Chapter Sixty-Seven: Tempest and Turmoil (2)

Update time: July 2, 2013

Qingqiu was at that moment urging his horse at full speed toward the direction of Heluo Prefecture. From a distance, he spotted Qiao Zhi’s troops, and at the same time, Qiao Zhi saw him. Both reined in their horses.

“My lord.”

“Have you found her?”

They spoke in unison, then fell silent together. Qingqiu had thought this was merely a chance encounter, but now, with Qiao Zhi’s first words, even a fool could tell he had come specifically for this. Qingqiu discreetly glanced at the guards behind Qiao Zhi, his respect for the prince deepening. At present, this prince was anxiously waiting for his reply.

“She hasn’t been found yet. Judging by the current situation, things don’t look optimistic,” Qingqiu reported honestly.

Qiao Zhi grew agitated at the news. Had that girl met with some accident? He urged, “What exactly do you mean by ‘not optimistic’? Explain in detail.”

Qingqiu gathered his thoughts and said, “From here, after traveling ten kilometers, there’s a forest, and at the end, a bottomless cliff. According to our current speculation, the young lady and her horse both fell down together. Her fate remains uncertain.”

“Her fate remains uncertain… her fate remains uncertain…” Qiao Zhi muttered to himself. Was it truly this dire? Could it be that she was already…

Qingqiu, uneasy atop his horse, saw Qiao Zhi had no intention of letting him leave. But urgent rescue awaited, so he mustered his courage and said, “If Your Highness has no further orders, I must hurry to Heluo Prefecture. When I went ahead seeking reinforcements, I never expected matters would be so grave. There’s still much to prepare.”

Qiao Zhi was not intent on detaining him. Hearing this, he promptly ordered two of his guards to accompany Qingqiu back to Heluo Prefecture to assist him.

Qingqiu thanked him and rushed off at a gallop toward Heluo Prefecture.

Qiao Zhi, anxious for Lian Yue, did not linger either. With his men, he hurried to the location Qingqiu had described, clinging to a faint hope.

When Qiao Zhi arrived at the scene, he leaned over to gaze down the cloud-shrouded cliff. The last shred of hope in his heart vanished.

Yue Lingjun, surprised that Qiao Zhi was the first to arrive, nonetheless knew that every extra pair of hands reduced Lian Yue’s peril. He dispensed with formal thanks and instead explained the situation and their theories to Qiao Zhi.

Unexpectedly, after a few days apart, their reunion was under such dire circumstances. Qiao Zhi stared blankly at the cliff for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, then calmly ordered his guards to join the search and rescue team.

With Qiao Zhi’s two guards accompanying him, Qingqiu entered Heluo Prefecture unimpeded and quickly relayed Yue Lingjun’s instructions to the assembled officials.

Within moments, a frenzy erupted in Heluo Prefecture as ropes, iron picks, and other tools were bought up in bulk. Some merchants sought to raise prices opportunistically, but the Qin Prefecture and Heluo Prince swiftly suppressed them, issuing a notice that anyone who refused to cooperate or inflated prices would be arrested and imprisoned.

At the same time, they called for skilled adventurers who had explored the cliff, offering exceptionally generous rewards. Many responded, and after careful selection, two herbalists were found who had once descended that very cliff.

However, neither had ever reached the bottom. According to their descriptions, the cliff was not only steep but offered fewer footholds the further one went down, with scarce herbs. Each had ventured down only once and never returned.

The two herbalists were retained, along with several experienced applicants. Yue Zheng personally paid half the deposit in advance, and a large group set out from Heluo Prefecture, equipped with ropes and tools.

At the foot of the cliff, Lian Yue sat, discouraged, beside a pond while Yu Wen Lingxi was preparing some live fish.

The two had traversed the base of the cliff for some distance, but when they looked up, the rock face remained smooth and impassable, with no chance of climbing out. As the sun set, they were fortunate to have found a pond. For now, it was best to fill their starving stomachs and regain some strength.

But in such matters, Lian Yue was of no help. She had always eaten but never cooked; catching fish was certainly beyond her. Yu Wen Lingxi assigned her the task of gathering firewood.

