Chapter 54: Kill them all, not a single one allowed to stay!

Ning Jinli waited until she woke up, only to find her hands and feet bound and she was locked in a dilapidated thatched hut.

The man who knocked her out was not there; only that girl sat on the threshold, feeding something to the baby in her arms.

Ning Jinli narrowed her eyes and surveyed the surroundings.

This place is very shabby; saying it has bare walls is not an exaggeration.

Some unknown dried foods hung from the beams, and firewood and ceramic jars were piled in the corner.

Ning Jinli tried to break free, but the grass ropes binding her wrists and ankles were quite sturdy.

In this situation, she could only look for a breakthrough from the girl; otherwise, when the man appeared, it would likely be too late.

"This child… is he your younger brother or sister?" Ning Jinli asked softly, trying to strike up a rapport.

Seeing her wake up, the girl opened her mouth to shout for help.

"Don't… don't…!" Ning Jinli hurriedly said, "I mean no harm; on the contrary, you lot—why did you knock me out and drag me here without saying a word? Who are you?"

The girl's eyes held a ferocity mismatched to her age, "Be honest, my husband said he wants you to bear him a child; although you're from Xuan Guo, you're pretty, and he likes that."

Ning Jinli was startled—this information was quite a lot to take in.

Could it be… that the baby in the girl's arms is her own child?

Come to think of it, in this era, people everywhere mostly marry and have children in their teens.

I must not let myself be imprisoned here and turned into a baby‑making tool!

"Your husband—is he the one who knocked me out?" Ning Jinli asked while observing her and the baby in her arms.

The girl gave no response, continuing to feed the child with wild fruit from her hand.

The fruit was ripe; squeezing it released juice and soft pulp that fell into the baby's mouth.

"Your baby is only a few months old—are you feeding him this?" Ning Jinli said, worried for the child, unable to hold back.

The girl paid no heed, continuing to feed, and a tiny fruit pit inadvertently slipped into the baby's mouth.

Suddenly, the baby's limbs began to flail, struggling to open his mouth, yet he made no sound.

"What's wrong? Is the fruit too sour?" The girl tasted it herself, frowned, and said, "It's not sour…"

The baby's struggle intensified, his face quickly reddening.

The girl grew flustered, at a loss, checking everywhere.

"Oh no!" Ning Jinli exclaimed, "Your baby is choking! Quickly get whatever's in his mouth out, or he'll suffocate!"

The girl, frightened, hastily stuck her finger into the baby's mouth to dig.

The pulp was pulled out, but the baby's condition kept getting worse.

His face had turned purple, and his limbs lost strength to struggle.

The girl had no experience with babies to begin with, and this was her first time facing such a situation; she went blank, only knowing to shake the baby's body.

In desperation, Ning Jinli shouted, "Something's lodged in his airway! We need to use the Heimlich maneuver!"

After shouting, she then realized.

People from over two thousand years ago wouldn't know a thing about the Heimlich maneuver, would they?

"Don't shake him! Listen to me—place him face‑down on your knee, then…"

Ning Jinli tried to stay calm, attempting to teach the young mother what to do.

But the girl was already terrified senseless, her hands and feet unresponsive.

Seeing the baby stop moving, Ning Jinli could only urge, "Quickly release me! I can save your child!"

But the girl, in her panic, fell into hesitation.

Ning Jinli, furious with anxiety, snapped, "Do you want him to die? Hurry up!"

The girl then made up her mind, hastily bringing the baby to Ning Jinli's side and then untying her hands.

Ning Jinli immediately sat up, placed the baby—only a few months old—face‑down on her thigh, patted between his shoulder blades, then turned him over and pressed on his chest and abdomen.

"Cough!"

The baby let out a tender cough, and at the same time a tiny fruit pit popped out of his mouth.

As the baby wailed loudly, his face finally shifted from liver‑purple to a more normal red.

"Phew…" Ning Jinli exhaled, wiping the cold sweat from her face, still shaken, "Thank goodness we got to him in time—he's fine."

The girl also burst into tears, holding the baby while sobbing and soothing him.

Ning Jinli wasted no time, untying the ropes on her feet, rose, and ran toward the door.

Although she felt pity for this ancient‑era girl, she now had to set aside sympathy—escaping this place was paramount!

After bursting out of the thatched hut's door, she didn't panic and run blindly; instead, she sought cover as best she could, staying alert to surrounding noises while looking for a direction.

If I'm not mistaken, the girl's husband is nearby.

But she was completely unfamiliar with the surroundings; when she brushed against a low earthen wall and turned, she saw a man chopping meat with a cleaver.

