They didn't rush but planned their attack to end the beast in a swift manner; otherwise, if the commotion increased, other beasts might be attracted from nearby areas.
When the group finally struck, it was swift and efficient. Jian and Luo coordinated the attack, Mei Ling's sword flashing, and the beast fell without a scream. The beast was only in the late stages of spirit beast development, and their careful preparation made the kill relatively easy.
But the forest was never predictable.
Just as they began to relax, without warning, another beast lunged from the shadows.
"It's another one! There are two in this area!" Chen shouted, panic breaking through the calm focus of the group.
The second beast was smaller, only at the mid-stage spirit beast level, but the sneak attack caught them off guard. Xia happened to be in its path, and the beast aimed straight for her. The others reacted too slowly to protect her.
Chaos erupted. Luo's hands tangled in a thorn bush as he tried to maneuver, while Jian stumbled back, pulling Chen to safety.
Lian saw Xia's wide eyes—the fear radiating from her in waves. Without hesitation, he leapt forward, shoving her to the side. Pain exploded across his back, white-hot as tusks tore through cloth and skin. He hit the ground rolling, coppery blood flooding his mouth. The impact from the beast traveled through his body, and after rolling, he finally stopped after slamming hard into a tree.
The force of the impact was so great that even after rolling, the power was still strong. When he slammed into the tree, it shook with the force, and a few branches even swayed, with leaves falling onto his body. While his back was hurting, his chest was also injured from the strong force.
He even felt like his breath had stopped for a moment. He was finding it hard to suck the air in.
"Xia!" Luo shouted, rage and fear mixing into a roar. Jian scrambled, while Mei Ling moved with precision, her sword flashing. The fight was brutal and fast. Mei Ling's blade found the beast's eye, ending the attack in a series of desperate squeals. With a clean slice, the beast was soon surrounded and finished.
Silence fell over the group, broken only by Xia's sobs. She crawled to Lian's side, her hands trembling as they hovered over the wound on his shoulder.
"Y-you… are you okay?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
Luo finally freed himself and joined them, his face dark with anger. "You foolish girl! What were you thinking, wandering off? You nearly got yourself killed!" Meanwhile, he showed no concern for Lian, who was in intense pain.
Xia flinched, tears streaking her dirt-smeared cheeks, but her eyes never left Lian's. There was guilt there, yes, but also something warmer, more complex.
Lian coughed lightly, tasting blood, but kept his focus on her. He still hadn't found his bearings. Even breathing was getting hard for him, so he could only look silently.
The group slowly regrouped, their eyes lingering on the aftermath. Lian's reckless bravery had saved Xia, but it had also cost him.
After some time, as the initial panic and pain passed, he finally regained control over his body. As Lian lay on the ground, the searing pain in his back was still sharp. His body throbbed, but he already felt the familiar warmth of energy knitting the wound. He didn't move much, letting the girls fuss over him, letting them think he'd been caught completely off guard.
In truth, he had calculated the risk the moment the second beast appeared. He wanted a chance to prove himself to the group, to show that he wasn't useless, that he could protect them if it came to it. And Xia… Xia had been too close, too exposed, and he had been too close to let her be hurt.
He was honest with himself—there was more than duty in his actions. Xia had been his focus for days. Luo's relationship with her was new and tentative, while Jian and Chen's relationship was already months old. Mei Ling was unpredictable and independent. But Xia… she was reachable, and this was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
Not that he had been foolish. The beast was only mid-stage spirit level, and he trusted the energy inside him to heal his injuries. It wasn't a dead gamble. It was a calculated move—one that might bring him closer to her while keeping him alive.
"Haa…" But even he hadn't expected the pain to be this much worse. The first beast of late stage had been killed relatively easily, so he thought they weren't much of a threat. When another beast, also mid-stage, appeared, he thought he could at least handle it. Sure, he would get injured, but he hadn't realized he was so vulnerable in front of it. He had overestimated himself; his calculations had been slightly off. He nearly found himself in deadly trouble. He had forgotten that, compared to a spirit beast, he was still too weak.
Now that the energy inside him was healing him, he could finally sigh in relief.
Xia's hands trembled as she pressed against his shoulder blade. "I… I can't believe you did that. You—" Her voice broke, and she looked at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. "You really saved me."
Lian gave a faint, strained smile.
The others were still shaken, exchanging looks and murmurs. Luo's jaw was tight, anger and fear mixed in his expression. Mei Ling wiped her blade, her sharp eyes scanning the surrounding bushes as though expecting another attack. Jian and Chen stayed a few steps back, uneasy.
"You really need to be more careful," Luo said, finally directing his anger at Xia again, though his words lacked the same bite as before. "One wrong step and—"
"I know," Xia whispered softly, not looking at Luo. Her eyes remained on Lian, softening. "I… I won't forget this."
Even Mei Ling offered a rare, approving nod and placed the white sickle herb in the storage bag. "We need to move now. You're injured, and soon the sun will set—it will become even more dangerous."
As the sun dipped behind the tree line, painting the wetland in muted gold, the group searched for a suitable place to set up camp for the night. They soon found a location partially hidden by trees, away from the open. They began to set up the camp. Fires crackled, and the scent of cooked roots and herbs lingered in the air, with simple arrangements made to prevent the flames from going out.
The forest around them felt dangerous, and they remained cautious against possible beast attacks.
...….
...
That night, after the camp had settled into a tense quiet, Lian lay on his bedroll, the sting of his wound a constant throb. He heard soft footsteps.
Xia knelt beside him, a small ceramic jar in her hands. Her wide eyes were luminous in the firelight. "I brought medicinal balm," she whispered. "For your back. It's my fault. Please, let me…"
Lian gave a weak nod. "Thank you."
He shifted, pulling his torn shirt off over his head, exposing his torso to the cool night air. He lay on his stomach, the fire-warmth kissing his skin. Xia's fingers, tentative and soft, began applying the cool, herbal salve to his wound. Her touch was gentle, but every stroke sent a different kind of heat straight to his groin. He could feel her breath on his skin, hear the soft catch in her throat as she worked.
When she finished with his back, her fingers trailed away. "You should… turn over. There might be bruising on your chest," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Lian obliged, rolling onto his back. The blanket across his hips slipped.
Xia's gaze dropped, and her breath stopped completely.
There, lying thick and heavy against his thigh, was his cock. Even soft, it was impressive—long, with a pronounced curve, and a thick, broad head that promised a devastating stretch. The firelight played over its length, casting shadows in the valley of his pelvis.
Her eyes went wide, her lips parting in a silent 'oh'. For a long, suspended moment, she stared, transfixed, her own body utterly still. Then, a flush swept from her neck to her hairline. She fumbled the lid onto the jar, her movements jerky. "R-rest well," she stammered, and fled back to Luo's side without another look.
The next few days were a blur of forced normalcy. They continued to search for rarer herbs now that they had tasted the sweet results of the White Sickle Herb. Over these few days, Xia avoided his eyes, but Lian caught her stealing glances when she thought no one was looking. Her gaze would drift downward, then snap away, her cheeks tinged pink. Luo remained gruff, and Jian's suspicion hung in the air like a palpable cloud.
That night, the camp slept deeply, exhausted from travel and vigilance. The group set up camp with a careful arrangement. Most of the team stayed inside the camp, deep within the formation, where they could rest safely. But because the area was dangerous, someone had to stay on guard.
…