Chapter 283

Yilin saw this and suddenly felt a pang of panic; her hands trembled and she dropped him.

"Ah!"

Yilin cried out in alarm and swiftly performed the move "Honor the Sacred Scripture," bending low and extending her arms to catch him.

Fortunately, the move was executed swiftly enough that Jiang Sishui wasn't dropped.

But the young nun herself was unsteady on her feet; she stumbled and fell straight into Jiang Sishui's arms.

Jiang Sishui, as if struck by pain, instinctively clutched his chest—and in doing so, he naturally embraced the young nun.

313 Her heart, newly awakened to love, stirred with worldly longing.

Yilin was already off-balance, and with Jiang Sishui's embrace, her body tilted further forward.

By sheer coincidence, the girl's smooth forehead pressed directly against Jiang Sishui's lips.

Yilin felt a sudden warmth on her forehead; she froze for a moment, then realized what had happened—and her heart plunged into panic.

She quickly pushed herself up, stepping back two paces to regain her footing.

In the darkness, the girl's face burned crimson; she felt her ears and neck scorching hot.

She never imagined she'd had such an intimate contact with a man.

In that instant, the girl's innate modesty and guilt over violating Fomen's precepts surged together, filling her heart with a tangle of emotions.

Just as she was at a loss, Jiang Sishui let out two heavy, labored breaths.

Yilin steadied herself and asked anxiously: "You… you… I'm sorry, I… I didn't mean to. Are you… are you in pain from your wound?"

Jiang Sishui clutched his chest and waved his hand: "It's fine. Rest a while."

A moment ago, in the emergency, Yilin had focused solely on protecting her savior, forgetting her own exhaustion.

Now that she'd stopped, she felt as if her limbs were about to come apart.

Hearing Jiang Sishui say this, she didn't pretend to be strong; she collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Jiang Sishui warned: "You ran so hard you forgot to regulate your breath—that's a grave mistake for anyone who practices Wu Gong; you'll easily injure yourself."

Yilin's cheeks flushed slightly. "Thank you, Brother Jiang, for the advice. My Master taught me this, but I was in such a panic I forgot."

After a pause, she asked: "How is your wound now?"

Jiang Sishui thought a moment. "The pain's mostly gone; just a slight numbness and itch."

Yilin beamed: "Good! Good! Numbness and itch mean healing—never thought it'd recover this fast!"

Jiang Sishui, seeing her boundless joy, felt a flicker of shame—but his plan couldn't be abandoned; he showed no sign: "That's the power of your sect's miraculous medicine."

"Brother Jiang, do you know… which sect I belong to?" Yilin asked, surprised.

Jiang Sishui chuckled: "You wear a nun's robe, have no hair, and carry Wu Gong—you're clearly from Hengshan Sect."

Yilin froze, then suddenly understood.

Of course—she was a nun, and in Jinzhou, there was only one nunneries where women shaved their heads to practice—almost certainly Hengshan Sect.

It wasn't hard to guess.

Yilin smiled shyly, embarrassed: "I'm sorry to make you laugh, Brother Jiang—I'm so foolish. By the way, my name is Yilin."

Jiang Sishui smiled: "I'm Jiang. Call me Brother Jiang—no need to say 'this brother' over and over."

Yilin's face flushed slightly, but she didn't refuse: "Yes… Brother Jiang."

The young nun was naturally beautiful, her aura pure and clean, like a celestial maiden of Fomen—saintly and otherworldly.

Now, with her cheeks flushed like dawn, revealing the tender shyness of a young girl, she was like a peony kissed by morning dew—exquisitely lovely beyond words.

Jiang Sishui also knew this girl had a simple heart, innocent and kind as clear water—and he felt a fresh pang of tenderness.

His thoughts drifted, and his gaze lingered a moment too long.

Yilin felt his stare and panicked, her heart pounding like a startled fawn; she stammered: "Brother Jiang, are you hungry? Thirsty? Shall I go find you something to eat?"

Jiang Sishui shook his head and asked in return: "How did you meet that flower-snatcher?"

"He slipped into my room while I slept, locked my meridians, and quietly carried me off," Yilin said, frustrated.

But as she mentioned it, she suddenly remembered something.

Wasn't she protected by the Kunji Seal? Then why had the flower-snatcher's attack done nothing?

What was going on?

Earlier, overwhelmed by sudden disaster and lacking worldly experience, the young nun had missed this detail—but now she finally recalled it.

