A man with a waist knife.
Ding Nan looked up at the sound and saw a rough-looking man with a saber at his waist.
He was not one of the three incoming Golden Core Stage cultivators.
From his gold-inlaid saber, this man held a high status.
Xi Yuyan turned and looked at him.
He quickly cupped his hands in salute and said, “Sir, I am Zhao Cheng, Commander of the City Guard of Wancheng.”
As he spoke, he also bowed to Ding Nan.
Ding Nan hurriedly returned the greeting.
He hadn’t expected the man to salute him.
“Please come to the City Lord’s Mansion. The City Lord requests your presence,” Zhao Cheng continued.
“May I ask why the City Lord wishes to see us?”
Xi Yuyan said.
Zhao Cheng glanced at the little girl behind Ding Nan.
“This is not a convenient place to talk.”
His meaning was obvious.
“All right,” Xi Yuyan agreed.
She was also curious about the little girl’s condition.
Duplicating a soul and stuffing it into another body—that was a cruel technique, a kind of evil art.
“Then, please.”
Zhao Cheng extended his hand.
Xi Yuyan followed Zhao Cheng, and Ding Nan followed Xi Yuyan.
The gang thugs were all tied together with hemp ropes and led toward the dungeon under the direction of other patrol officers.
The three left the alley.
A carriage driver had already been waiting beside the vehicle.
Xi Yuyan boarded the carriage. Ding Nan stood at the carriage door, hesitating.
‘Alone with a woman… doesn’t feel right.’
Zhao Cheng secretly watched Ding Nan.
“What are you doing?”
Xi Yuyan urged.
“Get on quickly.”
“Uh… wouldn’t that be improper?”
The carriage was nicely decorated, but its only problem was that it was too small—even a single person would feel cramped.
“What’s improper about it?”
Xi Yuyan covered her mouth, her eyes lowered playfully.
“What, are you thinking something dirty?”
Hearing this, Ding Nan’s expression changed.
“Isn’t it said that men and women should not touch when giving or receiving things?”
“Huh? Does that apply to carriages?”
Xi Yuyan was briefly lost in thought.
“Huh? It doesn’t apply to carriages?”
Ding Nan scratched his head.
“Are you an idiot?”
Xi Yuyan shot Ding Nan a glare.
“In a public place like a carriage, there’s no such thing as ‘men and women not touching.’”
Ding Nan froze.
He remembered that in this world, women had a relatively high status.
Although there were social norms, they weren’t that strict.
As long as it didn’t involve life and property, men and women were almost equal in public.
“Then hurry up. If the City Lord gets angry, you’ll take full responsibility.”
“Ah! I understand. I’m coming.”
Ding Nan stopped overthinking and climbed the steps into the carriage.
Seeing Ding Nan board the carriage, Zhao Cheng finally withdrew his gaze, then mounted his horse and led the way.
The other riders made way when they saw the City Guard Commander.
On his horse, Zhao Cheng’s eyes darted about.
‘So they’re not a couple yet… but looks like the carriage was a good choice.’
Regardless, Zhao Cheng didn’t care, nor could he care, as long as it didn’t affect him.
The carriage moved slowly, following behind Zhao Cheng.
Inside, Ding Nan felt cramped.
He sat with his legs together, unable to relax his posture.
The carriage was indeed too small, with only one seat, so they had to sit side by side.
“What’s the matter? Can’t take it?”
Xi Yuyan leaned against the window.
“Don’t you think it’s too cramped?”
Ding Nan pressed against the opposite door.
“It’s a bit cramped, but it’s fine.”
“What do you mean ‘fine’… Don’t you care? Sitting in the same carriage with the opposite sex?”
“Mmm… care to guess?”
Xi Yuyan turned her head, looked at Ding Nan, and smiled sweetly.
Seeing her expression, Ding Nan’s eyes grew wary.
‘Could she really like me? No, one of the three great illusions in life is “she likes me”! Besides, how long have we even known each other?’
Based on his worldly experience from his past life, most cases of “love at first sight” were either lust at first sight or a honey trap scam.
He remembered that he owed Xi Yuyan three hundred middle-grade Spirit Stones.
‘Oh no—is she trying to trick me out of my money?’
But something felt off.
If she wanted to extort money, wouldn’t she target someone rich?
Why waste time on a poor wretch like him?
Or did she want to trick him into being a test subject?
But with his Early Qi Refining Stage strength, exchanging cultivation for spirit stones was a losing deal.
It didn’t make sense logically.
His thoughts circled back to, ‘Does she like me?’
And then the same question: ‘How long have we known each other?’
It was like a logical loop.
No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t feel right.
‘I just don’t get it…’
Ding Nan felt his brain about to overload.
Xi Yuyan sneaked a glance at Ding Nan, noticing his bewildered expression.
She quietly curled her lips.
‘So I can still catch his attention.’
Especially watching his naive, inexperienced face, remembering the same face that used to be so stern and unsmiling, her heart felt tickled, a pleasant itch.
She adjusted her sitting position, shifting her hips.
Ding Nan pressed himself tightly against the carriage wall.
She almost laughed out loud.
‘So you’re really that pure?’
“Are you thinking something perverted?”
Xi Yuyan leaned her upper body slightly toward Ding Nan, but still kept a certain distance.
“Ah…”
Ding Nan was startled, sweat beading at his temples.
“What nonsense are you talking about…”
“Oh, what, are you shy?”
Xi Yuyan continued.
“I suddenly regret sharing a carriage with you,” Ding Nan said.
“Oh, why?”
Xi Yuyan looked at him teasingly.
“Xi Yuyan, how strong are you?”
“Golden Core mid-stage. Why the sudden question?”
“And your influence? Do you have any Tribulation Transcendence Stage backing?”
“…”
Xi Yuyan was silent for a dozen seconds, weighing her response.
Finally, she answered softly, “No, I’m alone.”
A sense of foreboding suddenly arose in Xi Yuyan’s heart.
“Then from now on, we’d better keep our distance,” Ding Nan said, his face suddenly becoming serious.
“Why?”
Xi Yuyan asked reflexively.
“I already have someone I love, and that person doesn’t like me being too close to others,” Ding Nan said righteously.
Xi Yuyan’s entire body stiffened.
The playfulness and joy she had felt moments ago vanished instantly.
“You… have someone you love?”
Xi Yuyan suppressed her trembling heart.
“What is that person like?”
“We grew up together, very close friends,” Ding Nan said briefly.
“She’s a bit extreme at times, and very possessive. She can’t stand seeing me with other women.”
What Ding Nan described was Luo Yao.
Although Luo Yao was somewhat biased and extreme, the fear was not fake, but the feelings of many years together were not fake either.
If Luo Yao saw him with another woman, who knew what she would do.
Perhaps her “illness” would worsen, and she would kill Xi Yuyan first, then kill Ding Nan, and finally commit suicide—that would be terrifying.
Thinking of yandere stories, Ding Nan’s body shivered.
He quickly pulled the curtain down, as if Luo Yao might appear outside the window any moment.
He had to be afraid—after all, he had run to a township next to Jingquan City before, and Luo Yao still found him and locked him up.
“You like a woman like that?”
Xi Yuyan’s head tilted slightly, her voice trembling faintly.