The male supporting character was actually myself.

My name is Lin Wanyue. I am from Nanling. I come from a scholarly family and my father was once the prefect of Nanling.

Three years ago, my parents passed away from illness, leaving me, an orphan, to live with my uncle and aunt in Lanshui Prefecture. Unexpectedly, a few days before the new year, my uncle was imprisoned for a crime, and his immediate family members were confiscated. Considering that I was only fostered by my uncle and had not committed any crime, he put me in a sack and sold me along with a group of servants. I had just been bought by a local gentry and hadn't even said a few words when a group of bandits rushed into the yard and looted and vandalized the place. The gentry then gave me to the bandit leader...

Now I am all alone and helpless. I beg the great hero to take me in as a maid, which is better than wandering around!

Please have mercy and let me stay..."

The fluffy ball looked closely and meowed, "Host, this is a young lady from an official family. Judging from her delicate skin and pampered appearance, she's definitely never done any work. We might have to buy a maid to serve her. Can you even take her around like that?"

“We are now…” Jiang Chen was about to refuse, and had even planned to give her some silver to settle down in the town ahead, as a good deed, but before she could say anything, she felt Huo Changyun tugging at her clothes.

He looked over and saw the other person frowning, gently shaking her head, and whispering in a low voice, "She's such a pitiful woman."

Oh huh? !

Jiang Chen carefully examined Lin Wanyue; although the girl was young, she was extremely beautiful.

In addition, her extensive reading of poetry and literature gave her a scholarly air, and she also had a delicate and frail appearance, like Xi Shi clutching her heart, which stirred my heart.

So Huo Changyun likes this type?!

Comparing Shen Rumeng's gentle and delicate appearance, the two are indeed the same type of beauty...

Lin Wanyue sensed that the other party was not very willing, and wiped away her tears as she pleaded, "Great hero, we met by chance and you saved my life. I have no way to repay you. I am a woman with no relatives or friends to rely on and I cannot support myself. Please have mercy and take me as your maid. I will serve the young masters and ladies well and I can do any kind of work!"

Ling Xiao coldly watched as her man no longer refused, and seeing Huo Changyun's continued demeanor, she smiled and asked, "My family doesn't lack maids, but..."

She pointed at Huo Changyun and joked, "My young lady also has a younger brother who is just as handsome. He's still missing a wife, so if you'd like, you can come with us for now."

If you don't want to stay in the town ahead, we can help you settle in temporarily.

"There's just one thing—our situation is a bit special right now. You just saw those martial arts figures fighting and killing each other. If you follow us, you might encounter the same situation. You should think it over carefully."

Hearing his sister-in-law tease him, Huo Changyun blushed with embarrassment but could not say anything. He could only glare at her and then look at his elder brother with a resentful expression.

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "What does Miss Yun'er think?"

You picked up a girl on the street, didn't you want to keep her? How about I keep her as your wife? It'll ease your longing for Shen Rumeng.

The pressure suddenly fell on Huo Changyun, and he was momentarily stunned.

Having traveled the world for many years, I have heard and seen a lot of things. If a young lady from an official family like Lin Wanyue is sold off and has no one to rely on, she will either be bullied and forced into marriage as a concubine, or she will be knocked unconscious by a villain and sold into a brothel with no chance of escape.

So, out of kindness, he wanted to take in this poor, helpless girl temporarily, but his elder brother and sister-in-law wanted to keep her as their wife...

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Don't Fall into the Trap

"How can such important matters in life be treated lightly?" Huo Changyun replied softly, his voice strained.

His mind was in turmoil. On one hand, his future was uncertain and his fate unknown; on the other hand, his love for Shen Rumeng had been abruptly severed; and now, even in his own precarious situation, he still wanted to save the poor girl Lin…

After comparing the options, Jiang Chen was inclined to match them up. After all, in this kind of mission world, it is very common for strangers to meet and develop feelings over time. No matter what, Shen Rumeng could not possibly wander the world with Huo Changyun. It would be better to find him a girl with a clean background and cultivate their relationship so that they could settle down and live a stable life together in the future.

Ling Xiao was initially worried that her man would be attracted to this delicate and innocent girl, but after careful observation, she discovered that Huo Changyun was willing to keep her, so she also wanted to try to match them up.

Man proposes, God disposes.

Lin Wanyue, however, was seriously considering a major life event closely related to her own life.

Having no siblings, and with no right to inherit her parents' property after their death, her uncle's family took it all, leaving her a dependent. Originally, she planned to marry into a family of equal social standing in a couple of years, bringing her mother's dowry with her, but her uncle was imprisoned for a crime, and the family property was confiscated as well.

The dowry her mother brought with her shouldn't have been confiscated, but those scoundrels didn't care about dowries and just started looting it. There was nowhere to reason with them, and no one would listen. She was frail and had never left her room before. Being sold off or forcibly taken away—any one of these events could change her fate, and she was powerless to resist.

