Chapter 47

In the Deep Forest, A Familiar Scene

Shi Mei and Bai She were concealed in the bushes, hearing footsteps on the path. It sounded like a group of people moving. One of them asked coldly, "There's no trace at all. Are you sure you're not deceiving me?"

Shi Mei frowned upon recognizing the voice - it was Qin Xianglian, her old adversary.

Bai She gave Shi Mei a knowing look – Qin Xianglian had long coveted the treasure.

"I tracked Qiao Lao Kuan here that day. The Jade Buddha was indeed here. We just need to deploy our men to search for it."

Neither Bai She nor Shi Mei recognized the voice of the responder, who sounded hoarse, as if injured. It would be quite eerie to hear at night.

Through the bushes, they could see the speakers.

At first glance, Shi Mei and Bai She were taken aback – Qin Xianglian was walking alongside a man in white. This was the same person who had previously impersonated Bai She to chase Guan Luo Ri... and possibly the one who killed Ming Jie.

Shi Mei frowned and looked at Bai She – it made no sense. Why would Qin Xianglian be associating with him?

Bai She shook his head slightly, indicating something was amiss. Qin Xianglian’s current alliance with the man in white didn’t necessarily mean he was behind the murder. It could be that the man in white had sought out Qin Xianglian.

"Keep searching!" Qin Xianglian commanded his subordinates. "Look for any footprints or trails nearby!"

"Yes!" Qin Xianglian's guards dispersed in various directions to search.

Shi Mei pondered for a moment and then gave Bai She a meaningful look.

Bai She returned her gaze.

Shi Mei gestured towards the man in white, then pointed around them and towards another direction, finally making a sign with four fingers. She was implying that since the man in white was here and Fu Si was currently holding a meeting of heroes, the person impersonating the man in white causing trouble couldn’t be Fu Si.

Bai She, understanding her gestures, pretended not to know.

Growing impatient, Shi Mei mouthed the words "Fu Si" while waving four fingers.

Bai She slightly raised the corners of his mouth and gently lifted her chin, leaning in for a kiss...

Annoyed, Shi Mei pushed him away, her sleeve rustling through the bushes, making a sound.

"Who's there?" The man in white suddenly became alert.

Shi Mei froze, giving Bai She a disgruntled look – this was his fault!

Bai She playfully pinched her chin, treating her much like he would tease Xiao Fuzi.

Shi Mei took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions to avoid making any more noise.

However, the man in white, clearly suspicious, began searching around.

Qin Xianglian seemed annoyed by this behavior, shaking his head, “It’s normal to encounter wildlife in such dense forests. Why be so paranoid?”

"My lord, there's a saying that caution is the parent of safety." The man in white suddenly took a handful of pebbles from his pocket and flicked them towards the bushes with his fingers...

His inner strength was profound; the stones he flicked were lethal, either wounding or killing upon impact.

Bai She quickly pulled Shi Mei into his embrace, protecting her with his arm.

This time, both the man in white and Qin Xianglian heard the unusual noise and looked in their direction.

With a flick of his sleeve, Bai She intercepted the incoming pebbles, deflecting them back towards their origin. Qin Xianglian and the man in white had to quickly dodge.

Seizing this opportunity, Bai She didn't linger for a fight. He scooped up Shi Mei and leaped onto the treetops, swiftly moving away.

Qin Xianglian observed the scene closely, frowning... Why was Shi Mei here?!

Meanwhile, the man in white shouted, “Catch them! They know the way!”

Naturally, the guards were reluctant to obey the command of this outsider, instead looking to Qin Xianglian for instructions.

Qin Xianglian nodded slightly, “Do not harm the princess. As for the others, show no mercy!”

“Yes!” The group of guards pursued.

Unfortunately for Qin Xianglian, the effectiveness of his ruthless command depended on his men's ability to catch Bai She, which was no easy feat. Moreover, Bai She wasn’t alone; several of his Ghost Knife disciples were present, using hidden weapons to impede the pursuit.

Seeing the shift in the situation, Qin Xianglian’s guards chose to stay behind to protect him.

The man in white, seemingly very wary of Baisha, declared, "We cannot let Baisha leave here alive!" With that, he drew his sword and pursued.

Qin Xianglian frowned and ordered, "Follow him!"

