Gong Yin gazed at her face. Jing Hengbo after exercise was always particularly lovely – her flushed face from the heat made her skin appear even more delicate, her eyes sparkled with spring water that could capture souls with every glance, and her red lips were thus even more tender and full, like a newly bloomed pomegranate flower that made one want to reach out and pluck it.

He also wanted to embrace her now, take her to some uninhabited place, into the dense forest, to taste the flower carefully – not here under starlight, being watched by that pervert on the slope.

Jing Hengbo couldn’t pull him along, so she simply crouched down: “Lift your foot, lift your foot.”

He didn’t want to pay attention to her, yet had already lifted his foot. She tied animal fur to the bottom of his boot, then switched to the other one. He looked down at the top of her dark head, his heart surging, unable to help gently stroking her hair.

He always loved seeing her virtuous little wife appearance – this let him fantasize about the next fifty years of life. Even if it was truly impossible in this lifetime, at least he had experienced it.

“Come!” Jing Hengbo smiled brightly, pulling his hands with both of hers: “Fly—with—me—”

She leaned back and had already pulled him sliding out with a whoosh. Two figures on the ice traced out a smooth circle.

Martial artists’ balance and agility were always amazing. Almost without Jing Hengbo teaching, Gong Yin immediately mastered ice skating techniques. Jing Hengbo, pulling him with both hands, could barely keep up with his speed. Wind whooshed past, his body leaning lower and lower. Jing Hengbo felt that the next moment he seemed about to touch her lips, while her waist bent nearly touching the ice surface, the two of them pressed into one line.

She giggled and turned, grabbing him with one hand. The two glided gracefully side by side, his and her fluttering sleeves dancing in the wind like flags, flapping against each other, like a pair of dancing butterflies.

“Isn’t this exhilarating! Isn’t this awesome!” She giggled in the wind. It had been so long since she’d opened her heart like this – blue sky overhead, no enemies disturbing her surroundings, no various complicated affairs, no people needing worry, only this heaven and earth, and the person she liked accompanying her flight.

She truly wished to fly like this into the blue sea and azure sky.

Gong Yin swept away the hair blowing across her face to prevent her from being blinded. He also protected her injured shoulder side to prevent her from excitedly pulling the wound.

Above the ice surface, under starry sky, dancing and circling, two shadows paired.

Yu Wuse watched silently, his eyes full of turbulent waves – confusion, resentment, unwillingness, yearning.

The man in brocade stood on the high hill, only feeling even more thinly clothed and cold in the wind, missing his homeland.

In the next glide, Jing Hengbo suddenly lowered her body, holding Gong Yin’s hand as her whole person lay down diagonally. Just as Gong Yin startled, she was already giggling and slowly sliding up in a beautiful spin.

Gong Yin suddenly let go of her hand, whooshing away to disappear at the edge of the ice swamp, hiding behind a tree. Jing Hengbo was stunned, inertia carrying her sliding out while instinctively turning her head, wondering if he was angry at being teased by her?

Suddenly a figure flashed from behind a tree. As she slid past, she heard his voice behind her: “Hengbo.”

She turned around and plunged into warmth.

Thick, soft, the surface touching her was snow-white smooth fur, each hair tip gleaming with lustrous light.

She was a bit dazed, pulling down the piece covering her face and looking down to discover she was wrapped in a robe at some point.

Calling it a robe was being too polite – this was like a bell, straight from top to bottom, with a hole at the top and two holes on the sides. No sleeves, no waist, and very large – her whole person could curl up inside and roll around.

But this “robe” was very beautiful. Looking carefully, it was sewn from pieces of red fox fur, all pure fire-red in color, brilliant and dazzling. The collar was made from whole white fox tails without a single mixed color, white to the point of gleaming.

She examined this robe carefully – it was sewn from patches of fur. Probably all the foxes in the entire canyon had met disaster. The stitching was quite coarse, showing sinew and thread ends, but still relatively neat, with each piece cut to roughly the same size. The white fox tail collar was designed quite interestingly, with a tuft hanging in front that trembled like a small white ball when the wind blew.

