The three months of continuous rain finally began to thin, and the weather in Jiugao City turned thoroughly cold. Charcoal shops opened early for business; people in the streets and alleys tucked their necks into their collars and shoved their hands into their sleeves, shivering whenever the wind blew as they hurried along.
Among the rushing crowds, one person moved even faster, almost at a run, ducking into the Juxian Tea House on Sunshi Street in the north of the city in the blink of an eye.
The copper mirror in front of the Juxian Tea House was polished to a bright sheen, and the proprietor’s eyes were just as sharp.
Behind the lacquered counter, Ma Muxing kept his head down, clicking away at his abacus without looking up, even as the visitor’s hurried footsteps vanished onto the second floor.
The new waiter, now half a veteran, smiled and went to greet other guests, acting as if he hadn't seen the frantic arrival.
In a private room at the end of the second floor, Gao Quan and Lin Fang looked toward the arriving Du Shaoheng. The latter had no time for a cup of hot tea; as soon as he sat down, he spoke with an anxious expression.
"Several managers of the Huichun Hall have still not returned. This morning, the manager of the last pharmacy in the north of the city was also taken away."
"Taken where?"
Du Shaoheng wiped the sweat from his brow and paused before speaking truthfully. "The Prefect’s residence."
Of all places, it had to be the Prefect’s residence.
A madman was not terrifying; what was terrifying was a madman with power and influence. Back then, He Yuanzhou was merely the elderly mother of a medicinal merchant, yet she had stirred up a storm in Jiugao City. Now, it was the Prefect of Longshu himself—a man who was exceedingly selfish and ruthless. Once pushed into a corner, there was no limit to the terrible things he might do.
Lin Fang sighed softly, his gaze drifting to the bustling street outside the window.
"Fan Tong has been keeping his doors closed during the day for the past three days."
This move was not just to hide from prying eyes; perhaps the man behind those closed doors no longer liked the piercing light of day.
"Has it already become that bad?"
Gao Quan followed Lin Fang’s gaze. The unsuspecting crowds were like dry, withered woods in late autumn; a single spark could ignite an uncontrollable forest fire. Beside them, Du Shaoheng could not hide his agitation, wishing he could charge into the Prefect’s office right then to seize the man.
"If you ask me, we should skip the testing, the investigation, and the planning. We should gather our men immediately, infiltrate the residence, and take them all down. We can figure out the rest later."
Gao Quan shook his head upon hearing this.
"I fear Lord Fan is not one to be captured without a fight. He witnessed He Yuanzhou’s end; now that it has befallen him, he will surely have made preparations. If we do not have the certainty of a single-strike victory, and our attempt fails, the situation in the city will deteriorate rapidly. Everything will fall into an irreversible state. By then, I’m afraid we won't be able to wait for the Protector to return."
As soon as he spoke, Lin Fang added his own report.
"News came from Lord Song as well. He says Lord Fan has already summoned the Military Commander and two thousand troops, taking over several docks outside the city under the pretext of preventing river pirates. He is indeed prepared."
Hearing this, Du Shaoheng seemed to remember something and hurriedly added, "Speaking of which, I don't know if our people are being too sensitive, but many new faces have appeared in the city lately. They don't look like outsiders seeking refuge; they have the aura of martial artists. However, on the surface, these people all have identities as law-abiding citizens. Even using the Commandant’s name to investigate them would be groundless and might alert the enemy. We can only watch and wait for now."
The more Du Shaoheng spoke, the more frustrated he became. He picked up the cold tea on the table and drained it in one gulp. "When did Fan Tong get involved with people from the martial world? This is becoming increasingly thorny."
Perhaps it wasn't that Lord Fan had sought out the martial world, but that someone from the martial world had sought him out.
Gao Quan was lost in thought, while the usually composed Minister of the Grand Vessel, Lin Fang, now wore a grave expression.
