Chapter 81

That withered thing, though it looked only a foot long, like a wind-dried salted fish, bore a striking resemblance to the description in the *Record of the Gods and Ghosts*. Though it was a mere shadow and soul, its features were still discernible, and so Zunbao immediately recognized its origin—

It was the Water Deity, Tianwu!

The withered half of Tianwu swayed in the blood, appearing powerless and helpless. Though Zunbao was surprised by its weakened state, he did not hesitate for a moment. He simply cast the fishing net in his hand over it, determined to ensnare Tianwu and prevent its escape.

As he approached the blood, the withered thing became even more terrified and struggled, like a fish in a net trying to escape by darting left and right. But it could not... Just as Zunbao felt a bit relieved and began to rise to the surface, it suddenly paused and then shot toward him like a bolt of lightning!

"Trouble..." Seeing the situation turn dire, Zunbao tried to pull away, but his limbs felt weak, and he felt a slight dizziness in his head, making it impossible to escape in time. With no other choice, he swung the short knife in his hand and thrust it forward, trying to force the creature back!

These spirits, tainted by the blood of demons, had temporarily materialized and could be injured by a blade.

It came so fast!

Just as Zunbao raised his arm and straightened the short knife, Tianwu had already rushed to his face. In the moment before the strike, it suddenly twisted its waist, flicked its tail, and deftly dodged the blade, colliding with Zunbao like a bolt of lightning!

Instantly, the wound on his abdomen felt as if a red-hot iron had been pressed against it. A searing pain pierced his mind, causing his body to curl up involuntarily, cold sweat to break out, and his entire body to go numb. Even his ability to think was halted... He no longer felt the pain!

In the dimness, he only remembered the murky river water and the endlessly magnified eyes... Then there was nothing but endless darkness!

Zunbao's weary eyelids slowly drooped, and his whole body fell helplessly into the river, sinking, sinking! Blood from his wound trickled into the water, like a blooming snowflake.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness in the dark river, a faint, lurid red light suddenly appeared. It quickly spread over his entire body, flowing like tassels, gathering, and then disappeared into his lower abdomen.

The wound had vanished, leaving a faint, red and black scar in its place!

Then his body began to drift slowly to the surface.

October. The imperial road.

This road had been abandoned for a long time, with weeds covering the tracks of carts and hooves, knee-high grass, and scattered stones. The nearby forest was filled with countless graves, but today, an old, dilapidated carriage was speeding along the road.

The autumn wind was chilly, and the warm sunlight after the rain was pleasant, but Liu Xincheng's forehead and temples were already beaded with sweat. He kept the whip in his hand moving, urging the carriage forward with great urgency.

The carriage sped along, flattening the weeds on the side of the road, as if his bent back was flattened by the heavy taxes and levies.

Liu Xincheng's back had always been straight and strong, like a spear standing tall. But for the sake of his wife and children, he had to bow and scrape before the warlords and rich landlords. Even so, he could not escape the heavy taxes that drained him to the bone, and he had to flee in a hurry to return home.

In the carriage behind him were his pregnant wife and his sister, as well as his five-year-old son. They were his world, his everything, and he would do anything to protect them. He only hoped that the pursuers would follow the imperial road and not find this abandoned path.

Liu Xincheng glanced back anxiously, though he saw no pursuers, his heart remained uneasy... The whip moved even faster.

Suddenly, a wolf's howl tore through the silence.

Liu Xincheng's face turned even paler, and he suddenly pulled the carriage to a stop.

The horse neighed, and the carriage slowly came to a halt. The curtain of the carriage was pulled aside, revealing two faces filled with shock: "Husband, what's wrong?" "Brother, what's happening?" Their voices trembled, and their hair stood on end.

Liu Xincheng looked at his wife, Shuhui, and his sister, Liu Yufeng, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled: "Nothing, just tired. I'm going to rest a bit." He dismounted and gently helped his wife down. "You must be tired from the long ride. Come, let's walk a bit to stretch your legs."

They relaxed, their faces easing, and they got off the carriage to stretch their stiff limbs. He took the opportunity to go up to the carriage and move the bow, crossbow, and swords to the front—though he had learned some martial arts in his youth, he could still fight if they encountered wild beasts or wolves.

The child, however, was still sound asleep in the carriage.

Liu Xincheng slowly turned around and noticed a set of footprints next to the carriage tracks, leading from far away and continuing forward. The soft mud after the rain made the footprints clear, indicating that the person had walked a long distance, though alone and lonely, he continued on without hesitation.

He wondered, "Who could this be, walking alone on such an abandoned road?" Normally, he would have been curious and gone to investigate, but in this life-or-death situation, he could not.

