Xie Jiang took two steps back, keeping a good distance from him. She carefully tucked the oil-paper packet into her inner pocket and then spread her hands open before him.
They faced each other for a long time. Xu Hengyan knew he couldn't persuade her, so he held her wrist and gently blew on her wounds one by one.
Xie Jiang suddenly burst into laughter.
Hearing her laughter, Xu Hengyan couldn't help but laugh along. "What are you laughing at?"
Xie Jiang said, "It tickles."
She had two wounds on her hands. The skin had been abraded, revealing tender red flesh that was still oozing blood. It looked painful.
Every time Xu Hengyan blew, she would flinch slightly from the pain, a mixture of pain and ticklishness that was quite tormenting.
Xu Hengyan felt a pang in his heart seeing her like this. She was such a delicate person; normally, even a slight bump or scrape would make her whine for ages.
But now, with her hands so badly injured, she had endured it all stoically to save him medicine.
Xu Hengyan's snow-white inner garment was torn into halves. He tore the remaining part into two strips and carefully bandaged her hand wounds.
"Is that better?"
"Mm, it doesn't hurt anymore."
Xie Jiang waved her two bandaged hands.
Xu Hengyan looked at her and smiled happily. "Are there any other injuries on you?" he asked, his gaze falling on her legs.
Xie Jiang also looked down at her knees. "I fell a few times, and it does hurt a bit, but it's not a bone injury. I can still run and walk without any problems."
Xu Hengyan didn't insist on examining them. As long as there were no serious injuries, that was good enough. "Rest well for a few days after we get back."
Xie Jiang hummed in agreement. "Xu Hengyan, you should rest. I'll go out and take a look."
Day had broken, and they needed to assess the situation and find a way out.
Xu Hengyan started to get up. "I'll go with you."
"Hey, don't move around recklessly."
"I'm fine."
Xu Hengyan insisted on standing up. He wasn't completely incapacitated, and they needed to find a way out.
Xie Jiang then linked her arm through his, supporting him. "Be careful. Walk slowly, no rush."
The two of them emerged from the cave and climbed a slightly higher slope to gaze into the distance. All they could see were mountains.
Stretching endlessly.
Xie Jiang patted her forehead, expressing her utter despair. "Why don't we just stay here and be a pair of happy little savages?"
Xu Hengyan was amused by her words. "We're still within the Baiyou territory. If we follow the upstream, we'll eventually find our way out."
Xie Jiang's face was full of misery, and she could only let out a weak groan.
The current had been so fierce, sweeping them miles away in moments. With just their two legs, how long would it take them to get out?
Her idea of escaping through the forest with Xu Hengyan was based on the premise that neither of them was injured, or at least not severely.
Now, not only was Xu Hengyan seriously injured and his condition could worsen at any moment, but she herself was not much better off.
Xu Hengyan tried to comfort her. "Perhaps Guang Bai and the others will find us soon."
"The bandits of Huang Lanshan are more familiar with the terrain of the surrounding mountains than we are. Perhaps it won't be Guang Bai and the others who find us first, but the bandits of Huang Lanshan and the father-son duo of Marquis Nanxiong, Lu Xuan..."
What she said was true. "So, we still need to be careful from now on."
The Lu Xuan father-son duo had colluded with the Huang Lanshan bandits. It was unclear whether they were temporarily cooperating to increase their chances of revenge, or if they intended to join the Huang Lanshan bandit stronghold.
The light in the cave was dim. It was only then that Xu Hengyan noticed she also had scrapes on her face, and the area by her ear was red and swollen.
Her skin was exceptionally delicate and fair, like a pool of milk splashed before his eyes, making the injuries appear even more conspicuous.
Xu Hengyan found it quite jarring. He cupped her chin to examine her face, his brows furrowed tightly.
"It stings, don't move."
"It's not a deep wound, so it shouldn't leave a scar."
Xie Jiang nodded indifferently. "Mm-hmm, I'm still the prettiest one."
She didn't seem to care about her appearance at all.
Xu Hengyan, however, felt that she was so beautiful, it would be a shame if she were disfigured, even by a slight imperfection.
"Did you get hurt in the water?"
"I don't remember, probably."
"Be careful not to get it wet again, or apply some medicine. Your medicine is very effective."
"Got it. It's just a minor scrape, is it really that serious?"
Xu Hengyan sighed. She even found him nagging.
Xie Jiang stretched and moved her limbs. "We have a tough battle ahead of us, so we need to fill our stomachs first. Why don't you go back to the cave and rest? I'll go find something to eat."
Xu Hengyan didn't try to be brave in this matter. Being brave would only make him a burden to her.
Xu Hengyan nodded. "Alright, be careful on your own."
Xie Jiang first escorted him back to the cave.
Xu Hengyan cautioned her, "There are many snakes and insects in the mountains, as well as wild beasts. Be extremely careful."
As Xie Jiang left, Xu Hengyan kept staring at her legs. Although she could walk without difficulty, her right leg seemed a bit off when she walked.
She must have injured it last night while carrying him and navigating the mountains in the dark. She was so small and slender; he didn't know how she managed to carry him.
Carrying his weight, her knee must have been quite badly hurt.
He wondered if it would affect her agility if she encountered any wild beasts later...
Xu Hengyan's thoughts drifted, and he eventually fell into a daze.
Xie Jiang returned to the cave with the prey she had caught. As soon as she entered the cave entrance, she sensed something was amiss. Being cautious, she moved quietly.
To her surprise, the moment she stepped inside, she witnessed this scene!
Xu Hengyan was leaning against a large rock, completely still. Beside him, on the cave wall, a colorful snake, flicking its tongue and raising its head, was about to pounce on him.
Xie Jiang drew the dagger from her leg and, with a swift motion, threw it.
The colorful venomous snake was pinned to the rock wall, writhing and coiling.
Xie Jiang dropped the prey in her hands and rushed towards Xu Hengyan.
"Xu Hengyan! Xu Hengyan—"
Xie Jiang knelt before him, shaking his body and patting his face.
Xu Hengyan slowly opened his eyes and saw her face filled with anxiety.
"You're back? What's wrong?"
Had the Huang Lanshan bandits caught up to them?
Xie Jiang's eyes were red, and she looked like she was about to cry. Her hands trembled as she frantically examined his body, moving from his arms to his legs.
"Xu Hengyan, where did it bite you?"
Xu Hengyan quickly grabbed her hands. Her hands were injured, yet she was still moving them carelessly. He looked up at the rock wall beside them. The snake wasn't quite dead yet, and only then did he understand why she was so frightened.
"No! It didn't bite me, don't worry." Xu Hengyan quickly reassured her. "It just came over, and you pinned it. I'm fine, it didn't bite me anywhere."
She was clearly a tiger, and even though she was still young, her ferocity was already showing.
Now, her eyes were red, like a little rabbit.
"Really?"
"Really," Xu Hengyan said earnestly.
"Then why were you lying there motionless? You scared me to death! I thought you were bitten by a venomous snake!"
"I... I just felt a bit tired and fell asleep. I'm fine." Xu Hengyan smiled apologetically. He seemed to be scaring her a lot these past two days.
Xie Jiang slumped to the ground, her face pale with lingering fear.
Xu Hengyan patted her back. "The most renowned poison doctor in the world, and you're afraid of me being bitten by a snake?"