The two walked slowly along the stream, their footsteps echoing on the stones. Lin Dalu observed the terrain as he walked, secretly deducing the direction. The small stream meandered eastward, with occasional boulders strewn about, covered in thick moss.
"The mountain water flows east, it might lead to the outside world," Lin Dalu murmured.
At one point, Lin Dalu suddenly stopped. The firelight shone on the stone wall ahead, where faint carvings were visible—lines crisscrossing as if chiseled by ancients.
"This place actually seems to have traces of people?" Lin Dalu frowned slightly.
Xiang'er leaned in to look and said in a low voice, "Perhaps a Cultivator came here years ago seeking herbs. This valley is extremely deep, ordinary people cannot reach it."
Lin Dalu nodded slightly and held the torch to investigate the surroundings. The surroundings were dark, the moisture misty, and small streams flowed from rock crevices with a sound like weeping. The firelight reflected on the water, ripples of light appearing like countless shattered stars.
As they walked, Lin Dalu's thoughts surfaced. The scenes of today's battle were still before his eyes.
He thought of Liu Hai, that friend from the same village, as close as a brother.
"Liu Hai," Lin Dalu murmured, his throat feeling dry.
A flashback in his mind, Zhuo Huan's palm strike landed, a trail of blood seeping from Liu Hai's lip, his figure falling off the cliff, the dull thud echoing clearly. That palm contained the Spirit Qi of a Cultivator at Qi Refinement Level 6. How could a Mortal endure it? It was likely he was already more dead than alive.
Thinking of this, the hatred in Lin Dalu's chest burned like fire.
"If I hadn't asked for that Autumn Poria Mushroom for Xiang'er, he wouldn't have been targeted by Zhuo Huan! His parents, his little sister—they all suffered because of this." Lin Dalu gritted his teeth, his fists trembling. Under the firelight, his gaze turned cold bit by bit. He slowly looked up, watching the meandering stream in the valley, and swore secretly in his heart, "Zhuo Huan, Diao Sandai, Yin Spirit Pavilion—though you are Cultivators and think yourselves high in the clouds, viewing Mortals as grass, I, Lin Dalu, though of Mortal flesh, do not fear you. This grudge, no matter the cost, I will personally repay!" The firelight jumped slightly, reflecting a faint blood-red in his eyes.
The stream gurgled, like weeping and complaining, as if redressing the grievances of the dead, or urging the living to move forward.
The two walked in silence, not knowing how much time had passed. The night outside the valley grew deeper, the starlight colder; the torch inside the valley grew shorter, the flame about to die. Just as Lin Dalu was about to snap more branches for fuel, he suddenly saw a faint light from far ahead. He froze for a moment, then was overjoyed, his voice low yet unable to hide his excitement, "Xiang'er! There's light ahead!"
Xiang'er lifted her eyes, a flash of surprise in them. She braced herself to sit up, her voice light yet carrying a smile, "Truly? Are we going out?"
"Correct," Lin Dalu turned back with a smile, his expression full of comfort. "Do not fear, having endured to this point, the bitterness should turn to sweetness."
Xiang'er's gaze was soft, smiling through tears, "Young Master Lin has worked hard. If not for you, I would have been buried at the bottom of the cliff."
Lin Dalu waved his hand and said, "If you are well, I am at peace. Let's go quickly, before the night changes." He lifted the torch, his pace quickening. The faint firelight dragged a long trail on the wet walls. The light ahead became brighter, and the air was mixed with a faint sound of wind, as if blowing in from outside the mountain.
"It really is an exit!" Lin Dalu's heart pounded wildly, he almost laughed out loud.
Xiang'er's expression carried weariness and relief. She looked at that point of light, as if seeing the dawn.
The two rushed to the mouth of the valley.
The night wind suddenly hit their faces, carrying the scent of grass and dew. The stars above were vast, their faint light spreading. Lin Dalu stood at the valley mouth and let out a long breath of turbid air, feeling his whole body lightened, as if reborn from a place of death. He turned to Xiang'er and said softly, "Xiang'er, we've come out."
