Chapter 65: A salty taste filled the mouth

The debts owed in the martial world will eventually have to be repaid; Elder Peng and Elder Jian cleared theirs that day. Elder Liang was comparatively fortunate, his overdue period lasting as long as half a month.

Now, he has also cleared his debt.

Hong Qigong stared at the corpse on the snow, his eyes vacant, his expression numb.

After a flicker of despair passed, he suddenly raised his right hand, intending to strike his own forehead with a palm, but as soon as his arm lifted halfway, it went limp and dropped.

"Chief!"

"Chief!"

Seeing this, the Beggar Sect disciples beside him filled their faces with sorrow; some even began to choke back sobs.

Only then did Hong Qigong react.

His martial arts had been abolished; he was now an ordinary person.

The sky had gradually grown dim, the wind and snow howled without cease.

Hong Qigong felt the bone‑chilling cold; he couldn't help but shrink his body—a sensation he had never experienced since he began practicing martial arts.

Is this what it feels like to be an ordinary person? The last time he felt this way seemed far off, roughly many years ago.

His mind began to grow confused.

"Go."

Niu Dingtian stood to the side, his clothes and hair flying in the strong wind; after a moment of silence, he spoke softly.

If he said he wouldn't kill him, he wouldn't; if he said he would abolish his martial arts, he would abolish only his martial arts.

Hong Qigong remained dazed, saying nothing.

After a while, he leaned on his Dog Beating Stick and, with difficulty, rose to his feet; supported by several Beggar Sect disciples, he staggered away gradually.

Finally, he vanished into the boundless wind and snow.

All around fell silent—no! There was still the howl of the cold wind.

Niu Dingtian slowly turned around, facing Han Xiao Ying ahead; he sensed her gaze meeting his, while Han Xiao Ying gripped her sword sheath tightly, her brows lowered, unwilling to meet his eyes.

Niu Dingtian suddenly stepped forward.

Han Xiao Ying instinctively tried to step back.

But it was too late; as soon as she lifted her toes, her delicate frame was already swept into Niu Dingtian's overbearing embrace.

Feeling the hot breath against her chest, she was momentarily at a loss, her eyes showing some panic; she twisted slightly, trying to struggle, but found that the more she struggled, the tighter the hold became.

In the end, she gave up; though she could barely breathe, she also began to lose herself in this sensation, unconsciously raising her arms and slowly wrapping them around him.

"Lao Er? What's going on?"

Ke Zhen'e knew the Beggar Sect crowd had left, but after listening for a long time he heard no movement, so he couldn't help asking Lao Er beside him.

In an instant, his words broke the atmosphere.

Han Xiao Ying suddenly woke up, instinctively wanting to break free from the embrace.

"Don't move!"

Yet a voice came from beside him—gentle, indulgent, and somewhat overbearing.

"Big brother, it's fine."

Lao Er Zhu Cong reacted, then hurriedly explained.

Ke Zhen'e, hearing the voice, looked doubtful again, about to ask further, but Lao Er Zhu Cong already covered his mouth with his hand.

"Big brother, let's hurry back; Jing'er must be worrying about us!"

Immediately, the two brothers pulled him left and right as they walked off into the distance.

"Lao Er! La San! Don't pull me!"

"Don't pull me!"

The voices faded away until they disappeared, leaving the two of them still entwined.

"I miss you."

He buried his head, deeply inhaling the scent from Han Xiao Ying's hair bun, and his mouth muffledly uttered the sound of longing.

Hearing Niu Dingtian's words, Han Xiao Ying's heart stirred; she wanted to speak, but thousands of words choked in her throat, and in the end she simply clenched her arms tightly.

After a long while

Only then did Niu Dingtian slowly lift his head, his gaze invasive like fire, fixed tightly on the delicate face before him.

His breath, as if it could melt the drifting snow filling the sky.

Han Xiao Ying felt the invasiveness of his gaze, felt his robust body, merely staring blankly, clutching her sword sheath tightly, at a loss what to do.

She knew Niu Dingtian's intentions, and she felt his desire all the more.

I was born before you; you were born after I had already grown old.

These days, she dared not face her own age, feeling inferior; thus she left, hiding in the great desert trying to escape this feeling.

Until today, pursued by the Five Absolutes, she felt somewhat despairing, thinking she would die here and never see him again.

So she began to regret, regretting her cowardly escape, which had almost become an eternal farewell.

But she never dreamed they would meet again, just as they had outside Luoyang City before, when he stood in front of her.

Feeling the masculine aura blowing toward her, she suddenly grew a bit greedy.

She was already twenty‑five—how many more years could she stay young? In a few more years, would he still hold her like this? Thinking this, she suddenly panicked, unwilling to keep fleeing.

"I"

Thinking of this, Han Xiao Ying murmured.

Before she could speak, Niu Dingtian lowered his head and fiercely kissed her lips.

Han Xiao Ying slowly closed her eyes, slightly parted her lips and teeth, and docilely welcomed his overbearing intrusion.

Feeling the warm, wandering hands, feeling the greed in his mouth, the emotions she had long suppressed finally found release at this moment, and she too began to grow dazed.

Originally, he liked himself this way.

Han Xiao Ying felt that the current Niu Dingtian was very overbearing, lacking even a trace of the previous gentle and jade-like demeanor, just as he had arrogantly blocked in front of himself earlier, just as he had madly abolished Northern Beggar Hong Qigong's martial arts.

Just like this kiss at the moment, he kissed with great force, wildly, domineeringly demanding, making his own mouth somewhat sore.

Han Xiao Ying felt a salty taste in her mouth, but at this moment she could no longer care about it.

The cold wind howled incessantly, the heavy snow flying all over the sky, covering up the two persons' heavy breathing.

Unfortunately, good times don't last.

Chirp~

A sharp cry of a male eagle suddenly tore across the vast snowy plain.

After Niu Dingtian woke up startled, he began to slowly pull away from Han Xiao Ying's lips, while her lips had already been bitten swollen by him, with traces of blood.

The two breathed lightly, gazing at each other; after a long time, Han Xiao Ying lowered her head with a red face, slowly tidying her disheveled clothes and smoothing the hair at her forehead.

And Niu Dingtian merely stood aside, watching.

"Right! I almost forgot it!"

"Wait for me a moment, I'll go and come back right away!"

After a while, he seemed to suddenly think of something, he slapped his forehead sharply, after giving two quick instructions, he vanished directly from the spot, turning into a fleeting shadow that darted off into the distance.

After only a few breaths, he returned once more to Han Xiao Ying's side; at this moment, he had an extra treasure sword in his hand.

"Give"

Niu Dingtian reached out and handed over the treasure sword.

Upon seeing the few characters on the sword's body, Han Xiao Ying broke into a sweet smile, no longer feeling the nervousness of their first meeting; she immediately reached out to take the treasure sword, and with a "click", she slid it directly into its scabbard.

"Let's go.

"Hmm"

(End of chapter)