77: Chapter 77 A Man's Dignity

"Doing it now? Then I will give it a try."

Qi Yun gave a bitter smile.

He was lying on his back in the mud, feeling the weight of Xia Jin, who was completely limp on top of him.

He had won this physical combat duel.

Using the last bit of strength remaining in his body, Qi Yun moved Xia Jin's body off of him, inch by inch.

He carefully laid her flat in the mud beside him.

He lowered his head, his gaze falling on his pants, which were also soaked through with muddy water.

He didn't know if he still had the strength to take off his pants now.

"Heh..." Qi Yun laughed at himself in his heart.

If it weren't for the extraordinary endurance brought by the clan leaders blessing, he would probably have been exhausted already.

...

Inside the stone house.

The girls crowded at the door and window, watching those two figures nervously through the dense curtain of rain.

The rain was too heavy, making their vision blurry; they could only see the outlines of two dark shadows.

"How is it? What's happening? Are they still fighting?" a girl in the back asked anxiously.

"I can't see clearly... It seems... they aren't moving anymore?" a girl squinted her eyes, trying to discern the situation.

"It should be over, right? Both of them have fallen down." another girl said.

"Who won? The Tribe Leader or Sister Xia Jin?"

"I don't know."

Everyone discussed it heatedly, their hearts tight with worry.

"Wait!" sharp-eyed Chen Xiaolin suddenly pointed outside, her voice filled with astonishment, "Qi Bao... his hand is moving? It looks like he is... taking off Sister Xia Jin's clothes? No, wait, it's his own pants?!"

"What?!"

"Taking off his pants?!"

"At a time like this?! In the rain?!"

The girls immediately erupted in a frenzy, all trying to squeeze to the front, eyes wide, attempting to see the details through the rain.

The rain was too heavy, so they couldn't see very clearly.

But they could vaguely see Qi Yun struggling to move his arm, his target seemingly his own waist.

"Oh my god, is Qi Bao really going to..."

Lin Le covered her mouth, her amber eyes wide.

"In, in the rain? In front of everyone?"

Lin Wan was also stunned.

"This is truly Qi Bao's style." Shu Qianxue's mouth twitched, unsure of how to comment.

"The claim that Easterners are reserved must be a lie." Sophia crossed her arms, a flicker of emotion passing through her ice-blue eyes.

Ke Yun looked full of worry, "We must get them inside for treatment immediately!"

However, the scene outside continued.

Under the gazes of the girls—some shocked, some shy, some curious, some worried—Qi Yun, out in the rain, was truly struggling with his own pants.

The soaked fabric clung to his skin, made even more difficult to move by the muddy water.

He struggled, trying to pull his pants down a little.

His movements were clumsy and slow.

An exhausted Xia Jin shifted her gaze toward Qi Yun.

Her red eyes caught Qi Yun beside her, who was in the middle of the arduous task of taking off his pants.

Xia Jin's pale lips moved ever so slightly, as if she wanted to say something.

Her eyes, however, clearly conveyed one meaning.

"Why... didn't it... get up?"

Qi Yun's movements froze.

He felt the weak but intensely present gaze cast from beside him.

He struggled to turn his head, meeting Xia Jin's half-open red eyes, which held pure confusion.

Their eyes met.

Rainwater streamed down both of their cheeks.

An expression of extreme embarrassment instantly appeared on Qi Yun's face.

"I..." he opened his mouth, "I'm... trying..."

A man's pride was at work; Qi Yun took a deep breath, focusing the last bit of his pathetic willpower.

He attempted to awaken a certain "comrade-in-arms" that had fallen into a deep slumber due to extreme fatigue and cold.

Try.

Concentrate.

Imagine...

However, the body is honest.

Extreme physical exhaustion, severe injuries, the cold rain, and the incredibly awkward situation at this moment... all these factors combined made his efforts appear so pale and weak.

As a result, it still didn't get up.

Qi Yun's face turned completely black.

Embarrassment, annoyance, frustration, and a hint of anger at his body's lack of cooperation instantly overwhelmed his last shred of reason.

