Jian Yi had fallen — fallen into Feng Jiu’er’s arms.

His complexion was dark as ink, his pulse so faint it was nearly imperceptible. His breath was receding little by little, as if it might cease entirely at any moment. She immediately drew out her silver needles and sealed the major acupoints around his heart. But the poison had long since seeped into his five organs and six viscera. Even sealing the acupoints now — it was too late.

“Jian Yi, Jian Yi, wake up!” Feng Jiu’er pressed five more silver needles down with her fingertips and locked the acupoints along his four limbs. But still it was no good — the toxin had spread throughout his entire body and could no longer be contained.

“Jian Yi, don’t fall asleep!” In a situation like this, once he fell asleep, his body temperature would drop immediately. Perhaps he would never open his eyes again.

“Jian Yi…”

“Feng Jiu’er…”

“I’m here!” Jiu’er seized his hand tightly and said in a hoarse voice, “Be strong. I’m still thinking of a way — you’ll pull through.”

But his pulse had grown so weak she could barely find it, and his body temperature was still falling! Without an antidote, without any blood serum, without anything — the toxin could not be expelled.

“Jiu’er…” Jian Yi gripped her hand, his five fingers slowly tightening. “Find… a way out. Quickly…”

Her nose stung and this time the tears truly slid down. Why did someone finally so good always seem destined for a bad end? Why was the toxin in his body something that not even the silver needle’s sealing of acupoints could stop? Why, in a state like this, did he still worry about her safety?

The man who traded barbs with her, who was teased by her, who turned red-faced and flustered yet held back his temper — he drifted endlessly through her mind. And the man before her now: the signs of life were fading from him one by one…

The men in black above, seeing that Jian Yi’s silhouette was no longer standing guard below, began to discuss coming down. Suddenly a cool breeze swept past, and with two soft whistling sounds, two figures dropped from above.

Feng Jiu’er gripped her silver needles, glaring at them, her fingertips tightening their hold.

“The man has died from the poison!” one of the men in black saw Jian Yi lying on the ground and his eyes lit up instantly.

“Quickly! Take Feng Jiu’er away!” The other exhaled a long breath of relief, flushed with excitement, raising his long sword and advancing toward them.

The silver needles between Jiu’er’s fingertips trembled faintly. She had no internal energy now, and even if she flung the needles, she could not do them much harm. But these two needles were all she had left.

“That man’s really dead!” One of the men in black, overwhelmed with relief, quickened his pace and in an instant arrived before Feng Jiu’er.

Jiu’er had been waiting for this moment. When they drew close to her, she drove the needles in her hand with full force into that man’s neck.

“Ahh…” Completely unprepared, the man in black was struck. He rolled on the ground, let out two agonised cries, and then abruptly began frothing at the mouth and lost consciousness.

The other man stared at Feng Jiu’er, furious. “Damned wretched girl! I’ll chop off your hand first!” With that, his long sword swept out, aimed at Feng Jiu’er’s hand.

She was still kneeling beside Jian Yi, and at this moment there was truly nowhere to dodge. But she was unperturbed, watching calmly as that long sword bore down upon her arm. Since there was no escape, what was the point of wasting strength? If her life was to end here today, perhaps it was simply the will of heaven…

Suddenly, a whoosh of air, and a figure streaked past before her eyes. Jian Yi, who had been in a near-unconscious stupor, gathered every last shred of strength in his body and surged up from the ground, driving a palm forward.

“Ahh…” The man in black only managed to let out one desperate cry before his solid frame plunged into the bottomless abyss.

The people above preparing to descend were instantly frightened and fell back one by one. From the angle atop the cliff, they could not see what was happening below, nor know what had occurred inside. All they knew was that both of their fellow men had gone in — one fell to the ground screaming, then went silent. The other was struck with a single palm and sent off the cliff!

All is fair in war! So the wretched man below had only been playing dead!

After this, not one soul above dared recklessly try descending again.

Yet Jian Yi, having sent his opponent falling off the cliff, coughed up a flood of black blood. His tall frame toppled straight backward.

In his fading vision, Feng Jiu’er, her eyes wet with tears, threw herself upon him and was frantically driving needles into him. But he knew: his life, in this moment, had come to its utter end.

That drop of tear at the corner of her eye slid down her cheek. In this moment the girl was beautiful enough to stop the heart.

At last there was someone — one real person — who shed genuine tears for him. No false sentiment, no scheming, no lies. Real and true: she was weeping for him.

He wanted to raise his hand and wipe away the tears at the corner of her eyes, but both his hands weighed as if a thousand catties sat upon them — he could not move even a finger.

Don’t cry. Stop crying. Go — get back to those who are waiting for you. It was he who took her away, he who drove her into this desperate corner. I’m sorry, Jiu’er. If there is a next life, I will surely stand by her side and guard her with my life. Never again will I let her suffer the slightest harm. Never again will I speak of chopping off her hand. Never again will I cause her fear and worry. I’m sorry that in this life I had no way to protect you. I’m sorry. In the next life I will guard you well. I’m sorry…

In his fading vision, the girl wiped the tears from the corner of her eye with one hand, then pushed back her sleeve and raised her arm to her lips — and with a single bite, she broke the skin.

He did not know what she meant to do, only that when she broke through the flesh and blood welled from her arm, the place where his heart lay suddenly ached terribly…

…

The tall figure walking ahead suddenly stumbled and abruptly pressed his hand to his chest, dropping to one knee.

“Yanu!” Qiao Mu immediately ran to his side and crouched beside him. “What’s the matter? Where are you hurt?”

Out of nowhere, why had his complexion turned so pale, his face a picture of suffering?

Yanu himself did not know what had come over him. All he knew was that in an instant, the place where his heart lay felt as if a knife had been viciously stabbed into it. The pain was real — so real he could not even stand.

Yet in the very next second it vanished entirely, and now he felt nothing at all. He frowned, rose from the ground, and looked down at his own heart, puzzlement clear in his eyes.

“What in the world just happened?” Qiao Mu looked visibly anxious. Just a moment ago everything had been fine, and now his face was white as a sheet of paper.

“I don’t know.” Yanu raised his hand and wiped his brow, only to find it drenched in cold sweat. What in the world was happening — why had he suddenly been in such pain just now? Could it be… “Jiu’er…”

“You… sensed something?” Qiao Mu caught that flash of alarm in his eyes and became uneasy herself. “Did you feel that something happened to Jiu’er?”

Yanu drew a deep breath and steadied his breathing. He gazed into the distance. “I don’t know. But I feel… we are not far from her now!”