66: Chapter 66 A Warm Invitation, Moving People with Sincerity

Inside the valley, the rain pattered softly.

Leng Yuechan raised her cold phoenix eyes, watching the man before her silently, waiting for his verdict.

She had already laid all her cards on the table.

What followed—life or death, goodwill or... even deeper malice—depended entirely on his whim.

Meeting her gaze, which was filled with vigilance and probing, Gu Yan slowly shook his head.

He did not, as Leng Yuechan had anticipated, immediately propose any conditions for "protection" or "exchange."

He simply looked at her with a calm gaze that seemed to see through the human heart, and spoke slowly.

"Young lady, you are worried that I had ulterior motives when I stepped in to save you, aren't you?"

This single sentence struck with pinpoint accuracy at the deepest concern in Leng Yuechan's heart at that moment.

Her delicate body trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly; she neither admitted nor denied it.

[Sigh, Host, your approach isn't working; you're acting too much like a gentleman!]

In his mind, the voice of the System, in its Incarnation as a "relationship mentor," began offering off-site coaching again.

[You should take advantage of her weakness to win her heart! Just tell her, 'Young lady, you have been afflicted by a rare poison that only my Pure Yang Physique can cure. Come, do not hesitate, throw yourself into my arms!' That is the standard procedure for a hero saving a beauty!]

[But... never mind, never mind. Looking at that cold demeanor of hers, she actually seems to fall for your upright persona... Strange woman.]

Gu Yan ignored the System's nonsense.

Watching Leng Yuechan's increasingly vigilant eyes, a sincere and confident smile appeared on his face.

"I am Gu Yan, the head of a clan, and behind me are hundreds of clansmen who need my protection."

His voice was gentle, yet carried a power that could convince anyone.

"Stepping in today was merely a matter of seeing injustice and acting on impulse."

"As for your origins, your identity, and the secrets you carry... to be honest, I have no interest in investigating them."

He pointed outside the valley, towards the direction of the caravan, and issued a formal invitation.

"My caravan is not far from here. Our destination is the center of the Dongtu Continent, the great cultivation city—Baifeng City."

"On board, there are the best Medicinal Pill for healing and the most stable, comfortable environment, sufficient for you to recuperate in peace without worrying about being disturbed by anyone."

"If you trust me, you may accompany me for this leg of the journey. Once we reach Baifeng City, or when your injuries have healed and you wish to leave, you may do so at any time; I will certainly not stop you."

After finishing, he added another sentence.

"Of course, if you do not trust me, that is also fine."

"I can also stay here and act as your Protector for the night. When dawn comes and the rain stops, I will leave on my own and will not bother you further."

"How you choose is entirely up to you."

His words were flawless and full of sincerity.

He did not coerce or force her.

He offered two choices.

One was "traveling together," filled with goodwill and convenience.

The other was "acting as a Protector for the night," filled with gentlemanly conduct.

He placed all the power of choice clearly before Leng Yuechan, positioning himself not as a "stronger party" who might take advantage of her, but as a "gentleman" capable of equal dialogue.

These words, this demeanor, this breadth of vision...

Completely shattered the final line of defense in Leng Yuechan's heart.

She looked at the man before her—young, handsome, unfathomably powerful, yet upright and measured in his actions.

Her heart, which had become incredibly hardened due to the betrayal of her fellow disciples, melted a corner at this moment, uncontrollably.

She knew she had bet correctly.

This man was different from all the men she had seen before.

In his eyes, there was no greed, no scheming.

Only a kind of... pure appreciation and respect.

Silence.

A long silence.

Inside the valley, only the sound of the pattering rain remained.

Leng Yuechan slowly lowered her head, making it impossible for anyone to see the expression on her face.

A long while later.

She used a voice, softer than a mosquito's hum yet incredibly clear, to slowly speak two words.

"...I will trouble you then."