Shadow of the Sky Chapter 66-73

Shaken by what had just happened before her eyes, Yi Xin’s heart was still pounding furiously. She had failed to catch Lu Chen’s words clearly so she asked softly, “Who is it that you said?”

However, because Lu Chen still had his hand covering her mouth, her words were m.u.f.fled. Upon realizing this fact, Lu Chen released his grip.

Yi Xin heaved a sigh of relief and gasped for air. Glancing in the direction of the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flowers again, her face turned pale.

If Lu Chen had not stopped her previously; if they were the ones who had approached that crippled young hound and the bloodied flesh was thrown out at that moment… Yi Xin dared not think about the possible consequences.

“This place is too dangerous. Let’s go.” Yi Xin whispered to Lu Chen. Concurrently, in her mind, she solemnly vowed to never again visit such wretched lands so easily.

Lu Chen didn’t seem as though he intended to leave immediately, on the contrary. He stared coldly in the direction where the mysterious black figure disappeared, and over there, a dense forest could be seen, although it was a mystery where it led to.

“Let’s go. We’ll take a look.”

When Yi Xin heard the first half of Lu Chen’s words, visible relief appeared on her face. However, even before a smile could fully form, her enchanting features froze.

“Take, take a look at what?”, stuttered Yi Xin.

Lu Chen did not reply. Instead, he proceeded straight toward the forest that stood within the valley. Even though he looked calm on the surface, when Yi Xin observed him from the side, she realized that his eyes were particularly bright. He emanated an icy-cold aura which she had never felt from him before; it felt as though a razor-sharp blade was slowly drawn from its sheath, and the odor of blood was sent forth.

“A lone Barbarian who has left his tribe wandering in the Confounding Lands…” Very faintly, the words seemed to have been muttered from his mouth. It seemed as though he was speaking to himself, and yet again, it seemed to be a sneer.

Standing still on her spot, Yi Xin was confused and conflicted. From the savagery and bloodiness she had previously seen, the mysterious dark figure was clearly no kind person. Looking for him just like that would no doubt be extremely dangerous. Thus, she could not comprehend why Lu Chen, who had been prudent the whole time, would suddenly behave so unusually and insist on looking for that dark shadow.

Wouldn’t it be best to escape from here?

In any case, the both of them are uninjured, right?

However, when Yi Xin lifted her head to take a look, after her short hesitation, she realized that Lu Chen had already walked into the distance. Seeing how he was approaching the edge of the forest, fear overcame her once more. Due to her inexperience, the ordeals she had undergone since the last night had instilled in her a dread of the Confounding Lands. At this moment, Lu Chen was her most trusted and reliable support. Thus, she could not help but called out, “Brother Lu, wait for me.” Then, she rushed forward to catch up with him.

※※※

Upon entering the forest, Yi Xin instantaneously noticed the surrounding brightness diminis.h.i.+ng. The temperature had also dipped slightly. On additional deliberation, she concluded that it was likely due to the densely congregated tree leaves above her. There were numerous small shrubs, and the fallen leaves that had acc.u.mulated on the forest floor over innumerable years felt soft to the feet. The smell of trees and decomposed leaves lingered in the air.

Without much effort, Lu Chen found a hidden path and proceeded on it.

The path was strange, disappearing abruptly from time to time, but Lu Chen seemed to possess mysterious abilities. At such times, he would meticulously scan the surroundings and discover some traces in an inconspicuous corner, and then continue forward on the path.

Some of these traces and pieces of evidence included the faint smell of blood that blotted leaves, the newly-fallen leaves, as well as footprints that were so faint that they were almost indiscernible. Even so, Lu Chen managed to detect everything.

Following behind Lu Chen, Yi Xin’s eyes were filled with shock and dismay. From a young age, all she had done was to immerse herself in cultivation and cultivation was all she knew. The most she had experienced were sparring matches with her seniors and juniors. She had never witnessed such amazing capabilities.

