Li Shuang struggled against the old woman’s iron grip, which seemed even stronger than before. Surrounding soldiers rushed to help. Luo Teng’s blade struck the woman’s neck but only chipped, leaving her unharmed.
“Heart…” Li Shuang gasped out.
Qin Lan immediately stabbed at the woman’s heart from behind, but his sword couldn’t penetrate. The woman turned, her entirely black eyes flashing as she unleashed a dark force, scattering the soldiers.
Li Shuang’s face turned purple as she neared unconsciousness.
Suddenly, with a soft thud, the old woman’s grip loosened. Her expression froze in disbelief before she collapsed beside Li Shuang, motionless.
Through blurred vision, Li Shuang saw Jin’an standing nearby. His eyes blazed red, his aura murderous. In his bloodied hand, he held the woman’s putrid heart, which he crushed effortlessly. The foul blood spattered their faces, jolting Li Shuang to alertness.
She watched as Jin’an discarded the mangled organ.
Sitting up and fighting through the pain in her throat, Li Shuang rasped, “Jin’an?”
Jin’an looked at her. Seeing she was safe, his killing intent faded, his eyes returning to normal along with his appearance.
He tried shaking the blood from his hand to no avail. Using his clean hand, he wiped the blood from Li Shuang’s face. His expression remained neutral as if he’d merely swatted a mosquito rather than killed a seemingly invincible monster barehanded.
“It’s over,” he said. “She won’t rise again.”
Silence enveloped them.
Jin’an’s gaze fell on the bruises on Li Shuang’s neck. He frowned, reaching out but not daring to touch. “You’re hurt.” He thought she needed a doctor, but as he turned, he saw the soldiers eyeing him warily. Luo Teng, Qin Lan, and even Li Ting stared at him as if he were…
A monster. Just like the old woman.
Jin’an looked back at Li Shuang, only to find her staring at him too.
He lowered his head, silently accepting their scrutiny like a criminal. But then, a soft cloth wiped his face.
Li Shuang cleaned the blood from the scratch the old woman had left. “Medic,” she said, her voice barely audible. That single word was enough to dispel all doubts and awkwardness.
The soldiers snapped to attention, summoning medics who tended to both Li Shuang and Jin’an in the main tent. One treated Li Shuang’s neck while another cleaned Jin’an’s facial wound.
Jin’an watched Li Shuang from afar as the soldiers kept their distance.
After treating her, the medic advised, “General, avoid speaking much and shouting. Stay calm, and eat mild foods, mainly rice porridge. It’ll take a month to fully heal. Be cautious of catching a cold afterward.”
Jin’an silently memorized these instructions, planning to ask the medic later about preventing colds.
As the medic left, Li Ting sighed in relief. “I’m glad you’re okay, Sister. I wouldn’t know how to explain to Father otherwise.” As Li Shuang tried to speak, he added, “Don’t talk, Sister. Just rest your voice and listen to me.”
Li Shuang lay there, torn between amusement and exasperation. They weren’t usually this delicate in battle. However, Qin Lan and Luo Teng agreed with Li Ting: “It’s embarrassing enough that the General was injured in camp.”
Li Ting asked, “But who was that demonic woman? I’ve never seen anyone impervious to weapons like that. Terrifying.”
Qin Lan pondered, “She had no life force, and didn’t breathe even in death. The medic who examined her body said she’d been dead for ten to fifteen days. The cold weather preserved her corpse…”
“Dead?” Li Ting exclaimed. “For over a week?”
Luo Teng was skeptical. “Qin Lan, what kind of medic thinks a woman dead for that long could fight us so fiercely?”
“It’s implausible, but the medic is certain,” Qin Lan replied. “You all saw her decaying face and neck, and how she didn’t bleed when wounded. Her heart…” He glanced at Jin’an. “Her heart contained only a small amount of tainted blood. It wasn’t a living person’s heart. In my opinion, this matches the folk tales of… the Walking Dead.”
Li Ting was struck speechless. Luo Teng shuddered, “Damn, that’s chilling. I thought I’d seen everything on the battlefield, but this… it’s eerie.”
“In my youth, I read some supernatural tales,” Qin Lan continued. “They say the Walking Dead arises when someone with great unfinished business or obsession dies, and something related to their fixation appears.”
