Chapter 75: Kulo


    After the commotion subsided, Han Ming finally allowed the onlookers to disperse. He glanced indifferently at the writhing mercenaries on the ground, showing no emotion.


    "Let''s go," he said, bending down to pick up the woman. As his hands reached her, a foul odor assaulted his senses, causing him to frown.


    The woman, breathing weakly, glared coldly at Han Ming. "What? Do I disgust you?"


    Han Ming met her gaze and nodded slightly, not bothering to lie. He then grabbed the shirt of the last person trying to leave, tore it off, and used it to wrap the woman before carrying her toward the city gates.


    "Aren''t you going to kill those mercenaries?" the woman asked icily.


    Han Ming frowned. "They were wrong, but I’ve already broken their legs. There’s no need to kill them. Their crimes don’t warrant death."


    The woman shot Han Ming a fierce glare but said nothing more when he ignored her.


    As they entered the city, the guards at the gate pinched their noses, repulsed by the woman’s stench, but none dared to speak up. They had witnessed Han Ming’s earlier display and no longer underestimated the seemingly frail young man.


    Inside the underground city, the air was filled with the clamor of vendors hawking their wares. Everyday items like clothes and spices were sold at exorbitant prices, while materials like beast hides and claws, useful for crafting weapons, were surprisingly cheap. Han Ming quickly understood why: those who ventured this deep into the wilderness were in dire need of basic supplies, as their clothing and other essentials were often destroyed in battles with magical beasts. Bringing such items here required strength, and those who survived the journey were no ordinary folk. The mercenaries earlier weren’t weak—Han Ming was simply too strong.


    The floating lanterns above dimmed as workers on small airships adjusted their brightness, signaling that night had fallen in the outside world.


    Han Ming carried the woman into an inn, only to leave shortly after and try another. This repeated six or seven times, with Han Ming unable to decide where to stay.


    Embarrassed, he scratched his head and suggested, "How about we just find a spot on the street for the night?"


    The woman stared at him in disbelief. "Are you insane? No. I need a bath. We’re staying at an inn."


    Han Ming sighed. "These inns are too expensive. Ten gold coins for one night? I don’t have that kind of money."


    The woman glared at him. "Didn’t you get a lot of treasures? Sell one and you’ll have the money."


    Han Ming was speechless. *I’m your savior, risking my life to rescue you from the Secret Sect and tirelessly tending to your wounds. Is this how you talk to me? Can’t you be a little more polite?* But then he remembered her condition and the fact that she had guided him to the treasures. Reluctantly, he gritted his teeth and booked a room at an inn, his heart bleeding at the cost of a small crystal for one night.


    The innkeeper led them to a small room, tidied it up, and asked if they needed food.


    Han Ming shook his head. "Just bring some hot water. We have our own food."


    The innkeeper nodded but lingered, eyeing Han Ming expectantly.


    "Is there something else?" Han Ming asked sharply.


    Seeing no tip forthcoming, the innkeeper shot Han Ming a disdainful look and left, slamming the door behind him.


    "Cheapskate," the woman muttered scornfully.


    Han Ming could only laugh awkwardly.


    Soon, several workers brought in wooden buckets of water and left.


    "At least there’s a bathtub here," Han Ming said, relieved. Otherwise, he’d have to spend even more.


    He poured the water into the tub and tested the temperature—it was too hot. Using his magic, he cooled the water until it was just right.


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    "Alright, you can bathe now," he said, shaking the water off his hands and heading for the door.


    "Where are you going?" the woman asked.


    "Uh… out? You’re going to bathe, right?"


    "In this state? How?"


    "Then what do you want me to do?"


    "Help me."


    "What?"


    Han Ming was stunned. The woman couldn’t move on her own, let alone undress or bathe. His face burned red as he stammered, unable to form a coherent response.


    The woman stared at him silently, waiting.


    With a sigh, Han Ming stepped forward to help her undress.


    "Never seen a woman’s body before?" she asked flatly.


    "Ahem… by the way, what’s your name? I never asked," Han Ming deflected, avoiding the question.


    "Kulo," she replied.


    Han Ming fumbled awkwardly, his heart racing as he struggled to remove her shirt. When he finally succeeded, he tossed it aside.


    Kulo was far from beautiful. Her skin was dry and clung to her bones like bark. Her chest was flat, and her arms resembled twigs. It was no wonder the mercenaries had called her ugly. But Han Ming knew this wasn’t her natural state—she had been drained of her vitality. Her features hinted that she might have been attractive once.


    Han Ming suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for her. A woman’s appearance was often her pride, and Kulo’s current state must have been devastating.


    With this in mind, Han Ming’s thoughts cleared, and he treated her more gently.


