The Young Lady Only Wants to Cultivate Immortality Chapter 37

As night fell, the temperature on the mountain plummeted. Not a single bird or beast could be seen, and even the number of people suddenly decreased by more than half, making the mountain appear even more desolate.
Gu Hongjue used his sword as a shovel, strenuously digging the earth. Soon, a tall mound of earth formed at his feet, but no matter how much he dug, there was only earth below; Gu Jingyang and Gu Jiangxue were nowhere to be seen.
He knelt sadly on the ground, throwing aside his sword and digging with his bare hands, all while shouting, “Jiangxue, Jingyang, are you there?”
He couldn’t understand. Wasn’t it said that only the person meant for the sacrifice could enter the Great Demon’s Sacrifice Cave? Why did Jiangxue and Jingyang fall in too?
Gu Jingyang was thinking the same question the moment she fell. Her mother said none of them met the entry conditions.
Luckily, this pit wasn’t deep. After Gu Jingyang got up from the ground, she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her mother was unharmed. She still held the rope that bound Zhao Diqing, who at the other end appeared blank and unaware of her surroundings.
Gu Jingyang didn’t know if she had pulled Zhao Diqing down with her. She tugged on the rope, wanting to pull the person up, when suddenly, her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a figure ahead.
She was on full alert, cautiously looking forward, when unexpectedly, she made eye contact with a similarly startled A’Ling.
“A’Ling? Qingqian?”
Gu Jingyang blinked hard, confirming it wasn’t her imagination; it really was A’Ling.
A’Ling also saw Gu Jingyang among those who had fallen. She replied happily, “Gu Jingyang, it’s me! How did you fall down too?”
She urgently patted Shi Qingqian, signaling her to move forward.
Shi Qingqian suppressed the worry in her heart and led A’Ling forward. Gu Jingyang also ran towards the two. Rushing to Shi Qingqian’s front, Gu Jingyang reached out and firmly grasped A’Ling’s hand.
“A’Ling, it’s wonderful that you’re alright.”
A’Ling was also filled with emotion. She squeezed Gu Jingyang’s hand back, asking, “What are you doing here? Did you receive my letter?”
Hearing ‘letter’, a hint of confusion flashed in Shi Qingqian’s eyes, caught between the two. Then it seemed as if she understood something.
A’Ling had asked her about Gu Jingyang earlier. It turned out it was because she had already sent a message to Gu Jingyang.
Looking at their clasped hands, Shi Qingqian thought to herself that she was merely an extra.
Gu Jingyang didn’t notice Shi Qingqian’s abnormality. She carefully scrutinized A’Ling, and seeing A’Ling’s leg, her heart ached; she was indeed injured.
“I’m sorry, I came late.” Gu Jingyang was very apologetic. Today, she hadn’t noticed A’Ling’s Phoenix Feather message in time.
A’Ling shook their still clasped hands. “What are you sorry for? You didn’t cause my injury or make me fall into this pit. Also, how did you fall down too?”
Gu Jingyang was still looking at the condition of A’Ling’s leg. It was bandaged too tightly, so she didn’t know how badly A’Ling was actually injured and was very worried. “Is your leg seriously injured?”
“It’s not a big deal.” A’Ling didn’t know what Shi Qingqian had used on her, but she felt no pain at all. As long as it didn’t hurt, she considered herself fine.
Now, the problem wasn’t her leg. It was how they were going to get out.
Gu Jingyang saw that A’Ling’s expression was natural and her complexion looked good. She relaxed a little and only then answered A’Ling’s question.
“My mother and I came looking for you. We suddenly heard your voice, and then we fell down.”
A’Ling softly gasped. Just as she was about to ask what sound Gu Jingyang had heard, Gu Jingyang interrupted her.
“Oh, right, I haven’t introduced you to my mother yet.”
Gu Jingyang said, pulling A’Ling forward to introduce her mother to A’Ling. Then she realized A’Ling was currently unable to move easily and was on Shi Qingqian’s back.
