Mountains rose in jagged layers, like swords and halberds piercing straight into the clouds. The cliff walls were as if sheared, the stone color cold and forbidding, and vines draped from rock crevices like curtains, swaying with the wind like roiling snakes. Mist coiled between the peaks, clouds surged in waves, and the gang-wind howled past jagged boulders, kicking up gravel that pitter-pattered into the abyss.
Suddenly, two figures fell rapidly from the summit. Their momentum was like meteors plunging into hell, the wind-breaking shriek so sharp it seemed ready to tear flesh apart. The silhouettes of Lin Dalu and Xiang'er interlaced, and in the rapid fall, their sleeves were nearly shredded by the mountain wind. The airflow surged, the wind whistling like blades, whipping up wild hair and dust.
"Xiang'er!" Lin Dalu cried out hoarsely, but was already swallowed by the sound of the wind.
The cliff was extremely steep, and beneath the thousand-zhang drop lay what seemed like an endless abyss. Vines crisscrossed between the cliff walls, dense as spiderwebs. Those vines varied in thickness, some green or brown, interlaced like a net, their vitality tenacious, creating a lush world of their own amidst this precipice.
The two, in the midst of their fall, had already abandoned hope of survival, embracing tightly with eyes closed. The wind shrieked incessantly by their ears like knives. Suddenly, with a "rip," Lin Dalu's left shoulder tightened abruptly, as if snagged by something. A sharp pain hit him, and he snapped his eyes open, only to see his shoulder entangled by a vine, his descent momentarily halted! "Saved!" The thought flashed for a moment, his eyes brightening as he endured the pain to scan his surroundings.
Everywhere was filled with vines, layered and dense, shielding the light. Lin Dalu had been clever since childhood, accustomed to climbing rocks and crossing ravines in the wilderness, and seeing this, a sudden spark of hope rose in his heart. In that instant, thoughts of death vanished, replaced by a will to survive.
Lin Dalu looked down, finding Xiang'er in his arms with eyes tightly shut, her face white as snow, blood seeping from the corners of her lips, her breath faint. His heart tightened, and a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes.
"Xiang'er, hold on!"
Having said this, Lin Dalu's arms shook as he hugged Xiang'er tightly. With a turn, he placed her on his back, and kicking a thick vine passing by, he used the momentum to maneuver. With a loud shout, he aimed for a wrist-thick vine and reached out rapidly. "Snap!" His five fingers locked tight! The vine in his hand creaked and popped from the strain. He took advantage of the momentum to swing, the vine shaking violently, nearly snapping.
Cold sweat rolled down Lin Dalu's forehead, but he dared not rest. He swung again with the momentum, leaping toward a denser thicket of vines ahead. Carrying Xiang'er, his entire body swept across, sleeves fluttering, wind whistling. Finally, with a "thump," the two were firmly entangled by a dense mass of vines, suspended in mid-air.
Lin Dalu panted heavily, his heart thumping like a drum. Only after a moment did he feel the numbness in his limbs, realizing he was actually still alive. He looked up, but the top of the cliff was already hidden by the dense vines. No longer could he see the summit. Looking down again, the black mist was deep, dark and bottomless. Although temporarily spared from death, the void beneath his feet meant any slight mistake would still result in being smashed to pieces.
As Lin Dalu looked up, the Xiang'er on his back moved slightly, opening her eyes weakly, her mind in a daze. Her gaze was empty as her lips parted slightly, murmuring, "Young Master Lin, is this the underworld?"
Lin Dalu smiled with heartache and said, "Xiang'er, do not fear. You and I are still in the mortal world. Although this cliff is deep, there are vines acting as a net. It was this vine net that saved us both just now. Currently, we cannot go up, so we must find a way down. Perhaps then we can escape this danger."
Xiang'er looked around, seeing the slippery cliff walls, hearing the wailing wind, and watching the swaying shadows of vines, her heart growing more panicked. She asked softly, "How can we descend?"
Lin Dalu replied calmly, "Xiang'er, hold me tight. I will find steady vines and go down step by step. Do not panic."
Xiang'er nodded, her expression submissive, "Young Master Lin, please be careful."
Lin Dalu took a deep breath and tentatively climbed toward the next layer of vines. The surface of the vines was covered in moss, as greasy as oil. If he were not careful, he would be doomed. However, his rock-climbing skills were seasoned, and using both hands and feet, he maintained a steady grip.
Xiang'er leaned against his back, sticking close, only the warmth on her chest and their interlaced breaths remained. For every zhang they descended, another bloody mark appeared on Lin Dalu's palm. Skin was rubbed raw and blood seeped out, yet he gritted his teeth, not making a sound.
"Whoosh!" The wind swirled the vine leaves, carrying the dampness of mountain springs, hitting their faces with bone-chilling cold.
Xiang'er saw Lin Dalu's ten fingers mottled with blood, her heart aching as if twisted, and she called out softly, "Young Master Lin, take a rest."
Lin Dalu turned back, smiled faintly, and said, "If I rest, I fear we will fall. Endure for a moment longer."
Xiang'er's eyes reddened slightly as she lowered her head in silence. In that instant, the wind seemed distant, leaving only the hurried breathing of the two. She recalled the murmurs when they fell off the cliff, "I am willing to depend on you"; "Xiang'er, Lin also shall not fail this life," and a wave of warmth suddenly hit her heart.
