Chapter Forty-Two: Salvation

Su Bai watched the approaching figure with caution. From the sound of the footsteps, he could tell it wasn’t the burly man who had been pursuing them before. Yet, under the current circumstances, if this newcomer made any noise and attracted the bandits, neither he nor Wei Mingyuan would have the slightest chance of escape.

Under his watchful gaze, the lush grass was gently parted, and a pair of lively eyes quietly peered through. The newcomer first glanced at Wei Mingyuan, then looked about on both sides. Seeing no one else, she stepped out from the grass entirely—a girl of twelve or thirteen.

She tiptoed toward the unconscious Wei Mingyuan, but her eyes soon fell upon Su Bai, who lay nearby, his fate uncertain. Concerned, she went to Su Bai first.

From the moment she emerged, Su Bai had been lying face-down, feigning unconsciousness, his ears keenly attuned to her every move. Now, knowing she was before him, he feigned death with even greater resolve.

The girl rolled him onto his back to examine his injuries. But when she saw his ravaged face, she immediately covered her mouth, utterly horrified by the sight.

Though Su Bai’s eyes were closed, he was keenly aware of her reaction. He grumbled inwardly, “If my face weren’t ruined, you’d be blinded by my looks. So young and already obsessed with appearances—what will you be like when you grow up?”

Still, Su Bai understood his current face was indeed frightening. “I wonder if anyone in this world can perform cosmetic surgery. If not, I’ll have to master some disguise techniques, or else I’ll never make my way in the martial world looking like this.”

As he mused, he heard the girl whisper, “Mother always said, every life matters, regardless of beauty or ugliness. Even though you... well, it’s all right, it’s all right.”

She patted her chest, trying to reassure herself.

“Damn it, what do you mean, ‘it’s all right’!” Su Bai barely managed to suppress the urge to curse, twitching at the corners of his mouth before returning to normal.

The girl didn’t notice his subtle reaction. She looked at Su Bai, then at Wei Mingyuan, uncertain what to do.

“How am I supposed to carry both of them back? Maybe I should go get help first.” Then, shaking her head, she muttered, “But the bandits are so close down the mountain… If I leave and they’re found before I return, these two don’t stand a chance.”

At that moment, Wei Mingyuan suddenly shuddered, his eyes snapping open. He sat up, gazed around, and shook his head as if piecing together the events from two incense sticks’ time before.

“You’re awake! That’s wonderful!” As he tried to recall his escape, the girl’s voice suddenly broke his thoughts.

Su Bai arched an eyebrow. “This kid’s awake already? His constitution is impressive.”

The girl skipped over to Wei Mingyuan, squatted beside him, and smiled. “Lucky you woke up. Otherwise, I’d never have managed to carry you and your friend by myself.”

Wei Mingyuan looked at her, bewildered. Since regaining consciousness, he realized he’d lost his memory after escaping Wen Shanyuan’s control. How he’d ended up here was a complete blank.

But according to the girl, he had a “friend”?

She followed his gaze, equally puzzled. “Isn’t this person your friend?” she asked, stepping aside and pointing to Su Bai, who lay on the grass.

Wei Mingyuan looked at Su Bai, even more confused. He didn’t answer but wondered to himself, “Could it be he saved me?” Though the memory wasn’t clear, his mind settled on the conclusion that Su Bai had saved him while he was unconscious.

“But he was badly wounded, too. How could this be?” Wei Mingyuan clutched his head, struggling to recall what had happened after he lost consciousness.

“Are you all right?” the girl asked, concerned. She knew only a little medicine, hardly enough even to rival a charlatan, and could only fret beside him.

Wei Mingyuan tormented himself for a long while before finally regaining composure.

When he looked up at the girl, their eyes met—her gaze was bright and clear, while his was as deep and ancient as a bottomless well. Two entirely different pairs of eyes collided. The girl was instantly captivated, as if she glimpsed another world through his eyes.

Su Bai, still pretending to be dead, thought, “What’s taking these two so long? Is Wei Mingyuan seriously ill? Could the jade pendant really have such strong side effects?”

On Wei Mingyuan’s side:

The girl blinked unconsciously, then, realizing her behavior was inappropriate, quickly looked away and stood up, her face flushed. “You should help me carry him back first,” she stammered, then hurried toward Su Bai.

But she didn’t see the small stone at her feet. With a startled cry, she fell flat on her back, her cheeks burning red as she covered her face with her hands.

Hearing the cry, Su Bai was exasperated. “What is this girl doing?”

Wei Mingyuan looked over, as if something had just clicked in his mind.

He stood up, walked over, and offered his hand as gently as he could. “Come on, we need to leave here right away.”

The girl, regaining her composure at his words, shyly reached out and took his hand. As he helped her up, Wei Mingyuan added a touch of inner strength, pulling her into his arms.

“Ah!” The girl gasped and shut her eyes. When she opened them again, she found a hand already at her waist.

She immediately pushed Wei Mingyuan away, putting distance between them, her hands defensively crossed over her chest, eyes wide and wary.

Girls at her age already had their own sense of boundaries. Though young, she would not tolerate Wei Mingyuan’s frivolous behavior.

Wei Mingyuan was taken aback—he thought his gesture would bring them closer, but it had backfired.

He hurriedly raised his hands in apology. “I… I didn’t mean it. You fell pretty hard, and I was afraid you wouldn’t have the strength to stand, so I just helped a bit more. I didn’t expect…”

“Forget it, just help me get him up,” the girl said, face still flushed, as she walked to Su Bai and beckoned Wei Mingyuan to assist.

