Chapter 250: Chapter 245: I Can Protect You
"Wan Xian’Er... a very beautiful name..." Mu Chen repeated the name, murmuring to himself, "A name as beautiful as the person."
After saying this, Mu Chen couldn’t help but take another look at Wan Xian’Er. In his mind, he secretly compared her to Bing’Er and Mo Qing and had to admit the truth. She lacked Bing’Er’s mature, steady, and intellectual nature, and she didn’t have Mo Qing’s gentle, virtuous grace. But she possessed an ethereal liveliness that neither Bing’Er nor Mo Qing had... yes, the kind of liveliness that belonged to a fairy. People had often described Bing’Er and Mo Qing as being *like* fairies, but that was just a comparison, not the real thing. This young woman, however, seemed like a true fairy—utterly sacred, as if she subsisted on something other than worldly fare. It was impossible to harbor any profane thoughts toward her. ’She must have lived in a place rich with Spiritual Qi for a long time to have been so subtly imbued with its essence.’ This was also why Mu Chen hadn’t had many improper thoughts, even after seeing her naked body.
Seeing Mu Chen staring blankly at the ground, Wan Xian’Er suddenly spoke up. "I told you my name. Father told me that when you ask someone their name, you have to tell them yours, too. So, what are you called?"
Mu Chen paused, then gave an embarrassed smile. "You’re right, that was rude of me. I’m Mu Chen, from a small, remote town."
"...Oh... Mu Chen... That’s a nice name, too. I’ve never heard the surname Mu before, though." Wan Xian’Er glanced at her nearly-finished piece of roasted meat, reluctant to let it go, and began to eat more and more slowly.
Seeing this, Mu Chen found the seemingly cold and arrogant girl to be utterly adorable. He smiled. "No need to be so careful. I have plenty more. You can have another when you’re done."
Watching Wan Xian’Er’s cautious manner, Mu Chen propped the piece of meat he was eating next to the fire to keep it warm. He then took two more fresh cuts of meat from his Storage Ring, skillfully skewered them on a branch, and began roasting them over the flames.
Perhaps Mu Chen’s thoughtfulness touched Wan Xian’Er. Wiping the grease from her lips, she said, "On account of you making me this delicious food, I’ll forgive you for peeking at me while I was bathing. But Father said that if you peek at a girl bathing, you have to take responsibility for her. So, from now on, you have to make me delicious food every day."
’If you peek at a girl bathing, you have to take responsibility for her, which means you have to make delicious food for her every day... What kind of logic is that?’ Mu Chen thought, completely dumbfounded.
This trip wasn’t a leisure tour for Mu Chen; he had a very important objective. His destination was fraught with danger, and bringing a young woman along would certainly cause significant delays. Besides, he and this girl were complete strangers. By any measure, taking her with him was not a wise decision.
But when Mu Chen saw her wolfing down the food, his heart softened. Wan Xian’Er was all alone, with no one to rely on. For a girl as innocent as a blank slate to navigate this complex world would be next to impossible. Mu Chen was kind by nature—though, of course, only to those who deserved it. He had a clear sense of who to love and who to hate, and that was the principle by which he always acted.
With a sigh, Mu Chen said resignedly, "But I have something important to do on this trip."
Wan Xian’Er grunted in acknowledgment. "I have something to do, too. But I can go with you. Besides, I don’t even know what it is I’m supposed to do."
Mu Chen’s mouth twitched. ’This girl is impossible to figure out,’ he thought. ’She doesn’t even know what her own business is.’ He cleared his throat twice and continued, "The place I’m going is very far, and the journey is fraught with danger. There’s a high chance of unexpected things happening."
"Oh! Don’t worry, I can protect you. My Martial Artist Realm is Martial Arts Peak," Wan Xian’Er said with the utmost seriousness.
Mu Chen broke into a cold sweat again. ’What is even happening?’ He was clearly worried about *her* safety, but she had somehow twisted his concern around and answered in a way that left him with no room to argue. Still, her Martial Artist Realm was a fact. He just didn’t know how powerful she truly was. Plus, he thought he’d faintly sensed a trace of the Power of Nature—one with a strong affinity—within her Martial Artist Attribute. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was likely the Wind Attribute.
Martial Artists with the Wood Attribute weren’t skilled in direct assault, but they excelled at control. In a group battle, their support could provide a huge boost to the team’s overall strength.
After weighing the pros and cons, Mu Chen finally made a decision. "Fine. I can agree to let you follow me, but you have to listen to me on the road. Otherwise, I’ll leave you behind at a moment’s notice, or you can go your own way. Got it?"
Mu Chen’s main reason for setting this rule was to minimize trouble along the way. After all, Wan Xian’Er’s beauty was far too conspicuous; she would be the center of attention wherever they went. If she were also outgoing, his entire journey would be spent on pins and needles. He could probably handle Martial Artists below the rank of Martial King, but if they ran into a Martial Sect who specialized in attack-type Attributes, Mu Chen would have no choice but to find a way to escape, no matter how capable a fighter he was.
