Chapter 40

Chapter 40

At this time, Xie Zhi Gui was also nearing the edge of the cliff.

After groping through the forest for an unknown duration, Xie Zhi Gui finally located those few vines. Pushing them aside, he burst out of the forest, and there before him, stood the eagerly awaited wooden bridge.

Amidst the tempest, the pitiful and lonely bridge hung on mere ropes, creaking incessantly, swaying with such great arcs that one feared the ropes would snap the next second, sending the bridge plummeting into the chasm below to be swallowed by the raging river.

Under normal circumstances, in such a dark night, with the wooden planks slippery and the storm fierce, Xie Zhi Gui would not have risked his life crossing this suspension bridge.

But now, he had no other choice. He had set numerous misleading traps along the way, but he was uncertain how long they would delay Ming Fei Yu.

Time was running out.

He ran to the edge of the bridge in one breath, ignoring the perilous cliff and the torrential river below. Setting one foot on the plank, he intended to grope his way across to the other side using the ropes.

The faint moonlight illuminated the path before him. The forest at the end of the bridge, too, was enduring the lashings of the storm; the way was treacherous, but at least there was no Ming Fei Yu.

Xie Zhi Gui felt his way across several planks when he suddenly sensed something amiss.

He looked up sharply at the pitch-black sky, his pupils contracting instantly!

There was no moon tonight.

Then what about the light? Where was it coming from?!

He turned to look ahead and realized the bridge itself was glowing. Amidst the unfathomable darkness, it radiated dense specks of white light, illuminating the entire structure.

Xie Zhi Gui felt something stirring in his hand and looked to find a small insect resembling a butterfly, glowing phosphorescent white, clinging to his palm.

He understood then; the bridge was covered with countless such insects, clinging to the ropes and planks, providing the only light in the darkness.

But these insects were too similar, too similar to...

The more Xie Zhi Gui thought about it, the more his skin crawled. He flicked the insect from his palm with force, clenched his wrist, and dared not touch the bridge's ropes again.

Yet he could not deceive himself into ignoring the unease in his heart; he could only continually comfort himself—

Ming Fei Yu was still behind; as long as he moved swiftly enough, he wouldn't be able to catch up. Once across the bridge, if he could just sever the ropes, he would block Ming Fei Yu's path, securing his own safety and freedom.

Just then, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky above him, followed closely by a rumbling thunder. The bridge shuddered violently from the shockwave, the planks creaking ominously, as if they might splinter the next second. Xie Zhi Gui, striving to maintain his balance, was forced to clutch the ropes again.

But it was the moment his hand touched the rope that...

Whoosh!

The entire bridge, as if a switch had been flipped, turned a dark red. A swarm of insects took flight into the air, igniting clusters of will-o'-the-wisps. The bridge transformed into a path that seemed to lead straight to hell.

Panic enveloped Xie Zhi Gui as swiftly as the rain that filled the sky.

At the end of the path, at the end of the bridge, a soul-snatching, spectral figure stood out in the rain, its shadow elongated by the red glow.

The face of the apparition was an unnatural, deathly pale, its breath icy.

“Come here,” the ghostly figure beckoned with a chilling palm.

Ming... Ming Fei Yu!

Xie Zhi Gui was terror-stricken, desperately dragging his weakening legs backward, almost tripping over himself in his frantic retreat.

How did he get to the other side?! He was supposed to be still behind, wasn’t he?!

Ming Fei Yu watched his retreating steps, his eyes dark and displeased, he repeated with an undertone of anger, “Come here.”

If there was any hint of coaxing in the previous command, this one was an unequivocal order, laden with suppressed fury.

Xie Zhi Gui, of course, could tell, and thus, he continued to back away.

How could he possibly approach? Only a fool would go over now! Would Ming Fei Yu let him off if he did? Judging by Ming Fei Yu's current demeanor, not even a plea for mercy with a face of despair would quell his rage.

It seemed Ming Fei Yu's patience had worn thin; he too stepped onto the bridge, closing the gap between them.

The rickety wooden bridge, now burdened with the weight of two, swayed even more perilously, creaking with the strain.

