Arriving at the Wrong Time?
Gu Baiyi didn't quite understand what Ji Rong meant.
In truth, Qiu Sushuang was even more confused.
She had originally entered the Yunxian Cave with Yun Ying but was separated due to a cave-in, ending up on the seventh underground level.
To her surprise, she encountered the woman in purple robes, covered in blood, her wounds looking rather terrifying.
Now, as she looked at the sword wound on Gu Baiyi and the fresh blood staining Ji Rong's silk garments, Qiu Sushuang's brows furrowed deeper.
Could it be that the sect's rumors were wrong? Was it actually Ji Rong who wanted Gu Baiyi dead?
[Ding! Qiu Sushuang's favorability -10]
Ji Rong was stunned.
Aside from arriving at a seemingly inopportune moment, she hadn't done anything to offend Qiu Sushuang, had she?
Yet, Qiu Sushuang's expression grew even colder.
Taking a step forward, she shielded Gu Baiyi behind her and said to Ji Rong, "Senior Sister Ji, are you aware that harming a fellow sect member is a grave offense?"
…What offense?
Ji Rong watched as Qiu Sushuang placed herself protectively in front of the protagonist, her gaze sharp with hostility. Ji Rong was already floating on cloud nine, caught up in the delicious tension of this scene.
But she truly didn't understand, why was Qiu Sushuang treating her like an enemy? And if anyone here was guilty of attacking a fellow disciple, shouldn't Gu Baiyi be the one answering for it?
Despite her love for shipping couples, Ji Rong maintained a calm tone. "And? Do you intend to convict me?"
Qiu Sushuang hadn't expected Ji Rong to be so brazen, so utterly unfazed even after being accused.
She was not the type to be blindly righteous, but she also could not stand by and let someone oppress a fellow sect member in broad daylight.
Just as she was about to rebuke Ji Rong's actions, Gu Baiyi stepped forward and sighed softly, her voice gentle.
"Junior Sister Qiu, you misunderstand."
Seeing Gu Baiyi's mild and delicate demeanor, Qiu Sushuang remained skeptical. She spoke slowly, "Senior Sister Gu, I may not be as skilled as you, but if it comes to a fight to the death, I am willing to risk my life."
Hearing the words "risk my life", Ji Rong was instantly overwhelmed with emotion.
She vividly recalled that scene atop Tianji Peak's cliffside.
At that time, the protagonist had been severely wounded, surrounded by the disciples of Wanjian Sect.
Yet, Qiu Sushuang never left her side. At the crucial moment, she had stepped in front of Gu Baiyi, blocking a fatal strike for her.
The game's narration had described it like this:
Gu Baiyi was gravely injured, with the righteous sect's swords before her and a bottomless abyss behind.
Just as she had nowhere left to retreat, a figure in dark hair and green robes stood before her, sword in hand.
A thousand sword shadows came crashing down, but that person covered her eyes with a hand and whispered, "Don't look."
Scalding liquid splattered onto her face. Gu Baiyi's lips moved, but all that emerged from her throat were broken sounds.
She felt no pain from a blade piercing her body. But when she opened her eyes and saw the bamboo flute lying in a pool of blood, she collapsed to the ground, curling into herself in anguish.
She remembered that night two months ago, after the banquet had ended under the moonlit sky, when Qiu Sushuang had told her—
"Life is short; a full cup must be drunk. If ever I find a true kindred spirit, I will accompany them to the end, even unto death."
At that time, Ji Rong had desperately wanted to type "If this isn't love, then what is?" in the game's global chat.
Alas, back then, she had been disguised as a die-hard Gu Baiyi x Ji Rong shipper, so she could only shed silent tears for the breathtaking tragedy of Qiu Bai instead.
Gu Baiyi was momentarily dazed as well, clearly moved. She spoke again, earnestly explaining, "Junior Sister Qiu, you truly misunderstand. Senior Sister Ji never harmed me."
Ji Rong was dumbfounded.
