"Little junior sister, don't worry, senior brother will be fine," the green-robed senior brother sitting to Lin Yan's left seemed to notice her troubled expression and said softly.
Little junior sister and eldest senior brother had been close since childhood, so it was natural for her to worry about him. But her own health was also important.
Lin Yan looked at him. This was her fourth senior brother, Ding Yu Cheng, nearly ten years her senior. He cared for her dearly.
"Yes, little junior sister. The fact that eldest senior brother could send a message back proves he's safe. So don't be so anxious. It was so dangerous just now. If you hadn't reacted quickly, you would have fallen off your horse!" the senior brother in the dark blue robe beside her said worriedly.
This was second senior brother, Li Chen Xu, who was also in charge of this excursion. He had joined the sect with prior martial arts training, so he was older. Among their fellow disciples, he was a pillar of strength, but due to his late entry, he couldn't lead the Li Shan Sword Sect.
"I understand, senior brothers. I will act within my limits," Lin Yan nodded slightly.
How wonderful it was that they were alive and well, sitting beside her, showing their concern.
"Host, do you… do you want to moderate your emotions?" the system asked cautiously.
It was very concerned about its host, especially given the lingering, intense emotions left by the original host, and everything she experienced after becoming a soul. Those memories were affecting her, and the system feared psychological issues. In previous worlds, it hadn't been much of an issue, but this world was more dangerous, and any problems with the host's state would surely impact future missions.
"Not for now. Let's talk about it after everything is over. My current emotions make it easier for me to act!" Lin Yan chuckled. With such emotions, she could face the male lead more calmly.
Hearing Lin Yan's words, the system became even more worried. What could it do? It felt like its host was becoming a little frightening.
"It's good that you can think like this. I know you're worried about eldest senior brother, but since he sent a message, he'll be fine. You saw the letter, it was eldest senior brother's handwriting, so you're just being overly concerned!" The junior brother who looked like a boy also spoke. This was her youngest senior brother, Zhao Yu Shu, only two or three years older than Lin Yan's current body. According to his entry date, he should have called Lin Yan "senior sister," but he used his age as an excuse to coax her into calling him "little senior brother" since childhood.
"Alright, don't talk about little junior sister anymore. Who wasn't worried when the letter came back?" Li Chen Xu gave Lin Yan a way out.
Lin Yan smiled gratefully at second senior brother and continued eating the pastries in front of her.
Suddenly, a furious roar came from the doorway: "Villain, die!"
A figure flew into the tavern, crashing onto the floor. Lin Yan flinched in shock, and her senior brothers immediately shielded her, their hands on their sword hilts. At this moment, the other person in this farce appeared in Lin Yan's sight.
He was a thin, gloomy man, and his gaze towards the person on the floor was filled with hatred. "Villain Zhang Wu, accept your death! In the underworld, don't forget to apologize to my parents, wife, and children!" The man who entered later pressed his sword against the neck of the fallen Zhang Wu.
"Just because you're not as skilled as me, eighteen years from now, I'll be a hero again!" Zhang Wu on the ground coldly mocked the man seeking revenge. He remembered this man, and he remembered their grudge. So what? He had enjoyed his life enough; even if he died now, this life was sufficient!
"Apologize? How could I possibly? Kill me if you want, stop with the nonsense!"
"Unrepentant! Then I shall use your head to mourn my departed wife and children!" As he spoke, his sword moved. The next moment, that head was severed! Blood splattered three feet high, spraying directly onto the tavern wall. The blood was dazzlingly red!
Then the man knelt on the ground and let out a long sigh to the heavens, "My wife, Bao'er. I've avenged you! I've avenged you!"
Lin Yan stared at the severed head. Her medical knowledge told her that the person whose head was cut off was beyond saving; her anatomical knowledge told her that the sword shouldn't have been able to sever a neck so easily; her physics knowledge told her that the blood should have splattered higher. Her remaining reason told her she should call the police, but she also knew it would be useless.
Her mind was a mess, yet it was also very clear. At this very moment, Lin Yan clearly realized that this was not a lawful society, and human life had no guarantee in this world. A living person had just vanished before her eyes. Perhaps this person was evil incarnate, deserving of death. But wasn't that something the law should punish?
Lin Yan stared blankly at the scene. She needed more martial power to survive in this world! To live peacefully!
"Little junior sister?" Li Chen Xu was the first to notice Lin Yan's distress and immediately asked with concern. He seemed to guess the reason for her state and quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the scene. The others also noticed and gathered around, forming a protective circle around Lin Yan.
"Second senior brother," Lin Yan said dazedly, "is that person dead?"
"Don't be scared, little junior sister! He was a bad person, his death is insignificant," Li Chen Xu patiently soothed Lin Yan.
"I… I'm not scared." Lin Yan tried hard to calm herself. She was a little uncomfortable, but not this much. But how could the original host, a naive young girl, accept such a thing?
The senior brothers exchanged glances and made a decision. The youngest senior brother quickly acted, pressing a pressure point on Lin Yan's sleeping acupoint from behind. Lin Yan's vision went black, and she lost consciousness.
"We should have covered little junior sister's eyes earlier!" Second senior brother Li Chen Xu caught Lin Yan as she slumped.
"It's that man's fault! Why kill someone in a tavern of all places!" Youngest senior brother Zhao Yu Cheng couldn't help but complain. Not only them, but everyone in the tavern was complaining about the man, but he paid them no mind. He slowly stood up from the ground, picked up Zhang Wu's head, then took out a silver ingot from his pocket and, amidst the tavern owner's mournful gaze, tossed it onto the counter.
"This is compensation for the establishment. Please dispose of this corpse in the common grave!" With that, he picked up Zhang Wu's head and walked out of the tavern step by step. The dripping blood from the head, accompanied by his footsteps, fell on the path he took!
"He's also a pitiable soul!" The tavern owner picked up the silver ingot and sighed softly.