Witch, don't do anything reckless!

The sky darkened, and the moon and stars were few.

On the mountain path, Li Chuqiu carried willow catkins all the way down the mountain.

The willow catkins in her arms were breathing weakly, and her hands tried to grasp his clothes weakly, but under the turbulence, her consciousness gradually blurred and her strength gradually dissipated, and finally she fell into a soft and limp sleep.

As Li Chuqiu hurried along, he carried the woman in his arms while trying to wake her up.

"Wake up, hang in there a little longer..."

"...If you want to harm me, don't do it now!"

"Hold on a little longer, go back and die..."

Please!

"..."

Upon realizing that the woman in his arms had lost consciousness, Li Chuqiu was startled. He reached under her nose to check for faint breathing before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

but……

Ahead was pitch black, with only distant twinkling lights.

If I remember correctly, this place is quite far from the city center... Do I have to carry it all the way back?

Once we take her home, will this woman still be angry?

Li Chuqiu looked down and saw Liu Xu with her eyes tightly closed in the pitch-black night, her beautiful, pale face devoid of any color.

Even after losing consciousness, the woman's demeanor remained aloof and elegant.

But Li Chuqiu had no mood for appreciation at the moment. She continued to walk with her head down, not caring that her clothes were torn by the thorns along the roadside as she descended from the mountains.

Just as he finally managed to carry the willow catkins down the mountain, a flickering light suddenly appeared on the path not far from the foot of the mountain, accompanied by the sound of footsteps.

Li Chuqiu suddenly became alert, slightly hunched over, and quickly hid in the bushes, speaking in a low voice.

"noob."

Upon hearing the sound, the little white cat following closely behind leaped up instantly and nimbly disappeared into the bushes ahead.

A short while later, a "meow" came from the path.

The voice was light and cheerful, as if to say there was no danger.

"Huh, where's that meowing sound coming from?"

At the same time, a familiar, questioning voice rang out not far from the path.

Upon hearing this, Li Chuqiu was immediately overjoyed, and then got up, carrying Liu Xu, and walked quickly away.

"Lord Xu!"

……

Not far away, on the path.

"Are you sure Li Chuqiu secretly followed the deputy commander?"

Xu Jinghong frowned, a look of worry and unease on her face.

In the afternoon, he and Liu Xu parted ways outside the city. He returned to the city first to inform Xu Hong to deal with the demons in the city, while Liu Xu continued to hunt down the injured demon.

The demon's strength wasn't particularly high; Liu Xu could easily handle it, so Xu Jinghong wasn't too worried.

Unexpectedly, she didn't return until dark, and there was no news of her, which made Xu Jinghong uneasy.

Could something have happened?

At that moment, Xu Jinghong learned another crucial piece of information from this man named Zhang Man.

"Yes, sir, it is absolutely true!"

At that moment, on the path, Zhang Man and Chen San'er were following behind Xu Jinghong. Zhang Man spoke up: "This afternoon, I was over there with my boss when we saw Deputy Commander Liu and Lord Xu passing by. My boss said he wanted to follow them and help, so he told me to go back first..."

Zhang Man recounted the events of the afternoon in their entirety.

Chen San'er, who was standing nearby, was still quite badly injured today, but after learning that the leader and Deputy Commander Liu had disappeared, he couldn't sit still and came out to search for them as well.

"It's so dangerous outside, how could you let the boss act alone? Didn't you go and keep watch?"

Zhang Man scratched his head, somewhat regretting, "It was the boss who told me to come back first..."

"Besides, weren't Deputy Commander Liu and Lord Xu still there? I didn't expect this..."

The two were arguing, and Xu Jinghong felt increasingly uneasy.

Based on his understanding of Liu Xu, dealing with a powerful demon at the sixth realm shouldn't take too long. Unless the demon escaped, or encountered some trouble?

Thinking of this, Xu Jinghong's heart sank.

She can't get hurt!

If something were to happen to this young lady, the entire Celestial Master's Mansion would be in an uproar. If their most precious direct disciple were to be lost, would the Celestial Master, who was young but had already reached the first realm, be able to sit still?

And what about her doting father? Would he let him off the hook?

Thinking about the consequences, Xu Jinghong panicked.

Just then, a cat's meow rang out from the jungle.

Xu Jinghong was puzzled and startled at the same time. How could there be a cat meowing in this desolate wilderness?

wildcat?

At the same time, a rustling sound came from not far away.

"Who is it?"

Xu Jinghong and Zhang Man and Chen San'er behind him were both startled and looked up warily.

The next second, two figures appeared in their line of sight...

In the pitch-black world, moonlight shone on the ground.

Li Chuqiu, carrying Liu Xu, emerged from the path and came into view of the group.

This scene stunned everyone present!

Xu Jinghong's gaze first fell on Li Chuqiu, who looked disheveled and whose clothes were tattered, and then on Liu Xu, who was in his arms and whose life or death was unknown.

Xu Jinghong was startled, suddenly realizing what was happening. His expression changed drastically, and he rushed to Li Chuqiu's side, demanding, "What's going on?!"

