Chapter 26: line with translation of chapter title

Shoulders… so itchy, I shifted, unwillingly muttering: "Qiran, stop messing around. I'm sleeping…"

Rolled over, continued sleeping.

This time my back itched, as if something sticky and wet was touching my skin, really unpleasant.

"If you keep bothering me I'll lose my temper… ten minutes, no, five minutes, I'll just sleep five more minutes and… ah—"

A sharp pain came from behind, finally clearing my dazed consciousness. I… wasn't I already dead?

Where am I? I jumped up, accompanied by a tearing pain all over my body, and suddenly a sharp "squeak—" came from behind.

I turned back, a completely snow‑white… oh… should be a small animal like a fox, staring at me with round, glossy black eyes. Eyes like black glazed glass, pure and clear without a speck of impurity, their gaze calmly fell on me, involuntarily reminding me of those deep blue eyes etched in my heart.

I glanced around; this looks like the typical stone chamber in a costume drama, whose main purpose is to give a completely useless protagonist a fortuitous encounter, letting him easily make a name for himself and dominate the martial world… cough, I went off track.

Sigh, as expected, the eternal cliff law holds true, and I am undoubtedly its strongest verification.

"Where is this?" I'm really crazy, actually talking to a fox (let's just call it that for now).

And even crazier, the fox actually squeaked twice, lifted its head and gestured for me to look behind.

I stared blankly at it for a while, then unconsciously murmured: "Good heavens! Did I encounter a fox spirit in the deep mountains? Or a half‑immortal fox? After evolving, will it be a beauty or a handsome guy? To me, of course a handsome guy is better—opposites attract! But a beauty isn't bad either, at least pleasant to look at…"

"Squeak—" the little fox probably dissatisfied with being ignored, let out a cry.

I quickly came to my senses, cough… what was I daydreaming about? Turning my head, I saw a stone slab carved with characters on the stone wall behind me, written in cursive script—"Separate Heavenly Grotto" four characters.

Separate Heavenly Grotto? Judging by the stele, it's existed at least a dozen years, likely made by predecessors, though I don't know what this stone chamber was originally built for.

While I was lowering my head in thought, I suddenly saw my chest stained with congealed blood on torn clothes, and I was startled. Indeed! I didn't just fall off the cliff; I was clearly stabbed hard by someone before the fall, yet now my body shows no serious injury. Although that stab didn't seem to hit a vital spot, it did nick an artery—how could the blood clot so quickly?

Itchy… I was shocked to discover the white‑furred fox had jumped onto my shoulder, gently licking my wound. Strangely, its tongue touching my injured skin caused little pain; instead, the originally bloody blotched wound gradually clotted and scabbed.

Could it be… really a half‑immortal fox? I excitedly grabbed it and held it close, rubbing its smooth, soft white fur—taking advantage. Death is one thing, but waking up with a bunch of wounds hurting me half to death would be worse than just dying outright. Thanks to this little white fox, hey, it works even better than Qiran's medicine.

Probably because I held it too tight for too long, the little white fox struggled and jumped down, its pair of black round eyes scanning me up and down curiously. Cough—Great Fox Immortal, why are you staring at me like that? You're the rare creature, not me!

Although the wound no longer bleeds, my body is still extremely weak, and even if beaten to death I could never forget that I harbor a time‑bomb that could explode at any moment inside me—Blood Gu.

Dragging my weary body, I walked around the stone chamber; one room connected to another, rather like the ancient tomb where Xiao Longnu lived, and I discovered a very helpless fact—I… am trapped inside.

I'm quite adaptable; since I can't get out for now and my wound hasn't healed, I'll just stay here peacefully. Anyway, the little fox will eventually bring a pile of fruit to feed me, though I don't know where it goes out and comes back in.

When idle, I tease the little fox, and we romp all over the chamber. I don't know how it understands my words, but anyway we're a person and a fox playing hide‑and‑seek in the stone chamber, and we're having a blast.

At night it also brings some herbs, most of which benefit my wound. Having followed Qiran for a while I've learned much of this world's medicine, so I can easily tell which ones I need. Since the stone chamber has no light or fire, only night‑pearls embedded in the walls that absolutely cannot be stolen and sold, I had to resort to the most primitive method—striking stones to make fire. My wound also improved day by day.

Thus I spent seven days happily yet dazedly; sometimes I inevitably thought of Qiran and Bu Sha, and my heart still felt a sharp ache. At the instant of falling, I seemed to hear Qiran's voice, so painful. Would he be upset seeing me die before his eyes? Would he… still be willing to live on properly?

Qiran always said my smile made him forget his bodily aches, but now I suddenly think perhaps I am the true source of his pain—forcibly intruding into his world, casually affecting his life, and irresponsibly abandoning his feelings…

These, I don't want to think about, nor can I, because… thinking would make me unable to live.

