"Oh no!"
"That child is about to be hit!"
"Kyaaa!"
"..."
"...What just happened?"
No one knew who said that sentence, but it was the question on everyone's mind in this area.
From the chaos that occurred from seeing the car about to hit the little girl, it became silence from shock. The car that rushed in tried to brake at high speed. Even the driver himself gritted his teeth and shut his eyes tight when seeing that distance couldn't possibly brake in time.
That car stopped right in front of the little girl, only half a meter away. Hot air and engine roar made the shocked Hui'er regain her senses. The little girl turned to look beside her and made eye contact with her lady, who was lightly touching that car with one hand. It was puzzling for ordinary people.
Some thought it was lucky to brake in time.
But for Hui'er, she knew well it was her lady who saved her.
"...My lady."
Tears flowed from the little girl's eyes on both sides. She sobbed softly and hugged Bai Fanxian's waist tightly. The other slender hand that was free was used to gently stroke Hui'er's head to comfort her kindly.
Such a sudden near-death experience would naturally be frightening for a little girl like this.
"You're alright now."
Bai Fanxian spoke in a soft tone. The qi in her body was sent into the frightened little girl's body. Feeling the warmth and freshness flowing within her, Hui'er looked up at her lady with surprise.
"...Not scared anymore?"
Bai Fanxian asked the little girl with a faint smile. Hui'er, who felt as if she were floating in the sky, nodded with a happy expression.
"I'm not scared anymore! My lady!"
Hui'er released Bai Fanxian's waist shyly. Seeing the tear stains on her lady's clothes, that small round face reddened even more.
"What was that?"
"...I'll teach you later."
Bai Fanxian stroked the little girl's head calmly. What she used earlier was just sending pure qi into Hui'er's body. It could help adjust mental and physical condition slightly.
Actually, she didn't think it would work this quickly.
But another important thing was the car in front.
Seeing everything was safe and people were starting to gather more and more, the black car behind quickly reversed and turned to flee from this area immediately. Only the car that almost hit Hui'er remained.
It seemed the people in the front car were very wary of the black car that just fled. But once confident, several people hurried down from the car as quickly as possible.
"Are you alright!?"
The first person to rush in was a middle-aged man. He was in a brown work suit. Behind him followed a group of 3 people in suits like bodyguards hurrying after. One of them had a face full of guilt.
Cultivators?
Bai Fanxian raised an eyebrow in surprise. Besides the middle-aged man who was just a 10th-stage Qi Gathering level, all three bodyguards who came along were mid-level Cultivators.
"...I'm fine."
Hui'er answered confusedly. She was still rather shy about talking to strangers. And when that middle-aged man examined Hui'er's body until satisfied there were no wounds, he sighed with relief.
All his actions were in Bai Fanxian's sight.
But because she couldn't sense ill intent from this group, and could sense worry and concern mixed in their gazes, she let them approach Hui'er without intervening.
Bai Fanxian had quite a protective nature.
She would never allow her close companions to be taken advantage of or harmed.
The middle-aged man took out a handkerchief to wipe sweat from his face. Though relieved, he was still uneasy.
"Would you go to the hospital for another checkup?"
"...Huh?"
Hui'er couldn't keep up with the question. She turned to look at Bai Fanxian, her lady, as if asking what to do.
Seeing Hui'er's gaze, the middle-aged man immediately understood that this young woman with a beautiful face and manner must be this little girl's guardian.
"Are you this child's guardian? I must sincerely apologize because our carelessness almost caused this child to be injured."
He spoke to Bai Fanxian politely and full of genuine remorse.
"If possible, could she go to the hospital for another checkup? I'll cover all the costs myself." He still insisted on offering to have Hui'er checked at the hospital for certainty.
"...It's fine."
Bai Fanxian refused his goodwill. Since he admitted fault and apologized politely, she was reluctant to care about this matter further.
What she was interested in was rather the car from earlier.
Because the car that just fled also had cultivators in it.
