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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 144 Night Owl Beast
Seeing that there was no one else near the grass mat, Prince Huixin kindly asked, "Where are your family?"
Chen Yushan's eyes were red as she replied, "I... I don't know."
Prince Huixin sighed. "Where do you come from?"
Chen Yushan timidly said, "I am from Zhen'an Mountain."
"Zhen'an Mountain?" Prince Huixin had never heard of this mountain, which meant that the girl was not from the area. He had not heard of any Zhen'an Mountain nearby.
Prince Huixin tried hard to conceal his worries. The Arbitrator had ordered attacks on several cities, which would surely affect some mountain villages. He felt pity for this girl; so young and already having to endure such hardships. From other survivors of Zhen'an Mountain, he learned that before they escaped the jaws of death, many had already been killed by the Hall of Malevolence. This child's family might still be alive, or they could have already perished.
Moved by her plight, Prince Huixin asked gently, "When was the last time you saw them?"
Chen Yushan's eyes widened. "I was playing by the creek with my friends when many people came into the village. I wanted to run home, but a neighbor, Uncle Zhang, grabbed me and told me I had to go in another direction. So I ran away to another place." The girl covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I should have gone home! I should have gone home!"
It was a tragic scene that Prince Huixin could hardly bear to listen to. If possible, he would do everything he could to find out about the child's parents, but he was almost certain of one fact: that her closest family members were...
Concerned, Prince Huixin asked softly, "Has anyone taken care of you along the way?"
Chen Yushan shook her head. "No."
Prince Huixin continued, "What about Uncle Zhang?"
"I don't know. We have traveled a long way, and after I woke up, I never saw Uncle Zhang again."
The refugees emerging from Zhen'an Mountain took two hours to encounter other groups of survivors. It was truly a miracle that Chen Yushan managed to survive alone and unscathed. Many who were older and stronger than her had already fallen by the roadside. This battle was the largest in recent years, and the Desolate Central Plain had never been short of conflict.
Most people were enduring torment, even though these were merely localized skirmishes. Prince Huixin saw himself in this girl, for he too had suffered greatly. However, his situation was different; he was grateful to those who had taught him, as he had grown up in an environment that was anything but ordinary.
There were many others suffering just like Chen Yushan, but Prince Huixin did not concern himself with them. He urged Chen Yushan to stand up.
"Do you want to come with me? Of course, you can also stay behind." He knew that Wei Deputy would certainly have complaints about this decision, but Prince Huixin could no longer afford to care. He couldn't save everyone, but for Chen Yushan, he wanted to do everything he could.
Chen Yushan's face was still pale and devoid of life, but after a moment of thought, her eyes lit up for the first time. She rose from her seat as Prince Huixin gestured for a soldier to bring his mount over. He lifted her onto the horse and ensured she was secure before urging the steed forward.
"Where are we going?" Chen Yushan asked.
Prince Huixin smiled slightly at her. "I have many things to do. There are some rice cakes in the bag hanging on the left; if you're hungry, feel free to eat a bit."
Chen Yushan immediately turned around to search for the bag on the side of the horse. After some effort, she finally found the bag containing rice cakes. She took one out and began to eat heartily. Seeing her devour the food made Prince Huixin smile as he continued onward. He noticed some refugees kneeling with their hands clasped together, praying for divine protection, while others lay on the ground from sheer exhaustion, and some were visibly injured.
Prince Huixin spotted a refugee whose right arm was infected from a wound. He quickly approached to examine it. The wound oozed bright red pus, giving him an ominous feeling. The shape of the injury was peculiar; it belonged to a man in his forties who lay pale and unconscious with rapid breathing.
His head rested against a woman’s lap; she appeared to be in her mid-thirties with her hair tied back. Her complexion was hardly better than that of the man. Observing their interaction, Prince Huixin deduced that she must be his wife.
"What bit him? Was it a Demon Beast or some kind of sharp weapon?" Prince Huixin asked.
He was the first person to show concern for her husband's fate. Tears glimmered in the woman's eyes as she replied, "It was a Demon Beast."
"What kind of Demon Beast?" Prince Huixin inquired further.
The woman tightened her face, trying hard to calm herself so she could explain to Prince Huixin, "That thing, it looks like a Night Owl Beast, but it has no wings and is very large."
Prince Huixin couldn't help but shudder. Although he didn't know what kind of Demon Beast the woman was describing, just imagining the appearance of a Night Owl Beast was enough to send chills down his spine. Not to mention that this creature was even larger than a Night Owl Beast. The Desolate Central Plain was home to countless Demon Beasts, and no one could name them all.
"Where did you come from?" Prince Huixin asked.
The woman replied, "Beihe County."
Beihe County was at least seventy or eighty miles away from Qingyang City. "He traveled all this way injured?" Prince Huixin was astonished that someone could endure such severe injuries over such a long distance.
"No, he was injured just ten miles outside of Qingyang City," the woman said painfully. "We hadn't eaten for two days, and that night he secretly went out to find food for me and ran into that Demon Beast."
There was actually a Demon Beast near ten miles outside the city? If that were the case, then these Demon Beasts had already stealthily approached Qingyang City. However, within ten miles of Qingyang City, there were already numerous outposts, and Prince Huixin had not heard of any soldiers encountering a Demon Beast nearby.
Prince Huixin couldn't help but feel puzzled. He thought to himself, "Perhaps this woman is just frightened and confused."
He asked again, "Are you sure it was ten miles outside the city?"
