I accidentally Married the Leader of the Noble Path

He Qing had been strong since childhood—tall, robust, bold, and combative. He never cared about anyone.

In the past, he had bullied Qin Nan, who was small and frail, never seeing him as a threat. Whenever he felt like it, he would pick on him.

But who would have thought the tables would turn?

That day, He Qing was beaten so badly that he bled and had to kneel and beg for mercy through tears before Qin Nan spared him.

Afterward, Qin Nan also helped dress He Qing’s wounds and provided treatment, charging only a small fee—ten silver coins.

Ten silver coins might not be much in the city, but in NiuJiao Village, it was a fortune.

It was extortion!

He Qing nearly exploded with anger. He didn’t want to pay, but Qin Nan made it clear: if he didn’t, Qin Nan would visit his house every day to beat him until he did.

Getting beaten was one thing; losing face was another.

He Qing had ruled the village with an iron fist since he was young. If word got out that he was getting beaten every day, he wouldn’t be able to show his face in public anymore.

The villagers he had bullied before would surely turn on him and add insult to injury.

So, He Qing had no choice but to swallow his pride. When his parents asked about his injuries, he simply said he had fallen down a hill.

Today, bullying Yang Xiaoqi wasn’t just because He Qing liked to pick on others—it was also to vent his frustration.

He couldn’t beat Qin Nan, but surely he could beat Qin Nan’s friends?

So, he directed his anger at Yang Xiaoqi.

Qin Nan had noticed this and was determined to stand up for Yang Xiaoqi.

Qin Nan wanted He Qing to understand that neither he nor his friends could be bullied by a small-time village bully.

In fact, Qin Nan had always been fiercely protective, even in his past life.

“You’re so arrogant, Qin Nan. It’s just you. Do you think you can take on all three of us?” He Qing sneered, completely ignoring Yang Xiaoqi.

“Cut the nonsense. Kneel or get beaten,” Qin Nan replied.

“Attack! Beat him to death, and I’ll take responsibility!” He Qing roared.

If he were alone, He Qing might have been afraid of Qin Nan. But with two henchmen by his side, he didn’t believe they couldn’t bring him down.

After all, no matter how skilled, two fists couldn’t fend off four hands. A flurry of fists could overwhelm even a master.

The three of them charged at once.

Qin Nan told Yang Xiaoqi to step back and faced them alone.

He Qing, ever despicable, hurled a fruit at Qin Nan before getting close.

The throw was strong, and if it hit, it would cause significant injury.

But Qin Nan caught the flying fruit effortlessly, then hurled it back even faster.

“Ah!”

He Qing’s vision went dark as the fruit hit him, exploding into juice. His head spun, and he staggered, his steps faltering.

Seeing this, the two henchmen hesitated, slowing their advance.

Seizing the moment, Qin Nan pounced like a leopard, landing precise punches to the diaphragms of both henchmen. They collapsed, gasping for air and kneeling in pain.

Qin Nan didn’t bother with the henchmen further. They were small fry, unworthy of more of his attention.

With a few strides, he reached He Qing.

By now, He Qing had regained his senses. Seeing Qin Nan before him, he panicked and tried to flee but couldn’t escape. He had no choice but to fight back.

When He Qing threw a punch, Qin Nan didn’t dodge. He caught it with his hand. Though his feet dragged half a foot on the ground, he appeared unfazed.

He Qing’s eyes widened. Strength had always been his forte, yet Qin Nan caught his full-force punch bare-handed?

Qin Nan had done this intentionally—to show He Qing the vast difference between them, to crush his pride utterly, and to make him abandon any thoughts of challenging him again.

“An eye for an eye. My turn,” Qin Nan said with a sinister smile. He lifted his leg and delivered a swift, powerful kick to He Qing’s diaphragm.

He Qing’s burly body flew more than a foot into the air before crashing down and stumbling backward, tripping over a stone and falling to the ground.

Without hesitation, Qin Nan leaped on him, punching and kicking relentlessly, grinding him into the dirt.

He Qing screamed like a slaughtered pig.

After seeing Qin Nan’s ferocity and He Qing’s miserable state, the two henchmen had recovered but didn’t dare intervene.

Qin Nan stopped just short of seriously injuring him, leaving He Qing battered and unconscious.

“Pathetic. If you’d just knelt and apologized, you wouldn’t have to suffer. Stubborn fool,” Qin Nan said, shaking his head. He turned to the two henchmen.

“If you dare trouble me or my friends again, you won’t get off this lightly,” Qin Nan warned.

This was “light”? The two henchmen gulped as they looked at He Qing, battered and bleeding, his eyes rolled back.

Since He Qing was seriously injured and leaving him untreated could be dangerous, Qin Nan, with a healer’s compassion, brought him home for treatment.

He bandaged He Qing, applied medicine, and handed over three packets of herbs, instructing the henchmen to brew them for three days.

“Twenty silver coins for the treatment—reasonable enough. If you don’t have it now, pay later. But tell He Qing not to think about skipping payment. If I have to come collect, it’ll be too late for excuses,” Qin Nan said.

It sounded magnanimous and virtuous, but twenty silver coins? That wasn’t “reasonable”—it was daylight robbery.

Still, the henchmen didn’t dare protest. It wasn’t their money, after all. They quickly carried the unconscious He Qing away.

“Thank you, Brother Qin Nan You’re amazing. You defeated them so easily,” Yang Xiaoqi said, his bright almond-shaped eyes sparkling with admiration.

“They’re nothing, just bullies who pick on the weak. If anyone bothers you again, come find me. I’ll take care of it,” Qin Nan said confidently.

“I can’t trouble you like that, Brother Qin Nan,” Yang Xiaoqi said.

“Calling me ‘brother’ for so long isn’t for nothing. Helping my little sister isn’t trouble,” Qin Nan said, patting his head gently.

“Brother Qin Nan…” Yang Xiaoqi’s voice wavered, her eyes turning red with emotion.

In that moment, he felt the kindest person in the world wasn’t her parents—it was Qin Nan.

As a child, Yang Xiaoqi had been ostracized because of his gender. Others in the village bullied him, and even now, though he had grown into a beautiful young woman, he still felt deeply insecure.

Some people even mocked her as “neither male nor female.” Her parents often criticized his appearance, disapproving of his feminine style.

Sometimes, he thought about dressing as a boy again, but he couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Though she was biologically male, Yang Xiaoqi had always seen herself as female, and that hadn’t changed.

Only Qin Nan treated her like a girl, showing her care and respect.

That’s why she loved spending time with him.

Even when Qin Nan teased her during medical checkups, she didn’t mind—in fact, she was a little happy.

“Brother Qin Nan, you’re so good to me,” Yang Xiaoqi said as she hugged him tightly.

Qin Nan didn’t mind and enjoyed the feeling of her soft, petite frame in his arms.

To him, Yang Xiaoqi wasn’t a boy but a girl—sweet, kind, and fragrant with the scent of pomelo blossoms.

Though the sensation of something pressing against his thigh felt a bit strange.