“Qingqian, come along too.”
Shi Qingqian said nothing and led A’Ling, following Gu Jingyang, to greet the woman in the distance.
A’Ling had noticed the woman who fell with Gu Jingyang earlier. From a distance, the woman didn’t look very old, and she hadn’t expected her to be Gu Jingyang’s mother.
As they got closer, A’Ling’s eyes widened even further in surprise.
The woman before her wore the robes of a demon hunter. Her hair was entirely tied atop her head, appearing fresh, neat, and valiant, possessing a very unique demeanor.
Although her facial features were very similar to Gu Jingyang’s, a gentle face that made people feel approachable, her aura was entirely different from this gentleness.
It was a murderous aura honed through countless battles and piles of corpses. Just a slight lowering of her eyes, a subtle furrow of her brow, would make people unable to joke around lightly, filling them with awe and a desire to retreat at least three feet, fearing being affected by the murderous intent.
A’Ling now felt a bit like fleeing. She always felt that Gu Jingyang’s mother’s gaze carried a subtle scrutiny.
“Hello, Auntie.” A’Ling obediently greeted her and then fell silent, not knowing what to say.
Shi Qingqian was the same, but she was usually quiet, so Gu Jingyang didn’t find it strange. She was just curious why A’Ling was so reserved today.
“My mother and I arrived at Kaiyao Mountain, and you were already gone. My mother investigated and found you had fallen into this Great Demon’s Sacrifice Cave.”
Shi Qingqian’s slightly lowered eyes trembled slightly. Great Demon’s Sacrifice Cave?
Upon hearing this, A’Ling felt very guilty and awkward. “I’m the one who implicated you all.”
Gu Jiangxue retracted her scrutinizing gaze. Earlier, she had already looked around and discovered that internal spiritual energy couldn’t be used here, nor could spells be cast. This was indeed a powerful great demon.
“Let’s not talk about these things. First, let’s find a way to get out.” Gu Jiangxue’s expression was resolute, and her words carried power, which inexplicably made A’Ling feel at ease.
She had heard Gu Jingyang say her mother was a powerful demon hunter. Earlier, she seemed to have also said this was a demon’s cave. Since it was a demon, Gu Jingyang’s mother would surely have a way.
Gu Jingyang glanced around. “Mother, where are your demon spirits?” She hadn’t seen those little fellows since they came in. Don’t tell me something happened to them.
Gu Jiangxue had already noticed. “There are likely many layers in here, and they are moving, one space overlapping another. They probably went to different spaces.”
A’Ling immediately nodded upon hearing this. “Yes, we also came out of a hole. Now that hole is gone, and we circled around here for a long time and found ourselves back where we started.”
A’Ling’s heart still pounded with lingering fear. This cursed place was too unsettling. How were they going to get out?
“The item in your hand seems to be stirring.”
As A’Ling pondered, she heard Gu Jiangxue seemingly speaking to her. Following her gaze, the demon core she had just been holding began to flicker and glow.
She quickly opened her palm.
The demon core in her palm vibrated, then slowly rose, hovering about two inches above her palm, emitting a faint green light.
“What’s wrong with it?” A’Ling looked at Gu Jiangxue, puzzled.
Gu Jiangxue’s face was stern, watching the continuously flickering demon core. Since A’Ling could hold it just now, it meant she was the person it was looking for. If the demon core had already been delivered to the right person, why bring them all in too?
As everyone pondered the demon core, the green light suddenly vanished.
A hand covered it, gripping it tightly, obscuring its light.
Gu Jiangxue’s brow twitched violently. Oh no.
A’Ling looked to the side, following the hand. Zhao Diqing had somehow stood up beside them and was reaching out to take the demon core.
“Ah—”
A’Ling was about to swat her hand away, her hand still in mid-air, when Zhao Diqing screamed and collapsed.
A’Ling: ?
No, this faked fall was a bit off-beat. She hadn’t even hit her yet.
