Treating the Bandits' Wounds

The three rode back to the front of the group, where a group of bodyguards and escorts greeted them with deep respect.

Lin Yue suddenly dismounted, not even bothering to wipe the dust from his forehead or the blood dripping from his spear tip. He first looked down at the armor plate on his chest, turning it over and over to examine it. Then he took two steps around to his mount, bent down and leaned close to the armor, his fingertips lightly brushing over the white marks left by sword cuts and spear slashes on the surface.

His brows were furrowed tightly, and the corners of his mouth were turned down. All the fierceness he had shown when he charged into battle with his spear was gone, and his face clearly showed his distress.

He didn't look like someone who had just defeated hundreds of bandits with a small force; he looked more like someone who had been carrying a priceless jade disc that had been chipped at the corner.

"Look at these guys, slashing around with those broken knives..." Lin Yue muttered to himself, his fingertips tracing a slightly deeper scratch on the horse's neck, his face contorted in pain. "Look at this spot, it's even left a mark."

Lin Shan also dismounted, brushed the loose dirt off his armor, and casually checked the tethers around his horse's belly. Although he also cherished his armor, he was far less distraught than Lin Shan.

Seeing his younger brother's absent-minded appearance, he couldn't help but laugh:

"You rushed forward faster than anyone else just now, why are you suddenly worried about her now? It's a miracle she wasn't hurt, what are a few scratches?"

"How can that be the same!" Lin Yue immediately looked up, his tone full of disapproval. "Ordinary iron armor gets damaged, and that's it; you can just get it repaired at a blacksmith's. But what kind of quality is this armor? You can't even find a replacement even if you have the money! And today, these people have slashed it seven or eight times. Aren't you heartbroken?"

Shen Jingchuan stood to the side, leading Big Black, and chuckled inwardly at his appearance. His mentality was just like that of a modern-day rich kid who treats a supercar like his precious jewel.

Lin Qingyao spurred her horse to Shen Jingchuan's side, carefully examining him. Seeing that his armor, though stained with dust and blood, was intact, she softened her voice and asked, "Are you alright?"

Just as Shen Jingchuan was about to reply, Lin Yue sighed heavily and said sourly:

"Oh dear, my own brother has been fighting on the front lines for ages, and not a single person has come to ask him anything. He's already eyeing other people's affairs. Am I some kind of adopted sister?"

Lin Qingyao's cheeks flushed instantly. She glared at him fiercely and scolded, "Second Brother, stop talking nonsense!"

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore."

Lin Yue waved his hand and replied with a smile:

"Besides, how could he possibly get hurt? Didn't you see it just now? Putting aside Young Master Shen himself, his Big Black horse was incredibly fierce, kicking and punching like a madman. It could fight even better than its master. Those bandits couldn't even get close."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingyao looked at Big Black, who was holding its head high, letting out a clear snort, its mane fluttering slightly in the wind, exuding an air of arrogance. A smile appeared in her eyes, and she softly praised:

"Big Black, you're amazing!"

To her surprise, Big Black completely ignored her, tilted its head, and went straight up to Shen Jingchuan, its ears twitching slightly.

Shen Jingchuan understood immediately, reached out and patted its sturdy neck, praising it with a smile:

"Big Black, well done."

As he spoke, he turned to the side and took a bright red apple from the backpack next to the saddle, and offered it to the dog's mouth. Big Black took it in one bite and chewed happily, its tail swaying slowly.

After a brief rest, the convoy set off again. They soon returned to the area where they had just fought. The two scouts were quick and efficient, having already dragged the corpses and wounded bandits lying across the road to the side, clearing the way.

Only patches of dark brown bloodstains mixed with dust remained on the ground, gradually becoming sticky from the sun.

The bandit leader was moved to lean against a dead tree trunk by the roadside. Blood was still seeping from the wound on his left shoulder, soaking half of his coarse cloth clothes black. His face was as white as a sheet of paper, but he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a single groan.

Seeing a group of people riding towards them, he raised his eyes and stared intently at the armored figures on horseback, letting out a low, hoarse growl:

"What kind of bullshit Zhenyuan Escort Agency is this! They just bully us poor people who can't survive because they have good armor, good guns, and good horses! You rich and heartless bastards, even if you win, it's not a sign of skill!"