Even if your savior can provide temporary relief, what good is it?

A poor, helpless woman who has a sum of money to live a peaceful life is a fat sheep that is easy to catch in the eyes of bad people!

Why not take a gamble...

She looked up and carefully examined the pretty girl called Miss Yun'er, mentally calculating that her younger brother was at least of above-average appearance. Since no one could make decisions about her marriage, and considering that they had saved her from danger, they couldn't be truly wicked; she might as well take a gamble!

"I do!" Faced with a life-or-death decision, Lin Wanyue abandoned her girlish demeanor and bravely confronted her fate for the first time.

She mustered her courage and looked at Huo Changyun earnestly, saying, "As long as you take me in, I'll accept whatever arrangement you make for me, whether it's as a maid or something else. The world is in turmoil these days, and if I have no one to rely on, I'll only face death. Please, everyone, help me to the end and give me a way to live."

Huo Changyun's face turned bright red, and he didn't even dare to look at Lin Wanyue, only looking at his elder brother with pleading eyes.

Does he really want to keep her as his wife?

On second thought, he realized that his elder brother and sister-in-law's decision made some sense.

Now that we are being hunted down, who would want to carry a burden who doesn't know martial arts if they weren't a close confidant?

She now relies entirely on her elder brother and sister-in-law for everything, and if she wants to take on a burden out of kindness, Lin Wanyue must offer something that makes everyone willing to take the risk...

Thinking of this, he carefully examined the little girl in front of him, her eyes blurry with tears.

With her slender figure and stunning beauty, her tearful face evoked a delicate and pitiful charm that stirred feelings of tenderness and vulnerability. Coupled with her innocent yet tragic past, and her refined manners and extensive reading, she was indeed an excellent choice.

No wonder my sister-in-law is so eager to find me a wife so that I won't let the good stuff go to outsiders.

Since ancient times, even heroes have found it hard to resist the charms of a beautiful woman. After being advised by Jiang Chen, Huo Changyun had buried his feelings for Shen Rumeng deep in his heart. Now that there was a more suitable candidate, he couldn't help but be tempted after looking at her from all angles.

Therefore, Huo Changyun's gaze towards his elder brother carried a hint of pleading, "Since Miss Lin has said so, you see..."

"In that case, Miss Lin, if you are not afraid of the long journey and the dangers of swords, we will do our best to protect you if you stay by our side."

Seeing this, Jiang Chen was secretly pleased but could not speak too confidently, so he smiled and said, "As for how to arrange it, it depends on whether we are destined to meet in the future. But there is one thing - once Miss Lin has decided to follow us, she must be careful with her words and actions and never cause trouble."

Lin Wanyue was exceptionally intelligent. She could tell from the skills of those people just now that they were different from others, and it was clear that they were often traveling in the martial arts world or even had important matters to attend to.

After careful consideration, she nodded in agreement, saying, "My family background is clean and verifiable. I am by no means an ill-mannered person. From today onwards, I will only do my own job and know nothing else. Please rest assured."

After a close call, the protagonist even managed to find a beautiful woman to marry. The little white cat was very worried about this, and holding its round, fluffy face, it said with concern, "Host, although it is common for people to fall in love at first sight when they pick up a wife in this kind of story, I am worried that the script team might be secretly causing trouble."

Forcing Huo Changyun to marry a beautiful woman who can't even do martial arts, then waiting for them to fall in love and the time to kill her off, causing the protagonist to immediately turn evil—that would be disgusting. Let's be careful not to fall into that trap!

Jiang Chen thought about it carefully and it seemed to make sense. He gave the little dumpling an approving look and then went to whisper something to Ling Xiao.

On another route, the disciples of the Jade Star Sect traveled until noon and found a village to eat and rest.

Zhang Qing, whose mind was filled with the fleeting glimpse of Huo Yun'er, was in a daze, looking as if he had lost his soul, holding his teacup in a daze.

"Senior Brother Zhang, what's wrong?" Someone nudged him and asked in a low voice, "Are you feeling guilty after being reprimanded by your martial uncle?"

He snapped out of his daze and hurriedly waved his hand, replying, "No, no, no, Uncle is absolutely right. I just... did you see that girl in the carriage? There is such a beautiful person in the world. People often say that Shen Rumeng, the daughter of the martial arts alliance leader, is the most beautiful woman in the world. I used to think she deserved it too."

But after meeting Miss Huo Yun'er today, I realized that there are always people more beautiful than you, and she truly deserves to be called the most beautiful woman in the world!

The other party was surprised that he was still thinking about that girl. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that she did indeed have the beauty of a celestial being. He then casually said with a smile, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I didn't really see the girl you mentioned very well."

However, he's quite tall and has a build that suggests he'd be a good candidate for martial arts.