She looked down playing with that white ball, her lips involuntarily blooming with a smile.

Gong Yin quietly watched her. Red fox like fire, white fox like snow, wrapping around her palm-sized face, pretty and fresh. Made one want to knead this ball of fire into one’s embrace.

Jing Hengbo touched the fur, its smooth texture seeming to iron straight to her heart. She wanted to keep a straight face, wanted to mock, but couldn’t control her lips desperately curving upward. She held back and held back, finally hugging her belly and giggling loudly.

A red shadow whooshed across Gong Yin’s face, seeming to guess what she was laughing about, stubbornly saying: “Yu Wuse helped make this…”

“Oh my goodness, these soul-stirring stitches… this bizarre design…” Jing Hengbo laughed until she swayed back and forth. Only now did she remember what that pulling and tugging pose she’d seen that night was for. Scene after scene flashed through her mind – the virtuous great god, gentle great god, great god threading needles under lamplight, great god gently biting off thread, great god crying “ouch” when pricking his finger, melancholy great god lifting his eyes to gaze into the distance…

These associations were too bizarre, too incongruous, making her laugh almost to the point of convulsions, laughing until her face was covered in tears, laughing until even someone as composed as Gong Yin could no longer stand it. He coughed and said: “I’ll go get some air,” turning to leave.

Jing Hengbo grabbed him with one pull.

The next instant, the wide fox fur cloak came down, wrapping Gong Yin inside as well.

Wind already howled in the distance; heaven and earth existed only within warm embraces.

In that warm darkness, she leaned against his chest, quietly saying: “Thank you, thank you for the New Year gift you made with your own hands.”

Gong Yin’s lips curved slightly as he held her tight. But Jing Hengbo suddenly pulled up his hand, wanting to see if there were needle marks. How could Gong Yin let her see? The two pulled and tugged, suddenly sliding out on the ice surface like a giant red lantern lit on the ice, yet flying with white down, its bright colors vigorously illuminating this somewhat dim New Year’s Eve in the mountain valley.

Jing Hengbo’s laughing and frolicking sounds echoed through the mountain valley. The man in brocade covered his ears, Yu Wuse showed envy and disdain on his face, and the Emerald soldiers spinning confused in the formation lifted their heads, thinking they heard mountain spirits laughing.

After a long time, Jing Hengbo struggled and rolled out of that ball of fire, lying spread-eagle on the ice surface panting, suddenly saying: “Gong Yin, I want to live like this for a lifetime.”

Gong Yin stood up wrapped in the fox fur cloak, looking down at her. She closed her eyes, chest rising and falling, face slightly flushed with excitement, her brows full of longing.

He thought his own brows and heart must also have such yearning color, must also hope to be in a place beyond the world, far from disturbances, sharing one large fur coat with her, warming only each other.

However, he ultimately only said “be careful not to catch cold” and casually shouldered her away. On the pale black ice surface, the large ball of fire-red gradually disappeared.

On the slope, the man in brocade exhaled a long breath, this breath crystalline in color as if substantial.

Yu Wuse quietly counted on his fingers, murmuring: “Two hours…”

…

The night deepened.

The shelter fell quiet.

Jing Hengbo, tired from playing, lay on the board bed fanning herself, saying: “I’m all sweaty!”

Gong Yin magically produced a basin from somewhere: “Wash up and sleep.”

Jing Hengbo “pffft” spat out, looking at that basin, thinking it couldn’t be their chamber pot, could it?

She glanced toward under the bed from the corner of her eye. Gong Yin said: “Stop looking. This is his hand-washing basin.”

The basin thief busily heated water, washing that hot pot over and over, setting it on the fire to heat. The hot pot was quite crude, apparently made from scraps of metal sheets found somewhere.

Jing Hengbo smiled watching him bustle about. She liked this feeling – the atmosphere of home, the warmth of home.

Ultimately, the research institute quartet each had their own personalities and hobbies, but all had no resistance to the feeling of “home,” because they were actually all people without homes.

