Sold for 300, I Fight Back with Superpowers

There was a man in the cave!

Su Qing couldn’t tell the man’s age because of his full beard. His clothes were tattered but looked clean. He was limping, steadying himself against the cave wall and fumbling for something with a wooden cup in his hand.

The cave had clearly been arranged. There was a bed, a large flat stone flanked by two stone stools, and a makeshift stone stove in one corner, topped with a small iron pot.

The man wasn’t just injured—he was also blind!

”Heizi, are you back?”

Hearing the noise at the entrance, the man turned his head. His eyes faced the opening, but they were utterly lifeless.

GRR! The Black Tiger heard the man and let out a soft growl. It hurried forward, took the cup from the man’s hand, scooped some water from a nearby wooden bucket, and placed the cup back in his hand.

The man smiled and patted the Black Tiger’s head. ”Thank you, Heizi.”

The Black Tiger gave another soft growl in Su Qing’s direction, seemingly urging her to come closer.

The man sounded puzzled. ”Heizi, what is it?”

Just then, Su Qing spoke up. ”Hello. I’m sorry to intrude.”

The man jolted at the sound of her voice. ”You sound like a young woman,” he said, astonished. ”How did you get so deep into the mountains? It’s far too dangerous.”

”I’m here to gather herbs.” Su Qing didn’t hide her purpose. ”I happened to run into your Heizi. He was injured, so I helped treat him. I think he brought me here because he thought I might be able to help with your injuries, too.”

”Heizi, you’re hurt?!” Hearing that the Black Tiger was injured, the man grew anxious. He began fumbling about, trying to find the tiger. ”Where are you hurt?”

The Black Tiger let out a gentle whimper and nudged its large head into the man’s hand. It then rubbed against his leg, as if comforting him.

”He’s not seriously hurt,” Su Qing said.

”That’s good.” The man breathed a sigh of relief. ”Thank you,” he said to Su Qing sincerely.

”It was nothing. I was just happy to help.” Su Qing studied the man curiously. ”You... have you been living here?”

”Yes.” The man leaned on Heizi for support as he felt his way around. ”Come, have a seat,” he said to Su Qing. ”Are you alone?”

He asked because he hadn’t heard any voice other than Su Qing’s.

”Yes, I’m by myself,” Su Qing replied, carefully studying his expression.

The man grew anxious again. ”This deep in the old woods... even if you’re gathering herbs, a young woman like you shouldn’t come this far in alone! What would you do if you ran into a large beast?”

He was astonished that a young woman had managed to get here on her own.

”Don’t worry, I can defend myself. An ordinary beast is no match for me.” Su Qing smiled and patted A Jin’s head. ”Besides, I have a big tiger with me, too. He can protect me.”

A Jin let out a chuff right on cue, as if agreeing with her.

The man was surprised. ”Oh, I see. Well, come and have a seat.”

”Alright.” Su Qing nodded. She led A Jin over to one of the stone stools and sat down. The man started to pour her some water, but she quickly stopped him. ”Please, don’t worry about it. I have water with me.”

”Very well.” The man felt his way to a seat. ”It’s quite crude here. I apologize for the poor hospitality.”

”Not at all,” Su Qing said. ”We’re deep inside Da Hu Mountain now. How did you end up here? Have you always been with this Black Tiger?”

’Even though he’s injured, I should still find out who he is. I don’t want to end up saving a criminal.’

”I’ve been here for three years.” The man sighed softly. ”I thought I’d spend the rest of my life here, never seeing another soul besides Heizi. I never imagined I’d meet you today. I have a presumptuous favor to ask, if you’d be willing to help.”

”What is it?”

”Alright. First, let me introduce myself. I’m a police officer with the Chuncheng Public Security Bureau. My name is He Zhimin. I’d like to ask you to deliver a document to Qiao Wensong, also at the Chuncheng Public Security Bureau. Would you be able to do that?”

”Qiao Wensong!” Su Qing was stunned. She never imagined the man before her was a police officer, let alone a colleague of Qiao Wensong.

”Yes.” He Zhimin nodded, then asked in surprise, ”Young lady, you know Captain Qiao?”

”Yes, I’ve met him a few times.” Su Qing nodded, then smiled. ”Aren’t you afraid to entrust a document to me so easily? What if I’m a bad person?”

He Zhimin gave a faint smile. ”Heizi brought you here. If you were a bad person, he never would have done that. Besides, you were willing to treat his injuries, which shows you’re kind-hearted. I believe my judgment is sound.”

”Thank you for trusting me.” Su Qing raised an eyebrow. ”But why not leave the mountain and return to Chuncheng yourself? Perhaps I could help you.”

He Zhimin gently patted his leg and sighed. ”I can’t see, and this leg is crippled. I can’t walk far at all. I’m just a burden. I came into these mountains the hard way, so I know how treacherous the journey is. It’s difficult enough for a young woman like you to travel here alone; I absolutely cannot let myself slow you down. As for Heizi, he can’t seem to leave this forest. He can only operate within its borders. I once thought about having him lead me out, but as soon as he leaves the forest, his legs grow weak and he struggles to breathe. We had to give up on that idea.”

From He Zhimin’s account, Su Qing learned the story of how he came to be in the mountains. Three years ago, He Zhimin had been pursuing a fugitive, chasing him deep into this range. After a two-week-long pursuit, he finally cornered the fugitive in this very forest. They fought, and both were seriously injured. He Zhimin figured he wouldn’t have survived if Heizi hadn’t appeared.

As for the fugitive, Heizi had killed him with a single swipe of his paw.

The fugitive had been carrying an important document. Unfortunately, while He Zhimin managed to retrieve it, he had been grievously wounded. A severe blow to the head caused him to gradually lose his sight, trapping him in this Ancient Forest for the past three years. If not for Heizi’s care, he would likely be nothing but a pile of bones by now.

Su Qing was filled with respect after hearing his story. ”Let me help you out of the mountains,” she said. ”Your injuries need proper medical attention. Besides, I’m sure Captain Qiao and the others want you to come home.”

”No.” He Zhimin shook his head. ”These injuries are old; they’re unlikely to heal. You’re just a young woman, and I can’t be a burden to you. I only ask that you help me get this document to Captain Qiao. I just hope it can still be useful.”