"Our official ranks cannot suppress Fan Tong. Forcing the issue will only give him a grievance to air and an excuse to mobilize his troops. Secretly, our manpower is insufficient. Aside from the men the Protector left behind, we only have some veteran city guards we can barely mobilize. For now, we can only wait for an opportunity to strike through clever maneuvering. Three days ago, I sent a message to the Protector, but..."
Lin Fang did not finish his sentence, merely looking toward the south.
He wondered how that young Protector was faring, and if he would make it back in time.
***
Outside the West Sacrificial Tower, red light illuminated the entire valley.
Soaring flames rose from the bottom of the pit, forcing back the crowd peering over the edge.
"Where is Qiu Ling?"
Teng Hu’s voice echoed through the valley, but there was no response for a long time.
His broken ribs throbbed with a dull ache, like the obsession in his heart constantly flaring up. Clutching his chest and abdomen, he couldn't help but begin a series of malicious speculations.
"You said Di Mo invited him alone and he went. He didn't act like this when he was mingling with the people from the Bureau of Gold and Stone. Come to think of it, he and Di Mo had a private meeting back on Qionghu Island. How do you know they didn't reach some private deal? Maybe he took the items and left early, leaving us fools behind?"
Lu Zican immediately flared up in anger.
"Our Protector traveled through the night for a day and a night along mountain paths just to help you succeed! How can you slander him like this?!"
"Perhaps it was to use us martial rabble as a cover. We were beaten half to death by Li Kuquan, which gave him the chance to get there first..."
"If he truly wanted to collude with Di Mo, why wait until today? If he intended to use us, why would he have appeared at the East Prayer Pavilion just now? Wouldn't it have been faster to go straight to Di Mo?" Qin Jiuye paused at the end of her sentence, her lowered hands involuntarily clenching into fists. "I made an agreement with the Protector to meet up and leave together. I trust him. He will definitely return."
However, Teng Hu had already gone mad with desperation. He had endured countless hardships to reach this point, and now he had to watch the things he desired be buried in a sea of fire. He could not accept it.
He stared at the growing fire for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at the youth who had been silent since the beginning.
"Aren't you from the World’s Greatest Manor? Isn't Jia Thirteen a frequent guest of this Changu Valley and the West Sacrificial Tower? You must know where Di Mo would hide the things. You must know, right?!"
Teng Hu rushed forward, questioning Li Qiao almost face-to-face.
The latter remained silent. He had become increasingly withdrawn, staring blankly at the flames. Though he was not inside them, he felt as if the fire had crawled under his skin, spreading throughout his body.
He was too familiar with this place—so familiar that a single glance from afar could recall the smell, the temperature, and the color. The burning pain brought by the juice of the Fudi Lotus, the suffocation of cold, bloody mud clogging his nose and mouth, and the endless darkness. Every inch of bone that had been broken, every patch of skin that had been flayed, every drop of blood that had boiled from poison—it all came alive at this moment, overwhelming him like a crashing wave, swallowing him whole.
It turned out that even killing Li Kuquan ten thousand times would not kill the painful memories of the past.
Teng Hu’s mouth opened and closed in front of him, seemingly shouting something, but he couldn't hear a single word. Terror made it hard to breathe, and the exhaustion from the battle with Li Kuquan hit him all at once. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees, only to be caught by the quick-handed Jiang Xin'er.
At this sight, even the usually cold Jiang Xin'er showed a hint of pity. She frowned at Teng Hu.
"He has already brought us this far. What more do you want from him?"
But Teng Hu could no longer hear reason. His voice was distorted by despair, sounding almost like a scream.
"There’s no time! What are you all hesitating for? Qiu Ling cannot be relied upon. If he doesn't go now, the last chance will be lost in this fire, and everything will be over! Hasn't he been inside countless times? For him, it’s just going in once more. No one knows the situation inside better than him..."
