“Sister Cui.” Shi Cuiyan’s face was full of gentleness, but inside she was mocking the girl in front of her. This Xi Fuhong had a fitting name, but whether she cherished her blessings was unknown. However, the red was truly red, and the birthmark covering her face was exceptionally unsightly.
“Sister Cui, let me pack my clothes, and then we can leave.”
Xi Fuhong quickly ran into the house, rummaging through a simple cupboard to find a piece of coarse cloth. She wrapped her only two sets of long robes and held them in her arms. This was all her possessions; she had no money or valuable jewelry. The only thing of value she had left was her ten years of memories in Wufeng Valley, which had accompanied her growth and never changed.
Though she felt a bit sentimental, she kept comforting herself that she could return once she found her grandmother.
Stepping out of the house, Xi Fuhong was about to call Shi Cuiyan, but saw her squatting by the roadside, smelling the flowers. The sunlight slanted through the clouds, surrounding the fairy-like girl with a golden glow. The picturesque tranquility left Xi Fuhong in awe once again, thinking that she would soon be traveling with such a beautiful girl, causing her ears to heat up.
“Sister Xi, why didn’t you call me when you came out?” Shi Cuiyan noticed someone beside her and looked up with a smile.
“Um… Sister Cui, let me take you through the secret path. We can’t get out from the outside.”
Xi Fuhong awkwardly walked away quickly, ignoring Shi Cuiyan’s calls to wait. Instead of heading towards the stone path, they walked towards the water source. Xi Fuhong had only ever seen her grandmother leave through the secret path, and it was her first time entering it herself. She stood by the waterfall, gazing, and suddenly jumped into the pool with a splash. Shi Cuiyan raised her eyebrows, complaining inwardly about having to dive. Xi Fuhong submerged completely, and after a while, the ground shook. Shi Cuiyan steadied herself, watching as the waterfall’s flow became turbulent, and the splashing water seemed to indicate some stone movement, drenching her. She wiped the water off her face in annoyance, then saw Xi Fuhong swim up from the water, pointing behind the waterfall, “There’s a secret path behind, hurry in, it will close soon.”
The two of them passed through the waterfall into a dark stone cave. As soon as Xi Fuhong’s foot was steady, the stone door rumbled shut. The cave was dim, and Shi Cuiyan took out an oiled paper cloth from her bosom. Fortunately, she had the good habit of carrying a fire starter for emergencies. She blew on the fire starter a few times, and the surroundings were instantly illuminated.
In front of them was a narrow path, only wide enough for one person. Shi Cuiyan handed the fire starter to Xi Fuhong to lead the way. She wasn’t foolish enough to take the lead in this unfamiliar place, thinking that if the cunning Gui Po had set any traps, even her excellent martial arts wouldn’t help in this narrow cave.
“Is there anything… dangerous ahead?” Xi Fuhong’s heart raced as she looked into the pitch-black distance.
“Sister, you’re overthinking. Let’s hurry.” Shi Cuiyan urged from behind.
Xi Fuhong was pushed forward and had to move step by step. She focused intently on the distance, listening carefully for any unexpected sounds. But after walking for a while, the natural stone path remained unchanged, with no forks in the road.
Shi Cuiyan followed behind, feeling inexplicably irritated. The path was dark and silent, straight and without bends, eerily chilling.
In contrast, Xi Fuhong felt more at ease the further she walked. She thought that since this path was used by her grandmother to go outside, setting traps here would only cause trouble for herself. With this thought, she quickened her pace, eager to see the light again, unaware that Shi Cuiyan’s expression had changed. She reached out to grab Xi Fuhong, nearly causing her to fall.
“Sister Xi! Are you trying to leave me behind by walking so fast?” Shi Cuiyan teased.
“I wasn’t… I just wanted to get out quickly.” Xi Fuhong explained innocently.
“Even if you want to get out, you can’t be careless. This cave is strange, better to be cautious.” Shi Cuiyan frowned.
