"Stepmother brought people to capture you..."
Nan Rou wiped her tears and recounted what had happened.
"I'm sorry, I got you involved in this," Qin Guan said, feeling a little guilty after hearing her story.
"No, I'm the one who got you involved!" Nan Rou shook her head hastily. She then asked cautiously, "Did you really kill Hu Liu?"
"Yes, I did. He was disrespectful to you, so I killed him," Qin Guan nodded.
Hearing this, Nan Rou's face turned pale with fright. She hurriedly pushed Qin Guan, "You have to go, quickly!"
Stepmother had said Qin Guan beat Hu Liu to death, but she hadn't quite believed it, thinking her stepmother was just trying to scare her. After all, Qin Guan wasn't married to her yet and was a threat to Nan Qiao.
Now that she heard Qin Guan confirm he had indeed killed Hu Liu, she began to panic.
"I said I would marry you, and I will. Don't be afraid!" Qin Guan patted Nan Rou's shoulder comfortingly.
Qin Guan's words warmed Nan Rou's heart, but she was still filled with worry.
"That Hu Liu was one of Stepmother's men, and he was also Yang Ao's cousin. This is big trouble!"
"Who's Yang Ao?" Qin Guan asked curiously.
"Yang Ao is Stepmother's nephew. Nan Qiao and I call him Cousin," Nan Rou explained.
Qin Guan's mouth twitched. What a mess of cousins...
As if remembering something, Nan Rou added worriedly, "Yang Ao is in seclusion, cultivating. If he finds out you killed his cousin when he comes out, he won't let you go!"
"What's his cultivation level? Is he that strong?" Qin Guan asked with a smile.
"5th Level Body Refining, and he's a sword cultivator. His aptitude is no less than my sister's!" Nan Rou said very seriously.
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread.com".
Qin Guan scratched his head. A little sword cultivator at the 5th Level of Qi Refinement? Even if he stood still and let the guy stab him at will, he wouldn't be able to break through his defense...
Seeing how worried Nan Rou was for him, Qin Guan took her cold little hand and said earnestly, "Do you know that your future husband is a very capable fighter? I can take down any of these cousins with a single punch."
"But, but..."
Nan Rou was about to say more, but Qin Guan cut her off. "Don't overthink it. Come on, I'll detoxify you first."
With that, Qin Guan pulled Nan Rou into the woodshed.
He lit a fire, and the dark woodshed instantly brightened and warmed up.
Seeing the tear stains on Nan Rou's cheeks and the worry in her lovely, pitiful eyes, Qin Guan couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
"Warm yourself by the fire first. I'll brew the medicine for you. After you take it, I'll treat your illness."
As he spoke, Qin Guan began to busy himself in the woodshed. He planned to have Nan Rou consume the century-old Blood Ginseng first to replenish her blood and qi before dispelling the cold poison.
Watching Qin Guan bustle about the stove for her, Nan Rou's expression suddenly grew complex.
She had already prepared for death, but after meeting Qin Guan, a fear of dying suddenly sprouted in her heart.
Though she had known Qin Guan for less than a day, she was now reluctant to let go. If she could live, she truly wanted to marry the man before her, to care for him, serve him, wash his clothes, cook for him, give him...
As her thoughts wandered, Nan Rou suddenly shook her head forcefully, then smiled bitterly. She was about to die, yet here she was, thinking about such things.
An hour later, Qin Guan finally finished brewing the Blood Ginseng.
"Here, it's not too hot. Drink it while it's warm." Qin Guan brought a bowl of ginseng soup to Nan Rou.
"Okay." Without even looking, Nan Rou drank the entire bowl of Blood Ginseng soup in a few gulps.
After drinking it, Nan Rou immediately felt a warmth spread through her body, and her paper-white cheeks gradually regained a rosy hue.
Seeing that Nan Rou's spirit and complexion had improved significantly, Qin Guan took out the Ice Silver Flower.
"Once you consume this, the cold poison in your body will be purged. It might hurt a little when I treat you later, but that's a normal reaction. Don't resist."
"Okay." Nan Rou nodded softly.
It wasn't that she truly believed Qin Guan could cure her, but rather that she didn't want to disappoint his kind intentions.