When the hot water was ready, Gong Yin solemnly expressed wanting to help her wipe down, reasoning that she had sweated and her shoulder injury made it inconvenient. Jing Hengbo solemnly refused, reasoning that this wasn’t helping but taking advantage.

Gong Yin expressed that her figure really had nothing worth taking advantage of, and besides, why should officials be allowed to set fires while common people couldn’t light lamps? Jing Hengbo retorted that when caring for him, everything else was manageable, but helping him wipe down was thankless work – not majestic at all, just bony and uncomfortable to touch.

Finally the wiping down proposal had to be shelved, changed to foot washing. The shelter was full of giggles, a shallow basin of water splashed everywhere. Gong Yin’s robe was covered with many large footprints.

They frolicked like this for over an hour before stopping. The shelter gradually quieted. In the midnight dim light, Jing Hengbo and Gong Yin slept on their respective sides, their faces retaining subtle smiles.

In another shelter, the man in brocade finally lay down too, breathing long and even.

In the distant formation, soldiers still circled, lights flickering like ghostly eyes.

…

On plains not far from Tianlie Canyon, a horse like lightning split through the night.

On horseback, Ying Bai’s long hair flew up, brows slightly furrowed, eyes showing slight anxiety.

…

In the canyon, a black shadow walked silently.

Animal fur tied under his feet made no sound when stepping.

Under dim light, his face was tender – it was Yu Wuse.

The little fellow who had worked hard all day wasn’t sleeping, approaching the man in brocade’s shelter step by step.

At one zhang distance from the shelter, he stopped and threw a stone.

He walked so carefully, but the stone-throwing motion was quite crude – pap! The stone hit the shelter with a clear sound that seemed audible to half the valley.

Neither shelter showed any movement.

Yu Wuse pursed his lips, wild joy showing in his eyes, but he didn’t approach, turning to leave instead.

After walking a few steps, he looked back – both shelters still showed no movement.

His steps grew larger, his walking faster. Reaching the forest edge, he began running wildly, his footsteps heavily pounding the ground until the whole valley seemed to echo.

No one inquired, no one chased out.

He had run to the forest edge. Further ahead was the formation the man in brocade had set up. He had seen the man in brocade setting up the formation while gathering firewood and hunting nearby during the day.

He only needed to lift his foot to enter the formation. He knew the formation’s life gate was in the waterfall – in other words, once he entered the formation, he could lead the great army to freedom.

Dark light flowed on the ground. Crossing over meant freedom.

His foot was already lifted, but his head turned back.

In the distance, those two shelters remained silent.

His foot fell, but it fell outside the formation.

Then he turned and ran wildly!

…

Ying Bai was also spurring his horse in mad pursuit.

He had reached the edge of Tianlie Canyon.

Stopping his horse at the canyon edge, seeing that vast valley and the waterfall opposite, estimating the height, he drew in a cold breath.

Without preparation, at such height, even peerless masters would find survival difficult.

He didn’t immediately descend into the valley, but circled the canyon edge to examine it, discovering many chaotic traces – carriage wheel marks, sword marks, partially collapsed rocks – clearly there had been an intense battle here.

This didn’t match his forces’ description. When His Highness fell off the cliff, there hadn’t been fierce fighting.

He pondered for a while, tightened his clothes, prepared rope, and began descending the cliff.

…

Yu Wuse ran wildly all the way, first rushing toward the man in brocade’s shelter.

Only now did he truly let loose, running with qinggong that despite his young age was like meteors chasing the moon, flashing by like lightning.

But the innocent, tender smile on his delicate young face had changed from earlier obedient cuteness to slight cunning and ferocity.

“Bang!” He crashed open the door to Gong Yin and Jing Hengbo’s shelter.

When crashing the door, he didn’t immediately charge in, his steps slightly retreating.

Still no movement. His lips curved in a grin, his smile slightly murderous.

Success.

Whether throwing stones, running away, or crashing doors – all were tests.

