Ye Tiancheng's words were spoken lightly, but when he actually tried to do it, he found it difficult. Ye Tiancheng also consumed a lot of his true qi, and coupled with the lack of energy replenishment, his entire being appeared in a state of weakness.
Despite his poor condition, he still had to carry Hou Mingzhu. The initial step of lifting her onto his back consumed a lot of strength, and then he had to walk with her. The journey was far from easy.
Ye Tiancheng felt drenched in sweat. He had only walked for less than five minutes, yet it felt like he had walked for five days and five nights. Every step was incredibly arduous, like walking on the tip of a knife.
This situation was truly terrifying. Ye Tiancheng was exhausted and on the verge of collapse, but Hou Mingzhu had insisted on leaving. To keep his promise to her, Ye Tiancheng could only persevere.
Hou Mingzhu could clearly sense it. Even though Ye Tiancheng tried his best to conceal it, she could still discern from his breathing that each step he took was becoming more labored. It was heartbreaking to watch.
"Forget it, let's rest for a while. We can take it slow, no need to rush."
Initially, Hou Mingzhu was eager to leave, but she quickly changed her mind. She couldn't push Ye Tiancheng too hard just because she was in a hurry. If she lost Ye Tiancheng, her anchor, she would be doomed to die alone here.
"It's fine, I'm not that weak. I won't die so easily. I can definitely hold on. Just hold onto my shoulders tightly and make sure you don't fall."
This was Ye Tiancheng's greatest concern: fearing that Hou Mingzhu would get hurt. He didn't care about himself; he was a man, after all, what was there to be so delicate about?
"Look at how big your sweat drops are, bigger than soybeans. How can I not worry? You're weak now, you can't push yourself any further."
Hou Mingzhu's voice trembled with anxiety, and she felt like crying. Seeing Ye Tiancheng go to such lengths for her, to push himself so hard, always made Hou Mingzhu think of her own helplessness.
"Alright, I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so stubborn. Don't cry. I'll listen to you. We won't go anymore."
Ye Tiancheng quickly put Hou Mingzhu down, and they chose to rest. However, they had barely sat down by a tree when a swarm of rats suddenly emerged.
Those rats had repulsive faces, their eyes bulging as if about to fall out, and their teeth were incredibly long, making them look terrifying. They resembled zombie rats.
"Ah! Ye Tiancheng, quickly look, what are these abominations?"
Hou Mingzhu was considered brave among women, but seeing these zombie rats, with their eyes almost popping out and their grayish-white color, truly frightened her. It wasn't easy to remain unfazed by such a sight.
"These rats must have mutated. I saw something similar in Black Wind Mountain before, but these rats are clearly several times more disgusting than those. Just looking at them makes me feel like I'm losing years off my life."
Ye Tiancheng accidentally caught sight of a rat up close and immediately felt a wave of nausea. He felt unwell, a feeling that couldn't be described in words.
Ye Tiancheng gathered a surge of true qi and struck out fiercely. The rats were instantly torn to shreds, their legs seemingly flying off, and their eyeballs splattered on the ground.
"So disgusting. I haven't seen anything this repulsive in a long time. What are these things?"
Hou Mingzhu spoke as if she were about to vomit. She couldn't imagine that such deathly creatures could exist in the world. Looking at them made her eyes ache.
"Stay calm, don't panic. I'll get rid of all this trash soon."
No matter how weak Ye Tiancheng was, a few mutated rats were no match for him. If he couldn't even deal with these mutated rats, then his existence in this world would be too redundant.
Ye Tiancheng quickly unleashed a barrage of true qi, flattening the approaching rats or smashing them into powder. Each one looked more pathetic than the last.
"These dead things, they're endless, truly never-ending. And the smell is so awful."
Hou Mingzhu wanted to leave. Her already weak body was further agitated by the disgusting smell, making her feel unwell. These never-ending rats, she wondered if they could ever be killed. It would be better to get away from here, as the trouble to deal with them was too much.
Ye Tiancheng gradually felt his strength waning. What he thought in his mind and what he could actually do were quite different. These rats seemed inexhaustible. In just over ten minutes, their corpses had piled up into a small mound.
"I'll carry you."
If Ye Tiancheng continued like this, they would both surely die. He had some true qi left from resting the day before, and Ye Tiancheng felt it was most important to utilize this remaining energy.
Ye Tiancheng used his true qi to create a barrier, ensuring that the baring-toothed rats wouldn't approach them. However, to his surprise, within minutes of Ye Tiancheng retreating with Hou Mingzhu, the barrier was broken.
Hou Mingzhu was bitten on the ankle. The bite made her gasp in pain, and she instantly felt unwell, trembling all over.
Hou Mingzhu's piteous state ignited something within Ye Tiancheng. He didn't know where the strength came from, but he erupted with a roar, unleashing a wave of true qi that exploded the biting rat into dust.