He sighed, got back into the carriage with his wife and sister, and continued on their journey.

As night deepened, the autumn wind grew colder, and the chill in the air intensified. Liu Xincheng's whip slowed, and he became more cautious, hoping to find a safe place to camp. Just then, he saw a flicker of fire in the distance!

As they got closer, the fire became clearer, and it was indeed a campfire by the roadside. He felt a surge of joy, but it quickly turned to a strange hesitation. Without showing it, he slipped a short knife into his chest.

A fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy was leaning against a tree, roasting a fat rabbit over the fire. The flames gently licked the rabbit, sizzling as the fat dripped and mixed with salt, creating a fragrant smoke. The aroma of the roasting meat, carried by the night breeze, was a rare and comforting scent.

Even the five-year-old Liu Tianyan, who was sleeping, sniffed and woke up, saying in a childish voice, "Father, I'm hungry!"

Liu Xincheng was no less hungry, and he was also exhausted, feeling as if his body was about to fall apart.

The presence of a fire and a local hunter reduced the danger of spending the night in the wilderness. If the boy had ill intentions, Liu Xincheng, who knew some martial arts, and his sister, who also knew some, could handle him. He thought this through clearly and was always very shrewd.

He gently pulled the reins, stopping the horse a few yards away from the boy. Liu Xincheng slowly dismounted and approached the boy with caution. When he got closer, he could see the boy's face clearly.

He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and thin lips pressed tightly together. His straight nose made his face look more gaunt, and the few fresh scars on his face added a mature allure.

It was a handsome face.

Though still young and not fully mature, it was already very attractive.

Liu Xincheng stopped, unsure how to start, but Liu Tianyan had already run over, squatting by the fire, staring at the rabbit and swallowing his saliva... He looked up at the boy and then back at the rabbit.

The boy raised an eyebrow, his eyes scanning the group, and then he smiled, "Are you hungry?" They all nodded, waiting for Liu Xincheng to speak. He stood awkwardly, forcing a smile, "Young brother, we've been traveling all day and are very hungry... We have women and children with us, and we really can't bear it. Could we buy this rabbit from you?"

"Buy it?"

"Oh, no, no, no, just half, just half would be fine." Liu Xincheng quickly fished out his money bag, "Look, I can pay you..."

"No sale." The boy's eyebrows drooped, "In the wilderness, it was hard to find this rabbit, and I'm also hungry. How could I sell it to you?"

"This..." Liu Xincheng, hearing the boy's words, guessed that he was also a refugee. He realized it would be difficult to buy the rabbit and felt a pang of disappointment. But the boy lifted his head and said slowly,

"However, though I'm hungry, I can't eat such a large rabbit. If you're hungry, you can help me eat half of it."

The rabbit, though large, was not so large that it couldn't be finished. The boy's words clearly meant he was willing to help... Liu Xincheng was overjoyed, thanked the boy, and called everyone to gather around the fire, roasting and talking to the boy.

He inquired carefully, and the boy, seemingly without guile, quickly revealed his story. As expected, the boy was also a refugee, heading to the Shaanxi-Gansu region, which coincided with their destination.

During the conversation, Liu Yufeng asked if they could take the boy along. Liu Xincheng, considering the urgency of the pursuers and the limited space in the carriage, thought it would slow them down. He avoided the others and explained the situation to Yufeng, who also realized the problem, and they did not mention it again.

"Just..." Yufeng's voice was tinged with sadness, "In the wilderness, what will he do if he encounters wolves or beasts?"

"Ah! Fate, everything is fate!" Liu Xincheng also felt a pang of sorrow.

At that moment, the boy suddenly laughed, "It's well done." He stood up, took the rabbit off the fire, and tore it apart, giving the larger half to the Liu family. Liu Xincheng thanked him and, urged by his son, divided the rabbit but did not eat it, asking his wife to fetch the flatbread from the carriage...

Only after the boy started eating the rabbit did he share it with the others.

The flatbread, though dry and hard, could not compare to the delicious rabbit. Liu Xincheng roasted the bread over the fire until it softened slightly, then shared it with the boy as a token of gratitude. The boy did not refuse, eating it happily with the rabbit.

In this way, they became more familiar with each other. After eating, they naturally did not mention continuing the journey. The Liu family added more wood to the fire and rested around it, soon falling into a light sleep.

The boy also leaned against the tree and fell asleep.

At this moment, the sleeping Liu Xincheng suddenly opened his eyes, one hand on his waist knife, the other slowly supporting his body, and he cautiously approached the boy.

In the firelight, his face was twisted with a sinister expression! (To be continued)