To Xie Zhi Gui, those sounds were like the countdown to his impending demise.

By now, Xie Zhi Gui had nearly reached the edge of the bridge. The moment his heel touched the ground, he pivoted sharply and leaped off the bridge, dashing into the woods.

But after only a few steps, a swarm of red insects intercepted him, their intensely intimidating buzz forcing him to a halt. Their sharp wings drew closer to his face, threatening him to turn back.

Xie Zhi Gui had no choice but to slowly retreat to the edge of the bridge.

At the same time, the footsteps from behind grew nearer, resounding heavily on the creaking planks. The rain splashed underfoot, each step exuding a poised confidence like a hunter checking on prey already trapped.

Squelch.

It was as if they were stepping directly on his wildly pounding heart! Each step squeezed the air from his lungs!

Behind him, Ming Fei Yu's voice was cold and tinged with mockery: “Run, why have you stopped running?”

Xie Zhi Gui dared not look back: “…”

In his panic, his hearing became acutely sharp, so he could hear Ming Fei Yu’s heavy breathing getting closer, along with the sound of teeth grinding in displeasure.

Unbearable memories awakened; it was as if he were back to the time when sharp teeth tore at him, the wound on his neck throbbing faintly.

Instinctively covering the wound, a terrifying thought crystallized in his mind: if bitten again, he might indeed die in such an ignoble way.

Ming Fei Yu commanded with authority: “Turn around, look at me.”

Xie Zhi Gui didn't want to turn, but he could feel the gaze on his back sharpening, like a knife just pulled from the flames, scorching hot, threatening to incinerate him into ashes in the pouring rain.

“Turn. Around. Now,” Ming Fei Yu articulated each word, clenching his back teeth.

Xie Zhi Gui swallowed hard and obediently turned, barely lifting his eyes before being startled by Ming Fei Yu’s grim and foreboding expression; it was as if a cold, damp serpent had coiled around him, its slick tongue slithering over his skin.

Ming Fei Yu smiled chillingly, approaching unhurriedly; he wanted Xie Zhi Gui to witness exactly how he was captured.

With deliberately slowed footsteps, he instilled unease, wandering, fear, trembling... letting the boiling blood and the fiercely beating heart torment him slowly and repeatedly, to engrave this lesson tonight forever! In the future, just seeing him would evoke terror, deterring any thoughts of escape.

He had achieved his aim.

The cold rain slapped against him head-on, leaving Xie Zhi Gui's face devoid of any color, his limbs numb, his pupils reflecting the steadily encroaching red figure, fear brimming over.

He would be killed by him.

Caught by him, he would surely be killed.

Those slender nails could effortlessly slice through his throat!

But how could he flee? With a tiger in front and a wolf behind, he was caught in a pincer attack.

Suddenly, he turned his head to glance beside him. The darkness below the cliff obscured his vision, leaving him with only the sound of water rolling like thunder.

Yet, this was the only method to escape from the clutches of Ming Fei Yu.

The oppressive and suffocating atmosphere was nearly driving him to hallucinations. He almost saw a figure smiling and waving at him from below, coaxing him to come down, promising that soft vines would catch him, that there was nothing to fear.

Carefully, he shifted a step to the side.

Ming Fei Yu seemed to realize what he was about to do and his face drastically changed as he burst into an angry shout, "Stand still, don't move!"

“……”

Xie Zhi Gui was momentarily stunned, then looked down at the abyss again. The seductive voice that had beckoned him to jump had vanished.

On the bridge, Ming Fei Yu watched him with a tense expression, deliberately softening his voice so as not to frighten him, yet it was tinged with a tremble of fear, "Just stay there, please don't move, okay?"

Xie Zhi Gui's gaze swept over the expression on Ming Fei Yu's face, finally resting on the tightly clenched fist at his side: "Are you afraid I'll jump?"

Ming Fei Yu immediately responded, "Don't jump!"

"If you jump, you won't die but you'll be crippled, don't risk yourself!"

Xie Zhi Gui looked at him, eerily calm, his thoughts inscrutable.

