Chapter 21

Chu Huan, upon hearing this, opened his mouth, and at this moment, although Su Linlang's face was flushed with embarrassment, Chu Huan also felt somewhat awkward.

As the saying goes, one has three urgent needs. Thinking about it, after the incident in the river, it had already been two days. Su Linlang had first been bound and then injured, and truly had no opportunity to relieve herself.

Chu Huan wanted to go out, but when he reached the cave entrance, he turned his head, thought for a moment, and finally asked, "Can you... manage on your own?"

Su Linlang responded with a "hmm," lowering her head. Chu Huan said "oh" and then left the cave, standing guard outside. Suddenly, he felt the need to relieve himself as well, so he took a few steps and urinated in the wild.

He slowly tidied himself up and suddenly heard a "ouch" from inside the cave, a voice filled with pain. Chu Huan, reacting instinctively, darted over like a cheetah, thinking something had happened. After all, in this remote area, there were many snakes, insects, and rodents.

In a few steps, he rushed into the cave. Before he could steady himself, he looked at Su Linlang. What he saw was a white, snow-like mass. He was stunned for a moment, but then suddenly realized that Su Linlang had fallen to the ground, lying on her side, with half of her snow-white buttocks exposed, round and smooth, as if defying the frost and snow, plump and full, revealing a scene of spring.

Chu Huan did not expect to see this scene and was dazed for a moment. Su Linlang, already in pain from the fall, let out a "ouch" when she saw Chu Huan suddenly enter. Chu Huan came to his senses, quickly turned around, and left the cave, his face flushed, but his heart was pounding. That one glance of Su Linlang's round, smooth, and white buttocks was imprinted in Chu Huan's mind, and it wouldn't fade away.

Chu Huan leaned against the stone wall outside the cave, his breathing slightly rapid. Previously, there had been some physical contact between the two, but it was out of necessity. This time, the situation was different.

Chu Huan stood outside, waiting for a long time. Hearing no sound from inside, he finally asked, "Um... are you okay?"

Su Linlang responded with a "hmm" from inside, her voice low but audible to Chu Huan. Chu Huan then entered and saw that Su Linlang had already tidied herself up and was sitting to one side, her head lowered. Clearly, the previous scene had made her very embarrassed, and she dared not look up at Chu Huan.

Chu Huan coughed twice and sat down with a forced laugh. Seeing that the roasted meat had not been touched, he quickly changed the atmosphere and said, "Madam, you should eat something first. I'll go look for some wild fruits later!"

Su Linlang responded with a "hmm." The cave was silent for a while, neither of them speaking. After a long time, Su Linlang, feeling the atmosphere was too stiff, mustered the courage to ask softly, "Is the armor in your bag... really left by your... your brother?"

Chu Huan's expression turned slightly somber upon hearing this. He was silent for a moment, then nodded lightly but did not say more.

Su Linlang's curiosity was piqued, and she asked again, "He... he really... really died?"

Chu Huan frowned and said coolly, "The dead are gone, no need to mention it!"

Su Linlang was taken aback. Previously, Chu Huan always had a smile on his face, and his voice was very gentle. But in that instant, Chu Huan seemed very cold, and even his voice had a sense of distance.

Su Linlang felt somewhat awkward.

Chu Huan, seeing Su Linlang's expression, realized his attitude was a bit cold and then smiled faintly, saying, "I'll tell you a story to pass the time!"

...

For the next two days, the two stayed in the cave, with Chu Huan occasionally telling stories to pass the time. Su Linlang's leg injury recovered surprisingly quickly, all thanks to the red-leaf grass.

Without the red-leaf grass, it might have taken another three to five days for her to be able to stand.

By the fourth morning, Su Linlang was already able to stand and walk a short distance, though she was not fully recovered. Even with the red-leaf grass, the wound could not heal so quickly. She could only walk about a hundred meters before giving up.

Chu Huan noticed that Su Linlang's expression grew more anxious each day, clearly eager to return home. He knew that for her leg to fully recover and be able to walk, it would take at least another two to three days.

Every day when Su Linlang moved around, she gritted her teeth, trying to walk a few more steps, clearly wanting to recover as soon as possible. However, such an injury could not be forced, and she fell several times. Chu Huan, seeing this, finally asked that night, "Are you in a hurry to get home?"

Su Linlang sighed softly, "I have been away for so long, my family must be in chaos. They don't know where I am, and at home...!" At this point, her eyes reddened.

Chu Huan thought for a moment and finally said, "I'll take you away from here tomorrow!"

"But... but my leg?" Su Linlang frowned, her expression becoming unnatural, thinking Chu Huan would carry her away the next day.

Previously, she had been somewhat uneasy about the physical contact with Chu Huan, and now, with her leg recovering, she did not want Chu Huan to carry her again.

Chu Huan smiled and said, "Rest well tonight, I'll figure something out tomorrow!"

That night, the two rested separately. The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Su Linlang heard some commotion outside the cave. She opened her eyes and, in the dim light of dawn, saw that Chu Huan was gone. Beside her were some wild fruits and spring water.

