Chapter 185: After the Storm, Before the Dawn
March 23rd, 10:21 PM
Gu Tianhao’s Compound, Main House
John Wang POV
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I woke up on something softer than a stone floor. For a second, I thought maybe I was dead. But then the aches came back in slow, spreading, dull aches. My ribs pulsed. My knuckles stung. The familiar aftertaste of blood and victory clung to the inside of my mouth.
I cracked one eye open.
Someone had laid a thick blanket over me, patchy but clean. Lamplight glowed from a few battery lanterns set around the main room. The floor was still dirty, streaked with muddy footprints and scuffed from boots, but no gunshots, no shouting.
Tang Wei knelt by the far wall, helping a couple of older men out of broken cuffs. The room hummed with low voices, villagers, refugees, a handful of girls huddled by the hearth, all looking hollow-eyed but safe.
Mu Qinglan was sprawled beside me, head pillowed on my arm, breathing slowly. Blood streaked her hair, but it wasn’t hers. Jiang Roulan sat on my other side, back against the wall, knees pulled up, jaw set, and eyes focused on the flickering lantern.
My heart settled. I was alive. We all were.
I reached up, tracing the scar where Gu Tianhao’s bullet had passed through my chest. The wound itched, but already felt closed, skin rough and tight with new flesh.