Chapter 61: Thorny Path

Chapter 61: The Thorny Path

Early morning, the night rain had newly cleared.

The mountains were soaked, with heavy droplets of water cascading from the leaves, splashing onto her rabbit hat and leaving it in a total mess.

Zhao Changhe held Cui Yuanyang's small hand, leaping and fleeting through the mountain forests. Crossing the mountain where they had sheltered for the night, they avoided the mountain paths and continued to scale another peak directly opposite, choosing only the deserted, wild tracks.

Cui Yuanyang did not utter a single word of complaint, tamely allowing her small hand to be held by him, letting the thorns of the mountain forest rip her lovely outer garment into shreds.

She had given no choice, leaving everything to Zhao Changhe's arrangement, but this attitude in itself spoke volumes—she was unwilling to choose the first option.

Leaving home to find Zhao Changhe had been driven by the allure and thrill of the martial world's turbulence, and also by a wildness completely different from the refined elegance of her family members she had known since childhood—the sudden impulse of a rebellious young girl. Once the impulse faded and she experienced more of the world, she would naturally realize her foolishness back then. Fortunately, Zhao Changhe had not disappointed her, otherwise, had she truly been bent into all eighteen positions, there was no telling how much she would regret it.

When cornered by official troops in the city, she had awakened to what kind of stain this would bring to her life, and felt a sense of gratitude toward Zhao Changhe's action of ruining his own reputation to preserve her honor.

And this time was no different; if she eloped far away with Zhao Changhe, she would have no other choice in this life but to marry him. Had she thought it through?

Before this, the young girl had never given it so much thought.

Once she considered it, she realized she did not know, or at least could not make such a resolution so rashly.

Yangyang wanted to go home; she missed her parents, her brother, and that beautiful Black Peony... she did not want to wander outside for a year and a half, being pulled by him to sleep and bear children.

Yangyang herself was still a child.

But Cui Yuanyang knew that the second option was a thorny path. Even if Zhao Changhe spoke of it lightly, it was bound to be far more dangerous than taking a detour. To make her speak up directly and say "I want to go home, let us brave the danger," she similarly could not bring herself to say it.

Meeting by chance, Zhao Changhe had done enough. He hadn't even asked for a common secret manual, so on what grounds could she expect him to brave dangers? Relying on that piece of pastry of hers? He originally had absolutely no need to be embroiled in these matters and could have flown far away long ago.

Zhao Changhe understood her thoughts. After a night of rest in silence, he led the little rabbit straight out of the cave early the next morning.

Cui Yuanyang resignedly crawled out of the cave to follow him. The moment she realized the direction was toward Qinghe, the little rabbit’s heart trembled slightly, like a boulder flying in from the heavens and crashing into the Qinghe River, sending out ripple after ripple.

In truth, Zhao Changhe was inherently brave and fierce, a man who finished what he started. He would have taken this thorny path anyway, wouldn't he?

Perhaps even Han Wubing had seen through it, knowing he would definitely send Yangyang home.

Yet Yangyang still felt so strange inside.

The morning sunlight filtered through the mountaintop branches, reflecting upon his face. It was truly beautiful, more flawless than the statues crafted by grandmasters.

"Tired?" After an unknown duration of fleeting through the woods, Zhao Changhe suddenly asked.

Cui Yuanyang was panting heavily, yet she still insisted: "I'm fine."

"Mm... you are at the third tier of the Mysterious Pass after all, with first-rate lightness skills, so you can endure it." Zhao Changhe said, "Let's rest a while. It's just that we can't go into town to rest and eat anymore. No matter how unpalatable this flatbread is, you'll have to make do."

Cui Yuanyang looked at the coarse flatbread he pulled out. Not only did it look unpalatable, but it was also a bit dirty... but she said nothing, taking the bread and nibbling it in small bites.

Zhao Changhe let out a small laugh. This girl... was far more endearing than the wealthy young ladies one would imagine.

He strode over to a nearby stream, drank to his heart's content, then plucked a broad leaf to scoop up some water and brought it back: "Here."

Cui Yuanyang held the water, somewhat curious: "Why aren't you drinking from your wine gourd anymore? Is it empty?"

Zhao Changhe smiled: "There's still some, but I have to ration it."

Cui Yuanyang thought he was saving it to cope when his wine craving struck, so she said no more and lowered her head to eat the bread.

Suddenly, a gust of wind stirred, and a scent of blood and wild beast seemed to carry through the mountains.

Cui Yuanyang did not know what it signified—wasn't a mountain breeze perfectly normal? She simply kept eating her bread in silence, her mind filled with worries.

Zhao Changhe lifted his head to glance around, smiling: "Keep eating, I'm going to relieve myself in the back. Whatever you do, don't turn around."

Cui Yuanyang wrinkled her nose: "Who would look at you!"

Immediately after, her face grew a bit distressed. What should she do if she needed to relieve herself... she hadn't gone since last night...

Right, while he went to relieve himself, shouldn't she take this opportunity to do the same? Cui Yuanyang had long forgotten his instruction not to turn around, and instinctively turned her head to see where he was.

With this look, she saw Zhao Changhe leaping forward with a steel saber in hand, while ahead of him, a fierce tiger with a patterned forehead and white eyebrows pounced straight down at him.

The two sides were about to collide mid-air.

"Roar!" The tiger's roar shook the mountains, causing the grass and trees to tremble.

