Unyielding Spring Mountains - Chapter 79: Discomfort

The beast tamer struck the gong, and more and more people gathered around the arena, the atmosphere growing increasingly heated.

Wei Zhen asked Muda, “Can you give him a weapon for self-defense?”

Muda shook his head. “Of course not. However he is now, that’s how he goes down.”

Wei Zhen clenched her hands. Earlier, the Chouyou people had confiscated all their knives and swords. Qi Yan had no weapons on him at all. Entering the beast pit was like being delivered as meat right before the wolves.

They had narrowly escaped death from the desert, only to fall into such a desperate situation again. Anger and bitterness filled Wei Zhen’s chest.

Qi Yan patted her shoulder to reassure her and stepped forward. Wei Zhen reached out and grabbed him, then raised her hand and forcefully pulled out the hairpin from her hair.

Her jet-black hair immediately cascaded down like a waterfall, framing her snow-white face.

Qi Yan lowered his gaze, looking at the sharp end of the hairpin she handed him. Understanding her intention, he gripped it tightly and embraced her once again.

Wei Zhen clung to his shoulders, unwilling to let him go.

She knew Qi Yan was highly skilled, but how could anyone be lucky enough to escape death every single time? Today, at best, he would lose some flesh; at worst, he would lose his life right here.

The image of severed limbs buried in the pit kept flashing before her eyes.

She looked at the man before her, struggling to say a few more words while she still could. Pressing her cheek to his, she whispered, “You just said I am your wife, right? Then when you come back, we will marry right away, right here.”

Qi Yan’s eyelashes trembled. “Not here.”

“We can, I believe we can,” Wei Zhen’s eyes were bloodshot, her tone stubborn. “I don’t care where I marry you, whether it’s in the desert or the wild. I only want you by my side.”

He was already physically exhausted, merely pretending to be fine to keep her from worrying. But hearing her words, the blood that had nearly stopped flowing through his numb body surged once more for her.

All around were foreigners. Qi Yan couldn’t imagine what would happen to her if he wasn’t there.

He felt he could hold on a bit longer for her, his voice hoarse. “Alright.”

The beast tamer led him to the edge of the railing.

Wei Zhen turned her back, unwilling to watch.

A series of cheers erupted from the crowd, the entire arena transforming into a massive drum, each beat pounding against her heart, causing a deep echo.

A sharp wolf howl rang out, and Wei Zhen turned her head.

Two wolves rushed out from behind the net at the same time. The beasts lowered their bodies, jaws agape, observing Qi Yan as they circled him.

Wei Zhen had thought the beast tamer would release the second wolf only after Qi Yan dealt with the first. But now, they released both at once!

The sight stung her eyes. She looked up at Muda and said, “He’s unarmed, how can he possibly handle two wolves? What will it take to give him a weapon? Whatever you want, if I can provide it, I will!”

Muda said nothing. Down below, the beasts launched their attack, lunging at Qi Yan, who dodged to the side.

Wei Zhen continued, “You dragged us here for two reasons: to follow your rules and to make money from betting commissions. Let me ask you, do you want him dead, or do you want to make a fortune from this?”

Muda slowly turned his head. Wei Zhen’s hair was disheveled by the wind, but her clear black eyes stared straight at him.

Muda had seen many women, but none as fearless of his menacing aura as this woman from the Central Plains.

She said, “Everyone here is surely betting on my husband’s death. But if my husband wins, you’ll earn a hefty sum.”

Muda laughed, clearly intrigued by the bait of profit she had thrown.

“If you want to get your husband a weapon, fine, but you’ll have to trade something of your own.”

Muda pointed her toward a direction, and she followed his gaze. At the edge of the arena, a vendor was loudly hawking goods, his stand displaying various knives and weapons.

Muda led her over and spoke to the vendor, “Show her a few weapons.”

The shouts from the crowd grew louder, her heart raced, and her gaze quickly scanned the table. Nothing there was much of a weapon.

The vendor raised a precious sword and carefully presented it to her. “This sword costs fifty taels.”

“Fifty taels?” Wei Zhen was startled.

“Yes, miss, can you afford fifty taels?”

Wei Zhen shook her head, eyeing a dagger. “What about this one?”

