Chapter Seventy-Seven: Encountering a Wild Boar

Update time: 2013-07-06

After landing, Yue Lingjun let out a long breath, stretched his aching limbs, and began to survey his surroundings. He had never expected there to be a hidden realm beneath the sheer cliff.

"Qingling, stay here and rest. Once you've recovered, you'll need to climb back up and report the situation below to Aunt."

"The rest of us will spread out and search this area. If we find—"

The next few words stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

Qiao Zhi, perceptive as ever, interrupted, "Danfeng, Danliang, we'll follow Brother Yue's instructions."

"Understood!"

Qiao Zhi turned his gaze to Yue Lingjun and said, "Brother Yue, let's begin. We can rest once we've found Sister Yue'er."

Yue Lingjun was already anxious, itching to begin the search immediately. His earlier words were for Qiao Zhi's sake, but seeing him suggest it himself, Yue Lingjun felt deeply moved and silently made note of this kindness.

"Very well! Let's start."

The five of them fanned out, searching the area. Soon, they discovered the carcass of a horse being devoured by ants and insects, and their expressions grew grave.

Fortunately, their continued search yielded nothing related to Lian Yue, and both Yue Lingjun and Qiao Zhi breathed a sigh of relief. For them, finding nothing was the best outcome.

Returning to their starting point, Yue Lingjun sent the now-recovered Qingling back along the original path. Qiao Zhi, after some thought, had Danliang accompany Qingling. This way, they could look out for each other, and his own guards might not trust Qingling alone.

Meanwhile, two kilometers away at the base of the cliff, thirteen black-clad men—including Lian—stood before the precipice, retracting their "ape hands" and gazing at the cliff with lingering fear.

"This cliff rivals the valley we were thrown into years ago, doesn't it, Seventy-one?"

"I think this one's even more formidable. My goodness, what a rush!"

Sixty-nine glanced at Seventy-one, who was visibly excited but whose legs could not stop trembling. With a touch of disdain, he thought, "Show-off. Clearly terrified, yet pretending otherwise."

"Enough, everyone knows how you two feel. No need to boast," Thirteen interjected, stopping their banter. He continued, "The Young Master and Forty-seven have likely entered the forest by now. Our mission is clear: the Yue family young master and the Sixth Prince entered the valley half an hour ahead of us. With their skills, they should already be at the bottom."

Thirteen paused, surveying the group as they grew serious. "Our main task is to block their advance, delay them as much as possible, and buy time for the Young Master."

"Understood!" they replied in unison.

Seventy-one secretly added in his heart, "Basically, we're here to help the Young Master woo the girl!"

As if reading his mind, Thirteen fixed his gaze on Seventy-one and said sternly, "Seventy-one, you'd better not act on your own again. You know the consequences if anything goes wrong."

Seventy-one, aggrieved, was about to retort when Sixty-nine dragged him toward the forest.

Sixty-nine glanced back at Thirteen and gave him a reassuring look. "I'll go with Seventy-one to assist Forty-seven. We'll head out first."

"What are you doing!" Seventy-one shook off Sixty-nine's hand in annoyance. "Why is it always me you single out?"

Sixty-nine shot him a sidelong look, his tone flat. "Why? Do you really need to ask? You always act alone during missions. Aside from me, no one wants to team up with you."

Seventy-one grumbled but didn't argue further, leaping onto a nearby tree.

Sixty-nine shook his head and followed, heading toward the pond as Thirteen had described.

At the same time, Yue Lingjun and Qiao Zhi, like blind cats stumbling upon a dead mouse, were searching the defenses near the pond.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Yuwen Lingxi and Yue Lian Yue found themselves facing their first wild boar.

Lian Yue had eaten plenty of pork and seen many domestic pigs run around Phoenix Ridge, but compared to the wild boar before her, those tame creatures were gentle kittens.

Under a tree five zhang away, a robust wild boar glared at Yuwen Lingxi and Yue Lian Yue, its barrel-shaped body taut, black bristles standing on end. Its long snout revealed sharp canine teeth, and its hind hooves pawed the earth, ready to charge.

Yuwen Lingxi shielded Lian Yue behind him. Her lively eyes mingled excitement with a trace of fear, but the fear was negligible. In the past two hours, Lian Yue had grown accustomed to the snakes, insects, and creatures as Yuwen Lingxi had anticipated.

Though she had enjoyed plenty of succulent rabbit meat at noon, her stomach was protesting again. Now, the ferocious wild boar appeared to her as a golden roast pig.

She even urged Yuwen Lingxi, rather shamelessly, "Why are you staring down the pig? Hurry up!"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Lingxi, who had been intimidating the boar, faltered. The boar, thinking it had frightened him, dug its hooves into the ground and charged at them.

Yuwen Lingxi moved sideways, pulling Lian Yue into his arms and dodging the attack. With a swift, powerful stroke of his sword, he decapitated the boar.

The wild boar, charging fiercely, collapsed to the ground.

"That was incredible!" Lian Yue's eyes sparkled at Yuwen Lingxi's handsome and commanding display, unable to restrain her admiration.

Overhead, amidst the dense canopy, Forty-seven watched below in distress. The forest was vast, teeming with beasts, especially wild boars; he had just dealt with two ahead and returned to warn Yuwen Lingxi, only to see them facing another.

But that wasn't what troubled him most. From his vantage point, he saw six wild boars rushing toward them, and he would not be able to intervene in time.

Yuwen Lingxi felt the tremors beneath his feet and said to Lian Yue, "Get up into the tree and wait for a moment."

Lian Yue was about to ask why when she sensed the vibrations herself. Shocked, she immediately used her lightness skill to perch on a branch of the tree behind, watching below anxiously. She soon spotted the charging wild boars and called out urgently to Yuwen Lingxi, "Three—no, five—wait, six! They're coming from the same direction!"

Directly above her, Forty-seven held his breath and lay motionless. Luckily, Lian Yue's attention was entirely on the ground; had she looked up, she would have met a pair of dark, gleaming eyes.

Yuwen Lingxi gripped his sword in his right hand, left hand behind his back, face tense as he watched the approaching boars. He leaped gracefully, swirling his sword in dazzling patterns, and in a flash, landed steadily on the ground behind them.

"Thud, thud, thud," the once-ferocious wild boars collapsed one by one into the grass.

"It's safe now, come down!"

Yue Lian Yue leaped down lightly, still savoring Yuwen Lingxi's elegant moves. She pleaded, "Could you teach me swordplay?"

Yuwen Lingxi plucked a few leaves and wiped the blood from his sword before sheathing it, puzzled as he looked at Lian Yue. "You haven't studied martial arts before?"

"I have, of course I have," Lian Yue replied, touching her nose sheepishly. "But what I learned isn't nearly as powerful as yours."

"Oh, please teach me! I really like your style." She grabbed Yuwen Lingxi's sleeve, looking up and pleading coquettishly, "Please..."

Yuwen Lingxi gazed down at her beneath the dappled shadows, her cherry lips pursed, skin luminous and tender, her silky black hair cascading around her waist like morning blossoms, so lovely and delicate that he could neither refuse nor resist the urge to steal a kiss.

Suppressing the restless stirrings in his heart, Yuwen Lingxi's voice grew lower than usual, "Alright."