Urban Martial Saint

Ye Qing looked at Shen Qingyi beside him and couldn’t help but feel some pity for her.

The girl known as Miss Shen had been adored by the Shen Family all her life. However, her days were far less pleasant than they appeared to be on the surface. For over twenty years, she lived in a small place and had never stepped out. Her life seemed to be confined to that little place, as if she was completely estranged from everything outside of it. To call it the life of a wealthy young lady was less accurate than comparing it to imprisonment; she had absolutely no contact with the outside world.

No wonder she seemed so naive and pure; she had always been at Shen Family Manor and never took half a step outside. The family adored her; no one deceived her, no one bullied her, and she was completely unaware of the cruelty of society. Perhaps in her eyes, everyone was as kind as her family; she never considered that there are many dark places in this world. Just like the kidnapping earlier, she genuinely did not understand what kidnapping was. Having lived in the Shen Family Manor for so many years, she might have never even heard of the word!

Everything in the outside world was so marvelous to her; even the most ordinary Sunflower, not blooming at night, seemed so beautiful in her eyes. And all the surrounding sceneries, a small hill, a little river, felt so novel and intriguing to her that she was enraptured by them.

Ye Qing deliberately slowed down the speed of the car, as he could tell that Shen Qingyi thoroughly enjoyed the view outside. Perhaps, after this journey, she might be sent back to Shen Family Manor and would never be able to step out again. This was her last contact with the outside world!

Shen Qingyi always exhibited joy and wonder towards everything outside, and would curiously inquire about anything she saw. Ye Qing patiently answered her questions, one by one. In reality, the things that were simple and ordinary to him, she did not recognize at all. She was like a baby newly introduced to this world, curious and joyful.

No matter how much Ye Qing slowed down, this journey was not long. Past three o’clock in the morning, their car arrived outside Shenchuan City. Looking at the night scene of the city ahead, Shen Qingyi seemed to realize that this journey was about to end, and there was a touch of sorrow on her face.

”Ye, thank you!” Shen Qingyi looked at Ye Qing and spoke softly, ”If one day you go to Shen Family Manor, I will invite you to see the flowers I’ve raised, how about that?”

Looking at Shen Qingyi’s exceedingly beautiful face, Ye Qing felt as if something was trying to burst out of his heart. He did not respond, just kept driving with his head down. Just as the vehicle was about to enter Shenchuan City, he suddenly braked sharply and stopped the car on the roadside.

”Miss Shen, have you ever seen the sea?” Ye Qing asked softly.

”The sea?” Shen Qingyi was startled for a moment and then said excitedly, ”You... you mean that place with a lot of water? My aunt told me about it when I was a child, but I... I’ve never seen it myself!”

Toward the end, Shen Qingyi became somewhat despondent. It was apparent that she harbored an immense longing for the sea.

Ye Qing checked the time and said, ”Come on, I’ll take you to the seaside to watch the sunrise!”

After speaking, without waiting for Shen Qingyi to answer, Ye Qing turned the car around and drove in the direction of the sea.

Shen Qingyi’s face immediately lit up with excitement, and she gripped her little fists with delight, saying, ”Ye, can you really see the sea from here? My aunt once said she would take me to see the sea, but after Aunt passed away, I thought I would never see the sea again!”

”Of course you can see the sea, and today, you’ll even see the most beautiful sunrise!” Ye Qing replied with a faint smile, steering the car steadily to the seaside.

By the time they reached the seaside, it was already four a.m., not much time was left before sunrise. The area around the beach was truly crowded with people waiting to watch the sunrise. The seashore in the early morning seemed so calm and serene.

”We’ve arrived!” Ye Qing parked the car and went over to open the door for Shen Qingyi.

Shen Qingyi stepped out of the car, staring at the vast expanse of the sea ahead of her, she was utterly transfixed. After a long while, she cautiously turned her head to look at Ye Qing, ”Ye, is this... is this the sea?”

”Yes, this is the sea!” Ye Qing smiled faintly as he looked ahead at the beach, saying, ”This is the most beautiful beach in Shenchuan City; many people love coming here to watch the sunrise.”

Shen Qingyi’s eyes sparkled with novelty and joy as she gazed at the beach ahead. Suddenly, she let out a cry of excitement, ”Wow, it’s so beautiful!”

Her ethereal voice, like the sound of heaven’s music, instantly drew the attention of many on the beach. Upon seeing Shen Qingyi, everyone was stunned, reacting just like Ye Qing had when he first saw her. This extraordinarily beautiful girl was so breathtaking that it felt as if one’s spirit emptied at the sight of her.