What was the protagonist saying? When has she ever done anything to her? And even if something had happened, shouldn't they be bitter enemies locked in a blood feud instead?
Qiu Sushuang frowned, still unconvinced.
Gu Baiyi sighed helplessly. In front of the two of them, she reached up and half-removed her outer robe, revealing her blood-stained back.
Her injury was not minor. The wound was wrapped in a layer of white silk, the bandaging technique crude. But despite the clumsiness, the bleeding had stopped.
Qiu Sushuang's expression shifted.
She recognized it instantly, the strip of cloth had clearly been torn from Ji Rong's own garments.
Her gaze flicked to Ji Rong's tattered hem, then back to Ji Rong's cool, indifferent expression.
In that instant, she realized she had indeed misunderstood.
But the wound on Gu Baiyi's body was unquestionably from a sword. And aside from Ji Rong, there was no one else here. Could it be that Gu Baiyi had… stabbed herself?
Qiu Sushuang couldn't make sense of it, nor did she want to.
Regardless, she had been mistaken, and that warranted an apology.
She bowed slightly to Ji Rong and said sincerely, "I am ashamed, Senior Sister Ji. I was too quick to judge. I hope you can forgive me."
No, you weren't wrong. I was the one who shouldn't be here.
If she could go back in time, Ji Rong would rather have turned into a withered lotus floating in the pond, swaying silently in the breeze, watching her CP live happily ever after.
Not standing here, playing the role of a villain, locking eyes with her ship, drowning in unspeakable regret.
Alas, character constraints prevented her from speaking her true feelings.
So she simply gazed at Qiu Sushuang, swallowed down all the words she wanted to say, and calmly replied, "It's fine."
[Ding! Qiu Sushuang's favorability +20]
Ji Rong was devastated.
Can I transfer this favorability to the protagonist? What use do I have for it?
[…Dear, that's not possible.]
As Ji Rong and Qiu Sushuang conversed, Gu Baiyi had already put her robe back on.
She cleared her throat lightly and smiled. "That aside, Junior Sister Qiu, how did you find this place?"
Qiu Sushuang pondered for a moment before answering, "Junior Sister Yun Ying and I had just entered the Yunxian Cave when we got separated due to a cave-in. I followed the sound of flowing water and ended up here."
Gu Baiyi thought of the female corpse Ye Chuyang had unearthed earlier. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "There's something odd about this place. The path above is blocked by rubble, we likely can't go back. Our only option is to head deeper if we want to find a way out."
"Senior Sister Gu is right."
Qiu Sushuang nodded, fully agreeing with Gu Baiyi's assessment.
Gu Baiyi smiled and turned to look at Ji Rong.
She noticed that Ji Rong had remained silent from the very beginning, so she gently asked, "Senior Sister, what do you think?"
Ji Rong nodded.
She thought it was good, very good.
Just standing here, watching the two of them talk, made her feel that the world was peaceful and her life was without regrets.
With a calm expression, Ji Rong clasped her trembling hands behind her back and said, "Alright, let's continue forward."
...
The eighth underground level of Yunxian Cave.
The terrain was rugged. Ye Chuyang could only feel his way along the stone walls, following the scent of blood and the sound of flowing water as he carefully made his way down. Xie Bai followed closely behind.
Watching Ye Chuyang's cautious movements, Xie Bai couldn't help but smile. His face was concealed in the darkness, only his enigmatic eyes faintly visible.
He asked, "Junior Brother Ye, if we die here, will anyone know?"
"No."
Ye Chuyang didn't even turn his head as he replied, "But before you die, Senior Brother Xie, you can crush the Jade Summoning Talisman. That way, you won't have to die."
Xie Bai looked at him, his smile deepening. "Junior Brother Ye, do you really think the Jade Summoning Talisman will work in Yunxian Cave?"
The talisman was an item issued by Meng Ruo from the Tianyin Division before they entered the secret realm. In theory, crushing it would allow them to exit.