Su Linlang, as she had done the previous two days, washed up, ate a couple of fruits, and listened to the intermittent sounds outside. She knew it must be Chu Huan, but she couldn't figure out what he was doing.

After a long time, the morning light became brighter. Chu Huan came in from outside, saw that Su Linlang was up, and smiled, saying, "We can leave today. Let's get out of this forest first. Once we're out, we'll see if we can find a cart. If we can find a carriage, you'll be able to get home sooner!"

Su Linlang first showed a hint of joy, but then a complex expression crossed her eyes. For some reason, hearing that they could leave today, she felt a sense of loss deep in her heart, as if something important was suddenly missing.

After Su Linlang tidied up and walked out of the cave, she saw a green vine frame outside. It was made of sturdy wooden sticks and woven with green vines, like a small green vine bed.

Chu Huan laughed and said, "Your leg can't walk, so you lie on this, and I'll pull you out of the forest!"

Su Linlang was stunned. Suddenly, a deep sense of gratitude welled up in her heart, making her feel warm, a warmth she hadn't felt in many years.

"This... this will be very tiring...!" Su Linlang said softly, "Can you... can you do it?"

Chu Huan laughed heartily, rolled up his sleeves, and showed his strong arms, joking, "Don't worry, I'm as tough as iron. If I can't pull a delicate lady like you, I'll be a laughingstock to the world!"

Su Linlang, seeing his muscular arms, blushed and her heart raced.

After tidying up, the two set off as the sun rose in the east. Chu Huan had Su Linlang sit on the green vine frame, with the gray bag beside her and the wolf skin not forgotten. He picked up the handles and called out, "Let's go!" In the morning light, he pulled Su Linlang away from the small cave where they had lived for a few days.

Chu Huan didn't know how big the forest was, but they moved south, stopping and going, not moving very fast. By dusk, they still hadn't left the forest.

Seeing the sky darken, Chu Huan turned back and laughed, "If we don't get out soon, we'll have to sleep in the open!"

Su Linlang, without thinking, blurted out, "As long as you're here, I'm not afraid of anything!" As soon as she said this, she realized it was a mistake, and her face turned red.

Chu Huan chuckled and continued for a while. Suddenly, he saw several figures ahead, all looking strong. They approached and saw Chu Huan.

Chu Huan, seeing their attire, thought they were hunters in the forest, with game hanging from their bodies. Their faces didn't look like bandits. As they approached, Chu Huan stopped and didn't move forward.

There were three of them. The leader, a burly man with thick eyebrows, saw Chu Huan's disheveled appearance and frowned. Then, seeing Su Linlang on the green vine frame, he was even more surprised. The man with thick eyebrows picked up his bow, drew an arrow, and aimed at Chu Huan, saying sternly, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

The two companions also split to the sides, drawing their bows and aiming at Chu Huan.

It was no wonder these hunters were suspicious. Chu Huan looked like a ragged beggar, while Su Linlang, though her clothes were torn from the incident, clearly came from a wealthy family and was beautiful and charming. The two together looked very out of place.

"Still not speaking the truth?" Seeing Chu Huan only smile faintly without speaking, the burly man shouted, "Madam, don't be afraid. Were you kidnapped by him? We'll save you and take him to the authorities!"

The sudden appearance of these men surprised Su Linlang, but she remained calm, trying to judge if they were good or bad. Hearing the burly man's question, she immediately said, "Don't misunderstand, we... we encountered bandits on the road, and he... he is a good person!" As she said this, she looked back at Chu Huan, repeating in her heart, "He is a good man!"

The three hunters looked at each other. The burly man carefully examined Chu Huan, seeing that although his clothes were tattered, his face showed no evil intent. Hearing Su Linlang's words, he put down his bow and signaled the others to do the same, saying straightforwardly, "We are hunters from the village at the foot of the mountain. If you are in trouble, you can come with us. We'll make sure you have something to eat!"

Su Linlang, who usually made all the decisions, now looked at Chu Huan, letting him decide.

Chu Huan gently put down the green vine frame and bowed, saying, "After surviving such a disaster, to receive your help is truly a blessing!"

The hunter, hearing Chu Huan's words, felt a liking for him. Although they didn't know Chu Huan's identity, the three men were not afraid of him. They led Chu Huan and Su Linlang westward and, just as the sun set, they had left the forest.

On the way, Chu Huan learned from the hunters' self-introductions that they were brothers, surnamed Yun, with simple names: Dali, Erli, and Sanli.

In conversation, they learned that the forest they were in was called Qinglong Mountain, named for its long, undulating shape like a green dragon lying on the ground. Su Linlang asked how far it was to Yunshan Prefecture and learned it was nearly two hundred miles away, a considerable distance.

Yun Erli, the shortest of the three, was surprised to see the wolf skin and asked about its origin. Chu Huan did not hide it and told the truth. The three brothers marveled, saying it was an iron-backed wolf, fierce and brutal. If not for great experience, ordinary hunters would not dare to encounter such a beast. They were amazed that this unassuming young man could gut the iron-backed wolf with just a dagger.

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