Chapter 21: Target: the Heart!
Translator: Irene Editor: X
“Boss, are the items ready?”
“They are done. They do not look very good due to the lack of time, but do not worry, they are of good quality and there will not be any problems. Take a look.”
Ai Hui conveniently picked up an item, carefully examined it, and was satisfied.. Although it did not look very refined, the blacksmith had pretty good skills, and the workmanship was very solid. As long as the items were sturdy and reliable, they were good enough for Ai Hui. He never bothered with aesthetics.
He packed his items and prepared to leave.
Sensing a presence nearby, he was immediately on guard. Upon noticing the weakness of the foot steps, Ai Hui relaxed. This was not the Wilderness, he reminded himself.
Suddenly, he felt something on his shoulder. A hand! His hair stood on end and he forgot his own reminder as his body reacted instinctively.
He did not dodge. Instead, he arched his back and closed in on the chest of this unknown threat. Exerting forcefully from his legs, Ai Hui’s body became like a cannonball as it powerfully shot backward.
Ai Hui was in a highly agitated state, so when he felt someone touching him, he launched the [Arching Fish Back], a technique he had been practicing for a whole week. He did it brazenly and without any hesitation.
Like a ferocious fish that leaped out of the water with a powerful jerk of its arching back, his technique was executed at full power.
Like a deluge breaking through a dam, the violent, surging force was abruptly unleashed.
Boom!
It was on point.
Immediately, Ai Hui knew his [Arching Fish Back] was completely on target. He felt his opponent fly back without any attempt to resist. It was like... like he had struck a feather-light sandbag.
He felt a little weird that the opponent made no sound. Enemies that received such a counterattack or hit would usually scream miserably, like in the bamboo stick incident.
Boom
A heavy object fell onto the ground.
Not even withstanding a single blow? Ai Hui was puzzled, but he suddenly realized what he had done. An ominous feeling rose in his heart as he turned around and saw a motionless fellow lying down on his stomach.
Ai Hui was shocked and annoyed with himself. Did he not just remind himself that this was not the Wilderness? Why did he attack without thinking?
Lying on the ground after a single [Arching Fish Back]? How weak was this fellow?!
Ai Hui ran over while mumbling, “Hey, hey, hey, are you okay?”
Turning this fellow over, Ai Hui saw his face clearly and was startled. Eh, was this not that fellow, Duan... Bangwan something? Ai Hui remembered thinking it was a strange name and did not understand why anyone would use it. Or did he recall wrongly? How was it possible for the evening to be carried with both hands? Or was it actually Duanwan instead?
“Bangwan, Bangwan, are you okay?”
Ai Hui had knocked him unconscious.
Ai Hui felt slight remorse. He had been too aggressive. Although this fellow was unreasonable, full of arrogance, and was unfriendly toward him, Ai Hui believed he would not go so far as to attack him. Again, he thought about how he had just knocked out his fellow classmate...
Too aggressive... too aggressive...
While reflecting upon himself, Ai Hui picked Duanwan up and slung him over his shoulder. He then collected his items before rushing back to the training hall.
The moment he reached the training hall, he started to yell for his neighbor, “Lou Lan! Lou Lan!”
Soon after, a lump of sand seeped out from within the ground and metamorphosed into a humanoid form. Lou Lan was quite curious. “Ai Hui, what happened?”
“I injured a classmate by accident.” Without concealing, Ai Hui told the truth and felt his face burning. In the Wilderness, someone who mistakenly injured a fellow teammate would be marginalized. Ai Hui had not expected to make such a ridiculous error.
Eh, hold on. That fellow was not his teammate.
Ai Hui’s guilt was erased immediately.
In a rush, Ai Hui asked, “Lou Lan, you know medicine right? Help me take a look at him.”
“No problem,” Lou Lan readily agreed. A brilliant yellow ray of light shone from his eyes onto the unconscious Duanmu Huanghun.
This was the second time Ai Hui had seen Lou Lou’s eyes light up. Unlike the previous time, he was just a bystander this time and did not feel uncomfortable, but he still found it unbelievable. Most of the medical practitioners whom he had met were wood elementalists. Possessing a good understanding of life and nourishment, they were naturals when it came to helping the dying and healing the injured.
It was extremely rare to find a sand puppet who knew medicine.
Sand puppets could barely tap into wood elemental energy, but this very energy still had healing abilities. Ai Hui realized his ignorance.
“An external blow caused him to lose consciousness. He has a cold so his body is in a weakened state. This does not look good,” Lou Lan concluded quickly.
Ai Hui felt even more guilty. Although they were not teammates, he really should not have knocked this fellow down, especially when he was ill.
Ai Hui immediately asked, “What should we do now?”
“The easier method would be to recuperate,” Lou Lan responded. “His body’s condition is not bad to begin with. A few days of rest would do the trick.”
“That’s good.” Ai Hui breathed a sigh of relief but quickly asked, “How many days? Is there a quicker solution?”
Ai Hui was sensitive to time. Upon hearing “a few days,” he creased his brows involuntarily. A few days of time... That was going to hold up several trainings. Lou Lan nodded. “But it would be more troublesome.”
Ai Hui hastily replied, “That’s not a problem, go on.”
“He already opened up the four palaces of his limbs and should not fall sick easily. Perhaps he had been suffering from pent-up frustrations. The rage within his heart inhibited the four palaces, allowing diseases to invade and caused a cold. However, he has a higher than average immune system. He will naturally recover when the palaces are reactivated and his suppressed anger is cleared.”
Ai Hui was surprised by Lou Lan’s composure and confident tone. After recovering from his daze, he inquired, “How do we do that?”
“Pat on his skin with elemental energy, starting from his limbs’ palaces. Move up to his heart, and clear the anger within it.”
“Okay,” Ai Hui said plainly. Without any delay, he peeled off Duanmu Huanghun’s clothes in a professional manner. Saving a life was like putting out a fire. On the battlefield, there simply was no time to overthink.
Scanning across this fellow’s pale body, Ai Hui clicked his tongue and made a comment about how this skin resembled that of a freshly slaughtered, shaved, and boiled pig.
Pat, pat, pat!
Ai Hui started slapping lightly and continuously with both hands. Fortunately, his elemental energy had improved or else he would not have been able to carry on.
He thought about how he was saving a sum from the medical fee and immediately felt less tired.
I’ll hit! I’ll hit! I’ll hit, hit, hit!
Last one!
Target: the heart!
Ai Hui slapped at Duanmu Huanghun’s heart area with great precision using the energy he had left in his palms.
Hah, mission accomplished!
Although Ai Hui had greater stamina than most, he was gasping and breathless at this point. He used both arms to support his body as he panted heavily.
Duanmu Huanghun’s body jolted, then he slowly opened his eyes.
Their eyes met, and the air around them froze.