Chapter 178: Xiao Huo’s Scheme?
***
Just as Lin Muyu raised her small hand, preparing to give the burly man a good punch to his nose.
Suddenly, a male voice came from the shadows of another alleyway, abruptly interrupting the tense atmosphere in the alley.
“Stop!”
The voice was loud and carried a hint of anger. Lin Muyu froze upon hearing it, her brow furrowing slightly.
Why does this voice sound so familiar?
Immediately after, the voice rang out again, berating the burly man.
“Bullying a weak woman in broad daylight, what kind of real skill is that?”
Lin Muyu looked toward the source of the voice and saw a figure slowly emerging from the shadows of a small alley diagonally across from her.
The silhouette looked especially familiar. When she saw clearly who it was, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
“How could it be… Xiao Huo? Why would he appear here?”
A wave of turmoil rose in Lin Muyu’s heart. Instinctively, she shrank further into the shadows of the corner, hiding herself even more discreetly.
“Could it be that this plot was originally supposed to have Xiao Huo coming to play the hero saving the beauty?”
Lin Muyu muttered softly in speculation, then dismissed the thought of going out.
She quietly took out a recording stone from her spatial storage, injected a trace of spiritual energy with her fingertip, and silently began recording the scene.
After all, a simple hero-saving-beauty scenario is so boring. But if she recorded it and let that Xuanxuan know about it, now that would be fun~
Thinking this, Lin Muyu couldn’t help but curl the corners of her lips. She suddenly felt that recently, after spending so much time with Yunduo, she’d become somewhat devious.
However, she seemed to have forgotten that she and Yunduo had only known each other for a single day. How could she be influenced so quickly?
The only possibility was that she had been a bit devious all along.
In front of the small house, the burly man was caught off guard by the interruption. His face immediately showed an impatient expression as he glared viciously at Xiao Huo.
“What the hell are you? How dare you meddle in my business?”
As he spoke, he roughly rolled up his sleeves, revealing the knotted, strong muscles on his arms, clearly trying to intimidate Xiao Huo with brute force.
The girl being bullied saw Xiao Huo, and her eyes instantly burst with delighted light as she said joyfully.
“Young Master Xiao, how did you get here?”
“Something’s not right.”
Lin Muyu, hiding in the shadows, keenly sensed something unusual.
This wasn’t an ordinary hero-saving-beauty scenario at all. Judging by this reaction, this girl and Xiao Huo already knew each other?
Could this girl be Xiao Huo’s little lover?
In the alley, Xiao Huo gave the girl a reassuring look, then spoke in a gentle yet reassuring tone.
“It’s alright, I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”
After speaking, he suddenly turned to look at the burly man, his tone instantly turning cold as he sternly berated.
“Why don’t you get lost? If you keep harassing her here, don’t blame me for being impolite!”
Before he finished speaking, he lightly flicked his toe, and a fist-sized rock on the ground flew up into the air.
Xiao Huo flicked his finger, and a burst of spiritual energy shot through the air. The rock was instantly shattered to powder, scattering on the ground.
Lin Muyu, hiding in the shadows, watched this scene and couldn’t help but mimic his words sarcastically in a low voice.
“It’s alright, I’m here~”
“So cheesy~”
She couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Just a few hours ago, he was causing a scene at Xuanxuan’s wedding trying to steal the bride, and now after how long, he’s here flirting with another girl?
This Xiao Huo is even more of a scumbag than her!
Wait, that sounds like she’s insulting herself. She, Lin Muyu, is not a scumbag at all.
Looking at the burly man again, he had originally looked fierce, but when he saw the rock shattered to powder on the ground, his face instantly turned pale, his body trembling uncontrollably as he said with a shaking voice.
“A-a Cultivator? You… just you wait!”
Dropping this tough-sounding line, the burly man didn’t dare stay any longer. He practically fled in panic and disappeared at the alley entrance in the blink of an eye.
“Is that it?”
Lin Muyu watched this scene end so abruptly, feeling somewhat dazed.
Although all the elements of a hero-saving-beauty scenario were complete, she always felt something was off. The scene was too hasty.
