Bai Shuo’s breath caught instantly.
As the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion, Bai Shuo had been raised among nobility, attending literary gatherings and elegant evening banquets since childhood. She had seen countless young noblemen and refined scholars, each handsome in their own way, yet none had a face quite like this one.
His hair swept elegantly across his brow, and his features were exquisitely handsome. Even with his eyes closed, this young man could easily steal the hearts of every girl in the city.
Well, every girl except for Bai Shuo herself, whose heart was set firmly on the pursuit of immortality and remained as hard as stone.
“Whoa! Dead or alive?”
The young man’s eyes were shut tightly, his face pale. Bai Shuo’s breath had caught because she initially thought she’d stumbled upon a corpse. Only after feeling a faint breath from his nose did she pat her chest and exhale in relief.
“Thank goodness, he’s alive. But where am I?”
Bai Shuo gathered herself, then heard the distant sounds of bandits feasting in the main hall—loud drinking, eating, and laughter. Only now did she recall the unfortunate sequence of events: she’d been betrayed by her donkey, struck unconscious by a bandit’s blade. Rubbing her aching head, she got up and peered through a small window, looking outside. She saw herself surrounded by mountains, with a wooden stronghold nestled in the middle. Despite being a bandit’s den, the place lacked any lookouts or patrols, and the guards were astonishingly lax.
How could they even dare to claim a mountain as their kingdom and rob travelers with security this slack? Bai Shuo was speechless, though she knew that, as a bandit’s lair, if her identity were exposed, it would be an embarrassment at best; if her father found her and dragged her back to the capital, it would be a complete disaster. She had burned her bridges to escape this marriage; she could not go back now.
Bai Shuo swiftly got up and ran toward the door. She gave it a gentle push, and to her delight, it opened easily. Just as she was about to slip away, she remembered something and turned to look at the half-dead young man lying on the ground. Gritting her teeth, she returned.
Taking off her rough outer coat, Bai Shuo quickly draped it over the young man.
“At least it’ll keep him warm,” she muttered, giving his hand a squeeze. “Sorry, buddy, but I have to become an immortal, and I can’t afford to die. You… take care, okay?”
Just as Bai Shuo was about to leave, she stumbled, almost tripping. Looking down, she saw a small, dark object roll out from the young man’s waist.
What is that? Out of sheer curiosity, Bai Shuo bent down and picked it up, and the instant it touched her hand, it began to glow. Startled, she tossed it away, and it landed with a thud on the young man’s head, losing its glow the moment it hit the ground.
The young man let out a low groan, furrowing his brows as a bump appeared on his forehead. His face turned even paler, yet he didn’t wake up.
“Did I just knock him out again?” Bai Shuo’s heart skipped a beat, and she gingerly checked his breathing, relieved to find he was still alive. “Forgive me, brother, that was an accident!”
As Bai Shuo stepped back, her hand brushed against the same object, which began to glow once more. This time, she was calm, picking it up to examine it closely.
It was a small, round wooden figurine, about the size of half a palm, adorably shaped like a tiny pig. The little wooden figure emitted a gentle glow, flickering as it lit up the surrounding area.
“Wood that glows?” Bai Shuo’s eyes sparkled as she glanced at the unconscious young man. “Could he be an immortal? Did I really meet one? But that can’t be—why would an immortal end up in a bandit’s den?”
Bai Shuo shook her head vigorously, crouching down to place the wooden figure back on him. Yet she paused. “It’s so dark out here, and this thing might come in handy. It could even be a treasure.” She glanced at the young man, tucked the glowing wooden pig into her robe, and turned to leave.
Just as she took a step forward, a tearing sound echoed as her clothes snagged. Surprised, she turned to see the young man gripping the hem of her pants tightly.
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