"Miss Liu... what happened to her?!"

"Lord Xu!"

Holding Liu Xu in her arms, Li Chuqiu quickly recounted what had happened not long ago.

When Xu Jinghong heard that Liu Xu had forcibly broken through his cultivation level and killed the Blood Demon, he gasped in shock.

She actually broke through to a higher realm by force?!

Xu Jinghong looked astonished. He had indeed heard that the Celestial Master's Mansion had a forbidden technique that could temporarily boost one's cultivation level.

But for a hundred years, no one had ever seen it, and the Celestial Master's Mansion had never acknowledged it... Unexpectedly, it was actually true?

Is there really such a forbidden technique?!

Xu Jinghong looked down at Liu Xu, who was pale and unconscious, and his expression darkened.

He never expected that he would encounter the Blood Demon in its true form today.

It must be because they killed the remnant soul clone of the Blood Demon a few days ago, and this main body has come seeking revenge.

Great!

If I had known, he shouldn't have gone back.

Xu Jinghong was filled with remorse.

Almost made a huge mistake!

But there was no time for regrets right now, and Xu Jinghong quickly checked on the situation of Liu Xu.

After confirming that Liu Xu had only suffered minor injuries and was not seriously hurt, and that her breathing was weak but not life-threatening, she finally breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, this lady is alright.

She was taken in as a disciple by the Celestial Master's Mansion at a young age. After being trained and tempered by the Celestial Master's Mansion, and possessing a rare extremely cold physique, she was not so easy to get into trouble.

As long as I'm not dead, everything will be fine!

Upon hearing this, Li Chuqiu breathed a sigh of relief.

She didn't die, at least she doesn't have to take the blame anymore!

It was only then that they discovered that Xu Jinghong was followed by several other people, including Chen San'er and Zhang Man.

What are you doing here?

"Boss, we heard you left the city and haven't returned, so we came here specifically to find you."

At this moment, Chen San'er and Zhang Man breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Li Chuqiu appear safely.

But soon, their gazes fell on Liu Xu, who was being held in Li Chuqiu's arms, and both of them showed a hint of surprise.

The head was actually hugging Vice Commander Liu?

Deputy Commander Liu looks very weak and has even fainted... Hiss?!

What happened?

After Chen San'er and Zhang Man exchanged a glance, the air crackled with gossip.

Something's fishy, ​​there's definitely something fishy going on!

Li Chuqiu naturally noticed the strange look in his subordinate's eyes, but too lazy to pay attention, he planned to hand Liu Xu to Xu Jinghong beside him: "Lord Xu, then we'll leave Deputy Commander Liu to..."

Before Li Chuqiu could finish speaking, Xu Jinghong took a step back: "Since you rescued Deputy Commander Liu, you should take him back."

Li Chuqiu: "?"

Xu Jinghong coughed lightly and said, "Vice Commander Liu's injuries are not serious, and his life is not in danger. He has just temporarily lost all his cultivation level and is physically weak. He needs to rest and recuperate."

He wouldn't dare hug this lady!

This guy is brave, so of course he should be the one to carry him.

"Now that you saved Deputy Commander Liu today, it is only right that you escort her back safely."

Xu Jinghong walked up to Li Chuqiu, patted him on the shoulder earnestly, and his eyes held a profound meaning.

"I'm entrusting Deputy Commander Liu to you. You must protect and take good care of her. If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you responsible!"

"this……"

"This is a great achievement!"

Xu Jinghong glanced at Liu Xu in his arms: "You saved Deputy Commander Liu; she'll definitely be grateful. Take good care of her; your chance to rise to prominence has arrived!"

After saying that, Xu Jinghong waved his hand and immediately ran away: "I'll leave it to you. I'm going to deal with the Blood Demon."

Li Chuqiu: "..."

He strongly suspected that Xu Jinghong did it on purpose.

Turning around, I saw Chen San'er and Zhang Man standing beside me, both with gossipy and eager eyes.

"you……"

Before Li Chuqiu could speak, Chen San'er, who had come to her senses, lightly kicked Zhang Man: "Ahem, boss, we won't disturb you escorting Deputy Commander Liu. We're going to assist Lord Xu in dealing with the Blood Demon."

With that, Chen San'er grabbed Zhang Man, who was still in a daze, and they ran away.

Why are you pulling me?

"You want to stay and get in the way of our boss's plans?"

"What good news?"

"Are you blind? Didn't you see that our boss and Deputy Commander Liu are already having an affair?"

"Wow, are you serious..."

"Enough talk, come with me... Whether we can rise to prominence along with them depends entirely on our boss's actions..."

"..."

Chen San'er and Zhang Man left, and Li Chuqiu stood there, looking down at the willow catkins she was holding in her arms.

In the end, the task of sending Liu Xu back to the city was still entrusted to him.

Fortunately, Xu Jinghong left the horses behind, so Li Chuqiu wouldn't have to carry the willow catkins back.

"Let's go, let's go back."

