Chapter 785 — If She Isn't Treated Soon, She'll Die

Only after all the children had gone did the old woman turn to look at Wei Zhao. "Xiaoke stole your money, didn't she? But your hand was far too cruel... you even chased her all the way here... If she took your money, I can make it up to you, so I beg you to let Xiaoke go... She's a good child, and I'm sure you can see that. She stole money purely for this orphanage; if this old woman weren't so useless, I'd never have let the child go out..."

The old woman did not want the children of the orphanage to know that their beloved Sister Xiaoke went out every day to earn money for them when in truth she was going out to steal. This was a matter only the old woman knew; no one else was aware of it.

This was also why the old woman had called all the children inside. Such things were best kept from the children if at all possible; it would be best not to let them learn of it too early, for that would hardly be good for their upbringing.

Hearing the old woman's words, Wei Zhao was slightly taken aback, then at once understood that she had misunderstood. She had taken him for the person who had lost something, and Yu Xiaoke's injuries as his doing, and his pursuit to this place as clearly in service of that same matter.

And Yu Xiaoke's skill was something the old woman knew well. Though not terribly formidable, anyone capable of wounding her was no common hand. Since Wei Zhao could wound Yu Xiaoke, he plainly possessed martial skill himself. The old woman could not see through Wei Zhao's strength, but she was exceedingly cautious.

So the old woman put in a few words on Yu Xiaoke's behalf, hoping Wei Zhao might understand.

"You've misunderstood. She didn't steal my money." Wei Zhao shook his head.

"She didn't?" The old woman was startled, and looked at Wei Zhao with some astonishment. "She didn't steal it, so why did you strike so ruthlessly?"

The old woman's tone turned grave, and a wary look came over her face. In an instant, her whole aura rose.

"A Yellow Rank expert?" Wei Zhao was slightly startled, then shook his head. "Your strength isn't Yellow Rank... but your aura is. How strange..."

The old woman raised her aura, and Wei Zhao instantly sensed her strength: early Yellow Rank. Yet aura was aura. What Wei Zhao sensed next was something amiss: though her aura was Yellow Rank, the true qi in her body was not dense. At present she was lucky to have half a Yellow Rank expert's strength; it was as if half her true qi had been sealed away by something.

"You... you know of the Yellow Rank?" The old woman's expression changed abruptly, and she stared hard at Wei Zhao. She had not expected Wei Zhao to see through her strength at a glance. Was Wei Zhao an expert too?

"I didn't wound Xiaoke. Her injuries were dealt by Qiu Lingshan." Wei Zhao did not answer the old woman's question about the Yellow Rank, but instead explained Yu Xiaoke's injuries.

"Qiu Lingshan? Qiu Lingshan of the city bureau's criminal investigation squad?" The old woman had evidently heard Qiu Lingshan's name before.

"Yes. Step aside for a moment; Xiaoke's injuries are severe. If she isn't treated soon, she may die." Wei Zhao paid the old woman no further mind and crouched down of his own accord, taking Yu Xiaoke's hand.

The mood had been taut as a drawn bow, and the old woman had already resolved to fight Wei Zhao outright, but Wei Zhao seemed to have no intention of fighting her at all. He crouched down, exposing his body's weak points completely before the old woman, and for a moment she did not know what to do.

To strike or not to strike? The old woman felt that from this angle, launching an attack on Wei Zhao gave her an absolute advantage, or at least let her seize the initiative and gain the upper hand. But Wei Zhao had said that he had not wounded Yu Xiaoke, and that he had come to save her.

Though the old woman did not quite believe Wei Zhao's words, seeing him grasp Yu Xiaoke's hand with no apparent intent to harm her, her anxious heart eased a little. Still she watched Wei Zhao warily, afraid he might hurt Yu Xiaoke.

Wei Zhao examined Yu Xiaoke's injuries. Qiu Lingshan's palm strike had only displaced Yu Xiaoke's internal organs; with a period of rest she would have recovered. But Yu Xiaoke had spent her last breath desperately fleeing back to the orphanage, which had aggravated her injuries considerably. Internal damage had already set in, and if she was not treated soon, she would suffer lingering aftereffects even once she recovered.

"Find me a quiet room, and don't let anyone disturb me!" Wei Zhao lifted Yu Xiaoke in his arms and ordered the old woman.

"You... are you truly going to save Xiaoke?" The old woman naturally did not quite trust Wei Zhao. After all, they had only met once, and she did not know what relation he bore to Yu Xiaoke, so she hesitated.

"If you can heal her, then you may treat her." Wei Zhao spoke mildly.

"I..." How could the old woman heal anyone? Had Wei Zhao not been there, her first instinct would have been to send Yu Xiaoke to the hospital.

Perhaps Wei Zhao's lifting her had jarred her injuries. Just as the old woman was hesitating over whether to trust Wei Zhao, Yu Xiaoke woke, forcing her eyes open with difficulty. Seeing herself in Wei Zhao's arms, she was briefly startled, then said, "You're a real friend after all. Are you taking me to the hospital? Did Qiu Lingshan follow?"

"Xiaoke, how are you?" The old woman had not expected Yu Xiaoke to wake so suddenly; overjoyed, she hurried to ask.

"Master..." Yu Xiaoke had seen the old woman too, and managed a pained smile. "I'm all right, I suppose. Qiu Lingshan got me..."

With those words, Yu Xiaoke lapsed into unconsciousness again. Wei Zhao would surely not stand by and let her die, and with the old director at her side as well, there was no need for her to keep forcing herself to hold on.

Hearing Yu Xiaoke's words, and seeing that she bore Wei Zhao not the slightest hostility, the old woman finally set her mind at ease. She hurriedly led Wei Zhao into an empty room. "This is Xiaoke's room. It's kept apart from the children's, so no one should disturb you here... But can you really save Xiaoke?"

Wei Zhao frowned. Since this old woman was Yu Xiaoke's master, and was genuinely concerned for Yu Xiaoke's well-being, he did not let his impatience show too plainly.

"I can save her. Go on out," Wei Zhao said flatly.

"That..." The old woman hesitated, her misgivings plain. In the end she still did not trust Wei Zhao completely, and did not dare leave at will for fear he might do something to harm Yu Xiaoke. Xiaoke was, after all, a beautiful girl — what if Wei Zhao harbored some wicked design, and took advantage of the girl's helplessness to do as he pleased?

Had Wei Zhao known what the old woman was thinking, he could only have smiled bitterly.

"If you want to watch, then watch," Wei Zhao said, seeing that the old woman would not leave; nor did he drive her out. Since she was a fighter of near-Yellow Rank caliber, she ought to be able to see how he went about treating Yu Xiaoke.RO