"Shut up!" Qin Jiuye’s voice rang out fiercely. She stood in front of the youth, refusing to yield an inch. "What right do you have to say such things to him? What right do you have to order him to do this?!"
Teng Hu trembled with rage, pointing a blackened finger in accusation.
"Qin Jiuye, I see you... I see you have lost your mind! For this pretty boy, you would disregard the culmination of medical knowledge, disregard the people of the world..."
Qin Jiuye brushed aside his trembling finger and said word for word, "Stop using 'the people of the world' to pressure me. Setting aside where your master actually reached, even if he had found the truth, what were the others doing?! If the responsibility for the culmination of medical knowledge and the upholding of justice rests solely on his shoulders, then this world is truly doomed!"
Qin Jiuye’s words were more choking than the thick smoke surrounding them. Teng Hu was momentarily speechless. Seeing this, Qin Jiuye pointed toward the burning West Sacrificial Tower behind her.
"If your heart is so firm and you are determined to martyrize yourself for the law, instead of shouting here, why don't you jump down yourself and see if the Yefu Berries or your master’s testament are actually there?"
Hearing this, Teng Hu actually rolled up his sleeves and turned toward the deep pit. For a moment, it seemed he truly intended to throw himself down, but in the end, he was unwilling to enter the sea of fire alone. Or perhaps he realized the hope was slim and everything was merely his own obsession. Finally, he slumped down at the edge of the pit in defeat.
Qin Jiuye watched coldly, then turned to support the youth behind her.
"Listen to me, you have done well enough. You don't have to go. No matter how difficult a place is to reach, this isn't the only path. No matter how hard something is to obtain, it doesn't have to be exchanged for your sacrifice. I have confidence. I have confidence that I can uncover the truth. Trust me..."
The woman’s voice whispered continuously in his ear. He tried to follow that voice, letting his body return to the real world.
Flames spiraled up from the bottom of the pit, and charred wood collapsed with a roar.
Suddenly, a flash of light flickered. A falling wooden beam was split in two by that white light, plunging into the depths of the fire.
Lu Zican immediately realized something. Ignoring the scorching heat rising from the pit, he leaned forward to look. He saw a figure moving rapidly along the spiraling wooden stairs; burning beams snapped behind him, swallowed instantly by the rolling smoke.
"Protector!"
Lu Zican could wait no longer. With a roar, he rushed forward, his twin blades at his waist as he prepared to leap down, only to be pulled back from behind. The youth, who had been paralyzed by past terror, had stood up at some point and was now looking at him weakly.
"Move."
How could Lu Zican move? He did not trust the youth before him—neither his intentions to save someone nor his current state.
Cold sweat slid down his forehead, and the youth’s face grew paler, but the hand holding his blade had stopped trembling.
"You are too heavy. If you collapse the Heavenly Osmanthus wood in the tower, both you and he will surely die. If you want him to live, move."
Lu Zican wanted to say more, but Qin Jiuye stepped between them, looking at Li Qiao.
"Are you sure?"
Li Qiao did not speak, only nodded. Seeing the woman’s affirming gaze, Lu Zican finally stepped aside.
The youth did not delay. He tore a piece of his hem, wetted it, tied it over his nose and mouth, and then turned to leap into the rolling black smoke.
The fire had dried all moisture from the air, leaving only endless scorching heat. Thick smoke obscured vision and made eyes water incessantly, but Qin Jiuye refused to close her eyes for even a second until the light of the Qingwu Blade broke through the smoke.
Two figures landed one after the other, their outer robes on fire. Seeing this, Qin Jiuye stripped off her own outer garment and rushed forward, quickly beating out the flames on them. Lu Zican and the others also hurried to help. As the flames died, both men were smoldering. Qiu Ling’s condition was worse; he wore no armor, and the dust and charred clothing had formed a shell-like crust over his left shoulder and back, a sight that made one's heart ache. The fire had burned through his flesh, but he seemed oblivious, looking at Qin Jiuye and saying with relief, "I got it."
