DEVIL'S SWORD

From Enemy to Ally

Ho Chen moved stealthily, following the figure he believed to be Fang Yun. Despite the pitch-black darkness, he navigated the dense forest with ease, relying solely on his memory.

 Occasionally, he paused to ensure that the figure he was tailing was truly alone. He had no desire to be beaten and used as a punching bag again by Fang Yun and his seven companions as they had done earlier that day.

 But he made a small mistake. His foot accidentally stepped on a dry branch.

 Crack!

 The figure Ho Chen was following immediately stopped. He turned around, scanning his surroundings. "Who’s there?"

 Luckily, Ho Chen quickly dropped to the ground, lying flat to blend in with the earth. If he had reacted even a second later, he would have been discovered. The darkness concealed his prone figure from sight.

 A smirk formed on Ho Chen’s lips. The voice he had just heard was unmistakably Fang Yun’s. However, something bothered him—wasn’t the son of Duke Fang An quite skilled in martial arts? Why was he fleeing from battle?

 Yet, seeing Fang Yun’s limping gait, Ho Chen realized his opponent was injured. This was a rare opportunity.

 Not wanting to waste a perfect moment for revenge, Ho Chen stood up and approached Fang Yun, who stood several steps ahead.

 Fang Yun squinted, his expression tensing as he saw a dark silhouette moving toward him. The son of Duke Fang An gripped his sword tightly in his right hand while clutching his bleeding ribs with his left. His wariness grew, fueled by an overwhelming fear of death.

 Having barely escaped the battle raging at the Star Sword Sect, his luck seemed to have run out. If Li Hao had saved him earlier, there was no telling who would rescue him this time.

 As the distance between them shrank, Fang Yun’s eyes widened in disbelief upon recognizing Ho Chen. The young man he and his friends had beaten earlier was still alive.

 "Tsk, tsk... I didn’t expect you to run from the attack on our sect, Fang Yun," Ho Chen scoffed, shaking his head. His tone dripped with mockery.

 "You... How are you still alive?" Fang Yun stammered, unable to hide his fear. He knew that Ho Chen had every reason to seek vengeance.

 Fang Yun grimaced, feeling the sharp pain in his ribs where a Black Panther Sect warrior’s sword had slashed him. He pressed against the wound, trying to slow the bleeding.

 "Your question is amusing. Perhaps you should ask the heavens why I’m still breathing."

 Thud!

 Before Fang Yun could respond, his body swayed and collapsed to the ground. The loss of too much blood had drained his strength, making it impossible to stay conscious.

 Ho Chen frowned. He cautiously approached Fang Yun’s unmoving body, stopping just two steps away. He examined his rival carefully, suspecting it might be a trick.

 But after waiting for a while without any movement, Ho Chen decided to get closer and crouched beside Fang Yun.

 "Damn it! He passed out before I could even take my revenge," Ho Chen muttered under his breath. He sighed, casting one last glance at Fang Yun before turning to leave.

 However, after only ten steps, a voice echoed in his mind—his mother’s words from years ago: Hatred should not be repaid with hatred.

 Ho Chen exhaled deeply. He turned back and walked toward Fang Yun.

 "It won’t hurt to help him," he murmured. Ignoring his resentment, he checked Fang Yun’s pulse.

 It was weak. Very weak.

 Examining further, Ho Chen found the open wound on Fang Yun’s ribs.

 "No wonder he fainted." He removed his outer robe and wrapped it around Fang Yun’s wound to slow the bleeding.

 Cold air bit at Ho Chen’s exposed skin, but he ignored it. For reasons he couldn’t explain, he felt responsible for saving Fang Yun’s life—even though this was the same person who had tormented him countless times.

 Ho Chen stood up, scanning his surroundings for medicinal plants that could aid in treating Fang Yun’s wound. After a year of surviving in the wild, he had learned to distinguish between healing herbs and poisonous ones.

 It didn’t take long for him to find iodine leaves. He quickly returned to Fang Yun’s side.

 With calloused fingers used to hard labor, Ho Chen crushed the leaves into a soft pulp. Then, he removed the makeshift bandage around Fang Yun’s wound.

 "Hold on," he whispered, applying the crushed leaves evenly over the injury.

 Fang Yun twitched slightly, a sign that his body was responding to the treatment.

 A faint smile appeared on Ho Chen’s lips as he secured the bandage once more. Exhausted, he lay down beside the son of Duke Fang An, hoping that the Black Panther Sect warriors wouldn’t search the forest.

 Time passed quickly. Before he knew it, the sun peeked over the eastern horizon. The warmth of its rays, combined with the cheerful chirping of birds, stirred Fang Yun from his unconscious state.

 The young man, about the same age as Ho Chen, slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, staring at the dense canopy above.

 He touched his wound and was surprised to find a cloth tightly wrapped around his torso. He was certain he hadn’t bandaged himself.

 Wincing from the lingering pain, Fang Yun sat up. His eyes widened at the sight of Ho Chen sleeping beside him, curled up with his knees tucked to his chest.

 "Ho Chen..." he murmured. His fingers traced the bandage, realizing it was made from Ho Chen’s clothing.

 "Why did he help me, even after everything I did to him?" Fang Yun pondered, regretting his past cruelty. He had never imagined that the person he had bullied would be the one to save his life.

 After what felt like an eternity, Ho Chen stirred awake. As soon as he regained consciousness, his first thought was Fang Yun’s condition.