Xiang'er smiled, her gaze like water, "Yes, finally, we're out."
The firelight reflected on their faces, the mountain wind blowing their clothes, vine leaves rustling. The faint flame burned out in the wind, and deep in the valley, the sound of water remained, as if seeing them off.
The night was as dark as ink, the stars as if washed, and the silhouettes of distant mountains rose and fell slightly under the moonlight. The wind carried the scorched scent after the torch died and the moisture of the mountain forest, blowing past their hair. Lin Dalu carried Xiang'er, walking through the boulders to a quiet mountain hollow, before stopping. He gently set Xiang'er down, his voice low and gentle, "Xiang'er, those two villains should be unable to catch up. This place is secluded, we can rest for a while. How is your injury?"
Xiang'er's face was slightly pale, her breathing faint, yet she still shook her head with a smile. "I'm fine, it's just that during the fight, my Spirit Qi was completely spent, nearly exhausted. I feel slightly faint. Just allow me to perform the Tranquil Spirit Art to adjust my breathing for a moment, then I can recover a bit."
Lin Dalu nodded and scanned the surroundings alertly, acting as a protector for Xiang'er. The mountain wind wailed and the vegetation bowed. He stood guard by her side, not daring to be negligent for a moment.
Xiang'er sat cross-legged, her hands forming Hand Seals, her aura circulating with her breath. A faint white mist emerged from her fingertips, reflecting her skin like snow. Those wisps of Qi threads, like light smoke coiling, wove a layer of shimmering soft light around her. Lin Dalu watched, and for a moment his mind actually wandered.
Half a shichen later, Xiang'er slowly opened her eyes, her complexion recovered. She rose gracefully, performed a salute, and said, "Thank you, Young Master Lin, for saving my life again. The debt is as heavy as a mountain, Xiang'er will not forget."
Before Xiang'er could finish her words, Lin Dalu quickly raised his hand to stop her, his laughter warm, "Xiang'er, you and I have gone through life and death together, there is no longer any distinction between us. Saying thank you—is that not being too distant?"
Xiang'er froze, her face turning red, and she said in a low voice, "Xiang'er wanted to say... if, if the Young Master does not mind, Xiang'er is willing to serve by the Young Master's side in this life, whether as a Wife(Niang Zi) or Concubine Attendant, only seeking to be together for a lifetime." Her voice was as light as a mosquito's hum, yet every word entered his heart.
Lin Dalu's heart shook violently, his weariness and pain instantly vanishing, only feeling as if firelight had exploded in his chest, his hot blood surging. He stared blankly at Xiang'er before him, for a moment not knowing what to do with his hands and feet, his heart pounding wildly. Finally, unable to control his emotions, he swept Xiang'er into his arms. "Xiang'er," he whispered hoarsely, "I will certainly marry you as my Wife(Niang Zi) and protect you for a lifetime. With you by my side, even if I die, I shall have no regrets!"
Xiang'er's face flushed with shame, her fingers trembling slightly, yet she did not refuse, only leaning gently in his arms. She could hear Lin Dalu's heartbeat, hurried and real, as if wanting to merge her into it. The night breeze blew gently, moonlight spilling over the two, reflecting that moment as if it were a dream.
After a long time, Xiang'er looked up, her eyes soft and moist. Lin Dalu looked at her, and a thought suddenly occurred to him. He smiled and said, "Xiang'er, you and I have survived a great calamity and have this sentiment. Tonight the bright moon is in the sky, let the galaxy be our witness. Why not take this heaven and earth as our matchmaker, bow to the stars and moon, and become husband and wife?"
Xiang'er was stunned for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curved slightly, her smile carrying bashfulness and tears as she nodded gently.
The two stood together and performed three bows. First bow to Heaven and Earth, with stars and moon as witnesses. Second bow to mountains and rivers, with all spirits testifying together. After the third bow, they looked at each other and smiled.
