Chapter 178: Dependent on Each Other for Life, Prince Su Died?

In the black mountain cliffs, gusts of cold wind howled past the ears.

Accompanied by snow sand and ice chips, it incessantly drilled into every crevice on the body.

Li Qingluo strained to tightly hold Prince Su, lifting her head to look upward.

Those black shadows finally left.

She looked at her wrist; a thin long thread was wrapped around the trunk of a small, crooked-necked tree, originally unable to support both her and Prince Su.

Fortunately, Prince Su still had a four-foot-eight-long sword in his hand.

At this moment, the sword blade was deeply lodged in a crevice of the cliff stone wall, thus stabilizing them so they did not continue to fall downward.

Li Qingluo lowered her head to glance below; although it was pitch black and she could see nothing, she still anxiously lifted her head again.

With the wind's howling, their bodies swayed back and forth.

The wind on this cliff could actually blow a person up; it was truly terrifying.

Unfortunately, this is not Guanshui Cliff of Qishan.

That day, at Guanshui Cliff, because Zheng Lingzhou had made prior arrangements, she knew which trees could save lives and which cliff walls could offer escape.

Today this cliff was completely a blind leap with eyes closed, risking life!

Fortunately, with Prince Su present, she might not necessarily die today.

Li Qingluo: "Your Highness, perhaps we should temporarily separate? This maiden sees that tree above; if it only had to support my weight, it might not break. Your Highness would not be straining like this now."

Duan Rongshi: "Miss Li, do you have a plan in mind?"

Li Qingluo estimated that they were hanging in the middle of this mountain cliff, making ascent or descent extremely difficult.

Duan Rongshi: "No matter what, we cannot stay here long. Miss Li, listen to this prince."

"Place your feet on the cliff wall; there should be footholds to push off. Then climb up along the thread on your wrist to that tree. I will be behind you and follow shortly."

Li Qingluo nodded: "Yes."

Going down truly has no bottom, but going up at least offers hope.

Li Qingluo extended a foot to test a step on the cliff stone.

Indeed, on a protruding stone, she could place a foot.

She then similarly found another stone; just as she was about to loosen her grip on Prince Su, her left foot suddenly slipped—

"Ah!"

Li Qingluo could not help but let out a low cry; her whole body was again tightly embraced by Duan Rongshi.

The "whoosh-whoosh" wind sound actually failed to drown out her intense heartbeat.

Perhaps from being so frightened, her hearing felt muddled; only this heartbeat—how could it be so strong?

Just as she had not yet understood, Duan Rongshi lowered his head and rebuked her: "Miss Li, if you are not careful again, you will be smashed to pieces; I will not save you either! Do you understand?"

In the pitch-black midnight, the two locked eyes, each feeling intense emotion for survival.

Li Qingluo swallowed hard, "Yes, this maiden understands. Thank you, Prince Su..."

Li Qingluo dared not drift off; she smelled an increasingly strong scent of blood on Prince Su.

He must be injured!

Originally, she was sent by Zhui Yu to deliver medicine to him.

Although when she saw him in the forest, he appeared to have only minor injuries.

But in the recent fierce battle, those black shadows seemed endless, continuously lunging at him, while he kept protecting himself without a single scratch—evidently he himself had been ambushed.

Although Li Qingluo also wore a sleeve-mounted arrow on her wrist, she only had six arrows on her person.

In that melee, she also used four of them.

The short dagger also, in coordination with Prince Su, was thrust out as hard as she could a few times.

But she could do very little; merely preserving herself was already her utmost effort, not dragging him down.

Thus Li Qingluo now knew she must minimize further accidents to avoid increasing Prince Su's burden.

She once again steadied her feet, then reached out with her hands to feel the cliff wall.

She made herself cling to the cliff like a spider, then lifted her foot to find a new support point and push upward.

Her hands and feet gradually coordinated, and indeed she began to climb upward smoothly.

Li Qingluo lowered her head, delighted, looking at Prince Su: "Your Highness Prince Su, this method is truly feasible!"

Duan Rongshi had kept his head raised, naturally knowing she had successfully stepped up.

He gratifiedly gave a slight nod: "Good, you go first."

If it were another maiden, she would surely have been frightened into tears long ago.

She, however, even in dire straits could still find a hint of joy.

Even though he had just scolded her, facing these bloody scenes, she could still boldly obey and climb in the night a cliff she could not see at all.

This maiden truly continually surprises him.

Li Qingluo nodded, then without pause steadily continued climbing upward.

If her foot slipped, the thin thread still held her, so Li Qingluo easily climbed along the thread to beside that small tree.

She embraced the indeed not-so-thick trunk, turned, and sat upon it.

Then she lowered her head to look below; why was Prince Su still in place, not coming up?

Could he... have been waiting below, afraid she would fall again?

Li Qingluo dared not speculate; she immediately shouted softly: "Your Highness—Your Highness? Prince Su, please come up quickly!"

Duan Rongshi, seeing she was temporarily safe, raised his blood-soaked arm and grabbed a stone on the cliff wall with one hand.

