"Who are you, exactly?" Yuan Ming's gaze turned towards Hu Tu as he asked.
Being stared at so intently, Hu Tu felt Yuan Ming's eyes to be somewhat hazy.
"My name is Hu Tu, and I'm the one who dragged you out of a pile of corpses. Remember, it was I who saved you," Hu Tu said, avoiding eye contact with Yuan Ming.
"Thank you!" Yuan Ming looked around and gave a nod, acknowledging the fact that the other man had saved him.
"Are you from the Central Plains?" Hu Tu had already concluded that Yuan Ming was a man from the Central Plains.
Rather than gaining recognition in the military, he had actually been more interested in going to the Central Plains. He had seen some merchants from the Central Plains in the past, dressed in splendid attire, and heard from them that it was a place of immense prosperity, a place even deities like Grandpa Yu admired.
However, in recent years, the conflicts between various clans of the Southern Border and Da Jin Country from the Central Plains had been escalating, often erupting into big and small skirmishes, resulting in a military lockdown on the borders. Except for the Kasi Clan, which still maintained trade with the Central Plains, the presence of Central Plains merchants among other clans had practically vanished.
"What Central Plains?" Yuan Ming countered.
"How did you get to the Southern Border?" Hu Tu gaped.
"I don't know." Yuan Ming shook his head.
"How did you get injured?" Hu Tu frowned.
"I don't know."
"Were you with a merchant convoy?" Hu Tu's brow furrowed.
"I don't know."
...
A series of questions later, Yuan Ming only managed to answer that his name was "Yuan Ming," and he knew nothing else, causing Hu Tu's hopes to diminish.
"Do you know what hunger is?" Hu Tu asked, sounding deflated.
Yuan Ming did not speak, instead his belly responded with a "gurgle."
Hu Tu was left speechless. By this point, he had lost his interest in questioning and was ready to give up.
"Clang, clang..."
Just then, a series of abrupt bell chimes rang out.
"Ah, no, this is bad!" Hu Tu suddenly turned his head to glance outside, hesitated, then hoisted Yuan Ming up.
"What's wrong?" Yuan Ming asked in confusion.
"Men from the Black Fire Sect have arrived. If they see you, you're as good as dead," Hu Tu explained hastily, tugging Yuan Ming to run outside.
No sooner had Yuan Ming taken a step than he stumbled and fell.
"This is really going to be the death of me..." Hu Tu looked back at the wound on Yuan Ming's thigh and couldn't help but sigh.
He hurriedly propped up Yuan Ming's arm, only then realizing that Yuan Ming was quite tall, nearly his own height.
The two were just about to leave when noisy footsteps could already be heard from outside.
"It's too late, lie down and don't move, play dead," Hu Tu said with a bitter expression.
...
Outside, several men in blue robes, led by Ba Ru, were already dragging a cart into the bunker.
Upon entering, Ba Ru saw Hu Tu squatting on the ground, holding a long-handled brush, scrubbing on a glaringly white corpse.
"The corpse" was naturally Yuan Ming, who was also cooperating by lying motionless on the ground at the moment.
"Hu Tu, what's going on, why are you dawdling for so long? Haven't you cleaned up yet?" Ba Ru furrowed his brows immediately.
When Hu Tu turned his head back, he had somehow procured a cloth and wrapped it around his face, his eyes showing a guilty smile as he said vaguely, "Big Brother Ba Ru, everyone who came today was really dirty, can't wash it off."
"Is that so? Let me see if it has started to stink yet?" Ba Ru pretended to come over.
"Big Brother Ba Ru, don't come over, I, I can't stand it anymore…" Before he could get close, Hu Tu turned around and "wah" made a sound as if he was about to vomit, making Ba Ru and the others feel uncomfortable.
"Curse it, you are too disgusting..."
Ba Ru did not finish his sentence when he saw Hu Tu about to vomit and quickly said, "Then don't wash it, Black Fire Sect's people have already arrived, drag it out and let them see for themselves."
"That won't work, this one hasn't been treated with preservative oil yet. How about you take the others out first, and I'll tidy this up and then send it out?" Hu Tu asked tentatively.
Ba Ru waved his hand impatiently and said, "Alright alright, be quick about it."
With that, he gestured for his men to start moving the bodies, one by one, stacking them on a cart.
Hu Tu continued brushing the "corpse," feeling his heart rise to his throat, fearing that Yuan Ming would make any sound or stir, which, if discovered, would be troublesome.
Thankfully, Yuan Ming was very cooperative; he did not make any movements throughout the entire process, and even Hu Tu almost thought he had died again.
Only after those people had left did Yuan Ming suddenly open his mouth and took a deep breath.
"The man isn't stupid, let's go, we have to hurry." Saying this, Hu Tu threw the long-handled brush onto the ground, lifted Yuan Ming up, and carried him on his back.
He reached the door of the bunker, looked outside to make sure that no one was paying attention, and then quickly ran out from a small path behind the bunker.
Hu Tu carried Yuan Ming all the way out of the bunker's territory towards the direction of the mountain behind.
Fortunately, in the graveyard, there were many more dead than living, and they did not encounter any trouble along the way.
After walking for quite a while and seeing no one around, he threw Yuan Ming, who was pretending to be dead, to the ground and gasped, "I mean… you don't look like you have much meat on you, why do you feel heavier than me?"
"Have you ever carried yourself?" Yuan Ming asked in surprise.
"I just risked my life to save you again, don't argue with me." Hu Tu was momentarily startled and said angrily.
Yuan Ming smiled slightly, leaned against a tree, and struggled to stand up, saying, "Big favors must not be mentioned thanks; I will repay you substantially in the future."
Upon hearing this, Hu Tu's face immediately brightened, hopeful, "Really? Have you remembered your identity?"
As a child, Hu Tu had often heard those wandering merchants tell tales of distressed princesses and scattered princes; encountering one and saving them could mean glory and wealth in the future, and escaping this dreadful place seemed within reach!
Yuan Ming, wearing a blank expression, shook his head.
"Wait here, I'm going to grab some things, then take you away." Hu Tu rolled his eyes and said.
"You dare go back? Wouldn't you be caught?" Yuan Ming asked in surprise.
"Even if I walk back boldly, so what? If you hear other people coming, just hide yourself." After saying that, Hu Tu turned and ran back toward the bunker.
Yuan Ming leaned against a tree, looking at the slightly risen graves not far away, and let out a soft breath.
After a long wait, Hu Tu had not returned. Looking around, Yuan Ming could not see Hu Tu's figure, and thinking of the Southern Border man he had just met possibly running into trouble, his heart felt a bit chaotic.
Remembering Hu Tu's instructions, he decided to leave and struggled to crawl towards the roadside bushes.
Having only crawled a short distance of three or four zhangs, he saw the wild grass among several nearby graves shake, and then a round head poked out; it was Hu Tu, with a bundle on his back and a dagger hanging at his waist.