Maiden Galaxy

Chapter 54: She Is My Treasure

Zhongli Sanmei watched Chen Mo carry the girl over. The woman's eyebrows rose. The King Of Extinguished Ashes had a completely innate raw and overbearing aura that made people unable to look straight at her. The little girl hid behind Chen Mo, not daring to look at her.

"She's quite adorable." Zhongli Sanmei chuckled.

"From now on, call her Elder Sister Sanmei. She's not bad." Chen Mo patted Nianyou's tiny shoulder.

The girl grunted.

"You're really planning on adopting her?" Zhongli Sanmei felt this development was too quick.

"I couldn't possibly let her wander this wilderness all alone, right?"

What he said was indeed correct, but for such a small child to be able to wander so long that she became barefoot and her clothes ragged, this indicated that she ought to have some time. And from those eyes that were deep as the starry sky, Zhongli Sanmei could more or less reckon that this girl was not so simple.

Perhaps she was the target of a hunt.

She would lead to disaster.

Zhongli Sanmei did not utter a word as she mounted her horse. Chen Mo knew this fact, but he would not care. He placed the girl against his chest, and Nianyou's tiny hands gripped the corners of his clothes, afraid of being shaken off by the horse.

"Sit steady." Chen Mo smiled. He tugged on the reins, and the steed whinnied, raising its front hooves. Nianyou expressionlessly shrunk into Chen Mo's chest, freezing as she leaned in, as if she was bracing against a warm tree. Zhongli Sanmei could not help but curl her lips into a seeming smile when she saw this from nearby.

A long while after they departed.

Several horses similarly galloped along this officials' lane to this isolated pavilion. They were three large horses and three men, each at Three Flowers Overhead level.

One man leapt down from his horse, circling around the pavilion several times.

"Yi Chizhu,¹ you fucker, did you find anything. This Uncle's eyes are going to go dizzy because of you." A big-bellied and heavy-set fat man shouted.

Yi Chizhu ignored his shouts, carefully inspecting things. His gaze then directed towards a youth sitting as upright as a flower on his horse.

The youth was immaculately dressed, elegant and refined. His hand carried an Autumn Breeze paper fan, his aura circulating, seemingly giving the feeling of transcending a Qi And Blood Warrior's return to natural state. Among the three of them, this youth was clearly the leader. Yi Chizhu said: "Senior Brother Shifeng, someone has already carried that girl away on horseback."

"You are certain?" Shao Shifeng² waved his fan, unafraid of the cold.

"No mistake, the hoofprints appear a bit deep. There should be another person as well." Yi Chizhu's observations were very keen.

The fat man Zhang Ming³ cursed: "Then she must have been kidnapped by the Western River Sword Sect's people. This really is fucking bad luck. It was so hard to find a recently matured Star General, but she has surprisingly been seized by others first."

"Shut up!" Shao Shifeng yelled.

The fat man shuddered and became silent.

Shao Shifeng narrowed his eyes. The three of them had come for the girl, but who would have thought that such an unfortunate accident would occur along the way. For the sake of making a sect flourish and expand, any sect would put forth all their effort to help a Star General mature. This time, they had expended enormous effort to finally find in Xi Province a Star Maiden who had inherited a Star Name. If they could bring her back, this would definitely be a great merit.

"Senior Brother, what do we do? Shall we use Thousand Li Sound Transmission and ask the Ancestral Master to emerge?" Yi Chizhu asked. Matters concerning Star Generals were of the utmost importance. No matter what, they must take her back.

"This place is the Western River Sword Sect's domain. It is better for our Eastern Flower Sword Sect to avoid disturbing the grass as much as possible." Shao Shifeng considered. "Judging from the hoofprints, this should be an ordinary warrior. If that stinking woman from the Western River Sword Sect had taken the Star General, she definitely would not be spurring a horse."

"Senior Brother's meaning is?"

"We continue tracking her down. If we saw the Star General alive…then we must see her corpse in death. We absolutely cannot let another sect take advantage of this." Shao Shifeng said.

