Chapter 624 - 639: Good and Bad

An Ning slipped into the water and tried to swim over, but her life vest kept snagging on the tree branches.

The tree had once been enormous.

Although only the very top poked out of the water now, its roots and branches remained submerged.

Worse, the massive tree acted as a dam, trapping a tangled mess of branches and debris that had washed up against it. To get through, she would have to clear a path.

"Help—"

The child’s voice was hoarse and faint.

"Hang on!"

An Ning couldn’t worry about that now. She shed her life vest and began clearing the debris with her bare hands.

One meter, two, three... she was almost there.

Fearing for the child’s safety, An Ning enveloped him in her spiritual power. At the very least, she had to ensure he survived.

By now, her hands were covered in countless cuts. Her bare arms were a mess of one gash after another, but she didn’t feel a thing.

An Ning had only one thought: save the child.

Just one meter to go!

An Ning was just about to reach him. She stretched out her hand toward the little boy on the branch, but at that exact moment, it snapped!

"Shit!"

With a curse, she enveloped the child in spiritual power, dove under, and snatched him with one hand.

She got him!

Thankfully, she had spiritual power.

An Ning surfaced, holding the child with one arm, only to find her path back was blocked again.

"Damn it!"

An Ning pulled a rope from her waist. Bracing herself against the tree, she tied the child securely to her back.

"M-miss—"

"Don’t be afraid. I’ll get you out of here."

"What’s your name? How old are you?"

"My mom calls me Zhuzi. I’m seven."

An Ning, who was still securing the knots, suddenly froze, her eyes widening.

"I’ve seen your mom. She’s been looking for you everywhere. She’s waiting for you to come home."

"Really?!"

The boy sounded happy. A warm, wet drop landed on An Ning’s neck.

"Yes, really. I’m taking you to your mom right now."

An Ning started clearing the way again.

She cleared a bit, then moved forward a bit.

It took her nearly twenty minutes to cover a mere five meters.

Anyone else would have run out of energy long ago. It was a good thing it was her.

’This little rescue only strengthened my resolve to keep searching,’ she thought. ’If even I find this difficult, what about the other rescuers?’

’I can be this bold because I know I’ll be okay. But the other rescuers... they don’t have that certainty, yet they go anyway.’

’Compared to them, I’m not nearly as good.’

’I’m selfish at my core.’

’Everything I’m doing now is only because I have the power to do it. If it really came down to saving one life at the cost of another, I’d probably save myself.’

An Ning finally got the child onto her boat.

Once on the boat, An Ning checked the boy’s mouth and stomach. After confirming he’d only swallowed a little water, she gave him a drink.

In a flood, most deaths aren’t from drowning, but from suffocation.

Mud, debris—anything lodging in the nose or mouth can cause it.

An Ning draped a small blanket over the boy, helped him into a life vest, and had him sit beside her.

"Zhuzi, I know you’re eager to see your mom, but I need to go rescue other people. Can we make a few more rounds first?"

"Okay! I’ll be good, Miss. You save people, and they’re just like me. When you showed up, Zhuzi thought he saw a fairy."

An Ning was touched by the kind-hearted Zhuzi. "You’re a good kid."

An Ning started the boat and resumed her search.

The searchlight cut through the darkness. The megaphone blared, her voice already hoarse as she pushed onward through the night.

After resting for a bit, Zhuzi took it upon himself to help An Ning call out. The little boy held the large megaphone and yelled with all his might, his voice even louder than hers.

"Over here— over here— there’s a boat!"

Hearing the cry for help, Zhuzi and An Ning were both overjoyed. They followed the voice and a faint light.

Three large men stood on a small hill, jumping and waving their arms frantically.

An Ning piloted the boat toward them. They were on high ground—what was left of a small hill—and had taken the highest point.

Now, however, that "hill" was just a small mound about five meters in diameter.

An Ning brought the boat as close to the mound as she could, reminding Zhuzi to wait for her.

"I won’t move, Miss."

Zhuzi’s obedience brought a warm smile to An Ning’s face.

She called out to the three men on the mound, "Come on, I’ll take you to a shelter."

"We can’t swim!"

"Yeah, none of us can!"

That was a problem. An Ning tossed three life vests and a swim ring toward them.

"Put those on and use the rope to come over. It’s not very deep here."

The three men seemed apprehensive. The first one to enter the water slipped, flailing and half-sinking. He couldn’t seem to take a single step.

An Ning had no choice but to jump in the water to get him.

But before she could get close, the two men on the mound suddenly jumped into the water. Someone grabbed her legs in a death grip, and the two men who had just jumped in swam over.

In the water, the three men surrounded her.

"Miss—!"

Zhuzi cried out anxiously.

Underwater, An Ning’s fierce glare startled the man who’d been pretending he couldn’t swim, but it wasn’t enough to stop their plan.

An Ning wanted to see what they were after, so she feigned a struggle, pretending to be overpowered as the three men dragged her onto the small mound.

"COUGH, COUGH... What... COUGH... what do you want?!"

"Tch. Little bitch is stronger than she looks."

"Why waste your breath? She’s a real looker, though."

"Boss, let’s not waste time. We’re just here for the boat. Let’s get going!"

One of the men tried to reason with the other two. The one they called "Boss" eyed An Ning, tempted, but his own safety still came first.

"Let’s go!"

"Boss, what’s the rush? Who else is gonna be out here in the middle of the night? When we’re done, we just toss her in the water. Nobody will ever know it was us."

The man’s words made the boss pause.

"Miss—!"

Zhuzi might be young, but he could tell something was wrong.

"Boss, we have to deal with both of them anyway."

Those words sealed the deal for the boss.

An Ning, who had heard enough, finally spoke. "The way you talk... you three must be fugitives, right?"

"Hmph. None of your business. All you have to do is cooperate nicely and—"

"Screw your mother!"

An Ning moved.

A kick shattered the speaker’s groin. As he flew through the air, she kneed the second man, shattering his jaw. A quick grappling hold and a twist, and the third man’s arm snapped.

Next, she systematically dislocated their arms and legs until all three were completely immobilized.

"You run in these circles, and no one ever told you not to mess with women and children who are on their own?"

"Did you really think I’d be out here rescuing people by myself if I didn’t have some skills?"

"All I can say is, you’re suffering from a lack of education. Even bad guys need to be smart these days."

An Ning hogtied the three men. Then, single-handedly lifting one and dragging the other two, she hauled them back to the boat, completely indifferent to how much water they swallowed. She tossed them on board and turned back.