Lin Yue was already distressed by the scratches on his nails, and upon hearing this, his anger flared up. He immediately flipped his wrist and thrust his spear forward:

"You're about to die and you're still being stubborn? I think you're asking for it!"

"Second Brother Lin!"

Shen Jingchuan quickly called out to stop him, urging his horse forward half a step to block him.

Shen Jingchuan genuinely felt that this bandit leader was a man of steel. Watching the other man risk his life for a bite to eat reminded him of the animals struggling at the bottom of society in modern times, and also of his own past.

An idea immediately formed in his mind. He decided to save this man's life, not only out of pity, but also because of his integrity.

He dismounted, walked slowly to the man, and asked, bowing his head, "What's your name?"

The bandit leader, his neck stiff, spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his voice trembling but showing no sign of fear:

"I, your humble servant, Hu Tieniu! I've fallen into your hands today because I'm outmatched. Kill me or torture me, give me a quick death! If I even flinch, I'm not Hu."

Shen Jingchuan turned around, took off his backpack from the side of the saddle, carried it to the dead tree, casually laid the backpack flat on the ground, unzipped it, and took out the medicine. Glass medicine bottles, plastic bottles of alcohol, hemostatic powder, and neatly rolled gauze were stacked on the backpack.

Hu Tieniu coldly watched him lay out this pile of unfamiliar objects, immediately guessing that he was going to treat his injuries. He stiffened his neck and spat out a muffled spit:

"I don't need your hypocrisy! I'd rather die than starve to death by the roadside!"

Shen Jingchuan pretended not to hear and reached out to tear open the blood-soaked rag on his shoulder.

The wound was a penetrating wound; the spearhead had entered from the front of the shoulder and exited from the back, and blood was still slowly seeping out.

There was a long, slanted gash on his back, inflicted by Lin Yue earlier. Though not fatal, it revealed raw, uncut flesh. He pressed his fingertips against the edge of the wound, uttering only two words: "Bear with it."

As soon as he finished speaking, he unscrewed the alcohol bottle, tilted it, and poured the clear liquid directly onto the wound.

Hu Tieniu froze, veins bulging on his forehead, knuckles clenched until they turned white, teeth grinding together, his face turning purplish-red. He swallowed the roar of pain that was about to escape his lips, only heavy breaths escaping from his nose.

Shen Jingchuan remained calm, repeatedly rinsing the two wounds with alcohol to remove the dirt and blood. He then unscrewed the porcelain bottle of hemostatic powder, applying a thick layer of powder to both ends of the penetrating wound, and evenly applying it to the shallow cut on his back. Finally, he unfolded a clean gauze, wrapped it around his shoulder several times, and tied a knot tightly, his movements swift and efficient.

After treating the wound, he picked up a strip of antibiotics that was lying to the side. Lin Qingyao had taken three pills from this strip while recovering, leaving seven pills from the ten-pill pack. He figured that people in this world had never encountered this type of drug before, so there was no drug resistance whatsoever. Half the dose would be enough to be effective, and taking more would only harm the body. So he broke off a pill and handed it over, saying in a deep voice, "This is medicine for fever. Take one now. One a day for six days. Don't take more."

Hu Tieniu stared at the small white pill in his palm, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He remained defiant, but did not utter another word of rebuttal.

Shen Jingchuan didn't wait for him to reach out and take it, but directly stuffed the remaining six planks into his arms and put away his backpack.

Turning to look at Lin Shan who was walking slowly towards him, he said:

"Eldest Brother Lin, could you spare some grain from our truck? Just enough for our journey to the next town. We can buy more when we get there; I'll pay for it."

Lin Shan's expression changed slightly. He had been a escort for half his life, and he always only talked about life and death when encountering disasters. He had never given up food while letting people go. It was righteous enough not to kill them, but he didn't agree with it in his heart.

But he had to give Shen Jingchuan face. After a moment's hesitation, he waved to the bodyguards behind him:

"Go, carry two bags of rice and put them here."

Lin Yue surprisingly remained silent, while Lin Qingyao nodded to herself.