But as Ye Chuyang walked through the heavy scent of blood that filled this place, he felt a tinge of doubt.
Xie Bai ran his fingers over the fresh blood smeared on the stone wall, then picked up a broken white bone from the ground. He said lightly, "If it really worked, so many people wouldn't have died here."
With that, he crushed the talisman in his hand.
The talisman paper dissolved into glowing specks, illuminating his smiling face.
Ye Chuyang remained silent.
After a long moment, he finally said, "Since we can't get out, let's focus on finding another way."
Xie Bai snorted but continued walking alongside him. After a short pause, he suddenly asked, "Junior Brother Ye, why do you seem so determined to stay alive? Is surviving really that important to you?"
Ye Chuyang halted in his tracks and turned to look at him. His expression was serious.
"It's not about clinging to life," he said. "It's just that if I have a choice to live, why should I choose to die?"
Xie Bai was momentarily stunned, then unexpectedly moved.
He was so touched that he almost spoke nonsense. "Even you, Junior Brother, are so intent on living, then as your Senior Brother, I definitely have to live well too."
Ye Chuyang nodded, missing the underlying jab in Xie Bai's words that implied 'You might as well be dead anyway'.
As they walked on, they soon encountered a massive boulder blocking their path.
Ye Chuyang knew he couldn't break it, so he turned to Xie Bai. "Senior Brother Xie, it's your turn."
"Alright! Your Senior Brother always delivers."
Xie Bai stepped forward confidently, raised his sword, and prepared to strike the boulder.
But before his blade could fall, the massive stone suddenly shattered on its own, sending dust flying in all directions.
As the dust settled, a snow-white figure emerged from the darkness.
Xie Bai raised an eyebrow. Looking at the frost-laced lashes of the newcomer, he lowered his silver sword and chuckled. "Dare I ask, Junior Sister, why the need to break the boulder from afar?"
A moment later, the white figure stepped out from the rubble.
She wore blood-stained robes, her long black hair cascading like ink. A striking crimson mark adorned her brow.
Wu Yan gazed at Xie Bai and Ye Chuyang, her voice eerily soft. "Where is my master?"
...
The eighth underground level.
Desolate and empty, the thick scent of blood hung heavy in the air.
Ji Rong followed Gu Baiyi and Qiu Sushuang through the dim cave. She strained to recall the game's storyline but found no clues.
Back when she played the Yunxian Cave dungeon, she had cleared it simply by picking up a random martial manual. There hadn't been nearly as many complications as now.
As she sighed at the unpredictability of life, she suddenly remembered the fox that had disappeared the moment they entered the cavern.
Oh? The randomly dropped pet seemed to be missing.
Ji Rong felt a little wistful, but after thinking about it, she realized the pet hadn't been particularly useful anyway. She quickly let go of the thought, deciding to find it after they cleared the dungeon.
Gu Baiyi inhaled deeply, her expression growing solemn at the overwhelming stench of blood.
In her past life, when she entered Yunxian Cave, the cave hadn't collapsed. But now, the blood in the air was too thick, something was off.
Just as she was pondering this, a sliver of light appeared ahead.
They had reached the exit.
Stepping out from the shadows, the three of them squinted against the sudden brightness.
When their vision cleared, they saw smooth jade tiles beneath their feet.
The grand hall was vast and silent, the distant sound of chanting filling the air, misted in swirls of violet haze.
Seated high upon a platform was a lone figure, gazing down at them.
The man was strikingly handsome, a jade flute hanging at his waist and the Cangming Sword in his grasp. His voice was ethereal and elusive.
"You have come from afar," he said. "Why not step forward and speak?"
Ji Rong stared at the man on the high seat, completely dumbfounded.
Wasn't Yan Haiyao supposed to be dead?
Suddenly, a mechanical voice chimed in:
[Ding! Yan Haiyao's storyline has been unlocked. Players, please note: This main quest has a five-star difficulty rating.]
[Risk of death: 50%. Please choose wisely.]