When he stood at the formation’s edge preparing to enter and escape, and the man in brocade still showed no movement, he knew they had truly been tricked.

But he was still very careful, not rashly entering even now. He deeply knew how formidable these people were – he had to be completely certain of safety before acting.

He never planned to leave at all. Without getting compensation, why leave?

Choosing to target Gong Yin and Jing Hengbo first was because he felt these two were slightly more reasonable, especially Jing Hengbo. If discovered, there was still room for recovery.

At this moment, Gong Yin and Jing Hengbo both lay quietly, their brows faintly showing blue qi.

Signs of poisoning.

Yu Wuse grinned widely, full of youthful pride.

That bowl of wild bird egg mushroom soup really was very delicious.

Those snow-white fungi looked ordinary and harmless, but actually had hidden mysteries. Called “Ink Cap,” also known as Ghost Cap Overnight Mushroom. When first growing, they were snow-white like ordinary mushrooms, but when mature would gradually self-dissolve from the cap edge toward the center. Black liquid would drip from the cap, dissolving completely overnight – quite a bizarre organism.

This thing looked scary but was non-toxic, otherwise it couldn’t have fooled Gong Yin and the man in brocade. But when this thing met alcohol, even just a little, it became poisonous.

That bit of alcohol in his belt pouch was the key catalyst.

He entered the room and began searching through Gong Yin’s belongings. After searching for a long time with no results, he stopped in confusion, thinking didn’t peerless masters all carry treasures with them? How was this person so poor?

Then what was the point of all his scheming?

Finding nothing everywhere, he had to turn to Jing Hengbo. Without any qualms, he searched all over her body but found nothing either. He could only stop in bewilderment, cursing: “Two paupers!”

After cursing, he looked at Jing Hengbo with some regret, sighing: “Actually sister, you’re quite beautiful and treated me well, much better than those two men. I originally didn’t want to harm you, but I had no choice. I couldn’t just leave you out of the poisoning – those two are too formidable, they would have discovered it. Well, I don’t know what this poison will do, and I don’t know how to cure it… If you really die, when I return I’ll hold ceremonies for you, have high monks help you reincarnate into a good birth, reincarnate as… as a queen! Rich and noble with beautiful men surrounding you! Please don’t blame me!” He put his palms together and bowed.

Suddenly wind passed, crashing open the shelter door with banging sounds, also blowing up Jing Hengbo’s long hair to flutter tremblingly across her face, quite ghostly. Yu Wuse shivered, ultimately feeling somewhat guilty and not daring to stay longer, backing out.

After walking just two steps, his foot suddenly tripped on something and he fell flat with a pap, landing right by Jing Hengbo’s feet. Wind suddenly gusted stronger with whooing sounds, the door kept crashing back and forth making creaking noises. Before him, two bodies lay extraordinarily stiff.

Yu Wuse suddenly felt cold all over, teeth chattering, belatedly becoming truly afraid. He crawled up trembling, took one step and somehow tripped again – whether from guilt or what – falling with a bang. This time he landed by Gong Yin’s feet.

He held his head crawling up, not daring to look at the two, not daring to turn back, mumbling: “Spirits above, spirits below, let vengeful ghosts be peaceful now…” while muttering and holding his head as he backed out. Thinking that murder and robbery was ultimately too evil – maybe he shouldn’t go to that villain either? If he became a ghost, he’d be worse than these two!

After backing out, cold wind blew and he sobered up a bit, feeling his earlier thoughts were truly absurd. Where would ghosts come from? Just tripping twice was all. Finding nothing here and leaving like this would waste all his scheming.

Thinking this way, his courage returned and he headed straight for the man in brocade’s shelter.

