Chapter 76: The Noble Lady

When Fang Mu left the Battlefield City and made his way toward the war zone, an entirely different scene unfolded in the battlefield hospital, on the eighteenth floor, inside the intensive care unit.

The whole ICU was divided by massive glass walls into two distinct areas: one furnished with sofas and coffee tables, meant for rest and respite; the other filled with a multitude of intricate medical devices. Among these, there was an enormous vessel standing over four meters tall, constructed from reinforced glass of considerable thickness. The vessel brimmed with a pale blue fluid, and at that moment, a figure was submerged within it.

If Fang Mu were present, he would have recognized at once that the person immersed in the vessel was Lin Chuyin.

She wore a black, form-fitting outfit that accentuated her graceful silhouette. However, her eyes remained gently closed, still lost in unconsciousness. A respirator covered her mouth and nose, while the various machines in the room emitted a steady chorus of beeping sounds.

Several medical staff members watched the instruments closely, monitoring her condition in real time.

Before the large, half-floor-to-ceiling windows, a group of people stood, gazing at Lin Chuyin inside the vessel, each wearing a different expression. If Fang Mu were here, he would realize that he had met most of these people.

There was Qin Hongyu, the short-haired woman with a tear-shaped birthmark, leader of the Celestial Palace; Luo Yu, the twin-tailed girl known as the battlefield’s foremost female boxer; Leng Xiran, with waterfall-like long hair, her languidly sensual demeanor marking her as the number one female gunslinger of the battlefield; and Fu Hui, the rugged, worried-faced berserker who had fought alongside Lin Chuyin that day.

Then there was an elderly man with a head full of silver hair, his figure slightly hunched—Director Qi of the battlefield hospital, renowned for his use of sonic battle techniques.

These were familiar faces.

There were also a few strangers.

One was a girl in a white long dress, breathtakingly beautiful with a delicately sculpted figure. Behind her stood a calm-faced middle-aged man, his demeanor that of a steward.

Another unfamiliar face belonged to a young man, seemingly in his early twenties, strikingly handsome, and upon closer inspection, bearing a resemblance to Lin Chuyin. He was dressed in a fitted white casual suit, which accentuated his upright bearing. Paired with his handsome features, he radiated a refined, ineffable elegance.

He watched Lin Chuyin in her unconscious state with an inscrutable expression.

Standing before him was a dignified, elegant woman.

She appeared to be in her forties, clad in an understated black gown that nonetheless exuded an air of stately grace. Her glossy, jet-black hair was casually pinned up, revealing exquisitely perfect features and the unique allure of a mature woman.

Time seemed to favor her, for it had only enhanced her feminine charm, leaving no other trace upon her face. Her skin was as smooth and fair as that of a girl of eighteen or nineteen.

Yet her poise and allure could never be matched by a mere young girl.

In truth, even Qin Hongyu, with her queenly aura and commanding presence despite her youth, seemed as innocent as a maiden beside this woman.

She simply stood there, and everyone instinctively understood—she was the true center of the room.

Director Qi stood shoulder to shoulder with her.

“She’s stabilized for now, but for a full recovery, she must go to the Imperial Capital,” Director Qi said.

The elegant woman nodded, breathed out softly, turned to Director Qi, managed a faint smile, and bowed slightly. “Thank you for your efforts during this time, Director Qi.”

Director Qi shook his head gently. “All right, I’ll go arrange the transfer. The sooner she’s sent to the Imperial Capital, the sooner she’ll recover. Please stay and keep her company for now.”

“Thank you, Director Qi… Yun Ge, accompany Director Qi downstairs,” the woman said, turning to the refined young man beside her.

“Yes, Aunt Xu.”

The handsome youth nodded slightly, then bowed politely to Director Qi. “Director Qi, after you.”

Director Qi glanced at him, nodded, and walked out with the young man.

Once the two had left the ward, the elegant woman turned to Qin Hongyu and the others, sighed quietly, and said, “Thank you all for your efforts these days. If not for you, I fear Chuyin…”

Qin Hongyu shook her head softly. “Aunt Xu, you overstate things. I failed to take proper care of Chuyin…”

“Aunt Xu, it’s my fault. Chuyin only pushed herself to protect me…” Luo Yu’s eyes grew red, her face full of guilt.

The elegant woman reached out, took her hand, and comforted her gently. “I know what happened. In that situation, Chuyin, as the initiator, bore responsibility. You don’t need to blame yourself. In fact, I should thank you… Without you and Fu Hui risking everything to bring her out, the consequences would have been far worse.”

“Aunt Xu…” Luo Yu’s nose stung, and tears spilled over.

“It was my fault. I was the only man there… I should’ve acted more decisively,” Fu Hui said, head bowed, teeth clenched.

“Don’t say that. If there was fault, it belonged to Greedwolf. You were all victims. Chuyin was the first to push herself, and your decisions were right. If everyone had pushed themselves without regard, that would have been reckless. At that point, we wouldn’t even know who our enemy was.”

Her voice was gentle, her reassurance leaving Fu Hui stunned. He sighed and said no more.

The room fell silent for a while, until the elegant woman spoke again. “By the way, did you ever find that gunfighter? If not for him, you all would’ve been in grave danger. He deserves your gratitude.”

Her words made everyone sit up straighter. Luo Yu nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes… We really should thank him! But we couldn’t find him…”

She was helpless.

Luo Yu remembered the day clearly: Lin Chuyin pushed herself beyond her limits, forcing Luo Yu and Fu Hui to retreat first. Halfway through, Lin Chuyin caught up, and they hurried to assist her.

At the time, they asked Lin Chuyin what had happened, but all she said was that someone had blocked Greedwolf’s men for them.

But who exactly was it?

Lin Chuyin didn’t say. Her expression had been strange—shocked, incredulous, and tinged with complex emotions.

They were in the midst of a desperate escape, and Lin Chuyin’s words were vague. They had no time to press for details.

Lin Chuyin, having pushed herself, led them in a frantic flight. Minutes later, her burst of strength expired and she slipped into unconsciousness. Fu Hui and Luo Yu then carried her as they fled for their lives.

In the end, they escaped.

They contacted Qin Hongyu, who immediately led a team to their aid. A day later, all parties met and were finally safe.

They split up: one team took Lin Chuyin to the battlefield hospital to stabilize her injuries, while the other rushed straight to Snowfall Cliff.

But when they reached Snowfall Cliff, it was deserted.

Even the bodies had been devoured almost entirely by the savage beasts of the cliff.

However, a Silver Evolver from the Celestial Palace had survived by chance, eventually bringing them a shocking message.

That Silver Evolver had witnessed, during Lin Chuyin’s desperate stand, a Golden-rank berserker from Greedwolf having his head blown apart.

They instantly understood that this gunfighter was the one who had blocked Greedwolf’s men for Lin Chuyin.

A gunfighter.

Later, Qin Hongyu and the others even discovered the glacier crevice… but unfortunately, every trace there had been meticulously erased.

In the end, they found nothing.

Now, the only one who might know the identity of that mysterious gunfighter was Lin Chuyin herself.

But Lin Chuyin had been unconscious ever since, never waking.

Thus, the identity of the gunfighter remained a mystery.