The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 24
by Little PandaSleep?
Xing Jiu couldn’t help but shiver all over. However, when he looked more closely again, he saw only Song Linlin sitting on the chair. There wasn’t any sign of another person.
He must have been seeing things…
It must be that!
Xing Jiu shook his head, dismissing the wild thoughts that had sprouted earlier. He mentally fortified himself, forcibly denying the fleeting image he thought he saw.
In his heart, he was certain: “This must be a trick by this little brat here, trying to make me back down.”
In the next moment, Xing Jiu regained his confidence and looked firmly at Song Linlin.
Chi Qianning patted Song Linlin’s back and said, “You can get down now, he can’t hurt you.”
Realizing after several seconds that nothing had indeed happened behind her, Song Linlin slightly loosened the arms that were tightly wrapped around the other’s neck. Her dark blue eyes looked at the beautiful face in front of her.
Struck by the close-up beauty, Song Linlin instinctively shifted her gaze away from staring intently at the person. Only then did she realize how ambiguous their current position was.
Thankfully, others couldn’t see Chi Qianning, and thus naturally couldn’t see how she was clinging to the other person.
Song Linlin swallowed silently, her eyes darting around as she spoke with a lack of confidence, “But I still can’t beat him…”
“No worries, I’ll teach you.”
Squeezing two people onto one chair was indeed too cramped. Song Linlin herself could feel the crowding, and upon hearing the other’s promise, she finally let go of her arms and no longer leaned her entire body against the other person.
Song Linlin stood back on the ground. Xing Jiu, seeing that she finally made another move, immediately taunted, “Brat, if you have the guts, don’t run, and fight me fair and square!”
Song Linlin was completely unaffected by Xing Jiu’s provocation. If given a choice, she would rather not fight such a large opponent who was also at the late stage of the Golden Core realm.
“Pick up your sword and face him head-on,” Chi Qianning said calmly.
Although Song Linlin had no confidence in her ability to win, since Chi Qianning had said so, she could only choose to trust her.
Nervously, she looked at Xing Jiu and said, “Then let’s fight head-on.”
From a distance, Ye Tingran heard their conversation and couldn’t help but frown, immediately thinking of coming over to help. Song Linlin noticed her movements and shook her head at her from across Xing Jiu, saying:
“Ye-shijie, I can handle this on my own, you don’t need to help.”
Song Linlin had to say something she herself felt uncertain about. After all, Ye Tingran looked like she had internal injuries, while she herself hadn’t been hurt at all thanks to running fast, which was partly due to Ye Tingran blocking Xing Jiu for her.
Now that Ye Tingran was injured, Song Linlin felt too embarrassed to trouble her. It was better for her to rest and recover from her injuries.
Afraid that Ye Tingran might still insist on coming to help, Song Linlin added, “Don’t worry, I’m confident. I won’t do anything reckless.”
Since Song Linlin had already said this, and considering her own poor condition, Ye Tingran could only nod and advise, “Song-shimei, be careful.”
She didn’t expect Song Linlin to truly defeat Xing Jiu; as long as she could hold him off for a while, Ye Tingran could take the opportunity to heal and recover. Then the two of them could join forces against Xing Jiu.
Song Linlin retreated to the spacious central area, which was clearly more suitable for combat and free from obstructions.
Internally panicking, she had to maintain a façade of calm, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly.
Chi Qianning’s voice came unhurriedly from the side. Although she spoke softly, her words were clear: “You know too few sword techniques. I’ll guide you through a simple and practical set.”
Getting a sword technique for free was naturally welcome, but without knowing what her technique was like, could she even use it immediately?
Song Linlin certainly hadn’t forgotten how her half-baked Soaring Cloud Sword Technique [Previously: Lingyun Sword Technique] took nearly six months of practice before she mastered the first move. Back then, she had studied the sword manual for a long time before barely understanding it.
However, since Chi Qianning had said so, and she was now like an arrow on the string that could not be held back [箭在弦上不得不发 | jiàn zài xián shàng bùdébù fā | a situation where one must proceed], she could only grit her teeth and go forward.
Xing Jiu charged forward menacingly with a large machete. Initially, Song Linlin was anxious about how to respond, but the next moment, a force took over her body. Without her doing anything, she raised her sword and charged.
Amazed, Song Linlin widened her eyes as she watched the long sword in her hand swiftly and skillfully slash toward Xing Jiu. For the first time, the sword displayed its proper sharpness in her hand, delivering deep wounds that struck critical areas with clean precision. She then quickly repositioned herself, landing another blow while Xing Jiu was still clearly caught off guard.