"Mmm..." Seeing that Mu Chen had agreed, Wan Xian’Er gave a small smile. "I know. I’ll do whatever you tell me."
It was a very simple statement, and coming from the innocent Wan Xian’Er, it naturally held no hidden meaning. But Mu Chen’s heart skipped a beat. ’The way she said that makes it sound like I’ve abducted a little girl.’ But then he looked at Wan Xian’Er’s face and shook his head. No matter how one looked at her, she had nothing to do with the word ’cute’.
The two chatted idly as they finished off the roasted meat. It was getting late, and Wan Xian’Er seemed to be exhausted from her ordeal, for she soon fell into a deep sleep by the fire. Mu Chen was just about to enter a state of cultivation, but when he glanced over and saw Wan Xian’Er’s curled-up body and furrowed brow, he couldn’t bear it. He took a blanket from his Storage Ring—an essential item for his travels. The Extreme Martial Continent had entered late autumn, and the weather was growing cold, so a blanket was good to have against the chill. It was always better to be overprepared when leaving home; otherwise, one could easily end up in a predicament like Wan Xian’Er’s.
"I really don’t know how she survived these past two months."
Muttering to himself, Mu Chen walked over to Wan Xian’Er. As he drew closer, he could clearly see the state of her clothes. They were wrinkled, torn, and stained. Although there were faint marks that suggested an attempt at cleaning, this genuine young lady had probably never washed her own clothes before, which was why they looked so tattered.
He gently draped the blanket over Wan Xian’Er. The familiar gesture made him pause, and for a moment, he was reminded of how Mu Bingling had taken such meticulous care of him when they were children. Seeing the furrows on Wan Xian’Er’s brow relax slightly, Mu Chen sighed. "Let me try being an older brother for once."
The night was unusually peaceful—or rather, the area around Mu Chen was. Although a few nocturnal Magical Beasts occasionally passed within the range of his perception, the moment Mu Chen extended his Spiritual Power toward them, they would let out a piteous cry and flee as if begging for mercy.
This phenomenon was both a pleasant surprise and a source of confusion for Mu Chen. After thinking everything over, he gradually came to a conclusion: the benefit must have come from his Profound Dragon Arm... specifically, the Dragon’s Might it possessed.
Dragons were the venerables among Magical Beasts, and a dragon’s aura was that of a Beast Venerable. Therefore, any Magical Beast with even a trace of dragon blood was stronger than others of the same level. When faced with a creature exuding Dragon’s Might, other beasts naturally kept a wide berth. The rules of the World of Warcraft were far stricter than those of the Human World.
The sky began to pale. Mu Chen, who had been lying on his side, quickly sat up and exhaled a deep, turbid breath. He opened his eyes and looked toward the newly risen sun in the distance, a magnificent and grand vista. Nature was truly magical. Every morning, all things were revitalized; it was the time when living creatures were at their most alert. ’This must be the daily cycle,’ Mu Chen thought.
Thinking about it, everything in the world was part of a cycle. Withered grass could grow again. Flowers that faded could bloom again next year. The sun that set today would rise again tomorrow. People died, but new people were born... All of it was a cycle. It was as if, in some unseen dimension, a giant wheel was driving this immutable law, controlling the workings of the entire world—including fate.
Suddenly, a faint glimmer of light flashed through Mu Chen’s mind. It appeared so abruptly and vanished so quickly that by the time he tried to grasp it, to understand it, it was as if nothing had happened at all.
"Mmm..." Just as Mu Chen was puzzling over it, Wan Xian’Er stirred lazily by the extinguished campfire. "The sky... is so bright."
Mu Chen shook his head. "It is. Time to get up. It’ll take us a while to reach the next town from here."
The day before, Mu Chen had already studied the route ahead. Although the scenery here was pleasant, this place was located in an uninhabited region of the southern continent. The nearest nation was a Middle-class Empire called Fenglan Country. *(Author’s Note: The Terral Empire mentioned previously should be a High-class Empire. I, Sui Feng, made a mistake last time and wrote Middle-class Empire.)*
The Fenglan Empire was said to be surrounded by mountains, its terrain rugged, steep, and complex. It was a mountain empire, and it was precisely this geography that had allowed it to grow into a large Middle-class Empire, a notch or two stronger than the Xuanling Empire. Of course, the description on the map was limited, so this was all Mu Chen could learn for now. He would have to explore the rest for himself.
Taking a deep breath, Mu Chen thought, ’Every time I travel, I gain a great deal of experience. I hope that this time, I’ll gain not just experience, but power!’
With that thought, Mu Chen strode to the water’s edge, scooped up a handful of clear lake water, and splashed it on his face. The icy shock instantly invigorated him. As the droplets trickled down his cheeks, he gave a faint smile and whispered, "A new day has begun. Fenglan Empire, here I come..."
