SES Chapter 83 Part 1

Chapter 83

“But…”

Luo Ren pointed at Old Man Yan’s body. “Those claw marks came from the savage. A regular human wouldn’t have that kind of strength, and the spacing between the fingers is way too wide.”

Mu Dai thought for a moment. “So you’re saying… people and the savage are working together?”

“It’s possible. This savage is way too clever in some areas—not like an animal’s kind of clever. Carving marks into trees, using the rain goddess doll to spook people… that’s more like something a human would do. At first, I thought the cursed slip was on the savage itself. But now, it feels more like someone is using it to do their dirty work.”

He gave Mu Dai a boost. “Come on, up.”

The two of them carefully moved up the well wall. They had only climbed a few meters when heavy footsteps sounded from above.

Luo Ren’s expression darkened. He pushed Mu Dai upward. “Hurry!”

Too late. The words had barely left his mouth when the savage’s head leaned over the mouth of the well. Its eyes stared directly at Luo Ren, then at Mu Dai. Its massive body nearly blocked the entire opening.

Mu Dai’s heart thudded nervously. She whispered, “What’s she going to do?”

“If it were me,” Luo Ren said, “I’d probably fill the well.”

Mu Dai suddenly remembered the dirt Yan Hongsha had dug up, and the big wooden board the two men had carried away together.

Luo Ren leaned close to her ear, lowering his voice. “At this distance, Mu Dai—you focus your energy, I’ll give you a hard boost out. If she’s planning to fill the well, she’ll have to bend down to grab something. The moment she moves, you get out, draw her away, and I’ll follow.”

Meeting the savage’s gaze, Mu Dai nodded. “Okay.”

Luo Ren kissed her cheek. “Don’t be scared.”

He slowly shifted his stance, bracing his legs against the wall, folding his arms, and positioning them into a cradle. Mu Dai pressed her hands to the wall and placed her feet on his palms.

She was light, and with her training in lightness skills, the few meters up gave her a good chance.

The savage rumbled deep in its throat. Mu Dai’s heart raced. The plan had plenty of risks, but…

Suddenly, the well mouth brightened. Luo Ren, sensitive to the change in light, let out a low growl and heaved upward with all his strength.

Mu Dai shot up out of the well. Luo Ren had thrown her with such force that at the peak she twisted midair, head down, feet up. And just then, she saw the savage holding the wooden board, looking up in fury. Without hesitation, she smacked it across the face, used the rebound to step off the board, landed on the ground, and bolted—straight away from the well.

This time, she was smarter. She yanked her hair forward to cover her face. No way she was falling for the same trick twice.

The savage was huge and powerful, but clumsy. Mu Dai’s movements were nimble, letting her dodge for now, though danger loomed with every breath.

She was gasping when two gunshots rang out. She whipped around just in time to see the savage stagger and collapse to its knees. Mu Dai sprinted toward Luo Ren, who tossed the gun aside and grabbed her hand. “Run.”

Mu Dai blurted out, “You’re leaving the gun?”

“Out of bullets.”

They dashed into the woods. After only a few steps, Mu Dai tripped over something. Looking down, she saw Yan Hongsha lying on the ground. Her heart clenched. Luo Ren scooped Yan Hongsha into his arms and gestured for Mu Dai to follow. She thought they were fleeing, but after a short run, Luo Ren stopped in a hidden spot, set Yan Hongsha down, and ducked behind a tree to watch.

Mu Dai checked for breathing. Thank heavens—she was alive.

She turned to glance at Luo Ren. From this angle, she could see the savage struggling to rise again, staggering a few steps before collapsing back down.

“You shot her leg?” Mu Dai asked.

Luo Ren nodded. “The bullets are weak, and her hide is tough. An ordinary person would’ve been down long ago.”

Mu Dai frowned. “Would’ve been better to aim for the vital points.”

“I need her walking, just not too fast,” Luo Ren said. “If we’re going to find who’s behind her—and Yi Wan-san, and Cao Yanhua—chances are, it all ties back to this savage.”

The savage tried a few more times and finally managed to stand, limping off in one direction.

Luo Ren looked back. Mu Dai said, “Go. I’ll stay here with Hongsha.”

“Don’t wander. I’ll come back for you.”

Once Luo Ren left, Mu Dai’s whole body went taut. Funny—when he was around, she always felt herself relaxing, leaning into him. But the moment he was gone, she could stand straight and sharp.

She stayed beside Yan Hongsha, listening intently for movement, then pinched her philtrum. No response.

Not just fainted from fear, then… could she be injured?

Mu Dai carefully lifted her head, feeling the back of her skull. Wet. Blood.

After confirming no one was near, Mu Dai hurried to the tree where they’d tied the rope. The loop was still there, but the rope was cut clean through. She bent down to inspect—yes, the edge was smooth. A blade.

Checking the trunk, she compared Yan Hongsha’s height. The bark was scuffed at head level.

Mu Dai replayed the moment in her mind.

Everything had happened fast. Yan Hongsha’s scream hadn’t even finished before Mu Dai dropped into the well.

That meant Hongsha had been ambushed, with no time to react. She’d been watching the rope—heard movement behind her—turned suddenly—screamed—then got slammed headfirst into the tree—rope cut.

The cut rope and the attack likely happened at the same time.

If that was true, then Yan Hongsha must have seen who it was.

Mu Dai’s heart pounded. She rushed back to the treasure well, dug through Luo Ren’s pack, pulled out bandages, and wrapped Yan Hongsha’s wound. Afterward, she grabbed her hand, pinching each fingertip hard.

“Hongsha, wake up. Please, wake up.”

Meanwhile, Luo Ren trailed the savage. The path wound deeper and deeper into the mountains. He memorized every turn, every angle, encoding the path into a long mental string of numbers.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the savage was gone.