Those three short words were like rain from heaven, instantly easing the tension.
Her eyes stinging, Qin Jiuye composed herself before asking in a raspy voice, "Why were you gone so long?"
"I was delayed a bit at Di Mo’s. But I made a promise to you, so naturally, I had to keep it." Qiu Ling’s voice was low and hoarse from inhaling smoke. "Di Mo planted thunder-fire and oil throughout the entire valley. Not just the West Sacrificial Tower—before long, this place will..."
Before he could finish, a massive roar came from the distance. Soaring flames lit up the sky, and the entire valley began to shake.
Qin Jiuye felt her vision go dark as the two men beside her simultaneously threw themselves over her. The three of them rolled together. She was nearly choked by the smell of char on them, and before she could speak, Teng Hu’s hand thrust in from the side, heedlessly pulling the three of them apart.
"You said you got it. Where is it?"
This time, Qin Jiuye didn't need to scold him; Lu Zican rushed forward in a fury.
"Our Protector risked his life! If you don't care whether he lives or dies, that’s one thing, but how dare you demand the item the moment he gets out?!"
Now was not the time for disputes. Qin Jiuye held Lu Zican back and turned to Teng Hu.
"If we cannot leave safely, what does it matter if we have Zuo Ci’s testament? Won't it just be buried in the fire with us? The priority is to leave this place immediately."
Teng Hu finally relented, though his expression remained suspicious.
"What about Di Mo? He just gave it to you?"
Qiu Ling did not answer. He simply turned to look at the West Sacrificial Tower, which had become a sea of fire.
Flames surged in the deep pit, tongues of fire reaching out from the abyss; it looked exactly like a scene from hell. The West Sacrificial Tower had begun to collapse from the base. In less than half an hour, it would be completely disintegrated, reduced to ash and ruins.
During the years he guarded Yichun, no one knew that the Master of the World’s Greatest Manor had been constantly entering Juchao. He had been transporting the bones of fallen soldiers out of the mountains and burying them one by one at the base of the West Sacrificial Tower. As deep as the tower was, that was how many heroic souls rested there—though many of those Black Moon soldiers' bones had been buried by his own orders back then. Whether Di Mo’s heart was black or white, no one could tell, but he had carried out his best friend’s entrustment to the very end.
On that long night of continuous rain and plague, raging fires had spread through the mountains, and the soldiers trapped within had screamed in despair, never ceasing. Today, the World’s Greatest Manor would also be buried in fire. As the West Sacrificial Tower collapsed, the bone pit at its base emitted a shrill sound, as if tens of thousands of souls were being released from the valley at that moment.
All traces of the Black Moon would be erased along with Di Mo’s self-immolation in the West Sacrificial Tower. As the deepest-hidden chess piece planted in the martial world by the late Emperor, he had drifted in these waters for a long time. After the late Emperor’s death, the only person who could prove his identity and justify his actions was gone. Wen Di Mo had dreamed of accumulating enough leverage to influence the court, choosing the path Qiu Yuebai had rejected, but the Imperial Family would never allow such a thing.
In the end, the World’s Greatest Manor could not escape the "Heaven" in its name.
"The fire is spreading fast. Once the people from the Bureau of Gold and Stone notice, they will surely send scouts ahead."
Lu Zican spoke while looking toward the valley entrance, distributing wet scraps of cloth to everyone. Hearing this, Teng Hu was like an ant on a hot griddle, constantly peering into the distance.
"Then why haven't they come? Didn't they have a huge formation earlier? Are they waiting for us to be roasted well-done before they show themselves?!"
Qiu Ling withdrew his gaze and announced their current situation with cold brevity.
"Because their mission is to eradicate the World’s Greatest Manor, not to capture its people alive. Even if Di Mo hadn't taken this step himself, the Bureau of Gold and Stone was prepared with heavy arrows and fire oil from the start. The outcome would have been the same."
