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Chapter 48: Fortune Is Sure to Come

Daifei looked at the young man before her, whose weakness and pain had drenched his forehead in sweat.

She exclaimed in delight, “You’re awake? You’re really lucky; did you know your intestines were spilling out yesterday? Fortunately you met me; I’m the one who saved you!”

Ashura had only just regained consciousness; instinctively he reached for his knife to defend himself, but the wounds all over his body sent such pain through him that cold sweat streamed down.

Before he could figure out where he was, the bright girl at his side chattered a torrent of words at him.

Ashura’s mind could not keep up, so he simply stared blankly at the girl who was leaning over him.

Seeing that he had not responded for quite a while, Daifei touched Ashura’s forehead and muttered to herself, “Were you born mute, or did the injury stop you from talking?”

Ashura looked at the girl speechlessly; he understood that she had rescued him, but he was certainly not mute and wanted to thank her.

Yet his throat felt as if it were on fire, and the hoarse sound he managed to squeeze out really did resemble a mute’s croak.

At that the girl’s eyes filled with even more sympathy, and before Ashura could try again she said, “So you really are mute; don’t worry, you’re with the Bida Mercenary Corps now.”

“How did you end up in Beast Forest? What kind of beast mauled you? Where is your home? Are you coming with us, or should I send word to your family so they can fetch you?”

Hearing that he had been mistaken for a mute, Ashura grew even more exasperated, but then he thought that in an unfamiliar environment pretending to be mute might actually be safer.

Therefore he simply kept silent and tried to sit up, but the moment he moved every inch of his body screamed, and the abdominal wound began to bleed again.

Daifei immediately stopped him with a glare and scolded, “Don’t move; do you know how badly you’re hurt? If you can hear me, give me some sign!”

Ashura, blushing with shame, nodded; Daifei brightened and said, “Good, so you really are just mute… wait here, I’ll warm some thin porridge for you!”

With that she darted out, and although Ashura felt the girl was a bit too lively he was immensely grateful, knowing that without her he would likely have been beast food by now.

With his uninjured right hand Ashura groped for his storage belt, withdrew several healing pills, swallowed them, and prepared to assess his injuries.

He froze in astonishment when he sensed that he had actually broken through, his levels leaping to Grand Martial Master Stage 1 and Grand Magician Stage 1.

Because of Ashura’s dual mage-warrior constitution, warrior qi and magic elements coursed through the same meridians, so every breakthrough advanced both paths simultaneously.

Advancing a whole tier was far harder than moving up a stage, and Ashura had entered Beast Forest after leaving the academy precisely to seek such a breakthrough; yesterday’s life-and-death battle had finally fulfilled that goal.

It seemed Instructor Yuan Da had been right: the closer one was to the edge of life and death, the faster one progressed.

Ashura savored the newfound power of a Grand Martial Master and Grand Magician, surprised that the breakthrough had come far sooner than he had expected.

Although he lay motionless on the bed for the moment, he believed that once he recovered, even if he could not easily slay an Earthquake Berserk Bear, retreating unscathed would be no problem.

Before he could finish daydreaming about using his new strength to bully Lan Yu and Magina, the wagon curtain was lifted and Captain John poked his head in to look at him.

Ashura instantly tensed and met the gaze of the middle-aged warrior, both men sizing each other up warily.

After a moment Captain John spoke first: “My daughter Daifei brought you back last night.”

Ashura nodded to show he understood.

Captain John frowned and continued, “Which family are you from? I can send someone to inform them and have them collect you.”

This time Ashura shook his head.

Captain John’s brow furrowed even more; after thinking a moment he said, “Our Bida Mercenary Corps is heading to Puro City; once you’re healed you’ll have to leave us… no later than Puro City, understand?”

Ashura pondered briefly, then nodded again.

He knew that Puro City lay southwest of Saint Gobban City and not far from Saint Gobban Academy, a journey of roughly 10 days.

He estimated that in less than 10 days he would be almost fully recovered, especially since the Grand Martial Master level boosted his body’s healing speed.

Seeing Ashura nod, Captain John lost interest in further conversation, turned, and left the wagon to organize the departure, certain the boy’s injuries posed no threat to them.

He assumed Ashura was a young noble who had quarreled with his clan… or perhaps an unloved illegitimate son… and that escorting him as far as Puro City was kindness enough.

Shortly after he left, the red-clad girl Daifei hopped into the wagon with a bowl of thin porridge and asked the weakened Ashura, “What did my godfather just tell you?”

Ashura stared at her and shook his head.

Daifei asked uncertainly, “He didn’t give you a hard time, did he? Don’t worry, we’re all good people.”

Ashura still said nothing, but this time he nodded.

Seeing him nod, Daifei smiled more brightly, handed the porridge to the boy, and said, “Have some; it’ll restore your strength.”

Ashura was already starving, but he could not sit up and his other hand could not hold the bowl.

Noticing his predicament, Daifei bit her lip, blushed, scooped a spoonful, and held it to his mouth; Ashura accepted it without fuss.

Daifei chuckled at his eagerness and, still blushing, fed him the entire bowl, seeing that he still wanted more.

Covering her mouth, Daifei giggled, “You’re badly hurt; eating too much isn’t good for recovery. When you’re better I’ll buy you meat buns!”

Looking at the girl whose smile bloomed like a flower, Ashura’s mood lifted instantly, and he grinned with her.

In the days that followed, Daifei drove the wagon toward Puro City with the company, chattering to Ashura the whole way.

Ashura continued to play the mute and could only listen, while the girl poured out every amusing story she had experienced in her life.

Sometimes Ashura wanted to meditate and cultivate, but her nonstop talking made calm impossible, so he could only stare at the wagon ceiling in a daze.

The mercenary convoy pushed on without pause; at noon they halted briefly for dry rations, and riders often trotted past the wagon to tease Ashura.

The gist was always whether the little weakling had woken up and telling him to get out of the girl’s bed, which drew roars of laughter until Daifei chased the lecherous mercenaries away.

Ashura could also feel a few unfriendly gazes fixed on the wagon; though devoid of killing intent, they brimmed with resentment.

Each night after camp was set up, Daifei finished her meal early, bounced back to the wagon with simple fare, and continued to feed Ashura.

Then she would sit hugging her knees against the wall, talking to Ashura until she grew sleepy and dozed off right there.

Only then did Ashura finally have time to meditate, and he wondered if the girl had once been mute herself and only learned to speak yesterday, otherwise why would she have so much to say?

Five days passed amid the girl’s incessant laughter and chatter.

At dawn on the sixth day, Ashura looked at the girl curled up asleep beside him.

He rose slowly and stepped out of the wagon…

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