"Squeak—" the little fox's call pulled my thoughts back; its shiny black eyes were full of worry.

I rubbed its smooth white fur and smiled: "Don't worry, I'm fine."

The little fox happily squeaked twice, then pushed something under its foot toward me, indicating I should take it.

I oddly picked it up; it was a red stone, small enough to fit in my palm, surface smooth as a mirror, looking like rain‑flower stone and also like a pebble, rather quaint and cute.

I couldn't help but chuckle: "Xiao Yin (the name I gave it), why are you giving me a stone? Isn't this meant to be a love token?"

Xiao Yin complained with a few squeaks, its two jet‑black eyes glaring at me as if blaming me for wasting its sincerity. I had no choice, stuffed the stone casually into my bosom, spread my hands helplessly: "All right! Big Brother Yin! Great Hero Yin! Can't I just surrender? Stop glaring, thanks… ah—"

A tearing, grinding pain surged from my chest, then quickly spread throughout my body.

Blood Gu… flaring up again?

I shouted loudly, then couldn't stay seated, fell heavily to my knees on the bed, and immediately rolled over onto the floor.

A pain like ten thousand ants gnawing at the bones spread through my body, tightly clutching me as if my head and body were about to burst, wave after wave… I finally couldn't help but loudly wail and scream, throwing myself against anything I could hit…

"Qiran, I feel awful! Save me! Save me! Dad… brother… Bing Er, it's so painful! Bing Er doesn't want to live… Qiran—"

……

I was in heart‑rending agony, unable to muster any will to survive. At that moment I truly wished someone could rescue me, even just a hug, a bit of warmth.

So I repeatedly called out to those deepest in my heart, the most important people in my life…

But besides the chamber's icy cold and hollow, mournful echo, there was nothing else—nothing at all…

When I woke up, my whole body felt weak and sore as if drained, at first I couldn't even muster the strength to open my eyes. I silently smiled in my heart—how similar this scene is!

A wave of warmth and moisture came over my hand; after a long while I managed to open my eyes. Sure enough, Xiao Yin was licking my hand over and over. There were many tiny abrasions there that had already scabbed. But… fool, my wound is inside my body—how can you heal it?

I stroked its back; it trembled and let out a happy squeak, then came to lick my face. Still, Xiao Yin, I'm truly grateful to you for staying by my side when I was most alone.

Its pair of jet‑black eyes showed a faint trace of bloodshot. Should… it not be from crying? That's far‑fetched—foxes don't have sclera, do they?

I lay in the stone chamber for a whole day, and after eating the fruit Xiao Yin brought, my body gradually recovered. Only I don't know when this Blood Gu will flare up again.

Half‑asleep in the middle of the night, I suddenly felt something tugging at my clothes; I rubbed my sleepy eyes and sat up. I couldn't help but flare: "Xiao Yin, what are you up to in the dead of night? Don't you know I tossed and turned all night without sleep?"

Xiao Yin seemed already immune to my anger, just dragging me forcibly through one stone chamber after another; I had no choice but to follow. We walked for a while, and just as I was about to lose patience, Xiao Yin squeaked and darted into a stone chamber.

Of course I followed it inside, and then… that "then" left me stunned.

I had always thought this stone chamber was pitch‑black, but now the whole room is filled with flowing light and color—what's going on?

Moonlight poured into the stone chamber, turning this originally plain and unadorned room into a magnificent splendor, as if I were neither in heaven nor on earth.

I probably stared blankly for a long time; it seems aside from the first day I never came back to this room, and I don't know the way. So Xiao Yin must have been unwilling to bring me back here all along—why?

Xiao Yin's call drew my attention back; I came to, seeing the moonlight gradually spreading across the room, a relatively conspicuous beam of light shifting with time, then… shining upon the stone slab engraved with "Separate Heavenly Grotto".

The next moment I was utterly stunned, mouth agape. The stele, under the moonlight, began to slowly move, then a fierce wind blew, making me and Xiao Yin unable to stand firm, and the two sides of the stone chamber actually opened two doors.

Moreover, the wind was cold on one side, hot on the other—no, to be precise, one side cool, the other scorching; the two opposing currents met in the room, entwined like a vortex, and rain began to fall for no apparent reason.

Xiao Yin bit my pant leg, urging me toward the cool door; I clearly knew that was the exit of this "ancient tomb." Yet I stared at the scorching direction, unmoving, that surging, blazing heat seeming able to melt a person instantly.

I never expected that the magma gathering at the bottom of the cliff would be molten rock—if I really fell in, there would surely be no remains. Even more unexpected, I would happen to fall off the cliff just as the stone chamber doors opened.

