Chapter 478

After receiving Yao Qing's assurance, Qiao Ranxin took a deep breath and looked into the distance.

She absolutely wouldn't allow that brat Wu Liang to get into trouble before she received his promise.

Chapter 84

When the sky was still overcast, Wu Liang and Yao Shi walked out of the cave together.

Both of their cell phones were unusable due to water damage, so when Wu Liang emerged from the cave, he could only make a rough assessment based on the sky and his intuition.

It should be around four in the morning now. The sky is not yet fully bright, and it is still pitch black in the distance.

The gloomy sky was still shrouded in dark clouds, and the pitch-black waves crashed against the cliffs with a loud, gurgling sound.

The deep sea was empty and devoid of anything. Wu Liang helped the weak Yao Shi climb up the rocks, one step at a time, trying his best to control his center of gravity.

At the bottom of this cliff, riddled with reefs, the surrounding terrain was extremely poor. Surrounded by mountains and towering rocks, Wu Liang was in a very awkward position. They were at the bottom of the cliff in a deep depression, where the chances of being discovered were slim, and even self-preservation was a problem.

If they want to receive effective rescue and be located by the rescue team, they need to climb to a relatively conspicuous high ground above them.

But there's nothing here to grab onto, and you could easily twist your ankle or slip and fall.

Wu Liang could only press his entire body tightly against the cold, smooth stone wall and slowly move upwards.

The stone walls, washed by the rain, were as cold and gloomy as icebergs. He felt as if he were climbing not cliffs, but frozen valleys.

The frigid temperature, like that of millennia-old ice, could instantly numb the skin's sense of touch. Wu Liang bit his lip tightly, staring intently at the stone wall above.

His hands, frozen purple, clung tightly to the protruding rocks of the stone wall. There was almost nothing to hold onto underfoot, and the smooth, slippery stone wall made him want to curse.

If the cliffs here were a little rougher and there were more protruding rocks, he wouldn't be suffering so much right now.

Especially since the cliffs here had been washed by the cold rain all night long, the low temperature surrounding the area almost made his body numb.

If it weren't for his physical abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people, he would have frozen to death long ago, or fallen off the stone wall due to exhaustion.

"The only good news is that the rain has started to subside."

Having climbed halfway up, Wu Liang looked up at the gradually weakening rain. The raindrops falling on his face had become much smaller. The torrential rain and strong winds of last night had passed, and now it was just a light drizzle.

But the harsh environment still put him under a lot of pressure, and his clothes, which had just been dried, were soaked again by the rain.

The sea breeze blowing from the sea was chilling and biting, and the clothes clinging to the skin felt like steel plates covered with thin ice—hard and cold.

"Call..."

Taking a deep breath, Wu Liang raised his hands, which were almost numb, and leaped upwards with all his might, clinging to the stone wall.

After reaching the protruding rock above his head, he quickly balanced his body, his muscles tensing like a bow, and he suddenly climbed several meters upwards in a catapult-like motion.

"Young master, please put me down. Your body won't be able to take it if you continue like this."

"Yao Shi can move around on her own now, so please don't ruin your health like this."

Yao Shi's snow-white arms tightly embraced Wu Liang's neck, her clear, cold voice trembling slightly.

She couldn't accept that the young master would risk his life for her, nor could she accept that she, his personal maid, was clinging to his back like a paralyzed patient.

"Young master! Your hands are frostbitten! Please put me down quickly."

Seeing Wu Liang's fingers cracked from frostbite, Yao Shi wished she could immediately get off Wu Liang's back to lighten his burden.

Climbing such a smooth stone wall is already very difficult, and the temperature is so low that the young master's body is practically the same as being stuck to an ice wall.

Moreover, climbing to such a high place by hand without the aid of mountaineering equipment is simply impossible, especially with her being a burden here...

"Yao Shi, didn't we just agree that you would listen to me from now on?"

Feeling the commotion coming from his back, Wu Liang turned his head and glanced at Yao Shi, then smiled helplessly.

They were fine before they left, so why did Yao Shi suddenly change her mind after only climbing for a short while?

"Young Master! You told me before that you wanted to leave here this way. Even if your physical strength is exceptional, you still..."

Do you think I can't do it, or do you think I'm incapable?

Wu Liang interrupted Yao Shi, looking calmly at her, whose eyes were blurry with tears from worry.

He's not stupid; he wouldn't do something thankless. The reason he made this choice is because he has absolute confidence and ability to get Yao Shi out of this godforsaken place.

The process may be a little difficult, troublesome, and painful, but the final result will definitely be beyond doubt.