    "Where are you from?" he asked, making small talk as he wiped her rough skin with a damp cloth.


    "Does it matter?" Kulo retorted.


    Han Ming was taken aback. *She’s been through a lot, and it’s made her bitter. I shouldn’t add to her pain,* he thought, comforting himself.


    "How old are you?"


    "…"


    "What’s your name?"


    "You already asked."


    "Right…"


    Han Ming was at a loss. Kulo clearly had no interest in conversation.


    "Alright, your upper body’s done. Uh…" Han Ming hesitated.


    Kulo, however, showed no embarrassment. She struggled to her feet, leaning on the tub for support.


    Han Ming, flustered and avoiding eye contact, quickly closed his eyes and began wiping her body with the cloth.


    "Can you hurry? I can’t hold this position for long."


    "Uh… right, right."


    "You missed a spot."


    "Where?"


    "Figure it out," Kulo said coldly.


    By the time he finished, Han Ming was drenched in sweat, feeling more exhausted than after a life-and-death battle.


    After dressing Kulo and helping her to the bed, Han Ming set out food from his storage bag on a table by her side. He couldn’t help but feel exasperated. *I’ve never had to take care of someone like this before. Am I her nanny now?*


    "Feed me," Kulo demanded.


    "Sure…" Han Ming replied, struggling to keep his composure. *Do I owe you or something?* he thought repeatedly.


    Finally, after feeding her and settling her into bed, Han Ming called for the innkeeper to change the water. He was exhausted and covered in filth from tending to Kulo.


    The innkeeper rolled his eyes, stating that water changes cost an extra gold coin.


    "How much?"


    "One gold coin."


    Han Ming gaped. "One gold coin? Is your water made of gold? Does it grant immortality?"


    The innkeeper shrugged. "That’s the rule. Take it or leave it," he said, walking away.


    "Damn this place! Why is everyone so rude? Do I owe you people something?" Han Ming shouted after him, but the innkeeper ignored him.


    Staring at the tub of water Kulo had just used, Han Ming asked tentatively, "Do you mind?"


    Kulo lay with her eyes closed. "Does it matter if I mind? It’s up to you."


    Han Ming was at a loss. He had never anticipated needing gold coins in the wilderness. He had spent almost all his coins on supplies and crystals, leaving him in a tight spot.


    "Uh… you don’t have any contagious diseases, do you?" he ventured.


    "Are you asking for death?" Kulo’s eyes snapped open, glaring at him.


    Han Ming hesitated.


    "That hairpin you took from me earlier—sell it. It should fetch a hundred gold coins. I don’t understand how someone who can afford a storage bag is so stingy with a single coin," Kulo said disdainfully.


    Han Ming’s eyes lit up. He grabbed the hairpin from the table and rushed out to exchange it, grinning like a fool.


    Meanwhile, Kulo lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, her expression unreadable.


    "Here!" Han Ming slammed a gold coin on the counter. "Get me some hot water!"


    He glared triumphantly at the innkeeper, who rolled his eyes and took the coin, sending workers to refill the tub.


    "Is this guy crazy?"


    "Bragging over one gold coin?"


    "What a lunatic."


    The patrons in the dining hall sneered, dismissing Han Ming as a madman.


    As Han Ming soaked in the hot water, he sighed in relief. After eating, he sat cross-legged in a corner to meditate.


    "Hey!" Kulo called out.


    Han Ming groaned. *What now?*


    "What is it, my lady?"


    "I have a list of herbs. Get me ten portions of each tomorrow. I need them for my bath."


    Han Ming’s jaw dropped as he scanned the list. "Are you kidding me? These herbs will cost at least fifty gold coins each. Ten portions? That’s five hundred gold coins! Are you trying to bankrupt me?"


    Kulo gave him a cold look. "Do you want me to die?"


    "Fine, fine. I’ll get them tomorrow," Han Ming said, feeling utterly defeated.


    The next morning, Han Ming set out to purchase the herbs. The prices were exorbitant, forcing him to exchange the medium-sized crystals he had obtained from the black-robed men. After visiting numerous shops, he managed to exchange them for two thousand five hundred small water-attribute crystals and a thousand gold coins.


    Some of the herbs were incredibly rare, and Han Ming had to scour half the underground city to find them. In the end, he spent six hundred gold coins on the herbs, his heart aching with every coin spent.


    For the next ten days, Han Ming tended to Kulo, using the herbs to prepare medicinal baths. Remarkably, the formula worked wonders. Within three days, Kulo’s skin began to regain its luster, her sunken cheeks filled out, and her dull eyes sparkled with life.


    By the tenth day, Kulo had recovered significantly. She handed Han Ming another list of herbs. "Get me ten portions of each."


    Han Ming took one look at the list and fainted.