The area was a forest, and it was summer, so Lian Yue quickly returned with a heap of branches. She then watched Yu Wen Lingxi, as if performing magic, dispatch the fish with a single stroke of his sword—one fish after another, all still alive.

Unable to contribute, Lian Yue walked to the pond. If she had to describe her condition with an idiom, she would unhesitatingly use “too dreadful to look at.”

Her dress was stained with blood and dust, with several tears—likely from tumbling onto trees as she fell from the cliff. Fortunately, it was not so bad as to be indecent.

A stroke of luck: Lian Yue discovered the black scarf was somehow tucked in her bosom. She carefully washed it in the pond, then used the lake as a mirror to gently clean the wounds on her face.

Had this not been wilderness, and had Yu Wen Lingxi not been nearby peeling fresh fish, she truly wished to dive into the lake for a thorough wash.

But as these conditions did not exist, Lian Yue only cleaned the exposed skin. The bottle of medicinal salve was not as fortunate as the black scarf—it had long since been lost.

Yet Lian Yue was unconcerned about these things. Her companion, carrying his ever-useful medicine pouch, had finished preparing the fish, washed his hands, and produced a porcelain bottle, handing it to Lian Yue.

Though their time together had been brief, Lian Yue no longer harbored any suspicion or unease toward the masked man in black before her; instead, she felt a kindred sympathy.

Yu Wen Lingxi had never guarded against Lian Yue, only cherished her. He concealed his fondness well, so Lian Yue remained unaware.

Just as he processed the fish, he kept an eye on her every move. Otherwise, how could he have known so precisely when she needed ointment?

Lian Yue carefully applied the medicine using lake water. Meanwhile, Yu Wen Lingxi had built the fire, sharpened several sticks, fashioned a simple rack, and skewered the fish, placing them over the flames.

To Lian Yue, Yu Wen Lingxi seemed ever more resourceful—catching fish, cleaning fish, making fire, roasting fish—he did everything deftly, as if he had done it countless times.

Though it was already dusk, summer had arrived. Watching the blaze, Lian Yue had no desire to approach. She stopped at a distance, her curious almond eyes wide as she asked, “Why do you seem to know everything? Did you often do this before?”

Yu Wen Lingxi focused on roasting the fish. His expression was hidden by the mask, but his eyes flickered with memories as he stared at the flames. Had he often done this before? Perhaps only occasionally; most times he ate his food raw.

Lian Yue, seeing he did not respond, assumed she had touched a sore spot and guessed his origins must have been difficult, that he must have endured hardship. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to mock you.”

Yu Wen Lingxi’s hands paused, then resumed their work. “I know.”

Lian Yue, hearing him answer, perked up. After all, here they were alone; if he remained silent, she would surely go mad. As for how many words he spoke, Lian Yue did not care—so long as he spoke at all.

“What’s your name?”

“An Ming.”

Lian Yue silently repeated the name several times. It seemed oddly familiar, as though she had heard it often, but she could not recall where.

She let the question go and continued, “I was just curious—you seem to know everything. Where did you learn it all? Compared to you, I really know nothing.” Her eyes shone bright, and she spoke without the slightest embarrassment.

“But you do know how to eat, don’t you?”

As soon as the words left him, Yu Wen Lingxi was stunned. Was this teasing? He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and sure enough, Lian Yue was also startled by his remark. Would she be angry?

Lian Yue was stunned, wondering whether he was praising or insulting her. But soon she decided it was praise, so the next moment she burst out laughing. “Ha ha… So you’re not just a block of wood! You’re right, I’m very skilled at eating! Roast them well—I’ll be inspecting your work soon!”

Yu Wen Lingxi saw she was not angry, realizing he had overthought it. It seemed anything concerning her made him lose his composure, though only he knew this.

Their conversation continued, albeit sporadically—mostly Lian Yue spoke and Yu Wen Lingxi listened. Luckily, Lian Yue did not find this odd.

Soon, the intoxicating aroma of roasting fish wafted from the rack, tantalizing Lian Yue’s nose and making her stomach growl incessantly. She forgot about chatting, her eyes fixed on the fish turning golden and crisp, even swallowing audibly.

Clearly, hunger had gotten the better of her. Yu Wen Lingxi swiftly turned the fish over the fire, then selected one that was perfectly golden and handed it to Lian Yue.