And one person was even a 2nd-stage Martial Master.
Moreover, those people were full of killing intent. She feared that if this commotion hadn't occurred, they would have gotten out of the car and clashed with the middle-aged man's group in front.
"My name is Tang Xiuhan. This is my business card." The middle-aged man, or Tang Xiuhan, handed a card with only his name and phone number to Bai Fanxian.
"Even if you don't need to go to the hospital, I must compensate you. Is there anything we can do?"
Tang Xiuhan turned out to be more stubborn than expected. He would feel very uncomfortable if he didn't correct his mistake.
"It's fine... Hui'er, let's go."
Bai Fanxian didn't demand anything. She merely turned to the little girl beside her who had returned to hugging the bag tightly with both hands again and led her away.
Little Hui'er turned back to bow her head to politely bid farewell to Tang Xiuhan, before quickly running with those little legs after her master across the street to the other side.
Tang Xiuhan watched that young woman's back uneasily. He watched until Bai Fanxian walked through the hotel door across the way and disappeared inside.
"It seems they're staying at that hotel, sir."
"A'Ma, follow them. If anything is lacking, help arrange it." Tang Xiuhan quickly ordered the bodyguard beside him.
"Yes, sir."
The bodyguard named A'Ma hurried after. Only Tang Xiuhan and two other bodyguards remained.
"That was close, A'Tian. You almost hit that child." He turned to reproach another bodyguard who had been driving earlier with displeasure. A'Tian himself bowed his head guiltily.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"...Sigh. It's fine. Good thing you braked in time. Your reflexes are still usable." Tang Xiuhan patted A'Tian's shoulder lightly to console him. But his words made A'Tian tremble for unknown reasons.
"...Uh, sir. Just now I thought I couldn't brake in time." A'Tian spoke in a trembling voice. The more he thought about what just happened, the more frightened he felt.
"What do you mean? You braked just fine, didn't you?" Tang Xiuhan asked without understanding.
"I-I definitely couldn't brake in time! But..."
"But what?"
"Suddenly the car just stopped on its own!" A'Tian became panicked. He quickly continued explaining, "I stepped on the brake, and it definitely wouldn't be in time. But suddenly that woman appeared in front of the car, and then the car stopped!"
He recounted at length without pause.
"...Or could she be the one who stopped the car?"
Tang Xiuhan himself began to feel something was strange.
Because when A'Tian braked, he was in the car. And he felt the force that flung him forward. But then suddenly the car was still.
As if something had stopped it mid-air!
After pondering everything carefully, his face began to pale. He turned to ask his bodyguard:
"A'Tian, if it were you guys, do you think you could stop a car rushing like this?"
A'Tian and the other bodyguard turned to look at each other, then shook their heads helplessly.
"Stopping it might be possible. But there's no way we could stop it instantly like this without causing impact."
What he said was true. He and his companion were both bodyguards who were cultivators working for the Tang Clan. They were mid-level Cultivators. If they needed to stop a car, it would be possible. But that car would be dented from the impact. And the people in the car certainly wouldn't be safe without a scratch like this.
"...What if it were Father's level?"
"If it were a 6th-stage Martial Master level like the master, it might be possible. But there would have to be traces of qi use visible. But anyway, there's no way the people in the car would be safe without a scratch." A'Tian answered truthfully. But the more he spoke, the more he realized how serious what he'd just faced was.
"...Or could she be a Grandmaster-level cultivator?"
A'Tian's words that slipped out made Tang Xiuhan swallow hard. Because Grandmaster-level beings were many levels above them.
Clear examples were Eastern King Ma Fufeng and Sword Saint Zheng Renyi. Beings who could walk on air, and were filled with more combat power than an entire army. That was roughly the power of Grandmaster level!
"A'Tian, tell A'Ma to take the best care of them! I'll hurry after them right now!"
Tang Xiuhan gave orders to his close bodyguard frantically. At the same time, he quickly followed into that hotel rapidly.