The scent of blood grew thicker, and the expressions on Gu Wenheng and Jin Qianqian’s faces turned increasingly grave. Their pace quickened.
The air filled with agonized screams and the clash of steel, making their hearts clench tighter with every step.
"Fuck," Gu Wenheng cursed, charging forward with his machete. Against anyone targeting the people of Bainiao, he was ruthless, each slash aid at a vulnerable point.
After a mont’s hesitation, Jin Qianqian followed close behind, brandishing her own machete. If an enemy fell but still showed signs of struggling, she would grit her teeth and move in to finish them off.
The machetes in their hands were forged from the refined steel of a future era, possessing a sharpness no weapon of this age could match.
Soon, bandits fell one after another in their wake. When the last one was down, Gu Wenheng collapsed to his knees, panting heavily.
"Mom, what’s wrong?"
"Dad, wake up! Open your eyes and look at ."
"Da Niu, you can’t fall asleep..."
"..."
"Dad, how are you? Second Brother, get over here and help!" Gu Yuanjin’s furious shout reached Gu Wenheng’s ears. He struggled to his feet and looked toward the sound.
All he saw was a blood-soaked ground, littered with people who would never stand again.
Tears stread uncontrollably from Jin Qianqian’s eyes. ’What kind of god-awful world is this?’ At that mont, she desperately wanted to return to her own.
Gu Wenheng imdiately sensed sothing was wrong with her. Seeing her trembling, he quickly pulled her into his arms. "It’s okay. Don’t be afraid."
Through a blur of tears, Jin Qianqian’s heart was in turmoil. "I killed soone."
Gu Wenheng gently patted her back. "No, you didn’t. I’m the one who struck them down. You just followed . At most, you were an accomplice. The real killer is , your senior."
"Are we going to jail?" His words didn’t register with Jin Qianqian at all. All she could think was, ’I’ve broken the law.’
Gu Wenheng glanced at the sky with a scornful laugh. "Do you think anyone is going to care about this?"
Still, he had to comfort his wife. "They’re bad n. They should have considered the consequences before they attacked."
"It sounds like soone in the family is in trouble over there. We should go take a look."
"In trouble?" Jin Qianqian wiped away her tears, finally getting a clear look at Gu Wenheng. His face was covered in blood, and she jumped. "Are you hurt?"
Gu Wenheng looked down at his own blood-soaked hands. Even though he had seen his share of intense situations before, his stomach still churned. "No, it’s all soone else’s blood."
Jin Qianqian didn’t believe him. Gu Wenheng could only grab his sleeve and hastily wipe his face. When no fresh blood welled up, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Who did you say was in trouble?" Her mind was finally starting to clear.
With an arm around her, Gu Wenheng guided her toward their family. "I heard Eldest Brother shouting. I think sothing happened to Dad."
He could see the Gu family gathered ahead, but they were still too far away for him to make out what was happening.
＆
Seeing the blood gushing from Gu Dashishi’s arm, the Gu brothers panicked. Li Cuicui collapsed to the ground, muttering incoherently.
Gu Wenheng and Jin Qianqian arrived to a scene of chaos. He rushed forward, pushed Gu Yuanjin aside, and clamped both hands down hard on Gu Dashishi’s arm. "Qianqian, find a strip of cloth!"
’If they don’t stop the bleeding now, he’s a dead man.’ The mont he touched Gu Dashishi’s arm, its frightening coldness shocked him.
Jin Qianqian nodded frantically. She tore the cloth ribbon from her hair and fumbled to help bind Gu Dashishi’s arm.
Gu Wenheng roared at Gu Yuanmu, who was standing there in a daze, "Hurry up and help tie Dad’s arm! He’s going to bleed out!"
Gu Yuanmu finally snapped out of it and, with so composure, tied the arm tight.
"What now? Is Dad going to live?" Gu Yuantu asked, holding a petrified Gule Shun in his arms and trying to soothe him.
Gu Wenheng shook his head. "I don’t know. We need to find a doctor."
’There was a doctor in their caravan, but he only knew how to treat simple things like headaches and fevers. He probably couldn’t handle a blade wound this deep.’
’Gu Wenheng had other worries, too: tetanus and infection. Both would be a nightmare to treat.’
Jin Qianqian mustered the courage to look at the wound, then silently took out a sewing needle that Gu Wenheng had recently used. "Husband, should we try to stitch Dad’s wound shut?"
"Seventh Sister-in-law, stop causing trouble. This is a person’s flesh, not a torn piece of clothing! How can you use a sewing needle on it?" Having checked on her two sons and seen they were fine, Wang Caiyue finally had the mind to snap at Jin Qianqian.
Gu Wenheng abandoned the thought. "Second Sister-in-law, then what do you suggest we do about a wound this large? If you’re so capable, why don’t you co up with a solution?"
Wang Caiyue replied, "We can’t just do sothing so reckless. I don’t think Dad is going to make it this ti. Why make him suffer more?"
"Pah!" Li Cuicui shot to her feet and slapped her. "Your father-in-law is still alive, and you dare say such defeatist nonsense! What kind of daughter-in-law are you? If you can’t say anything helpful, then shut your damn mouth! All you do is squawk like a crow all day!"
Wang Caiyue clutched her face and took a step back, furious but not daring to talk back. Instead, she glared at Jin Qianqian, all her rage directed at her.
Unwarrantedly receiving this malicious glare, Jin Qianqian stared back fiercely. ’Oh, so we’re having a staring contest now? Fine by .’
’Jin Qianqian had plenty of hemostatic dicine in her dinsional space, but how could she possibly take it out? How could she explain to everyone how two people, who were supposed to be dirt poor, suddenly had so much life-saving dicine?’
Gu Wenheng gently laid the old man flat on the ground. "Eldest Brother, we have to find a doctor for Dad. Things can’t go on like this."
"We’ve stopped the bleeding for now, but if his arm is bound for too long, it’ll be crippled even if we save his life."
Gu Yuanjin had a fresh cut on his own face, but he paid it no mind. As he looked at the bodies lying in pools of blood and the familiar faces of those wailing and clutching their wounds, his eyes turned red.
"Where are we supposed to find a doctor now? Look at all these people... who can even be saved?"
There were other words Gu Yuanjin didn’t dare speak aloud. ’Even if we save them, so what? We’ve already been pushed to the brink. It’s just a matter of dying sooner or later.’
Seeing Gu Yuanjin staring blankly, Gu Wenheng quickly went over and gripped his shoulders. "Eldest Brother, whether we can save them or not, all that matters is that we do our best."
"Don’t forget, you have this whole family. Everyone is counting on you."
The sharp pain in his shoulder finally brought Gu Yuanjin back to his senses. He saw his worried mother, his wife Xie Ruyi standing silently beside him with their sons, and raised a hand to pat Gu Wenheng’s shoulder. "Thank you, Seventh."
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