One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 110 Shopping

In the time that followed, Chen Duo seemed to have opened the door to a new world.

She was curious about everything. When she saw a sugar painting vendor, she would stand and watch for ages, observing the old man using scalding sugar syrup to draw dragons, phoenixes, and butterflies on a hot iron plate with fluid, graceful movements, the sugar threads shimmering amber in the sunlight. When she saw a balloon vendor, she would stare at the little animals floating in mid-air—pink rabbits, blue whales, yellow smiley faces—until Nie Lingfeng bought her a brown bear balloon and handed it to her. When she saw a hair clip vendor, she would squat in front of the stall, examining each one carefully, her fingers gently stroking the sparkling rhinestones and soft bows, finally choosing two of the simplest black hair clips and asking Nie Lingfeng to pin them in her hair.

Nie Lingfeng was very patient, accompanying her to look around, to choose, and to try things on. He realized that he had underestimated the allure of "shopping" for women—even a girl like Chen Duo, who had been raised as a tool since childhood, would have her natural feminine instincts emerge like tender buds in spring, stubbornly pushing their way out of the frozen ground once she came into contact with the normal world.

Then he regretted it.

Because Chen Duo's "shopping spree" was completely activated.

She went from being reserved at first, to becoming composed, and then... she couldn't stop.

"This dress is beautiful." She pointed to a white dress embroidered with butterflies, the skirt of which was made of layers of tulle.

"Buy it." Nie Lingfeng took out his wallet, glanced at the price tag, and paid without changing his expression. During his three months living deep in the mountains, he had managed to save some money by hunting and collecting rare medicinal herbs.

"This bag can hold things." She took a liking to a canvas backpack, dark blue, with a simple cloud pattern printed on it.

"purchase."

"These shoes are comfortable to walk in." She tried on a pair of white sneakers and walked a few steps in the store, finding them soft and comfortable.

"purchase."

"This doll is so soft." She hugged a panda doll that was half her height and wouldn't let go, burying her face in the fluffy fabric, her voice muffled.

Nie Lingfeng looked at her—Chen Duo, hugging the panda plush toy, looked like an ordinary girl begging her family for her favorite toy. He was silent for two seconds, then sighed: "...Buy it."

After three hours, Nie Lingfeng was carrying bags full of things, and even Chen Duo had to help with some of the load. Although the Qiankun bag could hold a lot, some easily damaged items still had to be carried by hand. Chen Duo, on the other hand, was holding a panda plush toy, wearing a new hair clip, carrying a new backpack, wearing new shoes, and holding an unfinished candied hawthorn in her hand. Her eyes were bright, and there was a very faint but real smile on her lips—a smile that was very shallow, like the thin ice on a lake in early spring that had not yet completely melted, but it was real.

Looking at her smile, Nie Lingfeng's complaints about "shopping being so tiring" instantly vanished.

It was worth it, he thought. No matter what he had to face next, seeing Chen Duo with that expression made it all worthwhile.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, looking up at the sky. The setting sun was beginning to dip, bathing the streets in a warm orange-red hue.

"Mmm." Chen Duo nodded, her stomach letting out a soft "gurgle" at just the right moment.

Nie Lingfeng chuckled: "Come on, I'll take you to eat something delicious."

---

The two found a decent-looking local restaurant. The storefront wasn't large, but the interior was clean and tidy. The owner, a plump middle-aged man, greeted them warmly as they entered with their bags: "Please come in, gentlemen! What would you like to eat? Our sour fish soup, spicy chicken, and stir-fried wild vegetables with cured pork are all excellent!"

Nie Lingfeng ordered sour fish soup, stir-fried wild vegetables with cured meat, and two vegetarian dishes, along with two bowls of rice. While waiting for the food, Chen Duo sat quietly, her fingers unconsciously stroking the panda doll's ears, her eyes taking in the shop's decor—bamboo decorations hung on the walls, several potted plants were in the corner, and the wooden tables and chairs were polished to a shine.

The dishes arrived quickly. The sour fish soup was bright red, topped with vibrant green cilantro and bright red chili peppers; the stir-fried wild vegetables with cured pork was incredibly fragrant, the cured pork sliced ​​thinly and translucent; the vegetarian dish was simply stir-fried seasonal vegetables, lush and green.

Chen Duo ate very attentively, carefully tasting each dish before quietly commenting: "This is spicy... but fragrant." "This meat has a smoky flavor." "This vegetable is crispy."

Nie Lingfeng served her food, watching her eat bite by bite, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. In these three months, he not only cured her of the Gu poison, but also taught her how to live like a normal person—eating, sleeping, expressing her preferences, and feeling emotions. The process was slow and difficult, but seeing Chen Duo now, he felt all his efforts had not been in vain.

Halfway through the meal, Nie Lingfeng suddenly put down his chopsticks and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What's wrong?" Chen Duo asked sensitively, almost immediately stopping her chopsticks. That coldness and vigilance belonging to the "Gu Body Saint Child" instantly returned to her eyes, though it was only a fleeting glimpse.

"Someone's following us," Nie Lingfeng said in a low voice, calm but with a hint of coldness. "They've been following us since we left the mall, the whole way. Very professional. If I hadn't deliberately gone around to the window to take a look when I went to pay just now, I almost wouldn't have noticed."

