Chapter 1440 left her deeply humiliated. "Y-you... what do you want to do?" Zhang Ning looked at Lu Yun with hesitation, her cheeks flushing as she was stared at by his teasing gaze and further piqued by his charmingly cheeky words. "I didn't really have any plans, did I? The last two times, we both had to take off our clothes, right? So why shouldn't this time be any different?" Lu Yun shrugged innocently. Zhang Ning huffed, her mind now completely occupied by Lu Yun's persistent fussing, and she had completely forgotten about her sister going to tidy up her brother. With a light step, she moved toward the bed. Though she felt shy, Zhang Ning knew clearly that if she kept wearing her nightgown, the sticky blood crusts would inevitably stain it—her very favorite one. Yet... as she walked toward the bed, her heart was full of anxiety, uncertain whether she should actually remove her nightgown. "Don't look unless it's proper," she thought. At that moment, Lu Yun's voice broke in, speaking with his usual deadpan air. "Ms. Zhang, don't worry—no matter how much of your clothes you take off, I promise I won't turn into a beast." This was meant to reassure her, but to Zhang Ning, it sounded utterly crude and unrefined. Her lovely face flushed crimson, she turned sharply and glared at Lu Yun. "Then turn around," she said firmly, "and don't even dare to look at me!" "Got it! Lu Yun groaned inwardly, feeling委屈 and said, "Ms. Zhang, you won't let me eat—do you expect me to not even see?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Ning was completely stunned, her gaze on Lu Yun now filled with an array of complex emotions. Seeing Zhang Ning remain still and composed, Lu Yun smiled warmly and stepped forward, saying, "Ms. Zhang, if you're feeling shy, why don't I help you?" And with that, he genuinely extended his hands, slowly lifting the folds of Zhang Ning's nightgown, moving with deliberate care as though waiting for her to object. Yet Zhang Ning made no resistance at all—she merely bit her lip and softly asked, "Do you... really want to see?" "Absolutely," Lu Yun nodded, and the mischievous smile faded completely, replaced by a serious determination. "I want to watch those blood scabs fall off. This will be the last time. After this, I don't want to see any more scars on your back. I won't allow you to suffer any further injuries." Ms. Ning, this time with both me and my sister by your side, you'll surely be free from this nightmare—I don't fully understand it myself, yet it's been tormenting you endlessly. Zhang Ning slightly lowered her head and softly said, "Actually, it's not my brother's fault. Our actions weren't approved by our senior sister, Master Xinlan. In fact, it was me and my brother who kept it a secret from her, and it was my own decision to proceed this way." Upon hearing this, Lu Yun was momentarily stunned, asking in surprise, "Ms. Ning, if Master Xinlan wasn't aware of this matter and didn't agree, then why are you and Zhang Brother doing it?" Though Lu Yun had noticed he had accidentally used the name "Master Xinlan" instead of "Ms. Xinlan," he hadn't realized it, and Zhang Ning seemed equally unconcerned. She simply said, "To repay a debt of gratitude." "Repay a debt of gratitude?" Lu Yun was even more puzzled. Earlier, from Liu Yun's account, it sounded like a matter of duty from the temple. But now, with Zhang Ning, it had become a matter of gratitude. "Yes, it's about rep Zhang Ning nodded slowly. Li Yun had already removed her sleep gown without her realizing. At this moment, Zhang Ning’s mind seemed not particularly focused on this, neither her face nor her heart showing any bashfulness—only a sense of gratitude that only she herself could fully understand. Li Yun still didn’t quite grasp it, yet a spark of excitement gleamed in his eyes. Though he didn’t know the specific secret matter himself, he sensed from Zhang Ning’s words that he might learn about some of her past experiences—such as her family background. Wearing a soft pink shorts, Zhang Ning lay down on the bed and positioned her back against the side of the bed, covering her long, beautiful legs with a summer cooling blanket, leaving only Li Yun’s back exposed. She then spoke gently, “Since childhood, my father and I were adopted by the elder sister’s father. Before meeting my master, we lived on our own, dependent on each other, in a life that was dim and uneventful. It wasn’t until we were taken in by my master that our lives truly began to change.” "These things Zhang Ning had mentioned before, Lu Yun didn't respond, simply waiting for Zhang Ning to continue. Indeed, after a brief silence, Zhang Ning slowly added, "Our master treated us as if we were his own children. The senior sister regarded us as true siblings. Those days were the happiest of my life—someone cared for me, someone loved me, I never worried about going hungry, I could learn martial arts, and I no longer feared being bullied by ill-intentioned people..." Martial arts? Lu Yun looked at Zhang Ning in surprise, exclaiming, "Ning sister, you're also skilled in martial arts?" Zhang Ning seemed to smile, nodded gently to Lu Yun's back. Perhaps recalling those cherished memories, she softly laughed, "Yes, here's a little secret—I'm much better at martial arts than my brother. I'm not sure how I compare to the senior sister, though. We've never trained together or challenged each other. But I think I probably won't fall short of her." Astonishment. Profound astonishment. Lu Yun was as if struck right in the chest—他知道 Zhang Yi was skilled in martial arts and quite impressive. Though he hadn't managed to defeat Li Huashan and his team, in this remote countryside, Zhang Yi could absolutely command the scene, far surpassing the mediocre villagers of Yingzhao. Yet, Lu Yun had never imagined that Zhang Ning was also a martial artist, and even more accomplished than Zhang Yi—comparable to Tie Xinlan. Heaven help me, this completely upended Zhang Ning’s image in Lu Yun’s mind. Not hearing Lu Yun speaking behind him, Zhang Ning smiled lightly and said, “Tell him from now on not to bully me, or I’ll give him a solid beating.” Lu Yun nodded eagerly, now relieved to have both a capable, fiery young warrior, Wang Shiyou, at his side, and now another formidable fighter in Zhang Ning. He even began to feel a sense of confusion—would he now be responsible for protecting them, or would they have to protect him instead? It truly hurt his self-esteem. Lü Yun, severely shaken, lowered his head, looking as if a frost had struck a summer squash, and murmured in a subdued tone, "Miss Zhang, even if I had a thousand chances, I'd still dare not treat you unfairly." Zhang Ning chuckled lightly, her laughter as clear and pleasant as a silver bell. "What happened afterward?" Lü Yun's face was flushed with embarrassment. He had once intended to step up and give Zhang Yi a good scolding—only to find out now that he was nothing more than a naive rookie, stuck in his own little pond, unaware of what was going on. Miss Zhang, with such formidable strength, had remained completely silent. Now, when he went to confront Zhang Yi directly, he only ended up looking foolish.