| GB | Sneak Attack | 74
The lingering chill of late spring had turned Yu Bai's fingers red.
The shelter was surrounded by bark curtains, with dry grass spread on the ground and a fire basin burning. Despite this, the cold seeping up from the ground was hard to ward off.
At this time, the orcs of the Yuan Tribe missed the days when the Fire God Mountain was still active.
As they watched Yu Bai tend to the injured, they whispered among themselves.
Yu Bai cleaned the wounds of the injured Chi Zu Tribe orcs, the surrounding chatter reaching his ears. Some of the old tales, including those about the Fire God Mountain, he had heard countless times before.
He guessed that the Fire God Mountain had been extinguished for at least a hundred years. Though the orcs now reminisced about it, they could hardly imagine what it had been like back then. Precisely because they had never experienced it, they magnified their fond memories endlessly.
Mian suddenly exclaimed, "Bai, what should we do with this orc?"
Yu Bai finished cleaning the wound of the male orc in front of him and had a female orc beside him continue bandaging the injury.
He turned to look at the orc Mian was referring to. Mian had cut open the orc's robe, which was soaked in blood and flesh, causing the injured orc's face to contort in pain.
This orc couldn't even cry out, as his right arm was completely severed, leaving him with only a faint breath.
The thick scent of blood hit them in the face. Mian's face turned pale, and he said with a look of pity, "Fortunately, it's cold now, otherwise it would be difficult to stop the bleeding from the wound."
The orcs from the Yuan tribe nearby couldn't stand the pungent smell of blood and retreated from the shed, tucking their hands into their robes and craning their necks to watch.
Although the scene was bloody, they were also curious about how Bai would save this orc.
The orc from the Chi Zu tribe, who had lost his right arm, weakly squeezed out a sentence, "I'm going to die..."
"Please, support my tribesmen..."
"The Chi Zu tribe cannot perish... we cannot be humiliated like the Brown tribe..."
Several of the male orcs who had been bandaged couldn't help but speak up, "Mo, you will definitely survive! The chief is waiting for you to go back and save them!"
Mo's breath was faint, and he tugged at his chapped lips, speaking intermittently, "Even if I survive, what's the use..."
He struggled to open his lifeless eyes, painfully surveying the empty space where his right arm should have been.
"Even if you save me, I'll be a cripple, unable to protect the tribe. It would be better to let me die—ugh—"
Yu Bai took a ginseng root from his small cloth bag and stuffed it into Mo's mouth.
"Chew it slowly."
In an effort to prolong Mo's breath, Yu Bai used the entire ginseng root. It was a precious medicinal herb, and using so much of it at once was undeniably painful.
Mo stared blankly at Yu Bai, stiffly chewing on what had been shoved into his mouth.
This tough male orc hadn't cried when he was severely injured by the Brown tribe orcs, nor when his arm was brutally severed.
But now, as he numbly chewed the ginseng, two streams of bloody tears suddenly flowed from the corners of his eyes.
He gasped, hoarsely saying, "Don't... don't save me... even if I'm saved, I'll be a cripple... it's better to die than live like this..."
Mo stifled his sobs, wishing he could just bash his head in and die on the spot.
But he didn't succeed, as Huo Duo'er stopped him.
"Don't move."
Huo Duo'er's tone was cold. His mate was doing his best to save him, but he wasn't cooperating, truly wasting Bai's efforts.
"If only the severed arm were still here..." Yu Bai murmured, his words heard only by Huo Duo'er and a few orcs nearby.
"Arm? Little..."
The orc from the Chi Zu tribe nearby didn't know how to address Yu Bai. Both his arms were broken and had been fixed with wooden planks, making it difficult to move. He gestured with his chin toward a corner of the shed, "I picked up Mo's arm, it's wrapped in animal hide..."
The Yuan tribe orcs standing outside the shed heard this and lifted the bundle from the corner.
They gasped in unison. The blood-stained animal hide indeed contained a severed arm.
Although orcs often hunted and had seen many bloody scenes, the sight of this bloodied, wrapped arm still made them feel a bit nauseous.
Yu Bai remained relatively calm. Seeing him approach the severed arm, Huo Duo'er quickly reached out to block him.
"Bai."
"It's fine," Yu Bai reassured him, "I want to try and reattach Mo's arm."
The chief and priest who had arrived asked in unison, "The arm is severed like this, can it still be reattached?"
This was Yu Bai's first time attempting such a thing.
He looked at Mo, who had no will to live, "The chances are slim, and there's a high risk of infection... you..."
Mo seemed to grasp at the chance for survival, "I'm willing! No matter the consequences, I'm willing!"
Yu Bai then instructed a few assisting female orcs, "Go boil some water, prepare bone needles, fine hemp thread, and linen cloth."
These were all items needed for the treatment, and they were readily available, so they were quickly brought over.
Mo's injuries were severe, making it inconvenient for him to move. He could only help the other person sew the severed arm back together inside the shed.
With a ginseng root in his mouth, Mo felt as though some of his strength had returned, at least enough to catch his breath.