"As you command."

Several days later, Little Jade City.

Looking down while standing atop the winding mountain road, although Little Jade City had "Little" in its name, the city was nevertheless immense and majestic. On the city walls, ballistae were neatly standing watch.

Little Jade City was situated on the border of the Western Province, close to the Western Regions.

The Great Chong Dynasty was situated in the most dangerous area of the Western Regions, where there were many and varied tribes.

The tribes that came from the Western Regions would often appear in Little Jade City, so the city's defenses were all exceptionally thorough. The city walls were even layered with jade fluid condensed together. Even a catapult would find it difficult to smash through.

The entire city was capable of defending itself.

All the warriors on the street carried various armaments and Star Weapons.

Spurring their horses onto the wide avenue, at the current moment, they were still a few days away from the casting master meet. Chen Mo looked for a local inn, turning his horse over to a waiter to feed. He booked two rooms.

Nianyou was covered in filth. Chen Mo wanted to quickly help bathe and clean her a bit.

IT was said that girls were naturally loved most to be clean and spotless, but Nianyou was apparently completely oblivious. Standing to the side, she used one hand to coil a mud stained lock of hair while she stood close beside Chen Mo.

After heating the water, Chen Mo was again fretful when he saw the bathwater. His gaze aimed to Zhongli Sanmei; the woman turned around and left his room. Who was he kidding, the majestic King Of Extinguished Ashes was no nanny. She would never do something like help bathe someone.

Chen Mo was left without a choice. He asked the somewhat delicate, yet also somewhat strong, little princess. "Can you wash yourself?"

The girl cocked her head, those eyes of hers shining bright. Her eyes contained some confusion. Her little fingers wound around her black hair. She showed a perplexed expression as she gazed at the bathtub.

He knew from a glance that she was normally spoiled.

"Forget it. I'll help wash you this time. You have to learn from now on, okay? Nianyou."

Nianyou nodded.

Chen Mo's technique was practiced as he first combed the girl's hair. After removing the filth, each of her hairs truly was as beautiful as a fleeting starry sky, like a Milky Way ribbon.

Nianyou's hair was long enough to reach past her waist and was very supple, as if it was silk.

If this was in his old world, beautiful hair like this alone was enough to turn her into a shampoo model, Chen Mo thought to himself as his hands moved skillfully, finishing her hair.

The girl's tender, snow-white skin was gradually revealed. She was covered in many bruises, cuts, and scabs, as if recounting the misery she had gone through. Seeing these, Chen Mo suppressed the anger in his heart.

"Nianyou, why are you alone?"

The girl glanced back, silent.

"Can't remember??" Chen Mo asked.

"En." Nianyou nodded.

"It's okay if you can't remember." Chen Mo slightly smiled: "From now on, I'm your Big Brother. I won't ever let anyone bully you again."

The little princess tilted her head, looking at her reflection in the water.

Who knew what those starry eyes were thinking of.

After this long bath, Chen Mo brought her clothes he had purchased to change into.

When she walked out of the room, the Nianyou who had finished bathing even stunned Zhongli Sanmei.

Nianyou wore a black long skirt, and two long locks of hair spilled down from beside her ears to her chest. The rest of her black hair flowed in torrents down to her ankles.

Most noteworthy was that Nianyou had a kind of very mysterious and noble air and tranquility about her body, as if she was a lake that struck people speechless.

"Chen Mo, I'm afraid you've picked up an enormous bother."

Zhongli Sanmei showed a serious expression. She knew not why, but in front of this girl, she unexpectedly had a vague kind of mentality to capitulate. This left the King Of Extinguished Ashes very shaken.

This girl's background was perhaps not so simple.

"Sanmei, you misspoke." Chen Mo smiled as he spread open his arms and put the drowsy Nianyou into his embrace. "She's my treasure, she will never be a bother."

"If only that were so." Zhongli Sanmei nodded.

1. 易馳竹 ↩
2. 邵仕風 ↩
3. 張鳴 ↩