"Wife(Niang Zi)," Lin Dalu tried to call out those two words, but felt his tongue clumsy and mind in a mess, his face heating up slightly.
Xiang'er couldn't help but laugh, her eyes like crescent moons. "Husband(Fū Jūn), why not still call me 'Xiang'er', and I shall call you 'Lu Lang'. After I remove the Sacred Relic from my body, and we go together to see our parents, I will then call you 'Husband(Fū Jūn)'. How about that?"
Lin Dalu nodded and smiled, "That's fine, Xiang'er."
She replied, "Lu Lang."
[Illustration ↓]
https://i.postimg.cc/MZ45F8nq/Q0010C.jpg
The two looked at each other and smiled, the tenderness in their hearts already surpassing a thousand words.
The moonlight grew thicker, the mountain wind carrying the sweet scent of vegetation. The two sat side by side on a rock, quietly watching the stars rotate, letting time slip through their fingers. At that moment, the world seemed to stop, leaving only their heartbeats and each other's breathing.
Suddenly, a gust of night wind swept past, blowing the clouds on the mountain peak, masking the bright moon. Xiang'er looked up, a layer of complexity surfacing in her eyes. She said softly, "Lu Lang, I have one matter I dare not hide. Since we have become husband and wife tonight, I should naturally be honest. About my past, I must tell you truthfully."
Lin Dalu looked back, his eyes gentle, "Xiang'er, you and I have already pledged our lives. The past has all become clouds and smoke. No matter what you once were, I will certainly treat you like a treasure."
Xiang'er was moved in her heart, her lips trembling slightly, just as she was about to speak.
Suddenly, a low drone rose between heaven and earth, like the ringing of metal and stone. Immediately, a shadow streaked across the night sky, making the moonlight dim instantly.
Both looked up, seeing one person standing atop a flying sword high in the sky. His robes were earthy yellow, his long sleeves flapping, the flying sword beneath his feet flickering with emerald light, surrounded by wind and thunder. The person looked down slightly, his gaze sharp, his lips carrying a smile, looking down at the two as if watching ants.
The spiritual pressure was like a mountain, descending from the sky, causing vegetation to bow and sand to fly.
Lin Dalu's expression changed abruptly, his chest tightened, nearly unable to breathe, and he exclaimed in a low voice, "Sword-Riding Immortal!"
Xiang'er was horrified, her face deathly pale, she blurted out, "Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, Diao Zeyi!"
[Illustration ↓]
https://i.postimg.cc/qBYw5dNk/Q0010D.jpg
The person snorted coldly, his voice like the thunder of the Nine Netherworlds, "What a shameless pair! Daring to act so intimately here under the moon, breaking the rules, outrageous!"
The voice boomed, like an iron hammer striking the ground, shaking the rock debris in the valley, which pitter-pattered down. Lin Dalu directly took a step forward, completely shielding Xiang'er behind him, his breathing hurried yet he held his ground. Xiang'er bit her lip, her sleeves fluttering slightly, as all her Spirit Qi gathered in her palm, the white mist glowing, flickering like fireflies.
The night wind howled, the cloud shadows roiling. At that moment, it seemed only the breathing of the three remained clashing between heaven and earth.
The starlight wavered, the moon masked by drifting clouds, and the distant mountain forest whispered in the wind. Xiang'er's gaze was steady, yet carried a slight tremor; the secret she had not spoken was finally interrupted by this sudden sword shadow.
The wind wailed, killing intent gradually rising.
Lin Dalu tilted his head slightly, saying one word to her in a low voice, "Xiang'er, no matter who comes, I will protect you without fear."
"Lu Lang," A flash of tears appeared in Xiang'er's eyes, and she finally nodded.
In the distance thunder rumbled, the Sword-Riding Immortal's figure swayed in the wind, and a sliver of sword light had already quietly gathered momentum.
[Illustration ↓]
https://i.postimg.cc/XNhLz0rj/Q0010E.jpg
——(End of Chapter)