I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 48 - Bodyguard Dong Tianming

—

After leaving the Xinhuo Pavilion, Xu Shen had already removed the Mask of Shadows. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it—it was truly a miraculous item.

When taken off, it turned into a thin, pliable material resembling a face mask. It was so compact that it could be folded and tucked into his pocket with ease. It was the perfect tool for him.

Once he put it on, let Qu Zhixing try to figure out who he was.

Jiang Ruyue hadn’t asked about the black blade—where it came from or how it disappeared. Naturally, Xu Shen didn’t bring it up either. Some secrets were better left unspoken, and Jiang Ruyue, with his age and experience, understood that well.

It was likely because of the black blade that Jiang Ruyue had decided to fully support Xu Shen’s concealment. He had also shared some advice on navigating the Core Solidification (Gu Xin) realm.

Xu Shen’s breakthrough into Core Solidification had been fueled by his “killing heart.” His heart had now become one of pure killing intent. Cultivators with such a disposition were prone to instability, often succumbing to madness and going on rampages.

Jiang Ruyue advised him to engage in activities that nurtured his emotions—engraving runes for others, painting, gardening, and the like. Once Xu Shen could fully control the killing intent within his heart, he would be close to breaking through to Flame Mastery.

—

“A killing heart, huh… It hasn’t drastically increased my combat power, but it’s still stronger than Awakening Realm,” Xu Shen mused as he walked down the bustling street. Wu Yun had only dropped him off before disappearing again, leaving Xu Shen to find his own way back.

“Every realm has its extreme state. I wonder what the extreme state of Core Solidification is?” he pondered.

The extreme state of Awakening Realm had greatly enhanced his physical body, granting him powerful self-healing abilities and other traits. He was curious about what Core Solidification would bring.

Checking the time, Xu Shen realized it wasn’t too late. After some thought, he hailed a cab and headed toward Wang Qingqing’s location.

—

When he arrived, he found that Wang Qingqing had already woken up and been discharged from the treatment room. He located her room and pushed open the door to find her half-lying on the bed. She wore a pristine white hospital gown, her face still pale, and her injured arm heavily bandaged.

“Hey there, wifey! Give me a kiss!” Xu Shen grinned mischievously as he approached her.

Wang Qingqing smiled faintly but said nothing.

Just as Xu Shen leaned closer, he felt a cold gaze behind him. His expression froze as he slowly turned around with an awkward smile.

“Hehe… Uncle Wang, why are you standing there like a door guardian? Not saying anything?” Xu Shen chuckled nervously.

Wang Bing stepped out from behind the door, holding a leather belt in his hand. “You brat! If I weren’t here watching, would I be holding a grandchild next year?”

“Ahaha… You’re too funny!” Xu Shen dodged nimbly as Wang Bing swung the belt at him.

SMACK!

Despite his efforts, Xu Shen still got hit twice on the backside, wincing in pain.

“Hmph! Watch yourself around Qingqing. I’m heading to the department,” Wang Bing warned sternly as he fastened his belt. “Don’t try anything funny, or I’ll castrate you.”

With that parting threat, Wang Bing left the room.

—

Inside, Xu Shen and Wang Qingqing exchanged a silent glance.

“Why couldn’t you just stay in your room? Why did you have to come out?” Xu Shen sighed after a moment, glancing at her bandaged arm.

At the time, he had been so focused on holding back the corpse apes that he hadn’t noticed when Wang Qingqing had left the building.

“If I hadn’t done something, people would’ve died,” Wang Qingqing replied nonchalantly, shaking her head.

—

SLAM!

Xu Shen slapped his hand against the bedframe, his expression serious and his eyes slightly red.

“Did you even think about yourself? You’re just at Awakening Realm—what were you doing out there?!”

“If something had happened to you, how would I explain it to Uncle Wang?!”

“What would I do?!” Xu Shen’s voice cracked with emotion as he glared at her.

Wang Qingqing lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes. Her voice was barely audible as she murmured, “I just… didn’t want you to face it alone…”

—

Xu Shen froze for a moment before his expression softened. Taking a deep breath, he gently lifted her chin so their eyes met.

“If I’m alone out there, it means I have a way to survive,” he said firmly. “Do you know how many times I’ve faced death over the years? And yet here I am.”

“But if something happened to you…” He trailed off as his eyes widened in surprise.

Wang Qingqing had suddenly leaned forward!

Her lips were soft and cool, with a faint hint of sweetness. The kiss was brief but left Xu Shen completely stunned.

Blushing furiously, Wang Qingqing quickly lay back down and pulled the blanket over half her face.

—

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

Xu Shen stared blankly for a moment before breaking into a goofy grin. “Hey… wifey… I think something was off with that kiss. How about we try again?”

“Get lost!!”

“Aw, come on! Just one more time! The first time is always awkward—you’ve already started—”

In the end, Xu Shen didn’t get his wish. After some playful banter, his expression turned slightly more serious.

“I’m not going to university,” he said suddenly.