If he had just a little more time, just a moment to catch his breath, he could take Yao Shi away from here.

"I'm not doubting you or questioning you, but you really didn't need to go to this extent for Yao Shi. Your hands... your hands are clearly already..."

Tears welled up in Yao Shi's eyes, and her cold and aloof demeanor vanished without a trace. Never before had she hated her powerlessness and weakness as much as she did now.

The maid who should be taking care of the young master is now being carefully pampered by him. A mere servant is being carried and cared for by her master.

Looking at Wu Liang's cracked and scabbed fingers, Yao Shi felt as if her heart was being ripped apart.

What she didn't want to see was the young master getting hurt, and she especially didn't want to see him get hurt because of her, a lowly servant.

"Is there anything wrong with going to such lengths for the person you love? Or is it that you don't value me that much, Yao Shi?"

Wu Liang ignored Yao Shi's request and instead focused on climbing upwards.

The icy cold air stung his fingers like countless silver needles, and this was the first time Wu Liang felt that having his fingers frozen was a good thing.

This way, he wouldn't feel that excruciating pain, and it wouldn't significantly affect his climbing speed, which was a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune.

"No! That's not true at all. Of course, you are the most important person in Yao Shi's heart!"

Noticing the disappointment and sadness in Wu Liang's eyes, Yao Shi stiffened and hurriedly explained her feelings for Wu Liang.

How could she possibly hate the young master? Of course, the young master was the most important person in her heart, and irreplaceable.

"That's settled then! Hold me tight, let's climb up in one go."

Wu Liang shrugged and smiled slyly; this was precisely what he found fascinating about Yao Shi.

So no matter how many times it happens, he'll probably fall in love with Yao Shi unconditionally and wholeheartedly...

Chapter 85

A light drizzle fell, the sparse raindrops making a soft sound as they hit the ground, and the whole world was shrouded in a gray mist.

Wu Liang held up a makeshift straw umbrella over his head, bringing the umbrella leaves as close as possible to Yao Shi's position. The two of them, who were huddled together, were completely soaked.

A bone-chilling cold enveloped the two of them. Wu Liang reached out and pulled Yao Shi's trembling shoulders into his arms. He looked at the sea in the distance, which was completely shrouded in smog, and sighed helplessly.

"Young Master, why are you sighing?"

Yao Shi, who was curled up in Wu Liang's arms like a house cat, raised her delicate smiling face and looked at Wu Liang's profile with her watery eyes. She and the young master had now successfully climbed out of the valley, so why did the young master still look disappointed?

Is there something on his mind, or is he feeling unwell? The young master's face looks terrible now, much worse than when he was at the bottom of the valley.

"The smog is too heavy. Even if we reach a higher altitude now, it will be meaningless. The maritime search and rescue team has no chance of finding us in such bad weather."

"Besides, there's nowhere to take shelter from the rain here, and with the constant rain, I can't even make any noticeable marks."

Wu Liang looked apologetically at Yao Shi in his arms. This time it was his mistake. He shouldn't have left the cave before the sun had risen. If he had known earlier that it was a smoggy day, he would never have taken Yao Shi and rashly climbed the mountain.

He had finally managed to climb from the bottom of the valley to a high place, but the hilltop was shrouded in thick fog. He had originally planned to use the high position to make some conspicuous marks so that the people from the maritime search and rescue team would notice him, but this was obviously impossible under the current circumstances.

With visibility less than five meters due to the smog, even binoculars were useless, and the ships searching at sea couldn't find him and Yao Shi.

"It's not realistic for us to go back to that cave now; for now, we can only stay here and wait for the rain to stop."

Feeling the trembling body of the person in his arms, Wu Liang felt extremely uncomfortable. He wished he hadn't chosen to set off at dawn.

His physical abilities far surpass those of ordinary people, but Yao Shi's are not. Even if he himself can withstand the current low temperatures, Yao Shi clearly cannot withstand this environment...

"I don't think your choice is wrong, young master. On the contrary, I think your choice is very correct."

"Besides, Yao Shi is already very content. Being able to snuggle up to you like lovers and keep warm is Yao Shi's greatest wish."

Yao Shi extended a finger and placed it near Wu Liang's lips with a slight smile. Her dimples were adorned with pink, and her fair face showed no sign of displeasure. Her pure black eyes reflected Wu Liang's figure, and the love in her eyes was unstoppable.

Her wet hair clung to Yao Shi's cheeks as if whispering secrets. Yao Shi hugged Wu Liang's neck tightly, raised her face, and nuzzled him affectionately a couple of times.

