NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 153:
Chapter 153: Sir, This Time It’s My Turn to Be the Hero:
“Yingxue, are you injured?”
When Wu Yingxue handed back the bowl, Xu Xi noticed her movements were a little unsteady.
“Yes, during today’s battle, I was bitten by a demon that was hiding underground,” she admitted truthfully.
She pulled aside the edge of her robe, revealing her left ankle. The wound wasn’t bleeding anymore, but it was healing slowly. Any slight touch caused itching and discomfort, which explained her awkward movements.
“It’s fine, sir,” she said with a smile. “It’s just a small wound. It’ll heal on its own by tomorrow.”
Xu Xi shook his head. He found a clean piece of white cloth and carefully wrapped the wound to protect it.
As he tied the cloth securely, he noticed Wu Yingxue’s gaze was distracted.
“Yingxue?”
“Ah… sorry, sorry,” she stammered, snapping back to reality. “I just remembered when we first met. You helped me like this back then too.”
Xu Xi thought back to their first meeting. He realized it had been ten years since they had met.
Ten years—a long time by any measure. For many mortals, it was a significant part of their lives, given how few reached a full century.
“So much time has passed,” Xu Xi murmured, feeling the weight of those years.
The sun slowly sank beyond the horizon, casting its last orange rays before giving way to the dark night. Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue sat side by side on a rough, cold stone, watching the sky transform. They talked about the past—memories of Qingniu Town, practicing the Fool’s Skill together, celebrating New Year in Pingshui County with plump chicken legs, and their shared plans to escape the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
Those years, filled with hardship and warmth, had become unforgettable moments.
As they talked, the conversation turned to the future.
“Sir, what do you want to do once we leave the Hundred Thousand Mountains?” Wu Yingxue asked curiously, her hands resting on the rock beneath her.
“I haven’t thought about it,” Xu Xi said with a faint smile.
In truth, he had never expected to leave the mountains alive. Dying here had always been part of his plan.
Looking at the darkening sky and sensing the oppressive energy closing in, Xu Xi knew it was time to speak his mind.
“Yingxue,” he said, pausing briefly, “take everyone and leave. The sooner you go, the safer you’ll be.”
“What about you, sir?”
Her sharp intuition caught the omission in his words. She turned to him, her clear eyes reflecting his figure. “You’re not coming with us, are you?”
“I’ll meet you later,” Xu Xi said softly.
The world grew quiet, the night’s stillness broken only by the rustling leaves.
“The monsters ahead aren’t a problem, but someone needs to stay behind to block any pursuit,” Xu Xi explained. “Don’t worry. I’ll join you once the danger is dealt with.”
He was lying, and he knew it. But Xu Xi also knew that if Wu Yingxue realized his true intentions, she would never let him face the enemy alone.
“But, sir!”
“Yingxue, it’s okay. I’ll be fine,” Xu Xi tried to reassure her.
“Don’t lie to me again!”
She grabbed his arm tightly, her grip so firm it caused him pain. Her clear eyes filled with desperation.
“I know the truth. You never planned to leave with us,” she said, her voice trembling. “I won’t accept this, sir! Let me stay behind this time. Just this once, let me be the one!”
Her pleas turned into cries, her voice raw with emotion.
Xu Xi was silent for a long moment. Finally, he raised his hand and gently stroked her head for the first time.
“I’m sorry, Yingxue,” he said softly. “But I can’t let you do this.”
In the next instant, his palm shifted into a knife-hand, striking her neck gently but decisively.
“Get some rest,” he whispered as she fainted.
He handed the unconscious Wu Yingxue to the civilians, instructing them to take her with them and flee.
The common people hesitated, unwilling to leave him behind. Some even picked up weapons, prepared to fight alongside him.
Xu Xi felt a bittersweet warmth. “It’s really touching,” he muttered with a faint smile.
Under his influence, they had all become fools, unwilling to abandon anyone. To ensure their safety, Xu Xi summoned his qi and blood, moving away at a speed they couldn’t follow.
He chuckled to himself. Wu Yingxue was still as straightforward as ever, her thoughts written plainly on her face. If she had left secretly, like A Niu, he would have been truly at a loss.
“Let me die, and let everyone else live. That’s the best outcome,” Xu Xi murmured.
But as he flew, the world began to spin. His body faltered, and he plummeted to the ground.
“Strange… why…” he muttered in confusion. Sleepiness washed over him, and his vision blurred.
Through his fading consciousness, he saw Wu Yingxue approaching, her figure doubling and tripling in his hazy vision.
“Sir, you big fool,” she said gently. “You always try to carry everything on your own.”
“You’re so foolish…”
“You’re just a fool who wants to protect everyone else.”
Wu Yingxue stepped out of the shadows, lifting the unconscious Xu Xi. She carried him back to the people who had caught up.
There were so many things she wanted to say. She wanted him to know that she had grown up, that she was now an adult in her twenties.
She was no longer the little girl who had cried silently in Xu’s house.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Wu Yingxue whispered. “This time, I’ll be the hero.”
“I hope you won’t blame me…”