Chapter Seventy-Six: Qiu the Half-Immortal (2)

Update time: 2013-07-06

Unable to hold back, Qiao Che interjected, “Have you actually been to that cliff Father asked about or not? We can’t afford to waste any more time.”

Qiu Yifei didn’t know how they’d discovered he’d descended that cliff before, but since they’d found him, it couldn’t have been baseless. If he denied it now, who knew what from his past would be dug up. He had no choice but to answer, “I have.”

Qin Che’s face lit up with joy upon hearing this. Early that morning, he’d been sent back by his mother because of Li Jingru’s summons; an hour ago, she’d sent word she was looking for someone like this. If he brought another useless braggart, he’d surely be scolded.

“Come with me—get on your horse, quickly!”

“Go? Where to?” Qiu Yifei had a sinking feeling. Were they really going back to that place? Heaven forbid.

Seeing Qiu Yifei still kneeling on the ground, Qin Che urged, “Why are you still kneeling? Hurry up! The very cliff you went down! Lives are at stake, stop dilly-dallying. You take that horse.”

Oh, it really was that place. Qiu Yifei wanted to beg off, but when he looked up at the magistrate’s son already mounted, and the group of soldiers around, his Adam’s apple bobbed nervously. Suppressing his panic, he stood up on trembling legs, silently praying this trip was only for a look, just a look.

Under Qin Che’s relentless urging, he finally got onto the horse prepared for him, following behind as if marching to his doom.

They rode hard all the way. As they drew closer to that nightmare, Qiu Yifei grew increasingly uneasy, nearly falling off his horse several times.

When they finally stopped, he tumbled off the horse and collapsed on the ground, unable to get up. With no other option, Qin Che called for two men to carry him directly to the edge of the cliff.

Facing Yue Shiru’s back, Qin Che called, “Mother, I’ve brought him. I asked—he really has been down here.”

Yue Shiru, who had been staring anxiously at the cliff, turned around in delight, her gaze immediately locking onto the limp Qiu Yifei. She frowned. “This is Qiu the Half-Immortal? Why does he look like that?”

“He was fine at first, but as soon as he got off the horse, he became like this.” Qin Che inwardly looked down on Qiu Yifei; a grown man, constantly kneeling, now looking like a wreck after just a brief ride. He was starting to doubt whether Qiu was telling the truth about climbing the cliff.

“If you’ve been down the cliff, why didn’t you volunteer yesterday?” Yue Shiru’s tone was already cold. Because he hadn’t stepped forward, precious time had been wasted, and Qiao Zhi and Yue Lingjun had risked themselves. Three hours had passed already; if the ropes above hadn’t been well prepared and kept moving slowly, she would have suspected something had gone wrong below.

Qiu Yifei’s mind was filled with terror and memories of that time—he could almost hear the roars of wild beasts. He heard nothing else, his eyes growing vacant.

Lan Shui noticed his odd state first and quickly said, “Aunt, maybe we should get a doctor for him first and ask questions later.”

Yue Shiru nodded, and the two men supporting Qiu Yifei hurried him to the carriage. Soon, they returned with an elderly man, eyebrows like crane feathers, hair silver-white.

Yue Shiru greeted the old man with great respect. “Sorry to trouble you, Elder Lin. This man is very important.”

“You flatter me, madam.”

Elder Lin squatted before Qiu Yifei, waved a hand before his eyes, then swiftly took a silver needle from his medicine box and plunged it into Qiu’s temple, twisting it deftly before withdrawing.

Qiu Yifei felt a rush of soreness in his head, as if being pulled from a nightmare. Life slowly returned to his eyes. But when he saw the cliff so close, he turned and tried to crawl away with a speed and contortion that defied belief. Unfortunately, a trained guard lifted him back immediately.

“I beg you, spare me! Beat me to death if you must, but I’ll never go down that cliff again, never!” The grown man sobbed and sniveled, and if not for the hand gripping his collar, he’d have dropped to his knees, kowtowing.

