Chapter 23: Dragged Back to the Stone House

Time slowly passed in the suffocating stench and silent standoff.

Li Feifei felt her legs go numb, each breath like swallowing icy blades.

Just as she could barely hold on, the Black Goat's massive body shifted extremely slowly to the side by one step.

Just one step.

That mountain-like blocking silhouette shifted slightly, opening a narrow passage between it and the unconscious Li Qingxuan.

It lowered its head, its whimper becoming extremely faint, almost like a tacit permission, yet also like silent surveillance—allowing her to approach its master, but permitting no threatening move.

Li Feifei's heart nearly leapt out of her throat.

She hesitated not at all, almost using hands and feet together, lunged at Li Qingxuan and collapsed beside him.

Icy mud and sticky black blood instantly soaked her clothes, a pungent stench assaulted her, yet she ignored it, her trembling hand immediately reaching for his breath—faint, but present.

Her fingertips touched his icy, sweat-damp skin; his deathly pale face and congealed blood made her heart feel like it was being cut.

"Alive… he's still alive…" A huge relief nearly made her faint, but the next second a deeper fear seized her—his breath was weak, his body ice-cold, and the backlash of exhausted Spiritual Power could at any moment take his life.

She jerked her head up, looking at the Black Goat still standing like a silent sculpture beside her.

The Black Goat's pitch-black eyes turned to her, and from its throat came a short, low response: "Uuh..."

The fur covering its body smoothed slightly, and its massive frame radiated a clearer, stone-like will to protect.

It slightly adjusted its stance, the remaining three legs firmly supporting its body; the injured leg, though still dripping blood and trembling, no longer dragged but instead bore as much weight as possible, its wary gaze sweeping over the devastated battlefield and the dim forest edge.

Having confirmed the Black Goat meant no harm, Li Feifei no longer delayed, summoning all her strength to lift the unconscious Li Qingxuan; his heavy body almost made her collapse.

She gritted her teeth, ignoring the mire and filth, painfully dragging him step by step toward the fortress's open gate.

Each step felt immensely heavy; behind her stood the Black Goat, silent and steadfast like a loyal guard, and a ravaged battlefield reeking of death.

Li Feifei dragged Li Qingxuan through the gate, set him aside, closed the gate, then dragged him into the bathroom.

Li Feifei dragged Li Qingxuan's heavy body into the spacious bathroom, the icy tile floor forming a stark contrast to the muddy ground outside.

She had no mind for her own mud-covered body and piercing stench, nor for the oppressive shadow and faint low whine cast by the huge figure outside the door.

She nearly collapsed from exhaustion beside Li Qingxuan, gasping violently, each breath tugging at her sore muscles.

Her anxious gaze fell on him; blood and mud nearly obscured his features, bloody traces oozing from his seven orifices stood out starkly against his pallid skin, his tightly shut eyes and slightly furrowed brows silently speaking of pain.

His armor, soaked through with black blood and mud, clung tightly to his body, exuding a nauseatingly strong stench of blood.

They must be cleaned immediately! This filth could cause infection, and might also retain the Black Goat's chaotic, twisted energy, worsening his wounds.

Li Feifei struggled to her feet and twisted open the icy metal faucet.

The water surged against the sink basin with a splashing sound, sending up icy droplets.

She quickly soaked every towel, rag, and relatively clean old garment she could find.

She knelt back beside Li Qingxuan, drew a deep breath, and began gently wiping his face.

The warm, damp cloth touched his cold skin, and Li Qingxuan unconsciously let out a low groan.

Blood scabs and clods of mud gradually softened and peeled away, revealing the paper‑pale skin beneath.

She moved extremely lightly, avoiding what looked like unusually fragile wounds, especially around the eyes and nose.

The towel quickly turned black‑red; she swapped it for a fresh one and continued wiping down his neck.

Removing his armor took great effort; the congealed filth and mud had soaked the fabric, making it stick to the wounds, so she had to gradually dampen and soften it with wet cloth before she could unfasten it.

Beneath the armor lay a chest covered in bluish‑purple bruises; with his feeble breathing, the chest barely rose and fell.

She bit her lower lip, stifling her heartache, and gently wiped every inch of his skin with a damp cloth, washing away the suffocating mix of blood and earth.

The water carried away the grime, but could not take away the deep‑seated weakness and chill within his bones.

Li Feifei's hand trembled—not from cold, but from fear.

His body temperature was shockingly low, his breath as feeble as a candle flickering in the wind.

Washing his body was only the start; he urgently needed warmth and urgently needed to restore his nearly exhausted Spiritual Power.

Outside the door, the Black Goat's massive body shifted with a faint sound, accompanied by a muffled low groan, as if inquiring, or confirming, its master's condition.

That sound made Li Feifei's actions jerk to a halt, her heart clenching tight once again.

She glanced back at the closed bathroom door, drew a deep breath, suppressed the rising fear, and forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

She swapped in a clean towel, dampened it, wrung it out, and began carefully wiping Li Qingxuan's mud‑soaked hands.

Those hands, which once gripped the Thunder Pattern Iron Spear and unleashed astonishing power, now lay limp on the icy tiles, their fingernails packed with black sludge.

She cleaned them bit by bit, carefully removing the grime from under the nails.

Washing the lower half was even harder; his heavy legs, likewise soaked in mud and black blood through his trousers.

Li Feifei's cheeks flushed, whether from exertion or not, fine beads of sweat appeared at her temples, mixing with the tears that had not yet dried.

She had to tilt him slightly to clean his back; each move left her panting, fearful of aggravating any hidden injury within him.

In the spacious bathroom, only the sound of water and Li Feifei's panting could be heard.

Icy water droplets kept falling, pooling on the floor into a small patch of murky wastewater.

Li Feifei mechanically repeated the wiping motions, cleaning Li Qingxuan's body, then dragged him upstairs to the bedroom.

She gently laid Li Qingxuan on the bed and pulled the covers over him.

Li Feifei went to the upstairs master bathroom, took off her clothes, washed herself clean, and walked out naked.

She pulled back the covers, slipped in, and tightly embraced Li Qingxuan, trying to warm his body.

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