Xing Jiu’s attack missed, and after being quickly struck twice by Song Linlin, his wounds bled profusely. He couldn’t help but cry out in pain, furiously swinging his machete toward where Song Linlin stood.
Of course, he missed. After the second slash, Song Linlin had already quickly backed away, putting distance between herself and him.
“Don’t get distracted. Focus on feeling the movements, remember this sensation—this is what it means to wield a sword,” Chi Qianning reminded.
The latter part of her words clearly implied that Song Linlin’s previous attacks were unqualified, akin to an ordinary person randomly swinging a long sword without logic or strategy.
Pulled back to her senses, Song Linlin refocused, beginning to attentively feel each of her actions. Previously, she only knew she was fighting poorly, but had no concrete awareness of it.
Now, comparing herself to the opponent, she felt as if she had learned in vain before.
In just a few rounds, Xing Jiu was covered in wounds. Excessive blood loss was draining his strength and spirit, compounded by the energy-draining techniques he used earlier. It wouldn’t be long before he succumbed to weakness.
Song Linlin also noticed that Xing Jiu’s attacks were growing weaker, his condition deteriorating. She couldn’t help but feel excited, sensing the dawn of victory.
Once she defeated him, she could return to the sect!
“He’s about to collapse. Next, he might resort to a costly secret technique to forcibly enhance his condition once more.”
Chi Qianning’s voice rang out, startling Song Linlin. She didn’t know how Chi Qianning had realized it, but she dared not doubt her.
“What should I do?” Song Linlin asked worriedly.
Right now, she was barely managing to suppress Xing Jiu with speed and Chi Qianning’s sword technique. Since Xing Jiu seemed prepared to risk everything for a final attempt, his speed and strength would likely surge again. At that point, it would be uncertain who would be faster—her or him.
Chi Qianning’s voice remained steady, relaxed, and confident, “Don’t panic, end it with the next strike.”
Indeed, Song Linlin soon noticed something off about Xing Jiu. His veins were bulging, and with a roar, he looked like a boss about to unleash a powerful attack.
Song Linlin wanted to dodge, but her body surged forward unexpectedly, shocking her. She wanted to stop in her tracks, yet she couldn’t control her advancing steps.
All she could do was watch the distance between herself and Xing Jiu rapidly close. Everything happened so fast that she instinctively shut her eyes, fearing that Xing Jiu might grab her throat and choke her to death.
She felt her wrist, which held the long sword, move, and it seemed the blade had struck something. Then, her feet, which had leaped into the air from the sprint, landed firmly on the ground.
“What are you afraid of? It’s already over.”
“Hmm??”
Song Linlin opened her eyes. At this moment, she was standing with her back to Xing Jiu. Curiously, she turned her head and saw Xing Jiu clutching his throat tightly, his face full of terror, with red blood continually seeping through his fingers.
His eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared fixedly at Song Linlin’s back. Even in death, he couldn’t comprehend how Song Linlin had suddenly managed to strike him.
He had been just a moment away from forcibly enhancing his strength through a secret technique, confident he could turn the tide of the battle.
Yet, in just one or two seconds, the gleaming long sword had already slashed across his throat with a clean and precise strike, starkly different from Song Linlin’s previous ineffective attacks.
In the end, he never figured out how Song Linlin had done it. Then his body went limp, collapsing completely to the ground, with blood pooling around him.
“He actually died…”
Song Linlin still couldn’t quite believe it. As she looked at Xing Jiu’s massive body lying on the ground, it all seemed unreal to her.
In the distance, Ye Tingran, who had been healing her wounds, turned her head only to see Xing Jiu’s fallen form, and she too was shocked, unable to fathom how Song Linlin had managed to take down this giant.
“Song-shimei… you…”
Ye Tingran was at a loss for words for several seconds, her face full of shock and disbelief. Finally, she looked at Song Linlin with a complicated expression and said, “Song-shimei, you truly are full of hidden talent.”
“Shijie, you overestimate me…”
Song Linlin was still in a state of bewilderment, completely unsure how Chi Qianning had enabled her to slash Xing Jiu’s throat so precisely and powerfully in such a short time.
However, since the ultimate goal of this mission had now been accomplished, albeit in an unexpected manner, the outcome was still favorable.
Now it was time to leave. Song Linlin certainly didn’t want to stay any longer at this Luofeng Temple—especially with Xing Jiu’s corpse still lying on the ground, his blood all over the place, which was quite nauseating.
