'Where am I?'
'What's going on?'
Sheng Xuan's mind spun. He saw flashes of black and white. A familiar but anxious voice drew him out of the stunned state. His gaze focused on the blurry silhouette. Distress accentuated her mature wrinkles.
"Auntie?" he murmured.
"Xuan'er!" Wei Rou finally exhaled. "Are you okay?"
"I- ahh!" he groaned as intense pain shot up from his abdomen.
Wei Rou quickly knelt, tore his robe open and checked the injury covering half his abdomen. The skin was purple-blue, the flesh lacked its usual firmness, and blood oozed from small cuts. Wei Rou's breath caught at the severity.
"Hold on, Xuan'er," she softly said, then spread a blunt trauma remedy on it.
"Ah!" Sheng Xuan gritted his teeth. There was pain, and also the coolness and softness of her nimble fingers. He could barely think from all the pain. The chirping of the birds seemed distant and faint. The smell of iron was thick as he tasted something sweet and sour in his mouth. His blood.
"How are you feeling now?" she worriedly asked, caressing his face.
"Mm, better..." he murmured with difficulty.
"Agh, my arms..." he groaned, his arms rippled with a dull ache.
"Do they hurt a lot?" she softly asked, checking his arms, covered in bumps caused by chipped bones. Her frown deepened. She wrapped them in white bandages slathered with bluish ointment.
Looking at his pained face, hers dropped with guilt. It was all her fault. She should have been faster, better and stronger.
"Auntie, I am alright now," he stiffly smiled.
"Are you able to stand up? We need to leave, it's no longer safe here," she said.
"Mm."
With her support, he slowly got up, groaning and clenching his jaw. The pain from all over overwhelmed his mind, interrupting his flow of thoughts. She helped him take blue, green and yellow pills to ease the pain and heal the injury.
"Auntie, don't forget the ram," he huffed.
Wei Rou blanked for a moment. 'You are so injured but still thinking about the ram? How greedy can you be,' she thought.
"I got it," she said, storing the bloody cleaved carcass in her storage ring. She also threw a misty green ball toward the main battle area. On contact, it exploded into a green mist, corroding and obscuring the battle traces.
Satisfied, she slapped a Light Body Talisman on him and held his waist while his left arm wrapped around her shoulders.
Green light coiled around her legs as they escaped the area. Despite his pain overtaking his mind, Sheng Xuan was surprised by how fast and fluid she was. With how rough and vegetation-dense the terrain was, he would have struggled.
A cup of tea later, a cloaked figure appeared at the battle site, digging, turning and sniffing around for a while, his thin eyebrows creasing in a deep frown. He rushed north, then came back, then sprinted south, and finally chose west.
Looking at the Sun, Wei Rou was somewhat uncertain. It was close to the horizon. At their current pace, they should be able to leave the forest before dusk. However, a lot of hunting groups left around this time, and complications could arise anytime. Her arm around his waist tightened.
"Don't worry, Auntie. I am feeling much better now," he said.
"Still, don't move too much, stick to me," she seriously said.
"Mm," he behaved himself, the pain dragging down his desire to be unruly.
"Auntie, was that really a lower-order beast?" he asked, suspicious.
Wei Rou frowned. "It was, but strangely, it could perform a mid-order ability. We will have to inspect its carcass."
"Oh, doesn't that mean I killed a mid-order beast?" Sheng Xuan said smugly.
Wei Rou did not know what to say for a moment.
"Not really, a mid-order spirit beast is no joke. Did you not see that other Sunhorn Ram?" She poured cold water on his pride.
"Well, maybe quasi-mid-order then," Sheng Xuan retorted.
"Sure..."
They had just passed a large, mossy boulder when Wei Rou sensed several figures approaching quickly. Her stomach dropped.
"No, this is bad," she said, bursting with more speed, her spirit qi draining fast.
"Hold on, you two!" the masked figure said.
"I just want to help. I see your partner is injured. I am a physician!" he emphasized.
Wei Rou did not reply, instead ran faster.
The masked man burst forward, red spirit qi spiraling around his legs.
Sheng Xuan observed him for a while and concluded he was not a late-stage cultivator. His unease mostly disappeared; instead, he was enraged.
"Auntie, can you defeat him?"
"I should be able to but situations can always change for the worse. You are too vulnerable right now. We need to leave this place at once," she said, chewing on a bright blue pill.
"Do you have a mid-tier herb?" he asked.
"Yes..." She remained focused on her movement, her speed no worse than the pursuer's.
Sheng Xuan's mind spun, a plan forming but he was not confident in its success at all. Still, he mentioned it to Wei Rou.