Shen Qingyi paid no mind to the stares from the crowd and ran excitedly down to the beach. She marveled in excitement as she stepped on the soft sand, turned to Ye Qing, and said, ”Ye, this is so much fun. It’s really just like my aunt described; the sand is soft!”

This was a fact known to all, yet it was her first time experiencing it; all of it seemed as fantastical as a fairy tale to her. Today, the fairy tale finally became a reality; she was like the beautiful Snow White, took off her shoes, and with her bare, impeccable feet, ran back and forth across the beach, feeling the softness of the sand and the gentleness of the sea breeze.

Ye Qing stood by, watching Shen Qingyi with unblinking eyes. The seashore, the beach, the coconut groves, and the girl who seemed like a Heavenly Immortal formed an exquisite tapestry in his mind—a scene he would never forget.

On the beach, everyone was watching the girl who seemed like a Heavenly Immortal, a sight so captivating that not only Ye Qing but also everyone else was intoxicated.

Finally, a red line squeezed through the place where the sea and sky met, as if heralding something, and someone shouted, ”The sun is coming out!”

Alas, nobody watched the sunrise anymore, most people still fixated on Shen Qingyi, immersed in that breathtaking scene.

Ye Qing walked up to Shen Qingyi and whispered, ”Miss Shen, look over there.”

Following the direction Ye Qing pointed to, Shen Qingyi saw that the red line had transformed into myriads of rays of light, looking spectacularly beautiful, like thousands of golden serpents dancing in the air.

”What is that?” Shen Qingyi asked excitedly, staring at the scene, her exhilaration evident.

”That’s the sunrise!” Ye Qing chuckled, watching Shen Qingyi’s joyful expression, he felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. It was as if making her happy was in itself a joyous thing to do.

”The sunrise?” Shen Qingyi gazed at the sunrise, about to ask something more, but the clouds at the horizon were now tinged with red, and the spread of morning glow looked even more magnificent. Shen Qingyi forgot what she wanted to say, simply watching the sunrise in a trance.

Ye Qing stood beside Shen Qingyi, inhaling her faint fragrance, feeling an incomparable sense of serenity. At that moment, he seemed to forget everything—the grudges, the responsibilities, the killings, everything—as if only he and the girl beside him existed in this world.

The sun rose bit by bit from the point where the sea met the sky, its morning rays shone upon Shen Qingyi’s face, bestowing upon her an ineffable sense of sanctity. Those around her even started to wonder if they were witnessing a true Heavenly Immortal, as admiration gleamed in the eyes of a few girls. Shen Qingyi’s beauty made men unable to resist and girls to willingly capitulate!

Eventually, the sun rose, and a new day began. Shen Qingyi watched the slowly ascending sun, brought her hands together in prayer, and murmured softly, her face showing a touch of sorrow.

Seeing her like this, Ye couldn’t help but curiously ask, ”Miss Shen, what’s the matter?”

”My aunt once told me that when watching the sunrise at the seaside, you can make some wishes and they will come true,” Shen Qingyi said. ”I just made a wish!”

”What wish?” Ye Qing looked at Shen Qingyi and smiled gently. ”Did you wish to have more opportunities to go out and explore in the future?”

”Oh dear, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have totally forgotten about that,” Shen Qingyi hastily brought her hands together again and murmured a few words, seeming very devout. After a while, she quietly opened her eyes, glanced at Ye beside her, and said softly, ”Ye, the sun has risen already. If I make a wish now, will it still come true?”

Seeing her innocent look, Ye couldn’t bear to disappoint her and smiled lightly, ”As long as you are sincere, it will come true!”

”That’s good!” Shen Qingyi sighed in relief, as if a weight had been lifted off her chest.

”What did you wish for the first time?” Ye asked in amazement, curious why Shen Qingyi’s first wish wasn’t to have more opportunities to go out, wondering what she could have wished for.

Shen Qingyi said, ”I wish that everyone I know, and those I don’t, can be happy and joyful, no longer tormented by illness!”

”Ah?” Ye was stunned, looking at Shen Qingyi in astonishment. That wish was immense. And who would wish for something like that?

”Why did you make that wish?” Ye asked curiously.

Shen Qingyi said, ”Because several dear elders in my family have died from illnesses. My grandmother is also not well; she coughs incessantly every winter. Illness is the most tormenting thing in this world, and I really don’t want people to suffer from it!”

”But you didn’t need to make such a grand wish, did you? Do you want everyone to be healthy?” Ye Qing said, looking at Shen Qingyi. ”There are good and bad people in this world. You could wish for good people to be healthy, but should the bad also be healthy?”

Shen Qingyi wondered, ”Since they are all people, what’s the difference?”