Jiang Xin'er flew down from mid-air, covering her nose and mouth. She coughed as she delivered the bad news.
"The thunder-fire at the valley entrance has been ignited. The path we came in is blocked by fallen rocks. The entire valley is filled with thick smoke. Even if we risk flying across the cliffs on both sides, we’ll likely choke to death within fifteen minutes."
These traps were meant for the Bureau of Gold and Stone, but they were the ones tasting them first. The feeling of waiting for death was unpleasant, and everyone fell into a collective silence.
"Then let's try going back."
The silent Li Qiao suddenly spoke, his gaze fixed on the deeper parts of the West Sacrificial Tower.
Thick smoke blotted out the sky and moon, spreading around the tower like an impenetrable night. Lu Zican’s eyes ached from staring, but he couldn't see the situation clearly.
"The East Prayer Pavilion has already collapsed. What is there if we go back?"
"The Lotus Pond." Li Qiao’s voice was raspy, but his tone was firmer than ever. "We go into the Lotus Pond. There might be a way out beneath it."
"Might?" Teng Hu shrieked, his voice thin and grating as smoke caught in his throat. "What if there isn't? Being choked or burned to death is worse than being poisoned by me."
Jiang Xin'er’s expression was anxious. She covered her nose and mouth, asking in a low voice, "Is this reliable? Did Li Qingdao tell you this?"
Li Qiao shook his head.
"During the time Di Mo threw me into the Lotus Pond, to keep my mind clear, I counted the human bones in the mud beneath my feet. On the first day, I felt seven. On the second day, six. On the third day, only three. Thinking back now, those bones must have sunk with the current. There might be another space beneath the mud at the bottom of the pond."
Lu Zican’s eyebrows and beard twitched; he clearly didn't believe such a bizarre claim.
"Perhaps your mind was unclear then, and you were hallucinating."
Not many disciples had survived Di Mo’s punishments, and even fewer had lived through them. No one could prove whether what Li Qiao said was real or a memory distorted by extreme pain.
But Qin Jiuye clearly never doubted him.
She had seen this youth’s resilient and unyielding will; she believed in the vibrant will to survive he had possessed then.
"I saw some interconnected underground rivers when I was in Juchao, and I saw similar traces in the caves we passed on the way here. It means this valley might not be completely closed off. The Lotus Pond is isolated deep in the valley, yet the water flows through the four seasons; it must be living water."
"So what if it's living water? Can a spring the size of a needle's point fit a person? That pond is filled with poisonous Fudi Lotuses. If we jump in without finding an exit, we’ll drown."
Teng Hu threw himself to the ground, wanting to reject this mad choice. But before he could finish, another explosion sounded behind them. The soaring flames drew closer, and the scorching temperature made breathing difficult.
"There’s no time. Choose your death: burned or drowned."
"Regardless, the Lotus Pond has water. Retreating there is the best choice right now."
No one expected the usually conservative Lord of Broken Jade to be the first to agree. His words were as convincing as ever.
Qin Jiuye turned to look, meeting Qiu Ling’s gaze.
"I trust your judgment."
After saying this, without waiting for her response, he roughly covered his burned shoulder and back, drawing his sword to hack a path forward.
Qin Jiuye immediately followed. Li Qiao, Lu Zican, and Jiang Xin'er were close behind. Teng Hu was forced to make a choice, grumbling as he brought up the rear.
The rocks had become scorching hot from the heat. Rare flowers and exotic plants had all been reduced to charcoal. Forget searching for Yefu Berries; even if they had existed, they would be nothing but a handful of ash now. The path they had taken to get here seemed so short, but the way out felt like an eternity. They finally broke through the thick smoke and reached the stone path leading to the Lotus Pond. The "lamp-people" lining the path had suddenly doubled in number. Upon closer inspection, those additional "lamp-people" were dozens of young boys and girls.
