Chapter 18: Tired Fate

After climbing over rocks, crossing small streams, and carefully navigating through scree to find the mountain path trodden by previous travelers, they quickened their pace.

Leafy branches occasionally brushed overhead, and cool breezes swept along the mountain path. The frequent tree cover made the surroundings appear even darker.

After half a night of ordeal and being thoroughly frightened, the five individuals had expended a lot of energy, not to mention they were still carrying injured people. However, the lingering tension and fear kept them pushing forward, not daring to slow their pace.

Lu Chengfeng felt that Mr. Ji on his back was very light, like carrying a woman. However, the psychological pressure Mr. Ji exerted on him was heavier than a rock of equal size.

After passing the outermost peak and arriving at a small stream surrounded by large boulders, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. From this hillside, they could faintly see the outline of Shuixian Town.

"Mr. Ji, how about we rest here? Junior Sister Luo and the others' injuries can't endure continuous travel like this."

Lu Chengfeng carefully asked the person on his back.

The ones doing the running were tired, and Ji Yuan, lying on Lu Chengfeng's back, was not comfortable either; his body was aching terribly. A rest would be more than welcome.

"Very well, let's rest here for a bit."

Hearing Ji Yuan's reply, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Mr. Ji's assurance also gave them some psychological comfort.

"Everyone, rest. Be careful when you lay them down!"

"Okay!"

The few of them gently lowered the injured.

The injured had actually been on the verge of breaking down for a while; every jolt from a jump would exacerbate their pain, but they had simply been enduring it.

Ji Yuan lay on a slanted boulder, resting with narrowed eyes, but in fact, he was carefully observing the injured people around him.

He suddenly realized that compared to daytime, the current darkness had little effect on his terrible eyesight. He couldn't see more clearly during the day, nor would he see less clearly at night. It was very strange, as it hadn't seemed to be this way before.

"Cough, cough, cough... Ugh..."

Zhao Long trembled, propping himself up on a rock by the stream, and spat out a mouthful of clotted blood.

"Zhao Long, are you alright? I'll get you some water!"

"N-no, I'm fine..."

Luo Ningxuan's breathing was ragged. Her fingers slightly trembled as she touched her left shoulder, where two tiger claw marks looked like slashes from a blade.

Yan Fei's claw marks were deeper and more severe than Luo Ningxuan's. Acupoint sealing and bandaging had barely stopped the bleeding, but he dared not move, and his face was pale.

The most seriously injured was the swordsman named Du Heng. His twisted right arm was almost certainly ruined. He was enduring intense pain, and half of his clothes were drenched in sweat.

Ji Yuan almost couldn't bear to look directly at the young swordsman. Such an injury might not be fatal, but for a martial artist, it was probably worse than death. After all, this guy wasn't Yang Guo; he might never be able to use a saber properly again in this life.

Vaguely, he saw him holding his arm, silent, his face surely ashen.

"Have some water, Du Heng."

Lu Chengfeng handed him a water pouch. The swordsman managed a weak smile, took the water pouch, and gulped it down like wine.

"Sigh..."

Ji Yuan sighed softly. These fellows weren't bad at heart.

"Mr. Ji, we don't mind, but... do you have any way to help Du Heng?"

Yan Fei lay on the rock, clenching his fists, and whispered to Ji Yuan, his wounds bleeding again due to his agitation.

Everyone instantly looked at Ji Yuan, and hope flickered in Du Heng's eyes. They suddenly realized that the beggar before them was a master whom even a tiger spirit treated with respect.

'Damn, what kind of method do I have? I'm not a doctor!'

At this moment, Ji Yuan's mind raced with many thoughts, including the proverb about how too much help can breed resentment. If he saved them but couldn't produce any miraculous medicine, would they resent him instead?

"Heh heh! I already said it back at the temple that there was a tiger spirit in the mountains, but you all scoffed at it!"

Ji Yuan paused here. Seeing that they all looked somewhat abashed and embarrassed, he then continued.

"Alas, I am not skilled in medicine. I myself hope to find a doctor to cure my own eyes; how can I help others? However, there are many miraculous healers in the world; perhaps there is still hope for recovery."

Du Heng held his right arm with his left hand, gritting his teeth to endure the pain, as sweat dripped from his chin.

"Mr. Ji, Du Heng is not an ungrateful person. Your previous warnings and saving our lives once again constitute a life-saving grace for us. These bitter consequences... we deserve them!"

The others remained silent upon hearing this, and Ji Yuan looked at the swordsman with some surprise.

Perhaps fearing his despair, after a moment of silence from the group, Ji Yuan suddenly added a profound statement.

"If you can overcome this hardship, Young Hero Du's future will be limitless!"

Du Heng and the others looked at Ji Yuan again, but found that he had already closed his eyes to rest, not saying another word.

Ji Yuan's feeling at this moment was: 'Pretend to sleep after showing off. How exciting!'

Lu Chengfeng hesitated for a moment and, looking at Ji Yuan, asked another question.

"Mr. Ji, do we need to tell the people down the mountain the truth? After all, this white tiger pelt wasn't obtained by us hunting the tiger..."

Although the tiger spirit had given them a rare white tiger pelt that looked freshly skinned and told them they could openly claim to have successfully hunted the tiger, seeing their own miserable state, they found it hard to say such a thing.

This question startled Ji Yuan.

'Damn it, if you tell the truth, what if some bold person goes to hunt the demon? If they succeed, fine, but if not, won't Lu Shan Jun come after everyone?'

Ji Yuan solemnly sat up from the rock, his faded eyes half-open.

"In the mountains there is a tiger demon, named Lu Shan Jun. He lived in obscurity in Niukui, yearning to eat people every night. One day he received guidance, and from then on, his malice departed..."

"Young heroes, Lu Shan Jun once said that after descending the mountain, you could tell the people below that the man-eating tiger in the mountains had been subdued. This would not be considered a lie. And this incident is closely related to you all, so there's no need to feel ashamed about telling others that you eliminated the man-eating tiger."

"But this is all because of you, Mr. Ji..."

Lu Chengfeng hadn't finished his sentence when Ji Yuan raised a hand to stop him.

"Do not mention my affairs to outsiders. And honestly, how many people in this world would dare, like you young heroes, to take up the challenge and enter the mountains with such fervor!"

This was half of Ji Yuan's true thoughts, but it sent a surge of warmth through the hearts of the few young heroes who had been feeling defeated.

Seeing Lu Chengfeng still wanting to say something, Ji Yuan simply lay down and closed his eyes, pretending to rest, no longer intending to engage.

'You're just full of questions!'

Ji Yuan felt like he was on the verge of shouting at them: "Just be your tiger-hunting heroes in peace!"

Finally, no one brought up the topic again. After all, they all yearned for recognition; having paid such a high price, they would have been devastated if they were still ridiculed later.

Ji Yuan let out a slight sigh of relief. He felt like he was dancing on eggshells, as Yan Xishan once said; it was truly exhausting. Fortunately, his eloquence was just about passable, or he would have been done for long ago.

If he ever had a chance to go back and saw any story in that novel where a transmigrator lived comfortably, he would follow the internet cable to find the author and bash their dog's head in!