Heaven Has the Virtue of Cherishing Life

But Zhang Xiaohua had still underestimated Yellow Wind's vigilance. The moment he took out his small sword, Yellow Wind behind him let out several low growls and even moved her body a few times, as though trying to stop him. Left with no choice, Zhang Xiaohua turned sideways, picked up the umbilical cord, and severed it with a sweep of his small sword.

Only then did Yellow Wind slowly lie back down.

After cutting the umbilical cord, Zhang Xiaohua walked to the little Yellow Wind and gently lifted up its blood-smeared body. The newborn little marten looked exactly like Yellow Wind, covered in fine, soft yellow fuzz and with an enormous tail, except its two eyes were tightly shut.

"Eh?" Holding the little marten, Zhang Xiaohua found its body ice-cold, without the slightest warmth a newborn should have. "What's going on? Are all little martens like this?"

Yet seeing the vigilance in Yellow Wind's eyes, Zhang Xiaohua did not dare linger. He set the little marten down before her and walked out.

Before long, night fell. After some thought, Zhang Xiaohua gathered plenty of dry firewood from the forest below the mountain and piled it beside the grass. Then he lit a bonfire beside Yellow Wind. He did not know whether it would help, but thinking of the newborn marten's icy body, he felt he ought to do something.

Yellow Wind still lay curled there in exhaustion, silently watching everything Zhang Xiaohua did. At first, she did not understand what he meant. When the flames rose, she was startled, but then the warmth reached her, and she understood.

By then, Yellow Wind had licked the blood clean from the little marten and was carefully holding it in her arms to warm it. Seeing the firelight, she picked up the cub