Trembling in the Skies

Chapter 48: A Man May Be Killed, But Not Dishonored

Li Teng’s fond hopes did not come true. It was still very hot today—not a bit cooler than yesterday. If anything, it was even hotter. He quickly downed his 200 milliliters of water. If he didn’t drink, his body would likely shut down immediately. However, the 200 milliliters of water he drank were quickly baked out of his body by the scorching sun. To say that those 200 milliliters of water didn’t solve any problems at all would certainly be unscientific. At the very least, it kept Li Teng from dying for five minutes. Five minutes later, Li Teng was even more parched than he had been before drinking the water. This feeling was no different from being tortured. “Why is this happening? Why?” Li Teng didn’t even have the strength to shout; he could only scream inside his head, venting his anger and resentment. Was he really going to die here? “I’m such an outstanding actor—someone with the potential to become an Academy Award winner. The film studio saw my performance; they should at least show me some consideration!” “Is it fun to just let me die like this?” “The helicopter’s coming early, right?” “Couldn’t they at least send a little rain?” Unfortunately, all of this was just Li Teng’s wishful thinking. The film studio didn’t care one bit about the lives of these extras. The helicopter never showed up, even after the sun went down. Nor did it rain. The night remained sweltering, offering not even the slightest respite. Even Li Teng, who lived in Jiangcheng—one of China’s “Three Furnaces”—couldn’t stand such relentless heat. Let alone without drinking any water. Li Teng surmised that the elegant elderly woman must have encountered this kind of harsh weather. At her age, without a bottle of mineral water like the one Li Teng had, she probably wouldn’t have made it through even a single day. But two days—Li Teng felt that was already his limit. Would he die? Would she even wake up tomorrow morning? She’ll probably just sleep right through it, won’t she? Li Teng didn’t actually fall asleep that night. He had simply passed out. A sharp pain in his lower abdomen jolted Li Teng awake. It was already broad daylight, with the sun directly overhead. It must have been noon. He had fallen asleep last night… and remained unconscious until now; if not for this excruciating pain, he probably wouldn’t have woken up. Li Teng opened his eyes and struggled to sit up to see what was wrong with him and why he was in such excruciating pain. But no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t get up. Then, another wave of excruciating pain struck. Overcome by an intense fear of death and pain, Li Teng’s body struggled to release some adrenaline. This adrenaline gave Li Teng a last burst of strength, and he finally sat up with a sudden jolt. Then, he finally figured out exactly what had happened to him. It was two vultures! Two vultures standing half a meter tall! They had mistaken him for a corpse and were pecking at his body! Although vultures are scavengers, that doesn’t mean they won’t eat fresh meat. Especially when it’s right in front of them. Now they were preparing to rip open his abdomen! Seeing Li Teng suddenly come back to life, the two vultures instinctively flew away from the top of the stone pillar, but they didn’t go far—they were just circling nearby, watching him. For creatures accustomed to feeding on carrion, the figure lying atop the stone pillar should soon be nothing more than a corpse. “Shit! Shit, shit, shit!” After checking his injuries, Li Teng was overcome with grief and rage. Those two vultures had actually pecked a huge, bleeding gash right there, nearly severing him in half! At least they hadn’t eaten him. But it looked like it could snap off at any moment—if it did, how was he supposed to pee? Was he supposed to squat? They say even a tiger in the plains can be bullied by dogs—and here he was, a living, breathing man, actually being bullied by birds. A man may be killed, but he must not be humiliated! The medical technology at the film studio is very advanced—surely they can treat a wound like this? Last time, he smashed that old witch’s head to smithereens, and even then, the medical pod managed to save him. This kind of injury should be treatable. Li Teng, on the brink of death, was filled with unbearable grief and rage; his previously dazed consciousness snapped back into full clarity at that moment. If there’s even the slightest glimmer of hope for survival, he absolutely cannot give up! Just two birds—dying at their claws would be utterly humiliating! After formulating a plan for revenge in his mind, Li Teng lay back down, but this time he kept his eyes half-closed, struggling to stay conscious. After circling in the air for a while, the two vultures noticed that Li Teng was motionless once more. Hunger, thirst, and a craving for food and blood drove the two vultures to circle for a while before descending once more toward the top of the stone pillar. The two vultures landed on either side of Li Teng’s body, one on the left and one on the right. Then, they stretched out their slender necks in unison, ready to peck open Li Teng’s abdomen and continue feasting on their earlier meal. In the blink of an eye, Li Teng’s hands shot out with lightning speed, seizing the necks of the two vultures with pinpoint accuracy—one on the left, one on the right. Such accuracy was partly due to luck, but mostly because the two vultures had landed right on either side of Li Teng’s body; when they lowered their beaks, their necks were practically right next to his hands. The vultures were large and powerful; as soon as their necks were seized, they screeched in protest, their sharp talons lashing violently against Li Teng’s body, tearing open numerous bloody gashes. The pain stimulated Li Teng’s nerves, causing his body to release even more adrenaline. It had now come down to a matter of life and death, and Li Teng mustered every last ounce of strength he could squeeze out of his body. The bird had its beak and sharp talons, but Li Teng was no pushover either. He had teeth! With both hands, he clamped down tightly on the vultures’ necks, using a technique that felt much like “using four taels to deflect a thousand catties.” The vultures possessed immense strength, but at that moment, they were completely unable to use it. As he stood up, Li Teng yanked one of the vultures’ necks with one hand, then sank his teeth into it. He put all his strength not only into his hands but also into his mouth. As he sank his teeth into the vulture’s neck, Li Teng simultaneously tightened his grip. With a loud “crack,” he snapped the vulture’s neck clean in two! The vulture, which had been struggling frantically, instantly lost all strength and collapsed motionless onto Li Teng’s bed. The other vulture tore even more gashes into Li Teng’s flesh. However, it, too, faced Li Teng’s even more ferocious retaliation. After biting the first vulture to death, Li Teng turned around and snapped this vulture’s neck as well. Taking advantage of the fact that the blood inside the two vultures hadn’t yet clotted, Li Teng quickly grabbed them by the necks and poured their blood into his mouth. There really was quite a lot of blood inside those two massive vultures. Li Teng’s intense thirst was temporarily quenched. After the nutrients in the vultures’ blood nourished his body, the severely weakened Li Teng finally had enough strength to sit up. Ouch! As long as he could make it back to the film studio alive, he should be able to treat this wound. Please don’t let it fall off!