My Five Bigshot Seniors: I am The Most Coddled Junior!-Chapter 495 - 175: [Second Update]

"As long as I have a sword in this life, that will suffice. The sword is my partner." Seeing the topic shift to himself, afraid Gu Qingqing might get mischievous and bring him some trouble, Si Lin quickly grabbed his Dragon Capturing Sword and said.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingqing pursed her lips, unsurprised at all. She knew just how dedicated Sword Cultivators are to their swords; Si Lin’s devotion to his sword could probably rival one’s dedication to their significant other!

She then turned her expectant gaze to Yue Zhao, thinking that if such a Young Master Ruyu could find a like-minded partner, life would certainly become very perfect.

"Why are you looking at me?" Yue Zhao caught Gu Qingqing’s gaze, the corner of his lips slightly curling up, his expression quite similar to when Gu Qingqing dealt with those two men earlier, "Do you think I need a companion?"

Gu Qingqing was too familiar with Yue Zhao’s smile; she detected a trace of mischief and quickly shook her head, revealing a somewhat ingratiating smile, "Second Senior Brother is so perfect, ordinary people cannot match him!"

Just thinking about Yue Zhao’s ways of toying with people made Gu Qingqing sweat inwardly, though Yue Zhao had never treated her that way, she had seen it many times with her own eyes—him smiling while dealing with Nan Hua and Rong Ye’s situations, completely not daring to act impudently in front of Yue Zhao.

Upon hearing this, Yue Zhao’s smile deepened; this was not the superficial kind of smile but one that reached his eyes, clearly showing that Gu Qingqing’s reaction pleased him.

"That’s more like it!" he nodded in satisfaction.

Gu Qingqing turned her head, quietly making a gesture of wiping her sweat, feeling that she should not have brought up that topic, especially not in front of Yue Zhao.

At this moment, the waiter knocked on the door outside, and after the door was opened, the dishes they ordered were served one by one. This inn was indeed the best in town; although not much different in taste compared to other inns, many of its ingredients were made from spirit beast meat, which helped with cultivation after eating, leaving Gu Qingqing and the others very satisfied.

By the time they came out of the inn, the sky had already darkened, and the surrounding lanterns were lit.

With the first lights of evening, the streets were brightly illuminated, and there were quite a few people coming and going, making it quite lively.

Having hurried on their journey for a few days, Gu Qingqing and the others, although having rested a bit before dinner, still felt somewhat tired after eating and didn’t loiter outside much longer, opting to return to their inn.

Just as they were about to reach the inn, another figure rushed toward them, but this time not towards Gu Qingqing, but towards Nan Hua.

A hint of surprise flashed in Nan Hua’s eyes, and he instinctively dodged to the side. The rushing figure stumbled and fell to the ground. He paused for a moment, then suddenly reached out, grabbing the hem of Nan Hua’s clothing. Just as Nan Hua was frowning and reaching to swat the hand away, the person suddenly spoke.

"Help, save me," came a somewhat hoarse voice, slightly grating but discernibly a young boy’s, "Please, save me, human traffickers are after me." The boy clutched Nan Hua’s clothing and softly pleaded for his help.

Nan Hua halted his half-lifted hand, then gently put it down, looking at the boy with surprise.

The boy was wearing tattered clothing, with numerous whip marks on his body, and his hair was extremely messy, like a bird’s nest atop his head. The front bangs were so long that only a pair of bright eyes were visible through the strands, filled with pleading and expectancy as they looked up at Nan Hua.

Upon seeing the boy’s appearance clearly, Nan Hua instinctively frowned but did not attempt to swat the boy’s hand away.

"Where are the traffickers you mentioned?" Nan Hua despised human traffickers profoundly, asking as he looked at the boy.

Before the boy could answer, a commotion erupted not far away, seemingly someone looking for someone.

Nan Hua instinctively turned around, seeing the boy curl up in fear, evidently terrified of the approaching individuals. Despite being frightened, he did not run but let go of Nan Hua’s clothing, his gaze turning vacant and numb.

It was obvious that the ones approaching must be the traffickers the boy spoke of, likely coming to take him back. The boy had probably been beaten by these people multiple times before; his wounds bore ample evidence. The boy wilted instantly upon realizing the sound of those people.

Nan Hua frowned, feeling a bit at a loss, and couldn’t help but glance at Si Lin beside him.

They were actually all together, but because Nan Hua had been walking a bit faster in the front, he was the one the boy bumped into.

The boy’s words were heard by Si Lin and the others as well. After Nan Hua looked over, Si Lin had already made a decision and directly gave Nan Hua a meaningful glance. Years of unspoken understanding were not understated; Nan Hua understood immediately.

After pondering for a moment, he swiftly sketched an array in the air with his right hand, and within a dozen breaths, the array was completed and then pushed above the boy’s head, enveloping him in a flash. Under the boy’s astonished gaze, his aura was masked away.

The array that Nan Hua drew was a Concealment Array, capable of hiding those inside it with ease. Since he just needed to hide the boy, the array was smaller and thus finished quickly, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been completed within those few breaths.

Retracting his hand, just when the group of people approached them, seeing the attire of Nan Hua and his companions—either wealthy or noble—they cast exploring looks over them, appearing somewhat malicious, but seemingly in a rush to find the boy, they only glanced briefly before leaving with curses.

The boy was within the array. When those people approached, he was exceedingly nervous, fearing he might be discovered by them, but he quickly realized that they appeared unable to see him. Sensing the array’s power, he stared at Nan Hua, eyes shimmering with admiration.

Nan Hua shook his fan, enjoying the gaze the boy cast his way.

After confirming those people left, Nan Hua then dispelled the array, releasing the boy from it.

"Thank you, benevolent ones, for your rescue, thank you so very much!" The boy appeared extremely excited, continually bowing to Gu Qingqing and her companions, speaking almost incoherently.

"No need to thank us. You mentioned human traffickers earlier; what is that about?" Yue Zhao asked gently, a warming smile on his face, as he came before the boy.

In this demeanor, he appeared extraordinarily gentle, the kind that most people would find it hard to refuse.

The boy was no exception; seeing Yue Zhao, he seemed a bit shy, lowering his head bashfully before carefully lifting it again to sneak a peek at Yue Zhao.