Chapter 82: Entrusted, I Must Fulfill My Duty

Wangting Mountain, Furong Cave……

I never expected to stumble upon Furong Cave by accident tonight!

But immediately, an inexplicable feeling of unease surged up from my heart.

Such an important place couldn't possibly be left unguarded, or even uncontrolled.

In other words, this mountain has an owner.

Of course, this owner is neither the Song family nor perhaps the so‑called mountain god.

Based on my guess that night, this place should be…… Second Master Liu's territory!

Just thinking about that black snake always lurking in the dark, waiting to strike, makes my hair stand on end.

"Xiao Jiu, what are you spacing out for? Come on, let's go take a look." Tang Tang pulled my arm and whispered.

But I instinctively grabbed her: "Senior sister……

Tang Tang turned to look at me: "What's wrong?"

My heart pounded; where should I even begin?

I came to Huicheng, originally thinking just finding Wangting Mountain would be nice, but who knew I'd end up standing right at the mouth of Furong Cave out of the blue.

To explain things clearly to Tang Tang, I'd have to stand here and tell her about encountering the black snake at Jiyu Si, then explain the black snake, which means explaining Second Master Liu's identity, and then tell her about the dream……

There's no time, and I can't explain it clearly.

All I could say to her was: "This cave isn't safe……

"Ah, Xiao Jiu, do I really need you to say that?" Tang Tang, being impatient, didn't let me finish before pulling me into Furong Cave: "Hurry, let's first check the situation."

But as soon as we rushed into the cave, we both froze.

The large red bridal palanquin sent by the Song family now stands upright not far from the cave entrance.

Inside the cave it was silent, windless, yet there was light.

That light came from deep within the cave, a cold white, carrying a hint of chill.

Tang Tang stepped forward first, and I followed closely behind.

Soon we stood before the palanquin, and Tang Tang glanced at me.

If nothing unexpected happened, what's inside the palanquin should be Song Ruoqing's corpse.

Tang Tang couldn't bear it.

I understood her, so I reached out and lifted the curtain.

Inside the palanquin leaned a girl wearing a large red wedding dress, her head covered with a red veil.

She lay motionless, slumped inside, her hands and feet bound with coarse hemp rope, but…… her chest seemed to rise and fall slightly!

Although faint, I was sure I wasn't mistaken: "Senior sister, she seems still alive!"

Tang Tang had been standing behind me, reluctant to look because she felt upset, but when I said that, she rushed forward, saw the girl's chest indeed moving, lifted the red veil in one motion, and reached out to check her breath.

"She's alive! She's really still alive!"

I had noticed the girl's right index finger was missing—it was indeed Song Ruoqing.

But Song Ruoqing was unconscious now; even if her mouth weren't gagged, she wouldn't cry out or call for help.

Tang Tang undid the cloth, then somehow produced a dagger, cut the ropes binding Song Ruoqing's hands and feet, and shook her body vigorously, calling out: "Qingqing! Song Ruoqing! Wake up, wake up quickly!"

After many calls, her body almost shaken apart, she finally opened her dazed eyes weakly.

Her gaze was scattered, her palm‑sized face an abnormal pallor, and I could see a deathly aura between her brows.

It seems she truly had a nine‑deaths‑one‑life experience tonight.

Tang Tang's excited voice trembled: "Qingqing, you really aren't dead!"

"Tang…… Tang?" After a moment, Song Ruoqing weakly recognized Tang Tang and called her name: "You…… cough, cough, how did you end up here?"

Tang Tang opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted them: "This isn't the place for catching up, Senior sister—please take Miss Song down the mountain first."

Tang Tang didn't understand: "What do you mean by having me take Qingqing down first? Aren't you coming?"

"Senior sister, I came to Huicheng this time just to find Furong Cave." I confessed, "I was entrusted to retrieve something very important from this cave. Since that item is important, there must be powerful guardians here, so you need to go first—move quickly, or I fear I'll run out of time."

Tang Tang grew anxious: "How could I abandon you and leave first? No way!"

"Senior sister, Miss Song's complexion is off; tonight is her tribulation." I said solemnly, "Whether she can survive tonight rests on you, Senior sister."

"But…… but you……

"Senior sister, hear me out." I struggled to keep my voice steady, "I've pretty much figured out who truly owns Wangting Mountain behind the scenes. I've crossed blades with him before—he's too strong; even the three of us together would only be his defeated lackeys. If you stay, you'll only drag me down.

I need reinforcements. After you get Miss Song down the mountain, do your best to contact Aunt Tang; if she can arrive in time, perhaps she can save me from peril."

Tang Tang supported Song Ruoqing's swaying, nearly collapsing body with one hand while looking at me, her eyes wandering and helpless.

She opened her mouth several times, but deep down she knew my words were correct.

Song Ruoqing's life hangs by a thread; although Tang Tang knows some martial arts, she's not a cultivator, so if a fight broke out, they'd likely be the first to fall here.

Finally, she could only ask me: "Xiao Jiu, is that thing truly indispensable?"

I replied firmly: "Entrusted by others, I must fulfill my duty."

Even if we manage to rescue Song Ruoqing together tonight, afterward I doubt I could sneak back into Wangting Mountain anytime soon.

Wangting Mountain will surely tighten its defenses.

Tonight is my only chance.

I urged Tang Tang to hurry, and she could only grit her teeth: "Xiao Jiu, move faster; we'll wait for you down the mountain."

I nodded firmly.

Song Ruoqing was too weak to walk, so Tang Tang had to carry her on her back; I waved at them and watched them leave.

I hesitated no longer, turned, and headed deeper into the cave.

The further I went in, the lower the temperature became.

Turning a corner, the sight before me instantly left me stunned.

The deep interior of Furong Cave is vast, vast; a sheet of cold white meets the eye, with strangely shaped ice blocks everywhere—underfoot, on the walls, and on the ceiling.

As soon as I stepped in, it felt like entering an ice house.

But when I cautiously reached out to touch the ice block on the nearby cave wall, I realized I was wrong.

This isn't ice, but something like crystal.

I can imagine that, if I regard my current situation as a microscopic world, this cave is a fine piece of gambling stone.

The surface is all sand and rock and vines, but cut it open and inside lies the purest, most transparent crystal in the world!

It's beautiful, but looking around, everything is the same—where does the water come from here?

Even if there is water, it's hard to find!

Moreover, the longer I stay here, the more uncomfortable my eyes become.

Just like staying in icy snow for a long time in winter can cause temporary flash blindness.

At that moment, I suddenly felt the water ripple pattern on my left middle finger stir, and an invisible force in the dark drew me forward.

It was that water ripple pattern guiding me!

I followed that force forward, only daring to continue after each step landed firmly.

After walking about twenty or thirty steps like that, I finally stood on a relatively high and flat crystal stone; looking ahead, I suddenly saw a crystal lotus blooming in the very center of the cave.

That lotus is as big as a washbasin, entirely transparent, yet inside its petals seem to have shimmering water light.