But soon, A’Ling realized something was wrong. Zhao Diqing’s scream was truly horrifying and didn’t sound faked.
“Ah, my hand, what’s wrong with my hand?!” Tears of pain welled up in Zhao Diqing’s eyes. Her previously blank gaze now regained clarity.
Gu Jiangxue pulled Zhao Diqing’s arm. Everyone looked and saw that the hand she was clutching was a ghastly green.
“Poisoned.” Gu Jiangxue said, and then tightly cinched the half-bound rope from Zhao Diqing’s hand around her arm to prevent the poison from spreading too quickly.
Gu Jingyang watched her mother tie the rope, thinking her mother was indeed right. If someone who shouldn’t take it does, they’re doomed.
But just now, A’Ling was holding this demon core, and she was perfectly fine. So, was A’Ling the one meant for the sacrifice, or the blood relative of that person?
Gu Jingyang just turned her head, wanting to ask A’Ling if anything felt wrong with her. She always felt there was something inexplicably strange about this situation.
The words were still on her lips when they turned into a gasp.
“Ah—”
For a moment, gasps of ‘Ah’ rose one after another.
As A’Ling screamed, falling downwards, her heart lamented, ‘As expected, if there’s one and two, there’s a third.’ This was the third time; she had experienced this sudden falling sensation of weightlessness three times today!
She clung tightly to Shi Qingqian beneath her, closing her eyes tightly. She had no idea what they would encounter this time.
This time, the sensation of weightlessness didn’t last too long. With a burst of light, everyone stopped.
A’Ling slowly opened her eyes, then her eyes widened further and further. Well, this time they were simply floating in mid-air.
Looking up, the place they had just fallen from had become an enclosed, arched cave ceiling.
They appeared to be seventy or eighty meters above the ground below. A’Ling’s heart clenched tightly. If they fell again, even if they didn’t die, they’d be shattered to pieces and pass out from the pain.
“A’Ling, are you alright?” After Gu Jingyang confirmed her mother was fine, she ‘swam’ over towards A’Ling.
Only then did A’Ling realize she wasn’t on Shi Qingqian’s back anymore. She was plastered against Shi Qingqian’s entire body. She quickly rolled to the side and got off Shi Qingqian.
Shi Qingqian had just been pressed down by A’Ling, unable to straighten up. Now that she was free, she tried to keep her head pointed upwards. She looked around. For some unknown reason, they had all stopped in this one spot.
When something was out of the ordinary, one must be cautious. She extended her hand towards A’Ling. “Hold my hand, don’t—” The words “get separated” hadn’t even left her mouth when she saw A’Ling reaching out her hand towards Gu Jingyang nearby.
Shi Qingqian’s eyes darkened as she slowly withdrew her hand, watching the two whose hands were clasped in the distance.
“Let’s hold hands, so we don’t get lost.” A’Ling said worriedly, gripping Gu Jingyang’s hand. If another sudden fall happened and they ended up in different places, it would be troublesome.
Gu Jingyang had come to save her; she had to make sure to bring her out, otherwise, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life.
Thankfully, they didn’t need their feet in this place.
A’Ling was completely suspended in the air, truly like floating in water, moving and turning by using her hands.
When she followed Gu Jingyang to Gu Jiangxue’s side, A’Ling suddenly remembered something and looked back.
Shi Qingqian, with a somber face, was not far behind.
Knowing she was following wasn’t too stupid.
A’Ling confidently turned her head to look at Zhao Diqing, who had been groaning and cursing in pain since earlier, seemingly terrified.
“Why is she with you?” A’Ling asked Gu Jingyang, puzzled.
Gu Jingyang pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and decided it wasn’t appropriate to discuss Zhao Diqing’s matter right now. It was more important to resolve the current crisis.
“I’ll tell you after we get out. Let’s first see if there’s an exit here.”
A’Ling raised an eyebrow. It seemed there was something going on here, and she was also very curious why Zhao Diqing suddenly got poisoned. However, Gu Jingyang was right; they had to get out first.
