Night lay deep, and the mountain wind blew cold.
Yet in this lonely mountain wilderness, a tiny orange-red light flickered.
The campfire crackled. Ruan Zhi crouched beside it and tossed the wood in her hands into the flames.
"Good!" She clapped her hands and stood up, thoroughly satisfied.
The warm firelight glazed her jade-like face, making her look like a real girl.
For children of the martial world, the four seas were home. How could they spend a night in the wilderness without building a roaring campfire?
Especially now, with Young Hero Song beside her-
A lonely mountain beneath the moon, a campfire, and a kindred spirit to talk with about everything under heaven-it truly had something of the martial world described in stories.
Ruan Zhi glanced at him. Song Yan was not cultivating; he was carefully studying the map of the World Beneath the Abyss.
For some reason, she grew happy. She sat down a short distance from Song Yan and, as though performing a magic trick, pulled a yellowed book from her robes and began reading.
Song Yan turned his gaze slightly to look at her.
The old book in her hands was very, very worn. With a single glance, he saw illustrated figures wielding sabers and swords in exaggerated poses.
The cover bore the large characters "Tales of Extraordinary Heroes of the Martial World."
He could not help feeling curious. "Miss Ruan, you've lived here for so many years. Haven't you finished these books yet?"
"I have."
When Young Hero Song struck up a conversation, Ruan Zhi pulled herself out of the story and looked at him. "I finished them ages ago, over and over again!"
"There are too few interesting books like this. Most of the other jade slips and scrolls talk about meditation, cultivation, pill