He stopped sprinting when he found a group of humans that were approaching him at a distance.
And began supporting himself with his sheath to help him walk with just one leg. He had enough strength in his arms to help himself be pulled by just his sword sheath.
The men who were in the distance approached closer. It seemed like the disciples of a sect who have come out in the wilderness to procure monster cores.
This is the best way disciple of a sect can train themselves in martial arts. They use the monsters as prey to train their techniques and to get monster cores to work as pocket money for them. Many lose their lives in this wilderness but this is still the best way to train warriors.
"They seem like some mid-tier sect," Yang Ding said to himself.
Even his Geijing sect was mid-tier before he became the patriarch.
All the disciples were wearing similar purple robes.
When they spot Yang Ding at a distance some of them started laughing like parrots.
"Haha, look at that cripple walking with his sword as a crutch"
"Hahaha"
"Maybe the man was made a fool of and was given a sword instead of a crutch, haha"
But then suddenly one of them proposed.
"Why don't we have a little fun with him?"
"Yeah nice idea, we have a lot of time on us anyway"
"Guys I don't think that's a great idea. Why do you guys want to mess with the weak and innocent? They haven't harmed you in any way"
A guy with a somewhat swollen face claimed.
"Ohh, look who we have here. Su Yang wants to play a hero"
The guy who said this punched him on the swollen face.
"Ooops my hand slipped, Haha. You won't hold it on me would you Su Yang?"
*cough*
"You! You won't get away with this."
"Oh, you will beat me then? But aren't I innocent? I never did a thing"
*cough*
Yang Ding who wasn't at much of a distance had heard the entire conversation.
"Fools"
"I won't comment on the idiocy of these people but that Su Yang, who does he think he is? Trying to act all high and mighty when he himself is a weakling"
Yang Ding counted the number of disciples present there as his lips arched into a smile.
"1..2..3..4...Just four other than Su Yang. They will be a piece of cake. Judging from their attire they seem to be disciples at the True profound Realm"
The arrogant disciple was beating Su Yang.
Another one came and tapped o his shoulder.
"Leave him brother we don't want our allowances to get stripped off"
He stopped.
"Yeah, you are right. I would lose out a lot if I waste time on this shrimp"
"Yeah, let's leave him here. He won't be able to hunt anyway"
The group of students went to the other side of the first leaving the injured Su Yang behind.
Yang Ding approached him while limping with his sword.
"Pathetic!" he voices out.
*cough*
"If you can't fight them. Why mess with them?"
*cough*
"Cause that was the right thing to do"
*cough*
Su yang tried to get up on his feet but stumbled. He had no support.
So he took out his sheath and lifted himself like Yang Ding.
He turned around to leave.
Limping while sometimes groaning in pain he dragged his feet to pull himself out of this forest. If he encounters a beast at this stage death is certain for him.
Yang Ding smirked.
"Isn't this the classic definition of a fool? All fools die early. I am amazed that he is yet alive"
"But wait, isn't this kind of what I was looking for"
Yang Ding pulled himself after him and shouted.
"Wait, Su Yang!"
Su Yang stopped in his tracks and turned around to find Yang Ding coming up to him.
*cough*
"What do you want?"
"I need your help!"
"You are a grown-up man and yet you ask help from a child?"
Yang Ding frowned.
He would have not let him go unscathed if he wasn't in need of him,
He was in this state cause of his system and his bad fortune.
"Although if you want my help I would be glad to help"
Yang Ding's frown somehow disappeared.
"Can we talk somewhere else? I take responsibility to take you safely out of the forest"
Su Yang might be flabbergasted at that bold claim but he didn't react.
"I see then please take care of me. What should I call you Big Brother?"
Of course, Su Yang won't recognize that he was talking to the patriarch of the Geibing clan.
Yang Ding has used his disguise arts to disguise himself as someone else.
'But I would need an alias as well'
"My name is Ding Yang" he claimed
"Ah, we have the same name!"
"Yeah it seems so"
"I see"
"Let's go we have a forest to cross"
Yang Ding said as he looked at the distance.
They are walking at a relatively safer beast-free path carved out by cultivators but you never know when the dangers might befall them.
"Yeah, let's go"
It was a funny sight of two men walking side by side limping being supported by their swords.
"By the way, what do you think the phrase "a virtuous act" means?"
"Hmm, why do you ask that?"
"Consider me driven by curiosity"
"I see"
Su Yang acted thoughtfully for a moment as he stared at the sky above.
"I think a selfless act that is not meant to aid oneself backed might be called a virtuous act"
"Hmm, I see"
Yang Ding contemplated on those words but he wasn't able to figure out why would someone partake in something that would not benefit him.
"Strange.." he said to himself.