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--- Chapter 299 ---
Back at the camp, Han Yuan gently placed Yun Yun into the carriage under the watchful gaze of several girls.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. So, you're telling me you found this injured, beautiful woman by luck and then carried her here like a princess?" Xiao Yixian clicked her tongue in wonder and then rubbed her forehead in disbelief. "Should I say you're both lucky and unlucky, brother?"
"When you put it that way, it sounds like a jinx," Han Yuan replied with a twitching mouth. "Aih, even when helping people, you still doubt your brother."
"I am just being a kind person, you know?"
Gu Xun'er chuckled and commented, "Hehe, you can't blame Yixian, Han Yuan. Any good little sister would be suspicious if her brother suddenly brought home a random woman."
"A beautiful one at that!"
Qing Lin tiptoed to look over the edge of the carriage, her eyes lighting up. "Whoa, this big sister is super pretty! Big Brother Yuan, you didn't kidnap her, right?"
"Not you too!" Han Yuan pinched Qing Lin's chubby cheeks, feeling both frustrated and amused by the girl.
"Ah, Big Brother, spare Qing Lin!" she panicked, quickly asking for forgiveness.
Han Yuan laughed playfully. "Haha, you only ask for forgiveness after talking about your brother. I guess I'll have to cut off your snacks for a few days."
Qing Lin's eyes widened, regretting her earlier words. "Nooo! Anything but my snacks!"
"Hmph, you finally realize how powerful your brother is!" Han Yuan finally released Qing Lin, tossing some candies at her to stop her from pouting.
"Anyway, you should prepare yourselves. This woman is a Dou Emperor expert, and if she got injured to the point that I have to help her, then she must have faced someone or something beyond her capabilities."
"Teacher Ling is probably going to move the caravan away from here since we found this woman stuck in the river near our camp."
"The Magical Beast Mountain Range is no longer safe."
"Dou Emperor?!" Xiao Yixian raised an eyebrow.
Gu Xun'er had a similar reaction, though she remained calmer. She gazed at the sleeping woman and commented, "It seems this woman isn't simple after all."
"There aren't many Dou Emperor experts in the Jia Ma Empire, and a female Dou Emperor is even rarer."
Gu Xun'er fell into deep thought; she had a bold guess about who this woman might be, given their current location and what she knew about the Jia Ma Empire.
"There is only one woman who fits this description."
"Oh? Who is she?" Xiao Yixian was clearly curious.
Gu Xun'er raised a finger. "The current sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, known as the Cloud Fairy, Yun Yun."
"She's a well-known Dou Emperor and quite talented in my eyes, but a small empire like the Jia Ma Empire limited her future. If she were a bit braver and more ambitious, she could be like Queen Medusa."
"Moreover, she has another interesting identity."
"How should I put it? This identity is somewhat related to the Xiao Clan, more precisely, Xiao Yan."
"Hmmm, how could she be related to that guy?" Xiao Yixian frowned slightly.
Gu Xun'er giggled in amusement. "Well, calling it 'somewhat' might be an understatement. It's more like an indirect connection because Yun Yun's disciple, Nalan Yanran, was engaged to Xiao Yan before even being born due to a promise made between the late head of the Xiao Clan and the old patriarch of the Nalan Clan."
"I doubt that girl, Nalan Yanran, will keep the engagement, though. After all, Xiao Yan lost his talent and spiraled down even further afterward. And having a Dou Emperor like Yun Yun as a teacher, Nalan Yanran would definitely be proud and think their statuses are no longer the same."
"Honestly, I really hope that happens because Xiao Yan is truly a hopeless case." Gu Xun'er shrugged casually.
Xiao Yixian clicked her tongue. "Damn! Why do I feel like you're still sour and angry at that guy?"
"You even know mundane information like this..."
Gu Xun'er smiled indifferently, "Since I arrived at Xiao Clan, I naturally need to know everything about Xiao Clan."
"Still, you get it wrong, rather than sour and angry, it was more like annoyance."
"After that day, he didn't even bother to apologize to me and just started asking for help again. But I'm not blind anymore! He can find the solution to his problems himself."
