Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows on the winding path. The air was filled with the fragrance of earth and leaves, and the occasional, melodious chirping of birds echoed through the woods.
But they had no time to appreciate this beautiful scene.
Lin Xiuran and Ouyang Zixin had run to the deepest part of the forest, both now panting heavily. Neither of them were powerful offensive Soul Masters, and their cultivation was only at the Great Soul Master level, so their stamina was relatively limited.
They found a secluded spot to hide, to catch their breath, and then look for another opportunity to escape.
Lin Xiuran glanced at Ouyang Zixin; the girl's face was deathly pale, and blood was still seeping from the wound on her arm.
She leaned against a tree trunk, her eyes glazed over with fear, seemingly lost in thought, but the bitterness on her face was undeniable.
Lin Xiuran went over, tore open the sleeve of his coat, and used it to bandage her wound, stopping the bleeding.
His feelings were complicated, but he couldn't bring himself to give up on her. Perhaps all her past kindness and help were just a ploy to impress Xu Xiaoyu. Yet, that help had genuinely provided him with emotional and material support during his most difficult time.
And Ouyang Zixin wasn't useless either. Although her talent was mediocre, and she was only a level 29 Great Soul Master, her soul power was still higher than his.
Just now, after his defensive soul tool activated, it was Ouyang Zixin's Pink Fox Martial Soul's first soul skill that created the interfering smoke. Lin Xiuran used wind elements to accelerate them, allowing them to quickly reach the forest.
It could be said that she played a significant role; now, to escape, the two of them had to work together.
Ouyang Zixin seemed to only then realize what was happening. She stared blankly at Lin Xiuran, "Why..."
Lin Xiuran sighed, looked away, walked to the side, glanced at the sunlight blocked by the leaves, and said calmly, "Because, I might not actually be a member of the Xu family at all."
Ouyang Zixin was stunned. She seemed not to have expected Lin Xiuran to say this, her eyes filled with shock.
"You probably knew you were wrong from the beginning." Lin Xiuran didn't look at her, but simply stated these things in a seemingly calm manner.
"I didn't receive any good treatment in the Xu family. I don't have the surname Xu, and I've never received any favor from Xu's parents. Xu Xiaoyu has never treated me like a younger brother."
"So, your choice to approach me and try to gain favor with Xu Xiaoyu was completely wrong."
Ouyang Zixin's mind was in a mess from the sheer amount of information she received. She stared blankly at Lin Xiuran.
At this moment, he seemed to be stating a very ordinary matter, but if those things had happened to her, how terrifying would it have been?
Even with Lin Xiuran acting this way, she still approached Xu Xiaoyu with the intention of getting close to him, and her kindness towards him was all purposeful.
She wasn't a heartless woman. Even though she had liked Xu Xiaoyu since childhood, she did approach Lin Xiuran with ulterior motives. She only learned by chance that he was Xu Xiaoyu's younger brother, but later, in her interactions with Lin Xiuran, she definitely developed feelings for him.
However, this wrong feeling was wrong from the beginning; it arose for another relationship, and was destined to be impure and problematic.
Ouyang Zixin's eyes filled with tears. At this moment, she not only regretted the mistakes she had made over the years, but also regretted listening to Xu Xiaoyu today and bringing Lin Xiuran here.
Her beloved Xu Xiaoyu had only used her as a tool, and even discarded her after she was done with it.
"Don't cry." Lin Xiuran was somewhat speechless, then gently comforted her, "Now you need to think about how to escape, not cry."
Ouyang Zixin nodded, stopping her sobs.
Yes, now the only thing she could do was help Lin Xiuran escape; that might be some way to make amends to him. Otherwise, she might die with regret.
"The forest isn't very large, but it's quite dense. We need to observe the terrain for a favorable position; we can shake them off."
When faced with real danger, Lin Xiuran displayed a calmness and wisdom beyond his years. This surprised Ouyang Zixin; she felt she had never truly understood Lin Xiuran.
In the past, she mostly disciplined him from an older sister's perspective, making many decisions, and Lin Xiuran would obediently follow. But now, she realized he was truly outstanding, far superior to Xu Xiaoyu.
Just as Lin Xiuran was considering which direction to go, a rustling sound of leaves rustling together suddenly rang out.
Lin Xiuran reacted quickly, grabbing Ouyang Zixin and trying to run, but before they could take more than a few steps, a figure appeared in front of them.
Lin Xiuran tried to run elsewhere, but gradually, people surrounded them from all sides, completely encircling them.
Then, the leader, an Ice Bird Soul Master, stepped forward and sneered, "Little brat, trying to play us?"
At this moment, Lin Xiuran understood why they had been able to surround them so precisely.
The Soul Master next to the Ice Bird Soul Master had a nose much larger than normal; upon closer inspection, it was clear that his Martial Soul was a canine type, which explained his sensitive nose.
After entering, these people had split up to search, and this canine Martial Soul Master, upon discovering them, called for the others, who then surrounded them.
After all, all five of them had let Lin Xiuran and Ouyang Zixin escape earlier, so this time they couldn't alert them and had to be fully prepared.
Lin Xiuran's gaze narrowed slightly. Things had come to this point; he had no choice but to fight back. His only remaining hope was the defensive soul tool on his wrist.
He wondered how many more times it could withstand the onslaught.
This time, the Ice Bird Soul Master had learned from his mistake. Under his command, all five of them summoned their martial souls and launched a simultaneous attack on Lin Xiuran and Ouyang Zixin.
While trying to dodge, Lin Xiuran could only retreat using his defensive soul tool, barely managing to block this round of attacks.
However, the defensive soul tool was clearly overloaded, with gray smoke billowing from it.
Ouyang Zixin was in even worse shape; her defensive soul tool could only hold off one person. Even though she tried her best to stay behind Lin Xiuran, she suffered even more intense attacks. Even though her soul power was higher than Lin Xiuran's, she already had multiple injuries.
(End of this chapter)