Chapter 88: Melting

  When Su Tang pulled Wen Xiang out of the river, she was already on her last breath. Although Su Tang had used his fastest speed, Wen Xiang's injuries were severe and her hands were tied behind her back, making it impossible for her to breathe smoothly.

  Su Tang first cut off the rope on Wen Xiang's wrist, then dug out the thing in his mouth, and then his line of sight fell on Wen Xiang's legs.

  Xiang's small legs were nailed to the wooden board with two thick steel nails as thick as little fingers, and her ankles and facial bones were slightly deformed, with obvious fractures.

  Su Tang took a deep breath, used three fingers to grip one end of the steel nail, and with great force, slowly pulled it out.

  Smelling the fragrance, she felt a sharp pain and slowly opened her eyes to see Su Tang wrapped in a cloak from head to toe. Her body twisted slightly as she asked in a weak voice: "Are you...Su Tang?" She didn't know anyone in the area around Ba Mian City, and the only person she had seen that morning was Su Tang. The only one who would risk everything to rescue her could only be Su Tang, but the aura emanating from Su Tang made her not quite believe it.

  Su Tang took off his mask, and his figure gradually became clear. Wen Xiang smiled and then quietly looked at Su Tang, who was also quietly looking at her.

  "For a moment, Su Tang said softly: 'Can you hold on? Hold on for a bit, I'll pull out the other nail.'"

  "Moved? Someone's feeling of being moved... it's great." Wen Xiang smiled and closed her eyes: "Get started."

  Su Tang used his fingertips to hold down another nail, slowly pulled it out, and then threw the nail aside. Afterwards, as if venting something, he kicked up one foot and sent the horizontal wooden beam flying. The beam rotated in mid-air and flew more than thirty meters away before splashing into the river with a loud "plop".

  "Sutang, I have a few words to say, you must listen carefully, okay?" Wen Xiang said softly.

  "Go on," Su Tang said with a smile.

  "I understand your intention, I will remember it deeply in my heart. However, you should leave now, the elders of the Hu family are almost here. You have a chance to escape alone, but if you bring me with you... we'll both be doomed!" Xiang's expression was very serious.

  "Is that all?" Su Tang asked.

  She paused for a moment, revealing a bitter smile. She wasn't being overly sensitive, she just wanted to clearly lay out the danger of the situation in front of Su Tang.

  Su Tang unwrapped the package, took out a set of clothes from inside, tore off a strip of cloth, and prepared to bandage Xiang's wound: "You should find a doctor first, otherwise your legs might be completely crippled." The wound on Xiang's calf looked shocking, with two bloody holes left by the nails that had been pulled out.

  "I am the best doctor for myself." Wen Xiang said softly: "As long as I can find a quiet place to rest and recover, I have a way to cure myself."

  "I'm relieved then." Su Tang said, looking up and down at Wen Xiang before changing the subject: "I didn't expect that you would have such a miserable time too..."

  "What's this? You were more ferocious than me back then." said Wen Xiang.

  "I thought you would explain yourself."

  "What's going on?" Wen Xiang was taken aback.

  "I heard you were seriously injured when you arrived at Shuangxing Bridge? What happened?" Su Tang asked.

  "I'm in seclusion and was suddenly attacked, so... it's like this...". Wen Xiang's reply was vague, but a hint of severity flashed across his eyes.

  "Seclusion?" Su Tang's expression changed, and with Xiang's strength, seclusion only meant one thing - she had started to charge towards the bottleneck, seeking a breakthrough. "You... are really one after another..." Su Tang didn't know how to describe her emotions, let alone that great master. Xi Xiao Ru could kill a sect master-level expert, her own strength was only one step away from breaking through. Xiang also began his seclusion, and the people he knew seemed to be getting more and more abnormal, giving him a feeling of being unable to catch up no matter what.

  "What?"

  "Do you know Red Leaf City? I met a girl in Red Leaf City, haha... I saw her with my own eyes, killing an expert-level strongman. You're all so powerful, it's really embarrassing!"

  "I've been practicing since I was five years old, and now I've practiced for fifteen years." Wen Xiang said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "How long have you been practicing? Who's actually the one who's left without a place to stand?"

  "If you put it that way... I'd feel much better." Su Tang smiled, and as he spoke, he had already finished bandaging the wound on Wen Xiang's leg. He then tore open his clothes, ripping them into over a dozen strips of cloth, which he tied together before pulling out a map from his pack and tossing it to the ground.

  Wen Xiang remained silent, quietly watching Su Tang busy herself. She wanted to help, but in her current state, she was powerless.

  Su Tang first picked up Wen Xiang and then bent down, placing Wen Xiang on his back. He moved Wen Xiang's buttocks up and down to find a comfortable position, then picked up the cloth strip and tightly bound Wen Xiang's body to his own.

  Su Tang stood up straight, swayed a bit, and felt no dizziness, almost fine.

