Zombie Bodyguard-Chapter 1548 - 1545: Abolishing Martial Arts?

"Ahem, ahem..." Lin Tian pretended to cough twice, redirecting attention: "Miss, let’s quickly wake Xuanxuan up, leaving late might bring unexpected troubles."

"Does the Situ family still refuse to give up?" Xiao Manxue frowned, expressing dissatisfaction.

"When we left, did you see the look in Situ Ming’s eyes? Did it look like he had given up? Now both the Ice Soul and Xuanxuan are in the forbidden area. They can’t make a move easily. When the Ice Soul leaves the forbidden area, there’s bound to be all kinds of trouble waiting for us," Lin Tian said with near certainty.

"No matter what, I won’t let them harm Xuanxuan." Xiao Manxue’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light. She wasn’t just a decorative vase, nor a naive fool who tolerated bullying. She’s a Sword Cultivator; when her closest ones are threatened, her sword will unsheathe, sweeping away everything.

Lin Tian walked to the jade bed and called softly in Xiao Manxuan’s ear: "Little girl, a bad guy is here to see you," while pressing her palm gently.

Xiao Manxuan’s eyelashes twitched again, and she slowly opened her eyes, though her gaze was still a bit confused. When she saw Lin Tian, she didn’t react, closed her eyes, and went back to sleep, muttering a dazed sentence: "I must be dreaming; the bad guy would never come to see me."

Lin Tian found it both amusing and heart-wrenching. Such a delicate young girl, in her best lively years, yet she had to stay in this lonely cave every day. It truly made one’s heart ache.

"Xiao Manxuan, if you don’t wake up, the bad guy will spank your butt," Lin Tian raised his voice again, drawing a sideways glance from the nearby Miss.

The threat of a spanking likely had a lasting impression on her, as the little girl instantly opened her big eyes wide upon hearing it, seeing Lin Tian once more.

"Lin Tian, is it really you?" Xiao Manxuan was almost fully awake but still asked in disbelief. That familiar face, always with a mischievous smile in her dreams, hadn’t been seen in reality for quite some time.

"It’s really me, I came to take you home," Lin Tian said with a smile.

The little girl suddenly jumped off the bed and hugged Lin Tian, excitedly saying: "Great, I’ve missed home and wanted to go back for a while now, but you didn’t come to see me for so long. You’re an incompetent bodyguard; I’m going to tell mom to dock your pay."

Lin Tian was speechless, these two little girls were indeed sisters, their words exactly the same, as Miss had just threatened him with the same thing not long ago.

"Ahem, ahem..." Xiao Manxue purposely coughed twice, reminding her sister that besides Lin Tian, her dear sister was also in the cave.

Xiao Manxuan snapped out of it, jumped out of Lin Tian’s embrace, and upon seeing her sister, blushed.

"Sister..." she called out shyly.

Just as she was speaking, the necklace on her chest moved, and a little bug flew out. Its purple wings shimmered mysteriously and beautifully in the dim cave light.

Upon emerging, the purple bug flew around Lin Tian, trying to be friendly and pleasing. However, Lin Tian’s wrath surged when he saw the bug. Sensing his emotion, the bug fearfully retreated, hiding behind Xiao Manxuan.

"Lin Tian, it’s been so long, and you’re still mad at a bug? Back then, it wasn’t Little Zi’s fault; it was just following my orders," said Xiao Manxuan, referring to the evolved Zombie Gu she named Little Zi.

Little Zi had devoured the Golden Silkworm Gu and Lin Tian’s zombie blood, evolving significantly, which had unknowingly triggered the dormant power within Xiao Manxuan.

"I’m only mad at myself. If I hadn’t given you the protective necklace back then, you wouldn’t have transformed on the ancient battlefield, and this wouldn’t be happening now," Lin Tian said self-reproachfully.

"It’s not your fault; Sister Zi Yan said I’m destined to face this calamity. Even if nothing happened that day, the disaster would have struck eventually. I’m doing fine now, just as healthy as before," Xiao Manxun reassured, hopping a few times to show her health.

Remembering how Zi Yan used the "Imperial Pole Worldly Book" to foretell Xiao Manxuan’s fate, Lin Tian was puzzled about what could force an ordinary girl like Xiao Manxuan to endure such a deadly ordeal.

"Sister, Lin Tian mentioned taking me back. Aren’t we treating me in Qingshuang Pavilion anymore?" Xiao Manxuan’s voice interrupted Lin Tian’s thoughts.

"No, Lin Tian has found a treatment method, so we’re going back. Also, you’re about to start college and need to report there," Xiao Manxue thought for a moment, concealing the fact that she had been expelled from the sect.

"Alright, let’s go then." Xiao Manxuan took her sister’s hand and beckoned Lin Tian to follow, silently sighing at how much her sister had to bear.

The three left the cave, following the stream outward. As they passed through the grove, the four female disciples didn’t come out to stop them, but crossing the grove, the only path out of the forbidden area was blocked.

These weren’t Qingshuang Pavilion’s female guards but members of several prominent families: Master Tang, Tang Ziqing and Tang Muling from the Tang family, the Situ family’s uncle-nephew trio, several from the Yuwen family, Li Wenfeng, Ling Zishan and Ling Shuiyao from the Ling family, and Wang Wanxi from the Wang family.

Seeing the sinister smile on Situ Ming’s face, Lin Tian knew that this confrontation was inevitable; the Situ family would not give up.

"Lin Tian, sister, so many people! Are they here to see us off?" The kind-hearted Xiao Manxuan asked, unaware of the situation’s reality, smiling.

Lin Tian smiled lightly: "Some are here to see us off, others are here to rob us." As he said this, Lin Tian looked at Situ Ming.

"But we have no money on us. What are they going to rob?" Xiao Manxuan asked, puzzled.

"Of course, they want your Ice Soul Necklace," Lin Tian said calmly.

"But didn’t you say the Ice Soul Necklace is my life-saving charm? If they take it, it would be like killing me, and that’s a crime," Xiao Manxuan said loudly, as though innocent but purposefully so, ensuring everyone heard her.

Lin Tian knew she was acting; despite seeming naive and sweet, Xiao Manxuan possessed a keen insight into human nature and immediately understood the situation.

Matching her tone, Lin Tian said, "In the face of family interests, a few lives mean nothing to them; they care not for others’ lives or deaths."

Their exchange was heard by everyone, and Situ Ming’s face turned sullen, though he pretended to be oblivious.

"Situ Ming, Manxue has already paid the price for this, yet you block our way. What exactly do you want?" Lin Tian asked coldly.

"Price?" Situ Ming let out a cold laugh and loudly declared: "Expulsion from the sect is no price! Isn’t she perfectly fine now? According to the rules of the Ancient Martial World, anyone expelled from the sect must have their martial arts abolished!"