Iron Butcher

"Phew... I'm exhausted. Let's rest for a bit."

Chen Feng found a fairly flat rock and set Cheng Tingxue down on it.

His plan was to take a longer route back to Pingcheng.

If he foolishly followed the Official Road, he'd be spotted easily. Neither Iron Butcher nor Xue Hai was someone a mere Blood Refining Realm cultivator like Chen Feng could deal with.

But there was a problem.

How could he tell which way to go?

All Chen Feng knew were the roads he'd memorized while escorting the goods. He had no idea how to navigate these deep mountains and dense woods, so he couldn't stray too far from the main road, lest they get lost.

"What do you think? Should we take the shortcut or go the long way?" Chen Feng looked up and asked Cheng Tingxue.

"Huh? Oh, um, I'll go with whatever you decide..."

Her lips were colorless. It seemed she still hadn't recovered.

Seeing how chapped her lips were,

Chen Feng suddenly remembered.

Cheng Tingxue was just an ordinary person.

And now the two of them had no food or water, and were still some distance from Pingcheng.

Even by carriage, it would take half a day.

Now they were relying entirely on Chen Feng's legs. If they took the long way and kept stopping to rest, he wasn't sure Cheng Tingxue would last until they reached Pingcheng.

And the next stretch had no places to rest like Zhang Village.

Chen Feng couldn't even guess which areas belonged to bandits and which held ordinary villages that might help them.

"Are you all right?"

Seeing her unfocused gaze, Chen Feng hurried over and waved his hand in front of her.

"I-I'm okay..."

Cheng Tingxue's voice was faint and weak.

Chen Feng's expression changed.

He hurriedly rummaged in his pockets, pulling out bottle after bottle.

Bruise Medicine, Blood Stopping Powder, Detoxification Pills... Not one of them was any use.

As for the Great Tonic Pill—

One pill would make Cheng Tingxue burst!

The pill wasn't even meant for someone in the Blood Refining Realm. Chen Feng wouldn't have bought it if he didn't have the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique.

But now, he had no choice but to try whatever might work. If Cheng Tingxue passed out, things would only get more troublesome.

Chen Feng hurriedly said,

"Quick, open your mouth."

"Ah..."

Cheng Tingxue obediently opened her mouth.

Chen Feng held it to her little mouth and scraped off just a tiny bit of the Great Tonic Pill.

The powder fell onto her tongue.

"Don't swallow it. Just let it dissolve in your mouth. Don't force yourself. If anything feels wrong, call me. Understand?"

Cheng Tingxue nodded drowsily. The instant the medicine touched her mouth, her complexion visibly regained some color.

Chen Feng was a little nervous, afraid he'd given her too much.

After watching her for a while, he saw that apart from looking drowsy, Cheng Tingxue seemed fine. He didn't hesitate any longer.

He hoisted her onto his back and set off again.

This time, though, he kept his steps steadier, trying to minimize the jostling. The price was that he had to slow down.

Moonlight cast the shadows of crisscrossing branches across the ground.

Just as the old poem described: the water lay clear and empty, with duckweed and water ribbons interwoven.

But Chen Feng had no mind to admire it.

Cheng Tingxue on his back seemed to have passed out. She hadn't said a word in a long time.

Chen Feng's breathing was ragged. His chest sounded like a broken bellows, wheezing with every breath.

At that moment, he had a Great Tonic Pill in his mouth.

Whenever he felt weak, he chewed off a little and swallowed it.

With the Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique's rapid absorption, he replenished his Qi Blood and kept his speed within a steady range.

As long as he kept running like this,

he'd reach Pingcheng soon.

However...

[Being hunted...]

[Experience +1000]

The system notification had sounded several minutes earlier. Chen Feng guessed that Cheng Li couldn't hold out any longer.

"I need to go faster..."

Chen Feng gritted his teeth, preparing to pick up the pace.

Suddenly, an icy chill surged from behind him. It wasn't wind; it carried killing intent.

Chen Feng's heart sank.

Alarm bells rang in his mind.

In desperation, he twisted his head aside.