Soon, Nan Rou chewed up the Ice Silver Flower and swallowed it.
The moment she swallowed the Ice Silver Flower, Nan Rou felt as if she had been plunged into an ice cavern, and she began to shiver uncontrollably from the cold.
Seeing this, Qin Guan gently pressed his palm on the crown of Nan Rou's head. A powerful stream of Gang Qi slowly entered her body, enveloping her internal organs and meridians.
The Ice Silver Flower grew in places of extreme cold and was one of the most frigid substances in the world. Even cultivators with strong meridians wouldn't dare consume it lightly. If not for the protection of Qin Guan's formidable Gang Qi, Nan Rou would have likely turned into an ice sculpture in moments.
"Ugh!"
Nan Rou let out a painful groan as the cold energy of the Ice Silver Flower clashed with the cold poison in her body.
The cold poison in her body, sensing the Ice Silver Flower's energy, reacted as if it had met an enemy and began to run rampant through her system.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Nan Rou spat out a large mouthful of black blood, which instantly froze into a block of black ice.
Seeing that the deep-seated cold poison had been forced out, Qin Guan quickly circulated his Gang Qi to dispel the remaining cold energy from the Ice Silver Flower.
Nan Rou's small mouth opened involuntarily, and a puff of white, icy air slowly escaped.
A moment later, Qin Guan withdrew his palm and smiled. "How do you feel?"
Nan Rou opened her eyes and sensed the changes within her body. A moment later, a brilliant light burst forth from her eyes as she said in disbelief, "I'm... I'm really cured!"
At this moment, she could clearly feel that not a trace of cold energy remained in her body. Instead, her entire being felt light and warm, an indescribably comfortable sensation.
Over the years, her father had invited many skilled experts to treat her illness, but all of them had shaken their heads, helpless after diagnosing her. She never would have imagined that Qin Guan would cure her so simply!
It all felt so unreal, like a dream!
"So, do you believe in my abilities now?" Qin Guan teased with a smile.
"Yes!" Nan Rou nodded emphatically, unable to hold back the tears of joy that streamed from her eyes.
The joy of recovering from a serious illness, of being brought back from the brink of death, was indescribable.
It was so good to be alive!
"Thank you, Young Master Qin!" Nan Rou threw herself into Qin Guan's arms, hugging him tightly.
"You really are cured. You've even gotten stronger," Qin Guan chuckled.
Realizing her impropriety, Nan Rou quickly let go of Qin Guan, a deep blush spreading across her fair, beautiful cheeks.
"You'll be my woman soon. Stop with the 'Young Master Qin'," Qin Guan said, looking at Nan Rou with a mischievous grin.
Nan Rou lowered her head in embarrassment, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "I... I'll call you Brother Guan for now. Can I... can I change it after we're married?"
"Of course," Qin Guan nodded. "Wait here for a bit. I'll go find some blankets."
Seeing Qin Guan about to leave, Nan Rou hurried forward. "It's the middle of the night, where will you find blankets? And what if Stepmother finds you..."
"I can even cure your cold poison. Do you think I'm afraid of your stepmother?" Qin Guan smiled. "You've just been detoxified. Stay here and don't go out."
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
Nan Rou nodded and obediently stepped back. She had always thought Qin Guan was an ordinary person, but now, thinking about how he had killed Hu Liu, a 5th Level Body Refining cultivator, and easily cured her cold poison, she realized he was no ordinary man.
Qin Guan left the woodshed, leaping out of the courtyard.
It was late at night, and all was quiet. The members of the Nan Family, weary from a long day, were all fast asleep.
Qin Guan stood atop a tall building in the Nan estate, his cold gaze sweeping over the courtyards below.
A moment later, he shot off toward the main courtyard.
"It's so late, and you're all sleeping so soundly?" Arriving at the main courtyard, Qin Guan suddenly stomped the ground, launching himself into the air.
"You like tearing down houses, do you?"
Qin Guan clenched his right fist and threw a ferocious punch downward!
*BOOM!*
In the next instant, the aftershock from Qin Guan's punch caused dozens of luxurious buildings in the main courtyard to collapse almost simultaneously.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The dozing guards shouted in panic. Nan Yunqi, Yang Hongmei, Nan Qiao, and the others scrambled out from the ruins at the first possible moment.