Looking at the figure before her, she felt terrified all of a sudden. What if… What if one day, she became this man’s prey, surely there would be no chance of escape, right?

She sensed that the man before her, Lu Chen, had lived in a world completely different from what she knew, and that vile world, which in all the time before she had visited the Confounding Lands, was a world she never knew of.

Lu Chen’s movements were adept and efficient and, at times, his display seemed uncanny. Lu Chen dredged up traces swiftly as if he knew of their locations beforehand, even ones that Yi Xin could not believe was possible to detect. Moreover, he seemed to be well aware of the habits of the black shadow before him…

Around an hour later, Lu Chen suddenly halted his footsteps, stopping Yi Xin as well.

Amidst the dense greenery around them, a half mu wide clearing appeared before them. A towering boulder before them unexpectedly turned out to be an opening to a steep slope, and a cave could be seen beneath the boulder.
(1 mu = 666m^2 = approximately 26m * 26m)

The ground before the cave was a mess. Numerous objects that seemed to be trash were scattered all over, such as charred rocks, broken twigs, and bones of differing sizes. At a rough glance, most of these bones came from the smaller beasts.

Hng he… Hng… Hng…

A bizarre noise echoed from within the cave, and it sounded like heavy panting. In no time, a figure walked out and it was the same mysterious man from before at the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flower River Valley.

At proximity, Lu Chen and Yi Xin could discern his features more clearly. Quickly, they realized that the ‘man’ seemed to be an elder. Aside from his emaciated appearance, his gait resembled an old man that possessed difficulties breathing.

Even so, this didn’t diminish the savage image of that strange man. As he emerged from the cave, he was still carrying the panther’s bloodied limb. The man walked directly to a rock and sat down, immediately beginning to chew.

Fresh blood trickled down the edges of his mouth, and he looked like a wild beast.

Yi Xin quivered. She could only feel overwhelming disgust at the sight and, becoming nauseated, almost threw up. It was fortunate that she knew it wasn’t the right moment and forced herself to calm down. Even so, she dared not to look at the Barbarian any longer. She cowered backward and just as she was about to communicate to Lu Chen that they should avoid trouble and just leave, her body froze abruptly.

Unknowingly, Lu Chen had already disappeared from beside her.

Yi Xin was appalled. She turned her head to look in all directions, and a moment later, discovered Lu Chen proceeding along the edges of the shrubbery near the cave. He was behind the strange man’ and was slowly getting closer.

The distance between the duo was at present a mere few zhang.
(1 zhang = 3.33m)

Watching closely, Yi Xin suddenly felt her heart beat furiously. She was so nervous that even her breathing had halted. Conversely, the surroundings of the cave were completely silent and peaceful, except for the peculiar man who was chewing on the bloodied flesh like a wild beast.

But right amidst the silence, abruptly, the desolate howl of a hound from within the cave tore apart the tranquility.

…  

==

Chapter 67: A Cruel World

Lu Chen, who was creeping forward slowly, froze his movements abruptly and paused on the spot. On the other hand, Yi Xin, who hid further to the rear, felt her mind turn blank. Her heart was beating so rapidly that it felt as though it was about to explode.

As for the peculiar man, who was gnawing voraciously on the panther’s limb, he stopped abruptly and raised his head. Without turning back to look, he roared, “Darned dog, shut up!” After which, he tore another mouthful of the bloodied flesh he held in his hand savagely, and with a m.u.f.fled voice, he bellowed, “Count yourself lucky today! Even though I failed to capture that woman, a yellow panther came to court its own death. After I’m done eating this panther leg, if you again fail to catch me any prey, I’ll gobble you up as well!”

The howling in the cave gradually subsided. It was hard to tell whether it was because the young hound was frightened by the Barbarian’s words or that its severe injuries had sapped its strength.

The strange man sneered coldly, but after consuming a huge amount of meat, his spirits seemed to have lifted. Despite his decrepit appearance, the greed and savagery in his eyes deepened as he muttered to himself, “d.a.m.n it! If I had captured that woman today, I would be able to…”

“Be able to do what?” Suddenly, a cold voice echoed from his back.

