C15 A Shocking Plan

Zhao Ji and Feng Ru stood in silence, gazing at the muddy remnants before them.

The scene told a clear story: a caravan had been ambushed and pillaged, leaving no survivors. The victims bore no items to reveal their identities, eliminating any chance of tracing their origins.

Yet such incidents were common in this lawless land of multiple nations, so the lack of surprise on Zhao Ji and Feng Ru's faces was understandable.

Once they confirmed the attack was not directed at them, they intended to leave. Their own safety was precarious enough.

But as Zhao Ji turned to go, something in the periphery of his vision moved. Instinctively, he looked closer. In an instant, he was frozen, as if struck by lightning.

Feng Ru quickly sensed his comrade's distress and whispered urgently, "Brother Zhao, what's the matter?"

"That... That is..." Zhao Ji, eyes wide and breathing rapid, his usual color drained from his face, didn't respond to Feng Ru. He strode forward to a body half-submerged in the mud.

Catching up, Feng Ru realized the body's chest was faintly rising and falling—a survivor.

"There's no need for such alarm just because someone's alive, Brother Zhao. You gave me quite a fright," Feng Ru said, his tone tinged with reproach.

"It's not that! Look at his face!" Zhao Ji's voice was a near shout.

Feng Ru, having rarely witnessed such a reaction from Zhao Ji, knew the matter was grave. He leaned in to examine the young man's face. Despite the mud, the features were unmistakable. A shiver ran down Feng Ru's spine, his scalp tingled, and goosebumps covered his skin as disbelief washed over his face.

"Do you see it now, Brother Feng?" Zhao Ji's voice was hoarse with urgency.

Feng Ru's throat felt parched. He licked his lips, pulled a scroll from his back, and unfurled it.

On the scroll unfurled before them was the portrait of a young man.

Strikingly, this youth bore an uncanny resemblance to Chu Yan, with the sole distinction being his timid aura. One glance at him, and it was clear he was the type to shy away from trouble.

Feng Ru couldn't help but tremble at the comparison.

Temperament aside, the likeness in appearance and stature between the boy sprawled on the ground and the figure in the painting was nearly identical.

"There's always a way out; there's always a way out..." Zhao Ji murmured, his complexion shifting from pallid to a rosy flush, his eyes alight with excitement.

A spark of realization flickered in Feng Ru's eyes. He grasped Zhao Ji's implication in an instant, and the shock nearly sent him leaping to his feet. "Brother Zhao, you mean to use this kid as a decoy...?"

"No disguises!" Zhao Ji cut him off sharply, giving him a meaningful look. "If the future son-in-law is lying in the mud, shouldn't you, Brother Feng, help him up and check his injuries?"

Now fully aware of Zhao Ji's scheme, Feng Ru felt it was both wildly risky and utterly mad.

Yet, he also recognized the rarity of this chance—a miraculous lifeline thrown to them from the heavens amidst their dire straits.

Feng Ru, ever decisive, knew that time was of the essence in rescue. And it wasn't just the seemingly doomed young man on the ground he was saving, but their very lives as well. Without a moment's hesitation, he propped up Chu Yan, pressing down on his body in several spots.

Looking up, Feng Ru's eyes brimmed with irrepressible elation. "Brother Zhao, he can be saved!"

"Excellent! Our fate hinges on this move. Take him with us, and we'll talk after he comes to," Zhao Ji declared, gesturing decisively.

Chu Yan, in a daze, felt himself being lifted and jostled along. He experienced bouts of sharp pain, which were soon followed by waves of cool relief and the fragmented sounds of unfamiliar voices. He teetered on the edge of consciousness several times, but each time his eyelids grew heavy, he slipped back into a deep slumber.

Finally, Chu Yan awoke to an indescribable, potent aroma.

For reasons he couldn't fathom, the scent filled him with an intense hunger. It was as if every muscle and every drop of blood in his body was crying out in unison, "I'm so hungry! So hungry!"

As he opened his eyes, Chu Yan's gaze immediately landed on a beast resembling a cow, roasting over a nearby bonfire.

The wild beast was cooked to near perfection, its body glistening with golden, shimmering fat. The fat gathered into large droplets that fell onto the fire, causing the flames to leap and crackle with a sizzling sound.

The thick, irresistible aroma swirled around, relentlessly invading Chu Yan's nostrils and tantalizing his senses.

"You're awake!" A voice, filled with surprise, reached Chu Yan's ears.

With great effort, he tore his eyes away from the tantalizing sight of the barbecue, only to see two unfamiliar men standing a short distance away.

The men watched him with a complex mix of emotions in their gaze.

Chu Yan gave the men a quick look. Sensing no malice from them, his attention was drawn back to the roasted meat.

These men were Zhao Ji and Feng Ru.

As they prepared to question the newly awakened Chu Yan, Feng Ru couldn't help but frown at his condition.

Zhao Ji, unfazed, stepped forward, drew his long knife, and deftly sliced off a leg of the beast, offering it to Chu Yan with a smile, "Little brother, you must be starving. Don't hold back, go ahead and eat."

Chu Yan had no intention of being reserved, even without Zhao Ji's encouragement.

He couldn't understand the source of his ravenous hunger; he only knew his body felt utterly depleted and in dire need of sustenance.

Ignoring the searing heat of the meat, Chu Yan grabbed it and bit down ferociously.

The rich flavor of the meat exploded in his mouth. Like a starved spirit reborn, he didn't bother to chew, tearing off a huge mouthful and swallowing it down almost whole. The beast's leg, much thicker than that of an adult human, was stripped clean by Chu Yan in mere moments.

What was truly jaw-dropping was that Chu Yan didn't just devour the meat; he also crunched through the thick bones as if they were nothing more than crisp biscuits. With each kacha kacha, he reduced them to bits and swallowed them whole.

In Chu Yan's mouth, his teeth seemed less like teeth and more like grinding stones, effortlessly turning the hard bone to dust.