He knew very well that the woman in green was seriously injured, but with her clothes on, it wasn’t appropriate for him to apply the medicine.

“I’m saving a life here—I can’t worry about that right now!”

James Carter slowly undid the outer green robe of the woman, revealing a layer of fine golden chainmail underneath. His hands fumbled as he unfastened the chainmail, only to find a pink chest wrap beneath it.

As he undid the pink chest wrap, two soft, fair mounds immediately swayed before his eyes.

James Carter’s face turned as red as if he’d drunk strong liquor, and he quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look any longer. He had never been this close to a young woman before, let alone had any physical contact.

Glancing sideways, James Carter caught sight of a large, dark bruise on the left side of the woman’s chest, clearly a blood clot, and he couldn’t help but gasp.

That kick from the black-clad martial artist had been vicious enough to kill.

It was only thanks to the golden chainmail that the woman in green had survived at all—otherwise, she would have perished along with the black-clad attacker.

James Carter took out a packet of healing herbs from his own pack, opened it, mixed it with water from the cave into a green paste, and carefully applied it to the bruised area on the woman’s left chest to prevent the injury from worsening.

“Don’t look… This herbal paste feels kind of soft and smooth!”

James Carter muttered to himself.

After applying the medicine, he re-fastened the woman’s chest wrap and helped her put on the chainmail and outer robe.

The woman in green groaned in pain a few times but remained unconscious.

The medicine was applied, but whether her injuries would improve was now up to fate.

James Carter looked at the last packet of healing herbs left in his pack, feeling a pang of heartache.

Before setting out to sea, he had sold all his family’s old property for a hundred taels of silver, spent fifty taels on a merchant ship ticket, and over forty taels on a fine green-blade sword. The few taels left were all used to buy these two packets of healing herbs, just in case.

These healing herbs could stop bleeding, reduce bruising, and promote blood circulation. However, they couldn’t be used for body tempering—those herbs were far too expensive for him.

Now, half his healing herbs had been used up on this woman in green.

James Carter crushed the last packet of healing herbs, made it into a green paste, and applied it to his own back.

He had been struck by a “water arrow” from a juvenile demon crab earlier, and his internal injuries hadn’t healed yet—he couldn’t risk leaving hidden dangers.

“When she wakes up, I’ll have to discuss repayment for the herbs! I saved her life. That red-blood vine in her hand—at least half of it should go to me! No, it should be more than half!”

James Carter’s gaze fell on the red-blood vine in the woman’s hand, calculating how much would make this “deal” worthwhile.

It wasn’t that he was stingy, but as a commoner martial artist from the royal city of Wuguo, he had always lived frugally. A few taels for a packet of herbs was no small sum.

Two packets of second-grade healing herbs could pay for several months of odd jobs at an inn in the royal city.

Most importantly, he only had two packets of healing herbs in total—once used, they were gone.

On this isolated island in the East Sea, healing herbs were extremely scarce.

How could he not feel the pain of losing them?

Fortunately, the woman in green had a seventh-grade red-blood vine, which could be used as compensation.

Only then did James Carter feel a little more balanced—otherwise, giving away a packet of healing herbs for nothing would be unbearable.

Chapter 7: The Princess of Donglai

No one knew how much time had passed before the woman in green slowly opened her eyes.

James Carter happened to be staring at the red-blood vine in her arms, wondering how much he should ask for.

The woman in green saw a young martial artist with a green-blade sword on his back sitting across from her and was startled. She sensed something odd at her chest, looked down at her ample bosom, and found that her pink chest wrap was actually loose.

“You scoundrel! How dare you violate my purity! I’ll kill you!”

She was instantly shocked and furious, grabbed the sharp sword beside her, and tried to get up.

But a wave of pain shot through her chest, leaving her limp on the ground, nearly fainting again.

Lying weakly on the ground, she noticed a large amount of cool green herbal paste on her chest.

She finally remembered fighting the black-clad martial artist in the jungle that afternoon and being gravely injured and knocked out.

Now, waking up in a cave with her chest covered in herbal paste, it was obvious that this plain-looking young martial artist had used healing herbs to save her, which was why he had undone her chest wrap.

“Hey, was it you who saved me?”

The woman in green regained her composure and finally looked at James Carter with a mix of resentment and helplessness. Seeing James Carter’s plain, commoner martial artist’s clothes and unremarkable appearance, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of disdain.

“Uh—”

James Carter was momentarily at a loss for words. The process of saving her had been too awkward, so he thought it best not to say much.

“Thank you.”

The woman in green’s expression was complicated and subdued.

“You’re welcome.”

James Carter replied calmly.

“My name is Charles Black. May I ask your name?”

“James Carter!”