Yun Ming's originally pleasant mood felt like it had been plunged into a dark, cold deep sea, heavy and suffocating.
Words were stuck in his throat, unable to come out.
When watching movies, he didn't like tragedies... and life was even more so. He thought that since he had transmigrated, he should at least change some predetermined outcomes; otherwise, he wouldn't have come all this way.
Two hundred thousand. After his master stopped caring for him, any random commission he took paid more than this.
In fact, he didn't even charge a commission fee this time.
A losing business... but he thought, since he knew about it, and they came to him for help, he might as well go, not expecting anything in return.
If possible, he would abduct Nicole and bring her back.
This girl seemed to have a bit of the 'Child of Fortune' element in her; bringing her back to Yun Kui Mountain to be a sect mascot would be good.
Oh, and he could give her to his Senior Apprentice Brother as a Apprentice.
Normally, he would have Wind Chime, his Senior Apprentice Sister, guide her, and with this back and forth, wouldn't the two of them connect again? This was essentially drawing on his and his Senior Apprentice Sister's advanced experience.
Yun Ming secretly praised himself for being a genius.
Just then, Xu Li rushed over excitedly, gripping his hand tightly, pointing into the room but too thrilled to speak.
Speechless... Yun Ming scratched his head and made a reassuring gesture.
"Don't worry, leave it to me, Director Xu!"
The Qing Ming Sword flew out with a whoosh.
Although logically speaking, he no longer needed the Qing Ming Sword to cooperate, facing such a solemn treatment from the client...
He naturally had to give his all.
The treasured sword gleamed with a cold light. After becoming an extreme of his Natal Manifestation, although it lost the vast Aether energy of the Qing Ming Sword's original distracting thoughts (miscellaneous thoughts/distractions).
But the Qing Ming Sword's power became even more terrifying.
It was as if it was entwined with the power to suppress the laws of heaven and earth, making ordinary people instinctively submit upon seeing it.
He pushed open the door, determined not to let Nomi suffer such inhuman pain anymore, but he was pulled back by the pink-haired little girl behind him.
She shook her head desperately.
"What's wrong?"
"Brother, don't kill Sister Nomi!"
Yun Ming understood; it was a misunderstanding. Although the Qing Ming Sword looked like a sword, it was actually a sword.
But it was indeed a healing tool.
"Don't worry, I have a lot of experience, I'm very quick, it won't be too painful."
He gave a thumbs-up, winking at Nicole, thinking he was very charming.
Nicole watched the glowing green sword float in mid-air, about to stab her beloved sister, her heart rising and falling dramatically.
She shrieked.
"No, we're not treating her! We're not treating her!"
She desperately pounded the young man, but he paid no attention. Seeing is believing, hearing is not.
It's normal to be scared the first time.
After trying it, she would know how amazing he was. He wasn't a living Yama King; how could he send the little girl in front of him to blissful paradise?
That's what he did to enemies.
However, he couldn't take a beating for nothing. Soon, he'd have more leverage when abducting the child. Your sister is saved, of course.
But I, the dignified Yun Kui Mountain Sect Leader.
To be wrongly accused by a little girl like you, how do you think you should compensate? Come and work for me obediently... Uh, I forgot child labor is illegal.
So it's recruiting Apprentices. It's not illegal for Apprentices to work no matter how young they are. This evil old-era thinking... it's simply brilliant!
"Nomi, right? Relax..."
He smiled gently, his fingertips touching the girl's skin with spiritual energy. Illusions replaced pain, as if the erosion had never existed.
This was something Yun Ming had recently realized... While teaching Yi Jiang the new cultivation method, that girl's screams were too much for him to bear, making him even a little suspicious if she was deliberately teasing him... After all, this Apprentice was a bit unusual.
But the pain was real, and Yun Ming couldn't just tell Yi Jiang to shut up; that would be too heartless.
And so.
He racked his brains and came up with this contraption.
Essentially, it was an improvement on the Empathy Art passed down by his Martial Uncle, designed to deceive the body's nerves.
