His breath as thin as a wandering thread, Mu Bai rested against a tree for nearly half the night before he managed to get up, clear the battlefield, and force himself back to the Spirit Taming Sect. The moment he stepped through the gates of Qing Mao Residence, he collapsed and lost consciousness.
"It's the master!"
"Oh heavens, the sky is falling..."
Mu Bai's face was deathly pale, without a trace of living color. The bandages around his chest and abdomen were soaked in blood, their crimson painfully bright, startling the women of the residence into cries of alarm. First Madam and Third Madam rushed out of their rooms at the news, their hearts tightening as well.
"What are you all shrieking for? Hurry and carry the master into his room. Third Madam, fetch some hot water..."
First Madam quickly regained her composure and directed everyone to shut the residence gates. In Mu Bai's room, Third Madam gritted her teeth and unwound his bloodied bandages. Her hands trembled beyond her control, her teeth chattered, and her face turned deathly pale.
"What sins brought this upon us!" First Madam half closed her eyes, unable to bear the sight of the bloody wounds and holes covering Mu Bai's body. "Fighting and killing, fighting and killing-couldn't you just keep your life and live well?"
The pain woke Mu Bai, and he said faintly, "Only by fighting and killing can I stay alive..."
"Husband, you've finally woken up. You nearly scared us women to death. If you hadn't woken up, we were about to go tear some white mourning cloth."
Third Madam teased Mu Bai, her eyes full of reproach.
"Third Madam, that mouth of yours deserves a slap. Hurry and get our husband dressed."
"You washed me?"
Some color returned to Mu Bai's