Chapter 76

"Wh-what for?" Tan Yu asked.

"This Yun Er, Yun Er is not dead, he still has a breath."

"What?"

Tan Yu and Zhang Ren were both shocked. Not dead, could it be possible?

They went over to take a look.

Sure enough, Yun Er opened his eyes, quite wide, as if he was afraid others wouldn’t know he was still alive.

The broken iron sword from Lai De was still embedded in his chest, and with his eyes wide open, Yun Er looked quite terrifying.

"Is there anything you wish to say? If it can be done, I'll have Xiao Lan and the others help you. Don't scare us, okay?" Tan Yu looked at where the iron sword had pierced, right through the heart, and couldn't help but shake his head. The Soul-Chasing Sword of the Transcendent Master was truly unstoppable.

"I... I... am not dead, not dead!" Yun Er struggled forcefully.

"You'll be dead soon!" Zhang Ren examined the wound and said definitively.

"No... no... I won't..." Yun Er's face was pale, and he trembled as he raised his right hand, aiming... to pull out the iron sword.

"Don't move, you'll die if you pull it out!" Xi Zhi Lan, a top-notch assassin from the shadows, saw it more clearly and was even more afraid. "If you have any last words, just say them. We'll help you, don't scare us like this, okay?"

"It's not... like that!" Yun Er gritted his teeth, looking very painful, and suddenly bent his hand, pulling.

The three onlookers immediately stepped back.

Pfft! A gush of fresh blood spurted out.

But strangely, after Yun Er pulled out the sword, he didn't scream or spurt blood from his seven orifices and die as they had imagined.

Instead, he looked at the three of them with a surprisingly spirited gaze.

It was a bit chilling!

"Bosses... I... am really not dead! But if you don't treat me, I will die," Yun Er said with a bitter smile.

"How... how to treat you?" Zhang Ren asked, the young man who had killed so many without fear, now looked at the large blood hole in Yun Er's left chest with fear.

To still be alive like this was truly mind-boggling!

"Master Yu has the Cold Ice Snow Ginseng Pill..."

Xi Zhi Lan clutched her leather pouch. "How do you know?"

Tan Yu smiled bitterly and shook his head. Who didn't know on Laojun Mountain? Xiao Lan was really too obsessed with wealth.

Tan Yu frowned. "Please, don't call me Master Yu, it makes me feel like I'm being called Master Gua."

"Yes, yes, Boss Tan!" Yun Er quickly corrected himself.

"Your heart isn't on the left side?" Tan Yu observed carefully and asked.

"Yes, Boss, you have keen eyes!" Yun Er was clearly surprised. He had planned to continue deceiving them, but now he dared not and admitted it honestly.

Tan Yu nodded. There really were such peculiar people!

"Quite good at faking death!" Zhang Ren muttered.

Earlier, his posture and cries of death were so convincing that not only did they fool Lai De, but none of the other experts on the mountain top noticed anything unusual.

"I can treat you, but not for free! We have no kinship," Tan Yu said straightforwardly. "You have to agree to be my retainer for five years, swear by your martial beliefs to be loyal and never betray me. Then I will save you. Otherwise, you're on your own."

Yun Er nodded, managed to sit up, and raised the bloody iron sword in his right hand.

"I, Yun Mu, now swear by my blood and sword, willing to follow Master Tan Yu for life, to serve him faithfully, and never to betray. If I violate this vow, may a thousand swords pierce my heart, and may the heavens bear witness!"

Tan Yu was somewhat surprised. He had only said five years, but Yun Er, in his severe condition, had sworn eternal servitude.

"Have you thought it through? Do you really want to follow me for life?"

"Master, Yun Mu has no second thoughts," Yun Er panted, struggling to hold on.

Even if the heart wasn't hit, it was still a severe injury.

"Let's start with five years. Maybe by then, I'll just dismiss you," Tan Yu joked.

"Master, I am very useful, you'll see," Yun Er protested.

Seeing Yun Er's ashen face, Tan Yu didn't say anything more to provoke him. He turned to Xi Zhi Lan, "Xiao Lan, give him a Nianchang Pill."

Xi Zhi Lan was surprised. "Brother Yu, won't the Cold Ice Snow Ginseng Pill work?"

There were only two Nianchang Pills left, and each one used was one less!

"The Cold Ice Snow Ginseng Pill is excellent for internal injuries, but his external injuries are more severe. In such cold weather, without the Nianchang Pill to sustain his life, he probably won't make it."

"Ah!" Xi Zhi Lan took out a light yellow jade bottle from her leather pouch and poured out a small, rice-yellow pill.

Zhang Ren took the pill, made Yun Er open his mouth, and inserted it.

The pill didn't need Yun Er to swallow; it dissolved as soon as it entered his mouth.

Xi Zhi Lan thought to herself, "One Snow-Treading Frost Beast is gone!"

Yun Er immediately sat cross-legged and began to regulate his qi and blood, trying to stop the bleeding.

The power of the Nianchang Pill was indeed potent. Within a quarter of an hour, the large wound on Yun Er's chest had completely stopped bleeding and began to close.

Seeing that Yun Er was indeed improving, Xi Zhi Lan decided to give him another Cold Ice Snow Ginseng Pill. She also found some healing ointments and had Zhang Ren apply them around the wound.

Yun Er was immensely grateful and continued to meditate, gradually forming a blood scab as the platelets accumulated.

However, he couldn't move for a while and could only wait for the family slaves from the Merchant Clan to come and carry him away for further treatment.

Zhang Ren found two wooden beds and placed them side by side for Yun Er, in case he needed to lie down. He also found some snacks and clean water in a hidden compartment of the bed.

Yun Er ate and drank his fill, then continued to meditate. Occasionally, he would open his eyes and look at Tan Yu and the others with a somewhat strange expression.

...

"Brother Yu, come, have some food?" Xi Zhi Lan sat on the wooden bed where Zhao Song had been sitting, felt around, opened a hidden compartment, and took out some snacks and clean water.

Zhang Ren saw this and quickly ran to Wang Yue's bed to search thoroughly.

The design of the Merchant Clan was unique and considerate. The hidden compartments under these beds contained more exquisite snacks and clean honey water.

"Second Master, there are some here too! They're really delicious, come and have some!" Zhang Ren munched away, suggesting with a mouth full of food.

"I'm not hungry!" Tan Yu rolled his eyes. You two just know how to eat.

Seeing that Tan Yu wasn't eating, Xi Zhi Lan lost her motivation to continue searching. She put the snacks and water aside and dragged over three sheepskin bags, starting to count the day's gains.

This time, Tan Yu had truly made a fortune. Without Tan Yu asking, Xi Zhi Lan took it upon herself to guard the wealth and act as a free cashier.

After eating, Zhang Ren saw Xi Zhi Lan happily handling various rare treasures and couldn't resist running over. "Sister Lan, what treasures did Second Master get?"

Xi Zhi Lan glanced at him and smiled.

"Little Junior Brother, bring a bed over and sit next to me to look slowly."

Zhang Ren was immediately delighted.

"Great!" He didn't bother to go back for Wang Yue's bed and instead dragged a small wooden bed nearby, eagerly watching Xi Zhi Lan's three large sheepskin bags.