Chapter 83
The explosion shook Shin Jiao's whole being; luckily his physique and armor are sturdy enough and the activation of the shield was on the way. When the heat blasts him, his armor and shield receive the brunt of the heatwave. Although his armor is made of strong material that is not easy to destroy even the shield's protection and energy should have been superb, but those are inconsequential to the strong blast force of a level 6 beast core. This causes them to be destroyed almost immediately just like a fragile clay pot hitting a wall while the force threw Shin Jiao like a comet.
His consciousness became fuzzy and his body aches all over, the strong force of the blast almost made Shin Jiao faint and he can feel that his inner organs may have shifted as he spews mouthfuls of blood. Lucky for Shin Jiao, Fen Hu was already weak and the energy inside his core is not that strong. If at that time he is not wearing any armor and didn't activate his shield then he might have already turned into dust.
Right now with his fuzzy consciousness, he detected that something is wrong with his body. It seems that he cannot see his dantian and the power spheres in it.
"Shit! I think my meridian has been damaged. This… this is bad." Shin Jiao thought as he found himself continuously falling to his death.
If he cannot use the spiritual Qi in his body to conjure wind he will surely die. He tried and tried but he truly cannot see or even feel his dantian. Feeling dejected he was about to put his life in the hands of fate. But then he suddenly remembers something, basic low-grade spells using the surrounding natural energy or mana.
So he began to recall the incantations that Phoenix taught and he the ones that he had deduced. Although he cannot use the advance spells as he needs to channel mana from inside his body with those, he can still use the basic spells. The crux is that he can grasp the timing of the spell as mana in his surroundings can still be used for it. So without wasting too much time, he began to quickly chant wind spells.
Time is of the essence as he can already see the ground getting closer.
After some basic wind spell, he can feel his descent slowing down, which made Shin Jiao elated.
"I can do this!" Shin Jiao muttered while he didn't relax his vigilance yet.
But then bad luck struck, when he just cast another wind spell, he accidentally taps into a strong gust of wind blowing by. Shin Jiao didn't know what happened, but right after he finished the words the wind suddenly became ferocious and blew him like a leaf. Sharp blade-like winds appear riddling his body with wounds as it began to attack him.
"What the hell is going on?" Shin Jiao shouted in his mind.
"Why is this wind suddenly seems to have consciousness and is so fierce?"
As if understanding what Shin Jiao is thinking, the wind became more ferocious as it carries Shin Jiao further and further while bombarding his body with the wind blades. The remaining clothing left in him was torn to shred in just a couple of minutes.
Shin Jiao didn't know how long has the wind been carrying and attacking him as he has lost his consciousness which has already been weakened by the blast.
Then all of a sudden Shin Jiao felt his body hitting something hard. This made his consciousness returns for a bit but he hit his head on a hard object and he totally passed out.
…
"Shin! I… I'm so glad that you finally accepted my feelings." Qin Lou said as she hugs him under the dark night sky.
"I should have done it a long time ago. I'm sorry for being a coward." Shin Jiao said as he caressed her soft hair.
"Hihi, I know… But, thank you." Qin Lou said as she lifted her face and looks straight into his eyes.
Shin Jiao also looked at Qin Lou but this time he noticed that she is not wearing her veil, and in front of him stood a very beautiful woman. Cherry Lao and Qin Lou are both beautiful women, however, Qin Lou has a fragile kind of beauty, she is like an honest, kind, and a benevolent Deity. Coupled with her perfect figure, which made the fire in Shin Jiao's heart ignited in passion.
"Shin…" Qin Lou beautiful smile almost took Shin Jiao's breath away as he watches her.
"Shin…"
"Umm…" Shin Jiao replied a bit confused.
"Shin…"
"Yeah... What? What wrong?"
"Shin!"
Shin Jiao crest his forehead at Qin Lou and he immediately discovers that something is wrong. He then noticed that her eyes seem to be empty and that her gaze towards him suddenly became dull.
"Shin… I'm waiting…" Qin Lou's beautiful smile and words suddenly struck Shin Jiao in a realization of something.
