Xu Erzhu’s fall wasn’t just an ordinary tumble—his foot had unfortunately gotten stuck in the gap between the door and the ground.
With a crisp cracking sound coming from his lower leg, Xu Erzhu’s initial gasp of surprise suddenly turned into a howl of pain.
Zhao Shi, who had been stunned by her mother-in-law’s willingness to spend so much money to summon Doctor Ji, immediately snapped back to reality upon hearing her husband’s cry.
Without another thought, she rushed toward the main gate.
Then, just like Xu Erzhu, upon seeing the pairs of green eyes outside the gate, she exclaimed “Oh heavens!” and collapsed directly onto Xu Erzhu.
Xu Erzhu, who hadn’t yet managed to free his leg from the gap, found his foot twisted at an even more awkward angle under his wife’s weight.
After letting out a muffled groan, louder cries of agony erupted from Xu Erzhu’s mouth.
The two of them tumbled together in a heap at their own doorstep, weeping and wailing loudly enough to create quite a commotion.
If the Xu family hadn’t lived at the foot of the mountain, somewhat distant from the other villagers, the racket made by Xu Erzhu and his wife might have led people to suspect he was beating her at home.
Seeing his second son and Zhao Shi tangled up at the entrance, Xu Lao Nian’er hurried over with his eldest son.
Xu Dazhu moved a bit faster than his father. Upon reaching the gate and spotting the green eyes outside, he too was startled, falling hard on his backside. To make matters worse, his leg also got caught in the gap on the other side of the gate, following in Xu Erzhu’s unfortunate footsteps.
Xu Lao Nian’er, however, reacted differently. His pupils contracted sharply at the sight of the wild beasts gathered at his doorstep, but unlike his sons, he didn’t collapse to the ground.
Remembering the scene from his earlier dream, Xu Lao Nian’er steadied himself, took a step out of his doorway, and bowed respectfully toward the large tiger crouched at his gate.
“G-great king, please make way so we can fetch a doctor.”
Xu Lao Nian’er’s actions astonished his sons and daughter-in-law. Even more shocking was that, upon hearing his words, the large tiger and the other wild beasts actually cleared a path.
Not only that, but a chestnut wild horse emerged from the forest and stood before Xu Lao Nian’er.
The wild horse glanced at Xu Lao Nian’er, snorted, and pawed the ground twice.
The large tiger looked from the horse to Xu Lao Nian’er, its meaning perfectly clear.
Ride the horse, go quickly and return soon.
Gritting his teeth, Xu Lao Nian’er took a deep breath and swung himself onto the horse’s back.
Feeling the man securely mounted, the chestnut horse whinnied toward the tiger, then broke into a gallop, racing toward the other end of the village.
As the chestnut horse carried Xu Lao Nian’er toward Doctor Ji’s house, Xu Dazhu and Xu Erzhu helped each other up, with Xu Erzhu dragging his terrified wife as they slowly made their way back into the yard. Meanwhile, Li Shi’s cries were growing fainter.
“Fourth daughter-in-law, you must hold on! The eldest has gone to fetch Doctor Ji—you have to endure, do you hear me! Fourth daughter-in-law!”
Old Mrs. Xu’s anxious shouts roused Jin Feng from her stupor.
“Mmm, so noisy!”
In her dazed state, Jin Feng’s consciousness gradually cleared. She tried to open her eyes, but no matter how hard she struggled, her eyelids felt glued shut, refusing to budge.
Moreover, he discovered that not only could he not open his eyes, but his hands and feet also seemed tightly bound, unable to move freely.
So this is what it feels like to be dead?
It doesn’t seem as painful as I imagined.
If he had known it would be like this, why did he endure the agony of soul-tearing to set up a Guardian Barrier? It would have been more comfortable to just wait for death with the young beastkin.
Jin Feng didn’t know that as he was thinking this, a sudden clap of thunder rumbled across the already gloomy sky.
And right after that thunder, Jin Feng’s consciousness began to blur again, sinking back into chaos.
Just before his consciousness completely faded, Jin Feng felt the force enveloping him intensify abruptly. A powerful pressure pushed him relentlessly toward an even narrower space.
Meanwhile, Li Shi, who had been barely breathing and moaning weakly, suddenly cried out a bit louder after the thunderclap.
At that very moment, Xu Lao Nian’er hurriedly led Doctor Ji into the room.
Without any wasted movement, Doctor Ji set down his medicine chest and began examining Li Shi’s condition.
When a life hangs in the balance, not a single moment can be spared.
Sensing that Li Shi’s strength was nearly exhausted, Doctor Ji quickly pulled out a half-root of ginseng, about the thickness of half a thumb, from his medicine chest.
He sliced off two thick pieces with a small knife, stuffed them directly into Li Shi’s mouth, and then placed his hands on her belly, massaging and adjusting the fetus’s position with steady pressure.
Liu Shi, having settled her husband, entered the room at this time. Seeing the “thick” slices of ginseng Doctor Ji had cut, she clicked her tongue in secret astonishment.
Two such thick slices of ginseng! How much must that cost? The fourth brother’s wife really got a bargain this time!
Noticing her daughter-in-law standing there like a wooden post, Old Mrs. Xu turned and glanced at her.
Seeing Liu Shi staring fixedly at Doctor Ji’s medicine chest, Old Mrs. Xu’s expression turned cold.
“What are you standing around for? Go fetch hot water, now!”
Years of conditioned reflex made Liu Shi move the instant her mother-in-law gave the order.
Before she even realized it, she was already heading toward the kitchen.
True to his reputation as the renowned all-around doctor of the surrounding villages, under Doctor Ji’s assistance, Li Shi finally let out a loud cry and gave birth to the child.
Using the last of her strength to push the baby out, Li Shi could hold on no longer and fell into a deep sleep.
A baby’s cry, sharp as the earlier thunderclap, pierced the sky. Outside the Xu family’s gate, the large tiger lying there stood up and let out an excited roar toward the Xu residence.
Following that tiger’s roar, howls of wolves, calls of deer, cries of eagles… echoed one after another.