Lily had been startled by the scene that played before her in a blink of an eye. A moment she was about to watch the wolf devour Zhang Han and the next moment, that burly figure of the wolf was lying lifeless on the ground. She really had no idea how to react.
But she could only heave a sigh of relief since Zhang Han was unscathed and that was that mattered to her. She slowly looked up at the savior and was stunned for a moment.
The young man before her eyes was really like a knight from a storybook clad in all black. The smirk on his face didn't falter even for a second. She could clearly see a mysterious glint in his eyes as he leaned down to face Zhang Han.
She couldn't tell Zhang Han's reaction but she saw him clutching the other man's shirt to pull himself up before he placed his head on the broad shoulder of the other person in a defeated manner.
Only then she heard his exhausted voice, \"Senior brother, you're late.\"
The other person's smirk changed into a soft smile as he patted Zhang Han's shoulder and said, \"Junior brother, if you're still alive that means I'm absolutely on time.\"
Zhang Han held his shoulders and looked at him with fierce eyes, \"I almost lost my life!\"
The other person chuckled at his reaction and patted his head like he was placating a pet, \"But I saved your life. Didn't I? In fact, now you owe this young master a favor.\"
\"Owe you a favor? In your dreams!\" spat out Zhang Han before adding, \"The only thing I owe you young master Haoran is a beating!\"
\"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. This temper of yours is still making me wonder how did you get accepted as a disciple of the Jingshen Temple? With your foul temper, it's really a miracle that Grandmaster Wang Xiuying hasn't kicked you out yet.\"
Hearing the other person insulting him so blatantly, Zhang Han was on the verge of exploding. It was really not easy dealing with this senior brother of his. But he couldn't do anything. After all, the other person was still superior to him both in status and strength. He couldn't challenge either.
When Zhang Han didn't reply and kept staring at his face, the young man got bothered as he sighed out. \"With your abilities, you could have escaped long ago. What held you back?\"
Zhang Han still didn't reply but he visibly stiffened. He knew that the other person was right. The moment he opened his eyes, he could have found a way out for himself. But then, why didn't he? What held him back? Or who held him back?
The other person squinted his eyes before he tilted his head to look at the girl behind Zhang Han and gave a lopsided grin as he said, \"No wonder, you didn't run.\" He took a step towards Lily but Zhang Han placed his hand over his chest, not letting him pass. \"Easy junior brother. I won't bite. I promise.\" Saying that he extended his hand towards Lily and introduced himself, \"Hello! This humble self is Xia Haoran. It's a pleasure meeting you.\"
Lily was dumbstruck by that smile on his lips as she just kept staring in his orbs that seemed to be like whirlpools. She hesitated a bit before replying, \"I'm Lily.\" Oddly, she found something really familiar with him. As if she could see a mirror image of a person she knew. And that person was none other than the one she respected and admired the most; Ru.
Poor girl really didn't realize that she wasn't going crazy. The person standing before her was, after all, the youngest brother of Ru. If he won't have her attitude, who else would?
\"Lily?\" Xia Haoran repeated her name. \"Ah! It's the name I've been hearing for a couple of months now. You're well... considered pretty. Right?\" He looked at Zhang Han who glared at him in return. \"What? Don't glare at me like that? I mean no harm! I'm a bit clueless about the beauty standards that's why I was asking for your opinion. But then again, if you have a crush on her she must be really pretty in your eyes.\"
Zhang Han's eyes widened as he slammed his hand over Xia Haoran's mouth and dragged him to side. A little further from where Lily was sitting on the boulder.
\"Senior brother, can you please be a bit tactful?\"
Xia Haoran shrugged his shoulders saying, \"I should be saying that to you. My brother Ru used to say that love is like a mental illness. Because only a mentally retarded person would be willing to lose his own life for someone else.\"
\"Don't try to confuse me with your eloquent speech. I'm not falling for that! You're late and that's a fact!\"
Xia Haoran looked at him seriously and asked, \"When did you get caught by those people?\"
\"I can't be certain but it's been over a week,\" replied Zhang Han not knowing where this was going.
\"Exactly! And when did you bother to send that emergency signal?\" Xia Haoran's eyes completely lost the initial playfulness as he stared at Zhang Han. \"The signal was sent last night. I got here as soon as Grandmaster Xiuying informed me.\"
Zhang Han rubbed his face with his hand in exasperation as he said, \"It's not my fault. They used some kind of drug to put me to sleep. I barely woke up last night and only then I could do anything.\"
\"Yes, and instead of finding your way out, you stuck around to save a damsel in distress?\"
\"No!\" Zhang Han was furious now. \"She's not the only reason I chose to observe a little.\" Xia Haoran narrowed his eyes at him. \"My dear little uncle is in their hands even now. I don't even know where.\"
\"Little uncle? You mean Xiao Zhiyuan?\" asked Xia Haoran and got a nod in reply. He was in deep thought before he clicked his fingers together.
With a gush of the wind, over fifty people jumped down from their hiding spots in the trees. All-clad in black and all of them wearing a badge to represent the formidable clan that people often thought to be a myth; The Xia Clan. Each and every one of those people was elites of the clan.
\"Shishi, deal with Xiao Han's wounds,\" instructed Xia Haoran.
\"Yes, young master,\" a lady walked towards Zhang Han to treat his injuries.
\"The rest of you... Gather the situation around the mountain. Don't get involved in any fight, just watch and report back to me.\"
Everyone left after giving a bow to him leaving behind a confused Lily, a screaming Zhang Han glaring at his doctor who was being brutal on purpose with his wounds and Xia Haoran who was staring up at the blue sky with a hidden smile.
\"Seems like, I'd be seeing my brother sooner than I expected...\"