His mind turns blank as right in front of him, Qin Lou's figure is actually slowly disappearing. He already cannot feel her in his embrace anymore.
"No! No! Please No! Not again! Please don't leave!" Shin Jiao panicked as he desperately tries to get a hold of the disappearing figure of the woman he now loves.
"No!!! Please don't go!" Shin Jiao's voice echoed through the darkness as his tears began to fall one by one.
...
In a small dark and damp room lays a figure of a young man without any clothing. The only thing that covers his body is a tattered cloth covering his loins. No one knows how long it has been since the figure moved but right now his breathing suddenly hasten.
His wound riddled body is already healing with some scars but many are still open and some are festering. No one knows how long has it been since he was asleep, but judging from the state of his wounds it may have been a long time.
This young man is Shin Jiao, and right now he suddenly was woken up by a strange dream he just had. His body is covered with cold sweat all over and anxiety is clearly written all over his face. His vision is still blurry but he is still able to see just a bit of the dark surroundings.
"W… where…" Shin Jiao wanted to open his mouth and speak but he found his throat dry and voice is unable to come out.
"What… what happened? Am I dead?" Shin Jiao thought as he tried to see his surroundings.
But when he moves his body he suddenly winced in pain. Then he discovered that his whole body felt painful. From the sensation, he can already judge that he had broken a couple of his bones. His right arm is fractured, his right leg is broken but it seems that someone put them back to place unskillfully, and a couple of his ribs is cracked. Luckily he didn't suffer from any memory loss or headache as he can now remember some of the things that had happened, though some of it is a little fuzzy.
As a person who has attained the best of both the cultivation land and the magus land when it comes to cultivation and physique, Shin Jiao's is different. Although he can feel that his wound is grave, with his skill and knowledge it would not take too long for him to heal himself if he is given some time. But for now, he needs to persevere as is still a weak and a wounded person.
After some time, he heard some footsteps drawing closer which seems to belong to two people. With his ability even without the help of his goggles or spiritual sense, he can still determine this. Then he heard some clicking sound as if the lock of the door is being opened from the outside.
Shin Jiao closed his eyes and acted like he is still unconscious, then he can feel two presences entering the room.
"Is he awake yet?" a woman's voice entered his ears.
"I don't know yet mistress. But judging from his wounds he might die sooner if we don't give him some treatment." A youth's voice replied.
"Tsk… Okay, use this balm. The alchemist said that this thing works wonderfully in any wounds though it is not as good as healing pills, however, this is already good enough for him. Hihi." The woman said with a hint of contempt in her tone.
"That young boy is too pampered. Why would he pick up this stray? Luckily for him, the young madam agreed to his request, humph." the woman said in annoyance as Shin Jiao heard the woman walks out of the door.
Shin Jiao can hear the woman's footstep leaving outside.
"Humph, if not for you seducing the eldest young master, you will not be in your position today arrogant bitch." A youth's voice muttered but Shin Jiao heard it as the boy is near him.
"Sigh… big brother, you are lucky that my young master saw you in the river. If not, who would have known what would happen to you." the youth said as he came closer to Shin Jiao and carefully applies the balm on his wounds.
"We servants should stick together, right? Don't worry big brother, I Rat Ling will help you recover." The youth said while he continuously applies more balm on Shin Jiao's wounds.
When the balm was applied to his body, he immediately feels that something seems to be entering from his wounds and then searing pain assaulted his senses. It almost made him shout in agony, but he gritted his teeth and pretends to be asleep but his body still involuntarily convulsed. He tried to force himself to hold on because it was part of his training as a spy, pain tolerance.
Not long later, Rat Ling finished what he is doing and grab some dried grass and carefully cover Shin Jiao's body. When Shin Jiao's body involuntarily convulsed he didn't find it weird as he had seen it a couple of times already.
"Sorry, big brother… this is all I could do for now. If you wake up and become better, I am happy to be your friend… Sigh… in this place, I don't have many friends. Everybody bullies me, and call me Rat Ling because I am small and weak." Rat Ling started to monologue.
