Chapter 441: Deep Feelings

A silver Cayenne drove along the wide street.

Lin Xiao sat inside, one hand on the steering wheel, the other propping up his chin, his eyes looking straight ahead. His gaze was deep, his entire being lost in thought.

“How much truth is there in what Purple Fox said?”

Lin Xiao carefully recalled every detail of his conversation with Purple Fox, his heart filled with doubt.

In this world, there was no love or hate without reason.

But Lin Xiao was certain there was only hatred between him and Purple Fox, not love. So why would Purple Fox agree to help him?

Or perhaps… that was just a perfunctory remark?

As for the idea that she might have been grateful because he spared her life, that didn’t even cross Lin Xiao’s mind.

This wasn’t Stockholm Syndrome. From Purple Fox’s expression and eyes, Lin Xiao could tell she was an extremely proud person. Sparing her life after capturing her would bring her nothing but humiliation, not gratitude.

“Forget it. Since I’ve already made my decision, there’s no point in overthinking it.”

Lin Xiao shook his head, as if to shake all distracting thoughts from his mind.

“This so-called Purifiers sect is surprisingly powerful. Three seem to be at peak Dark Force, maybe even Flowing Force. One of them is at least the Flowing Force stage, possibly even above that. Looks like I need to train harder. As long as I possess strong enough power, no matter what dangers I encounter in the future, I’ll be able to deal with them calmly.”

A renewed sense of urgency rose in Lin Xiao’s heart.

Although with his Flowing Force cultivation, he feared no challenge, this was the first time he had faced opponents also at the Flowing Force stage.

Since breaking through, Lin Xiao had been crushing enemies with superior cultivation. He’d never fought someone at his own level.

Back in the army, although he’d occasionally encountered martial artists during missions, they were rare. He had never come into contact with the ancient martial arts world, so fighting martial artists had always been his weak spot.

After all, martial artists were completely different from ordinary people. With inner strength, their speed and power were beyond comparison. Moves that seem impossible or unbelievable to ordinary people were often effortless to martial artists.

Even someone like Lin Xiao, battle-hardened and experienced in killing, would feel a bit unaccustomed when suddenly forced to switch to a different style of combat.

Fortunately, over this period, through various battles, he had gradually familiarized himself with martial techniques and patched this weakness.

Twenty minutes later.

Lin Xiao drove the Cayenne and stopped at the entrance of a high-end residential complex.

He picked up his phone and dialed Huang Xinyu’s number. “Auntie Xinyu, it’s all taken care of. Are you all home?”

“XIao Xiao, finally! I’m so glad you called.”

On the other end, Huang Xinyu let out a long sigh of relief. Over the past few hours, she and the two girls had been on edge, constantly worrying about Lin Xiao’s safety. They couldn’t eat or drink, hadn’t even touched lunch.

“Caixing, Little Yu, and I are all home. Where are you?”

“I’m right at your neighborhood’s entrance. Since you’re home, I’ll come up.”

“Alright, come quickly,” Huang Xinyu urged, “We’ll come down to meet you.”

Lin Xiao ended the call and drove into the complex. From afar, he saw Huang Xinyu with Huang Caixing and Yuan Yu—two little beauties—waiting downstairs, looking eagerly in his direction.

The three of them spotted Lin Xiao’s Cayenne and immediately broke into heartfelt smiles. Huang Caixing even waved enthusiastically, afraid he might not see her.

Lin Xiao parked the car by the roadside and got out, carrying a small black bag. He had barely taken a few steps before Huang Caixing and Yuan Yu rushed over and threw themselves into his arms.

“Big Brother Lin, you’re finally back!” Huang Caixing said softly, her voice crisp and filled with joy. “We were really… so worried about you.”

Yuan Yu didn’t speak, but her slightly reddened eyes and tightly pressed lips clearly showed her current emotional state.

At that moment, Huang Xinyu also walked over. She was much more reserved than the two young girls. She took the black bag from Lin Xiao’s hand and gently asked, “Xiao Xiao, are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Lin Xiao gently stroked the two girls’ soft hair, inhaling their familiar scents. Feeling the warmth and softness of their bodies, the residual killing intent in his heart melted away like snow, leaving a sense of peace within.

Hearing Huang Xinyu’s question, he smiled slightly. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“Really? Big Brother Lin, are you really okay?” The two girls suddenly looked up and asked in unison. “You’re not lying to us, right?”

“You don’t trust me? I’m really fine.”

Only then did Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing finally feel reassured and breathe a sigh of relief.

But Huang Xinyu, ever observant, caught a faint scent of blood from Lin Xiao’s body. Her expression changed, but glancing at Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing, she said nothing. Still, the concern in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.

Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing, one on each side, clung to Lin Xiao’s arms and entered the building.

Huang Xinyu trailed behind. After taking a few steps, she suddenly stared at Lin Xiao’s back. Subconsciously, she raised a hand to cover her mouth, and her eyes instantly turned red.

Lin Xiao wore a black shirt. A large patch on his back was soaked. Looking closely, one would see it wasn’t sweat, but blood.

Huang Xinyu’s lips trembled. She opened her mouth a few times, trying to speak, but the words hovered at the tip of her tongue and were swallowed back down.

When they arrived home, Huang Xinyu tossed the black bag onto the table and said to Lin Xiao in an unquestionable tone, “Xiao Xiao, go sit on the sofa and take off your shirt!”

“Comrade Xinyu, why so serious? You’re scaring me.” Before Lin Xiao could speak, Huang Caixing jumped in. “And why do you want Big Brother Lin to take off his clothes?”

“You little fool. Haven’t you noticed your Brother Lin is hurt? Even Little Yu saw it.” Huang Xinyu gave her a flick on the forehead. “Go stand over there. Don’t get in the way.”

Huang Caixing held her head, pouting in grievance. She glanced at Yuan Yu beside her.

The smile had long vanished from Yuan Yu’s face. Her eyes were fixed on Lin Xiao’s back. She bit her lower lip, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Huang Caixing looked at Lin Xiao’s back too. After a few seconds, she finally saw the bloodstains and turned pale with fright, her pretty face going white.

“Big Brother Lin… why didn’t you tell me?” Huang Caixing’s bright eyes were misty as she choked on her words.

“Aren’t I back safe and sound?” Lin Xiao was slightly helpless at their reactions. “I’m really fine, it’s just a flesh wound.”