Rongzhou is located in the southwestern part of the Jiuzhou Continent, bordering Shizhou to the north and Angzhou to the east. It should have been a prosperous land, but due to its treacherous mountains and scorching climate, it was not favored by cultivators. Over time, it became sparsely populated and lacked abundant vegetation.
Within Rongzhou, there was only one city different from the rest, and that was Mo City, home to the Qiming Academy.
Many cultivators traveled great distances to Mo City just to send their children to Qiming Academy for their studies, making Mo City the foremost large city in Rongzhou.
On this day, as the sky began to lighten, cultivators were already moving about in Mo City.
"Zhang Nannan, where are you going?"
Wang Yao had barely taken a few steps out of his house when he saw Zhang Nannan heading in the opposite direction of Qiming Academy. He immediately called out to her.
"Wang Yao?"
"Zhang Nannan, class is about to start. Where are you going?"
Wang Yao found it strange. Zhang Nannan was usually the first to arrive at the academy. Why was she acting differently today?
After graduating from the academy, he and Zhang Nannan had stayed to become teaching assistants for the instructors.
They had a good relationship, so Wang Yao took the initiative to greet Zhang Nannan.
Zhang Nannan’s expression was a little flustered. "Oh, I, I, I have something to do. I’ll be back for class shortly."
After speaking, Zhang Nannan tried to leave. Wang Yao quickened his steps and blocked her path, looking suspicious. "Zhang Nannan, your expression is a bit off. Is something wrong? Tell me, maybe I can help."
Zhang Nannan bit her lower lip in annoyance.
She had specifically chosen to leave at a time close to the start of class to avoid running into anyone she knew. She hadn't expected to be spotted, and by Wang Yao, who couldn't keep anything a secret.
Zhang Nannan thought that if she told Wang Yao the truth, he would surely turn around and blab it to everyone, so she absolutely could not tell him.
She organized her thoughts and, feigning calmness, smoothed her hair. "My Evil Banishing Sword accidentally got a chip in it. I'm going to find Uncle Wang to help me fix it. Don't stop me, or we'll both be late."
"Are you telling the truth?" Wang Yao felt something was amiss and asked again.
"Of course, I am. Hurry to the academy. I'll be back after I'm done."
After speaking, Zhang Nannan took a sidestep and hurried past Wang Yao.
Wang Yao stood in place, thinking for a moment. Then, with a glint in his eye, he quietly followed.
There was no practical swordsmanship class today. Zhang Nannan could have waited until after school to get her sword repaired. So, she had been lying just now.
Wang Yao was very curious. The more Zhang Nannan tried to hide it from him, the more he wanted to find out what was going on.
Zhang Nannan hadn't expected Wang Yao to follow her, so she wasn't paying attention to the movements behind her. She didn't discover the little tail until she was out of the city.
She kept her head down, not checking her direction, just walking forward with her fingers clenched into fists.
Wang Yao followed far behind, his eyes filled with confusion.
Class was about to start. Where exactly was Zhang Nannan going?
Wang Yao looked back hesitantly. If he didn't return soon, he would miss the instructors' lecture.
As a teaching assistant, it was his dereliction of duty to be absent from the classroom when the instructor was teaching.
However, Zhang Nannan's strangeness made him unable to completely relax. Just as he was about to call out to Zhang Nannan again, Zhang Nannan stopped voluntarily.
Wang Yao closed his mouth, which had just opened, and cautiously hid behind a pile of rubble, watching Zhang Nannan's direction with curiosity.
Zhang Nannan spread her palm, revealing a purple snake-shaped token.
Wang Yao's eyes widened. What was this thing?
Wang Yao suppressed his inner confusion and continued to watch. He saw the snake-shaped token in Zhang Nannan's hand suddenly rise into the air, leaving her palm and floating in front of her.
Then, a graceful figure appeared before Zhang Nannan.
Wang Yao bit his hand excitedly, managing to swallow the exclamation that was about to escape his lips.
Teleportation? Or translocation?
When had Zhang Nannan met such a powerful female cultivator?
Too many questions piled up in Wang Yao's mind, and he watched with even greater focus.
Wang Yao couldn't tell what trick the female cultivator was performing, as her face was always shrouded in a layer of mist, making it impossible to see clearly. Furthermore, he couldn't hear a single word of her conversation with Zhang Nannan.
He could only tell that Zhang Nannan's attitude towards the female cultivator was very respectful, even more so than her usual demeanor towards the instructors, and even more humble.
Just as Wang Yao was frowning and guessing the female cultivator's identity, the woman suddenly turned her head and looked at him.
Wang Yao felt a flash of white light, and the next moment he let out a scream and fell to the ground. Where his eyes had been, only two bloody empty sockets remained.
"Holy Servant, no!"
Zhang Nannan reached out and grabbed the female cultivator's arm, shaking her head in panic.
"Hmm?"
The female cultivator glanced coldly at Zhang Nannan.
Zhang Nannan immediately withdrew her hand and knelt on one knee. "Holy Servant, this is my friend. He did not deliberately eavesdrop on our conversation. I beg you, Holy Servant, to spare his life."
After speaking, Zhang Nannan held her breath, not daring to look up, cursing herself for being careless and not noticing she was being followed.
"Pity for your first offense, I will let this slide. If there is a next time, not only will he die, but you will be buried with him. Do you understand?"
"Understood."
Zhang Nannan replied respectfully. When she looked up again, the figure before her had vanished without a trace.
She didn't dwell on their previous conversation but quickly went to check on Wang Yao's condition.
Wang Yao had already passed out from the pain, but blood was still seeping from his eyes.
Zhang Nannan quickly took out her storage bag and applied medicine to Wang Yao, stopping the bleeding. Then, she pried open Wang Yao's mouth and gave him a pill. Only then did she collapse beside Wang Yao, filled with both anger and anxiety.
Wang Yao's injuries were very severe. If she brought him back to Mo City, she wouldn't be able to hide it from the instructors at Qiming Academy, and then her own affairs would be exposed.
No, she couldn't.
Zhang Nannan gritted her teeth, slung Wang Yao over her back, and continued to move further away.
Not long after, she arrived at a low, overgrown mountain. Familiar with the area, she found a hidden cave at the foot of the mountain and placed Wang Yao inside.
"Wang Yao, you rest here for the next few days. I'll come to see you tomorrow."
The wilderness was a place for disciples of Qiming Academy to practice combat, with extremely low risk, making it suitable for Wang Yao to hide.
Fearing that nearby demonic beasts would be attracted by the scent of blood, Zhang Nannan specifically sealed the exit with a spell before leaving, albeit reluctantly.
On the way back, Zhang Nannan's hands trembled violently as she thought of Wang Yao covered in blood.
She suddenly realized that her previous idea might have been too simplistic.
The Holy Servant's expression when she injured Wang Yao was like that of slaughtering a pig or a dog, showing no hint of mercy, which was completely different from what she had imagined.
She couldn't help but think of Xu Yi, who had studied with her at Qiming Academy. Xu Yi came from a prominent family and had considerable cultivation, yet she possessed none of the arrogance or oppressive aura of someone from a high position.
Zhang Nannan wondered if she had made a mistake this time.