On the other side, after Gu Jiangxue stabilized Zhao Diqing’s poison, she found the person completely uncooperative. She chopped the person unconscious with a single palm strike, then holding the rope, observed the surroundings in the air before returning to A’Ling.
“Is the demon core abnormal?” Gu Jiangxue asked.
A’Ling’s pupils suddenly dilated. Oh no, where was the demon core?
She looked at her empty palm, recalling what had just happened.
Zhao Diqing touched the demon core and then fell. Then they suddenly dropped. In the chaos, she forgot to grab the demon core!
Just as she was anxiously about to tell Gu Jiangxue about this oversight, a green light shone before her eyes.
Shi Qingqian opened her palm, presenting the demon core to A’Ling.
“The demon core!” A’Ling snatched it, looking at Shi Qingqian warily. “How did it get to you?!”
A’Ling glanced at the object in her hand, confirmed it was the demon core, and only then breathed a sigh of relief. She had been truly terrified just now.
She looked at Shi Qingqian, annoyed. “How did the demon core get in your hand? Did you steal it?”
Gu Jingyang frowned slightly. “A’Ling, if Qingqian wanted to steal it, why would she take it out and give it to you?”
A’Ling thought for a moment. “Afraid of being discovered?”
Gu Jingyang’s mouth twitched, and her gaze towards Shi Qingqian held a touch more sympathy.
Shi Qingqian still maintained her expressionless face, though her gaze towards A’Ling held some emotion, but A’Ling couldn’t discern what it was.
“That’s not right!” Gu Jingyang suddenly noticed the problem. She grabbed Shi Qingqian’s hand and carefully examined it. “Your hand is fine?”
Shi Qingqian glanced at her indifferently and withdrew her hand.
Gu Jingyang looked astonished. Since A’Ling was fine holding it, it meant the demon core was looking for A’Ling. How could Qingqian be fine holding it too? Could this demon want to give one demon core to two people?
She looked at Gu Jiangxue, who also seemed to be pondering, and saw her mother subtly shake her head at her.
Gu Jingyang suppressed the confusion in her heart and didn’t ask further.
Just as the demon core returned to A’Ling’s hand, the arched ceiling above them, illuminated by the green light, gradually revealed what was on it.
“Look up.” Gu Jiangxue reminded everyone.
A’Ling looked up and saw that the ceiling had acquired many characters and pictures at some point.
As soon as she saw the characters, A’Ling felt a headache. Weren’t these the same characters that she and Shi Qingqian couldn’t recognize earlier in the great demon’s cave?
She turned her head to look at Shi Qingqian, who was looking up, and pouted. “Don’t bother looking, you’re blind. Those are characters you don’t know.”
One of Shi Qingqian’s ears twitched. She remained looking up, motionless.
Only after A’Ling turned her head away did Shi Qingqian retract her gaze, her eyes obscure.
A’Ling looked at Gu Jingyang, who was looking intently, and a glimmer of hope ignited in her heart. “Gu Jingyang, do you recognize these characters?”
Gu Jingyang nodded. “I recognize them—”
The ‘a little’ at the end of her sentence hadn’t even been spoken when A’Ling hugged her.
“I really wasn’t wrong about you; you’re truly a good child with real talent!” A’Ling was so excited she was almost in tears. She understood now why the demon core didn’t send her out but instead sent people to her. This was sending her a translator!
A’Ling immediately asked Gu Jingyang to tell her what the characters on the ceiling said.
The key to getting out was probably there.
Gu Jingyang shook her head, completing her previous sentence. “I only recognize some. These are demon ‘writings’. My mother taught me some before, but some of the ones on top are quite complex, and I’m not very sure. Let’s ask my mother.”
She said, turning to look at Gu Jiangxue.
“Mother, what’s written up there? Is it related to this cave?”
A’Ling nearly cried when she heard Gu Jingyang didn’t recognize much either, but then she heard her say her mother did. All her hope now rested on Gu Jiangxue.