Right! What about the fight scene between the hero and the villain?
How did Xiao Huo just let that burly man go so easily?
In the alley, Xiao Huo had already quickly walked to the girl’s side, his face full of gentleness, carefully helping her up from the ground as he asked softly.
“Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”
The girl shook her head and slowly stood up while holding onto Xiao Huo’s arm, one hand covering her stomach as she recovered.
She steadied herself and bowed to thank Xiao Huo.
“I’m fine. Thank you for your timely rescue, Young Master Xiao.”
“I’m glad you’re okay.”
Xiao Huo breathed a sigh of relief, then as if remembering something, his tone became solemn as he gently urged.
“I need to leave for a few days to handle some matters. You need to be careful about your safety while you’re alone in the city!”
This warning was gentle and thoughtful. The girl’s eyes slightly reddened with emotion as she nodded.
“Mm, don’t worry, Young Master Xiao, I will!”
But after Xiao Huo finished his warning, his face suddenly showed a trace of worry that was hard to conceal. His brows furrowed slightly, as if he had something on his mind.
The girl, being perceptive, immediately noticed the change in his expression and quickly raised her head to ask.
“Young Master Xiao, what’s wrong? Is there something difficult troubling you?”
Xiao Huo was silent for a moment, then lightly sighed with a hint of melancholy, as if facing a life-or-death separation.
“It’s nothing… it’s just that the place I’m going to is somewhat special. This trip is quite dangerous. I don’t know if I’ll be able to return safely.”
Lin Muyu, hiding in the shadows, became even more confused upon hearing this.
“That’s not right. I heard Senior Brother Li say before that the secret realm’s danger level isn’t high. For a genius like Xiao Huo, dealing with it shouldn’t be too difficult. Why is he making it sound so serious?”
But before she could figure it out, she saw the girl anxiously ask.
“Then… then is there any way I can help you, Young Master Xiao? As long as I can help you, I’ll do my best?”
Xiao Huo sighed again, his face showing some hesitation. After a long while, he slowly said.
“Sigh, it’s actually not a big deal… I’m just lacking a movement technique manual that could help me escape in critical moments. If I had such a movement technique, the survival rate of this trip would greatly increase.”
“His goal is this girl’s movement technique?”
Lin Muyu immediately understood in her heart. This definitely wasn’t a coincidence!
She had previously had an encounter with this girl. At that time, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she surprisingly couldn’t catch this girl who had no cultivation.
Thinking back now, this girl’s movement technique was indeed impressive, probably not an ordinary skill.
Hearing Xiao Huo’s words, the girl’s face immediately showed a troubled expression. Her brows furrowed lightly as her voice lowered.
“I… I don’t think I can help Young Master Xiao…”
“It’s alright, Miss Su.”
Xiao Huo seemed to have anticipated she would say this. His face showed no dissatisfaction as he still gently said.
“I’ll try my best to come back alive. You must also take good care of yourself and stay safe.”
After speaking, he said no more and turned toward the alley entrance, his shadow stretching long, carrying a trace of subtle loneliness, as if he was truly leaving full of regret.
“Something’s off. This Xiao Huo is clearly just coveting the girl’s movement technique, right?”
First using a hero-saving-beauty act to build rapport, then using a life-or-death crisis to gain sympathy, and finally deliberately mentioning he lacks a movement technique.
This Xiao Huo really isn’t simple. I wonder how Senior Brother Li’s younger brother will manage to win?
Lin Muyu quietly put away the recording stone and decided to follow him.
Xiao Huo’s action of letting the burly man escape earlier was too suspicious. Perhaps there was something fishy between the two of them.
She held her breath and, using the surrounding buildings as cover, soundlessly followed behind Xiao Huo.
Sure enough, after not going far, she saw Xiao Huo stop at a corner, and the burly man who had fled earlier was waiting there. The two were talking in low voices about something.
Seeing this scene, Lin Muyu completely confirmed her suspicion.
The hero-saving-beauty act just now was completely staged.
But just as she was about to continue eavesdropping, Xiao Huo, as if sensing something, suddenly turned around and shouted coldly.
“Who’s there? Come out!”