The strange man was taken aback, nearly tossing the panther’s limb in his grasp. He swiftly turned his head and saw that a man was already standing behind him without him realizing it. Furthermore, his appearance was oddly familiar; it was the man whom he had previously spied on from the shadows during the day.

“AHH…” The mysterious old man released an immeasurably ferocious roar, leaping up and immediately throwing the panther’s leg toward Lu Chen, as though a weapon. In that instant, he sounded like an agitated wild beast.

However, halfway through his leap, he felt an abrupt, cold sensation at his waist. Following right away, an excruciating pain suddenly spread through his body. The strange man released a heart-wrenching yell of agony. Lowering his head to take a look, he noticed a black dagger that had pierced into his back waist and recognized that his leap had tugged on the dagger, ripping a ma.s.sive glaring wound through him.

Crimson blood spurted in a jet as though a blood fountain, but it didn’t take long for the waterworks to die down. It seemed that the decrepit body no longer held as much blood as before.

The strange man staggered backward while releasing furious howls. However, his brittle and decrepit body seemed unable to withstand such heavy wounds. It didn’t take long for him to crash onto the ground. He struggled while panting heavily. At the same time, he glared viciously at the man who had appeared out of nowhere.

Yi Xin ran over from the side, and for an instance, her eyes met the strange man’s fearsome gaze. Frightened by the brutality projected by his eyes, her face paled, not daring to look at that beast-like man for another second. She swiftly ran to Lu Chen’s side and asked, “Are, are you alright?”

Lu Chen glanced at her and shook his head. He then pointed at the savage strange man and spoke, “The trap at the valley was targeted at us.”

Hearing those words, Yi Xin’s heart leaped, and she was at a loss for words.

Lu Chen sneered chillingly, and with the black dagger in his hands grabbed tightly, he walked leisurely toward the strange man and squatted down.

That strange man shrank backward subconsciously. Even so, he continued to glare at Lu Chen with his savage eyes. If looks could kill, Lu Chen might have been murdered countless times in the cruelest methods possible.

Nevertheless, Lu Chen seemed completely impervious. A sliver of disgust appeared on his face as he said, “You had better remain obedient.”

The mysterious man’s face was fully stained with blood and he looked exceptionally vicious and terrifying. On hearing Lu Chen’s words, he smirked cruelly and cursed, “Scram! I will eat you… AHH!”

A bone-chilling scream let loose from his mouth once again and Yi Xin, who was standing nearby, almost jumped in fright. She glanced over, only to see Lu Chen’s poker face, as he seemed completely unmoved by the strange man’s plight. The black dagger that he held within his hand was already stabbed into the strange man’s thigh. Then, after some twisting it, a huge wound was torn.

The strange man howled in agony. Tumbling about on the ground, his voice gradually weakened.

Even so, it sent a chill down Yi Xin’s spine. Unable to tolerate the sight, she walked over and tugged on Lu Chen’s sleeves gently, whispering, “Lu, Brother Lu, don’t act like this…”

Lu Chen turned his head to look at her and spoke suddenly, “Do you know who he is?”

Under Lu Chen’s gaze, Yi Xin felt uneasy. For some reason, even though she could sense that Lu Chen didn’t bear any hostility toward her, deep within, she feared him instinctively. In fact, her fear for Lu Chen seemed to surpa.s.s even that for the ferocious strange man.

She lowered her head and answered softly, “I don’t know.”

“He is a barbarian.” Lu Chen’s words rang by her ear. A tinge of coldness could be heard within his tranquil voice.

Yi Xin was taken aback. “Barbarian? Weren’t the Barbarians sent back to the Southern Barren Plains after they lost the war a thousand years ago?”