She pondered, realizing they had been walking for almost an hour without finding an exit. Could it be a ghost wall? Shi Cuiyan followed closely behind Xi Fuhong, watching her small figure, thinking that the girl seemed unaware of anything unusual. If there really was some illusion, neither of them would be able to leave.
“Sister Xi, did Gui Po ever mention any mechanisms in the secret path?” Shi Cuiyan asked softly.
Xi Fuhong tilted her head in thought, “Grandmother only let me open the secret path for her, never mentioned any mechanisms inside.”
“But we’ve been walking for so long, my legs are sore.” Shi Cuiyan whined.
Xi Fuhong finally slowed down, “Do you want to rest?” She looked back at Shi Cuiyan, seeing the firelight casting a weary look on her face, feeling a pang of sympathy. But Shi Cuiyan didn’t reply, just took the fire starter and looked around, then walked ahead. Xi Fuhong followed, puzzled, watching the petite figure searching for something. Unlike Shi Cuiyan’s sharp mind, Xi Fuhong began to daydream after a while, not noticing that the person in front had stopped, and bumped straight into her.
“What, what happened?” Xi Fuhong asked, rubbing her sore forehead.
Shi Cuiyan turned back, glaring at her, “There’s wind, there’s an opening.”
She raised the fire starter to illuminate the stone wall. Following Xi Fuhong earlier, she hadn’t noticed, but now leading, she felt a cool breeze. She crouched down, examining the area, and keenly spotted a hole chiseled by a sharp tool on the lower left stone wall. Reaching in, she found a heavy iron chain.
“Hmph!” Shi Cuiyan suddenly sneered, “Trying to trap me? Not a chance!” She pulled hard, and a loud rumble echoed. The seemingly solid stone wall slowly descended, revealing a hidden door. Shi Cuiyan dropped the chain and quickly stepped outside. She was chilled to the bone in the dark stone path and longed for the sun’s warmth.
Xi Fuhong, on the other hand, squinted her eyes, standing inside the cave.
Her previously calm heart was now surging with emotion.
Looking up… it was the blue sky she hadn’t seen in over a decade.
Speaking of sorrow, Xi Fuhong truly felt sorrowful.
Living to the age of fifteen, she had never realized how blue the sky could be. This was because she had spent her entire life in a misty valley where the sky was never visible. She had never seen what the sky looked like, and now that she had, she found it vast and endlessly magnificent.
She stared without blinking, feeling as if even her breathing was suppressed.
One step forward, and she would truly be out of the valley.
There was some anticipation, but even more unease. What kind of place would it be outside the valley? She wondered to herself, would it be like the books Grandma brought back, filled with monsters and ghosts? Or would it be the bloody battles of the martial world? Or perhaps the oppressive rule of the court, leaving the people in misery?
She didn’t want to see any of these, and all of them filled her with fear.
Leaving Wu Feng Valley, what would the future hold for her?
Xi Fuhong anxiously tightened her grip on her clothes. She really wanted to tell Shi Cuiyan, “Forget it, I better not go out,” but the arrow was already on the string, and she had no way back. At this moment, she could only stand there like a piece of wood, facing an unfamiliar world she had never set foot in, while behind her was the world she had grown up in.
Was this feeling one of reluctance to let go… or fear of letting go?
Standing at the edge of the cliff, Shi Cuiyan had already scouted the path down the mountain. She turned back and smiled, waving at Xi Fuhong, only to see her still hiding in the shadow of the cave, not moving. Suddenly feeling displeased, she wondered if Xi Fuhong had changed her mind. Pouting, she ran towards Xi Fuhong and forcefully pulled her.
“Wait! I, I still…”
Before she could finish saying she needed to mentally prepare, Shi Cuiyan had already dragged her out of the cave. Poor Xi Fuhong, her mind hadn’t adjusted yet, and her body was suddenly exposed to the sunlight outside the valley. Her face instantly turned as stiff and pale as if she had been pushed into an icy river for days. There was no need to lament anymore; she would always be dragged along by Shi Cuiyan.