Li Shuang considered this. She remembered that when they first entered the underground chamber, there was no sign of the old woman among the wolves. She only appeared after they arrived. The woman had said she smelled “his” scent on Li Shuang…
It was clear the woman had come for Jin’an. Was he the focus of her obsession?
Li Shuang had set out to uncover Jin’an’s background, but now his history seemed more mysterious than ever. The underground chamber filled with corpses, the richly dressed but decaying walking dead woman, and Jin’an’s red eyes and fiery markings…
Li Shuang recalled that the young man who saved her at the bandit stronghold had markings nearly identical to Jin’an’s when he killed the old woman. Did these markings change with their power?
She had no idea which northern tribe these people belonged to.
After Qin Lan and the others discussed the matter inconclusively, they tried asking Jin’an, but he remained silent. Eventually, they gave up. Before leaving, Li Ting, keeping his distance, said, “Little Master, thank you for saving my sister today, although…”
Although… it was a bit frightening.
Jin’an looked up at him, causing Li Ting to flinch and hurriedly leave.
As Jin’an lowered his head, Qin Lan called from the doorway, “Come out now. The General needs rest.”
He glanced at Li Shuang and silently moved to leave, but she rasped, “Wait. I have questions.”
Jin’an stayed, standing obediently by her bed. Looking at the white bandage on her neck, he appeared sad. “Does it hurt?” he asked, then quickly added, “Don’t answer that.”
Li Shuang laughed softly. “I know my limits.” She studied him for a moment before asking, “You…”
“I’ll tell you everything,” he interjected. “But I don’t remember much. I only know I ran out of the forest, collapsed, and you found me the next day. That’s all.”
He didn’t know his name, his origins, or why the old woman had sought him out. In truth, he wanted to know about his past more than anyone else did.
Seeing Jin’an standing by her bed, his eyes downcast, Li Shuang felt a pang of sympathy as she recalled his expression after killing the old woman. No matter how powerful, he was still just a child.
She reached out to touch his cheek, where the medic had applied herbs to his wound. “Does your injury still hurt?” she asked gently.
Jin’an was surprised. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Li Shuang nodded. “When I was young, my father took me in. As I trained in martial arts, I progressed rapidly. One day, a vicious dog cornered my stepmother in the courtyard, and I killed it on the spot. From then on, she despised me, calling me unnaturally strong and inhuman.” Her broken voice pained Jin’an. “It was just like what you experienced today.”
She looked at Jin’an with gentle, steady eyes. “But my father told me that having extraordinary abilities isn’t a bad thing. If your heart is righteous, even in darkness, you can break through hell. Whether a sword kills or saves, whether it’s used for good or evil, depends not on what others say, but on what’s in your heart.” She smiled softly. “Jin’an, thank you for saving me today.”
Jin’an’s heart surged with warmth. He lowered his head and mumbled a response. Li Shuang felt her palm grow warm against his cheek. He was… blushing.
Amused, Li Shuang pulled back her blanket slightly. “Would you like to sleep with me?”
Jin’an was startled, his heart racing. His eyes shone as he looked at Li Shuang. “May I?”
He enjoyed being with her, perhaps subconsciously reminded of a family member. Li Shuang patted the bed. “Come sleep. Today has exhausted both of us.”
Jin’an promptly took off his shoes and slipped under the covers. Li Shuang hugged him, patting his head. “Sleep now.”
The sun was setting.
Being constantly by Li Shuang’s side seemed to lessen the surges of energy he felt during day and night transitions.
It wasn’t until nearly midnight that Jin’an felt the familiar burning sensation, but it faded quickly this time.
His body transformed into that of an adult. Suddenly, Li Shuang, who had been holding him as he slept, was now sleeping in his arms. He gently pulled her closer, cradling her protectively. Li Shuang murmured but didn’t wake, nestling against him and continuing to sleep peacefully.
Jin’an looked at her in his arms, touching the bandage on her neck. He thought that if he could have taken this form during the day, he would never have allowed the old woman to harm her.
Feeling a pang of tenderness, he placed a gentle kiss on Li Shuang’s forehead. Then, holding her close, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.