193: The girl who saved people

By the side of a wide stream, a woman was crouching on a stone slab washing clothes.

"Mother!"

A pretty, crisp voice rang out as a petite figure came running quickly from a distance!

It was a girl with a ponytail, looking to be about fifteen or sixteen years old.

Hearing the voice, the woman looked up and revealed a gentle smile. "Is that you, Yumi? Is something the matter?"

The girl stood prettily before her mother, hands behind her back, her face unable to hide her excitement and happiness. "I have some good news for you!"

A hint of a smile appeared in the woman's eyes as she asked cooperatively, "What good news?"

The girl giggled. "I've been accepted by the Cangwu Martial Arts Hall!"

Hearing this, the woman was surprised for a moment, then was genuinely happy for her. "Really? That's wonderful! I knew you could do it!"

The girl said with a grin, "As long as I join the martial arts hall, I'll definitely be able to awaken as a Martial Artist! Then our family won't have to live in hardship anymore!"

"Yes..."

A flicker of complexity passed through the woman's eyes.

After the excitement, the girl showed a hint of worry. "It's just Father... I'm worried he won't let me go."

The woman's hands paused in their scrubbing before she said softly, "It's alright. I'll talk to your father."

The girl's mouth slumped. "Maybe we should just forget it? I don't want to make things difficult for you, Mother. If Father gets angry, he'll hit you again."

A flash of resentment crossed the girl's eyes.

Clearly, she knew her father quite well.

The woman reached into the stream, letting the cool water wash away the soap suds. She then shook her hands dry and gently ruffled the girl's hair, saying kindly, "It's fine. Mother has her own plans."

Mist had already gathered in the girl's eyes.

"My Yumi is so wonderful, she'll definitely make something of herself in the future!"

The woman smiled affectionately and then said, "Alright, let's talk about this when we get home. Go play for a bit while I finish the laundry and then head back to cook."

The girl nodded. "Okay, Mother."

The woman continued washing clothes while the girl began to wander around nearby.

She crouched by the stream, looking at her reflection in the water with a determined gaze.

"Mukaihara Yumi! You must enter the martial arts hall! This is your only chance to change your fate!"

"Hmph! Even if Father disagrees, you must persevere! Otherwise, you'll be stuck in this village for the rest of your life!"

The girl cheered herself on, her expression becoming even more resolute.

Her gaze shifted slightly, and she suddenly froze. "Eh?"

Thinking it might be an illusion, the girl stood up and walked toward a nearby patch of reeds. She approached cautiously, and once she saw clearly, she covered her mouth in shock!

"A de... dead person? Mother!!"

The woman rushed over at the sound, her pupils shrinking as her gaze landed near the reeds.

A person with a deathly pale face lay by the reeds, his lower body still submerged in the water.

He looked like a young man.

"Heavens!"

The girl asked in a trembling voice, "Mother, is... is he still alive?"

The woman pursed her lips and shook her head. "I don't know. But Yumi, we should call the police."

A look of conflict appeared on the girl's face. "But... only Father has a cell phone in our family..."

The woman was momentarily speechless.

Then, the girl suddenly summoned her courage and slowly approached the "corpse."

"Yumi, be careful!"

The woman said worriedly.

By now, the girl had reached the young man's side. She swallowed hard and took several deep breaths, telling herself, "Don't be afraid, Yumi. Don't be afraid. You're going to be a Martial Artist!"

The moment the girl's fingertips touched the young man's wrist, she jerked back in fright—the skin actually had an unnatural warmth, not the coldness a corpse should have.

How was that possible? After being in the water for so long, shouldn't he have been cold long ago? Why was he warm?

Her heart skipped a beat, and she plucked up her courage again to check under his nose. A faint airflow brushed past her fingertips, causing her to instantly clutch the corner of her clothes.

"Mother! He's still alive!"

The girl's voice trembled uncontrollably, yet it was much clearer than before.

She carefully brushed aside the soaked black hair on the young man's forehead, revealing a pale but handsome face, with wet blood still clinging to his temple.

The woman stepped forward quickly and crouched down to examine him closely. She found hideous wounds all over the young man's body; though they were no longer bleeding profusely, they showed frightening bruises.

"These wounds... they don't look like they're from a fall. They look more like they were slashed by something."

Her brow furrowed as her gaze swept over the young man's faded but high-quality clothing, then looked at the empty reeds around them, a sense of unease rising in her heart.

Could they have stumbled into something serious?

The young man suddenly let out a low groan, his eyelashes fluttering as if he were about to wake up.

The girl quickly supported his shoulders, her voice kept extremely soft. "Don't move. We'll find a way to save you right now."

Hearing this, the woman immediately advised, "Yumi, let's find someone else to save him."

She didn't want to get involved in such a troublesome matter.

The girl hesitated, however. "But... he looks like he's about to die..."

Time was precious, so the girl didn't care about anything else and directly hoisted the young man onto her shoulder.

Yes, hoisted!

It was hard to imagine that such a delicate-looking girl possessed such strength!

The woman wanted to say more, but in the end, she chose to keep quiet.

Soon, the girl carried the person to the village Clinic.

"Grandpa Hisamura! Please help me take a look at this person!"

The doctor was an elderly man in his seventies, wearing reading glasses, and naturally exuding a kind and simple aura.

"Is that you, Yumi? Where did you carry this young man from?"

Yumi said hurriedly, "I'll tell you about that later. Save him first!"

Old Master Hisamura smiled slightly. "Alright, put him on the bed."

"Oh dear! My freshly aired quilt... it'll have to be washed again."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Yumi's serious face. "Oh, I'll just help you wash it!"

"Haha! I'm just joking!"

Old Master Hisamura examined the young man's body; his brow furrowed, and his expression grew increasingly solemn.

Yumi's heart tightened. "Grandpa Hisamura, how is he?"

Old Master Hisamura remained silent, and after a moment of reflection, he said slowly, "This young man... how should I put it? He's hanging on by his last breath."

Yumi gasped and then asked urgently, "Is he very badly injured?"

Hisamura nodded. "Yes. It's not just a simple fever or cold; there's also the infection from his wounds and internal injuries!"

At this point, his gaze turned serious. "Little Yumi, where exactly did you find him?"

Yumi didn't hide anything and gave a brief account.

Hearing this, Old Master Hisamura's face looked complicated. "Sigh, I don't know if this is a blessing or a curse!"