“We can only wait down here in the cave… without any food… along with a beast…”
As Jiang Cheng slowly walked over, propping Wei WuXian up, they happened to hear the ‘without any food’ part of the conversation. Wei WuXian, “Jiang Cheng, there’s a piece of cooked meat here. You want to eat it?”
Jiang Cheng, “Get lost! You really haven’t learned your lesson, have you? Just what situation do you think we’re in? You don’t know how much I want to sew your lips together.”
Lan WangJi’s light-colored eyes landed on them. Immediately after, they landed on MianMian, who followed behind them, at a loss as to what to do. Tears stained her face as she continued to sob, hands clenching her robe as she said ‘I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry’ over and over again. Wei WuXian plugged his ears, “Hey, stop crying, alright? I’m the one who was burned, not you. Don’t tell me that you want me to cheer you up? How about you cheer me up? Okay, enough, Jiang Cheng, stop carrying me. It’s not like my leg is broken.”
The girls circled around MianMian and began to sniffle together.
Lan WangJi’s gaze returned as he turned around to leave.
Jiang Cheng, “Young Master Lan, where are you going? The beast is still waiting in the pool.”
Lan WangJi, “Return to the pool. There is a way to leave.”
After the boys had heard that there was a way to leave, even the crying stopped. Wei WuXian, “What is it?”
Lan WangJi, “There are leaves within the pool.”
Although the sentence sounded rather strange, Wei WuXian understood at once.
Atop the dark pool that the beast dwelled in, there were indeed a few leaves. But, inside of the cave, there were neither maple trees nor the trace of any human activity and, near the entrance, there was only a banyan tree. The maple leaves, however, were as red as fire, flaunting how fresh they were. When they came up the mountain, they had also seen the sight of leaves drifting along water in a creek.
Jiang Cheng had realized as well, “At the bottom of the pool, it’s likely that there’s a hole connected with water from the outside. That would’ve brought in the maple leaves in the forest creek.”
Someone spoke in a timid voice, “But… How do we know if the hole is large enough to let people through? What if it’s really small and it’s only a slit?”
Jin ZiXuan frowned, “And the beast is still watching stubbornly over the pool.”
Wei WuXian lifted the lapel of his robe, one of his hands fanning at the wound under his clothes, “If there’s hope, then let’s move. No matter what, it’s better than waiting for our parents here and doing nothing. So what if it’s watching over the pool? We can just lure it out.”
After some negotiation, a while later, the group of boys again went off the same way they had come.
Hiding in a hole within the cave, they quietly peeped at the beast.
Most of its body was still soaked in the pool. The long body of a snake extended from its turtle shell. It approached the shore, opened its jaw, and softly clenched the corpse between its teeth before it shrunk back, dragging the corpse back into its dark, castle-like shell. It was as though it wanted to savor it in there.
Wei WuXian tossed out a torch. It crashed into one corner of the cave.
The sound was especially exaggerated within the dead silence of the underground. The head of the beast slid out of its shell at once. Its thin pupils reflected the eagerly burning torch. Instinctively attracted to things that gave light and heat, it slowly extended its neck out.
Behind it, Jiang Cheng noiselessly dove into the water.
The YunmengJiang Sect settled near water. The swimming abilities of its disciples were all exceptional. The moment that Jiang Cheng had dived, the ripples disappeared immediately. The surface of the water didn’t even do so much as to crease. Everyone stared at the water, glancing at the beast at times. Seeing that the large, black head had always been hesitantly circling around the torch, debating between approaching or not, everyone’s hearts tightened.
Suddenly, as though having finally decided to get a taste of what this really was, it moved its nose close. Yet, it was slightly scorched by the searing flames.
The neck of the beast shrunk away at once. Two streams of water vapour shot out with rage from its nostrils, putting the torch out.
At this point in time, Jiang Cheng just happened to have swum out of the water and took in a deep breath. Sensing that its territory had been intruded, it shook its head and plunged toward Jiang Cheng.
Noticing the situation at hand, Wei WuXian bit his finger and drew something illegible on his palm. Rushing out of the hole they hid in, he slapped his palm onto the ground. As his he removed his hand, a fire as tall a person sprouted from the ground!
Surprised, the beast turned around and looked over. Jiang Cheng used the opportunity to climb ashore, shouting, “There’s a hole at the bottom, not too small!”
Wei WuXian, “How small is not too small?”
Jiang Cheng, “About half a dozen can pass at a time!”
Wei WuXian shouted, “Everyone, listen up. Follow Jiang Cheng and swim into the underwater hole. Those who aren’t injured watch out for those who are, those who can swim watch out for those who can’t. Half a dozen can pass at a time, so nobody rush. Now, go!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the flame that had sprouted slowly died down. He backed off ten-or-so steps into another direction, then hit the ground with his palm again, letting out another bout of fire. The beast’s golden eyes appeared reddish through the light of the flames. Burning mad, it waved its limbs and climbed toward the fire, dragging above it its mountain of a body.
Jiang Cheng raged, “What are you doing?!”
Wei WuXian, “What are you doing?! Get them down there!”
He had already successfully lured the beast out of the water and onto the shore. If they didn’t leave now, what were they waiting for? Jiang Cheng clenched his teeth, “Everyone, come here. Those who can swim alone, stand on the left; those who can’t, stand on the right!”
Wei WuXian was inspecting the area of the cave as he backed away with the fires. Suddenly, pain burst through his arm. Looking down, he saw that he had been shot by an arrow. It turned out that the Lan Sect disciple that Lan WangJi had glared at picked up one of the bows the Wen Sect had left and shot at the beast. However, perhaps realizing how fearsomely agile it was, his hand had slipped and the arrow had lost its aim, landing on Wei WuXian instead. Wei WuXian had no time to pull it out, hitting the ground with his palm again. He only cursed after the flame had appeared, “Back off!! Don’t cause me any trouble!”
The disciple had originally wanted to hit the beast’s vital spot with just one shot, so that he could save some of the face that he had lost. However, he never expected it to turn out like this. Face paler than ever, he threw himself into the water and fled as fast as he could. Jiang Cheng hurried Wei WuXian, “Get over here!”
Wei WuXian, “I will!”
Jiang Cheng still had three disciples who couldn’t swim beside him. This could be considered the last batch. He knew that they weren’t able to wait and had to dive into the water without Wei WuXian. Wei WuXian only realized after he had pulled the arrow out of his arm, Oh no!