My luck is off the charts; I've already started thinking that if I return to the modern world, I might buy a few lottery tickets just for fun.

As for the door's design, I really can't figure it out—could it be that there's a light meter inside the stone? When illumination reaches a certain level it triggers the mechanism? And the door opening in daylight is probably due to sunlight exposure.

Little Silver cried out several times again, but in the wind and rain I couldn't hear it clearly. I lowered my head and saw it soaked through, shivering, and my heart warmed involuntarily.

It didn't bring me to this room, perhaps because it didn't want me to leave either? I don't know how long it, a fox, has been alone here... uh... well, how long this fox has stayed here; that boundless loneliness must be more terrifying than any pain. So it wants me to stay.

I bent down, picked it up, smoothed its already disheveled fur, and said softly: "I won't leave tonight; I'll leave tomorrow."

Saying that, I turned and left; the wind and rain behind gradually ceased, and aside from the room's damp heat, it seemed as if nothing had happened.

The next evening.

I shouldered my pack and walked out of the stone door blowing a gentle cool wind; behind me, the raging storm tossed incessantly, yet it felt like another world. I slowly turned back, gazing at Little Silver standing at the stone door's edge, shivering, its eye rims seeming… really turning red.

I smiled and said softly: "Little Silver, goodbye."

Having said that, I dared not look into its eyes again and turned away.

Goodbye… Little Silver…

I said goodbye to another friend, knowing we would never meet again!

I abruptly stopped, turned back, and stared hard at Little Silver still trembling at the door; then I genuinely laughed: "Hey, silver fox, want to come with me to see the outside world?"

Little Silver stared at me blankly, then looked back at the stone chamber behind it where the raging storm raged. Its body still trembled, but the light in its eyes gradually brightened. Suddenly it let out a joyful cry and leapt into my arms, burying its head deep in my forearm, refusing to look up at the stone door gradually closing as the wind and rain subsided.

This place… must have once been home to someone it cherished deeply? This place… must also hold its most precious memories. Yet for my sake, it left all that behind, unwilling to leave even a retreat.

Having left "Another World," I had already walked nearly three hours. The sky gradually turned from golden to dark, then pitch black. I glanced at Little Silver sleeping peacefully in my arms, and a warm feeling welled up in my heart.

"Little Silver, it's a cave!" I pointed to a distant cave mouth half-covered by vines and exclaimed excitedly, "Good heavens, if I don't get some rest, I'm sure to collapse!"

It's not that one can't rest outdoors, but this is deep mountains with many beasts. If I dozed off carelessly and a beast dragged Little Silver away, I'd really want to bang my head against a wall.

Little Silver lifted its head lazily, half-opening its eyes to look at me; its white fur was messy, and its black, glassy beads seemed veiled in a thin mist, looking dazed and languid.

I couldn't resist picking it up and giving it a gentle rub—it was truly soft and comfortable!

Probably because I sensed victory ahead, my previously lost strength returned, and I rushed to the cave entrance in three strides that felt like two. The inside was pitch black, but judging from the mostly moldy and dry grass smells emanating from within, this cave likely wasn't a beast's den.

I carefully pushed aside the vines, holding Little Silver as I slowly entered. The cave wasn't completely pitch black; silvery moonlight filtered through the vines' gaps, providing enough light to see. However, moving from a bright place into dimness, my eyes inevitably felt unadjusted. I could only suppress my nausea, clinging to the uneven, slimy wall, and slowly proceeded inward.

Suddenly, a soft object under my foot tripped me; I cried out, lost my balance, and fell forward. Just before hitting the ground, I didn't forget Little Silver's safety, straining to fling it aside.

The expected pain didn't come—uh, actually that's not right; there was pain, just not as bad as I imagined. Because it seemed a soft, large cushion was beneath me. Based on its temperature, firmness, and the faint breathing I could hear nearby, I could almost tell it was a human body cushion.

To say I wasn't afraid would be a lie; it was the middle of the night, lying motionless in the center of a mountain cave passage—if it were a corpse… I shuddered; even a living person would be terrifying enough.

I tried to steady my trembling voice, shoved him, and said: "Hey! I said you're sleeping, so sleep—why are you lying dead in the middle of the path? You—"

No response? I froze, wondering if I'd just knocked him unconscious with that pressure—surely he couldn't be dead, right?

I pushed myself up, checked his pulse—thank goodness he wasn't dead! Otherwise we'd both be in big trouble. I patted my chest and began to size him up—his build indicated he was male, since he was lying face down, hiding his face. Still, his figure was quite handsome and tall, about the same height as Qiran. Thinking that, I half-kneeled, strained to flip him over—he might be injured, and if not treated…

(End of chapter)