……

Baisha, with Shimei, leaped away for a while. Seeing that the pursuing troops wouldn't catch up soon, he didn’t bother to hide but landed in a clearing in the forest. After ensuring Shimei was steady, Baisha raised his hand and drew his sword, slashing out...

Simultaneously, the white-clad figure emerged from the woods, sword in hand, and attacked Baisha directly.

Baisha parried the incoming sword strike and spun around, his wrist twisting outward. His ghost blade spun in the air before thrusting out obliquely, following a deceptive trajectory.

The man in black narrowly dodged, but Baisha had already turned to face him, his ghost blade sweeping upward in a slashing motion. A flash of cold light passed by, and Shimei heard a ripping sound.

The man in white looked down at his chest, noticing a cut. Fortunately, his protective amulet prevented any injury to his flesh, but a scratch on the amulet was a stark reminder of the blade's lethality.

Baisha raised an eyebrow slightly, "Do I know you?"

Startled, the white-clad figure turned to flee.

Bai She was not about to let the man in white escape, advancing a step and swinging his sword. As his blade arced through the air, the man in white suddenly leaned back, countering with a swift strike. He had feigned his earlier retreat.

Expecting to hit Bai She with his backward lunge, the man in white found, to his surprise, that Bai She had vanished from behind him...

It turned out Bai She's pursuit was also a feint, a counter-trick.

With a leap, Bai She landed in front of the man, spinning around to deliver a powerful kick to his abdomen.

“Ugh.”

The man in white grunted, sent flying a considerable distance before crashing heavily to the ground.

Shi Mei noticed a patch of crimson bloom on his masked scarf, indicating he had spat blood. Bai She's kick had been merciless.

Landing back on the ground, Bai She suddenly fixed a slightly furrowed gaze on the man in white, taking a step forward.

The man in white, one hand covering his face, flicked his other hand toward Shi Mei.

Bai She cursed silently, realizing the imminent danger, and lunged towards Shi Mei.

From the nearby bushes, Shi Mei heard a warning shout, “Be careful…” but Bai She was already at her side.

The scene was chaotic. Shi Mei first saw a flash of cold light heading towards her, followed swiftly by Bai She's faster movement, pushing her down.

As they fell, Shi Mei saw a ghostly blue light whizzing past her, embedding itself into a nearby tree trunk.

The person who had shouted the warning was Qin Xiang Lian, emerging from the underbrush. Bai She was now holding her... but beyond all this, Shi Mei's most immediate sensation was the ground beneath her giving way, plunging into an abyss. As she fell, trees, rocks, and bushes seemed to descend with her, the world spinning around her, revealing a deep valley below.

“Ah!” Shi Mei screamed, her voice muffled as Bai She tightly held her close.

Bai She, holding a sword in one hand and embracing Shi Mei with the other, spun in mid-air and propelled towards a rock face.

Using the rock face to slow their fall, Bai She guided them downwards.

Shi Mei, too scared to look below, clung to Bai She, resigning herself to fate and hoping for survival.

Fortunately, Bai She's profound internal strength allowed him to control their descent, and the valley, though deep, was not bottomless, giving them a chance of survival.

Bai She breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the shimmering water below them. On a nearby cliff, a waterfall cascaded down, forming a pool beneath it!

Releasing a breath and inhaling deeply, Bai She, holding Shi Mei, plunged into the water with a thunderous splash, water spraying everywhere.

Shi Mei felt a painful jolt as they hit the water, her legs numb, followed by a bone-chilling cold – the water in the pool was frigid.

The pair sank deep into the pool. Bai She, without releasing Shi Mei, began to swim upward rapidly after halting their descent. They broke the surface gasping for air.

Shi Mei, unprepared for the plunge, had swallowed some water and coughed incessantly.

“Are you alright?” Bai She asked apologetically, as he had not had a chance to warn Shi Mei about the urgent situation.

Shi Mei shook her head, not minding the mishap.

After resting for a moment, Bai She leaped out of the pool, alighting on the shore. He gently set Shi Mei down beside him and also sat down, exhaling deeply. Looking around, they were surrounded by dense forest, with a waterfall nearby, and red maple leaves fluttering in the background, accompanied by occasional bird calls – a scene akin to a hidden paradise. However, both of them were soaking wet like drenched chickens, hardly in the mood to appreciate the scenic beauty of the waterfall.

“Are you cold?” Bai She asked, somewhat redundantly, as Shi Mei's face was already pale from the cold.

