Chapter 149

Chapter 149

When Fu Yunzheng woke up, a storm was raging outside.

In the dim firelight, he could faintly make out a broken offering table, a crooked incense burner, a flickering oil lamp not far away, and a white porcelain offering plate with a gold rim, shattered on the ground and covered in dust.

The tempestuous wind and rain battered against the window panes, while lightning flashed and thunder roared outside. Dozens of red prayer flags hung motionless from the high crossbeams.

The storm couldn’t penetrate here; this place was a world of tranquility, starkly contrasting the chaos outside.

The wooden planks beneath me were harder than a coffin’s, covered by a piece of red velvet fabric, now marred by numerous green mold spots.

Am I dead?

Fu Yunzheng made a slight movement, and the golden cloak draped over his shoulders fell down. This cloak was quite worn, not only dull in color but also exuding a strange, musty odor reminiscent of aged clay sculptures.

Is this my burial garment?

Fu Yunzheng unconsciously furrowed his brows; his handsome facial features tense, he was clearly displeased with everything before his eyes.

The quality control in this underworld is really subpar; it seems like the economic development of the netherworld has a long way to go.

Born into a noble family, Fu Yunzheng lived a life of glory and privilege. Even in death, he remained a fastidious spirit, disdainfully twirling the corner of his robe and throwing the cloak to the ground.

Extending his arm, he felt a sharp pain around his waist.

Instantly, Fu Yunzheng broke out into a cold sweat from the pain.

This intense, bone-piercing pain momentarily pulled him back to the realm of the living.

Lifting his head, Fu Yunzheng saw the Buddha statue hidden behind layers of red flags. The towering Buddha statue, several dozen meters tall, had a slightly furrowed brow and an expression of compassionate sorrow as it watched over the mortal world.

So, this is an abandoned Buddhist temple. Yu He really did bring me here!

Where’s Yu He?

“Xiao He?”

Fu Yunzheng’s voice was hoarse, reduced to nearly a whisper.

The temple was utterly silent, offering no response. The sound of the heavy rain pelting against the window panes only emphasized the solitude, making it seem as if Fu Yunzheng was the only person left in the world.

Did... Yu He leave?

Even though Fu Yunzheng hoped that Yu He would make the best choice, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of melancholy engulf him amidst the deep mountain storm.

“Xiao He…”

Fu Yunzheng tried to sit up, supporting himself with his hands. A seemingly simple action triggered a severe chain reaction. Gasping for breath, he managed to sit up, but before he could make any further move, he suddenly heard a stern reprimand.

“Don’t move!”

Fu Yunzheng abruptly lifted his head.

The wooden doors of the temple swung open with a bang, and the fierce wind and rain poured in.

Amidst the white curtain of rain, Yu He, bare-chested, charged into Fu Yunzheng's sight, accompanied by the storm.

In that moment, Fu Yunzheng felt a turmoil in his soul, and a tumultuous uproar surged within the depths of his heart.

The test of life and death became worthless in the face of love.

Fu Yunzheng had never dared to expect equality in love.

In this battle of love, the one who falls first is doomed to be utterly defeated. No matter how strong a person is, once they fall into the trap of love, all their strength becomes useless, only serving to compete against themselves.

He was the one who fell first, his heart given away, and from that point on, he was no longer in control of himself. Even the slightest response from his lover was incredibly sweet.

Yet, Yu He always gave him more than Fu Yunzheng expected.

Yu He turned around to close the wooden doors, shutting out the storm.

Dressed in only a pair of black work pants, Yu He’s body was thoroughly drenched. His strong muscles, glistening with rain, exuded an extraordinary strength and fierceness. The messy hair on his forehead and the water-drenched hem of his pants diminished the bright elegance he usually displayed, adding a rare wildness to his demeanor.

As he walked toward Fu Yunzheng, his body temperature seemed to turn the rain on his skin into mist. With each step, his abdominal muscles moved, causing droplets of water to slide down his contours, showcasing his agility like that of a tiger or leopard.