Then he took a tentative step towards the edge of the cliff, half of his body hanging over the abyss. The wind whistled up from below, wailing through the downpour, lifting the wet hem of his clothes and tossing his damp hair about in the rain, his slender figure looking as if it might be swept away with the next gust.

He had been drenched in the rain for far too long, his complexion sickly pale. Ming Fei Yu, observing this, felt a chill deep in his soul as if it were no longer his own.

But soon, Xie Zhi Gui came to a realization, and with a cruel twist of his lips, he coldly said to Ming Fei Yu, "I won't."

"Don't move!!!"

Ming Fei Yu's control broke as he roared again, his voice piercing through the veils of rain.

"After so many surgeries, don't you have any sense of the state of your body!"

"Can you even survive the jump down!"

"Do you have a death wish?"

Xie Zhi Gui looked at him, asking in astonishment, "How do you know I've had many surgeries?"

Ming Fei Yu's gaze clamped onto him firmly: "I just do."

At this moment, unable to remain calm, his hands trembled uncontrollably as he opened his palms cautiously towards Xie Zhi Gui, as if to cradle a butterfly about to fall.

"Stay away from me!"

Sensing Ming Fei Yu's intentions, Xie Zhi Gui leaned forward slightly, a small stone rolling from under his foot into the dark abyss without a sound, causing Ming Fei Yu to halt his steps in fright.

"Alright, alright, I won't come over. You don’t move either."

Ming Fei Yu stood his ground, gesturing for him not to be afraid or act rashly. He watched Xie Zhi Gui's eyes, his own gaze stripped of aggression and possessiveness, coaxing him gently.

"I won't pressure you anymore. I don't blame you for what happened before. I won't touch you, so don't be afraid of me, don't worry about punishment. Just step away from there first. Look at how strong the wind is—it's too dangerous."

"Consider this me asking you, please come back first, okay?"

Xie Zhi Gui regarded him coldly, his frantic and disheveled state was pitiful. A pain pricked somewhere in his heart, yet he couldn't pinpoint where.

What exactly was causing this discomfort?

Seeing no response from Xie Zhi Gui, Ming Fei Yu hurriedly added, "I'll take you away!"

This got a reaction from Xie Zhi Gui, who looked up in confusion: "...Really?"

"It's true!" Ming Fei Yu said quickly: "I was planning to take you back tomorrow anyway! Trust me one more time, will you?"

"I don't want you to take me. Let me go on my own."

"No, it's dangerous in the mountains, and you could easily attract malevolent spirits. You can't leave alone."

"What would happen?"

"You could... you could die," he stammered.

The panic and sheer terror in Ming Fei Yu's heart could no longer be concealed. The prospect of Xie Zhi Gui not loving him paled in comparison to the nightmare of Xie Zhi Gui's death, which haunted him constantly, inflicting an agonizing pain that drilled into his soul.

"No, no, you can't die."

"I'm begging you, please don't move!"

Why... Why is he so anxious?

It's just a face that resembles another; is it really necessary?

Xie Zhi Gui bit his lip, suppressing the odd sensation in his heart. He looked into Ming Fei Yu's eyes, silent for a long time without revealing his emotions. His desire to communicate something left unsaid, his silence was excruciatingly wearing.

Ming Fei Yu said anxiously, "Please, say something."

"Alright."

"I want to go home."

His voice was soft, but Ming Fei Yu heard it, a gentle light igniting in his eyes as he said, "Home, we'll go home, we'll head back tomorrow!"

Xie Zhi Gui nodded, extending his hand, "Mm."

Before Ming Fei Yu could recover from his relief, as he was about to walk over and take Xie Zhi Gui's hand, his vision suddenly blurred. He saw Xie Zhi Gui leap off the cliff, soaring against the wind's direction like a moth seeking its end in the pitch-black abyss.

As he plummeted swiftly, the noisy wind howling past his ears, Xie Zhi Gui seemed to hear a roar from Ming Fei Yu, filled with extreme grief and agony, heartrending.

But it didn't matter anymore.

He didn't believe Ming Fei Yu's lies.

Not a single word of it, not even in death.