It was a room locked from the outside. When I broke the lock and rushed in, I was stunned to find only a beautiful young woman inside.
She wore a floral checkered blouse, loosely tied at her left waist with a bow, subtly revealing the perfect curves of her chest.
Her lower body was clad in a straight-cut blue skirt, completely concealing her shapely legs. Occasionally, a glimpse of her calves showed—plump but not bulky, with skin that was translucent and alluring.
Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall. Despite its disheveled state, it did nothing to detract from her beauty. Her curved eyebrows resembled willow leaves, and her deep blue eyes were like bottomless pools, drawing my gaze irresistibly.
Her exquisitely sculpted nose and slightly parted lips seemed to express a silent lament. Although her pale cheeks and chapped lips marred her beauty, they added an extra touch of tragic allure.
She clutched a silver dagger tightly in her hand, pointing it at her throat upon hearing the door open. Clearly, she had been brought here by the bandits.
"I'm not a bandit. The bandits are all dead; I killed them. You just need to walk out of this door to see for yourself. There's no need to be nervous!"
Despite my usual composure, I was momentarily stunned upon seeing her.
Seeing her dagger almost touching her throat, I quickly spoke, fearing she might hurt herself by accident. Her clothes were still intact, indicating she hadn't been violated by the bandits, which was fortunate. The dagger in her hand was more of a symbol of defiance; it couldn't protect her if I intended harm.
However, I believed the Sword Saint wouldn't have been helpless against her. There must be another reason behind this situation.
"I won't fall for your tricks, you despicable bandit, shameless murderer!"
Her voice, though hoarse, was magnetic. I found myself perversely admiring her voice even as she cursed me.
She seemed a bit hysterical, so I decided not to let her continue.
"Can you assess the situation before deciding to continue cursing me? Actually..."
I paused mid-sentence and swiftly lunged at her. Before she could react, I had disarmed her. I continued, "Just like this, your dagger poses no threat to me. If I wanted to harm you, you wouldn't have the chance to resist or escape."
Having lost her dagger, she seemed on the verge of collapse. Fortunately, I didn't approach her but stood quietly on the other side of the room, leaving the door open. She tried to control her fear and cautiously moved towards the door.
Seeing her cautious steps filled me with pity. A woman of her extraordinary beauty, captured by bandits, had likely endured a day or two of torment. Her despair, hope, confusion, and deep fear were evident in her eyes, evoking my sympathy.
Though she walked slowly, she eventually reached the door. Beyond it lay the bodies of the bandits.
She showed no fear at the sight of the corpses. Instead, she calmly inspected each body. When she found the body of the Sword Saint, she broke down in tears, kneeling on the ground.
I sighed, walking over to help her up, but she fainted from exhaustion and emotion before I could.
I checked her pulse, relieved to find she had merely fainted from fatigue and emotional strain. A good sleep would suffice for her recovery.
With no immediate danger to her, I relaxed. I couldn't stay here waiting for her to wake up, nor could I leave her alone. Luckily, there were many carts around, likely used by the bandits to transport goods. I found one, laid down several layers of blankets inside, ensuring she would sleep comfortably.
Despite being a hidden valley, the road was wide enough for a cart, probably due to the bandits' frequent use.
Seeing the many supplies in the valley, I realized they were useless to me but could be valuable to Karenka. Before leaving, I piled some wet wood at the valley entrance and set it on fire. Whether anyone would discover the valley through this fire was beyond my concern.
That night, I had to camp in the wild again. Watching the unfamiliar woman sleep peacefully in the cart, I couldn't help but smile bitterly. Without her, I would have been hundreds of miles away by now.
I spent the night meditating on the cart's roof, enjoying the serene state of mind that training brought me. The sense of the world's energy flowing through me was a wondrous feeling. As dawn broke, I was awakened by a scream from inside the cart.
"What happened?" I asked, pulling aside the thick curtain to see the woman awake.
"Nothing!" She had screamed reflexively upon waking to find herself wrapped in blankets. Realizing her clothes were intact and nothing was amiss, she answered awkwardly.
I shook my head, noting that women here, like on Earth, had a tendency to scream. It reminded me of my former partner Natasha, who, despite being a top-notch spatial manipulator, would scream when encountering a cockroach.
"Get dressed and come out when you're ready."
I spoke indifferently, lost in thoughts of the past.
I didn't realize it, but this was a sign that my martial arts were about to break through to the seventh level. The energy from the Dragon Soul Grass and the dragon energy guided out of the mysterious acupoint in my body had pushed my internal energy to its limit. These true energies, not cultivated by myself, were causing this adverse effect.
If I couldn't pass this threshold, I would face another episode of cultivation deviation.
Soon, the woman got off the cart, her spirit greatly improved after a night's rest. Under the morning sun, she exuded an enchanting charm.
Though her hair was still messy, her rosy face, bathed in the sunlight, was beautiful and warm. Her voluptuous figure radiated a noble aura, elegant and pure.
Yesterday, she was already mesmerizing; now, she was even more stunning. Even having seen the holy beauty of Elder Elena, I was struck by her grace and elegance.
Noticing my gaze, her cheeks blushed as she gracefully bowed and said, "Philiya Darongkes, thank you for saving my life!"
Realizing my rudeness, I quickly averted my gaze and awkwardly replied, "There's no need to thank me. Any righteous person would not let such cruel and inhumane bandits go unpunished. I just happened to be there."
"If it weren't for you, no one could have killed so many elite soldiers disguised as bandits from Carter's army, especially their Sword Saint leader," she replied gracefully.
I was curious about how she knew so much, but before I could ask, her stomach growled, making me chuckle. She blushed in embarrassment, and my pet bird, Xiaoyu, chirped at her from my pocket.
I patted Xiaoyu's head, earning a disdainful look from it. Its playful demeanor made Philiya's eyes sparkle with delight.
I handed Xiaoyu to her, saying, "Philiya, don't call me your benefactor. My name is Edmond Douglas. Let me cook some meat for you while you look after it."
Delighted by the beautiful bird, she couldn't resist its charm, though Xiaoyu was indifferent. I started preparing a meal with my grilling tools.
Seeing the bird's indifference, she sat beside me, curiously watching me sprinkle spices on the snake meat. "What are those? They smell wonderful!"
I smiled and said, "They're herbs I gathered, which make the meat taste better."
These were herbs I had found in the ancient forest on Dragon Island, far superior to Earth's spices.
"I've cooked for years but never thought of using herbs like this. Adding them to dishes must make them delicious," she remarked, savoring the aroma.
I smiled faintly, not saying much.
During my time in the small town, I had tasted local dishes, but they couldn't compare to Earth's cuisine.