Not knowing where he found the strength, he suddenly raised the hand that could still move.

He fiercely slapped the location where his uncooperative "comrade" was!

"Slap!"

The sound wasn't loud, almost inaudible amidst the sound of the rain.

But the next second—

"Awoooo—!!!"

A scream, so shrill it was distorted, mixed with extreme pain, shame, and absurdity, suddenly erupted from Qi Yun's throat, piercing through the curtain of rain and faintly reaching the stone house!

He arched his back instantly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his hands clutching his lower body tightly.

That was a pain that truly reached the soul! It was far more painful than any blow during the fight just now!

He had struck in anger with that slap, not holding back much strength at all!

"Hhh... hhh..." Qi Yun curled up in the mud, twitching all over from the pain, gasping for air.

Beside him, Xia Jin, still in a weakened state, had seen this entire scene from beginning to end, clearly.

She watched as Qi Yun tried to "summon" it without success.

She watched as he slapped it.

She watched as he screamed and curled up like a shrimp.

There was silence for a full three seconds.

Then—

"Pfft... heh... hehe..."

A clearly audible laugh spilled from her pale lips.

At first, it was just a faint tremor, then the laughter grew louder and more distinct.

She looked at Qi Yun, who was curled up beside her, grimacing in pain, having lost all image.

She was laughing very happily.

Her shoulders were trembling slightly from laughter.

She laughed until tears streamed down, mixing with the mud on her face.

It seemed... she hadn't been this happy in a long time.

Qi Yun endured the throbbing pain from his lower body, turned his head, and looked at Xia Jin, who was laughing until she was out of breath.

Damn it, he had really embarrassed himself this time.

...

Inside the stone house, the girls were startled by Qi Yun's abrupt scream.

"What happened?!"

"What's wrong with the Tribe Leader?!"

"It looks like... he hit himself?" a girl with good eyesight said uncertainly.

"Hit himself? Why?"

"And... Sister Xia Jin seems to be laughing?"

Everyone looked at each other, completely unable to understand what those two out in the rain were acting out.

But looking at the situation, it seemed... the "blessing" could not continue?

"Stop watching! Hurry out and carry them in!" Ke Yun decided decisively, taking the lead as she grabbed a thick animal skin and rushed out.

"Right! Hurry!"

"Tribe Leader! Sister Xia Jin!"

The girls finally reacted, grabbing whatever dry clothes and blankets they could find, and rushed into the pouring rain.

Shu Qianxue and Chen Xiaolin were the fastest, rushing to the front.

"Hurry! Be careful! Carry him in!" Shu Qianxue commanded, and together with Chen Xiaolin, one on each side, they carefully helped Qi Yun up.

"Sister Xia Jin, can you still move?" Lin Wan and Lin Le also ran over, crouching beside Xia Jin and asking worriedly.

Xia Jin looked at them, shook her head, and didn't even have the strength to speak, but the smile still hung on her face.

Several girls hurriedly and carefully helped her up as well.

Everyone scrambled, and at the fastest speed, carried the two "mud people" back into the warm and dry stone house.

Ke Yun immediately stepped forward, a soft green light glowing from her hands as she treated the two of them.

The other girls fetched hot water and brought clean cloths and clothes.

"Clean the wounds first, then change into dry clothes." Ke Yun instructed while administering treatment.

The girls blushed and began to carefully wipe the mud and blood stains off the two of them.

When they wiped to Qi Yun's waist, preparing to help him change out of his soaked and tattered clothes, the girls in charge blushed even more, and their movements became somewhat hesitant.

Ke Yun glanced over, sighed, walked over, and took the cloth.

She first carefully checked Qi Yun's lower body, confirming there were no serious lacerations, and then, this gentle and attentive teacher, without changing her expression, deftly and gently cleaned the parts that needed cleaning, and then...

She took a clean, loose pair of pants from the side and, very thoughtfully, helped him put them on, carefully tying the waistband.

Qi Yun silently turned his face toward the wall.

Tonight, he, Qi Yun, Tribe Leader of the 01 Tribe, had reached a new height of social death.