Li Haoran didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, seizing the man who had splattered the harmful substance on Yue Chan by the throat. With a single, brutal motion, he lifted the attacker before hurling him at the rest of the bandits. The group was taken by surprise, several of them falling in one swift motion as their comrade crashed into them.
The bandit who had kicked Yue Chan staggered back in shock, his jaw slack and his swords slipping from his trembling hands. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Fear overwhelmed him, leaving him unable to move.
But Li Haoran showed no mercy. Everyone present watched the scene unfold in stunned silence.
The man who had hurt her was no exception. Li Haoran made sure he paid the price.
"You lowly human, how dare you harm her? Do you think I'll let this slide?" he said flatly, snorting with a cold, piercing stare. "Fools! I never laid a finger on her, yet you have the nerve to hurt her. You're asking for death."
Yue Chan, barely conscious and fighting for her life, tried to look up, her body trembling with pain. Hearing his tone, she realized the man she had once taught now seemed like a stranger. She remembered Li Haoran as carefree, open-minded, gentle, and kind—a golden retriever at heart. He was the man who would sulk and pout whenever she ignored his wants, always seeking her attention and easily calming her when she felt low.
Yet now, in this moment, Li Haoran was far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.
She wanted to stop him, to tell him not to show off, but she couldn't. Each attempt sent a fresh wave of pain crashing through her chest, making it feel as if it were collapsing in on itself. She longed to reach out and clutch his leg, just to let him see her, but her body was numb and refused to obey. In the end, she simply let her cheek rest against the cold floor as tears began to stream from her eyes. She couldn't control them, and even wiping them away was pointless. She was dying.
So, this is what it feels like to die.
The thought flickered through her fading consciousness.
If she truly died today, at least Li Haoran would take her body back to the sect.
With that thought, she closed her eyes. A tiny, agonizing sob escaped her lips. As her eyes slid shut, her world spun out of control, as if she were falling into a deep, endless abyss. Only her mind remained aware, and the distant thunder of battle echoed in her ears.
Li Haoran, live well.
She couldn't control him anyway, so her only dying wish was for him to survive.
The battle raged on, but it didn't take long for Li Haoran to finish off the remaining bandits.
When the last blow fell, Li Haoran strode over to the sole surviving bandit. Without hesitation, he grabbed the man by the collar and demanded, "Speak. Who ordered you to attack the people here?"
The bandit was about to answer when, suddenly, another wounded companion hurled a dagger, striking him in the neck to silence him. Before Li Haoran could react, the assassin took his own life as well. In the end, Li Haoran was left without answers.
A troubling instinct swirled in Li Haoran's mind. Why had these men killed their own so easily, just because he was about to answer? Were they hiding something bigger?
Lost in thought, Li Haoran let out a soft sigh and snapped back to his senses. Only then did he remember someone important.
Master.
The word escaped his lips before he spun around and dashed to Yue Chan's unconscious form. His hands trembled as he lifted her into his arms. The terrifying, powerful Li Haoran was reduced to a soft, emotional man at the sight of her, badly hurt and unresponsive. His eyes turned red and teary as he hugged her tight.
"Master, wake up! It's me, Li Haoran. Please, wake up. I'm begging you."
Tears streamed down his face as he brushed her hair away. Then, with trembling hands, he gently removed her mask and saw blood continuing to trickle down her cheek.
"Master, if you die, I swear I'll die with you. How am I supposed to live without you? You promised we'd be partners forever. Don't die, please!" he cried, holding her cheek and gently shaking it.
A commotion erupted throughout the hall. Many believed their beloved Supreme Warrior was already dead. With keen eyes, they watched as Li Haoran cried and held her as if she were his whole world.
Questions swirled, spreading rapidly among the crowd.
"Did the Supreme Warrior really die? How could that be possible?"
"This is unbelievable. I've admired her since the first time I saw her stand in the arena. I can't believe it ended like this."
"Isn't it obvious? We saw that man throw something in her face. Could it have been a potion to weaken her?"
"I saw it too. After the man splattered her, the Supreme Warrior suddenly lowered her guard. Something was off."
Li Haoran heard every word and recalled the moment the lead bandit splattered something on Yue Chan. He'd seen it clearly—that was when everything changed. She had suddenly become weak and unresponsive.
After those speculations, the atmosphere shifted to awkwardness.
"Did you see that? That man was so attached to her. Who is he, really?"
Li Haoran froze, refusing to look back as he heard the sudden change in conversation.
"The way he cried for her—could he be her lover?"
"Only a lover would care for someone like that. Isn't it obvious?"
"Don't get me wrong. I heard rumors a month ago—the Supreme Warrior was rumored to be in a secret relationship with the prodigy disciple from the ally sect."
"Really? So it's true? But I heard the Supreme Warrior and that man were only master and disciple."
"What? Master and disciple? Impossible. They're both prodigies of their own sects, each with their own sect master. How could that be?"
"The answer's right in front of us. What's the point of overthinking it?"
Hearing the rumbling gossip, Li Haoran shut his eyes and swallowed his frustration. His master was dying, yet the crowd cared more about rumors than her life. Rage burned inside him—he wanted to lash out and silence them, but he held back. It was pointless; even if he tore them apart, nothing would change.