Fortunately, Gu Jiangxue did not disappoint her. After reading everything, she said to Gu Jingyang and A’Ling, “It’s related; it’s the life story of the cave’s owner.”
A’Ling immediately leaned forward excitedly. Excellent! Gu Jingyang’s mother was indeed more reliable than Gu Jingyang. She floated quietly beside them, waiting to hear the story.
Shi Qingqian also silently moved closer to A’Ling, listening quietly nearby.
Gu Jiangxue pointed to the nearest painting in front of everyone and said, “The owner of this cave is this Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider in the painting.”
A’Ling nodded, even turning her head to look at Shi Qingqian. This was consistent with their discovery in the cave; there were also shed limbs of the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider there.
Gu Jiangxue continued, “The text below tells her origin.”
“This Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider originally lived happily on Spirit Mountain. One day, she was captured and brought to this Kaiyao Mountain, where she was forced to participate in beast-fighting competitions in the beast-fighting arena.”
Gu Jiangxue pointed to several paintings above that depicted the spider being abused. “This should be the situation at that time. The text says the beast-fighting arena was like hell, and she fought for survival every day in hell.”
“Her companions died one by one; some died in beast-fighting competitions, some were abused and killed after losing, and others, old and weak, were collectively disposed of. Every day, besides struggling to survive, she also had to witness brutal bullying.”
At this point, Gu Jiangxue paused.
She knew about the beast-fighting arena on Kaiyao Mountain from a long time ago. The Xing family ancestors made their fortune from it.
It was eventually stopped due to the excessive slaughter. Presumably, the owner of this cave was a victim of that incident.
A’Ling was furious after hearing this and cursed, “They’re not human!”
Then she eagerly wanted to know what happened next. “What happened to the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider later?”
Gu Jiangxue pointed to the next painting and continued, “She resisted. She was unwilling to sit idly by, so she organized and planned an escape.”
A’Ling’s eyes lit up. She knew it; this great demon would definitely not be one that just waited for death.
“Unfortunately, it failed.” Gu Jiangxue sighed softly.
A’Ling exclaimed in surprise, “Ah?”
Gu Jingyang was also surprised. She hadn’t expected this great demon to fail.
“She was captured and brought back, and all four pairs of her limbs were severed.”
Hearing this, A’Ling suddenly felt an aching pain in her legs. She seemed to feel the pain the tiger-headed spider experienced when its limbs were amputated.
At the same time, she thought of the shed limbs she saw in the great demon’s cave. So those weren’t shed during molting; they were brutally severed by humans!
“Are they even human anymore!” A’Ling was furious.
Gu Jingyang sighed. Humans have good and evil; when humans turn bad, they are more terrifying than demons.
Shi Qingqian listened quietly, not saying a word.
Gu Jiangxue could only feel sympathy for this outcome, but it wasn’t unexpected.
She continued, “The people in the beast-fighting arena originally wanted to burn her directly, but her determination to rush out even without legs gave them a new business opportunity.”
“They didn’t kill her immediately. Instead, they also amputated the limbs of other demon spiders, making them compete only with their heads.”
A’Ling’s scalp tingled, and her heart felt tightly clutched by something, making it hard to breathe.
Shi Qingqian, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. “It’s very painful.”
Gu Jiangxue nodded, pointing to the text under the next painting. “It felt that it was because of her that other demon spiders had their limbs severed to participate in beast fighting. It wanted to die in the beast-fighting arena.”
A’Ling’s heart clenched fiercely. “What happened next?”
Gu Jiangxue pointed to the last painting. “Later, it was saved by someone.”
Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
“That person not only saved it but also executed all cultivators who participated in the beast-fighting arena’s massacres and even purified the wronged souls of all the tragically deceased demon beasts.”
A’Ling’s eyes lit up. No wonder there were so many demonic spirits in that great demon’s cave; they were all its companions.
“After that person did everything, they left no name. This Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider wanted to follow them, but they said they had many responsibilities and told it to cultivate well here, promising to visit it every hundred years.”