They wore the coarse cloth robes of the manor's uninitiated disciples. Their bodies were not yet fully grown, but they held weapons in their hands. Driven by the instinct to survive, they had gathered in this last part of the manor not yet scorched by fire. They all looked over at once, their faces blurred in the thick smoke.
Li, Qiu, Jiang, and the others instinctively gripped their weapons. Qin Jiuye and Teng Hu also stopped in their tracks. However, the Lotus Pond was just ahead; they had to pass through this stone path no matter what. Time was tight; there was no room for hesitation. Qiu Ling took the first step, entering the forest of people.
The expected group attack did not come. Those boys and girls simply stood silently in the mist, casting emotionless glances as they passed.
At first, Qin Jiuye found it unbelievable, but then she understood. The reason they didn't attack was likely because there was no one left to give them orders.
These young disciples left behind were even less than the boy with the whip in the East Prayer Pavilion. They were merely the "rejects" from various camps, "puppets" who hadn't yet had their eyes dotted in red. The thin thread that had controlled their lives had snapped with the Master’s death. But puppets have no freedom; they had simply reverted to wooden dolls that couldn't move their limbs, only able to huddle in place until the fire slowly consumed them.
If the Qingzhong Mountain Academy was a lush forest nurturing the pillars of the state, the World’s Greatest Manor was a furnace that burned countless kindlings to produce heat and light. The children who could enter the manor were all martial talents with excellent constitutions, and being orphans, they had no other choices when faced with the harshest trials; they could only accept. They were born in hell and never treated as human beings. They were felled, pruned, ground, and polished, finally gilded with gold and red flowers and sent out of the manor like products on a line. They were blades, tools, gifts—nameless sacrifices. And for those who were unqualified or unpresentable, leaving this hell was an unreachable dream. They hadn't even fantasized about the outside world or another kind of life. If death could end it all, it was already the best conclusion.
The corridor ended, and the water of the Lotus Pond was before them. The blooming blood-red Fudi Lotuses had merged with the flames, a magnificent sight tinged with the macabre.
Qin Jiuye turned back to look at the group of frozen figures. For some reason, she thought of Ding Miao’s story again.
At this moment, everyone behind her was "Ding Miao." If not now, they would be in the future. They had never been given a name, yet they would all share the same one. They had not yet grown into the skin-clad demons that made the world tremble, but demons would eventually descend into these bodies.
A loud crash echoed through the valley. Black smoke accompanied by the sound of explosions rolled in from the distance, closing in step by step, about to swallow everything.
Just as Qin Jiuye was about to look away, a shadow suddenly moved among the figures. It was a girl who looked no more than eleven or twelve. She took a dazed step forward, a flash of confusion and terror deep in her eyes as she looked at Qin Jiuye.
The confusion came from uncertainty about the future, and the terror from the desire to live.
The scene in the East Prayer Pavilion was still fresh in her mind, but with one look at the child’s eyes, Qin Jiuye made a decision in an instant.
The black smoke had already swallowed half the stone path. Time was short; she had no mood for grand speeches. She shouted the simplest words possible.
"I have the antidote for the Qingfeng Powder! Anyone who wants to leave, follow me!"
Hearing this, the girl’s eyes seemed to be instantly lit by the firelight. She hesitated and stepped forward, her steps so slow it was as if she were just learning to walk. Her movement stirred the air around her, and several figures tremblingly raised their heads, looking toward the unknown future with indecision.
Suddenly, a figure stumbled out from the distance, weaving through the disciples of the World’s Greatest Manor and staggering toward them.
Li Qiao instantly raised his blade, and Qiu Ling drew his sword, but both were held back by Qin Jiuye.
"It’s Xie Xiu of the Qiusan Sect."
As soon as Xie Xiu stood firm and saw her, he drew his sword as if injected with chicken blood.
"It’s you! You burned the East Prayer Pavilion! Give me back my secret manuals, give me back my mental techniques..."
He wailed and prepared to lung forward, but Qin Jiuye shouted loudly.
