I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense

“In the corner!”

The young man pointed to the cupboard in the corner and said with a tremble.

“Stay honest and there will be no issue. Don’t think about playing any tricks.”

“Understood, sir. I understand everything. I’ve never seen you, you weren’t here today!”

Li Xiaobai nodded. This young man caught on quickly, instantly grasping his meaning.

He opened the wardrobe by the wall, and Li Xiaobai was stunned. The wardrobe contained only a few men’s clothes; the rest were all female attire of various colors and styles. It had everything, both inner and outer garments. Who would have thought, this guy was actually a big shot in women’s clothing?

His gaze on the young man turned somewhat complex. Young people nowadays, life isn’t easy. At first glance, it was clear that the pressures of daily life were immense, necessitating some special hobby for relief.

“Ahem, sir, all these clothes were bought by me over the years. Each piece was acquired through official channels, there’s absolutely nothing of dubious origin. Please feel free to take whichever you like!”

Feeling the silence from the person behind him, the youth explained a bit awkwardly.

“I didn’t see anything. I’ll take two pieces of clothing; take care of yourself.”

Li Xiaobai’s expression was indifferent as he casually selected a robe and a brand-new piece of women’s clothing. Since there was women’s clothing, naturally it was meant to be a gift for Long Xue.

Engaging his Qi Yun Dantian, Li Xiaobai leaped into the air and jumped out through the hole on the roof, gently closing the tiles with the back of his hand, making no sound at all as he did so.

Inside the house, the young man waited for a while and heard no further movement. Bolstering his courage, he looked back to confirm the person had left, and heaved a sigh of relief. His life was spared.

“Who knows which two pieces that murderer took, I haven’t bought men’s clothing in many years.”

The youth stood before the wardrobe, mumbling to himself, his hands automatically counting the clothes. Soon, he sensed that something was amiss – a piece of women’s clothing was missing!

After pondering for a moment, the corners of the young man’s mouth curled into a wicked smile.

“So, that murderer happens to share the same hobby, fancying women’s clothing as well. It’s like meeting an old friend in a foreign land!”

Above the rooftops.

Li Xiaobai tossed the women’s clothing to Long Xue and said, “Put this on, and then prepare to move. We’ll be temporarily safe once we’re out of the city.”

“Where should I change?”

Long Xue asked, her big eyes wide.

“Naturally, right here on the rooftop.”

Li Xiaobai gave her an odd look and unceremoniously began to put on the robe.

“But I’m a girl…”

Long Xue’s pretty face turned somewhat red. Here on the rooftop, under the clear sky, she felt a bit ashamed.

“It’s fine, I’m not looking at you. Hurry up and change. Those government officers will be coming soon.”

Li Xiaobai turned his back and urged her.

Long Xue bit her lip, secretly cursing in her heart, but ultimately she compromised. With a face as red as blood, she quickly changed out of her prison garb and into the women’s clothing; the whole process was smooth as flowing water.

Listening to the rustling sounds behind him, Li Xiaobai’s heart was also a galloping mess. At the peak of his young vigor, although he tried not to think about it, his body was being very honest.

“Brother Li, I’m done changing.”

“Let’s go!”

…

A few minutes later.

In the crowd frantically fleeing at the city gates, a man and a woman, inconspicuous among the masses, were being swept along with the current towards the outside of the city.

“Spread out, everyone, and search separately—once you find those two, capture them immediately!”

“There are too many people. Each person is responsible for one area; we must find that kid!”

“They’re wearing prison clothes, so they definitely won’t dare to show themselves openly—focus on searching those dark corners suitable for hiding!”

The government officers, well-trained, swiftly set up their formation, spreading out to sift through the crowd like separating wheat from chaff, oblivious to the fact that the two individuals they were desperately seeking had already brushed past them moments ago.

Unhindered, Li Xiaobai led Long Xue out of the city gate quite naturally. After following the crowd for a while, they deviated from the main path onto a rarely trodden rural trail.

“So-called government officers, they’re nothing much after all.”

Li Xiaobai’s expression was indifferent; everything was going as expected.

“Brother Li, you’ve changed!”

Long Xue sincerely exclaimed. From the moment Li Xiaobai had severed Gui Xuan, he had become more astute, cautious, and domineering. She couldn’t tell whether the change was good or bad, but she could definitely feel an increased masculine charm emanating from him.

“It’s not me who has changed, but the times.”

Li Xiaobai had wanted to try out the path of instant enlightenment once more, bursting forth another golden saying, but, sadly, nothing happened again.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he thought he should devote himself to diligent cultivation to get stronger; relying on epiphanies didn’t seem too reliable.

The most urgent task was to find a place to settle down. He needed time to organize his thoughts properly in order to figure out the next step in their strategy.

“What are we going to do next?”

Long Xue asked. For some reason, she was quietly looking forward to Li Xiaobai taking her along for some excitement. The events that had happened on the rooftop earlier that day were still vivid in her mind, which she found somewhat thrilling.

“First, we need to find a place to settle down. The official forces are surely issuing warrants for us now. We can’t go to places like inns. Let’s find a cave to rest for the night,” Li Xiaobai said.

“Okay, I’ll listen to you!”

By dusk, Li Xiaobai had successfully found a cave dwelling.

After casually clearing away the weeds, Li Xiaobai sat down and began to sort through the information in his mind, systematically summarizing the current state of his body.

Li Xiaobai, eighteen years old, Martial Artist in the Essence Refining Realm.

He practiced two Cultivation Techniques: one internal and one external. The internal technique was called Spirit Realm Technique, capable of absorbing the inner strength of martial artists for his own use—an unadulterated Demon Path cultivation technique. However, he currently only possessed the upper half; the lower half was hidden by his deceased master.

Before, Li Xiaobai only practiced using the essence of small animals like chickens and ducks, never having used it on cultivators, which is why his cultivation level had been growing slowly.

The other was an external technique, a sword technique called Demon Sealing Sword Technique, which was said to lead to the comprehension of the Demon Sealing Sword Evocation when mastered to perfection—one sword could seal demons, one sword could seal the heavens.

All these were left behind by his deceased Demon Path master. Unfortunately, due to Gui Xuan’s betrayal, the Imperial Court had already gotten hold of these two techniques. Now, the Imperial Court wanted to find where the lower half of the Spirit Realm Technique was hidden. On one hand, they offered a hefty reward to enlist the aid of experts from the martial world, and on the other hand, they aimed to ensnare all his sect members through Gui Xuan, using this opportunity to discover the hiding place of the lower half of the Spirit Realm Technique.

“So, it seems this Spirit Realm Technique is a fine thing after all—directly absorbing others’ inner strength for one’s own use gives a bit of a cheat-like impression. It’s just that this body is still too weak, but as long as I apply the cultivation technique wisely, getting stronger is just a matter of time,” Li Xiaobai murmured to himself.

It was at this moment that a sudden, cool voice beside him broke his train of thought: “Brother Li, do you like chicken?”