"Hmph, I, Gu Xun'er, am not a cheap girl!"
"Whoa, Sister Xun'er, so cool!" Qing Lin praised, licking her lollipop with gusto.
Gu Xun'er rubbed Qing Lin's head. "Thanks, Qing Lin."
Meanwhile, Han Yuan and Xiao Yixian exchanged glances, both feeling a bit responsible for this princess's current attitude.
Despite that, they didn't regret it.
Xiao Yixian didn't regret teaching Gu Xun'er to be more decisive and 'bad' in a good way.
Han Yuan didn't regret changing the plots of this world. Ge couldn't afford for Xiao Yan to rise while he was around. Ultimately, there can't be two tigers on the same mountain—in this case, the same world.
"What are you guys chattering about?" Ruo Ling returned with a crowd of students, including Xiao Yu and Xue Ni. "Get on the carriage. We are leaving!"
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Several horses galloped through the forest. Their steps were loud, leaving a deep mark on the ground.
"What?!" Ruo Ling, Xiao Yu, and Xue Ni were shocked by this revelation as they stared at the sleeping beauty on Han Yuan's lap in awe. "This woman is actually the sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect?"
Ruo Ling couldn't help but swallow hard because she knew Yun Yun was a Dou Emperor expert, rivaling those of Inner Court Elders in strength, and her status as Sect Leader of Misty Cloud Sect was many times higher than a mere Outer Court Teacher like herself.
To think that she would save such a person, or rather, assist in bringing such a person from the brink of death, is unbelievable.
However, this also poses a question.
"What kind of opponent did the Sect Master Yun Yun fight to lead her into such a state?" Ruo Ling murmured. "Since we are in the Magical Beast Mountain Range..."
"It can only be Rank 6 Magical Beasts, or higher." Han Yuan finished Ruo Ling's thoughts calmly.
Ruo Ling was stunned, "This..."
"What should we do then?" Xue Ni bit her fingernail in fear.
"We don't know if helping Sect Master Yun Yun could lead us into danger like this."
Xiao Yu somewhat agreed with her friend, "How troublesome."
Han Yuan smiled faintly, "What are you two even saying?"
"As a fellow human, there is nothing bad about helping others. Above all, Sect Master Yun Yun is a righteous person who has done good deeds all over the Jia Ma Empire."
"We can't be blind and let her die, right?"
"I..." Xiao Yu and Xue Ni naturally felt ashamed upon hearing Han Yuan's statement. They could only lower their heads in shame.
Ruo Ling shook her head helplessly, "Alright, stop sulking. What you two said is indeed not wrong per se, because some people are beyond saving, but that doesn't apply to a figure like Sect Master Yun Yun."
Hearing 'beyond saving' from Ruo Ling's own mouth made Xiao Yu recall her cousin, Xiao Yan. That young man was beyond saving, which left her helpless.
"Anyway, we are not in immediate danger," Ruo Ling added calmly. "From what I know, the river that Sect Master Yun Yun originated from the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The range could be one hundred to a thousand miles away from us, which means we are safe."
"Also, we have decided to move away."
"Where are we going then?" asked Xiao Yixian.
Ruo Ling sighed, "That... I don't know."
"I didn't expect my plan to deviate this much."
"Then, let's look for human settlement first." Gu Xun'er proposed an idea.
"Since we are in the periphery of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, we shouldn't be far from the official road."
"Okay." Ruo Ling readily agreed, as that was the best move they could take now.
"What do you think, Han Yuan?" She glanced at the young man, who was gazing at the mountain far away.
"Let's do that." Han Yuan replied casually. Yet, his silver eyes gleamed faintly under the shade of the carriage.
Ruo Ling nodded and announced to the other carriages, "Good, everyone, we will leave the mountain range!"
At the same time, a purple blur descended from the mountain. The giant beast sniffed the area before gazing at the running river, roaring and then following it with extreme speed, leaving a fiery trail.
ROOOOAAAARR!
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Alternative Title: Leaving the Mountain Range, Chased by a Predator!