Raising Orphans, Not Assassins-Chapter 6Vol. 2 - - Zhao Jiangzhu

Last year, when he and Zhang Long had ventured into the mountains, they had found signs of tigers roaming Nanshan.

But he had never expected that today, he would actually kill one.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heartbeat refused to settle. After the tension and fear subsided, excitement and exhilaration surged within him.

He had just slain a tiger with his own hands!

Da Ming looked at the massive beast lying lifeless on the ground, heat rushing through his entire body, his eyes burning with indescribable excitement.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure in blue lying in the pool of blood.

Only then did he remember—there was someone else here.

Gripping his iron axe, Da Ming walked over to the girl and crouched beside her.

He reached out and placed two fingers under her nose.

A faint breath flowed in and out.

Da Ming let out a sigh of relief.

Good. Good…

As long as she was still alive.

He carefully lifted the girl, moving her away from the tiger’s blood and placing her beside the large stone where he usually sat.

…

A cool sensation brushed against her face.

Zhao Jiangzhu felt something cold and damp against her skin.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, her vision still hazy.

That cool sensation persisted, bringing her back to consciousness.

As her mind gradually cleared, she realized what was trickling down her face.

Water.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and her vision sharpened.

The moment she saw her surroundings, her heart leaped into her throat.

A broad, strong figure loomed over her, his clothes soaked in blood.

The overwhelming stench of blood filled the air, making her stomach churn.

Pale-faced, Zhao Jiangzhu turned her head slightly.

Not far away, a tiger’s corpse lay on the ground.

Its massive severed head was tilted to one side, its lifeless eyes staring straight at her, as if filled with deep resentment.

Zhao Jiangzhu took a slow breath, her expression growing solemn.

Then, the next moment—

Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted cleanly away.

Da Ming: "???"

She just woke up—why did she pass out again?

Still holding the water pouch in his right hand, Da Ming stared in confusion.

The clear water had washed away the bloodstains on her face, revealing delicate and exquisite features.

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Her fair skin was smooth and translucent, like fine porcelain.

Her complexion carried a soft glow, and her delicate features only enhanced her natural beauty.

For a moment, Da Ming was completely dazed.

A light breeze passed by.

It was as if his heart had stopped beating.

He had no idea how much time had passed.

A single droplet of water dripped from the mouth of the pouch.

The water had all run out.

The droplet landed on the girl's face, sliding gently down her smooth skin.

Da Ming snapped back to reality.

Quickly, he tightened the pouch, lowered his gaze, and dared not look at the girl again.

His pulse quickened, and warmth spread from his neck to his face, then from his face to the tips of his ears.

Swallowing hard, he felt his heartbeat race once more—

Even faster than when he had faced the tiger.

What’s… happening to me?

A rare look of confusion flashed through Da Ming’s eyes. A feeling he had never experienced before surged through his chest, filling his heart.

For a long moment, he was completely at a loss.

He stood frozen in place, unsure of what to do or how to react.

Then, all of a sudden, he snapped back to his senses.

She’s still unconscious!

Da Ming hurriedly crouched down, pressing his fingers gently against the acupoint between her nose and upper lip.

His touch was so light—so cautious—that he barely applied any pressure.

A few moments later—

“…Nnngh…”

A faint murmur.

Zhao Jiangzhu slowly regained consciousness.

Her dazed eyes fluttered open, her vision gradually coming into focus.

The first thing she saw—

A face, flushed red from ear to ear, exuding an almost comical honesty.

Da Ming saw that she had woken up and instinctively grinned.

She stared blankly at him, her wide, confused eyes filled with uncertainty, as if she had yet to process what had just happened.

Da Ming, feeling the intensity of her gaze, suddenly felt his face burn.

He averted his eyes in a panic, not daring to look at her any longer.

His lips parted slightly, wanting to ask—Are you alright?

But before he could utter a single word, his throat locked up.

At that moment, it was as if his voice no longer belonged to him.

Everything he wanted to say—everything he was thinking—got stuck in his throat, unable to come out.

Da Ming clenched his teeth but still couldn’t force out a single word.

The girl’s large, watery eyes gazed at him, clear and unblinking.

His face flushed red. He quickly averted his eyes, shrinking his neck slightly.

For some reason, a strange sense of panic welled up inside him.

Blushing, he sullenly picked up his iron axe and walked back toward the tree.

A light breeze swept past, carrying the pungent scent of blood.

It was only then that Da Ming remembered—his clothes were soaked in tiger blood.

Without hesitation, he stripped off his bloodstained top, revealing his strong, tanned upper body.

His muscles were well-defined, each curve standing out clearly beneath his skin.

Having just finished chopping wood earlier, his body was still slick with sweat, glistening under the sunlight.

The faint streaks of red on his skin gave him an untamed, rugged air.

Leaning against the large stone, Zhao Jiangzhu remained immobilized from the pressure point technique.

Her gaze unconsciously landed on Da Ming.

The sight of his powerful, sculpted muscles made her heart skip a beat.

She hurriedly shut her eyes, not daring to look any longer.

For some inexplicable reason, seeing his exaggeratedly muscular body made her cheeks heat up.

She felt… embarrassed.

"Do not speak of impropriety, do not listen to impropriety, do not look at impropriety…"

Zhao Jiangzhu silently repeated the phrase in her mind.

And yet—

A small voice inside her whispered: Just one more look.

It’s strange… just one more look.

Tempted by the voice in her heart, she couldn’t resist.

Keeping one eye shut, she cautiously cracked open the other—stealing a glance at Da Ming.

Completely unaware of her gaze, Da Ming only felt an overwhelming heat surging through his body, his limbs buzzing with boundless energy.

If he didn’t find an outlet soon, he might just explode.

Thud!

Thud!

Da Ming swung his iron axe tirelessly, hacking at a tree with all his strength.

The trunk trembled, shaking loose broken twigs and leaves from above.

The wind swept through, making the whole scene oddly comical.

Da Ming kept chopping.

Zhao Jiangzhu, still leaning against the stone, peeked at him with one eye open, the other closed, her gaze a mixture of shy curiosity.

Thud! Thud!

Dozens of strikes later, the burning sensation in Da Ming’s body finally faded.

A wave of exhaustion spread through his arms.

Taking a deep breath, he loosened his grip on the axe handle.

He rubbed his sore muscles, then, unable to resist, turned around.

He wanted to see if that fairy-like girl was still there.

As he turned, his eyes locked onto Zhao Jiangzhu’s.

She had been watching him with one eye open.

The moment he met her gaze, she snapped her eye shut, pretending as if nothing had happened.

But a soft blush had already crept onto her pale cheeks.

Da Ming stared in a daze.

Once again, he was utterly dumbfounded.

Zhao Jiangzhu, eyes still shut, waited.

No footsteps.

Curious, she cautiously peeked open her eyes—

Only to find Da Ming staring at her, dumbstruck.

Their eyes met.

Whoosh—

A wave of heat rushed to Zhao Jiangzhu’s face.

For some reason, even the tips of her ears felt like they were burning.