Pain!
Awful!
That was Shen Tang's first thought.
Her head hurt, her hands hurt, her waist hurt, her legs hurt, her feet hurt...
There wasn't a single spot on her body that didn't hurt.
As her consciousness returned, it felt as though every cell in her body was banging a gong and drum to protest. She drew in a shallow breath, and the strong smell of earth and blood rushed into her nostrils. Her brows knit slightly; her temples throbbed, and her lashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes.
Shen Tang's collapse had been so unexpected that Zhai Le had only had time to spare a thought and order two black-armored soldiers to aid the guards, lest someone be hurt by a stray blade in the melee. Qi Shan was both exasperated and amused. Who could have guessed she'd suddenly pull a stunt like this?
The moment he drew near, he heard Shen Tang cursing under her breath.
"Damn—where the hell am I?"
As soon as she opened her eyes, she realized she was lying face-down, half her face submerged in a muddy puddle, her cheek smeared with mud. She wiped at it with one hand, and her palm came away red with blood. Only then did she realize it wasn't a muddy puddle at all—it was a "pool of blood"!
She struggled upright and looked around.
Firelight shone in her eyes. The mountain homes had been mostly destroyed by the blaze. As far as she could see, severed limbs and shattered bodies littered the ground, corpses strewn every which way, while blood still streamed from their wounds. It was easy to imagine the fierce battle that had erupted here not long ago.
Shouts and cries of battle rang all around her.
The sight made Shen Tang wonder if