"Look who this is!"
Xie Xiu’s gaze followed the woman’s finger, drifting across Qiu Ling’s face before he seemed to remember something.
"Lord of Broken Jade? Did you also receive a Lotus Token to come to the East Prayer Pavilion for advanced study? This Xie is untalented, but I have improved much lately. I shall now seek your guidance..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Qin Jiuye had already moved. She grabbed Li Qiao with her right hand and Qiu Ling with her left, running toward the Lotus Pond without looking back. As expected, Xie Xiu pursued them relentlessly.
Flames soared, black smoke rolled, and the thunderous sound of burning and collapsing seemed about to swallow heaven and earth. There was no more terrifying path in this world than the one before them.
In the darkness, it was as if someone had given those boys and girls a push. Perhaps it was because the woman mentioned the antidote, perhaps it was the look in her eyes when she spoke, or perhaps it was because someone else was fleeing this place just like them. Their feet finally moved, and over a dozen figures ran toward the Lotus Pond. Jiang Xin'er led the way, and Lu Zican followed, leading people into the pond. Qiu Ling looked at Qin Jiuye, whose pace had slowed.
"Don't worry, Protector. I’m a good swimmer. I’ll bring up the rear."
Hearing this, Qiu Ling only took a deep look at Li Qiao, who had stopped at the water's edge.
He understood why the youth was trembling with fear, and naturally, he understood why the woman wanted to "bring up the rear." But in the end, he said nothing. He merely channeled a certain emotion into his increasingly sharp and efficient movements, kicking the shouting, sword-wielding Xie Xiu into the water, then grabbing Teng Hu by the collar and leaping into the Lotus Pond himself.
The roar of the flames grew even more deafening, yet the noise seemed to suddenly fade away. Only Qin Jiuye and Li Qiao remained on the bank.
Li Qiao looked up with difficulty, gazing at the woman’s face, which was flushed red by the firelight.
"Sister, can we..."
Before he could finish, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly, whispering in his ear.
"Let's go. We’re leaving this place."
*Let's leave here together.*
That was the first thing Li Qingdao had ever said to him.
Her expression when she said it had been so casual, as if she were speaking of a trivial, easy matter.
Deep down, he hadn't believed a word she said. But even deeper, hadn't he been pleading for such a hope with near-humility? It was with that stroke of luck and fantasy that he had carried her on his back, step by step, out of that man-eating manor.
Li Qingdao was a woman of her word. She had indeed done it, guiding him to defeat Li Kuquan, break through countless obstacles, and escape the manor.
When he looked back at the continuous mountain ranges of Yichun and the shadows cast by the valley, he had whispered in his heart: *Since I have left, I will never return for all eternity. Even if I die, I will die in the world outside.*
As if knowing what he was thinking, Li Qingdao’s voice, half-lamenting and half-teasing, had sounded from his back.
"You haven't completely escaped this place yet, so don't think about whether you'll return or not."
He hadn't spoken, only quickened his pace.
At that time, he thought that as long as he kept fleeing, kept running, kept moving in the opposite direction, there would come a day when he truly escaped to life.
But every time those damp, dark memories of the past entered his dreams, he understood what his master meant by "no escape." Even though his body had left the hell called the World’s Greatest Manor, his soul had never left that valley, that lonely tower, or that lotus pond.
The murky, cold water of the pond swallowed them completely. The world became silent, leaving only the frantic heartbeats and ringing ears of the fugitives.
The massive red lotuses were instantly consumed by fire above, the scorching light seemingly isolated in another space behind them. However, this cold, dark mire was no safe haven. Madly growing lotus stems and weeds hindered their limbs; mud and rotting leaves mixed together, threatening to clog their noses and mouths at any moment. The entire bottom of the pond had formed a massive bog. The center of the bog dipped slightly, and white bones flickered in the mud, churning due to the swirling currents. It looked like a pot of boiling mud and flesh—sinister and terrifying—yet it was their only gate to life.