She pondered for a while with her not-very-sharp mind, found no answer, and frowned.

Jiang Sishui thought she was distressed over being kidnapped and comforted her: "At least it's over now. Just be more careful in the future."

Yilin nodded gently and let the thought go.

She looked up at Jiang Sishui and said softly: "I owe you so much, Brother Jiang. If you hadn't saved me, I'd be ruined. But… but your wound is so severe because of me… I… I…"

Her eyes grew red.

Seeing tears about to spill, Jiang Sishui hurriedly said: "Don't cry, don't cry—if you cry and your face gets smudged, someone might think I'm bullying you—and then I'd never be able to clear my name."

Yilin quickly wiped her tears and apologized: "I didn't mean to cry. I just… I'm sorry, am I really that useless?"

Jiang Sishui shook his head, then sighed bitterly: "Too bad my cultivation went awry—my strength is down to less than a tenth these two days. Otherwise, that little thief—I'd have caught him with one move!"

If anyone else heard Jiang Sishui say this, they'd think he was boasting—but Yilin was different.

Yilin had a simple mind, pure thoughts, no hidden schemes or cunning.

So when Jiang Sishui said it, she believed him.

"Oh! Then if your power hasn't returned and you're wounded, what should you do?"

Yilin looked deeply worried.

Jiang Sishui smiled: "No problem. I'll just practice for a while—it'll be fine."

Saying this, he pushed himself upright, regulated his inner breath, and began to circulate Qi.

Yilin dared not disturb him either; she gathered her spirit and guarded his meditation.

(Is it good?) Time passed slowly, and no pursuers ever arrived; Yilin's heartstrings relaxed slightly.

She looked again at Jiang Sishui, saw his face had turned ruddy, knew his injuries were improving, and felt even more joy in her heart.

As she watched, Yilin's heart-lake suddenly rippled, the waves growing ever more turbulent, impossible to calm.

Yilin's heart panicked; she quickly turned her head away.

Yet after only a moment, she could not help but glance back again.

This cycle repeated over and over.

She did not know which glance it was; when Yilin's gaze swept across, it happened to meet Jiang Sishui's eyes...

Yilin was startled, quickly closed her eyes and turned around, her pure heart pounding wildly.

Yet from behind came Jiang Sishui's loud laughter.

Yilin's cheeks flushed red; she shyly asked, "W-why are you laughing, Zhou?"

Just as Jiang Sishui was about to speak, a meteor streaked swiftly across the sky on the left-hand mountain side, carving a long trail of firelight in the heavens.

314 The Little Nun Wants to Leave the Order? The Flower Fairy Enters the Heavenly Realm

"Look! A meteor!" Jiang Sishui pointed to the sky.

Yilin looked where he pointed and said, "Senior Sister Yijing said that if someone sees a meteor, ties a knot in their sash, and makes a wish in their heart, as long as the knot is tied and the wish made before the meteor vanishes, then that wish will be granted. Do you think that is true?"

Jiang Sishui pondered briefly and said, "I do not know. We might as well try, though I fear our hands and feet are not that fast."

Saying this, he pinched his sash: "You prepare too; if you are even a moment slow, it will be too late."

Yilin pinched her sash and stared blankly at the horizon.

Although autumn had already arrived, there were many meteors tonight; within moments, one streaked across the vast sky.

Yet the meteor vanished in an instant; Yilin's finger moved only once, and the meteor was already gone.

She softly uttered "Ah," then waited again.

The second meteor traveled from west to east, trailing quite long; Yilin's movements were agile, and she actually managed to tie a knot.

Jiang Sishui smiled and said, "Good, good! You tied it! May the Bodhisattva Guanyin protect you and surely grant your wish."

Yilin sighed and said, "I was so focused on tying the knot that I thought of nothing in my heart."

"Then think quickly and decide first; silently repeat it in your heart a few times beforehand, so you won't get busy tying the knot and forget to make the wish." Jiang Sishui suggested.

Yilin nodded her jade head lightly.

Holding her sash, she could not help but think, "What wish should I make? What wish should I make?"

Suddenly she glanced at Jiang Sishui, her cheeks instantly flushed red again, and she quickly turned her head away.

At that moment, several meteors streaked across the sky in succession; Jiang Sishui shouted and called out, constantly saying, "Another one! Oh, this one is very long; did you tie a knot? Is it too late again this time?"

Yilin's heart was in utter chaos; deep within her, a longing wish faintly existed.