𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓━━━J. Cheng

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆-𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻

027—Drowned I

At the same moment when everyone was about to leave the water, a rain of arrows shot down from a scattered location, their target was the small body of water that connected to the cave. The disciples were unable to see what was happening on the surface, and so, to see arrows coming down, the other younger disciples panicked and were frightened. Some tried to dodge but there were too many arrows. A lot of these disciples were shot and vibrant red dyed the previously pure, clear water.
Jiang Cheng was one of them, he couldn't dodge in time.

An arrow stabbed his thigh. And then another one at his lower abdomen. He opened his mouth, reflexively gasping. And air left his body. Jiang Cheng tried to swim up, but the wounds hurt too much. Moreover, there's no doubt that there would be more arrows coming for him once he surfaces. But he still struggled for air. He squinted his eyes, his vision blurring as seconds continued to pass with him without any air.

Another arrow was about to hit him, but he was pushed away. Jiang Cheng gathered his remaining consciousness and glanced at his savior. But suddenly, in this cold water, his lips suddenly felt warm. He couldn't discern the face but he did recognize this pair of eyes that stubbornly and deeply stared at his. His face was held and his lips were forced open. Finally, he had air circulating his body again. But this person was holding his face and hand tightly yet so carefully, and his wounds were numbing him, he couldn't move a single inch of his body.

Jiang Cheng gave up trying to move and only closed his eyes, following this person's movement.

[First Name] felt Jiang Cheng ease up and mentally sighed in relief. She finally separated her lips from his and stared at his face for a moment. Normally, even a short physical contact with him would make her flustered and shy. But the current situation didn't allow her to react like that.

She then averted her gaze and looked up, carefully and swiftly avoiding the arrows that rained down on them both. Her hand tightened on his while she narrowed her eyes. The other disciple's blood blurred her vision, it was difficult to see but her eyes were always good. She blinked and then swam up fast, she was also running out of air. Just in case, she surfaced on the nearby land so that they could regain their footing immediately.

[First Name] rubbed her eyes and looked around immediately, panting heavily. Jiang Cheng in her arms started coughing but she placed a finger near his lips but she didn't silence him. He looked up weakly and confusedly, breathing heavily with his eyes half-closed. However [First Name] didn't look back, and only dragged both herself and him behind the bushes. Her eyes kept looking around, searching for the people of Wen.

And then her gaze went to the small body of water, the other disciples had started to surface as well, most of them wounded from the rain of arrows that had already stopped. They were all injured but after counting those who had surfaced, [First Name] had confirmed that except for the two stuck inside the cave, nobody drowned and died. All were alive.

She finally let out a sigh of relief and looked at Jiang Cheng, eyes full of worry as she held him tighter. "Wanyin, quick, take off your clothes and show me the wounds. The water was stained with the other's blood, your wound might get infected if-"

"Wei Wuxian... I have to go back to the sect and... Bring help to him..."

[First Name]'s eyes darkened while her eyebrows furrowed. "I know that we have to save those two immediately. However..." [First Name] looked down on his tired and injured body before she continued. "Wanyin, let me take care of your wounds first. If something happens to you as well, I..." As she continued, her voice slowly softened and a pained expression flashed on her face for a moment. Jiang Cheng briefly noticed it but he didn't say anything.

Jiang Cheng stared at the girl who held him. His pride took quite a blow by being saved by someone. Especially since that someone was [First Name], who he held some sort of feelings for. He didn't want her to see him like this. But he knew himself well, his wounds were numbing, yet at the same time hurting him. He wouldn't be able to arrive in Yunmeng if he didn't get his wounds treated.

The arrow that was stuck in his abdomen wasn't a fatal injury, but it was too close to his organ. The wound in his thigh numbed his whole leg, he couldn't even swim in the water earlier.

He had no choice, although it was shameful and embarrassing, he really had to go back to Yunmeng. He hesitantly nodded and [First Name] was glad.

[First Name] hastily took off his outer robe. In the end, she was still a Lan disciple. Born and raised under the strict and proper rules. This was the first time she got into this kind of situation, and for her to do an immoral act like this scared her and made her blood cold. But still, it was for the sake of this man's safety. His life was in her hands and she couldn't afford to be nervous.

Her hands trembled as she opened his white inner garments. She narrowed her eyes and inspected the wound, it really was too deep. She pulled her own white sect robe and tore it apart into strips. Thankfully there was no dirt or sand on his wound so she immediately pressed a few bundles of white strips into the wound, stopping the bleeding first.

Suddenly, Jiang Cheng coughed out blood, completely staining his white inner clothes. Her white clothes were also dyed red with his blood but she didn't mind it.

She didn't apply less or more pressure than necessary on his wound, so Jiang Cheng didn't feel that uncomfortable. But she was still worried. Just like her cousins, her arm strength was something she was proud of in the past. But now, it was the source of her worries.

Was she applying too much strength? Is she making his wounds worse?

If she pressed too hard, it would be bad. But if she only softly pressed, then she wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding. Her eyebrows knitted in frustration and Jiang Cheng, who had his gaze stuck on her face since the beginning noticed her change of expression. He felt like he had to say something, and so he did. "It's alright, just continue doing that."

[First Name]'s hands stopped trembling and she calmed down. 'I'm glad...' however, the moment she had a moment of relief, Jiang Cheng's hands went limp and fell. His eyes were shut tightly, as if in great pain. Her pupils shrank in fear, "Jiang Cheng? Jiang Cheng?" Her available hand immediately went and checked his pulse, he was fine. But he lost too much blood and fainted. [First Name] closed her eyes and took a deep breath for a moment, managing the pain in her back.

Something warm and thick trickled on her back. It was not water from the small pond. But the red, thick liquid that came directly from herself. Every breath she took felt painful, her lungs felt like it's being pricked by something sharp and cold. The pain was torturous, but she had no other choice but to keep the broken arrow on her back, to prevent herself from losing too much blood.

Her eyes silently fixated on the boy in her arms. Hesitating for a moment, she suddenly pulled him closer to her bosom and sighed.

He was warm.

That's the only thing she needed to know to keep herself going. 

I love the next chapter sm heehee

Published: February 25, 2024