Chapter 2 of 100

Chapter 2

19 min read4,793 words

"Hey... Are you guys dead?"

Just when they thought no one would come, a voice suddenly emerged. At this moment, they didn't care about the grammatical error in the sentence; they were only filled with surprise. They couldn't believe that someone had actually appeared. Whoever it was, they were a savior.

If they had the strength, they would have looked up to see the source of the voice, but now they didn't have the energy. From the sound, it seemed to be a young boy, probably not very old.

"We're still talking, so how can we be dead?" said Murong Qing.

"Oh, you're not dead? Then keep lying there, I'm going home." The boy said, and his footsteps started to fade away.

"..."

"Wait, we're not dead, but we're about to die. Help us, and we'll be sure to repay you," said Ling Aoxue.

"My mother said that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, so I should save you." The boy's footsteps approached, and he came to Ling Aoxue's side, taking a look.

Ling Aoxue could now see the boy, a young herbalist with a basket of herbs on his back. The basket seemed to contain a good amount of medicinal plants, indicating a successful harvest.

The first impression the boy gave her was of his simple and honest nature. He looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, but his build was strong and tall, comparable to that of an adult, probably due to his daily work of climbing mountains to gather herbs.

His skin was a bit tanned, but it had a healthy glow. In terms of appearance, the boy was actually quite handsome. If his skin were a bit lighter, he could be described as a handsome young man. However, his tanned skin added a rugged charm, making him a handsome and robust youth.

Of course, this level of handsomeness wasn't enough to make Ling Aoxue's heart flutter. She had many suitors who were even more attractive, and besides, the boy was still too young for her.

"Your injuries are severe," the boy said. To him, these injuries were very serious.

"Don't worry, young man. You just need to give me a bit of your inner energy," Ling Aoxue said with a smile. Just a little inner energy to help her recover her true energy, and she could heal herself.

She thought that in this world where everyone practiced martial arts, inner energy was a common thing. Even those who hadn't fully mastered it had a bit of it, which would be enough.

But what she didn't expect was—

"Inner energy? I don't know how to do that," the boy shook his head.

"What? You don't know? Haven't you practiced martial arts?" Ling Aoxue was surprised. She didn't expect to encounter someone who hadn't practiced martial arts. This was like hitting the jackpot, just as unlikely as their current predicament.

"I've tried, but I'm too stupid and couldn't learn it," the boy replied. This answer immediately plunged the two girls into despair.

"Ah, perhaps this is fate..." Ling Aoxue sighed.

"Don't be so pessimistic. Although I don't know inner energy, I can stop the bleeding. After that, I'll help you find a doctor," the boy said, giving the two girls a glimmer of hope.

As long as the bleeding stopped, everything would be fine. They could recover in a few days without needing a doctor.

"Then please, young man, help us stop the bleeding," Ling Aoxue said.

"Sure, I'll help you... wait..." The boy nodded, then suddenly shook his head. "This doesn't seem right."

"What's wrong now?" the two girls asked.

"The location of your injuries... my mother said that men and women should not touch each other," the boy said, looking at their injuries with a helpless expression.

"..."

At this moment, they realized that their injuries were unfortunately in very inconvenient places—both around the chest area, one above and one below. Even though the boy was young, they still felt a bit embarrassed.

"This is a matter of saving lives. You're a healer, so don't worry about such things," Ling Aoxue said, her face slightly red. She found a good reason, but she still felt a bit shy, as she had never let any man see this part of her body.

"I don't mind," Murong Qing said straightforwardly. She didn't care about this; life was more important. Besides, he was just a "little brat."

"I can't do that. My mother said that we shouldn't take advantage of others. This would ruin your reputations, so I can't do it," the boy shook his head, seemingly refusing and preparing to leave.

"Is your reputation more important than our lives?" Murong Qing asked the boy.

"Aren't women always saying that reputation is more important than life?" the boy asked, a bit confused. "My mother said that."

"Uh..." Ling Aoxue was speechless.

"This isn't a big deal. In the martial world, sometimes we can be less formal," Murong Qing said. She wanted to add that he was just a kid, probably not even fully grown, so what was there to worry about?

"Got it!" The boy thought for a moment, then nodded, which relieved the two girls. But they quickly fell silent again when the boy said something.

"But, I'm not part of the martial world."

"..."

"As long as we don't mind, why are you so fussy?" Ling Aoxue couldn't help but burst out. Murong Qing gave her a curious look, as if to say, "I should be the one saying this; it doesn't seem like your character."

"You don't mind, but I can't violate my principles. How about I give you the medicine, and you can do it yourselves?" the boy shook his head.

The two girls were speechless. This little brat was really troublesome!

"If we could move, we wouldn't need your help," Ling Aoxue said irritably.

"Is that so... then I'll do it!" The boy seemed to have made a big decision.

"You should have done this from the start. How did you finally figure it out?" Ling Aoxue said.

"I thought about it this way: if I take advantage of you, I have to take responsibility. So, I'll marry you both, and then it won't be a problem. Besides, my mother is worried I won't find a wife," the boy said.

"Ah..." The two girls were stunned.

"We don't need you to take responsibility. You little brat, you're not even fully grown, and you're already thinking about this?" Ling Aoxue said angrily. So this kid was after this. He was young, but he had some cunning, wanting to marry both of them.

"This isn't about taking advantage of you; it's about taking responsibility. My mother said that one must take responsibility," the boy said seriously.

"Has your mother ever told you to be flexible?"

"My mother said to remain unchanged in the face of all changes."

"..."

"Little brother, how old are you now?" Murong Qing suddenly asked.

"I'll be fifteen in a month," the boy replied.

---