INJURED

Slowly, Zhu Su opened his eyes.

The sky was bright blue. The pitch-black clouds no longer existed. The sun shone directly to his eyes. A vast, barren desert stretched before him. Dazzled, he blinked his eyes.

Am I still in Kaifeng? Or, I have been in another world?...

Zhu Su tried to move his hands and feet. However, as he started to move his feet, extreme pain soon hit his whole body.

"Ouch! It really hurts!..." Moaning in pain, Zhu Su tried to move his hands, and once again, he felt an extreme pain

Zhu Su gnashed his teeth. He was panting, could not bear such extreme pain, and thus he fell lying on the ground again.

Damn it! Don't tell me that I will be paralyzed forever, moreover in such kind of place?!?...

It can't be! I won't let it happen!

Zhu Su kept straining his limbs to move. He knew that extreme pain would torment him again, but his determination not to die in this barren desert flared his mind to overcome the pain.

Few minutes later, finally, Zhu Su managed to stand up.

However, his standing position was unbalanced. It turned out that Zhu Su's left hand and leg could not function properly. His left hand was bent, and his left leg was limping.

It must be caused by being swept away by the flood! That's why my whole body hurts so much... but I still have to find the others!

Tottering, Zhu Su started to put his feet. His walk was slow due to his limping left foot. He almost fell down several times, yet fortunately he could maintain his balance pretty well.

A moment later, he found a silhouette he knew very well - the silhouette was lying in front of him.

"Brother Di!" Zhu Su soon approached Zhu Di, and since he was so panicked, he forgot to call Zhu Di "Your Majesty", and instead still calling him with their old greetings. He immediately crouched down - he fell down at first, but quickly adjusted his position to a sitting position - thus began to shake Zhu Di's body. "Brother Di! Wake up, Brother! Wake up, please!"

Slowly, Zhu Di opened his eyes.

"Su..."

"Brother!..." Zhu Su was so happy as Zhu Di had gained his consciousness. "Thank Heaven! I'm so worried that you have... but many thanks to Heaven, you are fine! Thank you, Good Heaven!"

Zhu Di tried to get into his feet. He was luckier than Zhu Su, he was not injured at all so he could stand straight normally.

"Where are the others? You're the only one in here?"

"I am also searching for them, yet you are the only one I can find right now..."

"We must find them, and the most important, we must know the location where we are right now... what's wrong with you?" Zhu Di just realized something wrong had happened with Zhu Su.

"I am injured... so I am forced to walk limply... but don't worry! I can walk after all! Don't waste time, Brother! We must get out of here immediately!"

"You must heal your wound after we arrive in the Palace," Zhu Di sighed. "By the way, Su, do you know where we are now? Nothing I know about the geography in Kaifeng, but you have lived here for decades, you should know it very well, right?"

Zhu Su saw left and right, observing the surroundings thoroughly.

"Yes, Brother. We have been swept far away from our former location, but we are still in the destructive area of the flood."

"But... why is nobody here... why is this place so quiet?..."

Anxious, Zhu Di walked so fast he almost forgot that Zhu Su was wounded, and now left his brother far behind him.

"Hey, Su, where are you?!" Zhu Di looked around, searching for Zhu Su.

"I'm here, Brother!" Far behind him, Zhu Su replied breathlessly.

"Eh, how come you are so far?..."

"I can't walk fast... my leg hurts..."

"Oh my... I'm so sorry, I forget that you are injured!" Zhu Di quickly approached Zhu Su, supporting him.

"No problem... I can walk by myself... it's just that, I can't walk quickly..." Trying not to bother Zhu Di, Zhu Su deliberately said so.

"Never mind, you are injured, it is my duty to help you." Zhu Di returned his focus to the front. "Su, are you sure that the direction we are heading is the correct one?"

"I... I'm sure, Brother!..."

Zhu Di realized the doubt inside Zhu Su's voice, but he tried not to make the situation become worse by harassing Zhu Su like a fussy kid. He strained his instinct which had been well trained in the rigors of warfare all the time, and by then he decided to follow the direction Zhu Su was pointing.

His instinct managed to lead him to the correct direction. Soon after, the view of Kaifeng city lay before his eyes.

"Finally, Su! You are right, we have returned back... Su?!"

Zhu Su could not reply to Zhu Di's excited shout. He had fainted. The extreme pain had taken away his consciousness.

***

"Your Highness... Your Highness! Please wake up, Your Highness, please!"

"Fu Wang, please wake up, please Fu Wang..."

Zhu Su was so annoyed. Somebody woke him up by force, whereas he preferred to continue his good sleep. He had just been freed from all the excruciating pain, and would soon fly to the Ninth Heaven to enjoy limitless freedom and peace, but they pulled him back to this Mortal Realm full of pain and suffering.

Irritated, he opened his eyes.

So many people stood above him, staring closely at him. Their faces were soon full of happiness as seeing him woke up. He knew all of them. Zhu Youdun, his other children... and also Hu Nayin.

"Thank Heaven, finally you are awake. You have passed out all day long, I am so afraid that you will..." Zhu Youdun beamed with happiness. So did his other children, all of them stared at their father, their lips curved a cheerful smile.

Ah, how can I be so stupid just now, I prefer to leave this world, while my children still hope my presence here...

His eyes met Hu Nayin's. She stared deeply into his eyes, her eyes sparkled with tremendous excitement, and her lips curved a big relief smile.

And also, for her... I must survive, must be alive.

"Well... my dear children... and Nayin... I am alright..." Assuring them, Zhu Su smiled broadly. He began to move his body, but it turned out that his left limbs were still badly injured. He immediately grimaced in pain.