The man in brocade also looked the same as those two – stiff and turning blue, signs of poisoning. Yet Yu Wuse felt instinctive fear toward him, standing at the doorway for a long while before entering. As usual, he searched through his clothing, but didn’t dare search too thoroughly. After a cursory search that yielded nothing, he suddenly noticed one corner of the man in brocade’s belt seemed slightly bulging. Touching it, it seemed like a tube. Immediately overjoyed, he pulled out the tube. Inside was a scroll. Reading it by starlight, it said “Flying Dragon in Heaven Wild Dance Twenty-Eight Techniques.” Above were densely packed meridian line diagrams and martial arts moves. The paper was yellowed, looking very sophisticated.

The back of the paper also had writing. Turning it over: “Drunken Life Dream Death Deadly Poison Twelve Formulas.”

This made Yu Wuse even more overjoyed. He specialized in food and drinks and was skilled with poisons – this was exactly what he loved most.

Clutching the scroll, he couldn’t help laughing aloud. The boy approaching voice change laughed with a grating sound, like a flock of ducks chattering in the mountain valley.

Having obtained these two items, he was still inclined to search more. Suddenly he saw that beneath the tube was a pouch. The pouch looked quite ugly – upon closer inspection, it was actually cake-shaped. This immediately aroused his interest, and he reached out to take the pouch.

Suddenly the man in brocade’s body seemed to move slightly.

Yu Wuse was so startled he nearly jumped up, leaping three feet and crouching by the doorway, staring at the man in brocade with burning eyes and cold sweat covering his body. But that movement seemed like his illusion – the man in brocade still lay quietly.

If such a person truly hadn’t been poisoned, how could he be willing to endure this long?

Yu Wuse relaxed again, slowly approaching. Seeing that corner of the pouch, he was truly tempted, yet feared a repeat of the earlier incident. After thinking, his heart hardened – wasn’t he just afraid the man wasn’t dead? Then he’d add another knife strike!

“Swish!” The small knife was drawn, the next instant stabbing viciously into the man in brocade’s waist.

The familiar feel of knife meeting flesh with slight resistance – the boy struck ruthlessly, this knife hitting a vital spot.

The man in brocade still didn’t move. Yu Wuse breathed a sigh of relief and reached for the pouch.

Suddenly a voice said lazily: “Sigh, truly ‘no zuo no die’ indeed.”

…

On the cliff, a figure swept down like a meteor, long hair flying high.

Ying Bai had already seen the great army. Based on the army’s trapped position, he determined the formation’s range and cleverly avoided it.

Entering the mountain valley, crossing a patch of ice swamp, he followed human footprints searching all the way.

…

Hearing that voice, Yu Wuse’s whole body shook. Without another word, he turned and ran.

But his ankle was already caught. With a drag and shake, he was like a dead fish, heavily slammed onto the ground.

He lay on the ground, struggling to look back, and saw the man in brocade slowly sitting up, disgustedly removing a string of wild boar meat from his waist.

Wild boar meat…

Yu Wuse felt like he could vomit blood.

Looking at the opposite shelter, lights had been lit at some point. Gong Yin and Jing Hengbo sat by the shelter, watching him with great interest.

Gong Yin’s expression didn’t look good, because this kid had groped Jing Hengbo inappropriately.

Jing Hengbo was sighing: “No zuo no die!”

This phrase was too strange. Yu Wuse wondered why Jing Hengbo and the man in brocade, obviously not from the same country, would say the same odd words. But he had no mood to study this problem right now.

His heart was full of pain, feeling like a grasshopper being dangled and toyed with.

What he thought was a brilliant master plan, what he thought was complete confidence, thinking he had finally used wisdom to defeat all the masters – in the end he discovered he was the one being played.

“Sigh.” Jing Hengbo sighed: “This little brat. We gave him chances once, twice, three times – why couldn’t he wise up?”

Early on, when they saw the poison manual in this child’s chest, all three seasoned veterans became alert. Wanting to take the poison manual for a look afterward was naturally very easy.

In the poison manual they discovered descriptions of that ghost mushroom. This thing grew precisely in the mountain forests at the Emerald tribe’s borders. If they couldn’t recognize what mushrooms were in the wild bird egg mushroom soup at this point, those three wouldn’t deserve to be state preceptor, queen, and prince.

