The flames blazed ever fiercer, and Zhuo Qing's skirt had already been shredded into a mere miniskirt, the thin fabric beneath like cicada wings. The burly man's gaze darkened as it roved over her form. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, fate has not been unkind to me! This woman is even more spirited!" He advanced step by step. Just as his hand was about to seize Zhuo Qing's shoulder, a slender blade sliced through the air. The man hastily retracted his hand to evade, while Zhuo Qing seized the moment to drag Ru'er and flee in another direction.
Yet, barely a few steps away, a sudden tightening around her neck yanked her backward with fierce force. In desperation, Zhuo Qing relinquished her grip, fiercely shoving Ru'er towards the cave's entrance, where Qian Jing intercepted her charge. Shielding Zhuo Qing before him, the man towered over them, exuding reckless confidence as he shouted, "You brat, we have no grudges between us, nor enmity. I have no wish to kill you, but if you persist, don't blame me for being merciless."
The iron chain gripped tightly around Zhuo Qing's neck left her gasping for air, her face flushed red. Qian Jing's phoenix-like eyes chilled as he helped Ru'er to the cave mouth. Turning back, he retorted coldly, "I bear you no ill will, yet money extorted is protection bought. If you truly possess skill, fight me one-on-one. Resorting to women as shields and barking threats — is that the mark of a man?"
"Your provocations won't work on me!" The burly man yanked the chain fiercely. Zhuo Qing's breath caught painfully, her inhalations growing shallow. Qian Jing's hand clenched into a fist in an instant. The man knew he'd struck a nerve and bellowed, "You'd better toss all your throwing knives away, or I'll snap her throat!"
The helpless anguish Zhuo Qing felt defied description. Since arriving in this cursed place, misfortune had dogged her every step, her neck repeatedly endangered. Fighting to steady her breathing, Zhuo Qing had expected Qian Jing to feign ease again, goading the man to rage as before to find a chance to counterattack — after all, he had already rescued Ru'er. But then—clink, clink—the sharp blades glittered as one by one they clattered to the ground. Zhuo Qing stared at Qian Jing, aghast. Was he mad? Without his throwing knives, how could he possibly contend with the brute? Such recklessness endangered them all, even himself! Or did he have more hidden elsewhere?
"Throw away the knives at your waist too. No tricks!" The man clearly suspected as much. Qian Jing hesitated briefly before the chain tightened again. Zhuo Qing coughed in pain. No, don't throw them! Ignoring the agony around her neck, she glared fiercely at Qian Jing, willing him not to comply.
Their eyes locked for a moment—within those deep orbs, Zhuo Qing discerned no hint of his thoughts. Then, several more metallic clinks sounded; the blades lay on the ground. The man laughed uproariously, the sound harsh and grating. Recoiling the chain, he shoved Zhuo Qing aside and pointed at Qian Jing, sneering, "Brat, I'll send you straight to the underworld!"
Wielding a spiked metal ball, the man lunged at Qian Jing, who bent low to evade. With a sweeping motion like fallen leaves, Qian Jing kicked up a blade at his feet. Wanting weapons wasn't so simple. The man retracted the ball and swung the chain, sweeping most knives out of the cave. Only a few remained in Qian Jing's grasp. Knowing the odds were grim, Qian Jing shouted to Zhuo Qing, "Run!"
Clutching her neck, Zhuo Qing staggered toward the cave entrance, glancing back. To fend off the ball, Qian Jing had already exhausted his knives and was growing increasingly battered, narrowly dodging blows several times.
Outside the cave, the discarded blades shimmered faintly in the rain's drizzle. A sudden inspiration struck; Zhuo Qing scooped up dozens of blades and hurried back inside, hurling them toward Qian Jing. "Catch!"
The man hadn't expected this move. Turning, he was met with a rain of blades. The burly man swung the chain again to block, but Qian Jing deftly caught many knives. Armed, within the cave, Qian Jing's throwing knives proved far more agile than the long chain. After several exchanges, the man had suffered multiple wounds.
"You damned woman!" Furious that she'd thrown knives to Qian Jing, causing his injuries, the man unleashed his fury on her, swinging the spiked ball toward Zhuo Qing.
Qian Jing's eyes widened. Straining his wrist, he hurled a knife at the man's hand. The blade pierced with relentless force, stabbing through his wrist into his abdomen. The man howled in pain, his grip loosening, but the spiked ball still flew toward Zhuo Qing's face.
Zhuo Qing stepped back, colliding with the rocky wall, trapped with nowhere to retreat. Instinctively, she raised her arm to shield her face. The ball struck her body, but she felt no pain. Lowering her arm, she saw Qian Jing's tall figure standing before her.
"Qian Jing!" She rushed to his side. The long chain lay slack on the ground; the ball was lodged squarely at his heart. Seeing the cruel barbs glinting from the ball, Zhuo Qing's heart clenched. She steadied him as he staggered and the two collapsed to the ground together. The thick metallic scent of blood filled the air, sending Zhuo Qing's heart pounding wildly.
Her mind went blank, words caught in her throat. "Why did you—" She couldn't understand why a man who had met her only three times would shield her from such a blow. Why save her?
Qian Jing himself didn't know. He had vowed never to rescue her again, even if she begged. Yet just now, his body had acted faster than thought, lunging forward instinctively. Why? Perhaps simply to prevent an innocent from harm.
Seeing her confused and guilt-ridden expression, Qian Jing let out a sheepish breath, forcing a wry smile. "You're already ugly enough. Any uglier and you'd scare people to death."
Why was this man always so irreverent? Didn't he notice the blood pouring from his chest? Zhuo Qing wanted to retort, but the words stuck in her throat. Glancing at the struggling brute on the ground, Qian Jing pushed Zhuo Qing aside and said, "Help Ru'er. We have to leave quickly..."
The push finally roused Zhuo Qing. She steadied Qian Jing, helping him recline to ease the ball's weight. Examining the wound, she found three barbs embedded in his left chest. Thankfully, the injury wasn't deep and had spared the thoracic organs. But forcibly extracting the barbs would cause a larger wound, tearing muscle and possibly damaging internal organs.
Looking out toward the rain's gentle patter, Zhuo Qing pressed down on him, forbidding him to rise. Her voice was grave: "No, it's raining again outside. Without treatment, you'll bleed to death in less than half an hour!"
After applying pressure to a few acupoints, Qian Jing shook his head, insisting on standing. "I've sealed the points. I won't die. We must leave—he's dangerous. I can no longer protect you."
Sealing the points won't stop death? Then she might as well resign! Zhuo Qing doubted his words, but seeing the man clutching his abdomen in agony and moaning, she was nonetheless concerned. Though he seemed unlikely to pose a threat now, she couldn't rule out a desperate final strike.