Dongfang Hui had never encountered anything like this and had no idea what to do. Seeing how thoroughly Xu Qingtong considered things despite his youth, she could not help feeling a little dependent on him. She followed his instructions and tidied up the surroundings, then returned to his side and helped him up. "Brother Qingtong, what should we do next?"
Xu Qingtong tried to stand, but the wound in his chest still hurt fiercely. He had no strength left in his body, and his head felt heavy and muddled. Seeing this, Dongfang Hui could only take his left hand in hers and drape his arm over her shoulder, then wrap her right arm around his waist and help him to his feet.
Xu Qingtong rose shakily and said to the little bird, "Xiao Qi, lead the way. We're going back to the Mountain Cave." Then, supported by Dongfang Hui, he followed Xiao Qi toward the Mountain Cave.
It took them roughly an hour to reach the foot of the cliff where the Mountain Cave lay. Their next problem was that the entrance stood over ten feet above the ground. Neither of them had any magic power left, so how were they to get up there? Xu Qingtong sat down with his back against the cliff, took out a spirit stone, and began replenishing his magic power.
After about fifteen minutes, Xu Qingtong felt a little magic power return to his body. He stood and tried a small jump, deciding it should be enough. Gritting his teeth, he leaped high and caught a branch. A sharp stab of pain in his right chest nearly made him fall. He steadied himself, swung with all his strength, and jumped to the cave entrance. Blood from his wound seeped down along the strips of cloth.
Enduring the pain, he turned and said to Dongfang Hui, "Sister Dongfang, wait a moment. I'll pull you up." He took off his tattered clothes, tore them into strips, tied them together, and twisted them into a rope. Just as he was about to pull Dongfang Hui up, he suddenly realized he was still bare. Blushing, he retreated into the cave, took another set of clothes from his Storage Bag, and put them on. Only then did he return to the entrance and lower the rope.
Dongfang Hui caught the rope but did not tie it around herself. "Brother Qingtong, can you manage?" she asked worriedly. "Why don't you rest a little longer and pull me up once your wound is better?"
Xu Qingtong smiled. "It's all right. I can manage." Once Dongfang Hui had tied the rope around herself, he mustered every last ounce of strength and hauled her up inch by inch. Then he dropped onto the ground, gasping for breath. Dongfang Hui untied the rope and came over to him. Seeing that his fresh clothes were already stained red with blood, she crouched beside him with an aching heart and supported him. After a long while, she finally said, "Brother Qingtong, thank you!"
Xu Qingtong said nothing, merely forcing out a faint smile in reply. Just then, Xiao Qi flew in as well and stood guard at the entrance, constantly watching outside and occasionally glancing back at Xu Qingtong.
After resting for a while, Xu Qingtong recovered some strength. "Sister Dongfang, the entrance isn't safe," he said. "Let's go farther inside. There's no danger in there. We'll leave Xiao Qi to guard the entrance." Dongfang Hui nodded, helped him up, and supported him as they staggered deeper into the cave.
When Xu Qingtong first came, the cave had been dark and damp. During his battle with the long snake, however, dozens of Fireball Talismans had baked it much drier. Only an odd smell remained, and the ground was still a mess.
They found a clean spot inside and sat down. Xu Qingtong took out some dry rations and handed them to Dongfang Hui, then took a piece for himself and began eating. After this series of blows and frightful experiences, Dongfang Hui had no appetite. She simply held the food and sat there in a daze.
Seeing this, Xu Qingtong knew she was suffering. "Sister Dongfang, we're safe here for now," he said. "Don't worry about anything else. Rest here tonight, and we'll decide what to do tomorrow." Dongfang Hui nodded silently. Somehow, she felt much more at ease. She raised the dry ration to her lips and took a small bite.
Sitting back-to-back, they meditated and rested in the cave. The night passed without another word.
The next day, Xu Qingtong came out of meditation, feeling that some of his energy had returned, though the wound in his chest still ached faintly. When he opened his eyes, he suddenly saw that Dongfang Hui was resting her head on his lap. They had originally been sitting back-to-back, but at some point she had moved around to his side and pillowed her lovely head on his legs.
Looking at Dongfang Hui before him, Xu Qingtong felt his throat go dry and hurriedly swallowed. As though sensing something, Dongfang Hui opened her eyes. Their gazes met, and she sprang upright like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.
Watching her cheeks turn red in an instant, Xu Qingtong smiled awkwardly. "Sister Dongfang, you're awake." Dongfang Hui looked around and immediately understood what had happened. A little embarrassed, she said, "Brother Qingtong, sorry about that! I don't know how I ended up on your side."
Afraid she would feel awkward, Xu Qingtong hastily changed the subject. "Sister Dongfang, how do you feel after a night's rest?"
Dongfang Hui silently checked her condition, then shook her head. "I still can't gather any magic power. It seems the Power-Dissolving Powder Lin Qian mentioned was real."
Hearing her mention Lin Qian, Xu Qingtong asked, "Sister Dongfang, what happened between you and Lin Qian? And how did Qin Xinghan and An Chengbao die at his hands?"
"The day before yesterday, I was searching alone for the medicinal herbs required for the assignment when I ran into Lin Qian. He said it was too dangerous for me to travel alone and suggested we go together so we could look out for each other. I thought he had a point, so I teamed up with him."
"Later, in a patch of woodland, we came across Qin Xinghan being chased by a Demon Beast. The beast should have been about as strong as he was, so he shouldn't have been in such a sorry state, yet he was running all over the place with it chasing him. Thinking back now, he really was up to no good."
"Lin Qian seemed to have noticed Qin Xinghan's ill intentions right away. He actually joined forces with the Demon Beast to kill him, then started fighting the beast himself. I was angry that he had killed Qin Xinghan, so I didn't help him. I wanted to let him suffer a little before lending a hand. Who would have thought An Chengbao would find us just then?"
At this point, Xu Qingtong suddenly asked, "Did Lin Qian use Qin Xinghan's own scheme to lure An Chengbao to his death?"
Dongfang Hui froze in surprise, then said with admiration written all over her face, "You guessed exactly right, Brother Qingtong. When Lin Qian saw An Chengbao, he shouted, 'Brother An, come help! This Demon Beast has already killed Brother Qin. I can't handle it alone!' Poor An Chengbao had no idea that while they were fighting the beast, Lin Qian secretly administered poison. Even I failed to notice. By the time they killed the beast, An Chengbao had used up most of his magic power, and Lin Qian killed him before he even understood what was happening."
After hearing this, Xu Qingtong said indignantly, "Lin Qian was vicious enough to kill two people in succession with such despicable tricks. Even death was too good for him."
Dongfang Hui nodded and continued, "After killing An Chengbao, taking both men's belongings, and cleaning up the battlefield, he walked over to me. He said he was afraid I would let the secret slip, so he wanted to make us husband and wife in deed."
"I swore I would rather die than submit and fought back with all my strength. I was no match for him to begin with, and I had also been poisoned with his Power-Dissolving Powder. After fighting him for a while, my magic power was draining too quickly, and I had no choice but to flee. Luckily, I met you, Brother Qingtong. Otherwise, I fear I would have lost both my chastity and my life."
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