Chapter 70: Life-Saving
Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Life-Saving
Chen Shouheng’s pupils constricted. He had just overextended himself, with no time to rally his strength. All he could do was twist his body and cross his arms in front of his chest.
THUD!
With a dull thud, the slim, tall man’s palm slammed viciously into Chen Shouheng’s crossed arms.
A sinister, venomous Palm Force, so cold it seemed to pierce the bone, erupted in an instant.
Chen Shouheng felt as if he’d been struck by a sledgehammer. A sweet taste welled up in his throat as he spat out a mouthful of blood. He stumbled back more than ten steps before collapsing to the ground. His chest roiled, and his vision swam with black spots. For a moment, he couldn’t even get back up.
"Chen Shouheng!"
Mu Yuanying cried out in alarm. Her focus faltered for a split second as she rushed toward Chen Shouheng.
"Heh, you still have time to worry about someone else?"
The fat woman sneered, seizing the fleeting opportunity. Her massive body spun abruptly, and a hand as large as a fan slapped viciously toward the center of Mu Yuanying’s back.
At the same time, the slim man lunged at Mu Yuanying, striking with both hands like claws to cut off her retreat.
She was attacked from both front and back!
Mu Yuanying gritted her teeth. Her Longsword whirled, weaving a Sword Curtain to protect her body.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
She barely managed to parry one of the slim man’s claw-like strikes, but the fat woman’s overwhelmingly powerful palm smashed into the spine of her blade.
The Longsword bent violently. An irresistible force traveled up the blade, tearing open the webbing of Mu Yuanying’s hand and sending her Longsword flying.
The next instant, the slim man’s other hand struck, his fingers digging viciously into her shoulder.
"Urgh!"
Mu Yuanying grunted, a sharp pain shooting through her shoulder as blood flowed freely. She staggered backward.
In a matter of moments, both were wounded.
Seeing them both completely incapacitated, the fat on the woman’s face jiggled with triumph. Her voice dripped with the cruel amusement of a cat toying with a mouse. "I’ll ask you two kids one last time. What are your names?"
"Not talking?"
The slim man spoke in a chilling tone. "We got word from the Water Stronghold that two little cats escaped. The description fits you two perfectly. What? Did you think you’d be safe just by running here? It’s your unlucky day, falling into the hands of us, the Two Immortals of Life and Death!"
’The Two Immortals of Life and Death?’
Chen Shouheng and Mu Yuanying were shaken to the core.
’So they really are connected to the Water Bandits!’
"You go. I’ll cover our retreat."
Gritting her teeth, Mu Yuanying pulled a dagger from her Official Boots and struggled to her feet, preparing to face their attackers.
Chen Shouheng clenched his jaw, his eyes locked on their opponents. He said nothing, but one hand crept silently toward a hard object at his waist.
"Leave? Neither of you is getting away today!" the slim man cackled, stalking closer.
"Why are you so chatty today? You getting ideas because this little thing is pretty?" the fat woman snapped impatiently. "I’m telling you, don’t even think about it!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" the slim man retorted, reaching for Mu Yuanying.
In that critical instant.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted, and a flash of fire and thick smoke instantly engulfed the slim man.
Just a moment ago, while both attackers had their attention fixed on Mu Yuanying, Chen Shouheng had pulled an Iron Pill the size of a baby’s fist from his waist. After using his inner energy to create friction and light the fuse, he hurled it viciously at the lunging man.
It was the life-saving item Chen Li had given him, instructing him to use it only in a critical moment.
The slim man’s entire Heart Spirit was focused on capturing Mu Yuanying. He didn’t even get a clear look at the object, only sensing a small, dark sphere flying toward him.
He was about to reach out and swat it away when a violent explosion detonated on his chest.
The furious shockwave instantly shredded his clothes, and iron shrapnel tore into his skin.
Thick, black smoke, reeking of sulfur, completely enveloped him.
"AGHHH..."
The slim man let out a bloodcurdling scream.
His entire body was blackened with soot, his hair curled and smoking. His chest was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, giving off the stench of burnt meat.
The searing pain and concussive force left him dizzy, and he nearly collapsed.
The sneer on the fat woman’s face froze. She let out a shrill cry, "My man!!"
Her massive frame burst forward with astonishing speed. She threw herself toward her smoking, teetering husband and frantically checked his injuries. "How are you? Where are you hurt?"
"Run!"
Mustering his strength, Chen Shouheng grabbed the wrist of the stunned Mu Yuanying and pulled her into a desperate run.
Mu Yuanying snapped out of it instantly. Ignoring the searing pain in her shoulder, she put all her strength into her legs and kept pace.
"BASTARDS! YOU LITTLE SHITS! I’LL KILL YOU!!"
Behind them, they heard the fat woman’s furious roars, punctuated by the slim man’s pained groans and coughs.
Chen Shouheng and Mu Yuanying didn’t dare look back. Gritting their teeth, they poured every last ounce of strength into their legs, and their figures soon vanished.
...
They ran until they couldn’t hear any sounds of pursuit behind them, though they had no idea for how long. Only then did they finally stop.
Once they were sure they were safe for the moment, they looked at each other, and in the other’s eyes they saw the same mix of relief at having survived and undisguised, lingering terror.
Finally succumbing to exhaustion, they collapsed with a thud behind a secluded tree. They gasped for breath, their clothes soaked with a mixture of sweat and blood.
Chen Shouheng coughed up a clot of dark blood, and the tightness in his chest eased slightly. He looked at Mu Yuanying’s blood-soaked shoulder, his voice hoarse. "Your injury..."
Mu Yuanying’s face was pale. She shook her head, then tore a strip of cloth from her tunic. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she clumsily bandaged the wound to stanch the bleeding. "I can manage."
She looked at Chen Shouheng, her expression complex. "That thing just now... what was it?"
"Something my father gave me to save my life. I don’t really know what it is. Probably something like a firecracker," Chen Shouheng said, still panting as he fearfully scanned their surroundings.
"The Two Immortals of Life and Death."
Mu Yuanying didn’t press further, instead murmuring the name. "I feel like I’ve heard that title somewhere."
After a moment, a cold glint appeared in her eyes. "I remember now. The Sect!"
"The Sect?"
Chen Shouheng started, though he wasn’t entirely surprised. He had clearly heard of this sect before.
"My father has long suspected that the Sect is backing the Jiangzhou Water Bandits," Mu Yuanying said, nodding grimly. "I just didn’t expect them to rise from the ashes so quickly. A group of them was supposedly wiped out just a few years ago."
"We have to get to the county seat as soon as possible and report this."
Mu Yuanying struggled to stand, but the movement aggravated her injury, sending her into another coughing fit.
"Let’s rest a little longer," Chen Shouheng said, holding her back.
They rested for a while. Once their breathing had steadied, they prepared to leave.
"Shouheng?"
An ox-cart came trundling toward them. Seeing the pair, the driver couldn’t help but call out.
"Dad!"
Chen Shouheng saw who it was and cried out, a wave of joy and surprise washing over him. For a moment, even the sharp pain in his chest seemed to fade.
Mu Yuanying looked up, saw the newcomer clearly as well, and froze.
It was Chen Li.
After leaving Drunken Creek Pavilion, he had been driving his ox-cart toward Zhuoyan Collection to meet with the County Magistrate’s Son.
He never expected that before finding the County Magistrate’s Son, he would run into his own eldest son instead.