Song Linlin pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her long sword, then casually tossed the handkerchief on the ground. She sheathed the sword and hung it back at her waist.
“Let’s go back. I’m exhausted; I need to rest at the inn,” Song Linlin said.
Even though Chi Qianning had been the one controlling her body during the fight, it was genuinely tiring. Song Linlin’s stamina was depleted, and she had left early in the morning before dawn. Now, she was truly fatigued.
Meanwhile, back at the inn, not long after Song Linlin had left, Zhiyu also got up. Or rather, she hadn’t slept at all, fretting over this training mission.
After getting up, she first went to find Ye Tingran. It was still dark, with some time before dawn, and she could talk more with Ye Tingran. Perhaps she could convince her to reconsider and decide against taking the risk?
When Zhiyu arrived at Ye Tingran’s room, she found the door ajar. Entering the room, she immediately saw a note placed prominently.
It was clear that Ye Tingran had left ahead of time.
After reading the note’s contents, Zhiyu couldn’t help but sigh, feeling helpless. Her only option now was to protect the others and ensure they returned safely to the sect.
However, things took a turn for the worse. When Liu Zhi returned to the inn, Zhiyu woke everyone else, preparing to set off for Yunxin City. She discovered that Song Linlin had also left a note and disappeared, much like Ye Tingran.
Zhiyu could understand Ye Tingran leaving silently on her own, but Song Linlin leaving as well was concerning. Her strength wasn’t as high as Ye Tingran’s, so going alone was like rushing to her death.
This left Zhiyu with a headache, and she ultimately decided to let Liu Zhi take the others away while she stayed behind to wait for Ye Tingran and Song Linlin.
Now, sitting on the first floor of the inn, Zhiyu sipped her tea, clearly distracted as she stared out the door, her mind filled with wild thoughts.
Would they win?
What if the two of them didn’t manage to win?
These questions lingered in her mind. Outside, daylight had already fully arrived, and Zhiyu felt tormented sitting on the stool.
“Don’t worry, stay calm,” Zhiyu murmured to herself, knowing that the journey to Luofeng Temple was long and would take time. Moreover, the enemy was at the late stage of the Golden Core, meaning such a powerful opponent would also take time to defeat.
Though she thought this way, her worry and impatience still bubbled uncontrollably. She even decided that if Song Linlin and Ye Tingran weren’t back by afternoon, she would go to Luofeng Temple to check on the situation.
As she anxiously waited, she caught sight of two figures stepping over the threshold into the inn, prompting her to immediately turn her head to see who had entered.
The two people who arrived were, of course, Song Linlin and Ye Tingran, who had just come from the Luofeng Temple. As for Chi Qianning, she didn’t bother to walk and was being carried by Song Linlin.
“You’re back!”
Zhiyu jumped up from her seat with delight, quickly approaching and embracing them both with a voice tinged with tears. “How could you both just leave without a word? I was terrified thinking about what would happen if you didn’t win…”
This was a stark contrast to Zhiyu’s usual dignified and gentle demeanor. Song Linlin wanted to dodge but wasn’t quick enough, so she could only say, “Zhiyu-shijie, there’s no need for such an enthusiastic welcome.”
“Sorry.”
Zhiyu released them, her eyes red, and said, “My father rarely let me out when I was young, so I didn’t have many friends growing up. I was really worried about the two of you.”
“But it’s good that you returned safely. Is everything resolved over at Luofeng Temple?”
Song Linlin nodded; she had walked a long way and was too exhausted to talk much. “Let Ye-shijie tell you. I’m going to rest first.”
With that, she hurried upstairs without looking back, leaving the other two behind. Song Linlin rushed back to her room, and once inside, she closed the door.
As for why she left in such a hurry, her subconscious told her it was better to leave quickly.
Back in her room, without Song Linlin needing to roll up her sleeve, Chi Qianning emerged on her own. She gave Song Linlin a brief glance before returning to her aloof demeanor.
Facing her, Song Linlin felt inexplicably awkward, unsure of what to say, and the room fell into silence.
Although she couldn’t see from inside the sleeve, Chi Qianning was, of course, aware of what had happened outside. Now, looking at Song Linlin, she felt an inexplicable sense of mild irritation weighing on her.
Her sense of smell was also keen, detecting traces of other people’s scents on Song Linlin.
Chi Qianning avoided looking at Song Linlin, but her perception allowed her to see her clearly.
After contemplating for a while, Song Linlin finally asked, “Sleep?”
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