Huo Wu Says You're Sick

"Take your hand off me."

Li Zhexian lowered his head and looked at the flames already burning on his shoulder.

"I haven't said I wanted more money."

"Who said anything about money?"

"Then why did you put out the fire?"

Huo Wu withdrew her hand.

"I was afraid the fire would get into your head, and I wanted to see if it could burn something normal out while it was in there."

Jin Ling pressed Li Zhexian down beside the stone steps.

"Don't move. Your wound hasn't been fully bandaged yet."

"That hit just now doesn't count as an injury."

"Your shoulder is bleeding."

"The shield blocked most of it."

"But it's still your shoulder that's bleeding."

Li Zhexian touched the injured spot, and blood stained the pads of his fingers.

"This little injury won't affect anything."

"You said the same thing when you crashed into the stone pillar."

Huo Wu stepped closer, her eyes on the wound on his shoulder.

"Did you count the pain in your accounts too?"

"The shield can block fatal injuries, so I can stay alive."

"Does staying alive mean it doesn't hurt afterward?"

"If a bit of pain gets me something in return, I haven't taken a loss."

Huo Wu pointed a finger at him.

"You're sick."

"That's the third time I've heard that today."

"The first two times weren't wrong either."

Jin Ling took out a strip of cloth and passed it around Li Zhexian's shoulder.

As soon as the knot was tied, he flinched and drew back his arm.

"Did that hurt?"

"You used more force than Huo Wu's fire."

"Then bear with it."

"I am bearing with it."

Huo Wu took the strip of cloth, then crouched down and bandaged him again.

Her hands didn't use much force, but the knot she tied was neater.

"Don't get the wrong idea."

She handed the remaining cloth to Jin Ling.

"I just don't want there to be no one to go with me to ask about the accounts after you die."

"I thought you were going to settle accounts with me."

"Of course I am."

Huo Wu looked at him.

"You helped me block that old man's attack. I've already put that in the accounts."

"That was nothing."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Li Zhexian glanced at her and didn't continue to decline this time.

"Then let's settle the accounts slowly."

Jin Ling put the cloth away.

"You two both talk in circles."

"I'm not talking in circles."

Huo Wu stood up and brushed the dust off her knees.

Li Zhexian secured the wine flask on his back.

"Since we've decided to travel together, what's your plan?"

"First, I'll find the people from my sect and ask them clearly why they sent me here."

"What about after that?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Li Zhexian nodded.

"We're going to look for strong opponents, and if there's good wine along the way, we can't miss it either."

"That's your whole plan?"

"We also need to find a way to make sure they don't dare take you away whenever they please again."

Huo Wu looked at him.

"When did you include my business in your plans too?"

"Just now."

"You were still under attack just now."

"Being attacked doesn't stop me from thinking."

"Are you planning to stand up for me?"

"If you don't want me to, I won't make that decision for you."

Huo Wu was silent for a while.

She had only just come down from the altar, and there was no telling when the people from her sect would come looking for her.

For now, having someone to travel with was better than waiting here alone.

"I'll follow you for the time being."

"If you use me to block a blade, I'll put fire in your mouth."

"You can't put fire in someone's mouth. It's easy to choke that way."

"Now you're being picky?"

"I'm just reminding you."

"Save your reminders."

The fire beside the altar had gone out, and the villagers were still gathered around the thin booklet, looking through it.

A young man came over carrying some dry rations and medicinal herbs and put them on the stone steps.

"You're injured, miss. Please take these with you."

Huo Wu didn't reach out to take them.

"I won't accept anything from the sect."

"The village pooled these together."

Huo Wu walked over to the stone platform and picked up a scorched bracer.

Li Zhexian recognized it as the one she had worn on her wrist before.

"You're keeping that too?"

"Yes."

Huo Wu tied the bracer to her waist.

"If anyone refuses to acknowledge the accounts later, I can take it out and show them."

She accepted the dry rations and handed the medicinal herbs to Jin Ling.

Li Zhexian asked, "Didn't you say you wouldn't accept anything?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't accept anything from the villagers."

The villagers brought over two more waterskins.

Li Zhexian picked one up and shook it. Only half a skin of water remained inside.

"Is this enough water for three people?"

"We'll look for more on the road," Jin Ling said.

"You make it sound like water grows by the roadside."

"If you think it's too little, go find some yourself."

Li Zhexian put the waterskin in the bag.

"Let's take it first. There's not much water, but there's plenty of talk."

The sky had already darkened. The three left the altar and entered the nearby woods.

Jin Ling found a spot sheltered from the wind and decided they would rest there.

Huo Wu gathered dry branches and lit a fire, then placed Li Zhexian's soaked outer robe on a rack of branches.

Li Zhexian slept for a while, leaning against a tree. When he heard a branch snap, he opened his eyes and saw Huo Wu crouching beside the fire.

"Are you going to use fire to hit me?"

