Chapter 293: Chapter 285: Rare Treasure

Just as he was about to get up and look for her, he heard the sound of faint footsteps. He followed the sound with his eyes and saw a familiar figure walking toward him, drawing closer from the distance.

She was only wearing one shoe. Her slender, elegant bare foot stepped onto a path full of hard clumps of dirt and sharp stones, yet her gait remained steady. She was cradling something in her hands, her expression intent.

He wanted to get up and go to her—at the very least, to support her and spare her feet from further torment.

The moment he moved, before he was even fully upright, the light before his eyes was devoured by darkness. His head throbbed as if he had just been struck by lightning.

He collapsed back to the ground, struggling to steady his ragged breathing until the light gradually returned to his vision.

By then, Bai Zhi had reached his side. "How are you? Are you okay?" she asked, her face etched with worry. The water she cupped in her hands was nearly gone.

Hu Feng shook his head. "I’m fine!" He looked up at the girl crouching before him, and his brow suddenly furrowed. "Where did you go? How could you just run off in a place like this? What if you had run into a wild beast?"

’He’s in this state, and he’s still worried about me.’

The rims of her eyes reddened. Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions, a feeling she couldn’t quite name.

"I’m perfectly fine, aren’t I?" She forced a smile, holding the water in her hands out to him. "Hurry and drink. In a moment, there won’t be a single drop left."

He lowered his gaze and saw a leaf cupped in her palm. Inside it, less than half a mouthful of water remained.

’So she went to find water for me. So that’s what she was cradling in her hands, hands that hadn’t trembled no matter how much her bare feet hurt on the rocky path—water she had found for me.’

The pain in his head seemed to vanish in an instant. It was as if a new sun had suddenly risen in his heart, illuminating the path ahead and banishing all shadows.

He took her by the wrist. It was so fair and slender; it seemed the slightest pressure would snap it in two. He didn’t dare to squeeze, but held her hand as if it were a priceless treasure, tipping the last half-mouthful of water into his mouth.

It was only common stream water, but at that moment, it tasted as sweet and cool as the nectar of the gods.

She tossed the leaf aside and reached out to feel his forehead. Just as she had expected, he was starting to run a fever. She figured it wouldn’t be long before he would start feeling nauseous and begin to vomit.

These were normal symptoms that appeared shortly after a concussion or head trauma. In his current state, he likely wouldn’t have the strength to walk out of this valley with her, and there was no way she could carry him. ’What should I do?’

She glanced around at the desolate silence. ’Are we really going to have to spend the night here?’

Autumn had already set in, and the mountain nights were cold and windy. In Hu Feng’s condition, he would never be able to withstand it; the cold would only make his injuries worse.

She slipped her arm through his. "Can you stand? I’ll help you walk."

Hu Feng shook his head. "I don’t think I can. The moment I move, my vision goes black, and the dizziness is unbearable." It felt as though someone were relentlessly pounding his head with a hammer.

Bai Zhi let go of him and sank weakly to the ground. "Looks like we’ll have to spend the night here," she said, her voice laced with resignation.

After a moment of silence, she stood and brushed the dust from her clothes. "You rest here," she said to Hu Feng. "I’m going to find some firewood."

Hu Feng struggled to go with her, but his body wouldn’t obey.

It was as if time had rewound three years. Back then, when he had woken up, he’d had not only a throbbing headache and dizzy spells, but also multiple sword wounds covering his body. He had been just as powerless then as he was now, lying in bed like a complete invalid.

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