Fu Yunzheng watched him intently, his eyes unblinking.

From the riverside to the Buddhist temple, during the short distance of five kilometers, Yu He had quietly grown, developing a backbone capable of standing tall and firm, completely embodying the robustness of a grown man.

Yu He bent his knees slightly and crouched beside Fu Yunzheng’s legs, asking, “Are you feeling better?”

Coming back to his senses, Fu Yunzheng responded, “Oh, where did you go?”

Wiping the rain off his face, Yu He showed Fu Yunzheng the herbs in his hand, “I went to gather herbs. This is broad-leaved Solomon's seal, an herb for reducing swelling and relieving pain.”

“With such heavy rain…” Fu Yunzheng lifted his hand to gently touch Yu He’s cool cheek, adding with concern, “That’s so dangerous.”

Yu He smiled at Fu Yunzheng, “I’ve also boiled some water; I’ll bring it over to you now.”

Yu He walked toward the back hall, returning shortly with a plain porcelain bowl, “This temple seems to have been deserted for quite some time; there’s a layer of dust everywhere. Fortunately, there were still some useful items in the kitchen. I’ve boiled this bowl and cleaned it with hot water. Drink some... but not too much.”

After significant blood loss, the volume of blood in the human body decreases. Drinking a large amount of water can dilute the electrolytes in the blood, leading to a drop in blood pressure and affecting the blood's oxygen-carrying function, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply.

In the tea bowl that Yu He brought over, there was only a small half-bowl of water.

Fu Yunzheng took the bowl, took a sip to moisten his dry, cracked lips, and asked, "What time is it?"

Yu He glanced at his wristwatch, “Five in the afternoon.”

Fu Yunzheng was slightly startled, “I’ve slept for so long.”

Perhaps his body had taken the time during his unconsciousness to heal itself. Waking up this time, Fu Yunzheng could clearly feel that his condition was much better than before.

Yu He responded, placing Fu Yunzheng’s hand on his own face, “Mm, I’ve treated the wounds on your body. You’ll be alright.”

Fu Yunzheng’s fingertips moved slightly, a trace of confusion appearing in his eyes.

Yu He picked up a blood-stained piece of glass from the ground, held it between his fingers, and showed it to Fu Yunzheng, “Fate is on our side.”

Fu Yunzheng’s eyes widened, and he subconsciously reached back to touch his own back.

Aside from a thick layer of bandages, there was nothing else on his waist. The glass shard that had been embedded in his flesh was now in Yu He’s hand!

Yu He had actually removed the piece of glass, and he was still alive!

*

Three hours earlier.

Yu He had finally entered the Golden Summit Temple, hidden among the pine trees. However, as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he was almost overwhelmed by despair.

The quiet woodland, the decayed walls, the dilapidated temple, and the weeds reaching half a man’s height... everything was telling Yu He that there was no one here.

Perhaps the temple was too deep in the mountains and didn’t receive enough visitors; this seemed to be a long-abandoned Buddhist temple.

The moment Yu He stepped into the main hall, the long-brewing storm broke.

He put several meditation cushions together, laid Fu Yunzheng on them, then knelt in front of the Buddha, looking up at the towering statue, his heart filled with bewilderment.

What should I do?

With no one around, seeking external help was out of the question. Fu Yunzheng's wound remained untreated, and the glass shard stuck in it was, paradoxically, preventing rapid blood loss while also gradually draining his life away.

Even those with no medical knowledge have seen it in TV dramas: when hit by an arrow, the most common immediate treatment is to break off the shaft, leaving the arrowhead inside the wound to prevent excessive bleeding, and waiting until proper medical attention can be secured to remove it.

Fu Yunzheng’s situation was similar. Hastily removing the glass shard could lead to rapid blood loss as the foreign object blocking the severed blood vessels would be gone. However, leaving the shard in place meant that continuous bleeding could also accumulate to a fatal extent.

