In the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.
During these days, Wen Yaxian visited Xiao Fan daily to study medical knowledge, maintaining a calm demeanor. Xiao Fan never mentioned taking her away again. Everything seemed so peaceful.
But eventually, the day came when the bandit leader would come to marry Wen Yaxian.
Wen Yaxian sat in front of her dressing table, lost in thought.
Usually, she would be out in the mountains collecting herbs before dawn, with no time for grooming. But today, she dressed up, not for her ideal husband, but for the bandit leader.
Seeing her daughter staring blankly at herself in the mirror, Wen Yaxian's mother felt a deep pain in her heart. But it was too late to change anything now.
In the woodshed, Wen Yaxian's father was crying, hiding his face. A grown man sobbing like a child, he hated himself for being unable to protect his daughter.
Creak~
The woodshed door opened.
Xiao Fan stood in the doorway, seeing Wen Yaxian's father in tears. For a moment, he didn't know whether to go in or leave quietly.
Before he could decide, Wen Yaxian's father spoke first.
"Xiao Fan, what are you doing in the woodshed?"
He had never liked Xiao Fan. His daughter, for the sake of the villagers, decided to marry the bandit leader. Who wouldn't admire and pity her?
But Xiao Fan had been living comfortably, eating well, and sleeping well.
Especially since it seemed his daughter had some affection for Xiao Fan, it made him even more furious.
Used to Wen Yaxian's father's hostile attitude, Xiao Fan understood his pain for his daughter and didn't hold it against him.
Since he was asked, Xiao Fan replied, "Uncle, I want to borrow the hatchet."
"Take it!" Wen Yaxian's father threw the hatchet at Xiao Fan angrily.
In such a sorrowful time, instead of comforting Wen Yaxian, Xiao Fan wanted a hatchet. What did he plan to do with his frail body? Chop up the bandits?
"You seem well enough to leave now. Don't stay here any longer."
After snorting coldly, Wen Yaxian's father left the woodshed.
With his daughter about to be taken by the bandits, he didn't want to see Xiao Fan in his home anymore.
Ignoring Wen Yaxian's father's words, Xiao Fan picked up the hatchet and carefully examined it.
"Dull, but it should work after some sharpening."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of drums and gongs echoed from the village entrance.
The bandit's wedding procession had arrived.
The villagers stepped out of their homes, each wearing a worried expression.
Wen Yaxian was beloved by the villagers, beautiful, kind, and smart. She had taught herself medicine and saved many lives, making her a cherished part of the community.
Now, forced to marry the bandit leader, they felt both anger and guilt.
As the procession neared, Wen Yaxian, sitting inside, heard the commotion.
Her eyes dimmed. The time had come.
"Ha ha! My bride, I'm here to take you!"
Outside, the bandit leader, dressed in festive red, shouted excitedly, sitting on a tall horse. Beside him, the burly second-in-command held the reins, also looking expectantly towards the house.
Since seeing Wen Yaxian's true beauty, she had left an indelible mark on the second-in-command's heart. But with her about to become his sister-in-law, his feelings were complicated.
Inside, Wen Yaxian put on the red veil and stood up, whispering to her mother, "Let's go, Mother."
Her mother, with a pained expression, sighed silently and took her hand, leading her outside. Wen Yaxian's father, wiping his tears, followed behind.
The door opened, and the bride appeared before everyone.
All attention focused on the bride. At this moment, they were least guarded.
Swish—
A cold light flashed.
A head silently fell to the ground.
Blood spurted, splattering the bandit leader's joyful face.
"Blood?!" The leader's small eyes widened in shock.
Looking down, he saw the headless, bleeding neck of his second-in-command.
"Old Two!!!" The leader's eyes nearly popped out in disbelief.
In the next moment, he felt his vision drop until it was level with the ground.
Thud!
The leader's body slid off the horse.
Time seemed to freeze.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Only Wen Yaxian, under the veil, was unaware and wondered about the sudden silence. She lifted her veil.
Seeing the two headless bodies, she was shocked.
What had just happened?
The accompanying bandits trembled, too scared to move.
In an instant, both the leader and second-in-command had been beheaded, and they didn't even see how it happened.
This was beyond human capability!
Buzz—
A mysterious sound came from the sky.
Looking up, everyone was dumbfounded.
A hatchet floated in the air.
Then it slowly descended into the hands of a handsome young man.
Xiao Fan looked at the hatchet and smiled. "A bit of sharpening did make it much sharper."
Everyone realized it was Xiao Fan's doing.
The bandits, terrified, scattered in all directions, fleeing as far as they could.
Xiao Fan sighed in relief.
He didn't want to kill all these evil bandits because he couldn't. Using his true energy accelerated the toxins' erosion of his organs, causing both intense pain and speeding up his death.
Killing the second-in-command, who was highly skilled, required a surprise attack. With him dead, the leader was no threat.
Killing both served as a warning, scaring the remaining bandits away for good.
As the bandits fled, the villagers peeked from their homes, looking at Xiao Fan with a mix of caution and fear.
Xiao Fan smiled.
They probably saw him as a monster.
Given their ignorance of cultivators, it was understandable.
It was time for him to leave.
Turning to Wen Yaxian's father, Xiao Fan smiled. "Uncle, here's your hatchet back."
He tossed the hatchet over.
Wen Yaxian's father dodged it in fear. He wouldn't dare touch the blood-stained hatchet.
Xiao Fan chuckled wryly.
He was about to bid farewell when he suddenly blacked out and collapsed.