“But after that, it waited here for a thousand years and never saw that person keep the promise. Later, it heard that Qiongdian Peak issued an order forbidding beast fighting and speculated that was its benefactor. As its lifespan neared its end, it surgically extracted its demon core and voluntarily offered itself as a sacrifice.”
Gu Jiangxue finished translating the text on the arched ceiling. A’Ling suddenly remembered something and quickly pulled out the stone tablet she had brought from the great demon’s cave from her Universe pouch.
“Auntie, look, what’s written on this?” A’Ling handed over the stone tablet, pointing to the ‘characters’ on it.
Gu Jiangxue glanced at it and said, “Offering to Qiongdian Peak, Saint Venerable Dao Rong.”
A’Ling waited for a moment, then couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows. “That’s it?”
Gu Jiangxue nodded. “This should be the Spirit Mountain Tiger-Headed Spider’s offering tablet to Saint Venerable Dao Rong.”
No, didn’t this tiger-headed spider even leave its own name? It sacrificed its demon core to someone, but didn’t even leave a name. How would Saint Venerable Dao Rong know who she was?!
Gu Jingyang leaned over and looked. Having just heard the tiger-headed spider’s story, she felt deep sympathy for this tiger-headed spider and was filled with emotion about its experience.
“Humans have good and evil; demons have good and bad. This tiger-headed spider is more human than many people.”
Gu Jiangxue felt deeply about this as well, which was why she not only hunted down bad demons but also helped good ones.
If this incident had happened in Longyin Town today, and she had known about it, she would certainly make them pay.
“I wonder how that Old Ancestor would know about such a small place.” Gu Jiangxue was a little puzzled, but then she thought perhaps it was fate that the Old Ancestor encountered this tiger-headed spider when he emerged from seclusion to gain experience. That would truly be a compassionate being.
A’Ling nodded vigorously. In her previous life, she hadn’t met that Saint Venerable Dao Rong, but she had heard many stories about him.
The most shocking among them was that the Saint Venerable could have long since attained immortality but, out of compassion for the world, refused to ascend.
She heard he either cultivated on Qiongdian Peak or emerged from seclusion to do good and eradicate evil, propagating righteousness.
Gu Jingyang had also heard many stories about this Saint Venerable and told A’Ling some she hadn’t heard.
Shi Qingqian remained silent nearby, her gaze fixed on the stone tablet in A’Ling’s hand, lost in thought.
A’Ling and Gu Jingyang lamented for a while. She looked at the offering tablet in her hand. Since the demon core was specifically named for Saint Venerable Dao Rong, then she shouldn’t keep it.
But she couldn’t find the large hole from before. How was she going to return it?
She asked Gu Jiangxue what to do.
Gu Jiangxue looked at the brilliantly glowing demon core in A’Ling’s hand. Although she was very puzzled, she still voiced her thoughts. “Since you can pick it up, keep it.”
A’Ling was surprised. “Ah? I can?” Isn’t this wrong? If it wasn’t specified for whom, then whoever got it first owned it. But this one was explicitly named. Wouldn’t taking it be considered stealing?
Gu Jingyang was also very surprised and looked at her mother in confusion. She remembered her mother saying that for a sacrificed demon core, only the great demon itself or the person for whom it was sacrificed, or their blood relative, could take it.
Which one was A’Ling?
Was she the reincarnation of the tiger-headed spider? Or Saint Venerable Dao Rong? Or his child?
And why was Qingqian fine holding this core just now? Zhao Diqing touched it and got poisoned, but Qingqian didn’t.
Gu Jingyang’s heart surged with questions. She couldn’t figure out the intricacies of this situation.
Just then, the demon core in A’Ling’s hand began to glow with a faint green light again.
A’Ling thought, This is bad, and immediately reached out to grab Gu Jingyang beside her.
But, it was too late!
Just as she was about to touch Gu Jingyang, a tremendous suction pulled her away.
