Fortunately, Suzy had applied a Traction Talisman to the vehicle, so the thick, treacherous mud didn’t pose much of a threat. Without it, a layer of slush that deep would have given her a massive headache.
Still, the wretched road conditions couldn’t be altered, forcing her to dial back her speed.
As her pace slowed down, the pedestrians trekking along the shoulder came into much clearer focus. As she was passing by, a strikingly familiar figure caught her eye.
Suzy gently brought her foot down on the brake, her eyes locking onto the figure.
It was a tall, lean young man with exceptional proportions. He wore a plain gray jacket and black trousers, yet the rough, simple cut failed to hide his inherently broad, commanding frame.
At the moment, his jacket hem and pant legs were splattered with thick yellow mud. Likely due to long hours of relentless trekking, his back was slightly hunched, his unsteady stride broadcasting sheer exhaustion.
Suzy could visibly tell that his steps were growing heavier and heavier with every yard.
Before she could catch a clear view of his face, the man collapsed like a snapped stalk of wheat, crumpling straight into the mud.
It was in that exact moment of falling that Suzy caught a clear glimpse of his side profile, making her eyes tremble slightly.
It really is someone I know!
She remembered this guy—he went by something like Mark, the younger brother of the woman who had helped her earlier.
But why on earth was he out here alone?
He seemed completely by himself this time—the woman was nowhere in sight. Had the two of them gotten separated?
A flurry of questions rushed through her mind at once. Meanwhile, her minivan had already coasted past his collapsed body.
Should I save him? Or leave him?
Suzy could easily keep driving and leave him behind right now.
Yet, recalling how that woman had stepped up to help her before, knowing this guy was her brother, and remembering those muffled, indistinct voices she had overheard back then...
After a brief two-second hesitation, Suzy brought the vehicle to a full stop.
Swinging the car door open, Suzy hopped out of the minivan, her eyes instantly locking onto the lean figure lying a short distance away.
He had collapsed completely onto the muddy road, his face turned sideways, eyes tightly shut.
Seeing the muddy water creeping toward his nose and lips, Suzy set aside all hesitation. Quickening her pace, she reached down and hauled him upward with all her strength—
He’s heavy.
Far heavier than she had anticipated.
Suzy nearly failed to pull him up on her first attempt.
Fortunately, her physical body had been thoroughly nourished and refined by the spiritual spring water, rendering her far stronger than before. Exerting a bit more force, she successfully hoisted the young man off the ground.
"Hey, are you alright?" Suzy asked softly.
She waited a moment, but received no response whatsoever.
The boy’s eyes remained firmly closed; he was completely unconscious.
Suzy let out a helpless sigh. Supporting his weight, she trudged forward. The slippery mud beneath her feet made her stagger a few steps before she regained her balance.
Step by painful step, the two of them moved back toward the RV.
The youth’s head rested heavy on her shoulder, his soaked hair brushing against her neck and carrying the sharp, earthy stench of mud.
Naturally, the wet slush coating his clothes rubbed all over her own outfit, but she couldn’t afford to be fastidious right now.
Since I’ve decided to save him, I might as well see it through. Consider it returning the favor to your sister.
Besides... she couldn’t just stand by and watch him die.
Suzy sighed inwardly.
Given his position earlier, if he had remained motionless where he fell, the rising slush would have sealed off his airways in no time. Within twenty minutes, he would have suffocated to death.
Half-dragging and half-pulling him into the RV, Suzy unceremoniously dumped him onto the floor.
There was simply no alternative—he was far too filthy.
The boy was caked in heavy yellow mud from head to toe, and Suzy couldn’t bear the thought of letting that filth ruin her clean RV interior and bedding.
"Hey! Can you hear me?"
After locking the RV door behind her, Suzy crouched beside the boy and lightly patted his cheek.
Still, there was zero reaction.
The young man remained trapped in a deep stupor.
However, Suzy’s keen perception picked up on something alarming—his body temperature was rapidly rising.
A fever?
No big deal. She had plenty of medicine stored inside her spatial domain, not to mention her stock of spiritual spring water. Treating a simple fever was a piece of cake.
The pressing issue right now was... he was exceptionally dirty.
Watching the pristine floor of her RV get smeared with yellowish-gray sludge, Suzy felt a wave of gloom come over her.
She was starting to regret dragging this guy inside.
"I need to clean this up first," Suzy muttered to herself. Then, a sudden flash of inspiration struck her: "Wait! Don’t I have talismans for this?!"
Among the batch Ming had given her recently, Suzy recalled seeing a few Cleansing Talismans.
Rummaging through her spatial storage, she pulled out three of them. She slapped the first talisman onto the boy, the second onto herself, and the final one directly onto the interior wall of the RV.
With all three talismans positioned, Suzy channeled her spiritual energy!
The instant the talismans vanished into thin air, the mud and filth on both of them dissolved completely. The entire RV interior was restored to a spotless, pristine state, leaving behind not a single trace of dirt.
Finally clean.
A rush of satisfaction washed over Suzy.
Talismans really are wonderful things—this is exactly how they should be used!
With the dirt out of the way, Suzy had no further reservations. She pulled the boy toward the bed at the back of the RV and hauled him up onto the mattress.
Even after being tossed onto the bed, he showed no signs of waking.
Suzy reached out to touch his forehead, finding it noticeably hotter than before.
Without hesitation, she retrieved a portion of spiritual spring water from her spatial domain and gently began feeding it to him.