### Chapter 6: The Dark Line Turns Into a Romance （13）
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“Miss Ta, I truly admire you!”
Mu Zhi, who had been lurking among the crowd since the Giant Wave Gang showed up, cupped his hands towards Lin Nan.
Lin Nan replied nonchalantly, “What brings you to say that, Young Hero Mu?”
Mu Zhi sighed, “As everyone knows, the Giant Wave Gang has become a persistent thorn in the side of the rivers and lakes, relying on their swimming skills and sheer manpower to control the commercial shipping lanes like a boss, making money hand over fist like it’s going out of style.
Even the Martial Arts Alliance is at a loss when it comes to the Giant Wave Gang, let alone us disciples from various sects.
So, our usual approach is to turn a blind eye to the Giant Wave Gang. As long as they don’t cause too much trouble on land, we just let it slide.
But Miss Ta here has no tolerance for their shenanigans.
Looking at how they’re squirming, I can assure you, I’m not the only one cheering in my heart.”
Lin Nan said, “You flatter me, Young Hero. I’m just a mere woman, unaware of the juiciness of the martial world, and I act purely based on my whims.”
“Modesty doesn’t suit you, dear lady.”
Just as Mu Zhi was about to blab more, he noticed Little Recipient nervously trailing behind Lin Nan, looking like a deer caught in headlights—one wrong move and he’d bolt for the hills.
“Do you know this person, Miss Ta?”
It seemed Lin Nan had just noticed Little Recipient’s existence. She shook her head. “I do not.”
Mu Zhi cupped his hands in respect. “That’s precisely what I admire about you. Ever since the Martial Arts Alliance unified the martial world, even the seven major sects have to look up to them. So-called chivalry is just another way of saying, ‘Let’s fight our neighbors.’
Like me, earlier when faced with this young lad’s cries for help, my first reaction wasn’t to rush to the rescue but to think how to distance myself from the matter.
Avoiding risk is the true portrayal of someone like me.
The more I say, the more ashamed I feel, alas!”
Mu Zhi shook his head repeatedly, clearly growing more frustrated with his earlier cowardice.
“Miss Ta, till we meet again!”
After a round of banter, Lin Nan’s impression of him improved a tad. After all, the initial gamble had been her idea, so really, she and Mu Zhi had no direct conflicts of interest.
But she didn’t expect him to open up to her like this, as if her actions had struck a chord with him.
A little unexpected gain, if you will.
Unfortunately, the system hadn’t opened the favorability ratings for other NPCs besides Shiyuan, otherwise, she would have liked to see just how much Mu Zhi approved of her.
Alas.
Now that the Giant Wave Gang was wrapped up and Little Recipient was freed from his cage, the next step was to send him back to the Martial Arts Alliance.
First, that meant cashing in on the bounty, and second, it would cut off the Alliance’s excuse to keep attacking the mountain stronghold.
With this thought in mind, Lin Nan still didn’t acknowledge Little Recipient, maintaining a “close but not too close” stance, sauntering towards the exit of Lehua Town.
Little Recipient blinked, then hesitated before following her at a distance, looking like he didn’t want to leave her side.
But to his surprise, Lin Nan rounded a corner and vanished.
Little Recipient panicked and rushed forward a few steps, but there was nothing but a sunny path ahead, and “Ta Hong Chen” was nowhere in sight.
He scampered back to the spot where she disappeared, scanning left and right.
Gone. She was gone…
A wave of bitterness rose in his eyes, but he desperately rubbed them to keep the tears at bay.
Right, he was just a passerby.
What right did he have to wish for anything more?
Just like what the Giant Wave Gang’s members had said, what made him worthy of such an outstanding woman’s affections?
Even if he were the son of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader…
Besides that title, what did he have?
Money? None…
Strength? He was pretty sure he couldn’t even achieve one percent of his father’s power; he was literally the world’s biggest useless lump.
From the conversation he overheard between her and “Qīngchéng Yī Jiàn,” it was clear she saved him purely out of a sense of justice, never having a smidgeon of personal feelings for him.
But here he was, completely oblivious…
Trying to rely on her to find the security he had been missing in his life.
How laughable! He was a man!
How could he think of leaning on a woman for some damned protection!
Ha ha, had he known better, he wouldn’t have humiliated himself so thoroughly.
Boo hoo…
Ultimately, Little Recipient couldn’t hold back anymore, leaning against a wall as disappointment poured out in tears.
But just when his tears blurred his vision completely, a faint red figure caught his attention.
He froze, hardly daring to believe his eyes.
It was her! It was her!
He desperately tried to wipe away the tears, not wanting to show his weakness in front of her.
But the more he rubbed, the more tears flowed, like a fountain that wouldn’t stop.
It was as if all the grievances and pain from being trapped in that mountain stronghold had finally burst forth at that moment.
Lin Nan crossed her arms, leaning slightly against the wall, looking at Little Recipient with a hint of sympathy.
He was like a flower that had been sheltered in a greenhouse, suddenly thrown into the harsh realities of society, accumulating who knows how much hurt inside.
Thinking she had left him for good, he then saw her returning, unable to control his emotional outburst.
After a long while,
Little Recipient finally stopped crying, rubbing his reddened eyes, embarrassed as he looked down, too shy to meet the gaze of the Woman in Red.
“Promise me, this is the last time you cry in front of others,” Lin Nan said coolly.
Little Recipient’s head shot up, his tear-streaked eyes wide with surprise.
She… she was speaking to him!
He thought “Ta Hong Chen” would coldly walk away, but here she was, circling back to his side!
With his emotions swinging back and forth, he felt his tear ducts twitching again.
He wiped his eyes frantically and proclaimed, “From today on, I won’t shed a single tear for my weakness, never!”
Lin Nan shot him a frosty glance.
“If you continue sulking like a little girl, don’t wait for me to kick you out; just leave on your own.”
Little Recipient nodded vigorously, “Don’t worry, Sister Hong Chen, I won’t be like before!”
“Let’s go.”
Lin Nan was as brief as a haiku, straightening up and walking down the shaded avenue away from Lehua Town.
Little Recipient hurriedly trailed behind her, afraid that in the blink of an eye, all his support and hope would vanish.
He had had enough of carrying everything alone.
If he could, he would follow her for a lifetime without complaint.
