"Ugh! Commander Kong, I'm being squashed! Cough, cough!~" Guard Jia grumbled.
Fortunately, the ground was soft with fallen leaves. Otherwise, a few hundred pounds of weight rolling over him would be unbearable.
"Hurry up and get up!" Commander Kong Xingzhuo shouted.
Guard Jia staggered to his feet, his legs trembling.
The mother bear was also panting heavily. After letting out a couple of roars, she charged at Guard Jia again...
This time, he was smarter. He dodged with a sidestep and then bolted.
Kong Xingzhuo and Guard Yi quickly followed.
The black bear wasn't good at running, and with the three of them leaping about, climbing trees, and throwing hidden weapons, the mother bear gave up after a short chase...
The three of them ran for an unknown duration, only stopping in a clearing in the forest when they felt utterly exhausted.
"Phew, phew, oh my, I'm almost dead from exhaustion!~" Guard Jia gasped for breath.
Guard Yi glanced back. "It's not chasing us, is it? That thing is too fierce, just charging around, breaking trees..."
All three were drenched in sweat and their stomachs rumbled with hunger.
"Commander Kong, it's almost dawn. Why don't we go back to the village to rest for a bit? Once we recover, we can go up the mountain to find the young master!~" Guard Jia suggested.
"No!" Kong Xingzhuo frowned and glared at him. "The young master is in grave danger, his life threatened at any moment. You're thinking of resting?"
He wouldn't go down the mountain until he found the young master. If Marquis Pingyang found out about this, none of them would survive. Everyone in and out of court knew how much Marquis Pingyang Gu Mingyan doted on Xiao Jinheng. Now that his nephew was missing and his fate unknown, Kong Xingzhuo had no face to report back.
"Then... just wandering around in this mountain with no clue isn't a solution!~" Guard Jia plopped down on the ground and reached out to feel for a large fruit. "It's gone, the big fruit is lost. Looks like we'll have to eat dirt!~"
"Ah? No way, that's terrible. I don't want to eat dirt!" Guard Yi looked dejected.
Kong Xingzhuo: "..."
At a time like this, they were still thinking about food? Were these two hungry ghosts in their past lives! There were plenty of wild fruits, vegetables, and game in this mountain. What, were they going to starve to death?
"Get up, get up. See that ditch ahead? Let's go check it out!~" Kong Xingzhuo kicked Guard Jia.
So, the three of them rallied and slowly walked forward...
The night was turning white, and the sky was breaking. The gloomy weather of yesterday had completely cleared. A warm, bright sun slowly rose from the east, awakening all living things in the forest.
Little Xi Ti felt an ache all over her body. Her clothes were damp and uncomfortable to wear. Dappled light filtered down through the trees, illuminating her chubby little face...
"Ow! It hurts!~" Little Xi Ti cried out in pain, opened her eyes, and slowly sat up.
She found herself sitting on a lakeshore, with several large fish flopping on the mudflats around her. Ahead was a small lake, with many large stones standing on the bank. A few crows flew past, cawing eerily...
"Where... where is this?" Little Xi Ti blinked her big eyes. It looked unfamiliar.
Right, where was the smelly boy? She remembered being swept away by the flood with him. He wouldn't have kicked the bucket, would he...
As Little Xi Ti was about to get up, a piercing pain shot up her ankle.
"Hiss!"
She rolled up her pant leg and saw that her ankle was swollen like a mallet. She must have sprained it.
"Good thing it's not broken!~" Little Xi Ti checked and, after confirming she was alright, stood up, leaning on a dry branch.
Ahead, besides the lake, there was a large expanse of purple-leaf plum trees... These trees had deep purple leaves and looked very beautiful from a distance. Behind her was a dense forest, mostly poplar and pine trees, with the air filled with the fragrance of grass and wild flowers, a pleasant scent.
"Xiao Jinheng, where are you?" Little Xi Ti cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "If you can hear me, say something..."
The flood had been fierce. She had been holding Xiao Jinheng's hand, but when they reached a fork in the ditch, they separated.
"Xiao Jinheng, Xiao Jinheng..." Little Xi Ti shouted a couple more times. Apart from the chirping of birds, no one answered her.
This was bad. That boy had asthma. What if it relapsed? Xiao Jinheng hadn't brought his asthma inhaler on this trip. What if he suffocated?
Little Xi Ti, leaning on the branch, walked to the lake and looked around. Suddenly, she saw a small figure appearing and disappearing in the water. Judging by the color of the clothes and his build, it was Xiao Jinheng...
Little Xi Ti's face paled. Forgetting the pain in her ankle, she threw away the branch and jumped into the water.
With a splash, Little Xi Ti finally pulled him ashore.
"Xiao Jinheng, wake up! Xiao Jinheng?" Little Xi Ti nudged him, her heart filled with anxiety.
Xiao Jinheng's eyes were tightly closed, his stomach distended as if he had swallowed a lot of water... He was breathing faintly, his little face pale. His hair was scattered and stuck to his face, his brows furrowed as if he was in great pain and suffering.
Little Xi Ti felt his pulse and was suddenly shocked. "Oh no!~" He had no pulse. This meant Xiao Jinheng's heart had stopped beating...
Little Xi Ti suppressed the urge to cry, placed her hands on his chest, and began performing CPR. She was small and not very strong, practically straddling Xiao Jinheng, pressing down with all her might.
"Pfft!~"
With every press, Xiao Jinheng spat out a mouthful of water. After an unknown amount of time, he finally rolled over and began to vomit...
The terrifying scene of last night flashed through his mind. Xiao Jinheng took a moment to regain his senses before looking up at Little Xi Ti.
"Little village girl, are you alright? Cough, cough!"
Little Xi Ti grinned. "I'm fine. How do you feel? Are you injured?" In this hot weather, coupled with the damp environment, any wounds could easily get infected...
Xiao Jinheng rolled up his sleeves. There was a finger-length abrasion on his arm, a deep wound with the flesh turned outwards.
"Don't move, I'll bandage it for you!~" Little Xi Ti said. With a thought, she took out a medical kit from her space, containing gauze, iodine, and even suturing tools. Her own foot injury needed tending to as well.
Xiao Jinheng raised an eyebrow at the sight. This little monster was using her supernatural powers again...