Everything she wanted had been fulfilled. The young master regarded her as his lover and the most important person in his life. These two things alone were enough.

Her feelings were reciprocated, and she had nothing left to care about. Now, being able to spend time with the young master was her happiest time.

"Young Master, I believe we will be rescued. Waiting doesn't necessarily mean giving up. Isn't that something you taught me?"

Yao Shi curled up her exposed long legs, covered Wu Liang's hand with her small hand, and brought it to her lips to gently kiss the back of his hand.

The young master had told her long ago that waiting in place when encountering danger or difficulties was not a way to sit and wait for death, but also a way to ask for help.

As long as someone realizes you're in trouble, as long as someone notices you need help, your friends will definitely come to your aid.

She trusts her friends and herself; if it is the young master's choice, she will unconditionally trust him.

"You mean you want me to stay here and wait for a miracle to happen?"

Wu Liang knew Yao Shi was trying to comfort him; he was well aware of how difficult the situation was for them. But he was at his wit's end; he couldn't find a better way out of their predicament.

Escaping from this place when there are no tools, no materials, and even the heavens seem to be working against him, is beyond the scope of human capability.

"Young Master, what we are waiting for is not a miracle, but an inevitable fact. Please believe in Milutin, believe in Teacher Ye and the others, they will definitely find us."

Because of the low temperature, Yao Shi's lips had turned a little purple, but her eyes were unusually bright, and there was not a trace of discouragement in her jewel-like black eyes.

She wasn't the type to believe in such things, but for some reason, seeing the young master's dejected expression made her want to encourage him. She had a feeling he would be rescued; it wasn't just her naive and simple thought, but rather her unconditional trust in her friend.

"Yes, you're right, we have to trust Milutin and the others."

Wu Liang tightened his grip on Yao Shi's body, trying his best to transfer warmth to her, and looked up at the thick fog in the distance, taking a deep breath.

Trust Milutin, right? That woman is usually quite unreliable, but in this situation...

"Ah? Young Master, you called me?"

P. S.: I feel I need to talk to everyone about the hiatus in updates. For the past month or two, this book has been delayed for a long time due to various reasons.

Starting a new fantasy book is one reason, but not the main one, because the updates for that fantasy book have always been sluggish, and it's quite common for them to stop updating from time to time.

The main reason is work-related issues, which have caused me to be constantly on and off for the past few months. To be honest, my life has been terrible these past few months. When I was in the worst mood, I even thought about just ending it with one chapter and leaving it unfinished, but when I woke up the next day, I felt that would be too disgusting.

However, in any case, the current work issues are now resolved. What's past is past, and I won't make any further excuses. The updates were simply ruined, and I'm truly sorry.

Starting tomorrow, updates will be completely normal, and if conditions permit, I should maintain three to four updates a day for the foreseeable future. I apologize to everyone in advance.

Okay, I've said everything I wanted to say. Today I mainly wanted to let everyone know that updates have returned to normal. I will continue writing until the end. Thank you.

Chapter 86

"Oh? Young Master, you called me?"

The sudden sound behind him startled Wu Liang. He turned around and looked into the woods behind him. The bright red hair looked like a flame burning in the drizzle.

Her wet hair clung to Milutin's cheeks, and even though her T-shirt was soaked with rain and her snow-white thighs were scratched by grass and trees, she still stood straight as a pine tree.

Milutin brushed the stray hairs that were obscuring her eyes behind her ears and looked at the two people snuggling together in front of her. The huge weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.

With long strides, Milutin walked up to Wu Liang, who was standing there in shock, and squatted down, slowly extending his right hand.

Whether it was due to the rain or something else, her agate-like eyes shimmered with tears, and her outstretched hand toward Wu Liang trembled slightly.

Clutching the hem of her dress tightly and biting her lip, Milutin forced a relatively cheerful smile onto her face. She didn't want the young master to see her crying her eyes out, nor did she want Yao Shi to see her in such a disheveled state. She didn't want the young master and the others to see her most vulnerable side.

"Found you, young master."

Milutin grinned, revealing two rows of neat, beautiful white teeth, feeling the warmth from Wu Liang's palm as tears mixed with rain streamed down her cheeks.

The moment she saw the young master, all her negative emotions vanished. Her anger, regret, resentment, fear, and cowardice were all left behind.

Young Master and Yao Shi did not encounter any terrible dangers, nor did they get lost in the deep sea. It's so good that Young Master is safe and sound.

"Milutin... why... why..."

Wu Liang stared blankly at Milutin's stunningly beautiful face. He didn't know what to say to describe his feelings at that moment, and even his speech was somewhat stammering.