Qin Jiuye pulled Li Qiao and swam forward with all her might. Once the sunken mud layer was disturbed, it quickly whipped up a vortex at the bottom of the pond. The vortex grew larger, and the water began to surge. Rotting bones and heavy mud flew up, like a mountain pressing down on everyone trying to cross the bog, threatening to squeeze the last bit of air from their lungs.
The surroundings became increasingly murky and dark, but even with eyes closed, one could feel the touch of cold white bones brushing past. These were the bones of the manor's disciples who hadn't survived their punishments and died in the pond. It was as if they were the remains of another "Jia Thirteen" from another world, and he had to pass through these thousands of "dead selves," discerning the direction amidst the stirred-up sands of the past.
The sensation of falling into darkness swallowed him. He couldn't tell if it was reality or his own hallucination. Those invisible tentacles seemed to reach out from the abyss again, pulling him back to that nest of pain.
How does one overcome fear? Fear is an instinct, and instinct cannot be overcome.
This was the conclusion he had reached after years of surviving alone. In moments of crisis, all he could do was grip his blade tighter, bind his bleeding wounds, and put on a fierce, resolute expression. Because he firmly believed that instinct must be overcome by instinct—like hunger, like pain, like the desire to live...
Yet, despite using everything he had learned and his survival instincts, he had never been able to overcome the fear the World’s Greatest Manor had instilled in him.
This lotus-filled water was still a toxin he couldn't resist; those inescapable memories were still a tumor growing deep in his mind. He had become that kite drifting at the bottom of Lixin Lake again. Her hand holding his was a thin but sole string. Yet he had already fallen into the sea of suffering; how could he drag her into it too? If pain was his destination, he at least couldn't pull her into the abyss.
His five fingers loosened. He felt he should cut the tie. But the moment the thought arose, as if she had sensed it, his hand was gripped tightly by hers.
Something entered his body through her fingertips—fragments of memories related to her.
By the lakeside late at night, when he was trapped in a nightmare of croaking frogs, she had awakened him, accompanying him to meet the dawn with a lonely lamp and a small boat.
In the middle of Lixin Lake, when he had failed in combat and sunk to the bottom, she had risked following him, leaping into the water to pull him up, dragging him back from the edge of death.
Outside the Chuanliu Courtyard, when he had jumped into the water to chase after her departing footsteps, she had rewarded his courage with a kiss.
She was so soft that she could embrace the trembling deep in his soul. She was so hard that she could support his body as it fell toward the abyss.
The raindrops of memory fell, gathering and surging into a river. He let go of the oil paper umbrella in his hand, allowing this moisture to wrap around and occupy him. The memories of her merged into the depths of his nightmares, making even fear turn gentle.
It turned out that to get out, one had to turn back. It turned out the path of escape was hidden at the starting point. It turned out the only way to eliminate fear was to face it.
If it couldn't be forgotten, then he wouldn't forget. He would remember firmly—remember every sensation of being with her in the past, and face everything with those memories.
Li Qiao opened his eyes and dove fiercely downward.
The Qingwu Blade carved a narrow path through the water toward the unknown. Rotting bones and old memories were swept aside together. The youth’s resolute figure passed through the murky silt, leading the person beside him toward the only gate to life.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 笋石街 | Sunshi Street | A street in Jiugao City. |
| 聚贤茶楼 | Juxian Tea House | A tea house in Jiugao City. |
| 马牧星 | Ma Muxing | The proprietor of the Juxian Tea House. |
| 军司马 | Military Commander | A military rank/official title. |
| 璃心湖 | Lixin Lake | A lake mentioned in Li Qiao's memories. |
| 川流院 | Chuanliu Courtyard | A location mentioned in Li Qiao's memories. |
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
Secret Recipe | Chapter 235 | Escape from the Abyss | Novela.app | Novela.app
