Chapter 14: Chapter Fourteen: Righteous Assistance

With ease they dispatched one; Wu Zhuoyue then shifted his aim to another, and repeating this, when all five Goblins were eliminated, Wu Zhuoran had already swept the battlefield clean.

The scattered Goblins' gear resembled the girls'—wooden shields and copper swords—so crude that most broke during fighting and held no value, so they merely carried the bodies out of the camp. Goblins, after death, quickly turn into a puddle of green water, and before it dries the odor is extremely foul. Goblins are thin, averaging only 60–70 jin, and the girls, being swift, finished clearing the corpses in a flash.

Wu Zhuoran and Wu Zhuoyue arrived at Li Bucai's side and together said, "Report, lord, the Goblins have been cleared; please return to the camp."

Unable to turn the tide like the school‑uniform girls across the river, he was isolated to watch as a spectator; Li Bucai felt quite depressed, but seeing the girls fight so splendidly, he said, "Our people are unharmed."

"None."

"Good, this time we owe you again; what should we reward you with?"

Wu Zhuoran calmly said, "Protecting the lord and the safety of the Territory is within my duties."

Wu Zhuoyue laughed, "Indeed, they were only a few scattered Goblins, trivial compared with the lord's battle against the Lulu Beast. We follow the lord to protect him, but the lord's brilliance means that when facing a powerful monster like the Lulu Beast, we are helpless and dare not act; it was the lord who lured them away. If the few scattered Goblins still required the lord's personal intervention, we would have no face left to stay by his side."

"I let you delicate beauties bathe in blood on the battlefield while I merely watched; I should be the one blushing. Your defense of the camp is noted in my heart; for now I have nothing to reward you with, but when we go to Sky City again I will think of you. It's getting late, you've all labored all day, so hurry back and rest."

"Lord, you should also rest early."

…

At dawn, Li Bucai rose early each day to practice the Martial God Mantra and several forms in the forest; today he had no plans to go out, and practiced longer—two hours—so both his Martial God Mantra and Spear‑Sword techniques noticeably improved.

After finishing the skills, since Yan Qiu had not yet awakened, the other girls had virtually no cooking knowledge; without Yan Qiu they had to fend for themselves, and after a half‑day they still couldn't prepare breakfast, so they would have to wait longer. He had intended to peek into the tent to check on Yan Qiu but didn't want to wake her, so idle, he walked alone to the riverbank.

At the riverbank he saw the school‑uniform girls' camp across the water with its gate wide open, the mess from last night still strewn about; the sun was already high, yet no one came out to clean, and the courtyard was empty.

Li Bucai was puzzled, "They won last night, so why is the camp so dead‑air? Did something else happen last night?"

Li Bucai felt uneasy and wanted to cross the river to see, but the water was over 100 meters wide; although Cloud‑Piercing Leap can leap high, at his current level he could only jump a few dozen steps, not enough to clear the river.

At that moment, a group emerged from the forest in the southeast of the opposite camp—it was the school‑uniform girls' subordinates—and Li Bucai noticed their faces were all grim.

"Where is your lord?" Li Bucai shouted to the crowd.

Qing'er, knowing the lord was across, signaled those behind to return to the camp, came to the riverbank and replied, "The princess set out at dawn with Shen Guard and the others on a campaign."

"A campaign? You only have two guards; what kind of campaign is that?"

Qing'er nodded and said gravely, "Last night Goblins ambushed our camp, wounding eight; without prompt treatment, two died this morning from severe injuries. The princess swore revenge, so at dawn she led two guards to hunt the Goblins. Whether Qing'er tries to stop Lan is of no help. It's just three of us; I truly fear the princess might encounter danger, and the other six's wounds are worsening—if the princess meets misfortune…"

"Which direction did she go?"

Qing'er shook her head and said, "When she left the camp she headed east, then after passing the willow woods she turned south; now we don't know which way she went."

As they spoke, Shuang'er ran out of the house, crying, "Sister Qing'er, Sister Qing'er… their wound is bleeding again, what should I do? It won't stop; I'm afraid their blood will run dry…"

"I'll go back at once. Ah, what to do; if only there were someone skilled in medicine…" Qing'er responded, muttering to herself, then bowed to Li Bucai and said, "Forgive my rudeness, there are many tasks in the camp; I must take my leave."