He struggled to get a clear look at the young sub-female orc holding his severed arm and cleared his throat.
"Can it really be reattached?"
Yu Bai, focused on his task, did not respond.
He picked up a bone needle threaded with hemp cord that had been soaked in hot water, then repeatedly heated the needle over the fire.
"There's no anesthetic. Try to endure the pain when it comes."
Mo grinned wryly, "If this arm can really be fixed, I can endure any amount of pain."
As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes suddenly widened, his pupils contracted, his chest heaved heavily, and he let out a hoarse cry of pain.
Yu Bai had started stitching without warning.
Huo Duo'er remained by their side, watching the scene unfold. Despite his stable mental fortitude, he couldn't help but frown at this moment.
Yu Bai was using the needle and thread to sew through Mo's severed arm and flesh. Every extra moment was torture, so he tried to work as quickly as possible. By the time he had reattached the arm to Mo's body, the latter had already passed out.
The spring chill was biting, yet Yu Bai was drenched in cold sweat.
He sighed in relief, "Fortunately, Mo's willpower is strong enough. If he couldn't hold still, I wouldn't have been able to sew his arm back so quickly."
After dealing with Mo's severed arm, the remaining injured male beasts were left to Mian and the others for bandaging.
Yu Bai walked out of the shed, his hands covered in blood. He was about to find a piece of hemp cloth to wipe them when he felt his body lighten—Huo Duo'er had picked him up.
"Let's go back and wash."
Yu Bai nodded slightly, not wrapping his arms around Huo Duo'er's neck because his hands were dirty.
Huo Duo'er said succinctly, "Not dirty."
Yu Bai pursed his lips and smiled shyly.
These words, falling on his ears, were more moving than any sweet words.
—
Back at the small courtyard, Huo Duo'er fetched the hot water left on the stove and brought out the soap.
The wet soap was rubbed between Yu Bai's palms and the backs of his hands. Bloodstains easily seeped into the crevices of his nails, so Huo Duo'er squatted down, carefully cradling the two blood-stained hands and scrubbing them with extra care.
Yu Bai didn’t have to do anything. After his hands were thoroughly cleaned by Huo Duo'er, he was carried back into the house.
Huo Duo'er took out a jar of ointment, melted it in his hands, and applied it to Yu Bai’s skin.
The hands, now smooth and soft from the ointment, were gently kneaded within Huo Duo'er’s palms. He thought to himself that his orc mate should always be this clean.
Yu Bai couldn’t help but chuckle, “With you like this, I don’t have to do anything at all.”
Huo Duo'er remained silent.
In truth, he only wanted to build a warm little house to shelter his orc partner from the wind and rain. Inside, there would be an endless supply of food, and he would take care of everything, ensuring Yu Bai wouldn’t have to worry about other orcs.
But Yu Bai could never be the kind of orc who stayed cooped up in a house.
—
Three days later, as evening fell, a fine, drizzling rain began to fall from the sky.
Yu Bai was inside the house picking through vegetable leaves when he suddenly heard the long, wary howl of the little wolf, filled with alertness and aggression.
He put down the vegetable leaves and looked up. Against the darkening sky, a plume of black smoke rose—a signal from the watchtower.
An enemy tribe was attacking.
The little wolf leaped to his feet, not nuzzling or rubbing against him as usual, but instead standing alert with its ears pricked, closely following wherever Yu Bai went.
An orc knocked on the door. Yu Bai pulled open the bolt to find Jiu Fe, one of the patrol guards.
Jiu Fe said, “We’ve spotted orcs from the Brown and Yao tribes sneaking up on the outer city. Huo Da has already gone to deal with it.”
Jiu Fe, meanwhile, stayed behind to guard the inner city.
The sound of bone whistles echoed one after another. Upon hearing the signal, the orcs of the Yuan tribe—whether male, sub-females, or cubs—all grabbed their wooden spears and bows. Yu Bai also took a wooden spear, with the little wolf following closely, constantly scanning the surroundings.
The orcs gathered in the square, where the chief was directing them. Some were sent to reinforce the outer city, while others stayed to defend the inner city.
The city was in chaos. Yu Bai and the other sub-females looked up to see thick black smoke billowing from the direction of the outer city, so dense that even the rain couldn’t penetrate it.
This wasn’t the smoke from the watchtower—it was arson.
Behind the sturdy city walls, the faint sounds of battle cries could be heard. The male orcs guarding the inner city grew restless and began to speak up.
“Chief, let me out! I’ll go out and drive those Brown tribe orcs away!”
“I want to go out too!”
“And me—!”
The chief scolded, “Don’t be reckless! If all of you go out, what if the Brown tribe breaks into the inner city?”
As the argument grew heated, one of the orcs suddenly fell to the ground, groaning in pain. Then, a group of orcs raised their spears, aiming them at the Yuan tribe orcs.
The leader of the attackers pointed at the chief and shouted, “Kill him—he’s the chief of the Yuan tribe!”