A white light shone in the center of the arched ceiling. The surrounding rocks crumbled, and debris from the ceiling fell down in an instant.
“Ah—”
A’Ling heard Gu Jingyang’s gasp. She turned her head and saw that except for herself, who was being pulled upwards, everyone else, like falling stones, plummeted downwards as if the earlier buoyancy had vanished.
“No!”
A’Ling watched as Gu Jingyang fell away from her sight, their bodies separating.
A tremendous suction force was pulling her upwards!
No! Absolutely not!
Gu Jingyang, and Gu Jingyang’s mother, they came to save her. If she went out by herself, she would never find peace for the rest of her life!
What to do, what to do?
Why, why was only she going up? Why was only she fine?
In a flash, A’Ling saw the green-glowing demon core in her hand. Her mind spun, and she squeezed her eyes shut, slapping the demon core onto her wrist!
“Little Wandering, circle them!”
The moment the green light seeped into the purple bracelet on her wrist, a purple-gold light shone, exploding into a formidable divine whip with the force of thunder in the green mist. It moved like lightning, weaving through the falling debris.
Watching Little Wandering move like a blur, encircling one falling person after another, A’Ling’s heart beat faster and faster, as if it would burst from her chest.
A’Ling gripped the whip’s handle tightly. With a tremendous suction force, A’Ling felt as though she was about to touch the cave ceiling. The moment she touched it, A’Ling frantically closed her eyes.
She held her breath, awaiting the moment of life or death.
Thankfully! The top was soft!
It wasn’t a hard barrier, but more like the sensation of a water surface.
A’Ling, like a fish, suddenly surged upwards, emerging from the ‘water’.
“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey.”
A’Ling grimaced, spitting out the sand and dirt in her mouth. She shook her head hard, shaking off the dirt on her face, and cautiously opened her eyes, only to see a dirt-covered Gu Hongjue staring at her with wide, astonished eyes.
A’Ling looked down at herself. Apart from her head and half a shoulder being outside, the rest of her was still in the mud.
Hadn’t she swum out like a fish from water? How did she end up breaking through the earth like a radish?
Gu Hongjue still held a handful of freshly dug earth, staring in shock at the person emerging from the ground.
Before he could clearly see who the dirt-covered person was, he heard successive ‘plop’ sounds of breaking through the earth.
A’Ling twisted her head and counted, one, two, three, four. One radish, one hole. Good, they were all out.
She had successfully brought everyone out, and the worry in her heart finally subsided.
She turned her head to look at the still-dazed Gu Hongjue, grinning. “Surprise?”
Gu Hongjue saw the two familiar figures emerging behind him, suddenly came back to his senses, threw the earth in his hand, and rushed towards them.
“Jiangxue, Jingyang, are you alright? I was worried sick. Wait, I’ll pull you out now.”
“Don’t move, don’t move, worry about getting dirt in your eyes.”
“Let me, let me. There’s still dirt on your eyes, don’t move.”
A’Ling closed her eyes, listening to Gu Hongjue’s incessant chatter. She vigorously shook her head, shaking off the dirt Gu Hongjue had sprinkled on her head in his surprise.
Sigh, even though she didn’t expect him to pull her radish first, he shouldn’t have added more dirt to her head.
A’Ling lowered her head, pursing her upper lip, blowing air through her nose to try and clear the dust that made her nose tingle, as if she could blow away that tiny bit of disappointment in her heart.
She tried to pull her hands out, but couldn’t exert any strength. Forget it, A’Ling thought, after Gu Hongjue pulled out his own radishes, it would be her turn.
While waiting with her head bowed, her body suddenly felt light, and she saw her legs.
She had been pulled out.
Gu Hongjue was that fast? A’Ling’s heart warmed slightly. She had misjudged him after all.
A’Ling quickly blinked, trying hard to clear the grit from her eyes. When she opened them, her eyes shone with immense joy of having escaped death. Though covered in dirt, her eyes were astonishingly bright.
Shi Qingqian’s heart skipped a beat.