Rock Snake

"Looks like you came well prepared, even bringing night clothes."

Beside the woods atop the cliff, Lin Feng made out Xiao Yi Xian's outfit in the faint, scattered moonlight and smiled.

At that, Xiao Yi Xian, dressed in tight black clothing, rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "No matter how thoroughly I prepared, you still took advantage of me."

"Hehe, with me here, isn't your safety guaranteed? What if a weak woman with only Dou Power like you ran into a magical beast at night? What would you do then?"

As he spoke, Lin Feng stepped forward and looked down into the pitch-black valley below.

Then he turned back with a smile. "Let's go down. Better to get our hands on the goods sooner rather than later."

"Fine."

With a slight nod, Xiao Yi Xian deftly removed the two torches she had prepared in advance from her back.

Then she took a fire starter from her robes and lit them.

"Here."

After handing one torch to Lin Feng, Xiao Yi Xian pulled a long rope from her robes.

She waved it at him and said with a sweet smile, "You're a grown man. Surely you won't make a weak woman like me take the lead going down, will you?"

Holding the torch, Lin Feng glanced at Xiao Yi Xian's gentle smile and lightly shook his head.

He had seen far too many cases in novels and films where protagonists or villains were betrayed by the women they loved and met with ruin. Naturally, he would not be foolish enough to repeat their mistakes.

It was true that he had feelings for Xiao Yi Xian.

But for now, he was still uncertain of her attitude toward him. There was no way he would entrust his back to her.

Shaking his head, Lin Feng said calmly, "We'll go down together. I'm a little wary of a 'weak woman' who once ambushed me."

"Hmph. And you call yourself a grown man? So petty."

Seeing his expression, Xiao Yi Xian muttered softly.

But she really had ambushed him before, so she could not say anything more.

"I only have one life. I can't afford to gamble with it. Besides, putting myself in danger just to win a beauty's smile is something that stupid I can't do."

Lin Feng ignored Xiao Yi Xian's displeasure and spoke casually.

Seeing that Xiao Yi Xian still wanted to argue, Lin Feng looked at the moon in the night sky and said, "Are we going down or not? If we delay any longer, dawn will come."

"We're going! I'm taking all the good stuff!"

Staring at Lin Feng's irritating smile, Xiao Yi Xian angrily kicked a small stone by her feet. Her crisp voice came through clenched teeth.

Seeing her puffed-up expression, the corners of Lin Feng's lips curled upward. He tied the rope around a thick tree.

After tugging it hard to make sure it was secure, he opened his arms toward Xiao Yi Xian. "Come on. I'll take you down."

"What are you trying to do? I can climb down myself!"

Seeing his gesture, Xiao Yi Xian instinctively took several steps back. Her pretty face flushed as she snapped in embarrassment and anger.

"Fine, go alone. But let me warn you first: no one can say for sure whether there are terrifying magical beasts beneath the cliff at night. A weak woman with only Dou Power like you should be careful not to get swallowed in one bite."

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's embarrassed fury, Lin Feng immediately felt like teasing her and said with a smile.

"You bastard! All you know is how to scare a weak woman like me!"

Along with her crisp rebuke, a fragrant breeze rushed toward Lin Feng.

Then a soft, fragrant body crashed into his embrace, making his heart tremble violently.

"If you dare lay a hand on me, I'll die with you!"

As Xiao Yi Xian's threat fell, Lin Feng took a deep breath and suppressed the restless heat rising within him.

Lin Feng stretched out an arm and wrapped it around the most perfect slender willow waist he had ever seen.

With both arms tightly around that soft waist, Lin Feng was momentarily dazed.

"Are you not leaving yet?"

Just as Lin Feng savored the soft warmth in his arms, Xiao Yi Xian's embarrassed and indignant voice rang beside his ear.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something."

Lin Feng awkwardly offered an excuse, then added, "Get some poison ready in your hand."

"Why?" Xiao Yi Xian asked in confusion.

Lin Feng gave a mysterious smile. "Didn't I say it before? Who knows whether there are magical beasts beneath the cliff at night? Both my hands need to hold the rope, so it won't be convenient for me to attack. Keep some powder ready. If something unexpected happens, you can use it to attack."

"Fine, that makes sense."

Hearing that, Xiao Yi Xian casually reached into her robes, took out a paper packet, and held it in her hand.

Once she was ready, Lin Feng tightened his hold around the beauty in his arms.

Grasping the rope tightly, he leaped lightly. As his right hand loosened its grip slightly,

their bodies began sliding down the dark cliff.

A moment later, accompanied by the faint friction between Lin Feng's palm and the rope, the two had descended quite a distance.

Seeing that they seemed to be close to the cave entrance, Lin Feng began gripping the rope tightly with his right hand.

Their descending bodies slowly came to a stop in midair beside the cliff.

Letting out a long breath, Lin Feng lowered his head and looked at Xiao Yi Xian, who was now tightly hugging him in return.

He could not help but smile softly. His gaze swept over the darkness around them as he asked, "Can you find the cave?"

Hearing Lin Feng ask about proper business, Xiao Yi Xian exhaled heavily, easing the tension caused by the continual descent as she scanned the surroundings.

After briefly recalling the distance she had climbed down during the day, she said softly, "If I remember correctly, it should be not far below."

Lin Feng nodded slightly and reminded her in a low voice, "All right. Then we'll slide down in one go. Hold on tight."

Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian hesitated slightly.

But when Lin Feng's tightly clenched right hand loosened into a loose grip, their bodies suddenly began falling rapidly.

Xiao Yi Xian cried out in alarm and hurriedly wrapped her arms around Lin Feng's waist, burying her face in his chest and not daring to move.

When they were about close enough, Lin Feng lowered his head and said, "Throw the torch over there and see what's going on."

"Okay."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded, her pretty face slightly pale, and released the torch in her hand.

At once, drawn by gravity, the torch plunged toward the darkness below.

Using that faint light, Lin Feng vaguely spotted a hidden cave not far beneath them.

However, even though they were about to reach their destination, he did not relax in the slightest. Instead, he vigilantly watched the surroundings.

Because he knew there might be magical beasts nearby.

Suddenly, every pore on Lin Feng's body seemed to contract. He hurriedly kicked hard against the cliff wall with the tip of his foot.

"Ah—"

Amid Xiao Yi Xian's scream, Lin Feng's body shot away from the cliff face.

"Whoosh!"

By the light that had not yet fully gone out, Lin Feng saw a long brown shadow flash past him and Xiao Yi Xian.

Seeing that the ambushing magical beast had finally appeared, Lin Feng relaxed slightly and said calmly, "A Rock Snake?"