Lu Chen eyed the decrepit Barbarian, who was still pitifully howling on the ground and said, “Most of the Barbarian Tribes had retreated, but the war a thousand years ago was too intense. In fact, there were pa.s.sageways and terrains that were destroyed by the powerful zhenjuns and zhenrens. Thus, there are still a group of Barbarians who remained within the Confounding Lands.”

This was the first time Yi Xin had heard of this matter. Startled by the news, she remained silent for a moment before exclaiming, “So that’s the case. I’ve never heard of Barbarian Tribes residing in the Confounding Lands.”

Lu Chen replied, “These remnants of the Barbarians mainly lived in tribes in the depths of the Confounding Lands, rarely visiting the outer perimeter, and thus, it isn’t surprising that you have never heard of them.”

Yi Xin hesitated for a moment before asking, “I’ve heard that the deeper one proceeds into the Confounding Lands, the more dangerous it is. If that’s so, why don’t the Barbarian Tribes live in the outer perimeter? Wouldn’t it be easier for them to live this way?”

Lu Chen commented impa.s.sively, “In the eyes of the Barbarian Tribes, we, human cultivators, are even more fearsome enemies than the demonic beasts in the Confounding Lands.”

Yi Xin was astounded by Lu Chen’s words and subconsciously desired to refute him. In her impression, there were good and bad cultivators, but rarely were there those who slaughtered others without giving a second thought. To be more exact, in her entire lifetime of cultivation, she had never seen such a cultivator.

But when those words reached the tip of her tongue, she glanced at the man before her and swallowed them back down. Lowering her head, she asked, “If they’re gathered in tribes, why is he alone? Furthermore, why did he escape to the outer perimeter, where human cultivators flock?”

“The depths of the Confounding Lands are treacherous. Even though the Barbarians have gathered in tribes, survival is still no easy task. Thus, a custom slowly developed. The older members of the tribe, whose bodily functions had deteriorated and could no longer hunt in the middle region of the Confounding Lands, would have to leave the tribe and survive on their own.”

With her mouth wide open, and Yi Xin felt her body turning cold. She could almost visualize a cold frost before her, and it was as though the beautiful world she knew had been flipped upside down, revealing the coldness and brutality that hid beneath.

On the contrary, Lu Chen continued with his impa.s.sive voice, “This should be the case with this Barbarian. Due to his deteriorating body, he can no longer remain in the treacherous lands of the middle region. As such, he can only slowly migrate outward, building his encampment at this valley located in the outer perimeter. On one hand, he was waiting for death, on the other, he was bringing harm to humans.”

As Lu Chen spoke, he glanced at Yi Xin and saw the expressions that flickered through her face. He continued, “You’ve also heard what he said. That trap was intended for you. Then, do you want to know what would happen if you were indeed caught by him?”

Yi Xin stared blankly into Lu Chen’s eyes which were serene but felt like a bottomless abyss. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, she felt a chilling sensation permeate through the bones of her entire body, as though she had fallen into an icy cavern.

Chapter 68: Human Life, Dog Life

“What will happen?” Yi Xin asked with a hushed voice.

Staring at her face, Lu Chen said slowly, “If you were to fall into his trap and be caught alive, after you’ve been rendered powerless, he would first rape you. Then, he will chop your body into pieces and pieces of bloodied flesh before chewing on them slowly.” At which, Lu Chen pointed to the bloodied panther leg on the ground and said emotionlessly, “Just like that thing.”

Owehhh!

Looking at the panther leg, Yi Xin could no longer hold herself back. Trembling heavily, she charged into the bushes, bent down, and retched. Her face was as pale as a sheet.

Lu Chen observed her quietly, not consoling her in the least. However, he didn’t continue elaborating with those cold words of his.

After some time, Yi Xin seemed to have gradually calmed down. While still gasping, she straightened her body and slowly walked back. She no longer dared to look at the dirty, savage, decrepit Barbarian and the panther leg. She fearfully walked to Lu Chen’s side, hesitated for a moment before asking with a hushed tone, “Brother Lu, let’s, let’s go…”

“Alright!”