“Thirty taels,” the vendor said with a sly smile, pointing at a wooden stick nearby. “If the young lady can’t produce that much money, look at this stick. Ten taels, and it’ll be enough for your husband to hold out for a while.”

It was clear he was trying to take advantage of the situation.

Mu Da said, “The weapon prices in the beast fighting arena have always been like this. It’s never changed. Since you want to save your husband, you’ll have to be willing to part with some silver, won’t you? Surely you must have something valuable on you?”

Wei Zhen reached to her waist, gripping the jade pendant and slowly took it off.

The only valuable item she had left on her was this jade pendant.

It was a gift from her parents, something that had accompanied her for over a decade, and she cherished it deeply, pouring countless emotions into it. But since she now knew who her biological parents were, the current situation left her with no room for hesitation.

Wei Zhen let out a long sigh, holding the jade pendant with both hands and offering it forward.

The vendor’s eyes widened. He glanced at Mu Da and said, “Sir, this is no ordinary item—it’s a treasure!”

He reached out to touch it, but Wei Zhen pulled the jade pendant back.

The vendor frowned. “If you’re this reluctant, are you really trying to save your husband?”

A wolf’s howl came from behind. Wei Zhen pressed the pendant onto the table, making a crisp sound. “I have nothing else on me. I can only pawn this for now. But this jade pendant is very important to me. Would you be willing to write a note? I will pawn this item to you, and after this is over, I will bring gold to redeem it.”

Wei Zhen added, “Two hundred taels!”

The vendor hesitated for a moment before grinning. “Alright. But if that’s the case, you can only take a dagger.”

Wei Zhen didn’t have time to haggle further. She took the pen and ink the vendor handed her, quickly wrote a contract, and both sides pressed their fingerprints on it. The vendor took the jade pendant, and Wei Zhen grabbed a dagger from the table and rushed toward the fighting pit.

Down in the beast fighting pit, a brutal battle had just taken place. A wolf lay sprawled beside a stone, its eyes pierced and blood continuously flowing out, splattering everywhere.

Qi Yan wasn’t doing much better. His entire body was covered in mud, and one hand clutched his injured shoulder, blood dripping from the hairpin he held.

Earlier, it was with this hairpin that he had stabbed the wolf’s eyes.

Blinded, the wolf couldn’t see anything. Its nose was clogged with blood, and it started barking wildly and charging about, lunging at Qi Yan.

Wei Zhen called out to him, and the crowd saw a flash of silver streak through the air and land in the muddy pit below.

Qi Yan hurried over, picked up the dagger, and just then, another wolf charged from the side, knocking him to the ground. Its sharp fangs glinted as they clamped down on Qi Yan’s neck!

Everyone present fell silent.

Wei Zhen couldn’t bear to watch and turned her back again.

She heard the sharp sound of something tearing through flesh and bone, accompanied by the gushing of blood and the gasps of the crowd around her.

Wei Zhen felt her blood turn cold, her throat constricted as if an invisible rope was choking her, making it impossible to breathe.

Trembling, she turned back. The wolf was still on top of Qi Yan, but its neck had been pierced by the dagger, blood gushing out and splattering all over the person beneath.

Gritting his teeth, Qi Yan summoned every ounce of strength to push the massive beast away from him, inch by inch.

The wolf let out a pained cry as Qi Yan unleashed a final surge of power, flipping it over and pinning it to the ground. Amid the shocked murmurs of the crowd, he withdrew the dagger and pressed both knees against the wolf’s throat, stabbing down at its neck.

Once, twice, three times…

The ferocious wolf finally stopped breathing, dead on the spot.

The other blind wolf rushed at him, but Qi Yan dodged the attack. The dagger in his hand slipped and slashed at the wolf.

The beast’s left leg was cut, and it collapsed with a heavy thud. Qi Yan, nearly out of strength, forced himself to stand up, walked over, picked up the dagger, crouched down, and slit its throat.

The surroundings remained silent for a long while before erupting into a cheer!

“That man from the Central Plains is incredible, killing two vicious wolves!”

“No prisoner has ever survived the wolves before. This man truly deserves to be called a warrior!”

The entire crowd was boiling with excitement. Some were brimming with satisfaction, others were cursing over lost bets, but most were clapping and cheering.