Chaos erupted in the square as orcs clashed with one another.
Someone else pointed at Yu Bai, who was being protected by Jiu, and yelled, “Forget that priest! Kill that sub-female—! Without him, the Yuan tribe will lose its legacy!”
Jiu Fe flapped his wings, sending the attacking orcs flying. He scooped up Yu Bai from behind to dodge the assault, while the little wolf lunged at the orc trying to ambush Yu Bai, biting down hard and snapping its throat in one swift motion!
Thick smoke drifted into the inner city, carrying with it a shower of ash. Yu Bai couldn’t keep his eyes open, but he caught a glimpse of arrows being shot from the top of the city walls. His heart clenched, and he raised his wooden spear to deflect them.
“Jiu Fe, there are arrows!”
Jiu Fe twisted his body, and the arrow grazed his wing, knocking off a few long feathers.
Yu Bai’s wooden spear managed to block one of the arrows. Though it didn’t completely deflect it, the arrow’s trajectory was altered. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have just grazed Jiu Fe’s wing—it would have struck him directly.
This scene strongly suggested that there were orcs within the Yuan tribe who had betrayed their own and joined the Brown tribe. Now, with internal and external forces combined, they sought an opportunity to kill both the chief and the priest as quickly as possible.
Yu Bai gritted his teeth: "Jiu Fe, hide me in a corner, then go and save people, save as many as you can!"
"Bai..."
Jiu Fe frowned: "Huo Duo'er told me to guard you well."
Yu Bai rarely shouted at people: "Stop dawdling, every moment wasted means another person injured!"
He pointed to a corner: "Just put me there."
As he spoke, he picked up the bone whistle hanging around his neck and blew it. The little wolf, hearing the whistle, ran towards his location.
Yu Bai crouched down, hiding in the thick fur of the little wolf. The corner shielded his back, and the thick smoke obscured his vision. As long as he was careful, few orcs would discover this corner.
Seeing Jiu Fe hesitate, Yu Bai pushed him: "Go quickly, if anyone approaches, I'll have the little wolf bite them!"
Jiu Fe gritted his teeth and joined the fight,
But he dared not go far, only repelling the orcs who tried to sneak up on Yu Bai.
Amid the chaos, the city gates opened. Yu Bai looked in the direction from which the thick smoke was billowing in. At the same time, the little wolf leaped up, biting at the orcs trying to approach.
Yu Bai, amidst the smoke, kept a close eye on the shadows of the little wolf and Jiu Fe, not noticing that an orc in the corner had thrown a rope, which landed squarely on him.
"…!"
"Little wolf, come back—" Yu Bai called out to the little wolf while pulling out a stone knife, trying to cut the tightening rope.
A gust of smoke came in, followed by a flurry of leaves that filled the sky. The entire square shook, and dirt and gravel were swept up by the wind.
The rope around Yu Bai was cut by leaves as sharp as blades. Then, many vines emerged from the mud, twisting and closing together, completely enclosing Yu Bai.
Huo Duo'er returned with a small group of orcs from the outer city to provide support. Entering the city with him were Xiu and A’Liao.
The number of orcs who had betrayed within the city was not large. Fifty orcs were either dead or injured, and those who were not dead were quickly subdued.
The riot was soon quelled, but the square was mostly destroyed.
As the fighting ceased, the little wolf howled around the vine enclosure, lifting its paw and scratching hard.
Awoo awoo awoo!
Small two-legged creature!
Yu Bai patted the enclosure, behind which there was also a chair formed by vines.
He reassured the little wolf through the enclosure: "It's nothing, this is something Huo Duo'er made to protect me, don't be nervous."
Little wolf: Awoo awoo awoo
After counting the number of people, the bodies of the killed orcs were laid out in the square for identification. Once it was confirmed that everyone was safe, Huo Duo'er removed the vine enclosure.
The chair Yu Bai was sitting on moved, and the vines carried him to Huo Duo'er.
Yu Bai: "Are you injured?!"
Huo Duo'er stared at him, picking him up from the vine chair and checking him from head to toe.
Yu Bai also took the opportunity to lift the other's animal robe to check.
Their eyes met, and Yu Bai breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he was still shaken, he remained obedient, trying to stay calm.
"I knew it was your protective enclosure, so I didn't move around and stayed quietly inside."
He said softly: "I will try to protect myself and not cause you any burden."
Huo Duo'er "hmm"ed, holding him tightly as he stood up: "Bai has never been a burden."
He added: "Bai did very well."
Because the methods used to deal with the surviving traitors were inevitably cruel and bloody, Huo Duo'er didn't want Yu Bai to see, so he took him away.
Jiu Fe watched as the young sub-female orc was carried away, recalling the moment of urgency when he had also held him. His gaze darkened with a hint of loss, but he was also relieved that he could stand by Yu Bai's side to protect her.
On the other side, noticing his mate secretly glancing at the square filled with corpses, Huo Duo'er covered his eyes.
Yu Bai quickly assured, "I won't peek..."
0 Comments
Post a Comment