Li Chuqiu called out to the bushes, carrying Liu Xu to the horse. He leaped onto the horse, holding Liu Xu to his chest with one hand. The little white cat jumped down and landed on Li Chuqiu's shoulder, hugging his head.

The two people and the cat rode away on horseback.

The horse jolted along the way, and the willow catkins in her arms seemed to be shaken quite a bit. Her cool brows furrowed, and her pale face made people feel a pang of pity.

Li Chuqiu looked down at the face so close to hers; it was indeed beautiful.

This woman could be considered a princess, born into a wealthy family, becoming a direct descendant of the world's number one sect, possessing astonishing martial arts talent, and even more so, stunningly beautiful...

Aside from being a bit cold-hearted, this woman seemed to have almost no flaws.

However, in certain situations, a cool and aloof personality might be considered an advantage?

Li Chuqiu couldn't help but sigh that reincarnation was indeed a skill, and the biggest dividing line between people was ultimately the amniotic fluid.

Unlike him, who lost his mother at a young age, and although he had a father, he was an unreliable alcoholic who had been dead for many years...

Did he die from alcoholism?

A strange light flickered in Li Chuqiu's eyes.

Finally, it vanished into the darkness, leaving no trace.

As the lights ahead gradually brightened, Li Chuqiu returned to Yuhua City with Liu Xu. After showing her waist token, she entered the city smoothly.

But after entering the city, Li Chuqiu faced another problem.

Liu Xu, who was in his arms, was currently unconscious. If he were to send her back to Tianxuan Division now, the situation of a man and a woman alone together would be difficult to explain and would surely cause a huge uproar.

Xu Jinghong knew the details; Zhang Man and Chen San'er were both his men, so naturally he wouldn't reveal what happened tonight.

But if he were to carry Liu Xu back to Tianxuan Division like this, the news of him carrying Liu Xu would spread throughout the entire Tianxuan Division before tomorrow.

If this damages the reputation of Deputy Commander Liu, will she retaliate and make things difficult for her after she wakes up?

Could it be that he did it on purpose?

Hard to say.

To avoid causing trouble and attracting someone like Qin Yan, Li Chuqiu decided to abandon her plan to send her back to Tianxuan Division.

But if we don't send it back to Tianxuan Division, where else can we send it?

Li Chuqiu couldn't possibly take her back to his own home, could he?

He still remembered that there was a demoness in his house who could appear at any time. If he brought Liu Xu back, what if the two of them met? Given Liu Xu's current state, it would be like a lamb entering a tiger's den.

After much deliberation, Li Chuqiu came up with a good idea.

……

"Second Uncle, Second Aunt, open the door!"

In the west of the city, Li Chuqiu arrived at her second uncle's house with willow catkins in her arms.

Soon, the door opened.

The second uncle opened the door, and his expression changed when he saw Li Chuqiu, who was in a disheveled state, and Liu Xu, whom she was holding in her arms.

"What, what's going on?!"

Li Chuqiu didn't explain immediately, but walked into the courtyard carrying Liu Xu: "Where's Second Aunt?"

"Early autumn?!"

Hearing the commotion outside, Second Aunt also came out from the side door. Seeing Li Chuqiu's appearance and the strange woman in his arms, her expression changed drastically: "Chuqiu, what's wrong with you?!"

"I'm fine."

Li Chuqiu shook her head: "Second Aunt, prepare a room for me."

Second Aunt glanced at the woman in Li Chuqiu's arms. Although she was full of doubts, she nodded hurriedly and quickly prepared a room.

Li Chuqiu carried Liu Xu into the room and settled her on the bed. After confirming that the woman was still breathing and not in mortal danger, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"You've truly done your utmost to benefactor; it would be a real shame if you didn't repay your benefactor properly..."

Li Chuqiu stared at that extremely beautiful, aloof, and stunning face, and clicked her tongue.

He turned around and went out.

When they came across their second uncle and aunt standing at the door, both of them looked worried and hesitated to speak.

"Early autumn...who is that person in the room?"

Only then did Li Chuqiu begin to explain to her second uncle and aunt.

"This is our deputy commander of the Tianxuan Division. There was a slight accident outside the city earlier..."

Li Chuqiu briefly recounted her experiences that evening, omitting the dangerous parts and only saying that she had encountered some peril but fortunately escaped unscathed. To avoid any misunderstandings, she was temporarily placed with her second aunt.

After hearing this, the second aunt breathed a sigh of relief and finally felt at ease.

"Oh, so he's your boss. I thought..."

As she spoke, the second aunt couldn't help but glance inside the door again.

She had just glanced at the woman in Li Chuqiu's arms; she was as beautiful as a celestial being. Although her face was pale and weak, she was definitely a beauty in the making, and no less so than the woman Li Chuqiu had brought back a couple of days ago…

How did Chuqiu manage to bring back such a stunning beauty?

Thinking of this, the second aunt realized something and couldn't help but look at Li Chuqiu in front of her.

A question arose in my mind... Is she really just a female boss?

Was the jade bracelet she sent a couple of days ago sent a little too early?

……