Chapter 572: Heavy Blow!

Lin Yuan's fist was terrifying.

One punch sent a bandit flying.

In the narrow passage, figures flew sideways.

"Catch that woman!" the bandit leader snarled, his eyes locked on Yin Yirou.

Lin Yuan instantly shielded Yin Yirou behind him, his eyes icy as frost.

A bandit brandished his knife and lunged forward, the blade aimed straight at Lin Yuan's face, the force brutal.

Lin Yuan sidestepped to avoid it, at the same time lifting his leg to kick the bandit's abdomen; the bandit grunted and stepped back two paces.

Before the bandit could steady himself, Lin Yuan surged forward, his fist whistling with wind, slamming hard into the bandit's chest!

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, that bandit was blasted straight out like a rag doll, slamming heavily into the wall, spitting blood and passing out.

Having dealt with one, Lin Yuan dared not relax in the slightest.

In his peripheral vision he could clearly see five or six more bandits closing in!

More crucially, he was still protecting the unskilled Yin Yirou behind him.

No sooner had that thought flashed than two bandits exchanged a glance.

The two bandits deliberately split up, one entangling Lin Yuan.

The other went around to the side, lunging at Yin Yirou.

"Be careful!" Lin Yuan's heart tightened; he had just sent a bandit flying with a punch.

He then saw the bandit's knife on the side—already swinging toward Yin Yirou.

Yin Yirou trembled in fright, unable to dodge in time, she could only watch helplessly as the blade drew nearer.

At the critical moment, Lin Yuan had no time to think; he abruptly turned, using his own back to block Yin Yirou firmly!

"Screech!"

The Long Sword's slash through cloth made an especially piercing sound!

The sharp blade dug deep into Lin Yuan's back!

Blood instantly spurted out, staining Lin Yuan's clothes, trickling down his back, and even splashing onto Yin Yirou's arm.

"Ugh!" Lin Yuan grunted, fine cold sweat beading on his forehead!

The excruciating pain from his back almost made his whole body go numb, but he gritted his teeth and continued shielding Yin Yirou.

"Lin Yuan! Are you alright?" Yin Yirou was startled awake by the warm bloodstain on her arm.

She watched blood continually pour from Lin Yuan's back, her eye sockets instantly reddening, her voice trembling with tears, anxious and helpless.

She wanted to reach out to steady Lin Yuan, but feared it would hinder his fight.

Yin Yirou could only clutch the corner of her clothes tightly, trembling all over.

She hated her own inadequacy, only able to hide behind Lin Yuan like a burden, letting him get hurt for her.

"I'm fine, don't move around!" Lin Yuan said through gritted teeth, enduring the pain.

His voice was hoarse from the pain.

Lin Yuan backhandedly picked up a knife from the ground, passed it back, gesturing for Yin Yirou to grasp it for self-defense.

Yin Yirou snatched the knife in panic, holding it in front of her.

Lin Yuan then turned around again, his gaze turning even sharper.

The bandits obviously saw his weak point, knowing that as long as they entangled Yin Yirou, they could drag Lin Yuan down.

Thus, the bandits became even more frenzied, swarming the two from all sides.

Several Long Swords simultaneously slashed at Lin Yuan's vital spots all around.

Lin Yuan could only protect Yin Yirou behind him while struggling to cope.

His movements became somewhat sluggish due to the wound on his back.

Soon, another deep wound exposing bone was sliced onto his arm.

Blood flowed down his arm to his fist, making his hand somewhat slick.

Yet he still doggedly held his front line, each punch unleashing all his strength.

No matter how many wounds covered his body, no matter how quickly his stamina drained, he did not retreat half a step.

Yin Yirou hid behind Lin Yuan, able to clearly see his wounds continually increasing, hearing his suppressed groans.

Yin Yirou's heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.

She was a forensic medic, accustomed to blood, yet Lin Yuan's blood now filled her with extreme panic.

She wanted to do something, but could do nothing.

Yin Yirou could only tightly grip the short blade Lin Yuan had passed her, trembling all over, repeatedly praying in her heart for his safety.

"Bang!" Another bandit was struck in the temple by Lin Yuan's punch, collapsing motionless to the ground.

But Lin Yuan himself was also grazed on the shoulder by another bandit's Long Sword; the intense pain at the wound made his vision darken, nearly causing him to collapse.

Lin Yuan staggered back a step, his back bumping into Yin Yirou's body; feeling her tremble behind him, he drew a deep breath and straightened his spine once more.

After four companions fell in succession, the remaining bandits finally panicked.

They had originally thought that with their numerical advantage and surprise attack, subduing Lin Yuan was merely a matter of time.

But the man before them, covered in wounds, was like an indomitable male lion, his gaze still sharp enough to frighten.

Moreover, their smokescreen had no effect on Lin Yuan whatsoever.

Lin Yuan had beforehand sealed his acupoints, allowing himself to hold his breath for a long time, so he was not at all overcome by the smokescreen.

The bandit leader's face grew grave as he watched his companions grow ever more timid.

The bandit chieftain also caught sight of Lin Yuan shielding Yin Yirou behind him, a flicker of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

Since we can't capture Lin Yuan, then let's have it so that both sides perish!

"Trash! Hold steady, all of you!" the bandit leader snarled, suddenly pulling a black hand grenade from his waist and yanking the pin!

