"Are you alright, young master?" Yu Bai asked, concern and doubt evident in his voice.
Lu Zhen coughed violently, his face pale as he vomited a mouthful of blood as Yu Bai finished speaking, stunning both Yu Bai, Little Lily, and Jiang Xue.
Jiang Xue hesitated, unsure of what to do. Seizing the moment, Little Lily rushed to the carriage, returning with water and a towel.
"Thank you, little Lily," Lu Zhen said as Little Lily fed him water and carefully cleaned his clothes. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Young master, you shouldn't engage in such perilous actions. What if something happened to you? What about Madam and Master? And me?" Little Lily sobbed, clinging to Lu Zhen like a frightened child.
"Ouch! Ouch!" Lu Zhen grimaced, enduring the pain.
"Little Lily, are you trying to kill your young master?"
Lu zhen said while screaming.
"Young master sorry."
Little Lily said, her face filled with tears. Lu Zhen was genuinely hurt, and it pained him not due to the rebound he took, but because Lu Zhen intentionally harmed his own body.
That's right, Lu Zhen possessed the unique ability to harm himself without causing permanent damage, thanks to attaining the divine physique.
As his constitution levelled up into a divine physique, he could manipulate his body to a certain degree. Although he couldn't shape-shift or drastically increase his muscle strength, he could use precise vibrations to subtly control his body.
With immense focus and skill, he had subtly vibrated his muscles in such a way that they collided with each other internally, causing controlled internal injuries.
With each controlled collision, his body suffered internal injuries, causing him to vomit blood. Lu Zhen understood that merely acting injured would not fool someone like Yu Bai, who had taken care of him since childhood. If he suddenly revealed the strength of a third stage martial artist, it would undoubtedly raise suspicions about his true identity. Which may lead to his system being discovered.
To avoid any doubts, Lu Zhen carefully planned this strategy to hide his true strength and maintain the facade of a martial artist who just entered martial trainee. He was determined to keep his cheat a secret.
The only time he might reveal his system would be if he was truly invincible, which might never happen even with his cheat. After all, Lu Zhen never believed that he was unique; there might be talents who could rely on their sheer talent and background to surpass him. There was even a possibility of other transmigrators or reincarnators, just like him, who also had their cheats.
The world was filled with endless possibilities, so he never underestimated his enemies and was determined to walk forward step by step, relying on his system.
As he thought to that point, he suddenly felt a soft sensation on his cheeks. The lips that softly touched Lu Zhen's cheeks were tender and gentle, like the petals of a blooming flower. They felt warm and inviting against his skin, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake.
A subtle but familiar fragrance carrying a sense of freshness and purity, wafting into his nose leaving Lu Zhen mesmerised.
It was a fleeting touch, but it left a lasting impression on Lu Zhen.
"Young master, are you alright?" Little Lily said, her face flushed red as she had finished cleaning the blood from his clothes. Seeing Lu Zhen deep in thought, she just couldn't resist the temptation and kissed him on the cheek.
Lu Zhen was stunned by the unexpected boldness of this little girl. However, since she liked to play with fire, she had to face the consequences.
Lu Zhen tried to bring Little Lily closer by putting his hands on her waist, but this time she avoided him.
"Young master, I should bring some medicine," she said with a smile, her expression sweet and mischievous, as she ran towards the carriage, leaving Lu Zhen.
Although he didn't mind the kiss from Little Lily, her escaping after taking her kiss made Lu Zhen feel like he was taken advantage of. He decided to deal with this girl later for now, as he still needed to see if the old man bought his lie or not.
Jiang Xue watched this little interaction between Lu Zhen and Little Lily with her standard indifferent expression. But deep down, she felt a twinge of jealousy as she observed the exchange. She didn't know when she started feeling this way, but she couldn't help it.
She knew that Lu Zhen was acting with his injuries. After all, he could have easily defeated the five assassins with just his raw strength alone, so Lu Zhen was at least a third-stage martial artist or had the strength of one. His injuries shouldn't have been so exaggerated. However, seeing his pale face and the blood he vomited, she couldn't help but feel that Lu Zhen was genuinely hurt. It was a strange mix of emotions that she found strange.
As for Yu Bai, he had a worried expression on his face, mixed with guilt. He knew that he should have stopped his young master from taking such a risky move. But he didn't, and he even went along with it, making him feel even more guilty.
When Lu Zhen first shouted to attack while gripping the assassin in a deadlock position, he felt blood boiling in him for the first time in a long while, making his instincts go wild. The aura that Lu Zhen emitted convinced him, and he punched with all his might, pummeling the assassin leader to a pulp.
He thought that since Lu Zhen was so confident, he should have a backup to rely on. However, seeing Lu Zhen's miserable state now, he knew Lu Zhen was just an ordinary martial trainee, adding more to his guilt.