Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Such Misfortune (Part 2)

Zhuo Qing's self-reassurance had not yet ceased when the girl's terrified scream pierced the air: "You… what do you want?! Stay away!""Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you—yet. I'm just growing impatient! Such delicate, tender flesh… I've never tasted what a lady of such high status is like!"SHIT! The lecherous words sent chills crawling down Zhuo Qing's spine. What was about to unfold was painfully obvious even without further thought."You hurt me, and… my brother won't pay you a single cent!" The girl made a desperate plea, struggling to pacify the man, but he remained unmoved, spitting disdainfully, "Won't pay? Then let him come collect the body!""Please! I beg you, don't!""Help—"Then came the sound of torn cloth, the woman's anguished cries, and the man's wanton laughter—all like a rasping file grinding mercilessly against Zhuo Qing's heart.Countless images of women who had died from such assaults flashed through her mind, and her grip tightened fiercely. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!Her heart was aflame with urgency, yet she was caught in a paralyzing dilemma. If she left the girl to fend for herself, she would be haunted by guilt for life; but if she intervened, the outcome could only worsen.Before Zhuo Qing could devise a plan, a gust of wind whistled past her ear, followed by a series of loud noises.Fixing her gaze, she saw a fist-sized stone rolling swiftly toward the cave entrance. A chill ran down her spine—she hadn't moved, so where had the stone come from?"Who's there?!" A guarded male voice growled from inside the cave.Panic surged within Zhuo Qing as she hurriedly retreated, aiming to slip into the nearby bushes. Suddenly, a pair of strong hands grasped her shoulders, another covered her mouth, pulling her aside. Zhuo Qing panicked and struggled fiercely.At that moment, a voice both unfamiliar and yet strangely known murmured softly in her ear, "I'll lure him out; you go in and rescue her."That voice—Qian Jing? Zhuo Qing ceased struggling, and the grip on her hand finally loosened.She quickly turned, meeting a pair of eyes deep and still as a dark abyss through the misty rain.It was indeed Qian Jing, but now his gaze was solemn and resolute—far from his usual careless demeanor. Zhuo Qing was momentarily stunned.Qian Jing gently pushed her behind a rock beside the cave, then dashed toward the entrance. Standing at the mouth of the cave, he planted his hands on his hips and shouted loudly, "In broad daylight, under the clear sky, to dare forcibly seize a woman! I cannot stand by—come out and face death!"Zhuo Qing's mind reeled with disbelief—where was this broad daylight under the cloudy night and dark moon? He was undeniably the rogue she knew so well.Muttering to herself, she pressed close to the stone wall, carefully concealing herself.Suddenly, a streak of silver light shot out from the cave. Qian Jing leapt aside just in time to avoid it. The gleaming weapon danced before returning again into the cave. Zhuo Qing's heart raced with apprehension—what kind of weapon was that?"Brat, I'll teach you a lesson!" A booming, rough voice echoed as a burly man appeared at the cave entrance. His muscular frame was intimidating.Zhuo Qing scrutinized the weapon in his hand: several slender iron chains wrapped around his arm, dangling below was a fist-sized metal ball covered in countless sharp barbs glinting coldly. A strike from it would surely rend flesh and bone.Holding her breath, Zhuo Qing curled tighter, listening to Qian Jing's mocking laugh: "Let's see who dies first!"A throwing knife hurtled toward the man, who struck out with the spiked ball, sparking against the blade with a clang.The man swung the iron chains viciously at Qian Jing's face, but Qian Jing nimbly leapt back. The fierce clash of weapons and rustling of leaves gradually faded into the distance.Zhuo Qing lifted her skirt and deftly ran into the cave.The cavern was surprisingly spacious, with a blazing fire at its center. In a shadowed corner lay a disheveled, ragged woman curled on the ground, trembling violently with terror as she stared at Zhuo Qing.Zhuo Qing stepped forward urgently, "Get up quickly, come with me."The woman recoiled fearfully, refusing to rise. Zhuo Qing grasped her arm, helping her up while explaining, "You're Ru'er, right? Qitian Yu sent us to rescue you. Don't ask questions now—just leave here first."After much effort, Zhuo Qing managed to pull the woman upright, but she still clung to her, trembling uncontrollably. Zhuo Qing's anxiety grew. Before she could speak again, the woman's tear-filled, pitiful eyes met hers as she whispered, "My foot… it won't move."Won't move? Zhuo Qing gently lifted the hem of the woman's skirt, and by the firelight, she saw a glaring open fracture on her right foot."Damn it!" Zhuo Qing cursed under her breath. The wound was severe—exposed bone, torn muscle—without immediate treatment and immobilization, the girl would lose her foot and risk fatal infection. No wonder the man had left her alone in the cave—her foot was broken; she couldn't run, couldn't even crawl out.Judging by the wound's condition and the woman's numb expression, the injury was at least twelve hours old.Zhuo Qing couldn't carry her and dragging her was impossible over the rough terrain, fraught with dry grass and branches that could cause further infection.Quickly assessing the situation, Zhuo Qing helped Ru'er sit down, fetched two dry branches from the fire, and returned. While tearing her skirt into strips, she whispered, "Bear with it."Ru'er hadn't yet comprehended when Zhuo Qing seized her calf, expertly and swiftly realigning the bone."Ah—" The agony nearly knocked Ru'er unconscious. When she recovered, Zhuo Qing had already splinted the injury with the branches, exhaling in relief.She helped Ru'er stand again, asking, "Can you move it now?"It was a temporary fix—the strips tightly bound around her right foot prevented further fractures but did nothing against infection. Zhuo Qing could only hope she would pull through.Ru'er cautiously flexed her foot, still aching but able to bear some weight. She bit her lip hard and nodded, "I can. Let's go.""Let's move." Zhuo Qing supported her, silently admiring the girl's resilience and sharpness."Where are you going?!"Just as they reached the cave entrance, the burly man's dark figure loomed, a triumphant laugh ringing out, "Trying to lure me away? After all my years in this world, do you think you can fool me?"Ru'er trembled uncontrollably, and Zhuo Qing's heart pounded wildly. For the first time, she acutely felt her own frantic heartbeat. Holding Ru'er close, they retreated step by step until they pressed against the cold stone wall, with nowhere left to run.