At this moment, Yu He was faced with a difficult choice.

Should he remove the glass shard as quickly as possible, or should he continue to wait for rescue?

The mountainous rain was pouring down, and Yu He knew well that no one would be able to find them in such heavy rain.

If he didn’t remove the glass shard from Fu Yunzheng’s wound, Fu Yunzheng might fall into shock due to excessive blood loss before the rain stopped, eventually losing blood pressure and his heartbeat ceasing.

But removing the glass shard was equally risky. Although Yu He couldn’t see exactly how long the glass inside the wound was, the portion sticking out allowed him to roughly estimate the depth of the wound.

The depth of the wound was estimated to be around 5-7 centimeters.

Removing the glass shard from such a deep wound without professional equipment to stop the bleeding could mean that Fu Yunzheng might bleed out within minutes.

Yu He had to make a decision quickly. In reality, there wasn’t much difference between the two options; both had very high mortality rates.

Should he watch Fu Yunzheng slowly bleed to death, or should he take the one in a million chance?

But if he gambled and lost, Yu He's decision would have accelerated Fu Yunzheng's death.

In other words, it would be as if Fu Yunzheng died by Yu He’s hand.

Yu He was filled with a sense of surrealness. How could he bear the risk of causing the death of his loved one?

In the quiet, ancient Buddhist hall, Yu He looked up at the Buddha statue.

The ten-meter-tall Buddha, devoid of sadness or joy, silently looked down upon all living beings.

This was undoubtedly an incredibly tough decision, but Yu He had to make a choice, and he didn’t have much time to hesitate.

Outside, the storm raged on, and nobody knew when the rain would stop.

Time is running out.

Yu He closed his eyes.

The bond between people is superficial, like a snake slithering through the grass, thin and fragile. Yet when it's time to insist, we must persist.

Choosing might lead to mistakes, but it's better than watching Fu Yunzhen die helplessly. So even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, Yu He is determined to seize that slim chance between life and death.

He lifted the incense burner that had fallen on the altar, took out three sticks of incense from under the table, and lit them with a match.

Yu He placed the incense into the burner and said, "Today, I am borrowing this sacred place for a minor surgery. I will take a cloak from a child beside you to keep warm. I hope you won’t blame me.”

With one hand, he vaulted onto the altar and took down the golden cloak from a mud figurine of a child next to the Buddha statue.

Due to years of disrepair, the gold paint on the Buddha statue had started to peel off, creating a mottled appearance.

Yu He sighed softly, "It seems that even the Buddha has moments when he cannot take care of himself... I won't ask anything of you. I don’t want to trouble you; it’s quite embarrassing to make the main hall bloody the first time we meet."

Life and death are predestined; if praying to gods and Buddhas could turn death into life, hospitals would have closed down long ago.

He wanted to take a gamble, staking both Fu Yunzhen's life and his own.

Yu He didn't believe that his fate with Fu Yunzhen would end here.

With the cloak draped over his arm, Yu He skillfully jumped down from the altar. The table, old and worn, wobbled a bit due to its loose legs.

He steadied the swaying incense burner with a swift motion of his hand.

In the incense burner, the three sticks of incense that were just inserted swayed, and the ashes fell down. Above the blue smoke, the three sticks of incense emitted a faint glow like red stars, lined up evenly, maintaining a parallel position.

Yu He didn’t notice; all his attention was focused on Fu Yunzhen.

He had boiled hot water in the back hall’s small kitchen and also dried their clothes. After these simple preparations, Yu He began to unwrap Fu Yunzhen's bandages.

The bandages were already soaked through with blood.

In the wound, a blood-stained piece of glass stood out prominently.

Yu He pinched the piece of glass between his index finger and thumb.

The moment he made up his mind, all the confusion and daze in Yu He’s heart dissipated.

He has never been so calm.

"Boss Fu," Yu He looked at the unconscious Fu Yunzhen, "Don’t be afraid. Wherever you go, I will follow."