106: Chapter 106 With ten thousand strings of cash around his waist, he rode a crane down to Jiangzhou

Qing Luo's mind went completely blank.

The sensation on her lips was domineering, scorching, and carried an irresistible force, crushing all of her struggles and anger into nothingness.

She struggled desperately, her hands pressed against his solid chest, attempting to push him away.

Yet the arm wrapped around her waist was like an iron chain, rendering her unable to move even an inch.

The man's Qi, a mixture of bitter herbs and his own unique aroma, brutally invaded all of her senses.

Tears of shame and indignation uncontrollably slid from the corners of her eyes, tracing down her cheeks and dripping onto the back of his hand, which was gripping her jaw, with a scorching heat.

"Why... Why treat her like this!"

However, that intense resistance gradually crumbled under his relentless assault.

Deep within her body, an unfamiliar, tingling tremor uncontrollably surged up, rapidly spreading to every limb and bone, draining the last of her strength.

Her hands, which had been pushing him away, had unknowingly gone limp and fallen to her sides.

Her body also gradually softened, collapsing into his embrace.

Hong Shao, off to the side, watched this scene blankly.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her throat dry, unable to utter a single word.

Her pretty face, which had just lost its flush, was once again steamed by the heat, turning so red it seemed it might drip blood.

She subconsciously took a step back, her back pressing against the cold wooden wall, barely managing to steady herself.

The atmosphere in the room became incredibly strange.

Chen Fan finally released her.

Qing Luo gasped for air, her beautiful eyes now filled with a misty haze, carrying a hint of confusion, a hint of grievance, and a hint of panic she herself had not yet realized.

"You... bastard..."

She used all her strength to squeeze these two words from her throat, but her voice was soft and weak, lacking any deterrent power.

Chen Fan did not respond to her accusation.

He just looked at her calmly, then, with his uninjured hand, gently wiped away the tear stains from the corners of her eyes.

His movements were very light, very gentle.

Yet it was this very action that made Qing Luo's body tremble violently once again.

"I..."

She wanted to say more, but Chen Fan had already leaned down again.

This time, it was not a kiss.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck and took a deep breath, as if craving the youthful fragrance on her body.

Qing Luo's body went completely rigid.

An electric current exploded from her neck and instantly spread throughout her entire body.

She could clearly feel his warm breath spraying onto her sensitive skin, bringing waves of indescribable itchiness.

"I cannot favor one over the other."

The man's hoarse whisper brushed against her earlobe and drilled into her mind.

That voice was like a magic spell, completely shattering the last line of defense in her heart.

Yes.

I cannot favor one over the other.

Sister has already... Where else could she... escape to?

A sense of despair and bitterness, like resigning to fate, surged into her heart.

She slowly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes still trembling slightly.

Chen Fan scooped her up horizontally and walked toward the small wooden bed.

Hong Shao watched them, subconsciously wanting to look away, but her feet seemed to be nailed to the spot.

She could only turn her head away, not daring to look again, yet the increasingly rapid panting sounds drilled into her ears, inescapable.

The night was still long.

...

The next day, the light of day was bright.

The atmosphere in the wooden house was stiflingly silent.

Hong Shao and Qing Luo sat on either side of the table, heads lowered, neither looking at the other, just sipping the meat porridge in their bowls in small mouthfuls.

Both of their stunningly beautiful faces still bore a lingering flush and a trace of obvious exhaustion.

Especially Qing Luo; her movements as she sat appeared exceptionally stiff and unnatural.

Chen Fan leaned against the bed; his wounds no longer hurt, but his body was still somewhat weak.

Watching the two sisters in this state, he found it somewhat amusing.

"What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

He asked, knowing the answer.

The two sisters' bodies stiffened simultaneously.

Hong Shao raised her head and shot him a quick, sidelong glance; that look was full of charm, carrying infinite coquettishness and shyness.

Qing Luo buried her head even lower, her earlobes turning completely red.

"The porridge is getting cold."

Chen Fan added slowly.

"Do you want me to feed you?"

"Pfft..."

The mouthful of porridge Hong Shao had just taken nearly sprayed out.

She glared at him, both ashamed and angry. "You... shut up!"

Qing Luo was so embarrassed she almost wanted to crawl under the table.

Watching them like this, the arc of Chen Fan's lips became even more pronounced.

It was quite amusing.

...

After resting in the wooden house for two days, waiting for Chen Fan's poison wounds to completely heal, the three of them set off again.

The Yellow Robe Army did not appear again.

Perhaps the death of County Lieutenant Zhang Cheng made them realize that the "Jade-Faced Asura" was a tough nut to crack, or perhaps the war in Shu Province had already left them with no time to care for anything else.

In any case, the road ahead was peaceful.

Yet the scenery in Shu Province remained as filled with Death Qi as ever.

It took them nearly another ten days to slowly reach the edge of this purgatory.

Along the way, Chen Fan saw too many human tragedies.

His heart, too, shifted from initial anger and helplessness to gradual numbness, leaving only silence in the end.

The strength of an individual is truly too insignificant in the face of natural and man-made disasters sweeping across an entire province.

He could kill dozens of rogue soldiers, he could kill a Sixth-Rank Martial Artist, but he could not save the thousands upon thousands of common people struggling in hunger and despair.

The only thing he could do was to hold fast to his original intention.

To draw his blade and help whenever he encountered injustice.

Seeking only to have a clear conscience.

On this day, a tall mountain pass finally appeared on the horizon of the official road.

Beyond the pass lay the territory of Jiangzhou.

"Finally... finally leaving this damn place!"

Hong Shao reined in her horse, looking at the distant pass, and let out a long sigh of relief, a bright smile blooming on her face once again.

The repression of the past few days was swept away.

A long-lost sense of relaxation also appeared on Qing Luo's face.

She spurred her horse to Chen Fan's side, her sparkling eyes filled with yearning for the future.

"Master Luo, I heard that Jiang City in Jiangzhou is the most prosperous place in the world, more than ten times larger than the provincial capital of Shu Province!"

"More than ten times!" Hong Shao also leaned over, interjecting enthusiastically, "I heard that in Jiang City, there are the most beautiful clothes in the world, the most delicious snacks, and the most elegant scholars and poets!"

She licked her rosy lips, her eyes shining.

"They say 'With a hundred thousand strings of cash around the waist, riding a crane down to Jiangzhou,' I want to see if the men there are as dashing and romantic as they are written in books!"

Chen Fan looked at her, seeing her money-loving and lustful appearance, and couldn't help but smile.

He turned his horse around and rode slowly toward the pass that symbolized new life and hope.

"Then let's go and see."