Die Faust zerschmettert alle Himmel und unzählige Welten

Kapitel 36

He seemed to have waited a long time, yet it also seemed like very short, but he felt very cold, so cold he was almost shivering. Suddenly, he heard Feng Ning calling his name, and he couldn't help but laugh again. It was strange; every time she came near, he always wanted to laugh.

"Why didn't you slide to the bottom? I thought you were gone." Feng Ning was sweating profusely. She had circled around several times but couldn't find him. She was almost in tears when she looked up and found him "peacefully" lying across the middle of the slope.

"If I could, I'd like to walk down." Long San still had the leisure to say something lighthearted at this point, but his words calmed Feng Ning's emotions, and Feng Ning's anxious heart immediately settled down.

She half-supported, half-carried Long San to the bottom of the slope, and examined his wound by the moonlight. The arrow fletching had broken off, but the arrowhead was still embedded in his flesh. Long San comforted her, "It probably didn't hit the bone, so it doesn't hurt too much. You can pull it out for me; I have some wound medicine in my pocket."

Feng Ning bit her lip, took the medicine from Long San's pocket, took a deep breath, and carefully examined the wound. There were no medical instruments available, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth. She felt around and found the hook on the arrowhead. Avoiding the direction of the hook, she quickly and forcefully pulled it out. With a "plop," a lot of blood gushed out, and Long San groaned. Feng Ning had already swiftly sprinkled medicinal powder on him.

Long San closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. Feng Ning was not idle at all; she used her sword to dig a hole and buried the blood-stained mud and arrowhead. This place was not safe to linger; if the enemy discovered that no one was around, they would definitely return to search. Long San gestured with his eyes to continue. Feng Ning supported him, moving very slowly, one step at a time.

Long San's legs were weak and he couldn't walk fast. Feng Ning gritted her teeth, put the sword on his back, pulled his arms around her shoulders from behind, bent down, pressed her back against his chest and abdomen, and lifted him up.

Long San was almost a head taller than Feng Ning, and Feng Ning struggled to walk while supporting his legs with both hands. Long San whispered, "I'm very heavy."

Panting, Feng Ning strode into the dense forest, replying, "Don't worry, I have plenty of strength." Then, she added, "I usually eat a lot, and this will come in handy. So don't laugh at my appetite anymore." She still harbored resentment about being mocked before.

Long San wanted to laugh, but he didn't have the strength to laugh out loud; he seemed to be choking and gasping for breath. But Feng Ning still noticed and got annoyed: "What are you laughing at? You're already like this and you're still laughing."

"Where you are, there is always laughter."

"Are you making fun of me?" Feng Ning retorted, adding a cushion to prevent him from slipping down.

"I was praising you." The poison in Long San's body was taking effect, and his vision was going black. He felt like he was about to faint. But he knew that if he lost consciousness, Feng Ning would probably panic. He bit his tongue, felt a sharp pain, and tried his best to stay awake.

"I can't tell you're praising me," Feng Ning retorted, suddenly tripping and nearly dropping Long San. She quickly regained her balance and, by the moonlight, noticed what appeared to be a hidden earthen cave on the slope where she had landed. Feng Ning put Long San down, went closer, and parted the tall grass and vines to confirm that it was indeed a large earthen cave. She dragged Long San inside, and with herself in tow, the cave was just big enough to fit.

She quickly gathered some more long grass branches and stood at the cave entrance, finding them perfectly concealed. Unless one looked closely, it was impossible to notice anything amiss. Feng Ning was overjoyed. She covered the entrance, peered inside, and felt safe. Even if those people returned, they wouldn't easily find them.

The cave was pitch black, and the cover at the entrance blocked out the moonlight. Feng Ning groped around and touched Long San's hand. His hand was icy cold, and his body was also extremely cold. Feng Ning became worried: "How is the poison?"

Long San kept testing the waters before finally replying, "It's not a deadly poison, it just paralyzes people and makes them lose consciousness. It should be fine. Don't panic if I stop moving. Judging from the situation, they want to capture me alive, not poison me. I know now that these people are after me, and I've dragged you into this mess."

Feng Ning hugged him tightly: "I'm not afraid."

"Yes, you're the bravest and strongest. You're a truly excellent young lady from a respectable family." Long San comforted her, feeling his consciousness slowly drifting away.

"You still have the mind to tell jokes at a time like this?" Feng Ning felt that he was terribly cold and was a little scared. The poison wouldn't kill him, but he was injured and freezing in this damp and cold cave. Even an iron body couldn't withstand it.

She hugged him tightly, wishing she could give him all the warmth in her body. "Long San, Long San, don't leave me!"

Author's Note: Actually, my son Long San is a good kid.

27

27. The Third Madam of the Dragon Clan, with strength as great as an ox...

No matter how nervous Feng Ning was or how much she didn't want it to happen, Long San still lost consciousness and couldn't answer her anymore. In the pitch-black darkness, Feng Ning held him tightly, her heart pounding wildly. She was terrified he wouldn't wake up again, terrified he would never be able to glare at her, sigh, or make witty remarks again. Holding him so close, she could finally hear his heartbeat and breathing, and the soft sound comforted her.

