Into the Cave

Night was as black as ink, rendering the Magical Beast Mountain Range into a somber ink-wash painting.

The Wolf Head Mercenary Group's campfire was nearly extinguished, with only scattered sparks flickering in the darkness. Most of the mercenaries were deep in dreams; only the night watchmen leaned against their weapons, letting out intermittent snores.

Mo Lin lay on a crude bed, his breathing steady and unhurried, as though he were sound asleep.

Yet his mind was exceptionally clear, silently conversing with two special beings within his Sea of Consciousness.

"Hmph, just looking at Mu Li's hypocritical face annoys me. And you actually played along with him? What a waste of time." The Ice Emperor's sweet, crisp voice carried obvious impatience. She had always disdained the scheming of such "weaklings."

"Little sister Bing'er, this is where you don't understand." Mo Lin replied leisurely in his mind. "Mu Li wants to borrow my strength as protection while conveniently keeping an eye on Little Fairy Doctor. I simply went with the flow. Not only can I join the group openly and honestly, I can also observe the target up close. Look, now we know exactly when Little Fairy Doctor will act and what route she will take. Doesn't that save us a great deal of trouble?"

The Snow Emperor's cool voice rang out, like an icy spring striking jade. "Though this is somewhat risky, under the present circumstances, it is indeed the fastest way to gain that girl's trust and involve yourself in her actions. Mo Lin, Mu Li's intentions are far from righteous. You must remain vigilant at all times."

"Rest assured, Teacher Snow Emperor. He won't be able to stir up much trouble." A nearly imperceptible curve touched Mo Lin's lips.

Empowered by the Snow Emperor's vast Spiritual Power, every movement around the camp was as clear to him as if it were happening before his eyes. Especially the hushed conversation in Mu Li's tent, full of greed and conspiracy—it fell distinctly upon his "ears."

Just then, a slender, nimble black figure slipped silently out of the camp beneath the cover of shadows like an elf of the night, swiftly vanishing down the path toward the cliff.

The fish has left its nest. Mo Lin murmured inwardly. After waiting patiently for a little longer, he sat up like a ghost.

Under the perfect veil of the Snow Emperor's Spiritual Power, his presence and figure nearly merged with the night itself. He became a faint, imperceptible shadow and drifted toward the cliff.

At the cliff's edge, the moonlight was cold, draping the jagged rocks in a veil of silver.

Little Fairy Doctor skillfully tied the long rope she had brought tightly around a thick tree trunk. After tugging hard to make sure it was secure, she tossed the other end over the bottomless cliff.

She took a deep breath and was just about to grab the rope and descend.

"Miss Little Fairy Doctor, walking alone beneath the moon can be quite dangerous."

A voice carrying a smile abruptly sounded behind her. Little Fairy Doctor shuddered from head to toe and spun around sharply.

Mo Lin stood several paces behind her, though she had no idea when he had arrived. His arms were folded as he watched her at ease, a smile unique to villains hanging on his face.

"Young Master Mo Lin?!" Little Fairy Doctor's pretty face paled, her heart hammering in her chest. Forcing herself to stay calm, she said, "You... why are you here?"

"The night is long, and sleep would not come. I saw you leave camp and worried for your safety, so I came to have a look." Mo Lin strolled forward, his gaze sweeping over the rope hanging into the cliff before settling on Little Fairy Doctor's faintly flushed face. Smiling, he said, "It seems Miss has discovered somewhere interesting? Better to share joy with others than enjoy it alone. You wouldn't mind taking me along, would you?"

Little Fairy Doctor inwardly cried out in dismay. The thing she had feared most had happened after all.

This Mo Lin truly had improper intentions—and he came and went like a phantom. She had not noticed in the slightest that she was being followed.

Her thoughts raced. She knew refusing him now would be useless and might even anger him, so she could only force out a smile. "Young Master jests. There may only be some rare medicinal herbs below. Since you are interested, then... then let us go down and take a look together."

"Excellent." Mo Lin nodded in satisfaction. He walked to the cliff's edge and, seemingly casually, kicked at the rock anchoring the rope. Frowning, he said, "The rocks here seem somewhat weathered. I'm afraid they may not bear the weight of two people securely. For the sake of safety..."

His words paused. An earnest expression of I'm only looking out for you appeared on his face as he very naturally opened his arms to Little Fairy Doctor. In a tone that brooked no argument, he said, "It would be better if I take Miss down myself. Rest assured, with my skills, I guarantee a steady and safe descent."

"You!" Little Fairy Doctor's pretty face instantly flushed scarlet, both embarrassed and furious.

How could she fail to understand this libertine's filthy intentions? He clearly wanted to take advantage of her!

"N-No need! This rope is very sturdy. I can manage on my own..."

"Ah," Mo Lin sighed, interrupting her. A regretful look appeared on his face as his gaze swept toward the pitch-black, bottomless abyss below. In a sinister tone, he murmured, "Miss may not know this, but beneath cliffs in the dead of night, it is coldest and dampest. It is exactly where venomous snakes, scorpions, centipedes, and those rats that love burrowing into holes like to gather. They love crawling into warm places, especially..."

His gaze "inadvertently" swept over Little Fairy Doctor's slim waist and long legs. He did not finish the sentence, but the meaning was already obvious.

Little Fairy Doctor's hairs stood on end. Her fear of insects, snakes, rats, and ants was etched into her very bones.