When the man in brocade took that jade bottle containing the Wine King and shook it playfully, he was actually using internal force to neutralize the alcohol.

That thing would take effect in two hours. The three pretended to be poisoned, all intentionally giving Yu Wuse a chance.

But he courted death, actually thinking about compensation and returning to rob them.

Robbery was one thing – the three wouldn’t argue with a child. Apart from the man in brocade toying with him a bit, Gong Yin and Jing Hengbo would still let it pass with a laugh.

But this child actually wanted to stab the man in brocade.

Now he’d gone too far.

Jing Hengbo sighed. This truly was a death-courting stab. With this knife strike, it would be difficult for her to plead for mercy or save him.

The man in brocade’s kindness and conscience were already minimal. Now being repaid with enmity for kindness – heaven knew what he’d play with next.

The more Jing Hengbo thought about it, the angrier she became. She cursed: “You pray all you want, but why wish for me to be queen again in my next life? Damn, you trying to harm me?” She whooshed to her feet.

Gong Yin reached out to pull her, thought about it, withdrew his hand, and followed behind her. Jing Hengbo rushed to the man in brocade’s shelter in a whirlwind, grabbed Yu Wuse, and angrily said: “You harm me and still curse me! On New Year’s, you won’t give me even one good wish – queen, queen, what the hell queen! What grudge do I have with you!” She grabbed him and dragged him outside.

Yu Wuse looked up with teary eyes, not daring to argue or resist. The man in brocade reached out with an ambiguous smile to block her. Jing Hengbo ignored him completely, heroically thrust out her chest, and shouldered past: “Move aside!”

The man in brocade still wouldn’t withdraw his hand. Gong Yin’s hand arrived, flicking his palm to knock away the claw that was about to touch Jing Hengbo’s vital areas.

The man in brocade immediately pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. Seeing Jing Hengbo about to drag Yu Wuse away, he smiled: “I see Dahuang is finished.”

Both Jing Hengbo and Gong Yin knew he was mocking Dahuang’s rulers for being soft-hearted. They ignored him – soft-heartedness might destroy political power, but being too psychotic would also destroy it.

Just as Jing Hengbo was about to drag Yu Wuse out of the man in brocade’s shelter, the man in brocade suddenly said: “The things he touched of mine just now were poisoned.”

Jing Hengbo paused and looked down. The kid’s hands were stiff and he was starting to roll his eyes back.

Her rescue plan was ruined. She had to let go, sighing in her heart about why Yu Wuse had to provoke this demon.

The man in brocade swept over and grabbed Yu Wuse, examining him from all angles, murmuring: “This kid’s thoughts are too wicked. Keeping him would be a disaster – we need to resolve this today. What kind of death should we give him? How about pickling him to make my medicine puppet?”

“I have an idea,” Jing Hengbo suddenly said. “Hang this kid under that waterfall over there. Those soldiers will definitely try to rescue him. That waterfall is huge with fierce rushing force and no path – you can enjoy watching how a bunch of idiots try to save someone. Much more interesting than stinking up the place pickling people, right?”

The man in brocade glanced at her, seemingly already seeing she still planned to save the person. But for him, others’ lives didn’t matter anyway – as long as it was interesting. Jing Hengbo’s suggestion, understanding him as she did, was the most appealing proposal she could make.

“You’ll have to go yourself,” he said. He wouldn’t get soaked.

Jing Hengbo answered without hesitation: “Fine!”

Gong Yin immediately said: “I’ll go.”

“It has to be her,” the man in brocade smiled, his smile ill-intentioned. “Otherwise I won’t give the antidote.”

Your woman has such a good figure – hanging people while getting soaked in front of ten thousand troops, she’ll be seen completely.

He really wanted to see Gong Yin vomit blood.

Gong Yin glanced at him coldly, his gaze seeming murderous.

Jing Hengbo gathered her energy and dragged up Yu Wuse. Gong Yin placed his hand on her shoulder. Jing Hengbo turned around to see his pitying gaze.

