Mutual Aid

Aside from the killing aura, there was also a murky gray aura around him, bleak and desolate in appearance.

"Killing Intent, deathly aura... no wonder he was so badly hurt..." Shen Shuibi's expression lost its cheer, turning exceedingly grave.

Old Ma finally ran over.

But before he could steady himself, his legs gave out and he collapsed onto the ground with a feeble whinny.

Shen Shuibi immediately jumped down from Li Qi's neck, hurried to Old Ma's side, and stroked his mane and neck.

Fortunately, her body was naturally spotless. Even though Old Ma was filthy, covered in grime and clotted blood, none of it could stain her.

Gravel and dust slipped naturally from her body, leaving her untouched by the slightest speck of dirt. It was as if she possessed a water-repellent layer—nothing could adhere to her clothes or skin. Even sticky mud and blood clots slid right off her.

She would not get wet walking through rain, nor dirty while trudging through mud pits. No filth could come near her.

Even more wondrously, after she stroked him, Old Ma's mane—so hopelessly tangled that even Li Qi had thought it all needed cutting off—miraculously untangled on its own.

It seemed that, before her cultivation had been crippled, Shen Shuibi had not been an ordinary person if she could serve as Lady Luofu's maid. She must have been some great expert, right?

Perhaps even a master of the fifth or sixth rank?

Looking at it this way, the fact that she had grown close to him so quickly without showing the slightest discrimination really meant she had a gentle nature.

Li Qi thought so.

Though she really was a little foolish. He wondered whether she had damaged her brain when she crippled her own cultivation.

"Li Qi, go bring the luggage over. I'll look at his injuries first," Shen Shuibi said to Li Qi.

Then she lowered her head and began cleaning the filth from Old Ma's body.

She did not even need water. Wherever her hand passed, the grime naturally fell away and dropped to the ground.

Seemingly feeling that this was not quite right, she patted Old Ma and whispered something to him.

Old Ma gave a series of whinnies, barely braced himself, and struggled to his feet.

After getting up, Old Ma first walked over to Li Qi and let out a whinny, as though greeting him.

Hearing how weak Old Ma's whinnies sounded, Li Qi shook his head. "There's a small river in the mountain ravine below. You should wash over there instead. You can rinse away the blood and clean the wounds too. I'll go get the luggage—there's medicine inside."

Old Ma whinnied. Li Qi did not know why, but although he could not understand him, he could sense that it was a sound of gratitude.

"No need to thank me. Mutual aid, mutual aid." Li Qi waved his hand, then turned and set off.

He went back for the luggage.

By the time he hurried back, the soup was already half-cold, and the rice cakes inside had soaked into a shapeless mess.

Well, whatever.

He added some coarse brown salt, then slurped it down, half eating and half drinking as he finished lunch.

In this desolate wilderness, no one had passed by during that time, and the luggage he had hidden was still there.

He hoisted the luggage onto his back and headed back again.

This time, he did not use Great Forest Wood Qi. He only had three wisps left, so he had to conserve them.

Without Great Forest Wood Qi's help, his return journey was much slower.

A full four quarter-hours passed—half a shichen—before he finally made it back.

Traveling with a basket on his back was exhausting. Panting heavily, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked down from the cliff.

By the little river below, Shen Shuibi had almost finished washing Old Ma.

Old Ma looked much better. The grime covering him had been washed completely clean, and his wounds had been rinsed with clear water. His earlier bedraggled state had vanished. Though still weak, he no longer gave the impression of an aged prisoner beneath the steps, but rather a sickly yet dignified old man.

He truly was dignified. Though the horse looked gaunt and much of his muscle had atrophied, his bones were broad, and he still stood more than eight chi tall—over two meters, far taller than Li Qi.

His mane, though streaked with gray, was exceptionally dashing and flowed with incomparable elegance as he walked.

His pair of large eyes shone brightly, glittering with intelligence and humanity. They even seemed as though they could speak.

Looking at this elderly Dragon Steed, Li Qi had to admit it.

He was really handsome.

More handsome than Li Qi himself.

Li Qi suddenly realized that a horse was more handsome than him, and he felt somewhat indignant. But he immediately tossed those feelings behind his head.

Why was he competing with a horse?!

"Li Qi! You're back? I've almost finished cleaning his wounds. We were just waiting for you to bring the medicine back!"

"Also, I've already made an agreement with him. We'll help him recover, and he'll carry us on the road!" Shen Shuibi rushed happily before Li Qi and said with a grin, "This is great! A journey that would have taken a year and a half before will probably only take half a month now!"

"Good news, good news." Li Qi smiled as well.

Even in his current state, Old Ma could probably still travel eight hundred li in a day. As long as they cared for him properly and let him run less over the first few days, once his injuries healed, Li Qi would no longer have to trek such a long distance himself.

"Old Ma, that's what I'll call you from now on. I have no idea what your name is. Come over here, I'll apply the medicine! We agreed on this, so don't run off after taking the medicine!" Li Qi called to Old Ma as he took out some wound medicine from the basket.

The horse seemed to truly understand human speech. He walked over, snorted at Li Qi, then obediently turned around and presented his wounds to him.

"He's thanking you," Shen Shuibi said.

"No need to thank me," Li Qi replied casually, then began applying medicine to Old Ma.

But Old Ma seemed particularly affectionate toward Li Qi, turning his head from time to time to nuzzle him.

Li Qi's scalp crawled, because this was a male horse.

Damn, horses were huge.

Terrifying.

Yet Old Ma still did not stop. From time to time, he let out a series of whinnies, as though speaking.

Li Qi could not understand.

But Shen Shuibi could.

"He says he wants you to lend him a wisp of Azure Dragon Spirit Qi," Shen Shuibi translated for Li Qi.

"A wisp of Azure Dragon Spirit Qi? So he really came for this?" Li Qi scratched his head.

Shen Shuibi had told him before that Old Ma had come over of his own accord for precisely this reason.

Old Ma rubbed Li Qi with his nose and whinnied beside his ear.

A chill ran through Li Qi, and he took a step back.

"He says that it's mutual aid. You saved his life, and he will repay you," Shen Shuibi continued translating.

"Repay me? How can he repay me aside from carrying me for part of the way?" Li Qi said.

Still, he waved his hand. "Forget it. It's also so we can get back on the road sooner. Forget about repayment—just run faster when you travel."

After all, as long as it was spring, he could obtain one fixed wisp of Azure Dragon Spirit Qi every day. If he did not use it when he should, it was no different from not having it at all.