The footprints of all three people had disappeared, replaced by a patch of flattened azure grass on the steep slope.

Shao Mingyuan descended along the steep slope to the valley bottom and saw a familiar figure wandering along the mountain stream. The young lady held a long bamboo pole in her hand, with the other end submerged in water, as if searching for something.

“Miss Li.” Shao Mingyuan called out.

That silhouette stiffened, then suddenly turned around – it was undoubtedly Qiao Zhao.

“General Shao—” Qiao Zhao opened her mouth and uttered these three words, her eyes involuntarily becoming moist. In such a moment of despair and helplessness, Shao Mingyuan’s appearance undoubtedly lit a beacon of light in Qiao Zhao’s heart.

Qiao Zhao thought that she really couldn’t bring herself to dislike this fellow anymore.

Shao Mingyuan had already stridden over, asking gently: “Are you all right? Are you injured?”

Qiao Zhao tightened her grip on the bamboo pole: “I’m fine, but Chen Guang and Binglu have disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Shao Mingyuan thought briefly, then asked: “Did Binglu slip and fall down the steep slope?”

Qiao Zhao was momentarily stunned, then nodded: “Yes, Chen Guang went to pull her up, but the soil beneath his feet gave way, and both of them tumbled down together. I climbed down the slope and found this mountain stream, but there’s no sign of either of them. Most likely, they fell into the stream.”

Speaking of this, Qiao Zhao’s expression darkened.

With Chen Guang’s abilities, if he had been conscious at the time, the two of them couldn’t have just disappeared like this.

Thinking of the bloodstains she had seen on the rocks while climbing down, Qiao Zhao felt even more distressed. Forcibly concealing her emotions, she said, “Chen Guang might have injured his head during the fall. I estimate they were unconscious when they fell into the water. I just don’t know… don’t know whether they’re at the bottom or were swept away by the current…”

She had searched downstream to no avail, then found a bamboo pole to explore the stream while returning along the original path. She had given up hope, and then heard that person call out: Miss Li.

For that instant, Qiao Zhao thought that being Miss Li wasn’t so bad after all. However, this thought only flashed by before being crowded out by other emotions.

“Miss Li, please turn around.” Shao Mingyuan suddenly spoke.

Qiao Zhao knew this person’s intelligence was no less than her own, and in such harsh conditions, martial strength was much more practical than wisdom. Hearing him say this, she naturally didn’t hesitate and turned around.

She couldn’t see what Shao Mingyuan was doing, but listening carefully, she could only hear very faint rustling sounds.

With her back to the stream, Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but ask: “General Shao?”

“I’m going into the water to take a look. Miss Li, please temporarily don’t—”

“Please temporarily don’t turn around.” This sentence wasn’t finished before Qiao Zhao sternly interrupted: “No!”

She immediately turned around, then was so shocked she widened her eyes and stepped back half a pace.

The man before her had removed his outer robe and long pants, bare-chested above with only short pants below. Because of his extreme surprise, one long leg that had been lifted remained rigidly suspended in mid-air.

After a moment of frozen stillness, Shao Mingyuan jumped into the water with a splash.

Qiao Zhao suddenly awakened and quickly ran to the edge of the stream, shouting: “Shao Mingyuan, get out!”

Was this man not caring about his life? The stream water was cold to begin with, and he hadn’t received acupuncture today either. This way, it would be strange if he didn’t lose half his life!

Qiao Zhao was extremely anxious. She shouted several times, but apart from the rippling waves on the water surface, there was no movement below.

“Shao Mingyuan, if you don’t come up, I’m going down!”

As her words fell, water splashed everywhere as Shao Mingyuan surfaced.

He wiped the water droplets from his face, his breathing somewhat hurried: “Fortunately, there’s nothing down there!”

There wasn’t anything at the bottom – there were scattered human bones everywhere, but there was no need to mention this and frighten Miss Li.

Shao Mingyuan’s lips curved slightly upward: “After they tumbled into the stream, they didn’t sink into the mud at the bottom. This is at least good news. If they drifted downstream, there’s hope for survival—”

Shao Mingyuan couldn’t continue his words, facing the ashen expression of the young lady by the water’s edge, his tone faltering: “Miss Li, you—”

“Get out.” Qiao Zhao tried to keep her tone calm, though she had the urge to kick the person before her to death.

Did he take his own body seriously at all?

“All right.” Shao Mingyuan agreed readily. “Please give me some privacy, Miss Li.”

Qiao Zhao didn’t even lift her eyelids, turning around expressionlessly.

Behind her came the sounds of coming ashore, followed by Shao Mingyuan’s somewhat embarrassed voice: “Miss Li, my clothes are in front of you—”

So if he wanted to dress, he had to go around to her front…

Qiao Zhao almost laughed in anger. She stepped forward, bent down to pick up the clothes on the ground, and tossed them backward with a sweep of her hand.

Shao Mingyuan caught them steadily and quickly put on his clothes and pants, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

He tried to act as if nothing had happened, walking to Qiao Zhao’s front: “Miss Li, let me escort you back to Dafu Temple first.”

Qiao Zhao pointed: “General Shao, go sit on that rock, then take off your outer clothes.”

Shao Mingyuan was stunned.

He had just put them on—

“You haven’t received acupuncture today, and you went into the water again. If we don’t immediately administer acupuncture to expel the poison, forget about escorting me anywhere – I might have to carry you instead.”

With his large frame, how could she possibly carry him?

Hearing this, Shao Mingyuan had no choice but to obediently sit down and remove his upper garment.

By now, the sky had already darkened, and the valley bottom was cool with wind. He couldn’t help but shiver.

Qiao Zhao sighed inwardly and half-knelt beside Shao Mingyuan, reaching for the pouch tied at her waist.

Her hand paused, and her expression changed.

“Miss Li?” Shao Mingyuan’s gaze moved downward, seeing that the young lady’s waist was empty.

“The pouch is lost. This is terrible.” Although Qiao Zhao was always calm, after experiencing this series of upheavals, she inevitably felt somewhat flustered.

“Why didn’t you listen to my advice and insist on going into the water?”

Shao Mingyuan’s gaze was calm: “Only by confirming the situation at the bottom could I feel at ease. I believe if Miss Li could swim, she would do the same.”

The girl before him was too strong. When encountering sudden situations, her first thought was always to rely on herself, never considering depending on others.

He was very glad he had arrived in time.

Qiao Zhao was rendered speechless by his question.

If she could swim, of course, she would also go down to see for herself. Because only by seeing with her own eyes, regardless of whether the result was good or bad, could she give up hope.

Qiao Zhao thought that she and Shao Mingyuan were very similar people in some respects.

However, Miss Qiao would not be left speechless by someone’s retort. She said with a stern face, “How is this the same? You have cold poison in your body—”

Shao Mingyuan didn’t go along with Qiao Zhao’s words, saying seriously: “This is not a reason to shrink back when facing difficulties.”

He looked at Qiao Zhao with gentle eyes, saying word by word: “I am a man.”

Though he spoke these words with complete openness and honesty, Qiao Zhao somehow felt her face grow hot. She looked away and said flatly: “General Shao should put his clothes back on first.”