Wei Zhen tucked her loose hair behind her ear and knelt by the edge of the pit, watching as the beast master descended the ladder and helped Qi Yan up.

His entire body was soaked in animal blood, his hair matted and drenched, looking as wretched as a beast himself.

People crowded around him, and Wei Zhen raised her sleeve to wipe the blood droplets from his face.

Qi Yan, panting heavily, said, “It’s over.”

She leaned in and hugged him tightly, not caring about the filth covering him, burying her face against his neck and sobbing.

Hearing her sobs, Qi Yan felt immense guilt. He knew her temperament was tough, but lately, while following him, he seemed to be making her cry all too often.

He wrapped his bloodstained arms around her shoulders as tightly as he could, holding her so close she was nearly pressed into his chest. His blood was still burning hot, and in that moment, he desperately wanted to kiss her, to tell her that throughout his struggle with the wolves, when he had been on the brink of death several times, all he could think of was her.

But with so many people around, he ultimately suppressed the urge.

Wei Zhen supported him to his feet. Qi Yan’s leg trembled, and he held onto the railing for support.

Wei Zhen looked at his right leg. “Your leg is injured?”

Qi Yan nodded. “I just accidentally fell and hurt it. It’s nothing serious.”

Being so close, he could even see the mist clinging to her eyelashes.

He knew well that if Wei Zhen hadn’t thrown down the dagger, he wouldn’t have survived.

With his blood-soaked hands, he pulled her close, his arms tightly around her shoulders, as if he wanted to meld her into his chest.

He raised his head. Mu Da walked over with a slight smile at the corner of his lips and praised, “You were able to take on two wolves with just a dagger—indeed, you are a warrior. Since I, Mu Da, am a man of my word, I will also spare your lives.”

Qi Yan nodded weakly and said, “Many thanks.”

“However, since we’ve come to Chouyou, we can’t leave so easily,” Mu Da said. “Things outside are unsettled right now. You two should stay in Chouyou for the time being.”

After saying this, he raised his hand and instructed his subordinates, “For the next few days, keep a close watch on this husband and wife.”

Wei Zhen wanted to say something, but Qi Yan gathered her into his arms and softly said to the man before him, “Might I trouble you, sir, to first prepare a place where my wife and I can rest?”

He was truly exhausted—he could barely stand.

Wei Zhen handed the bloodstained hairpin to Mu Da. Mu Da wiped it clean and examined it carefully in the sunlight before putting it away. Only then did he say, “That can be arranged.”

He turned to his subordinates and ordered, “Hurry back and clean out a room in your courtyard for them to stay in.”

The subordinates responded repeatedly, “Yes, sir.”

Qi Yan was tall and broad-shouldered, making it difficult for Wei Zhen, a woman, to support him on her own. Seeing this, Mu Da stepped forward to lend a hand.

The gathered crowd, still caught up in the excitement of the moment, did not disperse and instead followed closely as Qi Yan left the marketplace.

Qi Yan’s lips moved slightly. “Do you have any water?”

Mu Da replied, “Of course,” and took the water pouch handed to him by his subordinate.

Qi Yan took it and, upon drinking, realized there was blood mixed in the water. However, with his throat burning with heat, he was in no position to be picky. He tilted his head back and drank deeply.

The blood flowed down his throat and spread through his five viscera and six bowels, instantly washing away the stifling heat inside him.

“There’s deer blood in there—an excellent tonic.”

Qi Yan fastened the pouch shut and handed it back. Mu Da shook it and saw that more than half of the deer blood had been consumed. Clicking his tongue, he sighed.

Their group arrived at a simple courtyard. Mu Da led them into a room and instructed his subordinates to keep a close eye on them.

Wei Zhen looked around the modest room. At last, she could release the breath she had been holding in.

They had endured so much and had finally escaped with their lives.

She helped Qi Yan to the bed and had him sit down. Rolling up the trouser leg of his left leg, she saw a deep wound left by a wolf’s bite. Though the injury wasn’t too severe, it would affect Qi Yan’s ability to walk, and he would need a good period of rest to recover.

Wei Zhen lifted her head. Qi Yan was leaning against the window, his eyes closed, long lashes casting thick shadows over his face. She assumed he had fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion and didn’t disturb him. Instead, she stood up and began removing his bloodstained outer garments.