The woman nodded firmly. "I’m sure. I don’t know what it’s called, but I remember there being a large lake."
Prince Huixin pondered for a moment before nodding. "You must be referring to Spirit Lake."
He summoned a soldier and instructed him, "Relay the order that there are Demon Beasts in the vicinity; tell the sentry soldiers to be extra vigilant."
"Yes," the soldier replied before departing to convey the message.
Prince Huixin leaned slightly to examine the wound closely and then said, "I'll have a doctor come take a look."
Before long, a Military Doctor hurried in. This Military Doctor had never seen such a wound before. He cautiously touched the injury, noting that the flesh around it was hard and thought to himself that at least it should prevent further infection.
Prince Huixin heard the rapid breathing of Chen Yushan behind him. Chen Yushan was worried about the man; no one knew what the consequences would be after being injured by an unknown Demon Beast.
The Military Doctor began his treatment. Regardless of what kind of Demon Beast it was, the first thing to determine was whether there were toxins in the wound. However, judging by the crimson injury, it was certain that there were toxins present. The Military Doctor took out a bottle containing half a vial of blue liquid, which was juice made from crushed Golden Crow Spirit Ginseng, known for its detoxifying properties.
Golden Crow Spirit Ginseng was exceptionally expensive. If given a choice, the Military Doctor would not waste such juice on saving a refugee. But since it was Prince Huixin who spoke up, he could not let someone die on his watch. The Military Doctor dripped a drop of Golden Crow Spirit Ginseng juice onto the wound, and a faint blue light appeared above it. The refugee's wife widened her eyes in anticipation, and Chen Yushan's breathing quickened again.
As the blue light gradually faded, the Military Doctor touched around the wound with his fingers, paying special attention to the areas most severely infected. When he felt a spot filled with pus, his face twisted in disgust.
What kind of Demon Beast could inflict such terrifying consequences with just one bite?
As the juice from the Golden Crow Spirit Ginseng seeped in, the wound felt less hard to the touch. The Military Doctor squeezed at the wound, forcing out black, foul-smelling blood. The blood around the wound gradually returned to its normal color, indicating that some of the toxic liquid had been expelled.
With the poison leaving his body, the man seemed to awaken from a deep slumber. He suddenly began to groan softly; his chest rose and fell more vigorously and rhythmically, and his eyes slowly opened. Seeing him awake and taking a deep breath, the man's wife tightly grasped the Military Doctor's hand in gratitude.
The Military Doctor smiled and said, "If anyone deserves thanks, it should be Prince Huixin."
Despite being weak, the man mustered his strength to thank Prince Huixin repeatedly along with his wife. Prince Huixin felt overwhelmed; they were being too polite.
"How do you feel? If possible, could you tell me in detail about your encounter with the Demon Beast?" Prince Huixin asked, very concerned about this Demon Beast and seizing the opportunity while the man had some energy.
The man nodded and recounted everything he could remember. During their escape, he realized they had run out of food. In such chaos, other refugees were too preoccupied with their own survival to share any food with them. As a husband, he certainly could not let his wife go hungry.
At Spirit Lake, he thought there might be wild fruits available; even if there weren't any fruits, there might be fish in the lake. He assured his wife that he would return quickly. In reality, if there were any food there, it would have already been consumed by other refugees. But when one is starving, they cannot think too much about such things.
He originally planned to walk a short distance and then return, but things did not go as he wished. He found himself venturing deeper into the woods until he finally came across several wild fruit trees. As he approached, he realized they were Wild Cherry trees. The man quickly began to gather the cherries, stuffing them into the pouch attached to his belt, trying to fill it as much as possible. He also took a handful for himself, hoping to regain some strength.
While he was busy collecting the Wild Cherries, a sudden loud noise erupted from the forest. It sounded like something was moving nearby. At first, he thought it might be a wild boar. He quickly turned around, focusing intently on everything behind him to avoid any unexpected danger.
However, he miscalculated the direction of the threat. A Demon Beast he had never seen before charged at him from the front.
Despite being fatigued from his long journey and feeling quite hungry, the man still possessed a degree of agility. He noticed that the Demon Beast had the face of a Night Owl Beast but lacked wings on its back and stood upright like a bear. As the Demon Beast lunged at him with its exceptionally sharp claws, he twisted his body to evade the attack.
The Demon Beast intended to swipe at him but missed, instead clamping down on his leg.
Every cell in his body trembled with fear, yet somehow he managed to suppress any cries of distress. He reached out desperately, searching for anything he could use for self-defense. When his hand grasped a sharp stone, he summoned all his strength and smashed it against the Demon Beast's face.
He heard something crack, followed by a piercing howl from the Demon Beast as it released his leg and bit down on his arm, tearing away a large chunk of flesh. The pain was excruciating, but he struck again.
The Demon Beast recoiled in pain and retreated into another part of the forest. Instinctively driven by self-preservation, the man dragged his injured body in the opposite direction to escape. He didn't even have time to stop and check the bleeding wounds.
He desperately made his way toward where his wife was waiting for him. The journey was arduous, and he knew that the Demon Beast could return at any moment to finish him off.
Prince Huixin listened carefully to the entire story, thinking how incredibly lucky this man was to survive an encounter with such a Demon Beast. However, from what he gathered from the description, this particular Demon Beast seemed to rely solely on brute strength. Prince Huixin believed that individual soldiers could easily handle one of these creatures, but what would happen if they faced a whole pack?
Regardless of the situation, it was essential to send soldiers to investigate whether there was a nest of these Demon Beasts nearby.
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