The man was roughly thrown onto the pile of hay in the corner of the ruined temple.
His body hit the ground with a heavy thud.
Lin Wan wiped the sweat from her forehead, lit a dim oil lamp, and placed it beside the haystack.
The flickering yellow light illuminated the man’s deathly pale face and the black clothes that had become stiff from being soaked in blood.
“Yulong, stay by the door. If you hear anything, call me immediately.”
As she spoke, Lin Wan rummaged through the bundle of supplies she had bought earlier and took out a newly purchased pair of scissors.
“Okay.”
Lin Yulong obediently nodded, carried over a small stool, and sat behind the broken wooden door like a diligent little sentry.
Lin Wan took a deep breath and began cleaning the man’s wounds.
His black night clothes had already fused to his flesh with dried blood.
She couldn’t simply tear them off.
That would rip open the wounds that had only just begun to scab over.
Instead, she carefully slid the scissors along the seams of the clothing, cutting it away bit by bit.
As the cloth was removed…
The man’s muscular upper body was gradually revealed beneath the flickering lamplight.
Lin Wan suddenly froze.
In her previous life, she had seen countless male bodies.
Bodybuilding champions.
Professional assassins.
But even she couldn’t help letting out a silent whistle in admiration.
His muscles were firm and perfectly defined.
Every line of his body radiated explosive strength, like a panther lying in wait.
This wasn’t the lifeless muscle built in a training hall.
It was a body forged through countless life-and-death battles.
A true killing machine tempered by real combat.
What shocked Lin Wan even more…
Were the countless scars covering his body.
Aside from the fresh arrow wound in his chest…
His broad back, abdomen, and shoulders were covered with old knife wounds and sword scars of every size.
One scar stretched across nearly his entire abdomen like an ugly centipede.
How many brushes with death had he survived to earn so many scars?
“This is definitely no ordinary martial artist.”
Lin Wan’s expression grew serious.
Most conflicts in the martial world ended with a single fatal strike.
Very few people accumulated so many deadly wounds from cold weapons.
These scars looked more like…
The marks left by someone who had spent years fighting on the battlefield, surrounded by blades, mountains of corpses, and seas of blood.
“Could this guy be a general?”
Her eyes drifted once more to the flawless white jade pendant lying beside him.
The priceless jade.
The five-clawed dragon carved upon it.
And the horrifying battlefield scars covering his body.
This man’s identity was far more complicated…
And far more dangerous…
Than she had first imagined.
“Whoever you are…”
“Since I’ve already saved you, I’ll just consider it buying myself a protective charm for the future.”
Lin Wan calmed herself and stopped dwelling on it.
Using her thoughts, she drew a large amount of Spirit Spring water from the Divine Farmer Space.
She soaked a clean cotton cloth with it and carefully wiped away the blood and dirt surrounding his wounds.
Her treatment in the mountains had only been emergency first aid.
There were still small stones and wood splinters embedded in many of the wounds.
Cleaning them inevitably meant touching the damaged flesh.
Even in his deep coma…
The man trembled violently from the pain.
His brows twisted tightly into a deep frown.
Large beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
“Hiss…”
A suppressed groan escaped his lips.
Then…
His entire body suddenly began burning with fever.
“This is bad.”
“He’s developed a high fever.”
Lin Wan reached out and touched his forehead.
It was burning hot.
Even hotter than Lin Yulong’s fever earlier that day.
For wounds caused by blades and arrows…
The greatest danger was infection and tetanus.
In an era without antibiotics…
A high fever was practically a death sentence.
“You’re lucky you ran into me.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Wan picked up an entire bowl of Spirit Spring water.
This was concentrated life essence.
Far more effective than any fever medicine.
She pinched the man’s jaw open and slowly poured the Spirit Spring water into his mouth.
Because he was unconscious, swallowing was difficult.
She pressed a finger lightly against his throat, gently stroking downward to help him swallow.
After giving him the water…
She returned to the Divine Farmer Space and instantly matured several medicinal herbs used to reduce fever and eliminate toxins.
She chewed them into a paste and spread the fresh medicine over the deepest arrow wound in his chest.
Only after finishing everything…
Did Lin Wan finally feel the exhaustion hit her.
But she still didn’t dare sleep.
For injuries this severe…
Tonight would determine whether he lived or died.
If he couldn’t survive this critical night…
There would be no saving him.
She sat cross-legged beside the haystack, keeping watch over him.
She monitored his breathing while repeatedly wiping his forehead and neck with a cloth soaked in Spirit Spring water to cool him down.
Time slowly passed.
Outside the ruined temple…
The cold wind wailed through the night.
Inside…
The flame of the oil lamp flickered gently, crackling softly.
Unable to stay awake any longer, Lin Yulong eventually fell asleep while leaning against the broken door.
Lin Wan, however…
Remained motionless like a statue.
Her sharp hearing caught the increasingly steady rhythm of the man’s heartbeat.
Once again…
The Spirit Spring water displayed its miraculous effects.
Late in the night…
His fever finally broke.
The deep crease between his brows gradually relaxed.
His breathing became slow and even.
“He’s going to live.”
Lin Wan let out a long sigh of relief.
The tension she had been holding finally eased.
A wave of overwhelming exhaustion crashed over her.
Leaning against the wall…
She unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
…
She didn’t know how much time had passed.
“Chirp… chirp…”
The cheerful songs of birds shattered the quiet morning.
The first rays of sunlight streamed through the broken windows of the ruined temple.
The light fell across the haystack.
It illuminated the man’s sharply sculpted face.
Lin Wan woke abruptly.
An intense sense of danger had jolted her awake.
It was the instinct of an assassin.
She instantly opened her eyes and turned toward the haystack.
The man on the makeshift bed…
Had awakened.
His deep, narrow eyes were locked firmly on her.
There was no confusion from waking.
No weakness from his severe injuries.
Only…
The terrifying vigilance of a beast that had just awakened.
And…
Undisguised killing intent.
Lin Wan’s heart skipped a beat.
This is bad.
His guard was far too strong.
He had probably mistaken her for one of his assassins.
She was just about to explain.
When the man moved.
His speed was unbelievable.
Even while gravely wounded…
His strike was as fast as lightning.
Smack!
A large, rough hand covered in thick calluses shot out like a steel vice and clamped tightly around Lin Wan’s wrist.
His grip was unbelievably powerful.
A sharp pain shot through her wrist.
It felt as though her bones would shatter in the next second.
Lin Wan frowned.
A trace of killing intent flashed through her own eyes.
Her right hand instinctively reached for the chopping knife at her waist.
Just as she was about to strike back…
The man finally spoke.
His voice was hoarse and low, carrying an unquestionable authority.
“Who are you?”
“And where is this place?”