—

Wang Qingqing immediately sat up, her eyes wide with shock. “Are you crazy?”

She knew how much Xu Shen wanted to attend university. One of the conditions he had negotiated with Jiang Youyi had been about going to school. Why was he suddenly giving up?

“Let me explain,” Xu Shen said calmly as he reassured her. He leaned closer and began speaking softly.

As she listened, Wang Qingqing’s expression gradually shifted from surprise to understanding. By the time he finished, she looked at him with a mix of emotions.

—

“Don’t look at me like that,” Xu Shen said with a chuckle. “I’ve thought it through. I’ll open a rune engraving shop near Capital Academy.”

“I’ll have Xinhuo Guard set me up with a big space. You can visit whenever you want—it’ll be nice living there,” he added with a grin.

Wang Qingqing considered his words seriously before nodding slowly. “That could work.”

“Most university libraries are hard to access without special permissions—you’d be getting something rare,” she said thoughtfully. “And Xinhuo Guard will probably arrange for professors to help you.”

“It also keeps you out of the public eye and away from Moon Cult attention.”

“Exactly!” Xu Shen said enthusiastically, slapping his thigh. “That’s why I agreed to their terms.”

“The only downside is that I won’t be able to join any school activities or missions with you,” he added with a wry smile.

Their conversation carried on as if they were already attending Capital Academy together…

—

“What about Xu Dong and Xu Xia?” Wang Qingqing asked worriedly.

“There’s no other way,” Xu Shen replied with a sigh. “Xinhuo Guard has hidden all my records.”

“Aside from people in Yuan City, no one knows about Xu Dong and Xu Xia. Xinhuo Guard has people watching over them—they’ll be safe.”

“This is the best solution for now. I can’t take them to the capital with me.”

“And honestly, it’s better for them to stay here until they awaken their talents. They have friends here—it’s familiar.”

Xu Shen had thought this through long ago. With modern technology, they could video call anytime. Worst case scenario, he’d sneak back wearing his mask to check on them in person.

—

“So you’re going alone?” Wang Qingqing asked softly.

“Looks like it,” Xu Shen replied casually.

—

Knock knock knock.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Xu Shen’s eyes immediately sharpened as he grabbed his black blade and approached cautiously.

“It’s me—Dong Tianming,” came a familiar voice from outside.

Relaxing slightly, Xu Shen opened the door to find Dong Tianming looking haggard. His beard was unkempt, and his once-slicked-back hair hung loose around his face. Dressed in casual clothes, he appeared thinner than before and still somewhat pale.

“What are you doing here?” Xu Shen asked curiously.

Dong Tianming stepped inside and greeted Wang Qingqing before closing the door behind him.

“Because of Qu Zhixing’s incident, I’ve been temporarily demoted,” Dong Tianming explained matter-of-factly. “I’m on light duty now—so I’ll be sticking with you as your bodyguard.”

—

Xu Shen’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding—a Tongyou Realm expert as my bodyguard?”

Dong Tianming shrugged nonchalantly. “What else can I do? Even though your identity is hidden, there’s always a chance something unexpected could happen. The organization values you highly.”

“Besides,” he added with a smirk, “the capital is my hometown—I haven’t been back in ages.”

“Wait… how do you know I’m going to the capital?” Xu Shen asked suspiciously.

Dong Tianming simply glanced at Wang Qingqing before looking back at Xu Shen knowingly.

Xu Shen couldn’t help but admire Dong Tianming’s perceptiveness—this guy wasn’t bad at all.

—

“If you’re leaving your post there, who’s taking over as commander?” Xu Shen asked after a moment of thought.

“This young lady’s father—Wang Bing,” Dong Tianming replied casually.

Both Xu Shen and Wang Qingqing frowned deeply at this news. The frontline was no safe place—injuries and worse were common occurrences. Why send someone who had just reached Tongyou Realm?

“Don’t worry,” Dong Tianming reassured them with a chuckle. “Commanders of lower-tier battlefields rarely need to take action themselves—unless the Blood Ape King wants to start an all-out war.”

Hearing this explanation eased their concerns somewhat. As someone who could now fly through the air at will thanks to Tongyou Realm cultivation, Wang Bing could return to Yuan City quickly if needed.

—

“So it’s just us two heading to the capital?” Xu Shen asked with a grin. “Having a Tongyou expert around makes me feel much safer.”

But Dong Tianming shook his head again. “Not just us—there’s someone else.”

“Who?” Xu Shen asked curiously. Was there another expert joining them?

A second knock at the door answered his question. When Xu Shen opened it this time… his face twitched in disbelief.

Standing there was Xu Guang—his bald head gleaming brightly under the light and his face beaming with excitement.

“Brother Shen!” Xu Guang greeted enthusiastically before saluting Dong Tianming respectfully. “Senior! I’ve already arranged everything with my team—I’ll be joining Brother Shen at the repair shop!”

“I’m ready to leave whenever Brother Shen is!”