The bread in Cui Yuanyang's hand dropped instantly, and she swiftly covered her mouth.

Those who have never seen a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey can imagine how they might perform a sliding tackle against it, but when truly facing it, the momentum of that several-hundred-pound behemoth pouncing straight down at them leaves most people's minds completely blank. Fear can freeze a person solid.

At this moment, Cui Yuanyang's mind was completely blank; the swordplay she had practiced since childhood had vanished to who knows where.

She watched helplessly as Zhao Changhe suspended in mid-air, the saber in his hand taking on the hue of fresh blood, its bleak red light hacking heavily toward the tiger's forehead.

Gods and Buddhas Scatter!

From the very beginning, he had no intention of dodging or kiting the beast. He feared that if he yielded, Cui Yuanyang behind him would be harmed, so his opening move was his ultimate technique, attempting to intercept the fierce tiger right then and there!

"Bang!" There was no telling if this strike landed squarely, but blood splattered everywhere. The powerful impact sent Zhao Changhe tumbling backward in mid-air, but he quickly twisted his waist in the sky, planted a foot against a tree trunk behind him, and rebounded like an arrow.

The tiger’s forehead was streaming with blood, and with a wild roar, it whirled its body and whipped its tail, lashing heavily toward Zhao Changhe in mid-air.

Zhao Changhe spun in mid-air, causing the tiger's tail to sweep through empty space, while his saber had already sliced all along the tiger's flank, bringing forth a downpour of blood.

"Thud!" Zhao Changhe landed ahead. The powerful inertia still caused him to slide forward several feet before he stabilized his stance. Turning his head to look back, the fierce tiger was already thoroughly dead.

In Cui Yuanyang’s eyes, he truly resembled a celestial god.

In a daze, she recalled her brother's evaluation: "This man is like a fierce tiger descending the mountain, a flood dragon entering the sea."

How could a fierce tiger even compare to him!

"Ah, told you not to look. I thought I could one-shot it, but I still underestimated it. Damn it, even the tigers here are tougher than the ones in Beimang." Zhao Changhe strode back carrying the several-hundred-pound tiger carcass, smiling: "Since we're specifically traversing the wild mountains, it's inevitable to encounter wild beasts. They're always easier to deal with than experts, and they even deliver meat to our doorstep. It's fine now, you keep eating, I'll see if I can roast some meat."

Cui Yuanyang asked, as if possessed: "Did you hunt tigers often in Beimang?"

"Uh, I haven't hunted one. Back then, this thing was hunted by Luo... mm, by my close friend. But they were only seen occasionally. It was winter then; though tigers don't hibernate, their activities are few, so they are hard to spot." Zhao Changhe sliced the tiger meat, speaking with high spirits: "Back then she hunted one, and the entire fortress felt like it was New Year. Instructor Sun personally skinned the tiger pelt to make a chair cushion—the very one I sat on later in the Loyalty Hall. I don't know if you've seen it... oh, right, you didn't seem to enter the Loyalty Hall, you were carried to the room by me..."

Cui Yuanyang just sat to one side with her chin in her hands, watching him ramble on, barely hearing what he was saying.

"Uh? Why do you keep staring at me?"

"Oh... oh, nothing. I, I, I am also going to relieve myself, don't you turn around either!" Cui Yuanyang bounded up like a rabbit, vanishing behind the bushes behind Zhao Changhe in a flash.

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Granted, I can't see you squatting behind the bushes, but could you please not strip while squatting down...

Why is it a white tiger again... this isn't right, is it not fully grown yet?

"Ah!!!" Cui Yuanyang’s startled scream suddenly rang out.

Zhao Changhe abruptly stood up: "What's wrong?"

"A, a snake!"

"..." Zhao Changhe grabbed her sword and accurately flung it right to her hand: "Use your Cui family swordplay yourself, I really can't help you this time."

Cui Yuanyang drew the sword and chopped the snake to pieces with a swish, then looked suspiciously at Zhao Changhe's back: "You... how did you know where my hand was?"

"Listening to sound to determine position! Do you know what listening to sound to determine position means!" Zhao Changhe's old face flushed crimson with embarrassment, losing even the desire to roast the tiger meat: "We've rested enough, hurry up and let's go after you're done!"

The little white rabbit pulled up her trousers and chased after him: "Zhao Changhe! So you are actually very indecent too!"

Zhao Changhe turned around and made a tiger claw gesture: "Any more nonsense and I'll bend you into all eighteen positions!"

"All you have left is a tough mouth."

"You just called me shameless a moment ago—are your brains made of hemp?"

"Hmph." The girl seemed to have completely forgotten what she was questioning, and naturally slipped her hand back into his large one. The two of them broke into a run with their lightness kung fu, racing onward.

Days spent roaming the wilds with a beautiful girl were just this simple, unadorned, and tedious.

If he had a choice, Zhao Changhe would rather spend every day dealing with tigers and snakes like this, traveling all the way to Qinghe in this manner.

Unfortunately, the road to Qinghe was not a chain of mountains. After three days of threading through the peaks, the land ahead lay flat and open.

A stream flowed out from the mountain gully behind, gradually merging into the river ahead. On the river's current, boats drifted, and fishermen's songs rose and fell melodiously.

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath.

If they had to cross the river, that would be the easiest place to be ambushed, and from then on, their trail would be impossible to hide.

Humans were far more terrifying than tigers.