Images involuntarily surfaced in her mind: cold, slick venomous snakes slithering into her trouser legs, or furry rats crawling over her back. Her face immediately turned deathly pale, her delicate body trembling as the embarrassment and anger from moments ago were instantly replaced by overwhelming terror.

"Y-You're talking nonsense!" Even her voice trembled, clearly lacking conviction.

"Whether it is nonsense or not, we'll know once we go down and look." Mo Lin maintained his open-armed posture, his smile growing ever more "gentle."

"Or perhaps Miss would rather stay here and wait for Young Group Leader Mu Li and the others to wake up, then ask whether they might also be interested in the 'treasure' beneath the cliff?"

Before her lay the terrifying fantasy of "insects, snakes, rats, and ants"; behind her stood the even greater threat of Mu Li. Little Fairy Doctor's psychological defenses completely crumbled.

She bit her lower lip tightly, a flicker of humiliation and helplessness passing through her eyes. In the end, her desire for the treasure gained the upper hand.

"If... if you dare overstep even in the slightest, I... I'll use the most poisonous medicine to make you beg for life but be unable to die!" With every last ounce of strength, she issued a wholly unthreatening warning. Then, like someone walking toward the execution ground, she closed her eyes, steeled her heart, and moved forward on stiff legs. With extreme reluctance, inch by inch, she edged into Mo Lin's waiting embrace.

At once, soft fragrance and warm jade filled his arms. The petite yet well-developed body of the girl, carrying a faint herbal scent, pressed closely against him.

Overwhelmed by nervousness and humiliation, her delicate body was taut and trembling faintly.

Her astonishingly slender waist seemed as if it might snap with the slightest bend. Now it was securely encircled by Mo Lin's arm, supple to the touch and brimming with the elasticity of youth.

"Hehe, rest assured, Miss. I am a gentleman." Mo Lin took advantage of her and still pretended to be virtuous. His arm unapologetically tightened, drawing her even closer into his embrace.

Feeling those startlingly soft curves and the warmth of her body through their clothes, he sighed inwardly in satisfaction.

He lowered his head, his lips nearly brushing Little Fairy Doctor's ear, which had already turned crimson. Warm, damp breath spilled over her sensitive skin as he chuckled softly. "Hold on tight. If you fall, I won't be responsible for compensation."

Little Fairy Doctor shuddered from his suggestive movement and words, humiliated and furious beyond measure. Yet she no longer even had the strength to retort. She could only bury her face, so hot it seemed ready to burn, tightly against Mo Lin's solid shoulder, cursing this shameless scoundrel ten thousand times in her heart.

"Shameless! Lewd! Despicable! Let her go at once! This Emperor shall uphold justice on Heaven's behalf!" Within the Sea of Consciousness, the Ice Emperor was so enraged that she stamped her feet. Even her phantom form shook violently, and she wished she could rush out at once and give Mo Lin an Emperor Sword: Ice Extreme Unparalleled.

The Snow Emperor's cool voice carried a trace of helplessness. "Mo Lin, know when to stop."

Mo Lin turned a deaf ear to the protests in his mind. Instead, he rather enjoyed the feeling of soft fragrance and warm jade in his arms.

He adjusted his posture so that Little Fairy Doctor pressed even closer against him, then grabbed the sturdy rope with one hand and said lightly, "Ready? Then we're... going down!"

Before the words had even faded, he kicked off with his feet. The two of them slid down the rope toward the dark depths beneath the cliff.

As the sensation of weightlessness struck, Little Fairy Doctor cried out in fright. Her body, which had been somewhat stiff, instantly went limp, and her arms instinctively locked tightly around Mo Lin's neck. She clung to him like a koala, burying her face even deeper.

Howling wind filled her ears, while unknown darkness lay beneath her. At this moment, his embrace had somehow become her only support, though that support was so "dangerous" and "detestable."

Feeling the girl in his arms hug him even tighter out of fear, her warm breath spilling over his neck, Mo Lin's smile grew ever brighter.

He controlled their descent, keeping it neither too fast to provoke excessive panic nor too slow to prolong this "wonderful" moment.

As they descended, his palm also "inadvertently" brushed lightly over the girl's supple back, drawing another restrained shudder and silent protest from Little Fairy Doctor.

This descent, which was not actually that long, felt to Little Fairy Doctor as drawn-out and tormenting as an entire century.

At last, solid ground met their feet.

"We're here." Mo Lin released the arms around her with a hint of regret. That wonderful sensation was truly hard to let go of.

Little Fairy Doctor sprang away as if shocked, staggering before she managed to steady herself.

Her pretty face was red as a cooked shrimp, her breathing disorderly. She shot Mo Lin a vicious glare, her gaze filled with shame, anger, humiliation, and a trace of complicated emotion that even she herself had not noticed.

She swiftly turned around and fumbled to straighten her disheveled clothes.

Watching her embarrassed, indignant back, Mo Lin was in high spirits. He pointed toward the cave entrance ahead, concealed by vines, and said lightly, "Looks like we've arrived. Let's go, Miss Little Fairy Doctor. Watch your step."

Little Fairy Doctor took several deep breaths before barely calming her turbulent emotions. Thinking of the treasures inside the cave, she forcibly suppressed the urge to scatter the medicinal powder in her hand at Mo Lin. Gritting her pearly teeth, she pushed aside the vines without looking back and entered the pitch-black cave first.

Yet no matter how one looked at it, her steps were somewhat flustered.

Mo Lin smiled and followed close behind at an unhurried pace.