Chapter 82

Chapter 82

Wangting Mountain, Furong Cave…

I never imagined that by sheer accident tonight, I would find Furong Cave just like that.

But in the next instant, an inexplicable unease shot up from the depths of my heart.

There was no way a place this important would be left unguarded, let alone uncontrolled.

In other words, this mountain had an owner.

Of course, that owner wasn’t the Song Family. Perhaps it wasn’t even the so-called Mountain God.

Based on what I had guessed that night, this place should be… Second Master Liu’s territory.

The moment I thought of that Black Snake, always lurking in the shadows, waiting for its chance to strike, every hair on my body stood on end.

“Xiao Jiu, what are you spacing out for? Come on, let’s go in and take a look,” Tang Tang whispered, giving me a tug.

But I instinctively grabbed her back. “Senior…”

Tang Tang turned to look at me. “What is it?”

My heart was pounding wildly. Where was I even supposed to start?

When I came to Huicheng, I had thought it would be good enough if I could find Wangting Mountain first. Who would have thought we would suddenly end up standing right at the entrance of Furong Cave?

If I wanted to explain everything to Tang Tang, I would have to stand here and tell her about encountering the Black Snake at Jiyu Temple. And once I mentioned the Black Snake, I would have to explain Second Master Liu’s identity, then tell her about the dream…

There wasn’t enough time. And I couldn’t explain it clearly.

All I could say was, “This cave isn’t safe…”

“Oh, Xiao Jiu, did you even need to say that?” Tang Tang had an impatient temper. Before I could finish, she dragged me straight into Furong Cave. “Hurry. Let’s check the situation first.”

But the moment we rushed into the cave, both of us froze.

The large red bridal sedan the Song Family had sent in was standing perfectly intact not far from the cave entrance.

The cave was deathly quiet. There was no wind, yet there was light.

The light came from deep within the cave, cold and stark white, carrying a hint of chill.

Tang Tang was the first to step forward, and I followed close behind.

Soon, we were standing in front of the bridal sedan. Tang Tang glanced at me.

If nothing unexpected had happened, the one inside this sedan should be Song Ruoqing’s corpse.

Tang Tang couldn’t bear it.

I understood, so I reached out first and lifted the sedan curtain.

Inside, a girl in a Red Wedding Dress sat slumped against the wall, a red veil covering her head.

She leaned there motionless, her hands and feet bound with coarse hemp rope. But… her chest seemed to be rising and falling ever so slightly.

It was faint, but I was sure I wasn’t mistaken. “Senior Sister, I think she’s still alive!”

Tang Tang had been standing behind me, too saddened to look. When she heard me say that, she rushed over at once. Seeing that the girl’s chest really was moving, she tore off the girl’s red veil and reached out to check her breathing.

“She’s alive! She’s really still alive!”

I noticed that the index finger on the girl’s right hand was missing part of it. It really was Song Ruoqing.

It was just that Song Ruoqing was unconscious right now. Even without a cloth gag over her mouth, she wouldn’t have been able to make a scene or call for help.

Tang Tang untied the cloth strip, then somehow produced a Dagger from somewhere and cut through the ropes binding Song Ruoqing’s hands and feet. After that, she shook Song Ruoqing hard, calling out to her again and again. “Qingqing! Song Ruoqing! Wake up! Hurry, wake up!”

She called out over and over. Song Ruoqing was nearly shaken apart before she finally opened her dazed eyes.

Her gaze was unfocused, and her palm-sized face was an abnormal shade of white. I even saw a trace of deathly aura between her brows.

It seemed she really had come within an inch of death tonight.

Tang Tang was so emotional that her voice trembled. “Qingqing, you really aren’t dead!”

“Tang… Tang?” It took Song Ruoqing quite a while to recognize her. She weakly called her name. “You… cough, cough. Why are you here?”

Tang Tang opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted them. “This isn’t the place to catch up. Senior Sister, take Miss Song down the mountain first.”
Tang Tang looked puzzled. “What do you mean, you want me to take Qingqing down the mountain first? You’re not leaving?”

“Senior Sister, I came to Huicheng this time to find Furong Cave,” I said honestly. “Someone entrusted me with finding something very important inside this cave. Since it’s that important, there must be someone formidable guarding this place. That’s why you have to leave first, and quickly. Otherwise, I’m afraid it may be too late.”

Tang Tang grew anxious. “How can I leave you behind and go first? No way!”

“Senior Sister, Miss Song’s complexion is very wrong. Tonight is her Calamity,” I said gravely. “Whether she can make it through tonight depends on you.”

“But… but you…”

“Senior Sister, listen to me.” I did my best to keep my voice from shaking. “I think I’ve already guessed who the true master behind Wangting Mountain is. I’ve fought him before. He’s far too powerful. Even if the three of us joined forces, we’d only end up defeated by him. If you stay, you’ll only hold me back.

“I need outside help. After you take Miss Song down the mountain, do everything you can to contact Aunt Tang. If she can get here in time, she might be able to save me from this mess.”

Tang Tang supported Song Ruoqing’s swaying body while looking at me, her eyes lost and helpless.

She opened her mouth several times, but in her heart, she knew I was right.

Song Ruoqing was hanging by a thread. Though Tang Tang knew some martial arts, she was not a cultivator. If a real fight broke out, she and Song Ruoqing would probably be the first to die here.

In the end, she could only ask me, “Xiao Jiu, do you really have to take that thing?”

I said firmly, “When entrusted by others, one must see the matter through.”

Even if we managed to rescue Song Ruoqing smoothly tonight, it would probably be impossible for me to sneak back into Wangting Mountain again anytime soon.

Wangting Mountain would definitely tighten its defenses.

Tonight was my only chance.

I urged Tang Tang to leave quickly. Tang Tang could only grit her teeth and say, “Xiao Jiu, be quick. We’ll wait for you at the foot of the mountain.”

I nodded hard.

Song Ruoqing was so weak she could not walk at all, so Tang Tang had no choice but to carry her on her back. I waved at her and watched them leave.

I wasted no time and turned toward the depths of the cave.

The farther in I went, the colder it became.

After turning a corner, the sight before me instantly left me stunned.

The inner depths of Furong Cave were enormous. Everywhere I looked was a cold, pale white, filled with strange, oddly shaped blocks of ice. They were underfoot, on the cave walls, and even on the ceiling.

The moment I stepped inside, it felt as though I had entered an ice house.

But when I carefully reached out and touched a block of ice on the cave wall not far ahead, I realized I was wrong.

This was not ice. It was something like crystal.

I could imagine that if my current situation were viewed as a microscopic world, this cave would be a top-quality gambling stone.

Its surface was all gravel and vines, but once cut open, the inside was the purest, most transparent crystal in the world.

It was beautiful, yes, but as far as the eye could see, everything looked the same. Where was there any water here?

Even if there was water, it would be extremely hard to find.

And the longer I stayed here, the more uncomfortable my eyes became.

It was the same principle as spending too long in a world of ice and snow in winter, causing a brief spell of temporary snow blindness.

Just then, I suddenly felt the Water Ripple on the middle finger of my left hand grow restless. In the unseen, an invisible force tugged me forward.

It was actually the Water Ripple guiding me.

I followed that force all the way ahead, only daring to continue after each step had landed firmly.

After walking about twenty or thirty steps like that, I finally stood on a relatively tall, flat piece of crystal. Gazing into the distance, I suddenly saw that in the very center of the cave, a crystal lotus was blooming.

The lotus was as large as a washbasin, completely transparent, yet within its petals there seemed to be glimmers of water shifting and swaying.