"Bastard, let go of me!" a woman said angrily.
"Let go of you? Wishful thinking. Do you know how long I've waited for this day?"
"You are shameless."
"Haha..."
"I am shameless, but if it means getting your body, what's a little more shamelessness?" The man extended his wicked hand, ready to act.
"Help, somebody help!" The woman, flustered and desperate, cried out for help.
"Heh heh!"
The man rubbed his hands together with a sneer and approached the woman.
"Scream all you want. Even if you scream your lungs out, it won't help. Actually, that makes it more exciting. I like it. Besides, I've been waiting for this for a long time."
"Haha..."
"Pah!"
The woman spat in the man's face.
"To think I treated you so well, and you turn out to be such a despicable scoundrel. I must have been blind."
Wiping the spit from his face, the man said angrily, "You filthy slut, how dare you spit on me."
"Slap!"
A loud slap landed on her face, and then his hands began tearing at her clothes roughly.
"Ah."
The woman screamed.
"No, no! I beg you, don't do this to me."
"So now you're begging? Too late. You've already aroused my desire!"
"Ah!"
"Help, help!"
Standing in the trees, Rufeng could no longer stand by.
"In this remote mountain, a grown man bullying a helpless woman, aren't you ashamed? Is this all you're capable of?"
A man's voice suddenly echoed, making the would-be assailant freeze. Looking around nervously, the man couldn't see anyone.
"Damn it, who dared to interrupt me! Show yourself!"
"Hehe!"
"Such a temper. I'm afraid the moment I come out, you won't live to see the sunrise!"
"Stop spouting nonsense. Who knows who won't live to see tomorrow's sun!"
The man roared into the air.
Rufeng, who had been standing in the trees, suddenly appeared in front of the man.
"Slap!" With one strike, Rufeng made the man's mouth bleed.
Immortal Venerables cannot be insulted, and although Rufeng's cultivation level hadn't reached that of an Immortal Venerable, his Divine Soul was indeed that of a genuine Immortal Venerable. To humiliate him was to court death.
"Apologize to me immediately, and I will spare your life," Rufeng said calmly, his hands behind his back.
"Hehe!"
"Apologize? Spare my life? If you have the guts, kill me now. What a joke. You think this is some kind of drama? But your acting is quite convincing!"
The man mocked.
"Your insolence!"
Calmly, Rufeng slapped the man lightly, sending him flying. As the man landed, a flame appeared in Rufeng's hand, reducing the man to ashes upon impact.
The woman, curled up on the ground, only saw her boyfriend get smacked away by Rufeng. She didn't see her boyfriend being reduced to ashes, but the sight still left her terrified.
She had never seen or heard of anyone who could send a living person flying with a single slap.
Terrified, the woman cried out, "Spare me, Immortal!"
She didn't know what Rufeng was, but she believed no ordinary human could possess such strength. Maybe only the mythical Immortals could do such things.
"Hehe."
"Immortal? That's a nice title. Miss, you're safe now. You can leave."
"I, I'm scared!" the woman stammered.
"Well, alright then. I'll take you home." Rufeng helped the frightened woman up and suddenly closed his eyes.
"Go ahead and get dressed." He turned his back to her.
"Are you an Immortal?" The woman asked, once she had fixed her torn clothes and tidied up her hair, still shaking.
"No, I'm just a regular Martial Cultivator," Rufeng deliberately hid the truth.
"A Martial Cultivator? You mean you're some kind of martial arts expert?"
"You could say that."
"May I ask your name, hero?" Xiaxia asked, mimicking a gesture she had seen in TV shows.
"Rufeng Yan."
"Rufeng Yan, nice to meet you. Thank you for saving my life. My surname is Xia, Xia as in summer. Just call me Xiaxia."
Finding Rufeng so down-to-earth, Xiaxia's initial fear dissipated, and she began talking with him.
On the way, Xiaxia told Rufeng about her experiences. That's how Rufeng learned that Xiaxia had been assigned to Zhongzhou for work by a cosmetics company.
Her boyfriend had come with her for a trip to Yandang Mountain, but he had tried to get her to rent a room together. When Xiaxia refused, things had escalated to the point they were at now.
"Sister Xiaxia, earlier you called me an Immortal and asked if I was a god. Do you believe in the existence of ghosts and gods?" Rufeng asked, smiling.
Xiaxia shook her head, indicating she didn't believe.
But then she said, "Though I don't believe in ghosts and gods, I can't deny their existence either."
"Why do you say that?" Rufeng asked as he turned.