The leader hurled the grenade fiercely toward Lin Yuan and Yin Yirou!

The grenade arced through the air in a black trajectory, whistling with death, as it fell toward the doorway of the Safe House.

The black casing gleamed coldly in the dim light, instantly making the air inside the Safe House feel frozen.

Seeing this, the bandits all retreated, their faces twisted with mad, vicious grins.

They had calculated the distance; the grenade's blast radius was enough to engulf Lin Yuan and Yin Yirou...

And by retreating to the corner of the living room, they could just avoid lethal harm.

"Oh no!" Lin Yuan's pupils contracted sharply, and the hairs on his body stood up instantly.

The grenade would land less than three meters in front of him and Yin Yirou; given its power, if it exploded, he might be able to withstand some of the damage thanks to his robust physique...

But Yin Yirou, completely unprotected behind him, would surely be torn apart in an instant.

Without any hesitation, Lin Yuan didn't even have time to think—his body acted before his mind!

He spun around violently and grabbed Yin Yirou from behind, pulling her tightly into his arms!

Lin Yuan exerted all his strength... pressing her down beneath him!

Lin Yuan himself arched his back like a taut bow, completely shielding Yin Yirou beneath his body.

"Stay down! Don't lift your head!" Lin Yuan's voice, hoarse from exertion, blew hot breath onto Yin Yirou's forehead.

He could clearly feel the trembling of the person in his arms, smell the faint fragrance from her hair, and feel the searing pain as the wound on his back was stretched.

But Lin Yuan dared not relax at all, tightening his arms even more!

This was the strongest protection he could give her.

Yin Yirou was pressed firmly beneath Lin Yuan, hearing his heavy breathing, her nostrils filled with the strong scent of blood and the faint herbal aroma from his body.

She could feel Lin Yuan's body tensing, and she could hear the grenade hit the ground with a soft 'thud'...

Yin Yirou's heart leapt up to her throat in an instant.

She wanted to lift her head, but Lin Yuan held her down firmly...

All she could do was clutch tightly at Lin Yuan's clothing.

"Boom!!!"

The violent explosion roar instantly echoed throughout the Safe House!

Flames shot skyward!

The massive shockwave hurled nearby furniture into the air, tables and chairs crashing to the ground, shrapnel scattering everywhere!

A scorching wave of hot air surged forward, carrying destructive power, and slammed hard into Lin Yuan's arched back.

"Ugh!" Lin Yuan let out a pained groan; the knife wound on his back, already deep enough to see bone, was torn even wider by the blast's shockwave.

Blood from his back gushed out like a spring.

What's more deadly, several sharp grenade fragments, like hidden weapons, viciously pierced his back, shoulders, and arms...

The grenade shards embedded deep in his flesh, causing excruciating, bone‑piercing pain.

His body lurched forward uncontrollably, a large amount of blood spurting from the corner of his mouth and dripping onto Yin Yirou's cheek, warm and sticky.

Yet even so, the arm shielding Yin Yirou did not loosen in the slightest; he kept his back rigidly arched, holding up a safe pocket for her.

The explosion's aftershocks gradually faded, leaving the Safe House in utter disarray.

Smoke and dust filled the air, choking anyone who tried to breathe.

Lin Yuan lay atop Yin Yirou, his consciousness beginning to blur...

His strength was rapidly draining from his whole body, the excruciating pain in his back making his vision go dark.

All he could do was clench his teeth tightly, refusing to let himself pass out.

Although Lin Yuan was formidable in ancient martial arts, he was still merely a mortal flesh.

Having suffered such a close‑range grenade blast shockwave, although Lin Yuan lay on the ground and avoided much of the shockwave...

... the lingering force of the explosion still nearly cost him half his life.

"Lin Yuan! Lin Yuan, how are you?!" Yin Yirou finally managed to lift her head, seeing Lin Yuan sprawled on top of her, covered in blood, and tears instantly burst forth.

Yin Yirou's voice trembled with a broken, sobbing tone.

She cautiously reached out, wanting to touch Lin Yuan, but fearing to hit his wound, she could only helplessly cry, "Don't scare me... Lin Yuan!"

Lin Yuan struggled to open his eyes; in his blurred vision he saw Yin Yirou's red‑rimmed, tear‑filled eyes.

He tried to pull out a reassuring smile, but moving the corner of his mouth tugged at his wound, making him suck in a cold breath from the pain.

Lin Yuan strained his voice, hoarse, and said, "Don't... don't be afraid... I'm fine..."

Before his words even faded, he forced a slight shake of his head to indicate he was truly unharmed.

But this slight movement strained his back wound, making him groan again, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Just then, the bandits who had retreated to the living‑room corner, seeing the explosion's aftershocks dissipate, closed in again.

They looked at Lin Yuan lying on the ground, greed and ruthlessness flashing in their eyes.

In their view, Lin Yuan had sustained such grave injuries that he surely had no strength left to resist; now was the perfect chance to capture Yin Yirou alive and finish off Lin Yuan.

The bandit leader waved his hand and snarled, "Go! He can't hold on any longer—don't leave any mercy!"

Several bandits immediately leered and closed in...

The bandits' footsteps on the debris‑strewn floor made a creaking sound, like a death knell urging them on.

Yin Yirou's pretty face turned deathly pale; she instinctively shrank back, then frantically picked up a knife from the ground.

She tried to wield the knife, placing it before Lin Yuan as a shield...