Wei Yu, Paralyzed for Life

Cheng Jingxue and the people from Forge-Iron Manor had all run off without a trace.

Only the trembling inn attendant and the people from the Prosperity Escort Agency remained in the hall.

Luo Qiang's face was ashen, clearly enraged by Cheng Jingxue's attempt to shift the blame and Forge-Iron Manor's tyranny.

"Zhao Ya, we have you to thank this time!" Luo Qiang said.

He had seen everything just now. If Zhao Ya had not reacted in time and kicked the table flying, few of the escort hands would likely still have been able to stand and speak.

At the same time, the escort hands came to their senses and all thanked Zhao Ya.

Zhao Ya waved a hand. "We're brothers eating from the same pot. No need to be polite. We should check on Wei Yu first!"

His words reminded everyone. Luo Qiang hurried over to Wei Yu and bent down to examine him.

Wei Yu had gradually regained consciousness by then, but he still could not get up. He could only look at Luo Qiang with pleading, guilt-ridden eyes.

"Uncle Luo..."

Luo Qiang waved him off. "No need to say anything. Treating your injuries is what matters now."

As he spoke, he took a small medicine bottle from his robes, poured out a pill, and fed it to Wei Yu.

A moment later, Wei Yu felt a warm current rise from his abdomen. The pain in his chest, belly, and back noticeably eased.

Wei Yu sighed in relief and struggled to sit up, only to discover in horror that everything below his chest simply would not obey him.

He pinched his thigh in disbelief, yet still felt nothing at all.

In an instant, Wei Yu's face turned whiter than paper.

"Uncle Luo, what's wrong with me? Why can't I feel my legs at all?"

The escort hands had gathered around as well. Hearing Wei Yu's words, they were all shocked.

Yet Luo Qiang remained remarkably calm.

"It's nothing. You probably injured your tendons and bones. Rest for a few days, and you'll recover."

"Really? Uncle Luo, are you sure?" Wei Yu asked desperately, as if clutching at a lifeline.

But Luo Qiang did not answer directly. Instead, he turned to the inn attendant. "Please find a broad wooden board."

"Right away!" the attendant answered before rushing out.

Before long, the attendant came back carrying a door panel. "Chief Escort Luo, will this do?"

"It will. Two of you, carry Wei Yu onto the board. Remember to be careful. Do not shake him."

Two escort hands stepped forward and cautiously lifted Wei Yu from the floor, then gently laid him on the door panel.

"Uncle Luo, can my legs really get better?" Wei Yu asked in terror.

During the transfer, he had discovered that he could not feel anything below his chest. It terrified him beyond measure.

"Focus on recovering. Don't let your thoughts run wild. You should be fine!" Luo Qiang comforted him gently, then gave the two escort hands a meaningful look.

The two men lifted the door panel and carried Wei Yu back to his room.

Watching Wei Yu leave in despair, Zhao Ya could not help but sigh inwardly.

Just moments ago, Wei Yu had walked in on his own. He had been so high-spirited then, yet in the blink of an eye, he had ended up being carried out.

Unlike the others, Zhao Ya had keenly noticed the trace of worry in Luo Qiang's eyes after he examined Wei Yu's injuries.

Though Zhao Ya had been some distance away at the time, he had seen it clearly.

The burly man from Forge-Iron Manor had driven a knee straight into Wei Yu's chest and abdomen.

The blow had been so powerful that it sent Wei Yu flying before he slammed heavily into the wall, inflicting an extremely serious secondary injury.

Others might not have understood the severity of it, but Zhao Ya had transmigrated here. With his modern medical knowledge, he naturally knew how dangerous such injuries were.

The slightest misstep could damage the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis of the lower limbs.

Sure enough, Wei Yu's condition confirmed Zhao Ya's suspicions.

He had completely lost all feeling below his chest. This was not some minor injury that could be healed with a few days of rest.

At best, it would end in lifelong paralysis.

After this incident, Zhao Ya gained an even more direct impression of the chaos of this world and the dangers of the martial world.

Once Wei Yu had been carried away, Luo Qiang's expression turned grave.

"This is not a place where we can stay long, so we need to get moving as soon as possible."

"Wei Yu is seriously injured and certainly cannot travel, so two people need to stay behind to care for him. Once we finish this escort job, we can take him back with us on the return trip. Who is willing to stay?"

No one spoke.

Those who had usually been close to Wei Yu all fell silent.

No one was a fool. Everyone could see how severe Wei Yu's injuries were.

With injuries this serious, it was uncertain whether Wei Yu would ever stand again, much less continue practicing martial arts.

To put it bluntly, Wei Yu's martial future might have been cut short just like that.

Under such circumstances, those who had once been close to him naturally had their own considerations.

With no more value to offer, who would be willing to stay and serve a paralyzed man?

Seeing that no one said a word, Luo Qiang was not surprised. He simply called on someone directly.

"Luo Feng, you will stay and look after Wei Yu."

"Yes!" Luo Feng answered with a bitter expression.

Though he truly did not want the assignment, he did not dare disobey his second uncle Luo Qiang. He could only accept it grudgingly.

Just then, Zhao Ya suddenly said, "How about I stay too?"

Even Luo Qiang was somewhat surprised to hear that.

After all, Zhao Ya and Wei Yu were not particularly close.

"Brother Zhao!" Luo Feng cried excitedly.

He thought Zhao Ya had volunteered to stay entirely for his sake, and he was naturally deeply grateful.

Zhao Ya smiled faintly at him, then said to Luo Qiang, "Uncle Luo, I think Luo Feng would be too lonely staying behind alone. With two people, they can look out for each other."

Luo Qiang gave Zhao Ya a rather approving look, then nodded.

"Fine. You can stay as well. Everyone else, pack your things and come with me."

The snow had stopped by then. The escort agency's people quickly packed their belongings, left the inn, and trudged through the snow toward their destination.

"Brother Zhao, I really have to thank you this time. If I had to stay behind alone and take care of Wei Yu, it would have been unbearably boring," Luo Feng said sincerely.

Zhao Ya smiled. "All right, no need for such formalities. Let's go back and see how Wei Yu is doing first."

When they returned to the room, they found Wei Yu lying on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Even when he heard their footsteps, he did not turn to look at them.

"Wei Yu, are you hungry? Should I ask the kitchen to make you something to eat?" Zhao Ya asked softly as he came to the bedside.

Though only half a day had passed, Wei Yu's eye sockets were sunken and his complexion waxy yellow. None of his former high spirits remained.

Hearing Zhao Ya's question, Wei Yu gently shook his head. "I don't want to eat anything."

"You should eat a little. How will your injuries heal if you don't?" Luo Feng urged as well.

But those words struck a nerve, and tears immediately streamed down Wei Yu's face.

"Can my injuries really heal?"

Zhao Ya and Luo Feng both fell silent. Zhao Ya was the one who finally offered comfort. "Don't worry. You'll definitely get better!"

"Heh, there's no need to comfort me. I can't feel my lower body at all now. There's no way I'll recover. It's all because I was blinded by lust and actually believed that demoness's words..." Wei Yu said through sobs.

Zhao Ya and Luo Feng could only continue comforting him.

The entire day passed like that. By nightfall, Wei Yu barely managed a few mouthfuls of noodle soup before falling into a groggy sleep.

After exchanging a few words, Zhao Ya and Luo Feng lay down to sleep fully clothed as well.

Soon, waves of snoring filled the room.

No one knew how much time had passed.

Suddenly, Zhao Ya sat up and quietly slipped out of bed.