The zombie rats nearby, which hadn't attacked yet, were also caught in the blast. They were sent flying in disarray. They had already looked monstrous, and now they were even less recognizable, leaving only fragments.
"Truly detestable." While Ye Tiancheng hated the zombie rats, he resented himself even more. He was too foolish to protect even a woman.
"I'm sorry, Hou Mingzhu. I failed to protect you properly. This is all my fault."
"It's alright. The rats are just disgusting; they haven't caused any significant harm. A rat's bite isn't a great danger to me. I was just startled. You don't need to blame yourself. Everything is fine."
Hou Mingzhu tried her best to remain calm, as a faint burning sensation emanated from the wound, occasionally accompanied by a piercing pain. This made Hou Mingzhu suspect that the part bitten by the zombie rat might be poisoned, causing such a reaction.
However, Hou Mingzhu dared not say anything. If she admitted to being poisoned, Ye Tiancheng would likely worry even more, which was not what Hou Mingzhu wanted. Hou Mingzhu simply wished for a peaceful life. Encountering these dangers made her realize the importance of safety. But she couldn't add to Ye Tiancheng's burden now, fearing he wouldn't be able to bear it.
"Let me see your wound. These zombie rats usually carry viruses. I need to block the virus in your body in time, otherwise, as an ordinary person, you won't be able to withstand it."
Ye Tiancheng wanted to examine Hou Mingzhu, but she stopped him. For Hou Mingzhu, she was no longer the esteemed young lady of the Hou family. She was now shockingly ugly and somewhat pathetic. For a woman, if her appearance was gone, living in this world would only bring endless humiliation. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng's expenditure of true qi to save Hou Mingzhu felt unrewarding to her, and she didn't want him to waste his energy.
"You need to cooperate with me. If you keep refusing, I will become very anxious. Hou Mingzhu, don't give up on yourself. I've already said it, you are the most precious to me, no one can compare."
Under Ye Tiancheng's persuasion, Hou Mingzhu's resolve finally wavered. She was no longer as firm as before, completely convinced that she didn't deserve any help from Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng mustered his strength and once again used his true qi to help Hou Mingzhu. However, for Hou Mingzhu, she felt increasingly indebted to Ye Tiancheng, and her heart grew more uncomfortable.
"Ye Tiancheng, I am a murderer. Perhaps when you learned that I had people set fire and burn others to death, you should have hated me to the core, without any pity. Your help makes me feel like I am truly a heinous criminal."
"Let's not talk about it." Ye Tiancheng lay on the ground, weak. The protective barrier of true qi around him was weakening, and the zombie-like rats were trying to break through the confinement to attack them directly.
"I'm not a good person either. I've done many bad things. It's rare that you're still willing to associate with me. In fact, I'm already very happy that you don't dislike me. I wouldn't dare to dislike you."
Ye Tiancheng curved his lips into a smile. In truth, he dared not relax. But at least he had saved Hou Mingzhu. Ye Tiancheng had made the right decision to expel the poison from Hou Mingzhu's body in time. Hou Mingzhu was now fine, at least out of mortal danger, and Ye Tiancheng breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Why do I feel the rats' squeaking getting louder? It's so strange. It seems the rats have reached our ears. The more I hear this sound, the more terrifying it feels."
At this moment, even Hou Mingzhu noticed the abnormality. Hou Mingzhu was originally very weak and couldn't perceive anything. However, the piercing sounds of the rats, coupled with the extremely foul stench, made it impossible for Hou Mingzhu to ignore. The suffocating smell almost made her vomit.
"So terrifying. It seems these zombie rats are going to break through the barrier and eat us."
These were Hou Mingzhu's words, and there was no exaggeration. Ye Tiancheng had heard that these zombie rats were indeed not ordinary rats; they were very powerful.
These zombie rats had exceptionally long and sharp teeth that could even bite through steel, let alone human bones. If they were attacked by these rats, Ye Tiancheng was certain that he and Hou Mingzhu might be gnawed into powder. That would be the most tragic, not even leaving a complete corpse.
"Don't be afraid. With me here, even if we get eaten by rats, I'll be eaten first. I believe they won't eat you after they've had their fill..."
Ye Tiancheng's words did not relax Hou Mingzhu in the slightest. Instead, they made her feel even more terrified. After all, the thought of eating human flesh, without even imagining the scene, was enough to be suffocating when spoken aloud. Hou Mingzhu gagged a few times but couldn't vomit anything. It was a physiological reaction of disgust.
"It seems our deaths will be quite spectacular. Ye Tiancheng, as you said earlier, neither of us is a good person. It seems that we, two great villains, are facing retribution. We are truly going to be completely consumed by these rats, leaving no beautiful complete corpse. Our deaths will be quite miserable."