And that meat was clearly a human leg!

Had this been before, seeing such a sight would have made Ning Jinli faint on the spot.

But she had already witnessed dismembered corpses.

Moreover, she had once, in the dead of night, alone transported four corpses whose heads had been severed by Xiao Qidi in a suburban ruined building—a feat of strength.

Even she herself hadn't realized that, with each bizarre experience piling up, her growth had become so rapid.

At this moment her mind was exceptionally calm; even her heartbeat only slightly quickened, without pounding wildly.

She immediately held her breath, and while the man was bent over busy, she quietly stepped back.

Since she knew the man was there, running in another direction would surely be safe.

Crack—

Just then, a sharp sound suddenly came from beneath her feet.

She lowered her head and discovered she had stepped on a piece of a Ceramic Jar.

The crisp sound was especially noticeable in this quiet environment.

Ning Jingli muttered "Damn", about to run in the opposite direction of where she had just come from, when she saw a girl rush out in front of her, and from behind the low wall, a man's footsteps came.

Ning Jingli clenched her teeth in secret, tightened her fist, and prepared to break through from the girl's side.

At that moment, the girl gave her a look, hurried past her, and stood at the low wall saying, "My son just choked; do you want to go see?"

"So it's you, I thought there was no noise." The man stopped, glanced at the low wall beside the girl, and said, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

The girl let out an "oh", placed her hand behind her back, and pointed a direction at Ning Jingli.

Ning Jingli hunched over, tiptoeing, preparing to leave.

"Weren't I telling you to keep an eye on that Xuan Guo woman?" the man scolded, "Hurry back to the house! If she runs away, I'll kill you!"

The girl said, "She hasn't woken up yet, her hands and feet are bound, she can't run away."

The man muttered, "If she weren't so beautiful, I'd have slaughtered her for jerky. It's been a long time since it rained, we can't catch any prey… You eat less, or I'll eat you."

At that moment, several Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers arrived here.

They brandished swords and burst in, shouting, "Hand over the medicinal herbs you looted from Yaowang Gu! We might spare your lives!"

Xuan Guo and Sha Yue Nation have a deep blood feud; they would love to wipe out the Sha Yue people, but now the priority is to retrieve as many herbs as possible.

Only by sparing the lives of the Sha Yue civilians here can they avoid delaying the main task.

The man instantly showed a fierce glint in his eyes, "Hmph! We took them by force; there's no reason to return them!"

Stubborn as he is, he knows he can't defeat these fully armed Xuan Guo men.

Moreover, the Sha Yue Nation's barbarian army has already left, and the Sha Yue people here have no backing.

So, after speaking, the man immediately grabbed the girl and ran into the Thatched Hut, lifted the baby, and fled from the other side.

By chance, he collided with the tiptoeing Ning Jingli, sending her sprawling, and he himself stumbled.

A few Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers chased after them; the man had no time to run, flipped up, quickly pressed the machete in his hand against Ning Jingli's neck, and shouted, "Stay back! Otherwise I'll kill this Xuan Guo woman!"

Ning Jingli: "I f—…"

She was about to swear.

This morning was unbearably tragic; after finally managing to get out, she was still caught.

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers were startled, and collectively scanned Ning Jingli.

"Jin… Jinli Fairy?!"

They blurted out, "How are you here?"

Ning Jingli was also startled, "Huh? You… aren't you soldiers of Xi Tun Guan?"

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers already harbored resentment toward the Sha Yue people, and now seeing Jinli Fairy being held hostage made them furious!

One Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldier swiftly drew a recurve bow from behind, and cleanly shot an arrow that struck the man's right shoulder.

The man winced in pain and flung his knife.

Ning Jingli rolled and crawled over to the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers' side.

Her posture was awkward, but at least she saved her life.

The other Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers, eyes blazing with anger, immediately nocked arrows to shoot the Sha Yue man and woman.

"Don't hurt the child!" Ning Jingli shouted.

The Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers showed hesitation.

Honestly, they didn't want to spare any Sha Yue person.

But the Fairy gave a command, so they had to stop.

This made the Sha Yue girl show a hint of surprise in her eyes.

The man immediately thought of a way to save himself, forcibly pulling the arrow from his shoulder and pressing it against the baby's head, grinning, "Let me go, or I'll kill him!"

Ning Jingli instantly filled with questions, "Wait, isn't that your child? How can you threaten with your own child's life?"

A Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldier said, "Fairy, you don't know, Sha Yue people have always been this cruel and ruthless; they'll do anything to survive."

Ning Jingli was speechless.

