**On the Edge of the Blade, Ready to Explode**
Inside the dilapidated hut, the air was frozen solid.
The official's rough hands reached for Xuán Mò's tattered robe. Beneath it, Xuán Mò's right hand was clenched around a dagger, poised to strike. There were also old scars or his physique, which might reveal his identity. Lín Xiāoxiāo's heart nearly stopped beating, her mind already foreseeing a brutal scene of blood splattering five steps away.
Cannot resist head-on!
At this critical moment, Lín Xiāoxiāo suddenly pounced to the side of the brick bed, seemingly to protect her "cousin" in a moment of desperation, but in reality, she cleverly used her body to block the official from directly touching Xuán Mò. She raised her tear-filled eyes and said in a choked voice, tinged with a desperate courage:
"Sir! Sir, please have mercy! My cousin... he's really badly injured. He just took his medicine and fell asleep. He can't stand even a slight breeze!"
**Retreat to Advance, A Plan to Examine the Wound**
The official was obstructed, his brow furrowed, and he was about to get angry. Before Lín Xiāoxiāo could speak, she hurriedly added, "If Sir must examine the injury, this commoner dare not stop you! However, if the quilt is lifted and the wind blows on the wound, his injury will worsen, and he definitely won't be able to work in three days. This would delay the official's business, and I would be worthy of death a thousand times over!"
Her tone shifted as she pointed to Xuán Mò's swollen, bandaged left leg and the large dark red bloodstains seeping through the bandages on his shoulder blade. "Sir, please look! This leg was injured by rocks the day before yesterday. The bone was broken, as Village Head Grandpa himself witnessed! This knife wound on my shoulder was inflicted by mountain bandits; it's deep enough to see the bone! This commoner is willing to unwrap the bandages here and now for Sir to examine! I only beg that after Sir finishes, you allow this commoner to immediately reapply medicine and bandage it, to save his worthless life so he can serve the officials!"
Her words were spoken quickly and clearly. She not only pointed out the authenticity and severity of the injuries (with the Village Head as a witness) but also expressed her concern for the corvée labor owed to the government (fearing a delay in the work schedule). Furthermore, she proposed a "reasonable and logical" way to examine the wound—only looking at the injuries, not directly at the person.
The official paused. He glanced suspiciously at Xuán Mò's gruesome leg and shoulder, then at the fawning Village Head Liu Daniu beside him. Indeed, with such severe injuries, if the quilt were lifted and he truly died, it would be a lot of trouble. Examining the wounds, however, would confirm if it was a pretense and allow him to report back.
**A Bloody Examination, The Crisis Temporarily Averted**
"Hmph, then let's examine the wound!" the official said coldly, withdrawing his hand.
Lín Xiāoxiāo's heart eased by half. She quickly and carefully began to untie the bandages on Xuán Mò's shoulder. When the gruesome, roughly stitched, still swollen and bleeding knife wound was exposed to the air, even the worldly official involuntarily frowned.
Then, she gestured to Xuán Mò's secured, obviously swollen, and deformed left leg.
The heavy smell of blood and medicine permeated the air. Xuán Mò cooperatively let out a few pained moans, his body trembling slightly, displaying extreme weakness.
The official carefully examined the wounds, confirming they were not in disguise and were indeed recent, severe injuries that could not be faked. His last shred of doubt was dispelled—this was indeed a man clinging to life by a thread, with no connection to the "important figures" the authorities were investigating.
"Alright, bandage it up!" the official waved his hand in disgust. "Make a note: Lín Mò, severely injured. In three days, he must be carried to the village entrance to report! If there is any delay, he will be severely punished!" With that, he left the dilapidated hut with his men without another glance.
Liu Daniu breathed a sigh of relief, gave Lín Xiāoxiāo a "take care of yourself" look, and quickly followed them out.
**Performance Demonstrates Power, Tiě Zhù's Heart is Won**
The door closed again, and silence descended upon the room.
Lín Xiāoxiāo leaned against the edge of the brick bed as if exhausted, her back completely soaked in cold sweat. Xuán Mò slowly opened his eyes, released the dagger he had been tightly gripping, his palm also damp.
"Thank you just now," he said, his voice low and with a hint of imperceptible complexity. If not for her quick wit, the situation might not have been resolved.
Lín Xiāoxiāo waved her hand, almost too exhausted to speak. She forced herself to clean and re-bandage Xuán Mò's wounds, her movements still agile.
After a short rest, she went up the mountain again to check on Tiě Zhù. This time, she brought news of the official's early arrival and the predicament of Xuán Mò having to perform labor in three days.
"...That's the situation. I need you to get better as soon as possible so we can look out for each other in the labor team then," Lín Xiāoxiāo said frankly.
Tiě Zhù listened, his dark face showing solemnity. He moved his injured leg, feeling the significant improvement in his wound (Lín Xiāoxiāo's herbs and the "performance" incentives had worked). He heavily patted his chest. "Don't worry, master! My life belongs to you! If anyone dares to cause trouble for... for Brother Lín Mò then, I'll be the first one to object!" He had automatically assumed the role of an "employee" and developed a nascent sense of belonging to his "master" Lín Xiāoxiāo, who had given him a second life, and Brother Lín Mò, whom he needed to protect.
**Spying in the Dark, Shadow Guard's Trail**
After comforting Tiě Zhù, Lín Xiāoxiāo returned under the moonlight. The continuous mental strain and physical exhaustion left her utterly weary.
However, just as she was nearing the courtyard gate of the dilapidated hut, a feeling of being watched suddenly struck her, making her hair stand on end!
She spun around abruptly, gazing at the pitch-black forest not far away.
In the moonlight, the trees cast long shadows, as if hiding countless phantoms. In that brief moment, she had clearly felt an icy gaze sweep over her from that direction, like a venomous snake!
Was it an illusion?
Or... had the "shadow guards" Xuán Mò had mentioned silently infiltrated their vicinity like ghosts?
Lín Xiāoxiāo froze, daring not to move, even her breathing lightened.
In the darkness of the forest, something seemed to stir.
**Chapter Eleven (End)**