To Yi Xin’s surprise, Lu Chen agreed to her request readily this time. After which, she saw Lu Chen turn around and stroll toward the Barbarian who was on the ground, moaning pitifully.

Neither did he raise his volume nor were there any killing intent that could be felt from him. In fact, his expression had remained completely indifferent. Yet, Yi Xin felt the surrounding temperature dip. The elderly Barbarian seemed to have realized something as well. He wailed, cursed, and struggled to back away, dragging behind him a terrifying trail of blood.

But his efforts were futile. Lu Chen, nevertheless, swiftly walked to him And to Yi Xin’s horror, he lifted the black dagger and stabbed the Barbarian elder!

The blade, that was sharp beyond comparison, pierced through his flesh and blood instantaneously and stabbed his heart.

The elderly Barbarian’s body stiffened and curled together as he screamed a string of bizarre but indistinct words. A moment later, that dirty and savage head fell to the ground, his body frozen, and his breathing ceased.

Lu Chen retrieved his dagger and went back to Yi Xin. He was expressionless, as though he had simply completed an insignificant task. Facing Yi Xin, he said, “We can leave now.”

Yi Xin nodded her head blankly. As she watched Lu Chen walk down the slope, an impulse overwhelmed her all of a sudden and she asked, “Brother Lu, do… do you have a grudge with these Barbarians?”

Lu Chen’s paused in his steps abruptly. After a short moment, he replied without turning around, “I guess you can say that I have a grudge with them. But it isn’t to the point that I have to kill them on sight. However, if anyone were to try to kill me, I won’t simply let it go.”

※※※

Yi Xin went silent. A complex expression appeared on her face. Everything that happened before her eyes, and this was including Lu Chen, was completely different from that simple and innocent life she had been living in the past. These events exceeded her understanding. To say, if the one who had rescued her yesterday was a courageous and upright person, then he seemed to be a different man today.

“Let’s go.”

From ahead, Lu Chen shouted. Jolted out of her thoughts, Yi Xin answered and hurried forward. Yet, just as she walked past the cave toward the slope and had prepared to leave this place alongside Lu Chen, wailing echoed from within the cave suddenly. Then, a small body climbed from within the cave with great difficulty.

It was the young hound that possessed black fur but with a white stripe down its back. Its right hind leg drooped limply on the ground, and it seemed to be broken. Its entire body was dirty and messy, and it seemed to be in a wretched state.

The young hound struggled out of its cave, expending the very last bit of its energy, demonstrating its will to live, regardless of the cost. It called out to Yi Xin weakly.

“w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g… w.a.n.g…”

Yi Xin stopped in her track, sympathy emerging on her face.

Yi Xin was surprised by her own compa.s.sion here. In the past, she has had seen plenty of pitiful wild dogs and cats when pa.s.sing through a few other towns, but this time, she could not hold herself back. Perhaps it was a result of witnessing excessive slaughter and bloodshed, which she had never experienced in her life until today, and this heavy burden which weighed down on her gave her breathing difficulties.

Or perhaps, this was just her innocent and soft-hearted nature.

Thus, she turned around and walked toward the young hound, causing Lu Chen, who was at the front, to stop and frown.

Yi Xin squatted beside the young black puppy. Examining it carefully, she realized that the condition of the hound was worse than she had initially imagined.

Other than that fracture on its leg, there were more than a dozen of scars and lacerations. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that he was a ma.s.s of bruises. Some of the flesh surrounding the wounds were even decomposing, emitting a revolting stench. It was hard to imagine what kind of torture this young hound had suffered in the past few days in the savage Barbarian’s captivity.

“Let’s save it!” Yi Xin turned around and shouted to Lu Chen.

Lu Chen shook his head impa.s.sively.

Gritting her teeth, Yi Xin slowly stood up and the young black hound whimpered while staring at her intently.

