Chapter 365: Clever and Skilled Su, The Protagonist

Chapter 365: Clever and Skilled Su, The Protagonist

Now the great villain and the protagonist meet at the foot of Tianling Mountain. In the previous life, this would have been a deadly encounter, with a real showdown of life and death.

But now, the atmosphere is quite harmonious.

This makes sense; after all, this life didn’t trigger the villain’s chaotic plot, and Su Kexin hasn’t found herself in a desperate situation, embarking on a noble quest to save the world.

Their relationship is that of normal senior and junior siblings.

Lin Nuo said:

“What are you doing here?”

Su Kexin chuckled lightly:

“I’m here to learn from my senior brother, walking up Tianling Mountain.”

Lin Nuo hoped she would drop the “Mountain” part and just walk to the sky.

Lin Nuo continued to ask:

“Can’t you fly with your sword?”

“Not really, I’m just seizing the opportunity to improve myself. Senior brother’s sword flying technique is already extraordinary, yet you insist on walking back every time. Your perseverance truly impresses me~”

Su Kexin teased, while Lin Nuo just listened in silence.

I suspect you’re mocking me. I, Lin, have to use my two legs to climb, and you call that perseverance?

“That’s not the case.” Lin Nuo denied it.

“Senior brother is just being modest~”

“Not modest.”

“Alright, alright~ If you say so.”

Su Kexin understood Lin Nuo’s character; he was low-key and disliked showing off, so he definitely wouldn’t admit to anything.

Nonetheless, as long as she knew the truth.

Senior brother was inherently aloof and stern, but he had a warm heart.

“Are you heading back to Xuanyun Sect?”

“Yes.”

Would I come here just to enjoy the scenery? Wouldn’t it be more pleasant to stay in a house and munch on cakes, sipping cold water?

“What a coincidence! I’m going back to Xuanyun Sect too. Let’s go together~”

“Suit yourself.”

“Okay, hehe~”

Su Kexin offered a bright and innocent smile. Just when she planned to walk up the mountain, she ran into her senior brother. What a fateful encounter! Moreover, the mountain path is rugged and steep, providing a perfect chance to observe her senior brother’s climbing style. If she encountered any issues, she would have his support.

Even though she couldn’t always rely on him, she was just starting out and needed to adjust gradually.

Lin Nuo watched Su Kexin, who shyly covered her slightly blushing cheeks.

“Senior brother, what’s up? Do I have something on me…”

“Nothing.”

Lin Nuo turned his gaze towards the towering Tianling Mountain, hesitating to take another step.

He said coldly:

“You go ahead; I’ll follow you from behind.”

“But senior brother, I don’t know the way…”

“No need to know, just trust your instincts and pick a path.”

“Oh…”

Su Kexin felt a bit worried; she really didn’t know how to navigate.

But after thinking for a while, she intended to ascend Tianling Mountain alone, and she would need to explore the path herself. Just because her senior brother was around didn’t mean he would lead the way.

This approach was just right. He stayed behind her, letting her explore on her own, like a mentor watching over a student, allowing her to figure things out. But worried she might make a mistake, he followed closely to offer help if needed.

With Lin Nuo watching over her, Su Kexin felt a bit more at ease. She gathered her confidence and took her first steps forward, while Lin Nuo trailed behind.

He wouldn’t give her directions, simply observing how she would choose her route.

The terrain of Tianling Mountain was rugged and treacherous, the mountain range stretching endlessly, as if there was no end in sight. If she were to walk up, it was hard to say if she could even reach Xuanyun Sect; the key was to find any path leading there.

To say this was a training session was also fitting; being able to explore the mountain road to Xuanyun Sect certainly counted as training.

As Su Kexin began to feel her way up the mountain, Lin Nuo followed her closely. From the very start, Su Kexin took a wrong turn. When she asked him if she was going the right way, he wouldn’t respond, simply saying to go with her feelings.

“Senior brother, is this path right? I feel like I’m going the wrong way…” Su Kexin asked anxiously.

“Be confident and drop the doubts; if you feel it’s wrong, then yes, you’re wrong.”

Lin Nuo just replied:

“Go with your instincts.”

“Oh…”

When Su Kexin found a path, she took it. When she came across intersections, she hesitated and would ask Lin Nuo for advice, yet he’d still say, “Go with your instincts.”

The further they went, the more lost Su Kexin became, and she would undoubtedly feel frustrated, thinking of herself as incompetent while Lin Nuo stayed silent, watching her self-reproach unfold.

Perhaps this was a form of amusement.

He might not even comfort her later; he might even add salt to the wound: Yes, you truly are self-aware.

Perfect.

The villain’s stubbornness—this was not a bad form of retaliation.

Though Su Kexin’s experience outdoors was limited, she had learned to navigate in unfamiliar forests, making marks every certain distance she covered to find her way back if she got lost.

As a professional troublemaker, Lin Nuo naturally sabotaged Su Kexin’s markings from the shadows, even faking some marks to lead her further astray when she attempted to backtrack.

In the end, she would be hopelessly confused.

Su Kexin thoughtfully marked a branch and asked Lin Nuo:

“Senior brother, is this right?”

“Not bad.”

Lin Nuo seemingly praised Su Kexin for her marking.

“Great.”

With Lin Nuo’s approval, Su Kexin gained confidence and continued marking her path. She had begun to treat Tianling Mountain as an unfamiliar wilderness, even seeking out water sources, food, and potential caves for shelter to avoid being caught in the rain.

Lin Nuo was astonished, wondering if she was looking for a path back to Xuanyun Sect or simply trying to survive in the wild.

Why not gather some ingredients and barbecue them right here instead?

“Senior brother, senior brother! I found a river! It flows down from the mountain. It seems to be the river in front of Master Han Fairy’s estate~”

While exploring, Su Kexin discovered a small river and suddenly burst with excitement, hopping around the riverbank.

Lin Nuo took a look and thought, good heavens, how do you know this river is the one at Han Fairy’s estate?

Do you also remember where the Spirit Spring blasted those stones back in the day?

“The water is so sweet~ No wonder it’s from Tianling Mountain. Senior brother, if you’re tired, come drink some too~”

In her excitement, Su Kexin pulled Lin Nuo to the riverbank.

“But it’s just river water; no need to make a fuss about it.”

“But it’s really sweet, and I’ve even tested it for poison—it’s okay!~”

“When did you learn to test for poison?”

“Last time at the Lin residence, senior brother made a point to test for poison. You were so meticulous that I learned how to test for poison from that day on~”

Su Kexin said proudly, as if she had acquired some earth-shattering technique.

Lin Nuo thought to himself, actually, you’re the best poison tester. If there’s any strong poison, it’ll just explode on you, and then you’ll know, right?

But this is a good thing; at least it reduces the risk of exploding from poison.

Lin Nuo wasn’t completely at ease; he specifically tested the water again and, finding it safe, sat down to drink.

“Senior brother, senior brother, here! Here!~”

Su Kexin offered Lin Nuo a piece of Meat Floss Cake wrapped in a clean, exquisite handkerchief.

“Where did you buy this?”

Lin Nuo took the Meat Floss Cake and took a bite; the flavor was quite unique and wasn’t bad at all. He had no idea which brand it was from.

“I made it!~”

Su Kexin replied with a smile.