Feng Ning huddled quietly beside Long San, motionless. She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard the chaotic sound of horses' hooves. Her heart skipped a beat; the men had indeed returned.

She heard someone shouting in the distance, "Damn it, where can they run to in this little place?" Another person said, "There's a slope over there, let's go down and take a look." Then, there was the sound of heavy footsteps on the ground, and several people must have jumped down from the slope and were wandering around.

The night was quiet, but the sound carried far. Although there was some distance between them, Feng Ning still heard it. The group searched everywhere, and after a while, they headed towards the direction where Feng Ning and the others were hiding. Feng Ning moved quietly and felt around until she found the sword. She gripped it in her hand and leaned forward to stand in front of Long San, ready for battle.

Two men approached, carrying torches that shone brightly outside the cave entrance where Feng Ning was hiding. Feng Ning held her breath, every nerve in her body tense. The two men paced back and forth twice before finally shouting, "There's nothing here." Then the group rode away again.

Feng Ning waited for a while longer, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she heard no more noise outside. Relaxing, she turned to hug Long San again. In the darkness, she didn't quite get the position right, and their faces ended up face to face, heads touching. Feng Ning was stunned, unsure of the feelings in her heart. She slowly tightened her embrace, resting her head on his shoulder.

After hugging him for a while, Feng Ning felt his body begin to heat up. Startled, she dared not entertain any romantic thoughts; she knew, just as she had suspected, that he was falling ill. She had no idea what was happening outside, or whether that group would turn back to cause trouble again. But leaving Long San unattended was definitely not a solution.

Feng Ning thought it over and over, and finally decided to leave Long San there for now and go scout ahead. She carefully peeked out to observe, made sure it was safe, climbed out, and then went back to tidy up the entrance of the cave. In her heart, she said to Long San, "Wait for me, I'll be back soon."

Using her light-footed skills, Feng Ning ran swiftly for nearly ten miles before finally spotting a farmhouse. Suppressing her excitement, she quietly crept to the window to investigate. It was a kind-hearted middle-aged couple, preparing to tidy up their house for the night. They were chatting about trivial matters and everyday life, and seemed like good people. Feng Ning circled around again to confirm there was no danger nearby. Then she turned back and ran to where Long San was hiding, and with considerable effort, carried him on her back.

This time, Feng Ning's physical strength was not as good as before. She had stayed up for half the night and run twenty miles back and forth. Most importantly, she hadn't eaten enough for dinner. So when she carried Long San on her back, Feng Ning felt as if a huge, heavy stone was pressing down on her, and she almost collapsed to her knees.

She gritted her teeth, took a few deep breaths, gathered her strength, and strode towards the farmer's house with all her might. In this desolate wilderness, with no one around and only the occasional sounds of animals and birds in the woods, the atmosphere, bathed in the pale moonlight, was hardly pleasant.

Feng Ning dared not walk openly on the main road, fearing those people would come looking for her again. She chose some hidden paths to crawl along, her pace slowing down and her breathing becoming increasingly labored. Her legs felt as if they were glued to the muddy ground, making it difficult to even take a step.

Panting, Feng Ning encouraged herself, "Look, we're one step closer to that farmhouse. Once we get there, there will be a house to stay in, a stove, a bed, and blankets. Maybe even some food." She took two more steps, and she was even closer.

She was counting her steps when she suddenly stepped on a pebble. She was already struggling to maintain her balance, and now she lost it and fell. The fall not only cut Feng Ning's hand and scraped her knee, but also woke Long San. He groaned and opened his eyes.

Upon seeing him, Feng Ning disregarded her own safety and rushed over to shake him, calling out, "Long San, Long San, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

Long San looked at Feng Ning, narrowed his eyes slightly, and after reflecting on his situation, replied, "It hurt a lot when I fell."

Feng Ning patted his arm and said, "It's good that you're awake."

Her nonsensical response made Long San want to laugh again, but he felt both cold and hot, and his body ached, so he couldn't laugh at all. Feng Ning helped him sit up: "You're sick, you can't stay in the cave. I've found a farmer's family you can stay with. Now we're going to transport you there."

Long San tried to stand up, but his legs were weak and he couldn't muster any strength. Feng Ning squatted down in front of him and showed him her back: "Come on, you can only rely on me now."

Long San blinked, unable to utter a word of thanks, muttering "I'm heavy" as he climbed onto Feng Ning's back. Feng Ning gritted her teeth and struggled to her feet, nearly falling again in the process. Once steadied herself, she caught her breath, hooked Long San's legs around her, and lifted him up a little; his long legs were dragging on the ground. Feng Ning complained, "You're not only heavy, you're tall too. It's so inconvenient to carry you."

Her complaining tone finally made Long San laugh: "I'm really sorry, it didn't grow properly."

"It's alright, I'm magnanimous, I forgive you." Long San woke up, and Feng Ning suddenly felt a surge of energy; it felt so good to have someone to bicker with.

She walked for a while and almost fell again, so she had to stop to catch her breath. Long San couldn't bear it and suggested, "Why don't you leave me here and go find some help to come and get me?"