Her hands inevitably brushed against his skin, and the moment she touched him, she was struck by how hot he was—like a burning brazier.

Wei Zhen pressed her palm against his forehead, feeling as if he had developed a fever.

“Qi Yan? Qi Yan?” she called. “What’s wrong?”

Qi Yan slowly opened his eyelids, and through his hazy vision, he saw the girl’s strikingly beautiful face. His voice was hoarse as he murmured, “I drank something just now… My body feels a little uncomfortable, but I’ll be fine in a while.”

Wei Zhen suddenly recalled the water pouch Mu Da had given him. At the time, she had been called away and had entered the courtyard first, so she hadn’t been by Qi Yan’s side. Her eyes immediately filled with worry as she asked, “What did they make you drink?”

Qi Yan pressed his lips together and managed a small smile. “Nothing harmful. Just animal blood, that’s all. Let me rest for a bit. You should go fetch some water and wash up. By the time you return, I’ll be fine.”

Wei Zhen asked gently, “Are you sure?”

Qi Yan nodded.

After she left, Qi Yan closed his eyes again. Inside him, a strange heat surged upward, as if his blood vessels were filled with boiling fire. He tilted his head back, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he let out a long sigh.

Wei Zhen stepped out of the wooden house and, just as she did, ran into the courtyard’s mistress and her husband, who were drawing water from the well.

The woman saw Wei Zhen and smiled. “Miss, we’ve already placed some clean clothes in your room.”

“Thank you, Lady A’Zhu,” Wei Zhen replied with a smile.

Lady A’Zhu finished drawing water and handed the bucket to Wei Zhen. Just then, Wei Zhen suddenly called out, “Lady A’Zhu, earlier your husband gave my husband a water pouch. Do you know what was inside?”

Lady A’Zhu glanced at her husband, who chuckled and said, “Deer blood.”

Wei Zhen froze.

The man explained, “Lord Mu Da hadn’t intended for him to drink much, but who would have thought he’d take the pouch and down it like an ox?”

Wei Zhen asked, “What effect does deer blood have after drinking it?”

She had read medical books and knew a bit about it, but she didn’t dare to be certain of her own conclusion.

The man coughed lightly and said, “In small amounts, it nourishes and strengthens the kidneys. But if too much is consumed, it acts like a warming tonic, making one’s whole body burn up with heat. It needs to be alleviated with something cool. Why—”

His gaze carried a subtle meaning. “Is your husband feeling unwell?”

Lady A’Zhu nudged him with her elbow, and he wrapped an arm around her with a laugh. “Either he endures it for the night, or if you can’t bear to see him suffer, you’ll have to help him relieve it. Once it’s released, he’ll naturally feel better. But the effects are unpredictable—he drank quite a lot, so who knows how long it will last?”

At the mention of “relief,” the man’s smile turned suggestive.

Lady A’Zhu smiled at Wei Zhen. “Miss, you should go wash up. We’ll head inside.”

Wei Zhen dropped the bucket back into the well, drew up another pail of water, and stared at her own reflection in a daze.

With other men present in the house, she couldn’t bathe in the courtyard. She picked up the bucket and returned to their room.

The moment she pushed open the door, she met the slightly narrowed gaze of the man sitting by the bed.

The house was too simple to block sound, so their conversation outside had likely reached his ears, word for word.

His gaze lingered on her, making her lashes tremble slightly. Even though he was the one who had drunk too much deer blood, she was the one feeling hot all over, as if set ablaze by his stare.

She poured the water from the bucket into the wooden tub and asked, “I brought water. Do you want to wash first, or should I?”

Qi Yan closed his eyes without answering. His Adam’s apple moved up and down several times.

Footsteps sounded beside him as she sat down next to him. “You should go first. You seem uncomfortable. A rinse with cold water might help.”

Her delicate fingers, moistened with water, gently covered his hand beside her. She had intended to cool him down slightly, but the instant their fingers touched, it only made the fire within him burn even stronger.

Like dry kindling thrown into roaring flames—

With a sudden motion, he grasped her wrist, and she felt her body go weak.

The water droplets might have been cool, but they were nothing compared to the sensation of a girl’s snow-like skin, which soothed the discomfort coursing through his body…

Qi Yan, how could you carelessly drink something from a stranger?