  Then, Su Tang picked up the map and spread it on the trunk of a tree, pointing with his hand: "Wen Xiang, this is our current location, here is Yiren Town, here is Dashiqiao Bridge, and here is Toudao Ridge. The distance between Dashiqiao Bridge and Toudao Ridge is over 90 miles. The elder of the Hu family will arrive at Toudao Ridge tomorrow evening, which means we should have a day and a half of safe time."

  The Wenxiang who was lying on Su Tang's back nodded and hummed in response, indicating that she understood.

  "I plan to head down along the Green River first, walk to this Longshan Mountain, then make a big circle around here and head back." Su Tang's finger moved on the map, Wen Xiang wasn't that kind of brainless woman, he hoped she could help him strategize: "All the way back to Yiren Town, do you think there's any problem?"

  "Why go to Yiren Town?" Wen Xiang asked.

  "You should know the reason why it's dark under the lamp?" Su Tang explained: "Since you escaped, the Hu family will definitely search everywhere and may even reach a compromise with the people of Ba Mian Cheng. Wherever we go, we are not safe, and you have injuries on your body, absolutely cannot be found by them. If we can hide in Yiren Town, it should be the safest."

  "We'd better head north and go to Beifeng City, that's where the real darkness lies." said Wen Xiang.

  "It makes sense..." Su Tang was taken aback, and nodded with a smile. It seemed that this time's misfortune hadn't caused any psychological trauma to Wen Xiang, and her willingness to go directly to Beifeng City proved that she still had courage in her heart.

  "From here to Longshan, it doesn't matter much if we're discovered or not, but once we head north, I mustn't be seen by anyone." said Wen Xiang.

  "I know that from here to Longshan, there is no road, all are desolate mountains and remote valleys, we won't meet anyone." Su Tang said: "Longshan is on the main road, many merchant caravans come and go, we can just buy a horse carriage."

  "Be careful." Xiang said in a soft voice: "What is your identity in Bafang City? Will they suspect you?"

  "It won't work." Su Tang shook his head and said, "Longshan only has one road, going north to Beifeng City, going south to Hongye City. In fact, even if someone suspects us, it doesn't matter. Those who went north have already arrived at Beifeng City, those who went south have also entered Hongye City. By the time the Hu family's people investigate and find out that we've changed direction, it will be at least twenty days later."

  "It's not the ten thousand things I fear, but the one in ten thousand chance." said Wen Xiang Dao.

  "This is exactly what I want, this time difference." Su Tang said: "Wen Xiang, if we find a place where we can quietly recover from our injuries, how long will it take for you to recover?"

  "At least one month." Wen Xiang replied.

  "It's been a while..." Su Tang furrowed his brow: "Can your hand move? Open the package." The package was hanging from Wen Xiang's neck.

  "No, they hurt my hands too." Xiang shook her head and said, her two hands still hanging softly in front of Su Tang's chest.

  "I'll get it myself." Su Tang turned around to grab the package, but Wen Xiang's face was pressed against his shoulder, and his lips accidentally brushed against Wen Xiang's forehead. Su Tang was taken aback, gave a slightly embarrassed smile, reached into the package and pulled out a box, opening it: "With these, how long will it take for you to recover?"

  "This is... Wu Hua Ju Ding Dan? So many?!" Wen Xiang was very surprised.

  "Uh-huh."

  "Wuhua Jutou Dan is useless for treating injuries, but it's very useful to me. If I can eat it casually... I'll be back to normal in half a month." Wen Xiang said slowly: "As long as I recover, even if I encounter a Grandmaster, I won't be completely powerless."

  Su Tang took out a Five-Petal Aggregation Pill and handed it to Wen Xiang's mouth.

  "Should we eat now?" Wen Xiang said: "We are about to rush on the road, there is no time to adjust our breath, and the medicine will be wasted."

  "Go ahead and eat." Su Tang smiled: "I forgot to tell you, Grandpa is now a rich man. As long as money can solve the problem, it's not a problem."

  "Look at you, so self-satisfied...” Xiang sighed softly and took the Wuhua Jutou Dan with her own mouth. She mumbled, "As long as I can safely reach Yizishan in Beifeng City, I have a hiding place there."

  "Have you been to Beifang City before?"

  "No, I'm not the only remnant of the Temple of Extermination, that's a friend."

  "Where is that friend now?"

  "He... has already fallen in battle." Xiang Youyou said.

  "When you were ambushed during your closed-door meeting, was it a betrayal by someone?" Su Tang suddenly realized something.

  "I find that many things cannot escape the baptism of time." Wen Xiang sighed and said: "Especially human hearts."

  Su Tang stopped talking and strode towards the horse tied up in the woods.

  Xiangwen stuck on Su Tang's shoulder, suddenly whispered: "Su Tang..."

  "Hmm? What's wrong?"

  "There's nothing, I just wanted to call out your name..." Wen Xiang said softly, earlier when she was discussing countermeasures with Su Tang, she could still maintain her composure, those pains and torments couldn't defeat her, but now closely attached to Su Tang's body, feeling Su Tang's body temperature, as well as that strong and robust muscle, all the hardships she had experienced seemed to be melted away by something inexplicable.