He no longer cared about the gossip. Let them say what they wanted. If they already believed she was dead, what else could he do? This pain was far worse than anything he'd ever known—so deep that even his tears couldn't wash it away.
Why did he feel this kind of heartache? Could it be—
His mind stalled, and he bit the inside of his cheek. Leaning his forehead against hers, he placed his hand gently on her chest and whispered words meant only for their hearts. "Master, can you hear me? Please, wake up. You don't have to die. I don't want this. Say something, please!"
Desperation shone in his eyes, but at last, he managed a faint smile and exhaled.
"If you live, I promise I will cherish you for the rest of my life."
Li Haoran gazed at her face, then pressed a gentle, deliberate kiss to her forehead—tender as any lover's. As he pulled away, his expression hardened, and a surge of power began to gather in his hand resting on her chest. Energy flowed from him into Yue Chan like an electric current, rousing every fiber of her being.
A bead of sweat rolled down Li Haoran's temple as he poured his spiritual power into her. He trembled from the effort, exhausted, yet he didn't flinch for a moment.
By some miracle, after the transfer was complete, Yue Chan's eyes fluttered open, and she gasped for air. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared at Li Haoran's blurred form above her.
"Hao—ran."
His name was the only word that escaped her lips.
Li Haoran's eyes filled with tears of joy as he saw her alive and breathing. Overwhelmed by relief, he couldn't contain his emotions—a sob and a laugh escaped him as he hugged her tightly.
"For God's sake, you're alive. You have no idea how scared I was when you lost consciousness. I thought you were going to die. I'm sorry, Master."
Yue Chan blinked, her vision blurry, but she looked at him as if nothing had changed. In that moment, her hand reached out and clutched his robe, speechless. Li Haoran glanced at her trembling grip, then met her gaze. Without hesitation, he asked,
"What's wrong? Why have you suddenly become so weak?" As he spoke, Yue Chan's grip tightened, and she managed to respond.
"Haoran, I'm dying. It's poison."
Li Haoran froze, stunned by her confession. His eyes widened in disbelief. The crowd's instincts had been right—the substance splattered on Yue Chan was actually poison. Suddenly, everything made sense. If last night she'd fought alone against the forbidden sect and survived, how could she have been defeated so easily this time? Now he understood.
Panic flashed across Li Haoran's face; he sniffed and trembled.
"You won't. I'll never let you die. Hold on—I'll take you to the healer."
Yue Chan gave a faint nod, and Li Haoran immediately scooped her into his arms and carried her effortlessly. But before they reached the door, he suddenly halted, as if remembering something important.
He slowly turned around and looked at the commoners inside the bookhouse, scanning every face before his gaze returned to Yue Chan in his arms. Her eyes fluttered, meeting his with a reluctant stare.
The crowd fell into dead silence under Li Haoran's sharp glare. For the first time, they saw how stunning the Supreme Warrior truly was. Even with blood on her face, she was utterly beyond compare, leaving everyone in awe. In that moment, new rumors began to erupt.
"Oh my… Am I seeing real? I'm not hallucinating, right?"
"Is she really the Supreme Warrior? How come this kind of beauty wields a weapon? How unlikely."
"I thought she concealed her face because she is unsightly. I couldn't believe she was remarkably astonishing!"
"Who would have known that the more hideous she is, the more attractive she is?"
"This isn't real; am I seeing a goddess?"
Li Haoran ignored their awed whispers and gazed at Yue Chan with a soft, unreadable kindness. He gently set her down, still supporting her as she tried to stand.
The crowd grew silent again as he helped her stand.
"Listen, everyone. Nothing happened here today, and you saw nothing. Do you understand?"
No one dared to speak. One by one, eyes dropped to the floor as if they had seen nothing.
"Anyone who dares to break my rule will answer to me. I just want to make sure my master remains safe under your watchful eyes."
Leaning against his chest, Yue Chan once again tugged at his robe.
"Haoran, I'm tired."
Li Haoran immediately softened, stroking her head gently.
"I've got you. Just rest against me."
At his words, Yue Chan closed her eyes. Meanwhile, Li Haoran realized that words alone would not ensure the commoners' silence. To guarantee their safety, he conjured his spiritual power and began an enchantment—his own method to erase their memories of today's events.
His eyes turned silver, and every person he looked at mirrored the same silver hue.
This process wiped away all memories they had gathered that day, leaving them with no recollection of any incident. To them, it was just an ordinary day—they had never met him or Yue Chan.
Once the enchantment was complete, all the commoners collapsed, losing consciousness.
This was their chance to escape, but something caught Li Haoran's eye. On the study table lay the old novel Yue Chan had admired before the chaos erupted. He summoned it with a gesture—one moment, it was on the table, the next, in his hand. He flipped through it like a gambler with a playing card, then looked at her and smiled reassuringly with a soft snort. "Silly."
He dispersed the book into his hand for safekeeping. Finally, he lifted Yue Chan and carried her out of the place where chaos had erupted, never once looking back. Who would have known that, for the people here, Li Haoran and Yue Chan would vanish like a dream? Yet for them, the memory of this day would remain the most terrifying and unforgettable.
Yet this moment was proof enough—Li Haoran was truly terrified to lose her, even if it had been by only a hair's breadth.