She had her eyes opened again…

"Don't come any closer!" the man, holding his child, retreated slowly.

Because his shoulder was injured, holding the baby became increasingly difficult.

When the distance was sufficient, he suddenly threw the baby in another direction!

"No!" the girl shouted, leaping at the child regardless.

Ning Jingli kept her eyes on the baby, and at the instant the man threw it, she also lunged forward quickly.

However, the two were still a bit slow.

Boom— a muffled thud.

The baby struck a distant rock.

Ning Jingli and the girl dove onto the ground; their hands were less than half a meter from the child, yet they could only watch helplessly as the baby's head smashed open, and it swallowed a breath without even a cry.

The Sha Yue man ran away without looking back, leaving only the girl collapsed on the ground, wailing mournfully.

A few Mysterious Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers hurriedly helped Ning Jingli to her feet, then went to the Thatched Hut to search around.

Besides finding a few large Ceramic Jars containing some of the family's looted food and clothing from Yaowang Gu, they did not find any medicinal herbs.

They returned to Ning Jingli, saw the Fairy still dazed, and said, "Fairy, would you come back with us to Medicine King Valley first?"

Ning Jingli's expression was complicated; she silently watched the girl, who, cradling the child's corpse, wept with a heart‑wrenching cry.

"What… do you plan to do with her?" Ning Jingli asked.

Before any Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldier could answer.

The girl picked up the firewood knife from the ground.

"Protect the Fairy!" the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers immediately took up defensive positions.

The girl placed the firewood knife on her own neck, looking at Ning Jinli, and said, "You... are a good person. Thank you for saving my child..."

Next, the girl revealed the main hiding places of the several hundred Sha Yue households living here, and also disclosed where those people had hidden the looted herbs.

After saying that, she directly slit her own throat with a knife.

Fresh blood gushed out, and under the light of the rising sun, it splashed into a striking scarlet.

At the moment before her last breath, the girl clung tightly to the child, a hint of relief appearing at the corner of her mouth...

Ning Jinli didn't even know how she had followed the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers back to Yaowang Gu.

Along the way she felt somewhat dazed.

Only after understanding the situation here and learning that Xiao Qidi was also here, seriously injured and unconscious, did she set aside her confused thoughts.

Entering the tent, she saw Xiao Qidi lying face-down on the bed, his complexion pallid and eyes tightly shut, with severe burns from his back down to his hips, and her heart leapt into her throat.

"Are you Divine Doctor Lian? How is Xiao Qidi?" Ning Jinli asked Lian Qingbai.

Lian Qingbai immediately knelt and kowtowed: "Fairy above, please accept my bow! I report to the Fairy, His Majesty's injuries are severe and require medicinal treatment; please, Fairy, lend your aid!"

Ning Jinli immediately thought of taking Xiao Qidi to the hospital for treatment.

Even if the divine doctor of Medicine King Valley had superb skills, given the primitive medical conditions of ancient times, his severe burns would still be hard to treat.

Moreover, no one knew when the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers would be able to retrieve the herbs.

But the problem is, Xiao Qidi is currently unconscious, so he cannot himself pass through the spacetime portal as he did when previously injured.

Although Ning Jinli can use thought transmission to send living things, she is limited by body size.

Otherwise, the big black horse that Xiao Qidi longs for would have already been transmitted to him.

"Like this, I'll go get some medicine to stabilize his condition, and once he wakes up it'll be easy." Ning Jinli said, then had the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers take her to the cave she had just come through.

While she was running to the medicine shop to buy burn-specific medication, the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Army, based on clues provided by the Sha Yue girl before her death, found some herbs that could be useful.

Lian Qingbai used them to brew several heart-protecting pills, and gave Xiao Qidi one to hold in his mouth.

Not long after, Xiao Qidi woke from his coma.

Lian Qingbai rejoiced, saying that as long as they waited for the Jinli Fairy to deliver the burn-treatment medicine, and combined with his herbal remedies to regulate internal injuries, His Majesty would soon recover.

"Jinli... Fairy?" Xiao Qidi, just awakened, felt dazed, "She's also come here?"

Several commanders of the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers then told him how they had unexpectedly encountered the Fairy in a Sha Yue household.

Upon learning that Ning Jinli had actually been captured by the Sha Yue people and almost come to harm, Xiao Qidi's eyes instantly darkened, "How many Sha Yue people remain here?"

The commander reported: "Originally there were about four hundred-plus households, over a thousand people, but after your forces subdued the barbarian army, about half fled into Sha Yue territory, leaving few here."

Xiao Qidi immediately ordered, "Then kill them all—don't leave a single one."