Chapter 94

Ji Chun gave an awkward nod. As the old man left, he lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling to rest his exhausted body. It had been years since he'd experienced this state of complete mental emptiness - no thoughts, just pure being. With the Di Mang affair concluded and Su Ran safe, all that remained was to recover from their injuries before reuniting with their child. A faint smile touched his lips as he imagined Rou Dan'er's chubby little face.

"Ji Chun—!"

The panicked roar from the inner room shattered his reverie. Recognizing Su Ran's voice, Ji Chun struggled upright. "I'm here!" he called back, grabbing furniture for support as he staggered toward the inner chamber. His weakened legs nearly gave way, forcing him to catch himself on a table. Gritting his teeth against the tearing pain that broke him out in cold sweat, he finally reached the bedside and grasped Su Ran's hand. "I'm... I'm okay..."

Su Ran's normally pale face had gone ghostly white. Despite his injuries, his eyes remained alert and dangerous - until they landed on Ji Chun's stumbling form. The tension drained from his body instantly.

"Does it hurt?" Ji Chun whispered, his own face sheened with sweat, lips bitten pale. His deep eyes studied Su Ran with tender concern.

Seeing Ji Chun's obvious pain, Su Ran clenched his fists. He wanted to rage at the foolish monk, but could only manage through gritted teeth: "Aren't you in agony?! With injuries like yours, you should be lying still!"

Rather than take offense, Ji Chun chuckled weakly. He brushed a hand through Su Ran's hair. "It does hurt," he admitted softly. "So don't move either, Sect Leader Su." His fingers squeezed Su Ran's gently.

Su Ran responded with a half-hearted pinch before relaxing. "Where are we?"

"An old man saved us. He—"

"Aiya! Little monk, my orders mean nothing to you?" The cranky savior chose that moment to reappear, hands on hips. "Go die outside then! Don't clutter up my house!"

"Who the hell are you?" Su Ran cut in coldly. Propping himself up despite the pain, he snatched something from the bedside and hurled it at their host.

The old man dodged with surprising agility. "This is my thanks?" he wailed, throwing himself dramatically to the floor. "Poor me! Saving such ungrateful wretches!"

Ji Chun noted the man's evident martial skill beneath the theatrics. "Our apologies, elder," he said hastily. "Please rise."

The performance ceased immediately. The old man brushed himself off, eyeing Su Ran warily before muttering to Ji Chun, "Back to bed! Your wounds are worse. Keep wandering and even I can't fix you!"

"Understood. Thank you for your kindness." Ji Chun rose carefully, wincing, but the old man surprised him by offering support back to the outer room.

Alone again, Ji Chun stared at the wall separating him from Su Ran. A few paces apart might as well have been miles. He longed to talk but knew Su Ran needed rest. Instead, he conversed with the old man and learned three days had passed since the cave-in. They'd lain unconscious outside for a full day before being rescued.

Confined to bed with only his thoughts, Ji Chun's mind circled back to that fateful day. Had any others survived? Shang Luo certainly escaped - but where would he go? How did someone so young possess such terrifying power? Even Master Huikong might pale in comparison. Those blood-red eyes, the creeping veins, that unnatural aura... yet his speech and form were human. What was he?

Why slaughter so many martial artists? Why target entire sects? If Shang Luo orchestrated the Ouyang massacre, did Ouyang Yixun know? Had he achieved his goals, or would more bloodshed follow? And those final words: "Shaolin will perish, the Demonic Cult will be destroyed, and Di Mang has appeared." Were Shaolin and the Demonic Cult the next targets? But Di Mang was supposed to be lost in the abyss... unless...

The unanswered questions swirled in Ji Chun's mind, each one deepening his concern for his master's safety. As he lay here recovering, what horrors might be unfolding in the martial arts world? The weight of these thoughts pressed upon him until he could barely breathe. In his current weakened state - weaker than even an ordinary person - how could he possibly return to protect his master? His only path forward was clear: heal his injuries with all possible speed and return to the Central Plains. Surely, somewhere in this world, there existed someone capable of stopping Shang Luo.

"It's time to eat!" The old man announced, entering with two steaming bowls. He placed one beside Ji Chun's bed. "Eat carefully - mind your wounds!" After delivering the second portion to Su Ran in the inner room, he returned to take his own meal at the small table outside.

Ji Chun propped himself up to eat, watching their host. It felt wrong to dine in silence with their savior. "May I ask your name, elder?" he began politely.

"Name's long forgotten," the old man mumbled around a mouthful of rice. "Just call me Wu."

"My Buddhist name is Ji Chun, and the young man inside is Su Ran. Might I ask where we are?"

"Small village near Xilongzhou," Wu answered tersely, keeping his eyes on his food.

Ji Chun pressed further. "Have you heard any news recently? About the Sha Yin Sect?"

"Don't know any Sha Yin Sect," Wu chuckled, shoveling more rice into his mouth. "Haven't left these parts in decades. Want more food? I'll get seconds." Before Ji Chun could respond, the old man had already taken his empty bowl outside, humming cheerfully.

Ji Chun stared after him, troubled. Everyone in Xilongzhou knew of the Sha Yin Sect - how could this man claim ignorance? More puzzling still, their injuries had been severe internal wounds, the kind only powerful martial artists could inflict. What medical knowledge did this recluse possess to treat them? Yet Wu clearly had no intention of explaining himself. Ji Chun resolved to observe carefully, gradually realizing this seemingly simple old man was anything but ordinary. Beneath the eccentric exterior lay the bearing of a true master - his inner strength so profound it became invisible to casual perception.

On the fourth day of convalescence, Su Ran emerged from the inner chamber. Though his steps remained unsteady, he could at last walk unaided. He went straight to Ji Chun's bedside, looking down at the still-bedridden monk with an amused smirk. "Rest well," he announced. "I'm leaving now."

Ji Chun recognized the teasing and smiled faintly, reaching for Su Ran's hand. "Sect Leader Su, you can't abandon me."

"Oh?" Su Ran arched an eyebrow. "And why not?"

"Because..." Ji Chun thought of their child waiting in the village, his chest tightening with longing. "Sect Leader Su is the father of my child. When we return, let's visit Ze'er together."

Su Ran's expression softened. He nodded. "Yes."

A shadow crossed Ji Chun's face as he voiced his concerns. "These past days, whenever I recall that final confrontation, I can't shake the feeling disaster approaches."

Su Ran's brow furrowed. "As long as that demon walks free, the martial world will know no peace. But his power... who in this world could possibly oppose him?"