Chapter Fifty-Six: Great Trouble

Fortunately, after checking Shuiyao Immortal’s pulse while she was unconscious, Lei Dong discovered that though her injuries were severe, there was still a glimmer of hope. Perhaps it was guilt weighing on his heart, or maybe it was the look of pain etched on her face that stirred his sympathy, but without much hesitation, Lei Dong took out the precious pill he had always kept close and, using the straw from his water pouch, fed it to Shuiyao Immortal.

This pill was the only one Lei Dong possessed. It had been solemnly bestowed upon him by his old hermit master on the day Lei Dong first began his cultivation. According to the old hermit, after the great calamity of heaven and earth centuries ago, a hundred years ago the spiritual energy of the world had already thinned to the point of near extinction. Even so, it was still enough for a large number of cultivators with lower realms to practice, and the rare treasures of the world—those medicinal herbs that required abundant spiritual energy to grow—could still occasionally be found. Thus, after ten years of toil, the old hermit had managed to refine three “Genesis Pills of Life.” Two had been used in the past century; now, only this one remained.

The old hermit claimed that no matter how grave the internal injuries, a mere mortal could be brought back from the brink of death with this pill, and for cultivators, it would even grant them a surge in cultivation.

Lei Dong was only three years old at the time and hadn’t the faintest notion of what it meant to be “injured,” but the way the old hermit had handed over the pill—trembling, as if he were cutting a piece of his own flesh—left an indelible mark on Lei Dong’s young heart.

For twenty years, Lei Dong had treasured the quail-egg-sized pill, never letting it out of his sight. Not during his time in the army, nor through the special training at the Intelligence Bridge Prison, nor when he faced the greatest obstacles in his own cultivation, nor even during the critical moments when Wuyun, Huang Xiwen, and the others advanced from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment—he had never used it.

It wasn’t out of reluctance, but rather, there had never been a need. Cultivation always emphasized self-reliance; relying on external aid was never the best path. And as for himself… best not to mention it, for to speak of it was only to invite sorrow.

But now, Lei Dong had no room for hesitation.

Shuiyao Immortal’s external wounds were not serious—just surface scrapes and bruises—but her internal injuries were grave. Her organs had suffered severe shock, and several main meridians were either blocked or shattered. Her vital energy was running wild and chaotic throughout her body. The most critical, the Lesser Yang meridian of the hand, was nearly severed in two. Without immediate intervention, not only would her advanced Qi Refining cultivation, bordering on Foundation Establishment, be lost, but even her life would be in jeopardy.

Though Lei Dong was well-trained in battlefield medicine, most of his expertise lay in emergency trauma care. He had little experience with internal medicine, especially when it involved meridians. Worse still, while an ordinary cultivator could at least use their own true energy to save a life, Lei Dong—despite possessing cultivation near the Nascent Soul stage—was utterly unable to use any of it.

Thankfully, for all the old hermit’s irresponsibility as a master, the pill had been no fraud. After a dozen minutes, Shuiyao Immortal slowly regained consciousness, her damaged meridians visibly mending, and her vital energy gradually becoming ordered.

“It seems the old hermit’s gift truly lives up to its name…” Lei Dong let out a sigh of relief, his mind already running ahead. “Damn it, next time I have to get more treasures out of that old codger!”

If this young master could risk his life for the nation on the battlefield, then that old hermit could certainly be made to bleed a little. Just sending me off to the army and washing his hands of it? Such good fortune doesn’t exist!

By then, the optical fiber had stabilized somewhat. Shuiyao Immortal gazed blankly at Lei Dong. Aside from those eyes she had seen countless times in her mind, the face before her was unfamiliar, especially after being smeared with camouflage paint in a way that distorted the muscles, making it impossible to discern his true appearance. Yet, even upon that face, now marked with streaks of grease, emotions flickered—sometimes a smile, sometimes relief, sometimes a flash of teeth-gritting resolve. Seeing this, Shuiyao Immortal found herself at a loss for words.

“You…” After a long pause, Shuiyao Immortal finally managed a word, her voice hoarse.

…

“I…” Lei Dong suddenly realized, and found his left hand still resting on Shuiyao Immortal’s forehead, his right hand on her pulse. The cool, smooth skin felt both icy and strangely burning, as if he had touched a hot iron; he hurriedly withdrew his hands in confusion.

Shuiyao Immortal hadn’t noticed at first, but Lei Dong’s abrupt movement made her aware of it. She let out a quiet “ah,” and a faint blush crept onto her face. Lei Dong felt even more awkward—not out of hypocrisy, but simply because, in more than twenty years of life, apart from An Jing, he had never had any real contact with a woman.

In the stone chamber, silence fell. Only their faint breaths could be heard, seeming now so loud as to scratch at one’s heart.

After a while, both spoke at once:

“You—”

“You—”

Hearing themselves, both laughed. Lei Dong chuckled, “This is such a cliché… Are you feeling any better?”