"Wait." Li Bucai called her back, thinking he should help, and said, "Your lord is absent; now you may decide."

Qing'er said, "The princess is away; I will temporarily manage the camp's affairs."

Li Bucai replied, "Lives hang in the balance; how about this: I have a military doctor here. Though her skills are basic, she has some insight on external wounds. Let her come to you and help."

"That's wonderful; Qing'er will first thank the lord on behalf of the princess."

"Alright, you go back first; after breakfast, have them cross the river."

Qing'er left in response, and Li Bucai returned to the camp.

By then the meat was about seventy percent done and needed a moment more; Li Bucai went to Yan Qiu's tent, where she, still weakened by yesterday's events, had not yet awakened.

Li Bucai gently sat at her bedside—actually just a neat sheet laid on dry straw, the stark contrast between the bare dwelling and the sleeping girl in a pink dress deepening his guilt—and brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.

"Lord…" Yan Qiu was startled awake by the gentle motion and hurried to rise and bow to Li Bucai.

"Your body hasn't recovered; lie down quickly, and you needn't be so formal in the future."

"Yan Qiu always drags everyone down… Right, today's tea isn't brewed yet; it's my fault for sleeping so soundly. Please wait, lord, I'll go…," she tried to stand, but before she could straighten up a wave of dizziness hit her, nearly causing a fall; Li Bucai steadied her and helped her lie back on the bed.

"Fragrant flower tea is tasty, but missing it for a day is no big deal; if I overwork you, who will brew that delicious tea for me? So your task now is to rest and recover. Once you're well, I'll take you back to Sky City and allow you to visit your family."

Yan Qiu lay there, unable to swallow.

Li Bucai hurriedly asked, "What's wrong, any discomfort? I'll go fetch Wan'er to take a look."

"No…" Yan Qiu stopped him, "Really none, I'm just happy and can't control it…" People from Sky City, especially nobles like her, are sent to various academies from childhood to study specialized knowledge; the top‑tier manpower is applied, and the academies train them like demons, forcing them to become erudite girls. The heavy studies and boarding life mean they rarely go home, and even when they do, their parents are the unsentimental type who never ask after them. It was the first time anyone had shown her such concern.

Li Bucai's lingering worry eased, "Now I'm relieved. You're still weak; I'll have someone brew some meat broth and bring it over shortly. Rest well; I won't disturb you."

Yan Qiu wiped her tears, "Lord, your duties are many, yet you still find time for me; your concern is unforgettable, and I dare not further waste your time…"

…

The meat finally finished cooking, a level far above Yan Qiu's skill, but thanks to the Lulu Beast's tender flesh, any way it's roasted is still tasty.

As everyone gathered around the fire to eat, Li Bucai suddenly sensed a missing pair, "Where are Xianghong and Rui Tong? Why aren't they here?"

Wu Zhuoyue replied, "They're afraid to see the lord, so they hid."

"Why?" as if he were terrifying.

"They… they fear the lord will drive them away, so…"

"Drive them away? Why would I drive them away?" Li Bucai suddenly recalled last night's words: "If you don't let go, I'll… rest you." He thought to himself: Damn, they don't know how to kiss but understand "rest" as being driven away. (In fact they don't know; he just interpreted the phrase as driving them away.) "Now I remember, last night I feared you might get hurt; my urgent words can't be taken seriously. Besides, I know you all act for me. Come out, I won't drive you away."

"Lord, you really don't blame them?"

"Of course not. Come out; the meat will be getting cold soon."

The two only then emerged from behind the tent.

"Thank you, lord, for your grace."

"No need to thank; in the future you needn't take such things seriously. Eat quickly."

While everyone ate the meat, Wu Zhuoran said calmly, "What orders do you have today?"

"Lord, are we still going to capture the Lulu Beast today?" Rui Tong was eager to personally take part in catching the Lulu Beast.

"Not going. Until another herd is found, we'll hold off for now."

Rui Tong said, a bit disappointed, "Why?"

"The herd numbers fewer than a hundred; we killed nearly ten yesterday. If we catch them all at once, there'll be none left later." From last night's situation, the wilderness still hides countless unknown creatures hostile to humans; it seems time to upgrade the camp, otherwise such flimsy defenses will keep him restless. Fortunately yesterday luck held; no Goblins attacked during the day, or with only Yan Qiu and Rui Tong, danger would have been certain.