Side Story 5: Identity Exposed

Side Story 5: Identity Exposed

When we reached the halfway point of the mountain, the mountain path became rugged.

This is the only way to the martial arts alliance leader's birthday banquet, and it is called "A Line of Sky".

With sheer cliffs on both sides and only a sliver of blue sky overhead, the terrain is extremely treacherous.

"Sis, be careful."

Pei An walked at the back, his ears twitching slightly as if he heard a strange sound carried on the wind.

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm the 'Red-Clad Demoness' now, who dares to mess with me?"

Pei Niannian rode on her horse, a blade of grass dangling from her mouth, humming a little tune, leisurely and carefree.

Xiao Bai rode his horse in the middle, his gaze constantly and subtly protecting the girl in red in front of him.

He tapped his palm lightly with the folding fan in his hand, seemingly relaxed, but in reality, his entire body was on high alert.

"Boom—!!!"

A thunderous roar suddenly came from above.

"Oh no! An ambush!"

Pei An's expression changed, and he shouted, "Scatter!"

On the cliffs on both sides, several huge boulders weighing thousands of pounds had been pushed down by someone at some unknown time!

The boulder, carrying rubble and dirt, fell like a meteorite, crashing straight at Pei Niannian in the very center of the group with destructive force!

This was a meticulously planned murder.

The people who made the move were the same gangsters they had dealt with a few days ago. They had joined forces to try and kill the "Twin Fiends" here.

"Nian Nian!"

At this critical moment, Pei Niannian reacted extremely quickly, trying to rein in her horse and dodge.

But the boulder came on too fast and covered too wide an area, and it looked like it was about to smash her and her horse into a bloody pulp.

She instinctively tried to summon the golden eagle in the sky for help, but it was too late.

In that life-or-death moment, a white figure suddenly appeared from the side without warning.

"Whoosh—!"

The white-robed young man, who was originally "weak and sickly, and would pant after walking a few steps," suddenly took off like a roc spreading its wings!

He twisted his waist in mid-air and swept his right leg out, bringing with it a powerful and domineering internal force.

"Bang!!!"

A loud bang.

That boulder, weighing at least a thousand pounds, was actually kicked off course by his kick!

The boulder grazed Pei Niannian's horse's head and flew off, crashing heavily against the cliff below the roadside with a deafening roar.

Using the force of the recoil, the man in white performed a graceful somersault in the air and landed steadily on Pei Niannian's horse, sitting behind her.

He put one arm around Pei Niannian's waist and grabbed the reins with the other, forcibly controlling the frightened warhorse.

"Whoa—"

The warhorse came to a stop.

Pei Niannian was still in shock, her heart pounding wildly.

She felt a warm, firm chest against her back, and strong arms tightly wrapped around her waist, giving her a sense of security.

Are you alright?

A familiar voice reached my ears, no longer feigning weakness, but carrying a hint of anxiety and... domineering presence.

Pei Niannian turned her head blankly.

The "white-robed young master," who usually couldn't even open a bottle cap and would cough at the slightest breeze, was now staring sharply at the top of the cliff, exuding a chilling murderous aura.

He no longer looks sickly at all.

This is clearly a peerless master who is keeping his skills hidden!

"you……"

Pei Niannian pointed at him with her mouth wide open, unable to speak for a long time.

Pei An rode his horse slowly over.

He glanced at his unharmed sister and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then his cold phoenix eyes fell on Xiao Bai, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips, as if he had already seen through everything.

"Not bad."

Pei An commented calmly:

"The 'Cloud Steps' technique, a secret of the Nanzhao royal family, is exceptionally light and has extremely strong explosive power."

He paused, his tone tinged with nostalgia and a hint of mockery: "This move... looks familiar."

"It's just like the trick I used to run away when I was being chased and pecked on the butt by a big white goose at the entrance of the imperial kitchen."

"..."

Xiao Bai froze.

He held Pei Niannian's arm, which trembled slightly.

The embarrassment of having his dark past exposed in public made his thick skin ache.

"Goose...goose pecking at its bottom?"

A sudden thought flashed through Pei Niannian's mind, and memories from many years ago surged back like a tide.

That little hostage who always followed behind her, thin and small, bullied by the eunuchs, and finally chased all over the yard by a big white goose...

Then look at the tall, handsome young man in front of you, with his excellent martial arts skills.

The two faces slowly overlapped.

"noob?!"

Pei Niannian suddenly turned around, cupped Xiao Bai's face in her hands, ignoring the mask he was wearing, and leaned in to examine him closely, her eyes wide like saucers:

"Is it really you?!"

"You...how did you grow so tall?!"

She gestured.

Back then, Xiao Bai was half a head shorter than her.

This guy is now a whole head taller than her! And his pectoral muscles are pretty hard!

Xiao Bai: "..."

Is height the key factor?

Shouldn't they be moved by my heroic rescue, or question my identity?

Looking at the surprised and delighted face so close to him, Xiao Bai sighed helplessly.

He reached out and removed the silver mask from his face.

A face of unparalleled handsomeness, yet with a touch of wicked nobility, was displayed without reservation in the sunlight.

He looked at Pei Niannian, the deep affection in his eyes finally showing: "It's me."

"Sister Niannian."

He smiled slightly, just like the sycophant he used to be: "I'm back."

"You said you'd protect me. Does that... still stand?"