Chapter 222: Chapter 152: Great Snake
Zheng Xiu froze, his expression turning serious. "Zizi? How do you know that name?"
But after a moment of tension, Zheng Xiu remembered that Ruchen had amnesia. He probably hadn’t even heard of the "Richest Person, Zheng Xiu." ’I’m being too paranoid,’ he thought, worried he might expose his Main Body hiding behind this Incarnation and give himself away.
Ruchen smiled. "You called this name five times while you were unconscious, Brother Zheng."
"A... close female friend."
Zheng Xiu gave a vague answer, lying through his teeth.
He wondered why he would have called out Zizi’s name.
It made no sense.
"What about Pingping, then?" Ruchen asked, a look of sudden understanding on his face as he couldn’t resist pressing further. "You called that name seven times, Brother Zheng."
"A close female friend. Ahem, another one."
"I see. You really are something else, Brother Zheng. What about Lily? You also called her name seven times."
"Same as before."
"And Bobo? You called her name nine times, Brother Zheng. More than the others. You must be quite fond of her."
"...As long as you understand." Zheng Xiu closed his eyes.
"Then... what about Second Lady? You called for Second Lady seventy-eight times, Brother Zheng. Could she be your...?" Ruchen’s eyes sparkled.
Zheng Xiu couldn’t help but chuckle. The thought of Zheng Erniang brought a trace of warmth to his eyes; her name instantly reminded him of the feeling of home.
"Childhood sweethearts."
Ruchen nodded emphatically. "So that’s how it is! This Little Monk finally understands why you’re risking life and limb, insisting on saving Donor Feng Bei. You’re a man of true passion, Brother Zheng. Your love for Donor Feng Bei is deep, sincere, boundless..."
"Wait a minute," Zheng Xiu interrupted, frowning. "What does Feng Bei have to do with any of this?"
"You might not be aware, Brother Zheng," Ruchen said, a rare, teasing look on his face. "But you called Donor Feng Bei’s name a grand total of five hundred sixty-seven times."
Zheng Xiu was stunned, his face a mask of disbelief. "Why in the world would I call Feng Bei’s name over five hundred times for no reason?"
Ruchen spread his hands, his expression innocent. "That’s a question for your own heart, Brother Zheng. How would this Little Monk know?"
Ruchen had turned the tables on him.
Zheng Xiu was speechless.
’But why?’
Zheng Xiu racked his brain but couldn’t understand.
’Logically, it made no sense.’
Zheng Xiu buried his head in his food, mulling over Ruchen’s words.
Soon, they had devoured the second pot of food through their combined efforts.
Ruchen patted his belly and let out a satisfied burp, his face beaming with the blissful smile of someone who had survived a great disaster.
Zheng Xiu, however, still wasn’t full. He tore off a few more pounds of snake meat to prepare a third pot.
"This snake is really plump."
Zheng Xiu glanced toward the back of the cave.
In truth, after Zheng Xiu, as "Zheng Baimei," had killed the Crow Fosterer with a single slash and eliminated the threat from Ye Weiyang’s Raven, there was no reason for Ruchen to have undertaken the arduous climb. But at that time, Zheng Xiu had fallen unconscious, and Ruchen, his mind filled with Zheng Xiu’s words from before he passed out, had set off in one determined push.
But he had already made the climb, and he was here now, so Zheng Xiu didn’t say anything more about it. This place was perched on a high peak. For Ye Weiyang to pursue them, they would first have to cross the natural barrier of Celestial Yin Mountain, which was exceedingly difficult. In other words, they were safe here.
He planned to eat his fill, then start making a plan, as the old monk had instructed, to enter the Scroll Ghost Realm and rescue Feng Bei.
But the moment he thought of Feng Bei, Ruchen’s "five hundred sixty-seven times" inexplicably echoed in his ears, and it just felt strange.
The snowy mountain environment served as a natural ice cellar, so Zheng Xiu wasn’t worried about the food staying fresh.
Ruchen was still sitting quietly in the same spot, his legs crossed beneath his robes. He was smiling, tapping the pot lid, and eagerly waiting for more food.
Although his stomach was full, he could still squeeze in a little bit more.
Seeing Ruchen like this, Zheng Xiu chuckled and went outside to get more snow.
There was already a hole where he had dug before. Zheng Xiu plunged his hands into the snow, dug in, and pulled out another large block.
Suddenly.
Zheng Xiu’s whole body jolted, and the block of snow in his hands fell to his feet with a soft THUD.
At the bottom of the small pit Zheng Xiu had just dug, a large patch of dark red bloodstains stood out, jarring against the pure white snow.
That patch of dark red in the white snow stung Zheng Xiu’s eyes.
Zheng Xiu stood there motionless as if he’d lost his soul, his eyes fixed, unblinking, on the glaring bloodstain.
"Brother Zheng, what’s wrong?"
Ruchen, inside, noticed it had gone quiet and called out worriedly.
Zheng Xiu charged back into the cave, his expression ferocious as he roared at Ruchen, "Your feet!"
Ruchen started, then raised a finger to his lips and shushed him. "Quieter, Brother Zheng. You might cause an avalanche."
"Cut the fucking crap! Your feet! Don’t hide them, show me!"
Seeing Ruchen trying to hide them, Zheng Xiu showed no restraint. His eyes wide with fury, he yanked up the hem of Ruchen’s robes and pushed him to the ground.
A pair of feet—swollen and bluish-purple, covered in gashes, with skin split open to reveal raw flesh—was exposed before Zheng Xiu.
Zheng Xiu sucked in a sharp breath. The unnatural bluish-purple color was clearly not from simple bruising.
It was frostbite!
There were even two deep indentations on Ruchen’s shins, as if he’d been struck by something.
"Let’s go! We’re going down the mountain!"
Without another word, Zheng Xiu prepared to carry Ruchen on his back and head down the mountain to find a renowned doctor.
The first person he thought of was the Living Dead Situ Yong, who was known as the Divine Doctor.
Zheng Xiu’s expression was grim. He knew how terrible frostbite could be. For Ruchen’s feet to be this purple, it clearly hadn’t happened in just a day or two. If they delayed any longer, not only would he be unable to save his feet, but Ruchen himself might not survive.
"Brother Zheng, don’t rush!" Ruchen said hastily. "Don’t forget Donor Feng Bei of the five hundred sixty-seven mentions!"
"Bullshit! Stop talking nonsense! Your injuries are what’s important!"
Ruchen desperately shouted for him to stop.
But Zheng Xiu was frantic now; how could he care about anything else? Yes, he wanted to save Feng Bei, but he couldn’t sacrifice the monk to do it.
"Brother Zheng! Don’t be so anxious!" Ruchen quickly lifted his bare foot, pointing to one of the wounds. "This Little Monk’s foot is already starting to grow new flesh!"
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