Shuiyao Immortal nodded with a smile, realizing that the pain she’d felt throughout her body had lessened greatly, and her vital energy was flowing more smoothly. She knew this was due to the young man before her, and though surprised, she asked no further. Everyone had their secrets; some things were better left unsaid.

At that moment, Lei Dong’s “Polaris” communicator beeped. Huang Xiwen’s serious voice crackled in his ear. The moment Lei Dong heard the first sentence, his expression changed.

“We’ve got trouble!” Huang Xiwen’s news was grim. “Headquarters just notified us that several countries in the South Pacific have suddenly closed their airspace to our search planes. The aircraft scheduled to extract us can no longer arrive on time. ‘Xuelong,’ the research vessel, is being rerouted to pick us up instead. It is thirteen hours’ sailing from here.”

Lei Dong was taken aback, then understood at once. “The Minya Federation government made a move?”

“Exactly,” Huang Xiwen replied with a trace of resignation. “The South Pacific countries, who had previously cleared the way for our aircraft, abruptly closed their airspace to us. There can be no cause but immense pressure from the Minya Federation.”

It was only to be expected: once the Minya Federation intervened, they would surely tighten surveillance on all Republic aircraft for the sake of the intelligence they cherished, perhaps even ordering those countries to join the monitoring network. For the Republic’s planes to slip undetected across the vast Pacific was no longer possible. Even a forced takeoff risked provoking open fire under extreme circumstances.

“Damn it!” Lei Dong cursed bitterly. This feeling—being hindered at every turn—was infuriating. When, he wondered, would the Republic once more stand tall among the great powers, able to mete out swift retribution to any who dared provoke her?

But Huang Xiwen’s next words shocked Lei Dong even more: “Three hours ago, the Hercules transport plane that had been returning to base—with a company of Poseidon commandos aboard—took off again from a Minya Federation naval base in the Eastern Pacific. It is expected to arrive here in two hours!”

Lei Dong fell silent. He knew all too well what a company of Poseidon commandos meant: in just an hour, a high-intensity special forces confrontation would erupt.

Under normal circumstances, not to mention a company—even a battalion—Lei Dong would have had the confidence to outmaneuver his opponents. But the real problem was not the squad; behind them were more than two hundred unarmed, elderly, weak, and infirm passengers.

…

But could he simply abandon these innocent people?

After ending the communication, Lei Dong thought for a moment, glanced at Shuiyao Immortal, who was still sitting on the ground, and asked anxiously, “How do you feel? Can you walk?”

Shuiyao Immortal could tell by Lei Dong’s expression that something urgent had happened. Gritting her teeth, she nodded, “I can!” She struggled to her feet and managed a single difficult step forward.

But that single step exhausted all the strength she had managed to gather. A wave of pain crashed over her; the aches and turbulent energy returned at once. Her face turned ashen. She gripped the stone wall, her body hunched, breath coming fast and rough as the world spun around her. Her limbs gave out and she collapsed.

Lei Dong was startled by her state and immediately blamed himself. With such serious injuries—even if the old hermit’s pill was miraculous, it hadn’t had time to fully take effect. He should never have let her attempt such strenuous movement.

But there was no time left. They needed to return to the aircraft, develop a battle plan, and do everything possible to defeat the enemy and protect themselves and the two hundred passengers.

Yet, seeing Shuiyao Immortal’s condition, Lei Dong doubted she could even stand, let alone walk.

Gritting his teeth, Lei Dong muttered, “To hell with it!” He removed his backpack, scooped Shuiyao Immortal into his arms, settled her securely on his back, and then hefted his thirty-kilogram combat pack.

An Jing, who had only just managed to steady her breath and calm her energy, was startled by Lei Dong’s sudden movement. “You—”

Lei Dong smiled, “My name is Lei Dong. I’ll be your porter this time. You owe me dinner when this is over!” He gave another instruction: “Make the most of your time—run your cultivation method and absorb the medicine’s power!” Before he’d finished, he was already dashing out of the stone chamber like a whirlwind.

Shuiyao Immortal lay on Lei Dong’s back, dazed. What kind of man was he, really? When angered, he was as fierce as thunder and fire, both terrifying and bold; yet when calm, he was gentle, giving a sense of safety. He could even defuse awkwardness with a joke—though a bit clumsy and childish, it showed a rare innocence and sincerity seldom seen in modern men.

What’s more, she was not surprised that Lei Dong was a cultivator—a man who could, in an instant, reduce powerful foes to pulp, and who could instantly tell she was also trained in cultivation methods, urging her to heal herself. Such a man could not be simple. Still, his cultivation was shockingly high! If not for the roaring wind in her ears, she would never have guessed he was carrying her at a speed rivaling a racing car, without the slightest jolt or bump.

No wonder he told her to focus on her cultivation; he was fully confident she would not be disturbed.

Listening to the wind rushing past, feeling that broad, solid back, and breathing in the faint masculine scent, Shuiyao Immortal found herself, for a moment, utterly lost…