The saying “curiosity killed the cat” had never rung truer!

The entire cave had only one path in and out. As the black water surged in wave after wave from outside, everyone understood at once that this was a trap—yet there was absolutely nowhere left to run!

Everyone present was a fairly strong swimmer, but what did that matter? This was poisoned water through and through—even fish would die on contact, let alone people!

Ziqing and Baili Weisheng stood shielding the others, with the unfathomably deep pool behind them. What could they do?

There was no time left to hesitate. Ziqing made a snap decision. “Jump down! Run!”

“No, what if there’s no way out down there?” Jun Beiyue asked, his usually expressionless face now betraying a flash of alarm.

If the deep pool had no other exit below, then jumping in would simply mean courting death, because the surging poisoned water would inevitably flow into the pool as well!

Once the pool’s water became contaminated, they’d be trapped there and killed alive!

They’d known this place wasn’t safe, but never expected a trap quite like this.

Jun Beiyue’s concern was entirely warranted, yet without jumping, there was simply no other option.

Because the poisoned water was closing in, and there was no retreat left at all!

No one said a word; even Meng Wanyue’s face had gone frighteningly pale.

“No time to worry about that now—run first, or we’ll die even faster!” Ziqing made her decision at once, and with that, she abruptly shoved Jun Beiyue hard. “Go on ahead, I’ll hold the rear!”

The instant Jun Beiyue hit the water, fury contorted his handsome face nearly to the breaking point—this woman, holding the rear herself? What was she thinking?

But he had no time to ask, as the pool’s water swallowed him whole!

“Go, all of you, quickly! Xiong Bao, Xiaosheng, get down there, now!” Baili Weisheng barked sharply, not calling for Meng Wanyue—because the moment Jun Beiyue had gone into the water, Meng Wanyue had immediately followed after him.

“Mommy, I’ll hold the rear with you!” Xiong Bao didn’t actually understand what “holding the rear” meant—he only knew that Daddy’s face just now had looked furious enough to kill Mommy.

Surely nothing good was happening!

“Jun Buli, get down there. Don’t make me say it twice.” Ziqing spoke coldly, facing the surging poisoned water, her phoenix eyes carrying a full seven parts more sharpness than usual.

“Mommy! I’m not scared of poison either!” Xiong Bao stubbornly insisted.

“Get down there. If there’s no exit below and the poisoned water really does spread through, promise me one thing.” Ziqing shouted, taking two steps back, her heels settling at the pool’s edge, as if preparing to do something.

Hearing Ziqing’s words, Xiong Bao finally, truly grasped just how dire their situation was—it was almost hopeless.

“Mommy…” he choked out, staring at Ziqing’s back, tears welling up in his eyes, yet he still asked resolutely, “What thing?”

“If the poisoned water spreads through… hold your father’s hand for me… and don’t let go.” Ziqing’s voice, though choked with emotion, remained as unyielding as iron.

The path to finding the Solitary Island had always been fraught with danger, yet this time, it had come so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that it suddenly struck her—the greatest danger wasn’t herself, possessing the human Gu constitution, but Jun Beiyue, who had no immunity to poison whatsoever!

The moment Ziqing finished speaking, a single tear slid slowly down the corner of Xiong Bao’s eye.

“Mommy, I’ll remember!” He practically shouted the words, then turned and plunged into the water. At that very moment, the surging water had truly reached them, right before their eyes!

The next wave was certain to crash directly into them!

Ziqing immediately drew out her Wuzheng zither, cradling it tightly in one arm while resting her other hand on the strings, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on the oncoming wave, gathering every ounce of strength, ready to strike at any moment!

Only now did Baili Weisheng understand what she’d meant by “holding the rear.” No matter how powerful her wind blades might be, they couldn’t possibly hold back a wave of water this massive!

Even if she could stop it once, how many times could she hold it back? For how long?

“Han Ziqing, have you lost your mind!” Baili Weisheng shouted.

“Do you have a better plan?” Ziqing shot back.

Baili Weisheng was left speechless. Ziqing immediately pressed him. “No time for chatter. You’re the strongest swimmer here—get down there, now, don’t waste any more time!”

But no sooner had she finished speaking than a wave suddenly surged upward, rising all the way to the cave’s ceiling, before crashing straight toward Ziqing and Baili Weisheng!

Of course, they weren’t afraid of it—but behind them lay the unfathomable depths of the pool!

“Not even the forces of nature itself shall harm so much as a hair on my husband!” Ziqing murmured softly, her eyes suddenly flashing as she swept her hand upward in one swift motion. A single deep, resonant “clang” rang out, cold and severe, as an enormous crescent-shaped wind blade burst forth in an instant, slicing through the incoming wave like a blade through flesh. The wave, mid-leap and ready to crash down, instantly deflated, collapsing back with a splash and retreating!

But Baili Weisheng saw more than just that spectacular clash of water. What he truly saw was Ziqing’s slender, delicate hand, its five long fingers, caught in that same magnificent, devastating force!

Even as she unleashed the wind blade, droplets of blood sprayed outward—it was her hand, the fingertips and pads split open entirely from bearing such tremendous force.

Seeing this, Baili Weisheng felt, for the first time in his life, an overwhelming urge to lose control completely. Yet just as he moved to approach her, Ziqing shot him a cold glance. “You’re not needed here. It’s down below where you’re needed! Get down there, now!”

Baili Weisheng snapped back to his senses at Ziqing’s sharp rebuke.

Ziqing was the most level-headed one here—there was nothing at all he could do to help up here. But underwater, that was where he could truly make a difference. He was a Jiao Ren, after all—the water was his domain!

Baili Weisheng made his decision at once, turning to go, but then paused, and in an unusually calm, unusually earnest tone, said, “Han Ziqing, I really did want to bring you home. Live on well for me.”

This might have been the first, and only, time in Baili Weisheng’s entire life that he’d spoken to Ziqing this earnestly.

With that, without waiting for her response, he turned and dove into the water.

Ziqing’s expression couldn’t be seen. Another great wave surged up, and her blood-streaked hand once again pressed against the zither strings.

“Boom…”

The wave rose!

“Clang!”

The zither sang, the wind blade burst forth, and her five fingers sprayed blood once more!

Barely a moment later, “Rumble…” another wave surged up.

“Clang!”

This woman, these hands—not a shred of hesitation, and each strike grew fiercer than the last!

Blood didn’t just stain her five fingers—with each strike poured out with everything she had, the blood gradually spread, staining her sleeves, her arms, her zither!

And yet, her gaze remained utterly resolute, showing not the slightest trace of retreat, not the slightest hint of despair!

She waited, waited for someone to emerge from the deep pool, to tell her they’d found the exit!

She would wait, even if it took until the end of time.

Don’t die!

Don’t die here—her husband, such a proud man, she couldn’t bear for him to die here!

“Clang!” Another wind blade burst forth, cleaving the wave in two. By now, the tips of her fingers were nothing but raw, mangled flesh.

And underwater…

…