Chapter 114: Zi Zheng

Kyle was mildly annoyed by the creaking of the door.

He had been on the verge of falling asleep after spending the past several minutes contemplating his future in this world. He had finally finished imagining all the wonderful opportunities awaiting him, and just when he was about to get some much-needed rest, someone had decided to disturb him.

’What an ungrateful bastard. Doesn’t this guy have any manners?’

Seriously, was knocking on the door such a difficult task?

Who in their right mind simply opened someone else’s door without asking permission first? It wasn’t as though Kyle were staying in a public hallway where everyone could come and go as they pleased. This was his room, and he was the injured person occupying the bed.

The least someone could do was knock before barging in.

’Manners are much needed.’

Kyle inwardly shook his head.

He had no intention of getting into an argument with whoever had entered, especially when he was still recovering from his injuries. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help feeling irritated by the complete disregard for his privacy.

’Honestly, Xi Yue can enter whenever she wants. I’ll gladly make an exception for her. But everyone else? Learn to fucking knock.’

*Steps.*

The sound of footsteps soon followed as a group of people entered the room.

Kyle turned his attention toward the newcomers, immediately recognizing two familiar faces among them.

Elder Gu Yuan, the elderly physician who had treated his injuries, was there, as was Xi Yue, the beautiful young woman who had rescued him from the brink of death.

However, they weren’t alone.

Several other elderly men accompanied them, all dressed in traditional garments. Their appearances varied, but they shared an air of maturity and experience that suggested they held respectable positions within the village.

Standing among them was a comparatively younger man.

He appeared to be in his mid-forties, with a broad, well-built physique that suggested years of physical training. Several scars ran across his face, giving him the rugged appearance of a seasoned veteran who had survived more than a many dangerous encounters.

His facial features also bore a noticeable resemblance to Xi Yue’s.

Kyle took one look at him and immediately arrived at a conclusion.

’Looks like he’s the village chief. Also known as my future father-in-law.’

It didn’t take much intelligence to figure out who the man was.

For starters, he was dressed somewhat differently from the others, his clothing appearing more refined and authoritative. More importantly, he possessed a commanding presence that naturally drew everyone’s attention. The other men treated him with visible respect, following his lead without question. There was little doubt that he was someone of considerable standing within the village and considering that Xi Yue was the village chief’s daughter, the resemblance between them made the answer practically obvious.

’Father-in-law, you should’ve at least knocked before entering the room. What if I had been beating my meat instead of contemplating my plans? That would’ve been embarrassing for both of us, man, wouldn’t it?’

Kyle almost laughed at his own thought.

Although he understood why the village chief might have come to visit him, that didn’t make the man’s lack of manners any less irritating.

He would have preferred a little courtesy, especially considering his current condition.

Besides, Kyle was perfectly happy to let Xi Yue enter and leave as she pleased. If she wanted to visit him, he certainly wouldn’t complain. In fact, he would probably welcome her with open arms.

’Well, maybe not literally. My shoulder would probably fall off.’

He suppressed a sigh.

The group continued approaching his bed, their expressions ranging from curiosity to solemn respect. The village chief’s gaze briefly swept over Kyle’s bandaged body, and the expressions of the men accompanying him grew noticeably more serious.

Perhaps they had come to express their gratitude for his deed.

After all, according to Gu Yuan, the Bloodfang Wolf had terrorized their village for years. Its death was undoubtedly a cause for celebration, and Kyle was the person responsible for killing it.

As the group drew closer, Kyle realized that remaining flat on the bed while his guests stood before him might come across as disrespectful.

He reluctantly began pushing himself upright.

Instantly, a sharp stab of pain shot through his shoulder.

"Ghh...!"

His face twisted as he struggled against the pain. The bandages wrapped around his torso pulled against his wounds, and he could feel the strain threatening to reopen injuries that had barely begun to heal.

’Fuck! Why does everything hurt so much?’

Before Kyle could force himself any farther upright, one of the elderly men stepped forward.

"Please rest. There is no need for you to get up, Benefactor."

Kyle had only managed to raise himself halfway before the man spoke.

He gratefully abandoned the attempt and carefully lowered himself back onto the bed, trying to avoid putting any additional strain on his shoulder.

’Thanks. I really just want to lie down.’

Getting up was practically torture, and he had absolutely no desire to repeat the experience merely to satisfy some meaningless social convention.

Kyle settled against the bedding and looked at the group gathered around him. Despite the discomfort, he put on a polite smile.

"Well, then..." he began, speaking in a respectful tone. "I wonder if there is something I can help you gentlemen with?"

The village chief exchanged a glance with Gu Yuan before stepping forward.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Xi Zheng, the chief of this village and Yue’er’s father."

He paused, looking at Kyle with an expression of genuine gratitude.

"First, on behalf of everyone in this village, I would like to express my sincere thanks for what you have done. The Bloodfang Wolf has been a threat to us for many years. We have lost villagers, livestock, and countless resources because of that beast. Yet you managed to slay it, despite suffering such terrible injuries yourself."

Xi Zheng clasped his hands and bowed respectfully and paid his respect to Kyle.