Lin Mo only discovered the situation upon returning to the cave.
Or rather, it was the scent of blood carried on the wind that alerted him.
It made him hasten his steps back to the cave beneath Mt. Tianheng where Shenhe was recuperating.
As soon as he entered,
Lin Mo found the corpse of a man dressed in Treasure Hoarder garb, lying broken and scattered in a pool of blood.
He quickly looked toward Shenhe, who was huddled in the corner, and asked with concern, "Shenhe? Are you... alright?"
Shenhe did not speak.
She merely curled up in the corner, trembling.
He could see numerous bloodstains on her clothes, likely left from slaying the Treasure Hoarder member.
Lin Mo could also sense that despite her fear and unease, faint tendrils of black energy were gradually seeping from her body.
This was the source that attracted evil spirits and calamity—Shenhe's unique, cursed fate of Loneliness and Calamity.
Now that it had manifested as visible black smoke,
it meant she could no longer suppress her destiny, nor could she restrain the killing intent it brought. Her will was likely already slipping out of control.
"Shenhe, don't be afraid. I'm back," Lin Mo said quickly, embracing the trembling girl.
He hoped this would help calm her heart.
Unexpectedly,
*Thud!*
The sound of a blade piercing flesh.
Lin Mo's body stiffened suddenly.
He saw Shenhe gripping the Evil-Warding Sword,
which she had plunged without hesitation into his abdomen.
"Shenhe... you..."
Feeling the pain radiating from his wound,
Lin Mo was momentarily at a loss.
Because, in all his lifetimes within the "Hundred Invitations" narrative, aside from the times he fell in battle, this was one of the most severe injuries he had ever sustained.
Perhaps it was the sensation of warm blood staining the back of her hand.
Shenhe gradually regained her awareness.
Seeing the blood flowing freely from Lin Mo's abdomen,
her eyes instantly filled with profound horror.
She anxiously shook his shoulders, calling out in a panic, "Lin Mo! I... I didn't mean to! I didn't know what I was doing!"
But Lin Mo, having lost too much blood, slowly closed his eyes, clearly having fainted.
"Lin Mo... no... don't..."
These were the last words Lin Mo heard before losing consciousness.
For the next day,
Lin Mo's awareness remained hazy.
In his semi-conscious state,
he seemed to feel someone wiping his body.
Occasional stabs of pain came from his abdomen.
Lin Mo could sense that someone was diligently applying medicine to his wound.
But the only thing he could truly feel was a pair of small, cold hands gripping his palm tightly from time to time.
On the second night, Lin Mo finally began to regain consciousness from his weakened state.
Upon waking,
he found his head resting on Shenhe's soft belly.
The upper part of his clothing had been removed and laid over his body.
His abdomen was wrapped in bandages, with traces of medicinal liquid on the wound.
No doubt, this was Shenhe's handiwork.
In the quiet cave,
with his head pillowed on Shenhe's soft belly and listening to the crackle of the campfire in the night breeze, Lin Mo couldn't help but feel a sense of peace.
But he knew that his adult weight resting on Shenhe's abdomen must be uncomfortable for her.
So, gently pressing a hand to his wound and enduring the pain, he tried to slowly sit up.
Shenhe seemed very alert, retaining a sliver of awareness even in sleep.
Lin Mo's slight movement immediately woke her.
"Lin Mo!"
Shenhe quickly steadied his chest as he tried to rise, whispering, "Your wound hasn't healed yet. Don't move."
"Shenhe... I never thought I'd see the day you'd take care of me..."
Lin Mo couldn't help but remark.
He obediently rested his head back on her belly.
"I'm sorry..."
"Yesterday... I was just so terrified."
"I don't know how... but I ended up stabbing you..."
Shenhe's soft voice was filled with guilt and remorse.
"So this is the Lonely Calamity fate..."
Lin Mo murmured.
"Mhm..."
Shenhe replied softly:
"Ever since I was old enough to understand... whenever I get frightened... I unconsciously hurt those around me... or animals..."
"As far back as I can remember..."
"I've accidentally killed three chickens... five geese... two dogs..."
"I've accidentally injured a plowing ox..."
"I've accidentally injured my father..."
At this point, Shenhe's voice grew despondent again. "My very birth was a mistake... I harm everything around me... I bring misfortune to those near me..."
"Lin Mo... once your wound heals... we should still part ways..."
...
Lin Mo lay there with his eyes closed, listening quietly.
After a long silence,
Lin Mo asked, "That... mess beside us. That was your first time killing a person, right?"
"Mhm..."
Shenhe's voice trembled slightly again.
Clearly, the memory of the act still filled her with lingering fear.
Thinking it over,
Lin Mo roughly understood.
Most of the time, Shenhe could control her nature and suppress that cursed Lonely Calamity fate sealed within her.
But when her emotions were stirred, it became difficult to restrain.
Put simply, it was a psychological issue.
If her mental fortitude were strong enough, perhaps such incidents wouldn't occur so frequently.
A psychological issue...
If using methods of psychological suggestion...
Could it help her suppress the malevolent thoughts within her?
Just then,
Lin Mo suddenly remembered something.
He quickly began rummaging through the pocket of his garment.
Soon, Lin Mo pulled out a coil of red cord.
"What is this?" Shenhe couldn't help but ask curiously.
This red cord
was originally something Lin Mo intended to weave into a simple carrying sling.
It would have made it easier for him to carry the still-injured Shenhe to a better place for recuperation.
After all, over the past three months,
he had hunted most of the nearby wildlife several times over. There was no more meat left to fill their stomachs.
But now, it seemed
Shenhe's injuries had healed well enough, making the sling unnecessary.
Now, looking at the red cord in his hand, Lin Mo said with a smile, "This is a red cord I specially found for you."
"The red cord symbolizes good fortune. Combined with the power I've infused into it, it should help suppress the Loneliness and Calamity within you."
"Shenhe, I give this to you. From now on, you must obediently wear this red cord."
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T/N:
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