Chapter 103 Ling: After All, I'm Just a Blind Guy
Zhenquan looked at the corpses with their heads separated from their bodies in front of her. Her hands trembled as she covered her mouth, and her voice quivered. "Just... for self-defense?"
"Yeah, just for self-defense," Ling said with a soft smile. "After all, I'm just a blind guy. If I let those who are hostile to me go, won't I be worried sick for a long time?"
Zhenquan looked at Ling, who was smiling gently, and felt a chill run through her body—even though she had just been saved by this person.
"I've checked. There are no more living people around, squawk," the sound of flapping wings came from not far away. Yata landed on a branch diagonally above Ling and poked his head to look at Zhenquan sitting limply on the ground. "If we don't count this little girl, squawk."
"Yeah, thanks. Now we can continue our journey with peace of mind," Ling didn't care about Zhenquan lying on the ground. He turned around and walked back the way he came. "Let's finish the investigation before bigger trouble comes."
"Got it. Then I'll lead the way, squawk."
Seeing that Ling had no intention of stopping, Zhenquan was stunned again, but she quickly got up and staggered to follow Ling's steps. "Sir, wait a minute. Please wait a minute."
Ling stopped and tilted his head slightly. "Does the young lady have something else to say?"
"Please help me. I can give you all the valuable things on me. Please take me to the nearest town," Zhenquan dared not get too close to Ling. Standing about five steps away from him, she held up her small pouch with both hands, and her voice was very weak. "Please. Just take me to a populated area. I won't cause you any trouble."
"Oh, young lady," a helpless smile appeared on Ling's lips. "I'm just a blind guy. It's already difficult for me to just defend myself."
Zhenquan's body stiffened, and she slowly retracted her hand. "Sorry..."
"It's best that you understand," Ling nodded in Zhenquan's direction. "After all, I'm just a blind guy. It would be hard for me to notice if someone really followed me secretly."
Hearing this, Zhenquan couldn't help but look up again, trying to observe something from Ling's actions, but she saw that he had already walked away without any hesitation.
Biting her lips, Zhenquan still mustered up the courage to follow him. Because she had lost her way completely when she fled in haste. Moreover, she was tired and hungry now, and there was absolutely no way she could get out of the forest by herself.
[I hope I can get back to the small path before losing him. In that case, I'll at least have a chance to survive...]
However, as they walked, Zhenquan found that [tracking] Ling was much easier than she had imagined. Because Ling was much taller than her, he would push aside or cut off the dense branches and leaves when walking, and there would also be firm footprints on the ground. So all she had to do was step on them one by one in order.
[Great. In this way, I should be able to follow him back to the small path smoothly.]
]Zhenquan walked as carefully as possible. At the same time, he couldn't help but observe the crow that had just saved him. [I hope Mr. Crow won't tell this samurai that I'm following him...]
Since its claws were stained with blood, Yata didn't land on Ling's shoulder again. Instead, after leading the people out of the bushes, it flapped its wings and flew away.
Ling still maintained that unhurried pace and walked along the somewhat rugged path.
On the way, Zhenquan also saw the scene where several other people who were chasing him were gnawed to pieces by wild wolves. If he hadn't covered his mouth tightly and tried not to look in that direction, and if he weren't worried that Ling would discover he was following and drive him away, he would probably have knelt by the side of the road and vomited by now.
As it was getting dark, Yata flew back from somewhere. The blood on its claws had been cleaned up, and it landed on Ling's shoulder again. And Ling also began to prepare for the night's camping.
Zhenquan didn't dare to get too close. Seeing that Ling didn't intend to walk anymore, he carefully sat down far away against a big tree and began to sob softly.
By the afterglow of the sunset, Yata craned its neck and looked at Zhenquan. Then it quickly got close to Ling's ear and spoke in a low voice, "Didn't you say you didn't want to cause any trouble, master? Although this kid is not bad, isn't she a trouble herself, caw?"
Ling groped to arrange the firewood and then lit it with ninjutsu. "I'm just a blind man. How can I control where the other person's feet want to go?"
"Then what are you doing lighting a fire now? Didn't you say that as a ninja, you should get used to enduring bad environments, caw?"
"I'm not on a mission now, and I'm not wearing the clan uniform. There's no need to adhere to these rules," Ling took out the Scroll of Seals and felt the runes on it one - by - one. "Moreover, I've been walking for a whole day. I'm so tired that I also want to eat some hot food... Here, this is for you."
Yata tilted its head and didn't say anything more. It just lowered its head to peck at the bird food that Ling handed to its beak.
After Yata finished eating, Ling took out the dry food and put it by the fire to warm it up. Seeing the obvious extra portion of food prepared, Yata still couldn't help but say, "You really have an inexplicable pity for the weak at times, caw."
Ling rubbed Yata's chin with his knuckle and laughed softly. "Don't say that. People who can struggle to survive are never weak. Well, go and rest."
Not far away, after crying for a long time, Zhenquan also calmed down. Rubbing her eyes, she looked in the direction where Ling was. She found that the gentle yet terrifying samurai had slumped against the big tree and fallen asleep. And beside the burning fire, there was also a folded thick coat and a portion of food.
Zhenquan felt her eyes sour again. She whispered a word of thanks, then tiptoed over, stuffed her small pouch into Ling's backpack, and then sat down beside the fire to eat.
[Although he's very terrifying, he's really a kind - hearted samurai... So is he the guidance given to me by the god?
With this thought in mind, Zhenquan curled up and fell asleep by the fire. After she was sound asleep, Ling, who seemed to be asleep beside her, reached into the bag and took out the small pouch she had just stuffed in. He let out a soft laugh. "Look at you, look at you... Such an adorable little thing."
"Do you want to keep this Korega, my lord?"
"Return it to her later," Ling put the small pouch back. "There has to be a reason to let her feel at ease following us, right?"
"With all due respect, you're sticking your nose into other people's business now, my lord."
"Didn't I say so?" Ling leaned back against the tree trunk, his voice filled with more amusement. "I'm just a blind man. It's hard for me to notice if someone really sneaks up on us... Alright, go to sleep."