Yue Shiru, Lan Shui, and Qingqiu’s faces all darkened after an initial flash of hope at his reaction.

Yue Shiru was still calm. “We just want to ask you how to descend the cliff. That’s all.”

Qiu Yifei instantly stopped struggling, wiping the snot and tears from his oily face with dirty hands, and asked suspiciously, “Really?”

“Really!” Yue Shiru’s patience was at its limit, her voice tinged with anger. “Now, can you tell us? How do you get down the cliff? If you don’t, I won’t mind having you thrown off right now!”

“To be thrown—” The words nearly spilled out, but Qiu Yifei swallowed them, quickly changing to, “I slipped by accident.”

Everyone present was stunned by this answer. Yue Shiru and Lan Shui exchanged a quick glance.

Qin Che, regaining his wits, berated Qiu Yifei, “Can’t you at least come up with a better lie? If you really fell, would you still be standing here? That cliff is bottomless!”

“Enough!” Yue Shiru interrupted her son. Lately, she’d found him more and more lacking in sense; it was only in comparison that she realized it.

Qin Che looked at his mother in confusion, catching a flicker of disappointment in Lan Shui’s eyes. Had he done something wrong again?

When her son fell silent, Yue Shiru turned to Qiu Yifei, “Can you tell us what happened?”

In those few breaths, Qiu Yifei had already decided what to do if they didn’t believe him. After all, whether he was thrown down or fell, the result was much the same. But now, seeing they believed him, he momentarily lost his train of thought and recounted his prepared story.

“About two years ago, I was wandering here out of boredom, didn’t see the cliff, and stepped off by accident.”

“And then?” Lan Shui pressed eagerly.

“Then I fell, of course,” Qiu Yifei answered, still a bit dazed.

“I mean, how are you still alive after falling?”

“Oh, you mean that.” Qiu Yifei finally caught up. “I was lucky. There’s a forest below. When I woke up, I was stuck in a tree.”

Yue Shiru’s eyes brightened at those words. “Is the forest large? Are the trees tall?”

Qiu Yifei nodded numbly.

“And is the place where you fell far from here?”

Qiu Yifei pointed to where Qingqiu stood. “Right there.”

All at once, everyone’s eyes lit up. Yue Shiru clasped her hands and murmured prayers for a long time. It was a surprise—she’d all but lost hope for Yue’er’s survival, but now someone had fallen here and lived, and the spot was so close—perhaps Yue’er would be just as lucky.

Lan Shui asked urgently, “Then do you know the way down there?”

Qiu Yifei didn’t understand their excitement but shook his head.

“How did you get back up, then?”

At this, all color drained from Qiu Yifei’s face, and his voice trembled. “I crossed the forest below and found a road over the mountain there.”

“And where is that mountain?”

At the mention of a road, everyone’s tense expressions eased.

“Mount Floating Cloud,” he replied. He could never forget that place—it was his sanctuary from misery.

“So far?” Qin Che blurted in surprise. Even at a gallop, it would take seven or eight days.

After a moment’s silence, Yue Shiru made her decision. She looked at Qiu Yifei. “Please draw the route for us in detail, and note any important points. Can you write?”

“I can.” Relieved that he wasn’t being asked to lead the way, Qiu Yifei answered quickly.

Yue Shiru then turned to Qin Che, who was still amazed. “Che’er, take the map, gather a team, and return to Heluo Prefecture. Ride to Mount Floating Cloud as fast as you can.”

Qiu Yifei seized the chance to ask, “After I draw the map, can I go back with you?”

“The rope is moving! His Highness has reached the bottom!” The guard holding Qiao Zhi’s rope shouted excitedly.

Qiu Yifei was left to one side, pale-faced as he watched the crowd in a frenzy.

He muttered to himself, “Reaching the bottom—that’s when the true nightmare begins.”