"That's not a bad idea," she said, and took out a flower with red petals and handed it to him, though hesitant. This was going to be costly bait.
Sheng Xuan held the dark-red stem, instinctively taking a sniff, only for his nose to burn. He broke into a coughing fit.
"Careful!" she said.
"I am okay."
Sheng Xuan gulped. He turned his head and waved the flower. His arm moved stiffly. The radiating pain urged him to keep his mouth shut. He forced himself to keep his voice steady.
"Hey, we don't need to fight. This place is already so dangerous," he said.
The masked man did not reply, continuing to chase.
"This is a mid-tier herb, Redwind Flower!"
Greed flashed in the man's eyes. He leaped.
"Don't chase us. In return we are giving you this flower," Sheng Xuan yelled.
The man looked at them suspiciously, only to see him throw it into the distance.
His speed unconsciously slowed as hesitation crept in. Wei Rou burst forward once more. The gap between them widened.
Continue chasing them? Or get the herb first?
Get the herb and chase them?
Gritting his teeth, the man turned and rushed toward the flower. He feared if he was a moment late it would be swallowed by a creature or the plants.
Wei Rou scanned the area, no longer sensing the man. The tension drained from her shoulders, though the loss of a mid-tier herb still stung.
'I have Xuan'er on me. I cannot take any risks. It was worth it,' she coped.
Although Sheng Xuan did not care about the herb, he very much hated the fact someone dared to chase them. He must be taught a lesson. A deadly one.
The sky was dyed red and orange. The Sun neared the horizon. Some sounds dimmed, some rose anew, a few grew louder.
After a while, Wei Rou walked out of the forest with him. Without stopping, they passed the edges of the outer city, heading toward the walls.
"Auntie, let's rest for a bit. You are probably really tired," he said.
"No, we can rest after we get home," she said, her face slightly pale.
Sheng Xuan listened to her.
Nothing new happened along the way. Only after they entered his parents' house did Wei Rou's shoulders truly relax.
Seeing the haggard Sheng Xuan, Wen Zhi went pale.
"What happened to you?" She hurriedly held him, checking his condition. Sensing the injuries, worry creased her face.
"I am so sorry, Sister Zhi. I did not take good care of Xuan'er," Wei Rou guiltily said.
"No, Mom. It's not Auntie's fault. I just had a fight with a spirit beast," Sheng Xuan said in a subdued voice.
"You are so stupid. Why did you go fight a beast? Didn't you go to find some Sun Dew?" she said. "Forget it. Let's get you treated first."
Wei Rou and Wen Zhi took him to a room and helped him lay down on the bed. Then, Wen Zhi checked and treated him, using the highest quality medicine.
Sheng Xuan could not keep his mouth shut, boasting nonstop about the fight, except his voice sounded weak, so it came out comical. Wen Zhi did not laugh at all; instead it made her angrier.
"You should not have fought at all. I had already planned with your Dad to take you out one day!" she said, pulling out a bone fragment from his left arm.
"Ah!" He let out a muffled groan.
Wei Rou replaced the cold wet towel on his forehead, not saying a word.
"I can't always rely on you two, Mom. I need to learn things myself..." he softly argued.
Wen Zhi pressed her lips in exasperation. "Look at the result. Is this what you wanted? Stressing out your Mom?"
"Sister Zhi, Xuan'er probably understands now. Let it be," Wei Rou softly said.
Wen Zhi frowned. "And you, Sister Rou. Why did you listen to him? You should have twisted his ear and dragged him back home!"
"Ah..." Wei Rou had nothing to say.
"But Mom, I did nearly defeat a quasi-mid-order beast! Aren't you proud of me?" He cut in.
"I don't care about that. I care about your safety. You were very reckless this time," she seriously said.
"So, Mom is not proud of me," Sheng Xuan sadly said.
"Ah, you..." Wen Zhi sighed. "Yes, yes. I am proud. Very proud."
Sheng Xuan weakly smiled. "Auntie, take it out. Show it to Mom."
"We can do it later. I am not done treating you," she said. "And you need proper rest."
"Yes, Xuan'er, just go to sleep. You need to recover first."
"Wait no, I am alright. And where is Lan'er?" he said. "I need to tell her this."
"She went to handle some pill matters," she said. "You want her to see you in this condition?"
"Ah, you are right, don't tell her, say I am out," he quickly said.
"Aww. So cute," Wen Zhi poked his face with her index finger. Wei Rou smiled, feeling reassured for her daughter.
Clack!
The courtyard entrance door opened and closed.
"Auntie, I am back," Wei Lan said.
In Sheng Xuan's room, everyone's expressions stalled.