"If we can escape this calamity," she whispered in her heart, "no matter how he views my past, even if I stay by his side as his Concubine Attendant, I am willing to never leave for a lifetime."
Time passed inch by inch. After about two shichen, the mountain colors gradually dimmed, and the sun on the cliff top tilted westward. The deep valley of the cliff, covered by vines, was already dark and difficult to see. Faintly, the tinkling sound of spring water at the bottom of the valley could be heard.
The sky turned completely black, leaving only the breeze and the chirping of insects in the valley.
"We're almost at the valley floor," Lin Dalu suddenly felt the mist hitting his face and heard the sound of flowing springs. Joy rose in his heart, yet he dared not be careless. But by now, having carried Xiang'er for so long, his muscles and bones were aching, his arms felt like lead, and his knuckles were stiff, nearly slipping.
Suddenly, Xiang'er raised one hand slightly, and a spark of light lit up at her fingertips. She squeezed out a sliver of Spirit Qi with effort, and using the Fireball Art, she ignited a faint ball of fire, like a firefly, floating in mid-air to illuminate a zhang of space for Lin Dalu.
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The firelight flickered, reflecting the sweat on Lin Dalu's forehead and the resolve in his eyes. He turned to look at her, his expression complex, sighing in a low voice, "You are weak now, you must not force your cultivation methods."
Xiang'er chuckled, her breath slightly hurried, "Young Master Lin has worked hard for so long, how could I bear not to help?"
[Illustration ↓]
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Lin Dalu pondered for a moment, then suddenly took down a two-foot-long piece of broken vine, snapped some dry branches from nearby, and wrapped them around it, saying, "Do not consume more Spirit Qi, just light this."
Xiang'er nodded her fair head slightly, her finger pinching a Hand Seal, and sparks flew out. With a "poof," the flame ignited. In the dancing firelight, the cliff where they were was illuminated, also reflecting Xiang'er's face, pale as snow yet as gentle as ever.
Lin Dalu gripped that torch tightly and slowly probed downward, his gaze steady as iron. The wind blew from the valley floor, carrying moisture and cold, and the firelight moved with the wind, stretching their shadows very long.
Those shadows interlaced side by side, reflected on the cliff wall, seeming like the only remaining line of warmth in the world.
The mountain wind rose again, vine leaves fluttered, and the firelight trembled slightly. Lin Dalu gritted his teeth and moved forward, Xiang'er quietly leaning on his back. In the distance, the spring gurgled, as if life were calling.
At that moment, the world was silent, only the wind and fire witnessing their obsession born from a place of death.
The night was deep, the mountains silent. The wind at the valley floor seemed to blow from ancient times, carrying damp cold and the smell of grass.
An hour later, at the bottom of the valley, a flicker of firelight wavered in the darkness, revealing two figures. The torch crackled, its weak glow jumping on the stone walls. Vines hung and tangled, moss was dark green, and spring water trickled through rock crevices, converging into a tiny stream. The air was thick with moisture, the chirping of insects low, and occasionally an echo drifted through the valley like a distant sigh.
Lin Dalu's breathing was slightly hurried, his clothes long soaked with sweat. Looking up, he saw vines crisscrossing on the cliff wall, nearly sealing off the sky. In the night, only the torch remained like a point of starlight, as if it were a realm from another heaven.
"This place," Lin Dalu said in a low voice, "actually feels isolated from heaven and earth."
Xiang'er leaned on Lin Dalu's back, her face slightly pale, her expression exhausted. The firelight reflected her features, soft and weary. She parted her vermilion lips and said, "Young Master Lin, we no longer know the direction, why not rest for a moment? You have been exhausted all the way down."
Lin Dalu shook his head, his gaze fixed, "No! It took us a long time to climb down. Those villains from the Yin Spirit Pavilion, Zhuo Huan and Diao Sandai, are still on the cliff. If they find a path and track us down, this place might not be safe. Finding a way to leave quickly is the best plan."
Xiang'er heard this and sighed inwardly, but spoke no more. She said softly, "Then Young Master, please be extra careful. The ground is slippery, do not hurt yourself."
Xiang'er watched him, seeing Lin Dalu probing forward step by step, holding the torch, carefully avoiding loose rocks and vine roots. The firelight reflected his shadow on the wet walls, like a lone pine standing still in the wind and rain.
At this moment, a strange surge of tenderness rose in Xiang'er's heart. She thought of those scenes just now, the two falling off the cliff, Lin Dalu risking his life to climb, surviving in the deep valley, protecting her in his arms, his hands and feet mottled with blood, yet not a single complaint. "This person is indeed..." She closed her eyes gently, her thoughts like a tide. "Clever and quick-witted, yet honest and sincere; knowing he is but a Mortal, yet still unafraid of life and death, protecting me to this point. If I could be with this person, I would be willing to be an ordinary woman in this life, spending my days with him, establishing a family and career, not failing his sentiment of risking his life to protect me."
The firelight flickered, her gaze gradually softening.
Lin Dalu noticed her silence, turned back with a smile, and said, "Xiang'er, walk a bit further and we might find an exit."
Xiang'er nodded and said warmly, "I'll listen to the Young Master."
——(To be continued)