Yi Xin’s countenance changed abruptly, as all the life and death situations that she had gone through from the previous night up till now flashed in her mind. The extreme gore in those visions triggered in her a feeling of nausea. Perhaps it was due to courage, or maybe it was because of the resentment that she had been repressing within her heart bursting forth of a sudden, Yi Xin stomped her leg, pulled out a piece of cloth, and wrapped up the black puppy. Then with great difficulty, she carried it with a single hand and walked toward Lu Chen with a lowered head.

When she hurried past him, she did not dare to look at Lu Chen’s face. Even so, she paused midstep, and with a soft, quivering but extraordinarily resolute voice, she said, “I, I want to save it!”

After finis.h.i.+ng her words, she ran forward with big steps immediately. Lu Chen was astounded by her actions. As he stared at the girl’s back view, a rare, dumbfounded expression appeared on his face.

“This woman, what exactly is her head filled with…” He muttered, shaking his head before following her.

Barely taking two steps, a scream suddenly resounded from ahead, catching Lu Chen by surprise. Lifting his gaze, he saw Yi Xin trip on a shrub because of her hurried movements and she fell flatly onto the ground, sprawled. At the same time, the young hound was also sent flying. Putong, it fell into a nearby bush. Sounds of pained wailing and exclamations in shock began to echo in the air.

Looking up into the sky, Lu Chen sighed helplessly. Then, he walked over to help Yi Xin up.

With a reddened face, Yi Xin avoided his gaze, and keeping her head lowered, she patted the dirt off her clothes before wanting to rush over to pick up the young hound.

Yet, before she could get away, she was pulled by Lu Chen to one side. Yi Xin panicked immediately, “Don’t stop me! I, I want to save…”

“Shut up!” Lu Chen bellowed at her impatiently. Then, he proceeded to pick up the young black puppy. He glared at Yi Xin and said, “Cut the nonsense, let’s go.”

Yi Xin said sheepishly, “You…”

Lu Chen harrumphed. Ignoring her, he started walking ahead with the young black hound in his arms. At the same time, he said, “I had spent so much effort to reattach that arm of yours, so don’t go fracturing it for ridiculous reasons! How troublesome.”

Yi Xin’s mouth widened for a moment. Staring at the back of that man, the corners of her lips curled up, expressing her delight.

“Hey, what are you daydreaming about!” From the front, Lu Chen turned around and yelled.

Taken aback, Yi Xin quickly ran forward to catch up with him as she replied, “I’m coming, I’m coming!”. With Yi Xin walking closely behind Lu Chen, the duo trod toward the forest’s exit.

==

Chapter 69: Cutting Flesh to Remedy

The duo walked straight out of the forest and was back in the valley once again.

Under sunlight, the group of Bloodthirsty Demonic Flowers was as beautiful as ever. On the other hand, nothing was left of the yellow panther, except for a trail of blood stain that remained on the ground.

Lu Chen and Yi Xin made their way out of the valley at once. A place inhabited by large groups of ravenous demonic flowers wasn’t somewhere one would find welcoming.

Upon their exit, Lu Chen found a flat and safe ground alongside the river and placed the young hound down. Then, he beckoned Yi Xin over and meticulously checked her wounded arm before nodding his head, “Good, at least your bones are still in place.” As he spoke, relief appeared on his face. Just that, it was hard to actually tell whether he worried about Yi Xin or instead, the results of his treatment.

After saying his words, Lu Chen paid her no more heed and walked to the side.

Glancing at him, Yi Xin was initially tempted to say something, but she suppressed her words. With difficult, she moved to the young black hound and sat beside it.

The young black hound lifted its head and looked at her.

Speaking of which, it felt bizarre. Even though the young hound was covered in wounds and emitted a repugnant odor, with even its fur tangled together making it look hideous, its eyes were clear and bright.

Perhaps, that was the only beauty left on it.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Yi Xin said softly, “Let me help you. Er… Don’t bite me, okay?”

