Scent of a Woman

*Upon discerning the disdain in Long Hui's tone, Wen Feichen chuckled, "Eliminating Yang Kai and capturing the woman is indeed within our capabilities, without needing their involvement. However, Master Long, if Yang Kai and his companion are venturing deep into Blackwind Mountain, they must be well-prepared for its perils, unlike us. Despite our considerable strength, the mountain is fraught with hidden dangers. Beyond the formidable beasts that inhabit the area, natural traps and poisonous creatures could cause us to lose valuable men. With others clearing the path ahead, we would be spared such concerns."*

*Hearing this, Long Hui finally understood Wen Feichen's plan: he intended to use the men from Fengyun Tower as expendable scouts, to avoid potential risks.*

*"Indeed, Hall Master Wen, your foresight is commendable. It seems I have been somewhat negligent," Long Hui acknowledged with a slight nod.*

*"Master Long, your natural intelligence is unquestionable, yet you are still inexperienced in the ways of the world. Your pure heart simply hasn't considered such tactics," Wen Feichen laughed.*

*As for how to deal with the disciples of Fengyun Tower afterward, the two shared a tacit understanding, rendering further discussion unnecessary. Considering that Xia Ningshang, at such a young age, had already reached the peak of the Separation and Reunion Boundary, it was evident that she was backed by someone powerful. To deal with such an individual, one must either remain neutral or ensure they are thoroughly eliminated. No survivors from Fengyun Tower could be allowed.*

*Once their plans were finalized, the members of the Blood Battle Gang finally retired for the night.*

*The following day, as Wen Feichen had anticipated, Yang Kai and Xia Ningshang left the small town, altering their course to head directly into the Blackwind Mountain range.*

*They waited for half a day after their departure before the members of the Blood Battle Gang and Fengyun Tower dared to follow. Xia Ningshang's strength was formidable, and staying too close might alert her, yet staying too far risked losing their trail. A half-day gap was ideal. Having roamed the Jianghu for many years, Wen Feichen was well-versed in the art of tracking and was confident he wouldn't lose the trail of these two younglings in the woods.*

*Inside Blackwind Mountain, the pace of Yang Kai and Xia Ningshang naturally slowed down.*

*Without the sound of the wind rushing by while riding horses and with the shorter distance between them, the two conversed quite a bit, and over the course of a day, they grew closer.*

*At night, Yang Kai and Xia Ningshang found a towering tree and climbed onto the trunk to rest.*

*The tree trunk was spacious enough, allowing them to sit side by side, with only a small gap between them. Yang Kai could almost catch a whiff of the fragrance emanating from Xia Ningshang.*

*"Little Senior Sister," Yang Kai called out to her, having grown more familiar and comfortable with her presence. Even his way of addressing her had changed, as he found Xia Ningshang to be quite like a child who hadn't fully matured, especially with her innocent and pure eyes and her adorably naive manner of speaking.*

*"Why add 'little' before 'Senior Sister'?" Xia Ningshang asked, displeased.*

*"What's in your bundle?" Yang Kai didn't answer her question and instead pointed at the package she had placed beside her.*

*This question had been on Yang Kai's mind for four or five days, and he couldn't hold back any longer.*

*"This?" Xia Ningshang was easily distracted by the change in topic. She hugged the bundle close to her like a treasure, "These are the materials my Master has been gathering over the years. If you manage to obtain the Nine Yin Yuan Condensing Dew, I'll have to refine it on the spot. The Nine Yin Yuan Condensing Dew is a very special substance; even if it's collected, if it's not refined within an hour, it will gradually dissipate."*

*"I see," Yang Kai nodded.*

*"Junior Brother," Xia Ningshang suddenly called out to him affectionately.*

*"What is it?"*

*"I have a question for you,"*

*"Coincidentally, I also have a question for you," Yang Kai smiled slightly.*

*"Then let's both be honest with each other, shall we?"*

*"Alright!"*

*"I'll go first," Xia Ningshang said eagerly.*

*"Go ahead," Yang Kai chuckled, "I promise not to deceive you."*

*Xia Ningshang pursed her lips, turned to look at Yang Kai, hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I heard from my Master that when he asked for your help, you hesitated, but once you knew it was me who needed assistance, you agreed right away. Why?"*

*"What do you think?" Yang Kai turned to look at her.*

*Their eyes met, and Xia Ningshang blushed. She quickly turned her head away, "I'm not sure, but Master said you have ulterior motives and warned me to be wary of you."*

*"Did Old Man Meng really say that?" Yang Kai was indignant.*

*"Yes," Xia Ningshang candidly revealed, showing no remorse for selling out her Master.*

*"That old codger!" Yang Kai was furious, "What does he take me for?"*

*"So why did you agree so readily?"*

*Yang Kai shot her a sidelong glance and let out a mischievous laugh, "Your Master was right. I do have ulterior motives towards you; that's why I agreed so quickly!"*

*He grinned and slowly leaned toward Xia Ningshang.*

*Startled, Xia Ningshang instinctively backed away. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something and said seriously, "Junior Brother, you can't beat me."*

*That was indeed a valid point. Yang Kai reckoned that if he kept acting up, he would probably be sent flying. Xia Ningshang might be innocent and naive, but that didn't mean she was easy to deal with.*

*Yang Kai stopped his antics, his expression turning serious as he carefully pulled out a small bottle and gently caressed it. "Because of this."*

*Xia Ningshang was puzzled. She looked down and saw that it was a bottle of Lingxiao Pavilion's external injury medicine, Coagulation Blood Relieving Ointment.*

*The scene from over two months ago flashed through her mind, and Xia Ningshang covered her mouth in surprise, staring dumbfounded at Yang Kai. She hadn't expected that he still kept that bottle of Coagulation Blood Relieving Ointment.*

*Yang Kai chuckled, "I know who treats me well. That bottle of Coagulation Blood Relieving Ointment was the first warmth and concern I felt after three years in the Sect."*

*"How did you know..." Xia Ningshang looked at him in disbelief. That bottle of ointment was indeed left for Yang Kai by her, but wasn't he unconscious at the time?*

*Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, "There's a saying, 'recognizing a woman by her fragrance.'"*

*Xia Ningshang's face instantly turned red. That remark had a somewhat flirtatious tone to it.*

*However, her heart felt lighter. So it was merely because of this Coagulation Blood Relieving Ointment, worth just ten contribution points, that he agreed to help her without hesitation. It seemed her Master was mistaken after all.*

*"Your turn to ask," Xia Ningshang said, eager to change the subject now that her question was answered.*

*Yang Kai carefully put away the bottle of Coagulation Blood Relieving Ointment, then asked, "Master Meng didn't come along because of a sudden relapse of an old ailment, did he?"*

*Xia Ningshang looked embarrassed and, after a long pause, shyly admitted, "I drugged him to knock him out."*

*Yang Kai was stunned for a moment and then burst into laughter, unable to stop.*

*"What are you laughing at?" Xia Ningshang was both embarrassed and annoyed, "He suddenly told me not to come that night, so I had no choice but to knock him out."*

*Yang Kai continued laughing, and Xia Ningshang couldn't help but lightly hit him a few times. Only after she had done so did she realize how overly familiar her actions were, and she was momentarily at a loss.*

*"I'm going to rest. You can laugh all you want," Xia Ningshang said, feeling too embarrassed to stay any longer. With a leap, she jumped to another tree branch, refusing to speak with Yang Kai any further.*