The next instant,

a Steel Saber, gleaming with a cold light, whistled past his ear.

It sank deep into the trunk of a tree up ahead!

Chen Feng: "!!!"

Wasn't he afraid of hitting Cheng Tingxue?!

Chen Feng glanced back and saw a burly Shadow Figure burst out of the bushes like a charging elephant, hurtling toward him!

He was so fast Chen Feng had no time to react.

"Kid, put her down!"

Iron Butcher's rough voice made Chen Feng's eardrums ache.

"Damn it!"

Chen Feng swore under his breath and pumped his legs even faster. Only an idiot would stop now.

He ran with all his might, paying no heed to the cost to his Blood Qi. For a moment, Iron Butcher couldn't catch up.

But at this rate of exertion,

it wouldn't be long before Chen Feng exhausted all the Qi Blood in his body.

As he ran, he shifted Cheng Tingxue into a new position.

One arm supported her knees, the other cradled her waist and back, holding her securely across his chest.

In his panic, he moved too abruptly.

Cheng Tingxue opened her eyes groggily and saw Chen Feng carrying her, jaw clenched as he sprinted forward.

Instinctively, she clutched at his clothes.

He had her wrapped in his arms.

Her cheek pressed against his warm chest, and her heart seemed to grow hot along with it.

"Stop!!!"

Iron Butcher's furious roar rang out,

shattering the silence of the night.

Cheng Tingxue jolted in fright and looked behind Chen Feng in terror. The fearsome Iron Butcher was charging toward them!

The distance between them was steadily shrinking.

"You're awake!" Chen Feng exclaimed, delighted.

As if she could feel the heat of Chen Feng's gaze, a blush crept across Cheng Tingxue's face and spread to the tips of her ears.

The next second—

"Quick! I can't hold on much longer! There's medicine in my pocket. Take it out and give it to me! Hurry!"

Chen Feng urged her loudly.

If Cheng Tingxue didn't wake up now, he was going to have to shake her awake himself.

This was a matter of life and death.

How could she sleep so deeply?!

She could at least be of some use!

"Oh, right!"

In a panic, Cheng Tingxue felt around Chen Feng's chest, searching for the pills he'd mentioned.

"There are two bottles! Which one?!"

Chen Feng shot a quick glance at her. Cheng Tingxue was holding up two bottles of pills, at a loss.

One held Detoxification Pills, the other Great Tonic Pills.

"The bottle in your left hand!"

Cheng Tingxue hurriedly put the bottle in her right hand away, then uncorked the other and tipped a Great Tonic Pill into her palm.

She raised it and held it to Chen Feng's mouth.

Chen Feng swallowed it in one bite.

The Tai Chi Profound Origin Technique surged into full operation.

In just a few breaths,

he'd absorbed the pill completely, and its tremendous medicinal power erupted through his body.

Every limb and bone, every cell in his body, seemed starved, devouring the power ravenously.

Chen Feng felt his Qi Blood surge.

His pace, which had slowed a little, picked up again.

Iron Butcher: "??!"

Iron Butcher clenched his teeth. "I don't believe you can keep this up! How long can a damn Blood Refining Realm cultivator last?!"

The cultivation method Iron Butcher practiced favored standing his ground and fighting to the death, even against multiple opponents.

Its drawback was that he was much slower than other Martial Artists at the same level.

Speed had always been his weakness.

But when it came to stamina...

He refused to believe he'd lose to a Blood Refining Realm Martial Artist!

"Run! Let's see who gives out first, you or me!"

Iron Butcher threatened him viciously.

After Bone Tempering, both the quantity and quality of one's Qi Blood were on a completely different level.

The gap between each realm was enormous.

Iron Butcher was confident that once he caught Chen Feng, he could beat him to death with a couple of punches, even without a blade!

Chen Feng knew that too.

If his speed dropped and Iron Butcher caught up, he was sure to die.

So he held Cheng Tingxue close and instructed her solemnly, "Just like before: when I call out, hand me a pill! Understand?"

"I-I understand!"

Cheng Tingxue clutched the Porcelain Bottle tightly.

It was as if she were gripping the last stalk of straw that could save her life.