Just then, numerous Nan Family guards and two elders also rushed over.
Everyone stood in the courtyard, staring at each other in dismay. As for the attacker, they hadn't even seen a shadow.
"Father, look!" Nan Qiao suddenly pointed at a deep crater and shouted.
Nan Yunqi stared in astonishment at the crater. It was a massive, fist-shaped pit.
"That was no simple punch!" one of the elders said grimly, swallowing hard.
"Such power is definitely not the work of an ordinary person!" the other elder added, equally shocked.
Hearing the elders' words, everyone present felt a wave of panic.
"Husband, has the Nan Family offended some major figure recently? Why else would our family be attacked out of the blue?" Yang Hongmei asked fearfully.
Nan Yunqi frowned. "That's impossible. Our Nan Family has always acted with caution and prudence, never overstepping our bounds."
Just then, one of the elders spoke up. "It's obvious the attacker doesn't want to kill us. This was just a warning."
Hearing the elder, Nan Yunqi looked around and then bowed respectfully.
"If we have caused any offense, I implore this senior expert to enlighten us. The Nan Family will sincerely mend its ways!"
Everyone looked around cautiously, but there was no response.
The lack of response made them even more anxious. If someone were to land a punch like that on them while they slept, wouldn't they be smashed into paste?
"Investigate! See if anyone in the Nan Family has offended someone recently!" Nan Yunqi ordered a few guards.
As if remembering something, Nan Yunqi added, "Assign more men to protect the Second Miss!"
Now that Nan Qiao had awakened her Yin Spirit Body, he suspected that some factions in Luyun City might have ill intentions.
Hearing her father order protection for her, Nan Qiao's heart skipped a beat. Did someone want to nip her in the bud?
For a time, all sorts of speculations ran wild, and a sense of panic filled the air.
Meanwhile, Qin Guan returned to the woodshed with several blankets in his arms.
Seeing Qin Guan return, Nan Rou breathed a sigh of relief. "Brother Guan, I thought I heard a loud noise just now. Did something happen?"
"Just some sparring. I saw two people practicing together," Qin Guan said, making up a random excuse.
"Oh." Nan Rou nodded, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. Sparring in the middle of the night?
Whatever, why think so much about it? As long as Qin Guan was back safely, that was all that mattered. Nan Rou quickly took the blankets and started making the bed.
Once the bed was made, the woodshed suddenly fell silent. There was only one bed. How were they going to sleep?
"I'll stay outside for the night," Qin Guan said, breaking the awkward silence as he headed for the door.
Nan Rou rushed forward and grabbed his arm. "It's freezing outside, and the house is gone. Don't go out."
"We're not married yet. If word gets out that an unmarried man and woman spent the night in the same room, it will be bad for your reputation," Qin Guan said with a smile.
Hearing this, Nan Rou looked at Qin Guan. "You saved my life. I don't care about things like that."
Qin Guan hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "Alright then. You sleep on the inside, I'll sleep on the outside."
"Okay."
Nan Rou nodded and lay down obediently on the inside, like a little kitten.
Qin Guan was also very careful as he lay down beside her. It was the first time in his life he had ever slept in the same bed as a girl, and it felt very strange.
Nan Rou felt the same way. The whole situation felt surreal. The two of them lay there quietly, not saying a word.
The next day.
As soon as Qin Guan opened his eyes, he saw Nan Rou tiptoeing around, busy with something.
"Brother Guan, did I wake you?" Nan Rou asked guiltily when she saw him awake.
"No." Qin Guan rubbed his eyes.
"You must be hungry. I'll make you something to eat as soon as the water boils."
"No need. We'll eat out," Qin Guan said, stretching as he stood up.
"Eat out?" Nan Rou frowned.
"We'll go eat at your parents' place," Qin Guan said with a smile.
Hearing this, Nan Rou shook her head in fright. "Brother Guan, they're looking for you everywhere! If you go there, you'll be walking right into a trap!"
"Their trap can't hold me." Qin Guan took Nan Rou's hand and started walking out.
Proofreader: Peter Pan