Seeing the obstruction in his eyes, she knew he felt sorry for her. Her injuries hadn’t healed – taking someone to the waterfall would definitely be very difficult.

She pressed his hand with her other hand and smiled gently.

“It’s fine. I can handle it.”

“Forget it.” Gong Yin seemed to struggle several times before saying this: “He brought this on himself. You’ve already been more than generous. Don’t bother.”

Jing Hengbo stared at him: “Gong Yin, this really doesn’t sound like something you’d say.”

He turned his head slightly, gazing at the waterfall hanging like snowy silk. After a long while, he said lightly: “In my heart, anyone can die, as long as you’re not harmed even a fraction.”

“You’d better not let those loyal subordinates hear this, or you really will become a lonely ruler.” She smiled, but her heart ached.

Was Cui Jie’s death back then also because of this mentality where only she mattered in the world and everything else was insignificant?

Should she thank him for his devotion, or feel helpless about such cold ruthlessness?

“It’s just crossing a waterfall – what danger could there be?” She smiled and dragged Yu Wuse out.

Gong Yin helped her carry Yu Wuse. As they walked around the forest, he casually broke several tree branches, carving them into long strips and digging out teeth.

Approaching the waterfall, standing at its edge, they could see it was very wide, twenty zhang high. Massive water flow poured down from above, crashing against rocks with thunderous roars, splashing up clouds of snow-white mist. In the shallow pool below the waterfall, all the stones had been worn smooth by years of water flow.

The forest across from the waterfall was where the man in brocade had set his formation. Torches moved about as the great army still groped for the gate.

Hanging someone on the waterfall was to save his life and also guide the army to the life gate. With their young master there, the army would definitely use every method to rush over, and then everyone would escape their predicament.

The man in brocade floated over, tossing a pill in his hand. He pointed to a stone platform midway up the waterfall where rope could be tied, indicating that as long as they hung the person up there, he’d give the antidote.

Jing Hengbo took Yu Wuse. Gong Yin draped the fox fur cloak over her – light, soft, warm, and waterproof. The man in brocade’s plan to have Jing Hengbo get soaked and alluring in front of ten thousand troops failed.

Gong Yin crouched down and tied wooden strips to Jing Hengbo’s shoes. The strips had serrated edges for good slip prevention. He also peeled off two pieces of tree bark to wrap around her legs as makeshift knee guards.

The man in brocade watched with somewhat disdainful yet studious expression, wondering if Little Cake would also like this kind of treatment.

“You little rascal, your thoughts are too wicked. Getting some hardship and a lesson is good for you.” Jing Hengbo patted Yu Wuse’s face: “Here I go!”

Carrying Yu Wuse on her back, she jumped into knee-deep water. Just entering the water, she shivered from the cold. She quickly bit down to endure it, not wanting Gong Yin watching her from behind to notice.

The water wasn’t deep, but it was bone-chillingly cold. Though she’d tied tree bark around her legs, below the knees still got wet immediately upon entering water. Her entire calves went numb almost instantly, yet she didn’t dare use teleportation because her injuries hadn’t healed and her teleportation ability was limited – she needed to save it for the most critical moment.

Fortunately, the fox fur cloak was truly warm. Gong Yin had chosen the best, thickest pelts, devastating all the foxes in the canyon. After wading for a while as the water gradually deepened, she climbed onto those round stones, approaching the waterfall bit by bit. The round stones were slippery, and carrying a person made her progress even slower.

Finally approaching the designated position, being closer to the waterfall now, the massive water force brought gusts of fierce wind that swayed her back and forth. Looking up, the waterfall was like white knife blades stabbing straight down. Looking down was all black – vaguely, beneath the waterfall wasn’t flat ground but seemed to be a slope extending downward. Sliding down would be the end.

She hefted Yu Wuse and the rope on her back, looking up at an eagle-beak-like protruding short platform – perfect for hanging someone.

As she moved in front of the waterfall, the huge bright red mass was very conspicuous. The Emerald army in the formation had already seen her and all looked up.

