My Top-Tier Tycoon Wife

In the darkness of the night, Luo Xiu staggered forward as if about to collapse, carrying Xia Chan in his arms. With each step he took, a bright red footprint was left on the ground.

He did not dodge or evade, no matter how the enraged Martial Artists slashed at him with their furious blades. Even with his formidable physical body, he could not withstand the endless hacking and stabbing. Besides, the weapons these Martial Artists wielded were anything but ordinary.

At this moment, Luo Xiu's clothes were tattered and he was covered in blood. Broken swords and poisoned needles stuck out from his back, legs, and shoulders. His body swayed, threatening to fall at any moment, yet his eyes remained resolute.

Having chosen this path, he would not regret it, nor would he consider the consequences.

"I may not be a good person, but at least… as a man, I must protect my own child." He stopped, lowered his head, and gazed tenderly at Xia Chan. "Even in death, I will die before you and our child."

…

In this agonizingly long half-hour, he had only managed to travel a few hundred meters.

Lin Xiyue and the other women watched the figure riddled with broken swords and poisoned needles, their tears streaming down their faces.

"Why… Why on earth?" Lin Xiyue suddenly collapsed to the ground, covering her face with her hands. "What is she to you? Why is she worth all this?"

BOOM!

Suddenly, a deafening explosion ripped through the night. A Martial Artist charging at Luo Xiu with a sword was struck by an invisible fist. His chest imploded, and his body was sent flying backward, his life extinguished in an instant.

Luo Xiu turned to survey the crowd, his eyes crimson and cold, filled with a bone-chilling murderous intent.

"Half an hour has passed. I said it before: anyone who comes, dies!"

With those words, he stomped his feet, shattering the ground beneath him. His body shot into the sky like a cannonball, tracing a long arc through the night before descending toward the distant wasteland.

"Don't let him take the Heretic Cult witch!"

"After him!"

"The Divine Skills must not fall into the hands of the Heretic Cult!"

"What can a mere youth do? All disciples, on my command, chase him!"

"Execute the traitor of Hua Country!"

"Slay the Heretic Cult witch!"

The martial artists from the various countries, seething with rage, drew their weapons and gave chase.

Back at their original spot, Lin Xiyue, Ye Ningxue, and the others stood as if turned to stone, silent tears streaming down their faces. They wanted to follow, but they were held in place by an invisible force released by Lin Jianlong, unable to move.

So… he's Master. Why did he hide his identity? Master has been by my side all along. Ye Ningxue bit her lower lip.

Xu Qianqing sighed softly. "Because of the Ye Family's matters, he had to disguise himself and assume another identity."

Lin Xiyue stared in the direction Luo Xiu had gone, her eyes filled with utter hatred. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Why… Why would he go to such lengths for that Heretic Cult witch?"

Sun Li placed a hand on her shoulder. "Xi Yue, I know this is hard for you to accept… but I think Xiu has his own painful reasons."

"Besides, he is a man who values his relationships deeply. Back in Henghai Provincial City, he and that Heretic Cult witch…"

Just then, Ye Ningxue broke free from Lin Jianlong's restraint and took a step forward. "No matter what, I must go after Master!"

Xu Qianqing and the other women exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.

Zhang Yi clenched her jaw and struggled fiercely. "Brother Luo Xiu saved my life! No matter what he does, I will stand by his side!"

At that moment, Lin Jianlong walked over and blocked their path. "Have any of you considered the consequences?"

He scanned the women with an expressionless face and said coolly, "If you go now, you will be betraying Hua Country. Your families, relatives, and friends will all be implicated."

"The Shi Wu Great Reef still needs you, so you will all obediently stay here."

"As for that boy… I will ask for the Medic Immortal's opinion."

Zhang Yi shouted angrily, "To hell with the Shi Wu Great Reef! I'm going to find Brother Luo Xiu! Let me go!"

Lin Jianlong's gaze darkened. "You girls will stay here and cool your heads. In this impulsive state, you won't be of any help. In fact, you'll only make things worse!"

…

「As dawn broke, the sky began to show the faint white of morning over a remote corner of the wasteland.」

Xia Chan slowly opened her eyes, gazing quietly at the gray sky. Her heart was already filled with despair, so she felt neither sorrow nor joy, indifferent to her current situation.