He is trying to pour his heartaches towards the unconscious Shin Jiao who just lie there unmoving.
"It seems that this kid is always doing this every time he visits me." Shin Jiao thought even though he is still battling against the pain.
"You know what big brother, I saw a pretty cultivator today. But she is with the oldest young master. And both of them started to bully my young master. If only I… If only I am strong enough I could help my young master." Rat Ling said with a gloomy feeling.
Rat Ling then started to talk about random things and continued his nonsense for a long time until he suddenly stood up.
"Big brother, thank you for listening to me. I will visit you next time okay! I must go now, it's time for the young master to go to sleep and I need to prepare his bath first, so see you tomorrow!" Rat Ling said, then he quickly left.
Shin Jiao heaves a sigh of relief after he felt that he is already alone inside the room. As the pain in his body is already worsening he didn't know if he can still pretend to be unconscious. At this time he can fell that something is like tearing his muscles apart. This terrible pain he is suffering is really inconceivable, as he wriggled in pain he curses the woman for giving the balm. He swore in his heart that if ever he recovers he would give that woman a piece of his mind.
But then he still held on to his consciousness, but this time, though the pain is still present he can now see what is going on. He wanted to observe his body more but he truly can't concentrate because of what he is feeling.
"Arrgggh…" Shin Jiao suddenly blurted out as he almost can't endure it anymore.
Right now he wanted to scratch his skin and tear them away as the throbbing pain is truly terrifying. It's like thousands of needles trying to prick his body into a bloody mush.
Although Shin Jiao has strong will power, however, this feeling is incomparable as while it is assaulting his whole body he felt helpless. What seems like minutes turns into hours as Shin Jiao continuously suffers. But then after some time has passed he suddenly felt a cooling sensation deep within his skin.
"The balm's healing effect seems to be working now." Shin Jiao thought.
Then he slowly opens his eyes and was dumbfounded on what he saw, his whole body is now crimson red.
Although its minuscule but Shin Jiao noticed that his skin seems to be repairing itself. Then he stayed focused for a long time and saw that the wound in his body is actually closing albeit slow. Even the festering wound seems to have been purified and is also slowly healing.
"Although the balm is a low-grade medicine, its effect is okay. But what's with that hellish pain from before?" Shin Jiao thought.
But then he shrugged it off, what's important now is for him to recover his health.
The next day…
Shin Jiao woke up early as he already noticed the wounds in his body is already 70% healed, making him feel elated. Then he heard some footsteps outside the door, so he immediately acted like he is still unconscious.
When the door open a hoarse voice enters his ears.
"This waste is still unconscious? What a waste of time and resources." The man said as he took a bowl and filled it with gruel, then he just throws the bowl to the ground making a mess.
With a smirk, he walks out of the room after locking it. When the footsteps cannot be heard anymore, Shin Jiao slowly opens his eyes and look at the food on the ground. He then noticed that he felt hungry, so he didn't have any choice and just eat what's left on the bowl.
Right now he can already move his body, although his arm and leg with broken bones are still painful and yet he perseveres. After the meager meal, Shin Jiao carefully look at his surroundings and found some wooden sticks. He then forcefully drags his body and does a first aid treatment to his broken leg and arm.
After doing that, he found that the cloth on his loin became lesser as he has no choice but to use it to tie the sticks, so now he had no choice but to cover himself with some dried grass. He then waited for a while as he tried to recall things that had happened, upon remembering something he suddenly panicked.
"Where's my ring?" Shin Jiao thought as he looks at both his hands.
Then to his astonishment, he discovered something strange. Although he cannot see the ring on his finger however he can feel it. It means that it is still there, but without his ability, he cannot open the restriction and the camouflage array.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Shin Jiao continued to sit unmovingly.
Then he heard some footsteps coming closer to his room, and there he saw a youth around the age of 12 to 14, with dark skin and a thin body entering. When Rat Ling saw Shin Jiao sitting, his eyes are beaming with joy as he quickly approached him.
"Big brother! You're awake at last!"