power.

I guess... today’s just my unlucky day.

As the thought crossed his mind, another roar rang out.

“ROAR!”

Several towering ancient trees toppled in succession, revealing the beast. It resembled a wild boar that was over two zhang long. A row of three-chi-long bone spikes ran down its back, glinting coldly.

This demonic beast is at least Tier 4.

Gu Han’s heart sank. Tier 4 was equivalent to an Essence Gathering expert. He couldn’t guarantee victory against it even at his peak, let alone now, when his energy was severely depleted.

Ah Sha clutched him tightly. “Young Master, let me handle it!”

Sensing Gu Han’s caution, she quickly understood that the beast was no ordinary foe. Nevertheless, she had a vague inkling that she could effortlessly defeat it with her inexplicable ability.

Gu Han refused immediately. “No! Did you forget what I said? Stay back and let me—”

Without waiting for him to finish, the beast charged straight past them without even a glance. Gu Han froze. Just now, he could’ve sworn he saw fear in the beast’s eyes.

A sharp whistle cut through the air, interrupting his thoughts. A massive purple-gold hammer—at least two chi in diameter—descended from the sky, landing squarely on the beast.

The impact shook the ground. The dust settled, revealing a crater several zhang wide. Inside, the beast had been reduced to a pulp.

“What...” Gu Han’s eyes widened in shock.

BOOM!

He was still trying to make sense of the situation when the ground trembled again, and an incredibly burly figure strode into view. Gu Han was dumbfounded, and even Ah Sha stared in shock. The figure beckoned, and the purple-gold hammer flew back into their grasp. In a few strides, they had arrived in front of Gu Han.

In a gruff, booming tone, they asked, “Hey, kid, did you see someone run past here really fast?”

Gu Han reflexively looked up. What else was he supposed to do? Not only was the person a full three heads taller than the average man, but their muscles were also so pronounced that they were impossible for their loose green robe to conceal. Moreover, their presence exuded an overwhelming pressure.

When Gu Han looked higher, his mind blanked out.

A woman?

The towering, muscular person was a woman—a delicate and even somewhat pretty one, at that.

Seemingly flustered, the female warrior questioned, “What’re you staring at? I asked you a question! Did you see him or not?”

Recalling the young man’s desperate plea, Gu Han instinctively shook his head. “No. I didn’t see anyone.”

The woman turned to Ah Sha. “What about you?”

Terrified, Ah Sha hid behind Gu Han. “N-no! I didn’t see anything either.”

Losing interest in them, the woman snarled and hefted the hammer onto her shoulder. “Just you wait. When I find you, I’ll skin you alive.”

She took off at a speed belying her size, vanishing into the distance. A long silence then followed, and the ground gradually stilled.

Gu Han was speechless. Today’s events straddled the line between luck and misfortune.

“Young Master, she...” Ah Sha shuddered.

Gu Han had no intention of staying. Otherwise, they’d encounter even stranger characters.

“Let’s go.”

***

Late at night, inside a demonic beast’s cave. The campfire illuminated the space brightly, while Gu Han roasted meat over the flames, sizzling with fragrant oils.

He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes. Not only had his fatigue vanished, but he had also made a bit of progress in his cultivation. However, it cost him a significant portion of essence crystals.

Beside him, Ah Sha stared at the roasting meat while drooling.

“You hungry?” Gu Han smiled and reached for the meat.

Just then, they heard an unfamiliar voice. “That smells amazing!”

Before Gu Han could react, a figure appeared inside the cave.

Gu Han tensed up and sprang to his feet. “Who’s there? Huh? You’re...?”

The intruder was the young man from earlier that day.

He waved a hand. “Relax. I bear no ill intentions. I just followed the scent—ahem, I came to thank you, Little Brother.”

As he spoke, he helped himself to a leg of meat, devouring it eagerly. “Ah, it’s certainly nice to treat yourself to roasted beast meat once in a while.”

Ah Sha glared at him. “You...”

Although the man showed no hostility, Gu Han remained wary. “Why’d you come back?”

The young man grinned slyly. “Hehe... Misdirection! Everyone thinks I fled deeper in when I never went that far.”

After finishing his meat, he reached for more. Unable to contain herself any longer, Ah Sha leaped up to defend her meal.

“That’s mine!”

He withdrew his hand awkwardly. “Ahem... No need to be so stingy, Little Girl. There’s plenty to go around...”

Hoping to diffuse the tension, he turned to Gu Han. “You’re no ordinary guy. The Purple Crystal Vine’s poison mist would’ve crippled even an Essence Gathering cultivator, yet you’re unharmed. No wonder you dare to roam the Wild Forest with just a little girl.”

Purple Crystal Vine? Gu Han’s heart sank. So he did see it after all!

“Don’t worry. Robbing and murdering aren’t my style. I, Shen Xuan, have standards.”

Gu Han relaxed a bit upon hearing that.

“That... that...”

He wanted to say “lady.” However, the words got stuck in his throat at the memory of her muscular physique.

“Was she the one chasing you?”

Shen Xuan’s face twisted with anguish. “Yeah... she’s my junior.”

Gu Han was speechless. A junior chasing her senior? And threatening to skin him alive? What kind of grudge is this? Or are they both just insane?

“Why was she chasing you?”

Shen Xuan gave Gu Han a mournful look. “She... wants to marry me.”

Ah Sha was in the middle of biting into a meaty leg when she suddenly burst out laughing.

“PFFTTTT! AHAHAHA! S-sorry... I—I didn’t mean to...” She flushed with embarrassment.

Gu Han barely held back his own laughter. Since his self-control far surpassed Ah Sha’s, he managed to stifle it. Meanwhile, Shen Xuan seemed completely miserable.

Gu Han’s hostility had now faded, replaced by a twinge of sympathy. He tried putting himself in Shen Xuan’s shoes. If a female warrior like her forced him into marriage, he’d flee ten times faster.

“You’ve... suffered.” He had no idea how to console Shen Xuan.

Shen Xuan sighed dramatically. “You have no idea. I can’t beat her in a fight, so running’s my only option.”

As if unburdening himself after long suppression, he poured all his woes to Gu Han.

“Little Brother, tell me. Does growing up together and feeling the same way about each other give her the right to force me into marriage? How could a man of seven chi like me possibly—”

“Hold on!” Gu Han felt dizzy.

Grew up together? Mutual feelings?

“So... you like her?”

“Of course! I fell for her at first sight, and she feels the same way. Hehe.”

Gu Han barely resisted calling him dense.

“If you both like each other, and she wants to marry you, just seal the deal. Why run?”

Shen Xuan sighed. “Little Brother, you’ve misunderstood. She proposed to me, not the other way around.”

Finally, it clicked for Gu Han. “She proposed to you?”

Shen Xuan’s expression turned grave. “Exactly. A true man stands tall between heaven and earth. If anyone’s doing the proposing, it should be me! How could I become a live-in son-in-law for the Murong family? I’d rather die!”

Gu Han was certain now that Shen Xuan was insane. No, he was hopeless.

BOOM!

The earth suddenly shook violently, and they heard a familiar gruff and thunderous voice.

“Shen Xuan, you bastard! You made me run in circles for nothing! Get out here! Now!”

That familiar gruff voice thundered.