Chapter 17: Timely Assistance in the Snow

"What the hell is that?"

Chen Jie was in the middle of practicing the Spring Nourishing Art when he heard a scream. Opening his eyes, he saw someone tumbling down the hillside through the thicket.

"Doctor Bai?!"

The man's name instantly flashed through Chen Jie's mind.

He watched as Doctor Bai rolled all the way down to the bottom of the large ravine. Perhaps due to his advanced age, the man had actually fainted dead away.

Seeing this, Chen Jie stood up, but then sat back down.

Wait. If he went over to help now, it would look as if he had been sitting there waiting for the man to fall. If he wanted to earn a massive favor, he had to save the man in his moment of crisis.

People tend to remember the kindness of providing charcoal in the snow much more vividly.

With that thought, Chen Jie closed his eyes and continued his cultivation.

About half an hour later, the unconscious Doctor Bai woke up. He felt as if his entire body had been shaken apart; the pain was excruciating. He tried to move his arms and found they were fine, but when he attempted to stand, he realized his feet wouldn't move.

He felt his ankle, which was visibly swollen and slightly askew. It was a dislocation.

Doctor Bai felt around, then suddenly applied force. With a loud *crack*, he snapped the ankle back into place, the pain causing him to gasp for air.

However, even after that, he remained unable to move or stand.

Looking around at Wild Wolf Ravine, Doctor Bai felt a surge of fear. Very few people passed through this area, and it was rumored to be home to wild wolves. With his legs incapacitated, what would he do if he encountered one?

Even if he didn't meet a wolf, the temperature in these mountains was vastly different from the lowlands. If he were stuck here overnight, he would be in serious trouble!

He was... he was just too unlucky!

Attempting to save himself, Doctor Bai tried to stand by leaning against a tree. He managed to get up, but after only two steps, he collapsed again, the pain leaving him breathless for a long time.

"Is anyone there?"

He let out a shout, but it only served to startle a flock of birds from the trees.

In the vast, empty mountain forest, only his voice echoed.

The sudden silence made the place feel exceptionally desolate, and fear slowly began to creep into Doctor Bai's heart.

"Is anyone there~?"

Doctor Bai called out again, but there was no response. Instead, from somewhere deep in the woods, a wolf's howl rang out: "Awoooo~"

This truly terrified him.

Chen Jie was woken up by the commotion. Having completed one full cycle of the Spring Nourishing Art, Chen Jie felt the deficit caused by his lack of sleep being replenished. His heavy head cleared, and his fatigued body felt revitalized.

Although the Spring Nourishing Art lacked combat techniques, it was excellent for restoring energy.

Chen Jie stood up and saw that Doctor Bai had woken up and was clearly panicking. Sensing that the timing was right, he slung his small bamboo basket over his back and began walking along the ridge, ensuring he would appear within Doctor Bai's line of sight.

Sure enough, his appearance caught the man's attention.

Just as Doctor Bai was being overcome by exhaustion and despair, he suddenly saw a young herb gatherer passing by on the ridge. He was overjoyed.

Seeing a glimmer of hope for survival, he shouted, "Boy! Boy! Which family do you belong to? Come quickly and save me!"

"Hey..."

Doctor Bai shouted, but the youth seemed not to hear him. He turned and walked down the slope, disappearing from sight.

Doctor Bai panicked: "Hey! Over here! Over here..."

Amidst his cries, Chen Jie's figure vanished.

Doctor Bai felt as if he had been struck by lightning. It was the feeling of being in the middle of a vast ocean, about to drown, when a wooden plank suddenly floats in front of you—just as you are about to grab it, a sudden wave blows it far away.

To have the hope of life slip away right before your eyes was truly soul-crushing.

Doctor Bai sat dejectedly on the ground. It was over; he was a dead man. Perhaps, he thought, this was simply his fate!

His heart turned to ash, but just then, the youth reappeared on the ridge where he had vanished. The boy was looking around, seemingly searching for something.

Hope flared in Doctor Bai once more. Drawing strength from an unknown source, he waved his arms and shouted, "Here! Over here..."

The young man seemed to finally confirm the direction. He looked toward Doctor Bai and began rushing down.

Soon, he reached the bottom of the ravine.

As their eyes met, Chen Jie spoke first: "Doctor Bai?"

Doctor Bai looked at the youth and found him somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.

The youth asked, "Doctor, what happened to you?"

Doctor Bai gave a bitter smile. "I was gathering herbs just now and wasn't careful. I tumbled down and twisted my ankle."

"Ah, is it serious? Let me take a look."

Doctor Bai smiled. "It's alright, it's just that I can't move my foot and can't walk."

The youth said, "Ah, this... this is the middle of nowhere, and wild wolves roam around here at night. It's very dangerous..."

Doctor Bai visibly shuddered at the mention of wolves, but Chen Jie's next words put his mind at ease.

"How about this, Doctor Bai, I'll carry you down the mountain on my back."

"Ah, that... that wouldn't be right."

As Doctor Bai offered a polite refusal, Chen Jie smiled. "At a time like this, please don't be so formal."

With that, Chen Jie crouched down. "Come, Doctor Bai, get on."

"This... thank you, young man. It's a lot of trouble for you."

"Oh, don't mention it. We are all from the same village; I couldn't just watch you suffer."

As Chen Jie spoke, he hoisted Doctor Bai onto his back and continued forward. Doctor Bai was quite thin, so he wasn't heavy, and Chen Jie didn't find the task too strenuous.

"You said we are from the same village. Are you also from Xiantao Village?"

Chen Jie replied, "Yes."

"No wonder you look familiar. Whose grandson are you?" Doctor Bai chatted idly.

"Oh, my grandfather is Chen Yongwang."

"Who?!"

Doctor Bai froze, his voice cracking. Chen Jie said, "Doctor Bai, please don't get agitated. I know you have some history with my grandfather, but those are matters between your elders. It's not appropriate for us juniors to meddle."

"Besides, we are in the deep mountains right now; talking about this is useless. Once we get back to the village and are safe, we can talk about other things."

Doctor Bai fell silent. After a long pause, he let out a sigh. "Sigh... those are old matters, better left unmentioned. Actually, to be honest, your grandfather was a capable man. I respected him when I lost to him back then."

Chen Jie had chosen his timing well. Doctor Bai's heart had just undergone a massive upheaval of life and death, making old grudges much easier to swallow.

The two continued down the mountain along the ridge, chatting as they went. When they heard that Chen Jie had wasted his years on frivolous pursuits and squandered the Chen family fortune, Doctor Bai scolded him a bit and expressed great regret regarding Chen Yongwang's ultimate fate.

"Jiu Si, it's not too late for you to turn your life around. You can't act recklessly anymore. You mustn't let your grandfather's lifelong reputation be ruined by you."

"Yes, yes."

Chen Jie nodded in agreement. They walked the mountain path for about thirty minutes. Chen Jie was sweating profusely; to leave a good impression on Doctor Bai, he was putting in maximum effort.

Sensing that Chen Jie's breathing was becoming increasingly heavy, Doctor Bai said, "Let's take a rest."

"It's fine. We can't delay your injury; it's better to get down the mountain as soon as possible."

With that, Chen Jie continued walking forward.

(End of Chapter)