Zhang Erguo's earlier injuries had been far from light.
He had originally wanted to go with Jiang Che and the others, but Jiang Che had persuaded him to stay behind, so he had remained at the outer sect's Hall Department, taking medicine and recuperating.
After the incident, demonic qi had surged, leaving everyone fearing for their lives. His luck had been decent: he had escaped the building and run into several fellow disciples, who had joined forces to carry him out.
Still, a third of their fellow disciples had failed to escape.
Everyone had witnessed the carnage. Who could have looked at it without feeling chilled to the bone?
At the time, they had been discussing where to go next.
Some had suggested joining Jiang Che and the others; some had wondered whether they should leave Ailin for the time being and watch how events unfolded from outside the city.
Whatever they said, it all came down to the same thing: the situation had become perilous beyond measure, far beyond anything minor embryonic breath cultivators could intervene in. The farther away they went, the better.
Despite what everyone said, Zhang Erguo had not gone with them.
He was worried about Jiang Che and Hu Yan, and he was also thinking of the larger situation. He kept feeling that he would be better off finding somewhere secluded nearby to rest for now. First, it would be less dangerous; second, he could see whether there was anything he could help with later.
He had also tried persuading several fellow disciples to stay and wait a little longer. Leaving too hastily might not be a good thing. But no one had listened. A few had tried persuading him in turn, and when he refused to listen, they had gradually dispersed.
Alone, he had