Chapter 26: Bone-Tempering Nails

Su Jingxuan remained silent, his master having seen right through his thoughts.

"Fine. It seems your arm is beyond saving; I have no choice but to brace it with bone-tempering nails. Once these are inside your body, it may hurt at first, but I guarantee you will never feel pain in that arm again—even if you are beaten!"

"Thank you, Master!"

"Brace yourself!"

Su Jingxuan nodded. He knew his master had a way to heal his arm, so despite the fear gripping his heart, he gritted his teeth and held on. However, as the bone-tempering nails were driven into his arm, the agonizing pain made him scream uncontrollably. It felt like fire, like being sliced into a thousand pieces, like having his bones dismantled and his blood drained.

"Aaaah!"

"Ah!"

"Hold on!"

"Aaaaaah!"

His desperate cries echoed far into the distance.

Luo Yunhe, busy working in the fields, seemed to sense something. Startled, she looked up toward the mountains, her brow furrowed in concern. "Strange, why do I feel like I heard Su Jingxuan screaming?"

She shook her head, muttering to herself, "I must have heard wrong. Didn't he go up the mountain to hunt? Why would he make a sound like that? Perhaps it was just a wild beast in the woods..."

Though she tried to comfort herself, she still felt uneasy. She decided to go search for him once she finished her work. After completing her tasks, she didn't linger, hurrying toward the foot of the mountain. As the sky grew dark, she still hadn't seen him, and she hesitated over whether to climb up to find him.

Just as she stood there, a figure emerged from the mountain path. He was not walking with his usual steady gait, and he carried a wooden pole across his shoulders, laden with game.

Upon seeing the figure, Luo Yunhe blinked and asked softly, "Husband, is that you?"

After the bone-tempering nails were embedded in his arm, the excruciating pain had slowly subsided after a long while. He felt that the piercing ache was gone, though the arm remained as motionless as before—a dead weight. He had managed to hunt some game before dusk and made his way down the mountain, never expecting to hear his wife’s voice at the base.

"Husband, is that you?" Luo Yunhe asked again.

"Wife, why are you here?" Seeing the petite figure, Su Jingxuan quickened his pace and reached her side.

"It really is you! You scared me to death; I thought something had happened since I hadn't seen you all day!"

"I'm fine!"

"I'm just glad you're back. If you hadn't returned, I would have gone up to find you!"

"Don't worry, I know this forest well. This is what I caught today. It’s not much, but it’s enough for two meals!"

"You call this 'not much'?" Luo Yunhe looked at the seven or eight pieces of game hanging from the pole. If that wasn't much, she didn't know what was. Su Jingxuan didn't tell her that, on a normal day, he would have caught at least one large animal and a dozen smaller ones; today, his arm had delayed him.

"Let's go. It's getting late, let's head home."

Luo Yunhe was relieved. They walked home together, chatting along the way.

"Woe is me! Old man, I can't go on living like this..."

"If you hadn't arrived in time today, I would have had to die to atone for my shame..."

"Father, sob... how will I ever marry now? My reputation... sob, I don't want to live anymore..."

Su Shan looked at his wife and daughter wailing before him, his face turning grim. That afternoon, seeing Luo Yunhe safely at home, he had realized something terrible had occurred. Ignoring his own safety, he had rushed out with some men to the home of the old cripple in the neighboring village. When they arrived, the man was already setting out wedding candies, as if preparing for a marriage. Most importantly, his wife and daughter’s clothes were in disarray; though they hadn't been violated, the scene was enough to make anyone sick.

"Father, it must be that wretched little wench, Luo Yunhe! I clearly put the drug in her bowl, so why did we end up passing out instead?"

"Old man, that damnable wench Luo Yunhe cannot stay. She's a disaster, a lunatic! Look at everything that has happened to this family lately—isn't it all her doing?"

"I am an old man now. If today's events get out, how can I ever show my face again?"

"Father, that wretched wench must go..."

As Luo Yunhe and Su Jingxuan reached the gate, they heard the wailing from the courtyard. Luo Yunhe raised an eyebrow; she felt no guilt for her actions, only a sense of calculation.

"Husband, there might be a small situation inside today. You won't blame me, will you?"

Hearing the commotion, Su Jingxuan knew something had happened at home. "Don't worry. I will stand by your side without reservation. No matter what they say, I won't believe them!"

Touched by his unwavering trust, Luo Yunhe felt a surge of warmth. "Good. No matter the storm, if you believe in me, I will face any tempest by your side!"

They exchanged a look at the gate before pushing it open and walking in.

The two women wailing in the main room stopped abruptly at the sound of the door. Su Chen rushed toward the entrance, her eyes fixed on Luo Yunhe with venomous hatred. Su Ruyi, unable to accept that she had nearly lost her purity that day, was blinded by rage. Ignoring everything, she scrambled up from the floor and lunged at Luo Yunhe.

"You damnable wench, you framed me..." With a twisted expression, Su Ruyi raised her hand, intending to strike Luo Yunhe.

Su Jingxuan instinctively stepped forward, shielding Luo Yunhe with his body and staring at Su Ruyi with a cold, piercing gaze. Seeing her brother protect that wretched woman so openly, Su Ruyi’s fury peaked. If she couldn't hit Luo Yunhe, couldn't she at least strike her good-for-nothing brother?

Her raised hand swerved, aiming straight for Su Jingxuan’s face.