Huo Wu picked up a branch and tossed it beside his feet.

"Use it to prop up your robe."

Li Zhexian picked up the branch and put the sleeve that had slipped down back in place.

"I saw you staring at the fire for a long time."

"I was looking at the fire, not you."

"If you want to test the shield, you can tell me first."

"Right now, I want to burn your hair off."

"That wouldn't count as attacking the shield."

"Are you going to teach me how to attack you too?"

"That would keep you from wasting your strength."

Jin Ling sat on the other side and looked up at them.

"If you're going to fight, stay away from the fire. Don't burn the waterskins."

Huo Wu raised her hand, and a flame appeared at her fingertip.

"I'll try a few times. When you tell me to stop, I'll stop."

"All right."

"If anything gets hurt, tell me yourself."

"All right."

"And don't use the light orbs to fool me."

"When have I ever fooled you?"

"Today."

"Today, I just didn't get a chance to explain it to you."

Huo Wu snorted and sent the flame at his shoulder.

The golden shield lit up. After the flame went out, a green light orb fell to the ground.

Li Zhexian reached out to pick it up, but Huo Wu blocked him with the toe of her boot.

"Let me choose first."

"Didn't you say you didn't need any?"

"I've changed my mind."

"Go ahead and choose."

Huo Wu nudged the light orb over to his hand.

"Open it and see."

Li Zhexian picked up the light orb, and a cyan pill fell out of it.

After checking the system notification, he handed the pill to Huo Wu.

"This is for pain."

"I don't want it."

"Your wrist is still bleeding."

"It's already been bandaged."

She pushed the pill back. Li Zhexian put it away and didn't try to persuade her further.

Huo Wu tried a few more times.

Each time the flames struck the shield, the system recorded the damage, and green light orbs fell to the ground one after another.

Li Zhexian picked up the light orbs and arranged them in front of Huo Wu.

"They're all here. You choose first."

"You're being generous now."

"Your attacks produced these things, so of course you should get to examine them first."

"You weren't this agreeable before."

"Before, you hadn't hit me."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Your fire is more useful than Shi Potian's fists."

"Don't compare me to him."

"All right."

Huo Wu picked one of the glowing orbs and reached out to open it. Inside was a bottle of Physique Enhancement Liquid.

Li Zhexian explained what it did. She looked at it for a while, then handed it back to him.

"You should use this."

"You don't need it?"

"You need it more than I do."

Li Zhexian took the bottle and put it in his bag.

Huo Wu withdrew the flames from her hand, and the wound on her wrist began to seep blood again.

She looked at the strip of cloth on Li Zhexian's shoulder and thought of the attack beside the altar.

"The next time you encounter a flame attack, first look to see whether anyone is nearby."

"If you can dodge, then dodge. Don't always use yourself to block it."

Li Zhexian understood that she was talking about the attack he had blocked for her.

He thought for a moment, then said, "If I can dodge, I'll dodge first. If I can't, then I'll take the attack."

"Can you stand by what you say?"

"Yes."

"Then remember it."

"I already have."

Huo Wu sat down beside him.

Jin Ling stood up and went to inspect the edge of the woods. After she returned, she added two more branches to the fire.

"I'll take the first half of the night watch. Someone else can take over for the second half."

Li Zhexian said, "I can keep watch."

"You go to sleep first."

"Even if I'm asleep, I can hear any disturbance."

"Then try it once you're asleep."

Huo Wu tossed him a piece of dry rations.

Li Zhexian reached out and caught it, took a bite, and chewed for a long time before swallowing.

"This tastes even worse than wine."

"If you think it tastes bad, then eat less."

"I never said I wouldn't eat it."

Huo Wu paid him no further attention and reached out to straighten the clothes rack, which was about to fall over.

After daybreak, the three of them followed the mountain path toward Sunset City.

While they were still some distance from the city gate, they found a notice posted on a wooden sign by the roadside. Its corners were curling up in the wind.

Jin Ling reached out to hold the notice down, then read the words aloud.

"Madman Arena is recruiting Soul Masters from all walks of life for public challenges."

Li Zhexian stopped in his tracks.

"Is there a prize?"

"If you successfully defend the arena, you can receive ten taels of silver."

Huo Wu glanced at the pouch where he kept his money.

"Only yesterday, you said that if you could dodge, you'd dodge first."

"This time it's a competition."

"Who do you think would believe that?"

Li Zhexian moved closer to inspect the notice and discovered another line of smaller characters at the bottom.

"After ten consecutive victories, there's also a chance to obtain a Soul Bone."

Huo Wu pulled the notice over and looked it over.

"It says here that among the people who signed up, there are Soul Elders close to level forty."

Li Zhexian touched his wine flask. There wasn't much wine left inside.

Ten taels of silver would let him buy a great deal of wine, and the Soul Bone was also worth going to have a look.

He set off toward the city gate.

"Then let's go sign up first."