"You’re free to go," one of the elders said, stepping forward on behalf of the others:
"We’ve spoken to the Sect Leader. We offer our apologies if our doubts caused you any offense."
His voice was respectful, almost overly so. The shift in tone was noticeable—subtle, but present.
Whether they had been reprimanded or simply convinced, Hei Long couldn’t be sure, but the result was the sa.
And so...
Hei Long gave a small, relaxed wave, brushing it off with a casual smile:
"It’s alright. I understand—your duty is to keep things fair. Questioning unexpected results is natural."
The elder nodded, relieved:
"Even so, your composure speaks well of your character. And, since you ranked first, your reward will be delivered to your residence later tonight."
"Understood," Hei Long replied with a slight bow. "Thank you, Elder."
With a final respectful nod, the elders turned and departed, their robes trailing behind them as they vanished.
"..." Hei Long let out a soft exhale and turned his attention to the only person left—soone who had still lingered.
He raised a brow in mild amusent:
’She hasn’t left?’
With a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, Hei Long clasped his hands behind his back and began walking toward her.
The mont the young woman noticed him approaching, she stiffened—frozen like a rabbit sensing the gaze of a predator.
Her eyes widened.
Her breath caught.
And just as she instinctively turned to flee—
Hei Long reached out and gently caught her by the wrist.
"W-Wah—!" she squeaked.
A deep, crimson blush exploded across her cheeks and quickly spread down her neck.
Her entire body trembled like a leaf in the wind, and when she opened her mouth to speak, only stamred syllables ca out:
"I—I—I... I-I... I—!"
Over and over again.
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, her eyes darting anywhere but his.
It was clear she was on the verge of shutting down entirely—caught sowhere between joy, terror, and paralyzing embarrassnt.
Hei Long tilted his head slightly, watching her with curiosity.
’She’s cute,’ he thought absently.
But then his smile faded ever so slightly.
’Wait a minute... who even is this girl?’
Hei Long blinked once, trying to place her face.
Nothing ca to mind.
’Is she even part of the original novel? I don’t rember seeing her na. Not in any Chapter I read. Not even in the background.’
Hei Long’s brows drew together slightly in thought.
’Was she always just a side character that never got ntioned?’
He studied her a mont longer, still holding her wrist.
Her eyes t his for the briefest second—and then she made a tiny squeak and looked away again, her face now the color of a ripe tomato.
Hei Long gave a small chuckle.
"Well," he said softly, releasing her arm, "you should be careful about staring so much. You might give soone the wrong idea."
The girl looked like she was about to faint.
"Anyway," Hei Long said, his tone softening into sothing warm and approachable, "what’s your na?"
His voice was gentle—deliberately so.
He didn’t want to frighten her off.
This girl, after all, might prove useful.
Not just for the obvious reasons—her looks were pleasing enough—but more importantly, she seed pliable. Eager. Loyal.
The kind of person who would follow blindly if given a purpose and attention.
And that was sothing Hei Long needed.
Soone who could spread influence for him beneath the surface.
A seed for sothing darker—sothing cult-like.
A following that could carry out orders others couldn’t know about.
A cause he couldn’t openly endorse himself.
No ordinary person would obey without question... but she might.
The girl fidgeted with the ends of her sleeves, eyes cast downward.
"I—I—I’m Sheng Moxian," she stamred, voice barely above a whisper. "I’m nobody special..."
As soon as the words left her mouth, her expression dimd.
The weight of self-doubt hung visibly in her posture.
She regretted saying it almost imdiately.
She wasn’t worthy—not of speaking to the Saint, let alone being rembered by him.
She knew it, and yet she couldn’t lie to him.
Not after what he’d done.
Not after he had helped her up from the ground—sothing no one else had ever done for her in her entire life.
Hei Long tilted his head, observing her quietly for a mont.
"I see..." he murmured. Then, with a small, genuine-sounding smile, he extended his hand in a lighthearted gesture:
"Well, it’s nice to et you, Sheng Moxian. My na’s Hei Long."
He paused, then chuckled softly:
"And just so you know... I’m not that special either."
The laugh was perfectly tid—low, charming, effortless.
Sheng Moxian’s heart nearly exploded on the spot.
Her entire face flushed crimson even more, as she pressed her hands to her chest, internally screaming:
’He’s so humble!!’
It was like a wave of light had washed over her soul.
That smile.
That voice.
That humility—coming from soone of his power and status.
She wanted to cry.
To kneel.
To follow him to the ends of the world.
"He rembered my na," Sheng Moxian whispered under her breath, as if it were a blessing.
Hei Long caught the words, but pretended not to.
"I’ll skip all the talk..." he sighed softly, releasing her arm at last.
Sheng Moxian felt a pang of disappointnt the mont his fingers let go of her.
His touch, however brief, had sent shivers through her entire body—warmth and electricity tangled together.
She hadn’t wanted it to end.
But just as that flicker of sadness began to settle in her chest—
Hei Long suddenly stepped forward and pulled her into a firm embrace.
Sheng Moxian’s breath caught.
Her body froze.
Her soft fra pressed directly against his chest, her heartbeat instantly doubling in speed.
The contact was too much—too warm, too close, too real.
Her face flushed so violently it looked like steam might rise from her scalp.
"..." She opened her mouth, but no words ca out.
Instead, Sheng Moxian went limp in his arms.
"...Huh?" Hei Long blinked.
Sheng Moxian had quite literally passed out in his embrace, her head resting against his shoulder, her entire body slack with unconscious bliss.
Even Hei Long was montarily stunned.
"What the..." he muttered, holding her like a sack of rice.
He glanced down at her flushed face, noting the faint smile curled at her lips:
"...Are you kidding ?"
Hei Long stared at her for a mont, trying to process what had just happened.
’Did she really just faint from a hug...?’
He sighed and shook his head, lifting her carefully to avoid attracting too much attention.
"Well, I guess that confirms it," Hei Long said under his breath, starting to walk away with her cradled in his arms:
"Completely hopeless. But very, very useful."
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