“Hey, brother, you don’t seem like the type to die young. If we make it out of this alive, you’d better repay me!” Bai Shuo’s forehead was drenched with sweat. The forest was ominous and intimidating, and though she felt afraid, her words helped her feel a bit braver.
“Just to be clear, pledging yourself to me isn’t necessary—I don’t need gold or silver, and this little glowing… glowing treasure would do nicely, thank you. Whew… if you happen to know an immortal, you could at least show me the mountain where they live.” Bai Shuo’s breath hitched as she paused to look around. Her gaze landed on a nearby tree marked with a half-moon, her own mark.
“What’s going on? Why am I going in circles?” Bai Shuo’s face turned pale, and with a chill wind rustling through the trees, her fear only grew. “C-could it be… a ghost?”
Bai Shuo was a believer in spirits, and just as her fear peaked, a wolf’s howl pierced the silence. Startled, she fell to the ground, causing the young man strapped to her back to slip off. His head struck a nearby tree with a solid thud, swelling on one side, forming a symmetrical bump alongside the one he already had.
The blow shook the tree, scattering birds with startled chirps. Bai Shuo quickly scrambled over to check on him, finding he was still breathing. For a moment, she forgot her fear and couldn’t help but admire, “Brother, you’ve got a strong life force! Impressive…”
“There’s light over there! Let’s check it out!”
The bandits’ voices suddenly echoed nearby, with firelight snaking toward her position.
“Oh no, they’re closing in!” Panicking, Bai Shuo quickly slipped the glowing pig pendant onto the young man’s chest, where it immediately went dark.
In the darkness, she slung the young man onto her back and ran forward, only to step into thin air with a startled “ah!” Both of them tumbled down a slope. With a final loud thud, the young man struck something hard, making a sound that rang out clear and sharp.
Though Bai Shuo had landed on him, her arm and fingers were scratched by rocks and branches, drawing blood. Reaching back to check on him, her hand brushed against the pig pendant on his chest.
What no one noticed was that the pendant began absorbing the blood from Bai Shuo’s fingertips. It then jumped back onto her chest, glowing brightly as it siphoned her blood, emitting a powerful aura that shot into the young man’s brow.
In that instant, the young man’s eyes snapped open, meeting Bai Shuo’s gaze.
She had never seen eyes so cold and piercing; they seemed to cut to the bone. Yet they were so beautiful that, despite the chill they sent through her heart, she couldn’t look away.
The young man’s brows furrowed with mild irritation, and just as he was about to speak, his mouth was covered.
“Shh, don’t speak. Someone’s after us!” Bai Shuo whispered, pressing a finger to her lips while pointing upwards.
“Keep searching! Quickly! Don’t let them escape!” Torchlight flashed above them as the bandits scoured the area.
Bai Shuo looked back, locking eyes again with the young man. They were so close that his breath warmed her palm, making her heart skip. Just as she was about to say something, a strong gust hit her neck, knocking her out cold.
“You…”
Damn it! Knocked out again? Who on earth did it this time?
Before Bai Shuo could even curse properly, her eyes closed, and she slumped to the ground.
A pair of hands caught her. The young man frowned, somewhat puzzled by his own reaction.
The gust condensed into a burly, solemn-faced youth who knelt on one knee before the young man.
“My lord, Cang Shan apologizes for the delay.”
Not far from the base of Mount Mu Xiao, a cavalry squad galloped forward. Chong Zhao gripped his reins tightly, his expression filled with urgency. Behind him, the guards’ eyes gleamed with sharpness, each one clearly an elite warrior.
One rider returned from the distance, and Chong Zhao raised his hand, signaling for the squad to halt.
“Master!” The rider was Chong Zhao’s personal guard, Chong Gui. He leaned in and reported quietly, “Second Miss’s trail vanished near Wei City.”
Chong Zhao’s expression shifted. “A-Shuo’s trail vanished? How could that be? Keep searching!”
“Yes.” Chong Gui was about to ride off when another guard shouted from nearby.
“Master! There’s someone here! It’s a woman!”
Chong Zhao turned as the men raised their torches, illuminating a white-clad young woman lying in a bloody heap by the edge of a small grove.
“A-Shuo!” Chong Zhao’s breath caught. He hurriedly dismounted and stumbled toward the girl.
Under the moonlight, the girl lifted her head, reaching out toward him with a look of hope in her eyes.
0 Comments