Widow Brooks immediately breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, then, a bit embarrassed, said, “Young Master, my hands and feet were tied up by that shanxiao with old vines. Could you help me untie them?”

“No problem.” Ryan Thompson helped her untie the old vines, then stood up and said, “Let’s head back to the village now. There are still quite a few wild beasts roaming these mountains; it’s not safe to stay here any longer.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Widow Brooks held her tattered clothes with one hand as she tried to stand up, but cried out in pain and nearly fell to the ground again. Instinctively, she grabbed onto Ryan Thompson beside her, but as she did, the front of her clothes slipped down.

Ryan Thompson suddenly saw two fair, ample curves fully exposed before his eyes.

“Don’t look.”

Widow Brooks blushed furiously, quickly turned around to pick up her fallen clothes, and covered her chest. She stammered in explanation, “I—I didn’t do it on purpose. That shanxiao tore my clothes when it captured me.”

But no matter what she said, in her heart she was both embarrassed and anxious, afraid that the Young Master had seen everything just now.

“Ahem, how are you going to get out of this cave like that? Here, put on my coat.” Ryan Thompson awkwardly took off his outer garment and tossed it over to Widow Brooks.

Widow Brooks glanced at Ryan Thompson with a flushed face, hesitated for a moment, but finally took the coat and wrapped herself in it.

“I’ll go out first.” Ryan Thompson, feeling a bit awkward, walked out of the cave.

After waiting in the cave for quite a while, Widow Brooks finally emerged, draped in his coat, blushing, supporting herself against the rock wall, and limping as she walked out.

“What happened to your leg?”

Ryan Thompson noticed that her exposed calf was covered in bruises and swelling, clearly from the old vines being tied too tightly and injuring her leg.

“It—it seems to be sprained.” Beads of sweat appeared on Widow Brooks’s forehead, and she looked to be in pain.

“Looks like you won’t be able to walk like this,” Ryan Thompson said.

Widow Brooks nodded, her face showing guilt again. “It’s my fault for being so useless and dragging you down, Young Master. If you have things to do, you should go back first. I can walk back slowly by myself.”

“What are you saying? Leaving a woman alone in these wild mountains is just feeding her to the beasts. I came to save you, not to kill you.” Ryan Thompson glared at her, then walked over and squatted down. “Get on, I’ll carry you back.”

Chided by him, Widow Brooks immediately lowered her head in embarrassment. Seeing him squat down, she hesitated for a moment, but finally obediently climbed onto his back.

Chapter 5: Down the Mountain, Back to the Village

Ryan Thompson lifted her onto his back and was about to leave, but suddenly thought of something. He searched nearby for an old vine, tied up the shanxiao’s corpse, and dragged it behind him.

Seeing this, Widow Brooks was a bit puzzled. “Young Master, why are you bringing the shanxiao’s corpse?”

“If the shanxiao isn’t dead, the villagers won’t feel at ease. Those who rely on the mountains for their livelihood won’t dare to go in to gather food, and their lives will surely be affected,” Ryan Thompson replied.

Widow Brooks was taken aback, then softly said, “They say the Young Master has a bodhisattva’s heart—looks like it’s true.”

Ryan Thompson just smiled and said no more, continuing on his way with her on his back.

The road down the mountain was rugged and bumpy.

Carrying someone, Ryan Thompson’s pace wasn’t fast, but thanks to years of martial arts training, he was strong and energetic. Even with a tiger’s mouth holding a golden spear and someone on his back, he could still walk briskly. An ordinary person would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago. Even so, his steps were much slower than usual.

At this moment, Widow Brooks was holding onto Ryan Thompson’s shoulders, supporting herself. Being sensitive, she deliberately kept a bit of distance between them, so she wouldn’t be pressed entirely against the man’s back.

Still, when she thought of the earlier moment when her clothes slipped, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

The mountain path was rough. Even though Widow Brooks tried to keep her distance, her waist soon grew sore and tired, making it hard to hold herself up. As Ryan Thompson strode across a small mountain stream, she could no longer support herself. Her arms went limp, and her upper body sank heavily onto his broad, muscular back.

“Mm.” She let out a soft sound, her body tingling slightly.

She quickly tried to suppress her embarrassment and lift herself up, but her waist was so sore and tired that she couldn’t muster any strength, and she lay limply against the man’s back.

“Hm?” Ryan Thompson felt the soft pressure on his back and turned his head in surprise.

As he looked back, he saw Widow Brooks’s pretty face flushed, her beautiful eyes glistening with moisture, looking extremely shy.

“I—I didn’t do it on purpose,” Widow Brooks said, blushing.

Ryan Thompson smiled and couldn’t help teasing, “Pretty big, aren’t they?”

“Mm.”

Widow Brooks was stunned for a moment, didn’t react much, just lowered her head and softly replied, her face turning even redder, the blush spreading down to her neck.

Ryan Thompson, however, had no other thoughts. After years of cultivation, he had some self-control.

After this little episode, Widow Brooks seemed to settle down, lying motionless on his back. Only occasionally did she lift her head to glance at Ryan Thompson’s handsome profile, her eyes showing a hint of shyness.

“You must be tired, Young Master.”