But less than an hour had passed when—
THUD!
A dull thud mixed with the crisp crack of breaking bones. Two figures, spattered with black mud, were thrown from the valley entrance like broken sacks, hurtling straight toward Cao Yan!
It was the two youths who had volunteered to stand watch!
Cao Yan's pupils shrank. With a quick shift of his feet, he rushed forward, catching both of them securely in his arms.
Bloody foam continuously frothed from the youths' mouths, staining their chests red. Their eyes were filled with pain and resentment, yet their gaze toward Cao Yan also held a hint of apology.
Rage flashed in Cao Yan's eyes. He swallowed hard, suppressing his emotions, and pulled a small ebony bottle from his robes. With a trembling hand, he tipped out two gleaming white pills—
—a secret healing medicine from the Cao Family, never to be used lightly.