Ying Bai had descended to the valley floor and found those two shelters – signs of human habitation made his heart leap with joy. It seemed things weren’t so bad!

He suddenly heard clamoring sounds. Glancing up casually, he saw what seemed like human figures moving near the distant waterfall.

He quickly swept over.

…

Jing Hengbo teleported once, bringing Yu Wuse onto the platform. Though this platform protruded outside the waterfall, reducing the water flow’s force, the splashing water behind still poured in through the opening at her neck, instantly drenching her thoroughly cold.

The chill went to her bones. She shivered while resenting that Tailor Gong’s craftsmanship was too poor – the neck opening was cut too large. While tying rope around Yu Wuse with one hand, she secured the other end to the protruding rock.

The stone platform was unimaginably slippery and narrow enough for only one thin person. Every tiny movement had to be calculated in millimeters, fearing that slightly larger motions would send both her and Yu Wuse sliding down.

If this kid fell to his death, someone would fight her desperately.

With everything ready, she patted Yu Wuse’s face, murmuring: “You and your father really look alike. You should thank this face of yours for saving your life.”

Yu Wuse groggily seemed about to open his eyes.

This kid had good constitution. Cold water splashing to clear his head wasn’t a bad thing. Without much guilt, Jing Hengbo laughed heartily and kicked Yu Wuse off the stone platform.

Yu Wuse screamed “Ah!” as his body plummeted straight down, rushing into the waterfall.

The great army in the forest looked up in horror, seeing that red-clothed fat person kick someone off the waterfall!

That person’s figure swayed in the waterfall, drenched by the massive waterfall pouring over his head, letting out a scream.

Someone sharp-eyed shouted: “Your Highness!”

Ying Bai, who had just reached the waterfall’s edge, suddenly looked up, his face completely drained of color. His figure shot up wildly like a meteor, shooting toward the waterfall.

While still in mid-air, a sword thrust had already parted the air. With a splash, the water surface of the shallow pool below seemed drawn upward, all exploding into zhang-high waves. A sharp energy passed through the water waves, blooming with starlight and glazed colors in the sunlight. In mid-air, the waterfall was forced apart by this fierce sword energy, splitting one chi with a splash like a giant curtain suddenly rolling up to reveal dark heaven and earth.

On the stone platform, Jing Hengbo was reaching toward the man in brocade to signal for the antidote when she suddenly felt fierce wind hitting her face. Turning her head, she saw dazzling crystal light – in the white light and water vapor, a person’s fierce angry eyes were vaguely visible. “Aiya!” she cried, instinctively trying to dodge, but her feet suddenly slipped and she slid off the platform with a swish.

Ying Bai, who had angrily struck with his sword in mid-air, hearing this cry, was stunned.

“Hengbo!”

A figure flashed – Gong Yin swept over, reaching to catch Jing Hengbo. His fingers had already touched her clothing, but the fox fur was too high quality – after getting wet it became even more slippery, sliding right through his palm and fingers. He watched helplessly as her body leaned back and slid into the darkness behind the waterfall.

Without thinking, he was about to plunge headfirst into the waterfall when someone grabbed his belt. Looking back, it was Ying Bai standing on the platform, holding a sword in one hand and grabbing him with the other.

Gong Yin’s face was snow-white. Without a word, a palm wind rolled out, striking at Ying Bai head-on.

Ying Bai slapped down flat on the platform, nearly sliding off the waterfall. The hand gripping Gong Yin’s belt didn’t let go.

Just this delay meant Jing Hengbo had already slid behind the waterfall and vanished. From beginning to end, except for that “aiya” when suddenly attacked, she made no other sound.

Ying Bai straightened up from the platform. Before he could ask “what’s happening,” suddenly his hand felt light. A crystal light stabbed before his eyes – a sword point was already coldly facing him.

Opposite him, Gong Yin held his long sword, three chi of blue steel coldly confronting him.

TN: “NO ZUO NO DIE” (a Chinese internet slang meaning “if you don’t seek trouble, you won’t get into trouble”)