Wei Mingyuan nodded sheepishly, scratching his head and apologizing again. “I’m terribly sorry. Please forgive me this once.”

At his honest, slightly goofy expression, the girl couldn’t help but laugh, tapping him lightly on the head. “Remember this: if you do it again, I won’t let you off so easily.”

Wei Mingyuan clutched his head, pretending to be in pain, and nodded. “I’ll never do it again, sister, please don’t be angry.”

His pitiful look convinced the girl, who huffed proudly. “Well, what are you waiting for? Come help me.”

“Okay.” Wei Mingyuan blinked innocently, then grabbed Su Bai’s legs while the girl lifted his shoulders. Together, they carried Su Bai through the mountain valley.

But as the girl turned her back, Wei Mingyuan’s expression changed from innocent to cunning. He glanced at Su Bai, then fixed his gaze on the girl ahead. From his sleeve, fine white sand began to trickle onto their path, glinting coldly in the sunlight.

After nearly two incense sticks’ time, stopping and starting as they went, the two finally glimpsed the outline of a village.

“Look, over there!” the girl exclaimed, pointing toward the distant settlement.

Wei Mingyuan followed her finger: a dozen thatched huts clustered tightly together, hidden under a canopy of towering mountain trees. Without careful observation, one would never notice such a village deep in the wilderness.

He breathed a silent sigh of relief. He turned to the girl, feigning lingering fear. “Thank goodness for you, sister. Otherwise, my brother and I would’ve fallen to those villains at the foot of the mountain.”

The girl tossed her head proudly. “Of course! Little brother, from now on, you’re my follower. I’ll look out for you. If anyone in the village bullies you, just tell me—I’ll take care of it.”

She raised her small fists, striking a mighty pose, already boasting before even entering the village.

Wei Mingyuan, gazing deeply at the village, murmured, “Mother, are you well over there? I can take care of myself now. I’ll get the antidote from him, no matter what.”

Su Bai’s act fooled the girl, but not Wei Mingyuan.

He’d seen through Su Bai’s feigned unconsciousness from the start but hadn’t exposed him, using it to win Su Bai’s trust as a “good brother.” He was now convinced Su Bai had saved him, and he already had a plan to get the antidote.

As he stood there lost in thought, the girl mischievously waved her hand before his eyes. Wei Mingyuan blinked rapidly, frowning as he returned to himself.

“What are you thinking about, so deeply?” she asked, curiosity in her tone. Since first meeting Wei Mingyuan, she’d been drawn to the melancholy in his eyes, sensing that this boy had seen many things unknown to their village. She wanted to ask, but didn’t know how.

Wei Mingyuan had no intention of answering. “Are you rested, sister? It’s getting late. We should hurry and reach the village before nightfall.”

Su Bai, lying on the ground, silently agreed, though he had no idea his ruse had been uncovered.

“I didn’t expect he wouldn’t abandon me. Could he really want to make peace?” Su Bai wondered. Still, he dared not draw conclusions—he couldn’t believe Wei Mingyuan would behave as he’d hoped. No use speculating further.

“Whatever, I’ll take it one step at a time. At least for now, Wei Mingyuan’s behavior is acceptable. If he keeps this up for a few more days, I’ll consider giving him the antidote.”

The girl, hearing Wei Mingyuan’s vague response, felt a bit disappointed. Pouting, she said “Fine,” and continued helping him carry Su Bai toward the village.

Before they even reached the gates, a burly man barred their way. “Stop right there!”

But another man quickly slapped his hand away. “Are you new here? That’s Miss Lin’s daughter. Madam Lin has healed nearly everyone in this village. How could her daughter be stopped by you?”

The first man, embarrassed, clasped his hands in apology. “I’m sorry. I only arrived here a few days ago and haven’t met Miss Lin’s daughter yet. Please forgive me.”

“No problem,” the girl replied nonchalantly, signaling with her eyes. “I have two friends here. One is badly hurt and needs treatment right away. Help me take him to the infirmary—I’ll find my mother.”

The apologetic man glanced at Wei Mingyuan and Su Bai, then nodded, but asked cautiously, “You weren’t followed by those people from the mountain, were you?”

The girl shook her head, her expression serious. “No. I know the stakes. I didn’t leave any trace for those beasts to follow.”

“That’s good.” The guard shuddered at the memory. “Those people… Bah! They don’t deserve to be called human. My entire family died at their hands. They’ll get what’s coming to them, sooner or later.”

He looked at Wei Mingyuan and Su Bai with sympathy and tried to comfort them. “It’s all right now. This village is your home from now on.”

Wei Mingyuan nodded, lips pressed tight, tears brimming in his eyes. “Those men nearly killed my brother and me. My brother was wounded saving me.”

The girl’s heart ached. She approached, gently stroking his head. “It’s all right. My mother will heal your brother. Don’t worry. He risked his life to save you so you could live on.”

Su Bai wondered, “Why is he saying I saved him? Maybe he wants to win the villagers’ sympathy. Well, it’s not my concern. As long as I can recover in peace and reach Blood River Tower within a year, that’s enough.”

Meanwhile, under the villagers’ comfort, Wei Mingyuan “regained his spirits.” The two men helped him carry Su Bai into the infirmary.

Afterward, exhausted, Wei Mingyuan fell onto the bed as soon as the girl brought him into a thatched hut, immediately starting to snore. She smiled, tucked him in, and tiptoed outside, closing the door gently behind her.

But beneath his tightly shut eyelids, Wei Mingyuan’s eyes fluttered restlessly.