But the result was that Yi Jiang, feeling too comfortable, blushed and continued to chatter in his ear, even teasing her master.
So disrespectful... Nomi stared blankly at the handsome young man in front of her. Was this a hallucination before death? How bizarre.
Nicole was crying, pulling and wrestling with the young man.
Director Xu stared blankly, hope in his eyes, as if he had forgotten everything.
The young man was very close, and he smelled good.
She no longer felt pain.
It really was a dream... Nomi hugged the young man in front of her. Although she didn't know why a stranger would suddenly appear in her dream.
But to be rescued from such torment.
Whoever it was, thank you.
She wanted to be a little more greedy and ask for a hug.
At the door, hearing the commotion, the little ones, along with Hongdou and Ling'er, rushed over, bursting in with urgency and worry.
The result... they saw their eldest sister, Nomi.
Being held in the arms of that brother, with a blissful expression on her face. Nicole had also stopped fussing by then.
With red eyes, she observed the scene.
In this extremely calm scene, everyone held their breath, second after second passing.
Waiting for a miracle to happen.
But this 'everyone' did not include Hongdou and Ling'er.
What a shock!
This thought involuntarily popped into their minds.
Speaking of which, they had heard this phrase from Yun Ming when he told stories. They never thought they would be so shocked one day.
No, spending too much time with the idiot (Brother).
They themselves were becoming improper.
Now was not the time for playing around, was it? Ling'er observed the other person's physical condition; it seemed a bit better than when she was first discovered.
However, she was also on the verge of death.
She should have died long ago, but Brother Yun Ming tirelessly treated her every day, and her condition slowly improved.
Time passed minute by minute, the sun rose and set, and the lights in the room were quietly turned on.
But the outside of this room was still crowded with people.
Director Xu wanted the children to go about their business, but no one was willing to leave... Everyone remained silent.
Until Yun Ming put away his sword and wiped a bead of sweat, and Nomi, in his arms, also fell into a deep sleep.
This time, he really went all out... He was a little worried that the Orphanage didn't have highly nourishing food.
Yun Ming simply gave some of his own blood to the girl, helping to refine it and then spreading it throughout her limbs and bones with spiritual energy.
"Glad I didn't fail you~"
"Just get more nutrients and exercise appropriately from now on."
"Little girl, you're not worried now, are you?"
He turned and smiled brightly, rubbing the little pink-haired girl who was lying by the bed. The little pink-haired girl, however, had long since cried until her face was covered in tears. She finally looked up now.
Sniffling, crystal tears rolled down.
As if the pent-up emotions had finally been released, she just kept sobbing and saying.
"I'm sorry... Brother..."
"I'm sorry."
Seeing the little loli cry, Yun Ming's heart ached. The girl pounced on him, and he could only hug her.
Ah, he was truly too kind.
"Alright, alright, don't cry... Don't wake Nomi, she just fell asleep."
"Oh, by the way, my name is Yun Ming. Tell me your name."
"Nicole, my name is Nicole..."
A hint of doubt rose in Yun Ming's heart. Wasn't it Nicole Demara? Wait, she hadn't been adopted yet at this time.
The Demara family was a prominent family in Ailidu that produced military equipment and batteries. The story mentioned that Nicole was adopted.
Later, for unknown reasons, she chose to return to the Orphanage, which probably wasn't for any pleasant reason.
That's not bad either. As the saying goes, 'marry a chicken, follow a chicken; marry a dog, follow a dog.'
Once she enters Yun Kui Mountain, she can take a Taoist name.
Although there are many people in Ailidu who cherish their surnames, especially some of the dandies from TOPS who would love to wear their surnames on their faces.
Who cares about their surnames anyway... Yun Ming had already decided this Apprentice-niece was his. The question was, how to coax her back now? For the children of the Orphanage—
It's naturally good if someone is willing to adopt them.
But her Sister Nomi didn't die this time, hmm... Then he might as well just take them all. Yun Kui Mountain is no longer short on money.
At worst, he'd just take on more commissions.
"Director Xu, there are a few more things we can discuss."