The young black hound continued its stare for another moment before calling out ‘w.a.n.g’. It was hard to tell whether it was consenting to the matter or not.

Yi Xin fumbled through her belongings and quickly, she whipped out a silk handkerchief. Arduously, using just her remaining uninjured hand, she wiped dirt off from the young hound’s body and cleaned its glaring wounds.

Perhaps, due to it sensing kindness from the young lady, the black puppy didn’t avoid her touch or struggle. It sat obediently on the spot, not moving at all.

Lu Chen observed the situation from afar impa.s.sively.

Given Yi Xin’s clumsy movements, it was clear that she had never performed such tasks in the past. Furthermore, the wounds were too many and too severe, so it didn’t take much time before she accidentally contacted its wounds. Instantly, the young puppy’s body quivered and it whimpered in pain.

Yi Xin’s hands trembled in response, quickly appeasing it softly, “Sorry, sorry. I’ll be lighter…”

“w.a.n.g w.a.n.g w.a.n.g w.a.n.g…” Before she could finish her words, the young black hound whimpered once more. Yi Xin had avoided a wound, only to press on another one. The excruciating pain caused it to shudder intensely.

Repeating just like that, the tranquil riverside was suddenly filled with the pained and helpless call of a hound. On the other hand, the young lady was also sweating profusely. Her only functional hand was moving the handkerchief around the young hound’s body, but her movements were stiff. Eventually, she didn’t even dare to press down anymore. Tears rippled in her eyes, and she was about to cry from panic.

“Hey!”

A familiar voice shot behind her and Yi Xin bounced in shock. Without her knowing, Lu Chen was already standing behind her with a helpless expression on his face. Slapping his forehead lightly, he said, “Step aside.”

Yi Xin was stunned, asking “What are you going to do?”

Lu Chen glared at her impatiently and said, “Even though I didn’t intend to save the dog, I can’t just say watching by the side as you kill it inflicting such excruciating pain.”

Yi Xin fell speechless. Her face turned so red that it seemed it was about to be set ablaze. She stepped backward hurriedly, granting Lu Chen s.p.a.ce as she muttered softly, “I, I didn’t do it intentionally…”

Ignoring her completely, Lu Chen squatted down and glanced at the young puppy. He examined the wounds on its body before feeling its broken leg. Slowly, his eyebrows knitted tightly together.

Yi Xin stared attentively at him by the sight. Noticing the grim look on his face, her heart sank. She hurriedly asked, “Brother Lu, how is it, is the dog going to be alright?”

Lu Chen did not reply her. After a moment of contemplation, he eyed the young hound once more before saying emotionlessly, “If you wish to live, you behave obediently.”

The young black hound was obviously feeling much more anxious facing Lu Chen. Its entire body was stiffened and it let out a few low growls. It was hard to tell whether it had understood Lu Chen’s words.

With a flick of his wrist, a black dagger appeared in Lu Chen’s hands. He immediately sent it straight toward the young black hound.

Standing by the side, Yi Xin exclaimed in shock. Her body instinctively stepped forward. The young black hound barked as well; lying on the ground, it seemed to in extremely fright. Despair reflected in its eyes.

But within a split second, a pile of black fur fell from the young hound’s body, drifting down toward the ground slowly. It turned out that Lu Chen’s had only cut the fur of the young hound with the wave of his dagger. Then, he repeated the same motion fluidly over and over, tr.i.m.m.i.n.g the young hound’s fur.

Throughout, due to tangled fur and the ma.s.sive amount of injuries all over the body, it was impossible for Lu Chen to avoid the wounds altogether. Thus, the young hound yelled in pain. Even so, Lu Chen was unmoved.

Furthermore, appearing tamed by the sharp killing intent emanated by the black dagger, even though the young hound was in great pain, it forced itself to remain motionless on the spot.

It didn’t take long for all of the fur on the young hound to be shaved.

All of the sudden, the young black hound was completely bald. Its hairless form looked hideous and hilarious, but also clearly displayed the wounds scattered all over the young hound’s body, and it was terrifying to the sight.