He slowly climbed up, then drew the sword, planted the sword, his movements much slower than Li Qingluo's.

Li Qingluo was wondering why, when she saw Prince Su actually slip a foot, his body nearly falling off the cliff!

If not for his hands still tightly gripping the sword hilt, he would really have fallen down!

Li Qingluo's heart leapt to her throat in an instant; she immediately shot out a thin thread: "Your Highness, grab hold!"

Duan Rongshi lifted his head; the cold wind blew apart the fallen strands of hair on his forehead.

Though he could not see clearly, he seemed to make out those bright, star-like eyes, so radiant.

Between heaven and earth, it seemed as if in an instant the seas dried and rocks rotted; only the stars shone eternally, everlasting.

Duan Rongshi seized the thread, then with a burst of strength he drew his sword and used lightness skill to fly up.

He lightly landed beside Li Qingluo's tree, again plunged his sword into the cliff, then turned and braced himself sideways against the cliff using the rebound.

Li Qingluo hurriedly asked: "Your Highness, can you still hold on?"

She had a premonition: Prince Su's injury was worse than she had imagined.

If they lingered on the cliff any longer, the consequences would be unbearable to imagine!

Duan Rongshi did not deny it, pressing his chest and speaking softly: "We need to leave here at once."

But before them lay a sheer cliff; how could they possibly escape?

Horse Camp.

After Zhui Yu saw Li Qingluo off, he gleefully told Sha Lei: "If the Prince sees Miss Li, what do you think he might reward me with?"

Sha Lei gave him a sideways glance: "Want a beating? Your guts are bigger than a mastiff's—you dare go against the Prince's wishes."

Zhui Yu: "I merely guessed at the Prince's mind, knowing he'd be pleased to see Miss Li safe and sound."

Sha Lei: "But you acted on your own—already a grave offense. These years, don't you know the Prince's rules?"

Zhui Yu gave a "hmph" laugh: "You're so pedantic! Rules are dead, but human hearts are alive."

"Don't you lot understand the Prince's heart? With Miss Li, when has he ever not been saying one thing while meaning another? I merely timely created some chances for them to meet, so the Prince could realize his feelings sooner—what's wrong with that?"

"If the Prince truly isn't pleased, let him give me a beating—I'll accept it! Hmph!"

Sha Lei pointed at him: "You... go on, seek death!"

Meanwhile, Que'er glared fiercely at Zhui Yu, her accusing eyes seemingly saying: "Where exactly did you take my young lady?! Villain! Evildoer!!"

Zhui Yu:???

Indeed, Li Li's maidservants are all quite extraordinary!

After appeasing the Nanping Princess and her entourage here, Zhui Yu and Sha Lei were about to set off to send everyone back to Jinling when suddenly a horse drenched in blood came galloping back.

On the horse's back lay a person—none other than Po Feng, soaked in blood and unconscious!

Sha Lei and Zhui Yu's faces instantly changed; both felt a heavy thump in their hearts.

At daybreak, Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi finally crawled onto a platform where they could completely settle.

Speaking of which, it's also heaven's way of not cutting off a path; their fate was not meant to end.

Not far from that small tree last night, Duan Rongshi again vaguely saw a large tree.

Li Qingluo shot out a thread to scout the path; once it was firmly wrapped and stable, she and Duan Rongshi then, one after another, used their swords and followed the thread to slowly move to that big tree's side.

They had intended to land and wait until dawn, but the rocks on the nearby cliff had unexpectedly become much larger chunks.

Thus they gathered their courage and continued forward cautiously, step by step.

Up until now, they could finally let out a full breath and rest.

Li Qingluo, too, disregarded her image, spreading her arms and legs wide as she lay on the stone, gasping heavily.

"Your Highness, I just saw ahead a narrow path fit for one person. If we follow it, we'll surely get out of here..."

Li Qingluo turned to look at Prince Su, but saw him leaning against a large stone, his head bowed slightly.

She suddenly sensed something wrong and immediately got up and crawled over.

"Your Highness? Your Highness?"

She reached out and shoved Duan Rongshi hard, only to receive his icy stare as he lifted his head: "I heard you—don't make noise."

Yet after saying that, his body suddenly slumped and he fell into Li Qingluo's arms.

"Prince Su, Your Highness? Prince Su, Your Highness?"

Li Qingluo's heart pounded; no matter how she shook him this time, Duan Rongshi showed no response.

In the faint light she saw his face—utterly bloodless.

His lips, usually crimson, were now a patch of dark purple!

Li Qingluo felt a heavy thump in her chest; she realized: Prince Su is showing signs of poisoning!

She quickly reached out with her slightly trembling hand to feel his breath.

But this nearly scared her soul out of her!

Prince Su—he actually, actually has no breath?

Li Qingluo shook him hard again: "Prince Su, Prince Su!!"

She suddenly lifted the hand she had just been holding his back with, seeing her palm covered in black blood.

It turned out that Prince Su's shoulder and back had at some point been struck by a poisoned hidden dart; likely this very thing is what now claims his life!!