Chapter 83: The Most Adorable People (I’ll do my best to update more frequently in the coming days—hoping to write a few more chapters before the official release!)

As soon as the cloak's effect faded, the few Qianghu warriors who had managed to survive and were trying to escape were all swiftly cut down by Xiao Hongyu’s personal guards, who had finally regained their senses.

Only then did Xiao Hongyu turn around, the murderous look on his face softening noticeably.

“You are... Wang Keyue!” He almost immediately recognized the identity of the black-clad figure before him.

Wang Keyue was not surprised that Xiao Hongyu could recognize her at a glance. After all, the miniature crossbow on her right wrist had already exposed her identity, and she had never intended to conceal it.

She smiled calmly at Xiao Hongyu, nodding in acknowledgment.

Little did she know that this serene, trusting smile, in Xiao Hongyu’s eyes at that moment, shone like a lone star in the darkness. And those sparkling, dark, smiling eyes seemed to possess a certain magic—he felt his cheeks flush and his heart pound like thunder.

Xiao Hongyu hurriedly steadied his wildly beating heart, but couldn’t help stealing another glance at the girl beside him.

Damn! Xiao Hongyu almost wanted to slap himself. She was still just a young girl, not even of age, and here he was letting his thoughts run wild!

He quickly turned away, rubbing his nose in embarrassment. In his mind, he recalled the wrinkled, cheerful smile of Doctor Wang, and couldn’t help but grumble inwardly: such a cute, lively girl, yet she could disguise herself as a grumpy old man and fool everyone. His respect for Wang Keyue’s abilities grew even greater.

This young girl before him shared his fate, had even saved his life—and now, risking everything, she had traveled countless miles to rescue him from this perilous place!

At that thought, Xiao Hongyu’s expression grew solemn once more. He turned, cupped his fists, and bowed deeply to Wang Keyue, his face earnest and sincere. “Miss Xiao Yue, I have no way to repay your life-saving kindness...”

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t! Brother Xiao, what’s with all this formality? With our relationship, you don’t need to go there!” Wang Keyue hurriedly waved her hand, afraid that his next line would be something like pledging himself to her. Adopting a nonchalant, buddy-like demeanor, she said, “Just call me Xiao Yue. I usually dress as a boy anyway—makes things a lot easier around here!” She gave him a conspiratorial look, as if to say, “You know how it is.”

In Wang Keyue’s mind, the gratitude notifications just kept popping up. From the moment they met until now, he had probably offered up dozens of hearts full of gratitude! She couldn’t help but think to herself, soldiers really are the most adorable people.

Seeing the girl act so familiar, Xiao Hongyu couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t even realize that his gaze toward her had grown indulgent. “Xiao Yue, how did you end up here?”

Suddenly remembering the communicator’s so-called “heart-to-heart” function, Wang Keyue quickly asked, “Are you injured? Is it serious?”

“Uh, well…” Xiao Hongyu was a bit surprised. He’d only asked in passing, not expecting that she really had come to save him. He couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy.

He lifted his left wrist, the one with the communicator, and tried to sound casual. “Yeah, I’m a bit hurt, but it’s nothing life-threatening. But the communicator you gave me…”

Wang Keyue looked up and gasped. The gash on Xiao Hongyu’s wrist was nearly a foot long, the wound starkly visible. If the communicator hadn’t blocked the blade, his hand would probably have been chopped off entirely.

With a gentle tug, Xiao Hongyu removed the communicator from his wrist. The strap had been sliced cleanly by a sharp weapon, but thanks to its tough material, it hadn’t been severed completely and had managed to protect his arm.

The main body of the communicator was unharmed. Wang Keyue took it from him, stowed it away in her space, and instructed Xiaobao to send it back to the store for repairs.

While Xiao Hongyu applied medicine to his wound, he recalled the sneak attack by that towering Qianghu warrior, his anger flaring. As expected, there was indeed a traitor in his own ranks!

He resolved that, once he returned, he would root out the mole.

Standing at a distance, Wang Keyue found herself with nothing to do. She glanced around at the soldiers clearing the battlefield. As she looked, she noticed several white lights flickering above the corpses of the fallen Qianghu warriors, especially over the burly, bearded giant at her feet.

Those white lights were like loot bags left behind! Wang Keyue hopped around happily, gathering each and every white light on the battlefield into her own space. Xiaobao was already cheering excitedly inside.

Watching Wang Keyue dart hither and thither across the field, Xiao Hongyu’s deep brown eyes narrowed with amusement. He glanced sidelong at the corpse of Bamuta, the bravest Qianghu warrior—the very one he had beheaded. With a faint smile, he nudged the body with his foot, perfectly mirroring Wang Keyue’s actions.