"Oh, Senior Brother Zhang, are you still thinking about that girl?"

"When I saw the carriage being shattered by the sweeping sword energy, the beauty's lightness of movement was quite impressive, suggesting she was quite skilled. It's a pity I don't know which school or sect she belongs to, that such a stunning beauty could exist."

"Her little maid was also quite pretty; this beautiful woman was skilled in martial arts."

"It's really lucky to meet a beauty by chance. It's much better than running into a bunch of crazy sect members who are blindly trying to capture Huo Changyun."

"Huh? You're saying that Huo Changyun really wiped out so many gangs and clans? I remember he seemed like a nice guy, how could he be so ruthless?"

"Are you stupid? My martial uncle said that it's impossible for Huo Changyun to wipe out so many big gangs and clans. It's just that someone is using him as a scapegoat."

"That's right. I met Huo Changyun at Heng Lake last autumn and even asked him for a few moves. His kung fu is indeed good, but he's not that amazing!"

"If it really was Huo Changyun who did it, he must be able to match his martial arts skills with his uncle. He wouldn't even have time to start practicing since he was born."

"Shh, anyone with eyes can see what's going on. It's just a matter of pushing someone out to take the blame. Didn't Uncle say that we're going to Tianxiang Mountain to take this opportunity to find the real culprit behind the massacre of the entire family..."

…………

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Do as you please, I'll go with you.

While the Jade Star Sect members rested and whispered amongst themselves, no one noticed that Zhang Qing, who had started the conversation, quietly left the group. He casually made an excuse to his senior uncle who was leading the group, left the group, and turned back the way he came.

He wasn't interested in the topics his fellow students were discussing.

Zhang Qing, whose mind was filled with Huo Yun'er's every smile and frown, was obsessed and just wanted to seize the rare opportunity while there was still time, otherwise missing it might be for a lifetime!

The next day, Jiang Chen discovered that his group was being watched.

“They’re definitely from the Jade Star Sect.” Ling Xiao, sitting in the carriage, asked in a low voice, “What do we do? Should we take advantage of the desolate mountains ahead…”

She made a throat-slitting motion.

Jiang Chen was completely bewildered and couldn't understand the situation. "If Senior Feng recognized me and wanted to intercept us, he would have taken action immediately. Why did he pretend not to see us at the crucial moment and let us go, and then send people to follow us? What exactly does that mean?"

"Whatever he means, I can tell he's the only one with average martial arts skills. He can make a move anytime he wants."

"No, let's not alert them yet. Let's see what they're up to. It's not a good time for us to make enemies everywhere."

"Alright then, I'll do whatever you say."

The two drove the carriage forward at a leisurely pace. Huo Changyun, dressed in women's clothing, and the delicate beauty Lin Wanyue sat in the carriage chatting idly.

After following for a while, Zhang Qing finally made up his mind, whipped his horse, and quickly caught up to strike up a conversation. "Brother, we met once at the Blue Water Lake Wharf. May I ask your name?"

Jiang Chen and Ling Xiao looked at each other, wondering what he was up to.

"You've been following us for half a day, what do you want?" Ling Xiao asked him warily, having stopped him before.

Zhang Qing blushed slightly and stammered, "It's nothing, it's just... we're going the same way, yes, we're going the same way. I thought we'd met once before and I admire your Miss Huo Yun'er's charm, so I was wondering if we could travel together?"

Jiang Chen: [?_??]

Fluffy dumpling: !!(o'?'o)?o????

"Host, this guy... his XP is so weird, is he in love with Huo Changyun?" The little white cat was so shocked that its fur stood on end.

Ling Xiao was almost speechless with shock. He stared blankly at Zhang Qing, who looked serious and not like he was joking. He glanced at his man and then at the carriage, a wave of emotions washing over him, and he didn't know where to begin.

Huo Changyun was chatting happily with Lin Wanyue in a high-pitched voice when he heard someone talking outside. He casually lifted the curtain and looked out. When he found that it was Zhang Qing from the Jade Star Sect chasing after him, he was so frightened that he let go of the curtain and hid inside.

"Why did he chase after us?" He was panicking, his right hand already reaching for the sword case, ready to strike at any moment.

Zhang Qing caught another glimpse of the beauty through the crack, and almost fainted. His face flushed slightly, he cupped his hands and said, "Miss Yun'er, I am Zhang Qing from the Heavenly Division of the Jade Star Sect. The journey is long, and I would like to accompany you and your party..."

"Da da da!"

Just as he was racking his brains trying to get closer to the people, a group of people swept past from the path diagonally in front of him, kicking up clouds of yellow dust.

"What are you doing?" The men, who had met Jiang Chen's carriage on a narrow road, looked at it suspiciously and pointed with their whips, shouting, "Open the carriage door for inspection!"