Chen Duo gripped her chopsticks tightly, her knuckles turning white again: "How many?"

"Just one, probably someone keeping watch," Nie Lingfeng said, his gaze sweeping across the street outside the window. "You take your time eating, I'll go take care of this. Remember, no matter what noise you hear, don't come out."

"I'll go with you," Chen Duo said, her voice soft but firm.

"No need," Nie Lingfeng shook his head. "Wait for me here, I'll be right back. If I'm not back in ten minutes, go out the back door and wait for me at the convenience store we just passed."

He paused, then added, "Chen Duo, trust me."

Chen Duo looked at him, her emerald eyes swirling with complex emotions—worry, unease, trust, and a hint of suppressed fighting instinct. Finally, she nodded: "Be careful."

"I will."

Nie Lingfeng stood up, casually paid the bill, and then winked at Chen Duo, signaling her to leave through the back door first. Chen Duo, holding her doll, naturally got up and walked towards the kitchen—the back door had been pointed out by the boss earlier.

Nie Lingfeng went out through the front door, deliberately wandered around the street, bought a bottle of water, paused for a moment in front of a bookstore, and then turned into a quiet alley.

The alley was deep, flanked by high concrete walls of old residential buildings, the peeling paint revealing gray bricks underneath. Garbage was scattered on the ground, and a faint musty smell filled the air. There were few people around, only the faint sound of traffic from the distant street.

He walked to the middle of the alley, stopped, turned around, and faced the empty alley entrance.

"Aren't you tired after following me for so long?" he said to the air, his voice echoing in the narrow alley.

A few seconds later, a man dressed in a black tracksuit and wearing a baseball cap slowly walked out from around the corner. He looked to be around thirty years old, with an ordinary appearance—the kind of person you wouldn't notice in a crowd—but his eyes were sharp, like a hawk eyeing its prey. His temples were slightly bulging, his steps were steady, and his breathing was long and deep; he was clearly a skilled martial artist.

"Nie Lingfeng?" the man asked, his voice hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing.

"It's me." Nie Lingfeng nodded, hands in his pockets, relaxed. "From the Wang family?"

"The Dark Raven Third Squad, under Young Master Wang Bing, codenamed 'Night Owl.'" The man sneered, removing his baseball cap to reveal an unremarkable face, except for his eyes, which gleamed with a chilling light. "Nie Lingfeng, I advise you to obediently surrender and come with me to see Young Master Bing. He said that if you hand over Chen Duo and cripple your cultivation, he might spare your worthless life. Otherwise…"

"What else can I do?" Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with amusement.

"Otherwise," the man's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his aura suddenly turned dangerous, "you'll die here today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved!

Without warning, without gathering strength, he moved like a black lightning bolt, instantly covering ten meters and lunging straight at Nie Lingfeng! His movements were so fast they left afterimages; his right hand formed a claw, its five fingers curved like hooks, the tips gleaming with an eerie blackish-purple light, shimmering ominously in the dim alley. Before the claw even arrived, a foul stench filled the air—clearly, it was a claw technique coated with deadly poison!

This claw strike aimed straight for Nie Lingfeng's throat, its angle tricky and its speed incredible, sealing off all avenues for escape. If it were Nie Lingfeng three months ago, he might have needed to take it seriously, but now…

Nie Lingfeng didn't even move.

He simply watched the man lunge at him, his eyes as calm as a deep pool. Just as the claws were about to touch his throat—the dark purple fingertips less than an inch from his skin, the poison already stinging—he gently lifted his foot.

Wind God Leg - Catching the Wind and Shadows.

This seemingly casual kick was faster than the limits of visual perception. The man only saw a blur before his eyes, and then an irresistible force surged through his chest—a force so domineering and violent, like being hit head-on by a speeding truck!

"Bang--!!!"

A dull thud echoed through the alley. The man was sent flying backward at three times the speed he had come, his body tracing an arc through the air before slamming hard into a concrete wall five meters away!

"Click—"

A clear cracking sound rang out. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the wall centered on the point of impact. The man's body was embedded in the wall for half a second before slowly sliding to the ground. His chest caved in with a horrifying arc, blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed from his mouth, his eyes were unfocused, and it was clear he was not going to survive.

He struggled to lift his head, staring at Nie Lingfeng in disbelief, making a "hoarse" sound in his throat. With each word he uttered, a gush of blood and foam appeared in his mouth.

"And...Young Master...will...avenge...me..."

Before he could finish speaking, his head lolled to the side, and he breathed his last.

Nie Lingfeng walked to the corpse, squatted down, and carefully examined the dark purple tinge on the man's fingertips. The color was deep and eerie, and a sweet, fishy smell emanated from it, clearly indicating some kind of mixed poison. He then looked at the man's unclosed eyes; the pupils were dilated, but shock and resentment still lingered in them.

"Wang Bing?" Nie Lingfeng muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes. "It seems this young master of the Wang family is determined to cause me trouble."

He knew this was just the beginning. Since Wang Bing had sent someone, he wouldn't have sent just one. More people, and even more dangerous experts, would follow.

The body must be disposed of, otherwise it will be discovered soon, causing more trouble.