Lu Chen didn’t stop after just completing the shave. He first began to clean all of the wounds on the young hound. Those which had formed scars were ignored, but for fresh wounds, he first poured a bit of medicinal powder before wrapping them up with a cloth. After that, he proceeded on to deal with the decomposing wounds. He hesitated for a moment before stretching out his hand to stabilize the black puppy’s body. Glancing at its face, he said impa.s.sively, “Bear with it!”

The bald young hound stared at Lu Chen blankly. However, upon seeing the black dagger again, its body convulsed intensely all of a sudden.

Under Yi Xin’s astounded gaze, Lu Chen stabbed the dagger into the decomposed and putrid flesh near the wound, twisted it, and tore the rotten flesh out, throwing it to the side.

The young hound howled in incomparable agony, and it sounded heart-wrenching. Its entire body was trembling uncontrollably, but surprisingly, even though it was clearly in great pain, it had managed to lie on the ground without a single movement.

The young hound was actually bearing with the intense pain!

Lu Chen seemed to be surprised as well. He turned his head to look at it and a sliver of admiration appeared faintly in his gaze.

==

Chapter 70: Parting Ways

Even though he was astonished by the black puppy’s tolerance, Lu Chen’s hands didn’t stop. The black dagger continued to fly about the young hound’s body, and it didn’t take long for another three pieces of rotten meat to be removed. Fresh blood spilled all over the ground.

Then, with abnormal proficiency, Lu Chen whipped out a few bizarre medicinal powder and sprinkled them on the young hound’s wounds. The flow of blood swiftly stopped, and Lu Chen used a white cloth to bandage the wounds.

After this was done, the young hound appeared to be on the verge of death. Devoid of any strength, it panted heavily in pain with its head resting on the ground. On the other hand, Yi Xin’s face paled after witnessing the gruesome sight of the treatment.

Even so, seeing that the wounds had been wrapped neatly with a white cloth, Yi Xin heaved a sigh of relief. Gently, she said, “Thank you, Brother Lu.”

Lu Chen glanced at her before saying, “It’s not over yet.”

“Ah?” Yi Xin was taken aback. “What else is there?”

Lu Chen quietly turned around, speechless, and pointed to the back leg.

Its leg was still broken.

For a moment, Yi Xin was at a loss for words.

It was fortunate that Lu Chen didn’t elaborate further. Just like how he treated Yi Xin earlier this morning, he went into the forest to obtain a wooden stick. Taking opportunity of this temporary lapse, Yi Xin squatted by the young hound and whispered to it gently, “Little dog, don’t be afraid. Brother Lu is an incredible person. He will treat all of your wounds…”

“His leg is different from your hand.” Lu Chen’s voice suddenly sounded by her ear. Yi Xin raised her head to look at him, only to see a wooden stick in his hand as he squatted down once again. With an impa.s.sive voice, he said, “Even though your hand is fractured, it was reattached quickly along with medicine to facilitate its recovery. Without complications, it should recover completely in at most one or two months. However, the hound’s leg is different. His leg has remained broken for way too long.”

“Ah? Then what will happen to it?” Yi Xin asked anxiously.

Lu Chen contemplated before replying, “It may be possible to reattach it, but it will not return to how it was formerly. At the very best, he would become a lame dog.”

“A lame dog…” Yi Xin repeated Lu Chen’s words blankly.

In contrast, Lu Chen had already grabbed the puppy’s broken leg. He first checked on the wounds before cleaning it. Then, he lined the bones carefully, applying some medicine before using a white cloth to fix its leg tightly onto the wooden stick.

Finally, the operation to save the hound had come to an end. At this moment, the formerly black puppy had turned bald, and numerous white cloths were wrapped around its body. On top of that, a wooden stick was tied to its back leg. The sight of it was as hilarious as it could be, but compared to how it was back in the Barbarian’s cave, it was in a much better state.

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