Father, I'm sorry… Chan'er is useless. But rest assured, even if I die, I will never reveal our sect's secrets or do anything to betray our people. It turns out death is truly terrifying.

She slowly lifted a weak hand, her fingers curling slightly as if trying to grasp the sky. A single, crystalline tear slid from the corner of her eye. For some reason, the face of that man suddenly appeared in her blurry vision.

Why do I suddenly miss you so much? Luo Xiu… if there is a next life, I hope we can meet again properly. I'm sorry… I couldn't protect our child in the end.

HISS…

A sharp intake of breath nearby pulled her from her thoughts.

She snapped back to reality and turned her head to see Luo Xiu sitting on a rock, tending to his wounds. Seeing his body covered in injuries and the poisoned stingers from broken swords that were still embedded in him, Xia Chan's eyes quivered. She clenched her teeth and, despite the pain, forced herself to sit up.

"Chen Shuisheng, what are you doing?"

Luo Xiu glanced at her, a smile gracing his bloodied face. "I heard you muttering to yourself just now. I thought you were talking in your sleep."

"Now that you're awake, hurry over and give me a hand. Help me pull out the things on my back."

Xia Chan moved her frail, weak body closer to help Luo Xiu with his wounds. But then, she suddenly froze.

She saw the ground below the slope in front of Luo Xiu littered with corpses.

"What… What is the meaning of this?" Xia Chan's eyes trembled with disbelief.

Seeing the field of bodies, she could only imagine the bloody battle this "Chen Shuisheng" must have fought alone against the martial artists of various nations while she was unconscious. And in the end, he had killed them all.

Luo Xiu smiled faintly. "It doesn't mean much. I just couldn't stand to see them bullying a woman, so I saved you."

Xia Chan's voice trembled. "I'm a 'Heretic Cult witch,' as you people call me. Why would you save me?"

"Chen Shuisheng, with your talent and abilities, you have a limitless future in Hua Country."

"And I… am your enemy. Is this really worth it?"

Luo Xiu waved his hand impatiently. "Enough. Don't waste time. I never regret the path I choose. Help me with these wounds first. We still have to get moving."

Xia Chan bit her lip and said no more.

A moment later, Luo Xiu put on his tattered, blood-stained jacket. He looked at Xia Chan, who could barely stand, and said, "You're severely injured and won't recover for a while. I'll carry you."

"Mm, thank you."

The sun slowly crept over the horizon. In the boundless wasteland, he carried her on his back, every step firm and without regret. The warm sunlight stretched their overlapping shadows long, as if reaching to the ends of the earth…

Breaking the silence, Luo Xiu suddenly spoke. "Miss Chu."

"What is it?" a drowsy Xia Chan asked, opening her eyes.

"I'm taking you home."

Hearing this, Xia Chan's eyes widened. After a long, quiet moment, she said, "But if you take me back… it will be a one-way trip."

"Then so be it."

"Chen Shuisheng."

"What?"

"Do… Do you like me? Because I already have someone in my heart."

Luo Xiu joked, "So what you're saying is, no matter what I do, I can't move you?"

"I'm sorry. So you don't have to do this. Just take me back and hand me over to them. That way, you can continue on your bright and prosperous path."

"I promised to take you home, and I will keep that promise."

"I've met foolish people, but you're the first one I've met who's this foolish. If only he were half as foolish as you."

"He?"

"Mm. The man in my heart."

Luo Xiu smiled. "Feel free to talk about him. It's not like I'll get jealous."

As they walked, Luo Xiu suddenly stopped.

Sometime, somewhere, a white-haired elder with the otherworldly air of an immortal had appeared before them. The old man seemed to have materialized from thin air, yet he also looked as if he had been waiting there all along.

Xia Chan frowned slightly. "That's Ning Shuichen, eighth on the Heavenly List."

Luo Xiu slowly lowered Xia Chan from his back and stared intently at the elder. He had seen this man before; he was one of the four elders who had been maintaining the teleportation array in the salt pit. Only now did he learn that this elder was the renowned Ning Shuichen.

Xia Chan said, "It's not too late to hand me over now."