Xiaxia paused for a moment, then replied, "I've read many novels and seen many movies where ordinary people can become Immortal by absorbing Spiritual Energy. But they also say the Spiritual Energy on Earth has been depleted, so ordinary people can't cultivate and there are no ghosts or Immortals anymore."
"Hehe."
"Perhaps." Rufeng smiled faintly. "It's not that Earth has no Spiritual Energy but rather that the energy is thin. If a planet had no Spiritual Energy, it couldn't support life."
"So, you mean we can still become Immortal?" Xiaxia jokingly asked.
Rufeng nodded, an acknowledgment to her question.
Rufeng's affirmative response left Xiaxia deep in thought.
Seeing Xiaxia lost in thought, Rufeng's lips curved into a slight smile.
"It's getting dark, and it's chilly in the mountains at night. You're quite frail; I think it's best if I escort you home early," Rufeng said.
Hearing Rufeng's words, Xiaxia felt a warm current rush through her heart.
"Is he concerned about me? It's been so long since someone cared for me like this. This feels so blissful…"
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, nothing!"
Xiaxia replied hastily.
"Miss Xiaxia, we're almost at the entrance to the scenic area. You should call for a ride home."
"What? His idea of escorting me home is taking me here?" Xiaxia felt a surge of disappointment.
Noticing Xiaxia's hesitation, Rufeng asked, "What's wrong? Call someone to pick you up from the entrance. No one will dare to harm you while I'm here."
"How touching. No one has ever said something so responsible to me." Xiaxia felt another burst of joy.
Trying to keep her excitement in check, Xiaxia said pitifully, "I don't have any friends here, just that no-good boyfriend who got smacked away."
"Where are you staying then?"
Frowning, Rufeng asked.
"I just arrived here, so of course, I'm staying at a hotel."
"A hotel."
"It's like being thirstier for water and being given salt. I have less than five hundred yuan left. Seems like tonight's expenses will take it all," Rufeng sighed internally.
Xiaxia seemed to pick up on Rufeng's underlying meaning.
"Brother Rufeng, you saved my life. I'll cover the hotel expenses!" Xiaxia said, patting her chest.
Though the night was dim, Xiaxia could see Rufeng's attire clearly enough to think he might possess some skills but definitely didn't have money.
Having reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, Rufeng no longer belonged to the ordinary world. For him, basic needs like eating and sleeping were irrelevant. However, since he had to enter the mundane world for his revenge, he accepted Xiaxia's offer.
Still, the idea of a girl paying for the hotel made Rufeng feel a bit awkward.
"Brother Rufeng, the car is here. Let's go, don't just stand there."
Unbeknownst to Rufeng, Xiaxia had already called a taxi. She grabbed his sleeve and led him towards the car.
The taxi stopped at a star-rated hotel. Inside, Xiaxia booked a pair of adjacent rooms.
Outside the room, Xiaxia acted like a hotel attendant, opening the door with a key card and preparing clean clothes for Rufeng.
"Brother Rufeng, the clothes are here. You can take a bath now."
"A bath."
At first surprised, Rufeng then remembered that since the Immortal Venerable Divine Soul possessed him, he no longer needed to bathe.
For a Cultivator who had reached the Qi Refinement Realm, it wasn't just about enhancing their combat abilities but also their physique.
Ever since the Immortal Venerable Divine Soul possessed him, Rufeng had undergone the process of Washing and Cutting Marrow, fundamentally altering his body. For example, he used to be nearly six hundred degrees nearsighted; now, his eyesight was an astounding 5.8. All this was thanks to his cultivation technique. Of course, this wasn't an excuse to avoid bathing.
Cultivators at higher levels would notice that someone in the Qi Refinement Realm emitted an invisible aura shield, keeping dust off and protecting their body from external harm. Mosquito bites on a Cultivator? Impossible.
Now at the Foundation Establishment Stage, Rufeng didn't need to worry about bathing. Nevertheless, he hadn't bathed in several days and simply hadn't given it much thought.
To Xiaxia's surprise, Rufeng's expression changed when she mentioned bathing.
"Do you not bathe?" Xiaxia asked in astonishment.
"I do, why wouldn't I? It's just a bit inconvenient with you here."
Rufeng's response came with a hint of shyness.
"Haha!"
Xiaxia giggled and said, "What's inconvenient about it? Don't worry, I won't peek."
"Ugh!"
Rufeng waited for a while, but seeing that Xiaxia had no intention of leaving, he reluctantly picked up the hotel's clean clothes and headed to the bathroom.