Bai She quickly gathered dry twigs and leaves to make a pile, thankful for the abundance of such materials in the valley. However, upon retrieving his firestarter, he found it soaked.

Shi Mei took out a dry firestarter from her small waist pouch and handed it to him.

Bai She accepted it, slightly surprised.

"The inner lining of the bag is made from sheep's stomach, it's waterproof. I keep a lot of perfume powders inside," Shi Mei said, huddling into a ball, "I'm freezing."

Bai She hurriedly lit the firestarter and kindled the bonfire.

The fire brought immediate warmth, but without much shelter around and the mountain wind blowing, Shi Mei couldn't stop shivering.

Bai She went into the forest to cut some thin tree branches and constructed a makeshift clothes rack around the fire. He hung a damp blanket from his bag over it.

The clothes rack encircled Shi Mei and the fire, resembling a small tent and significantly increasing the warmth.

"Hey," Bai She reached in, "Take off your wet clothes and give them to me. I'll hang them up to dry. Where's your bag?"

Shi Mei shook her head, "I think I lost it when we came down."

"It might not be wet." Bai She took Shi Mei's damp clothes and hung them outside to dry, then lit another bonfire to warm the clothes. Looking around for Shi Mei's bag along the path they had descended...

Soon, Bai She spotted Shi Mei's bag caught on a vine halfway down the cliff. He leaped to retrieve it. He was about to ask Shi Mei if it was hers, but then he realized he hadn't provided her with any shelter. Looking down, he was greeted by an unexpectedly pleasant view.

Fortunately, Shi Mei was still wearing her undergarments. She looked up, her face turning bright red, and scolded, "Don't look!"

Bai She had no choice but to turn away and jump down, handing the bag through the makeshift shelter to Shi Mei. "Hurry and change, don't catch a cold."

Shi Mei quickly changed into the dry clothes from her bag and stood up to peek outside.

By the other bonfire, Bai She, shirtless, was hanging clothes on the rack. His pants still seemed a bit damp.

"Hey," Shi Mei called out to him.

Bai She turned back to look at her. "Changed already?"

"Yes," Shi Mei nodded, pulling out a small dry blanket from her bag. "Here, use this to cover yourself. Don't freeze."

Bai She approached to take it, and as Shi Mei turned away to hand him the blanket, he said softly, "You can look; I don't mind you seeing."

Shi Mei's ears reddened a bit more, and she glanced at him sideways.

Draping the blanket over himself, Bai She felt the drying clothes, realizing they would need more time to dry, and decided to wait outside.

"Are you coming in?" Shi Mei asked him. "It's quite cold outside."

Nodding, Bai She entered the tent formed by the clothes rack, sitting next to Shi Mei, and gently stirred the campfire with a stick.

"Oh no!" Shi Mei suddenly remembered, "What about the map?"

Bai She showed her a pile of soggy paper.

"What shall we do?"

"No worries," Bai She said, tapping his temple lightly with his pinky, "I've memorized it all."

"That's a relief," Shi Mei sighed, "I remember the drawings on the cage tray! As long as you remember the terrain, we're fine."

Bai She continued to look at Shi Mei curiously, "Why exactly do you like that steamer tray so much?"

"It's not about liking the tray," Shi Mei, feeling the warmth and comfort from Bai She, instinctively snuggled closer to him. "That tray, it’s different."

"Does it look better than other steamer trays?"

Hesitating for a moment, Shi Mei replied, "…I could tell you, but you might not believe me."

"Let's hear it," Bai She said, continuing to tend to the fire. Shi Mei gathered her courage to speak when suddenly…

"Master!"

Several disciples of the Ghost Blade sect descended from the cliff above.

Bai She looked up at the sky and stood up, "We're here."

Seeing that both Bai She and Shi Mei were unharmed, the disciples of the Ghost Blade also breathed a sigh of relief.

"The man in white was injured, and Qin Xianglian left some men to search for the princess's whereabouts, while the rest retreated," reported a disciple of the Ghost Blade sect.

Bai She nodded, "Avoid conflicts with them. Continue with the original plan. Once the officials have left, we'll make our move."

"Understood." The disciples dispersed, and tranquility returned to the valley.

Turning to Shi Mei, Bai She saw her looking dispirited, seemingly hesitating and missing her chance to speak up.

Not wanting to pressure her, Bai She sat beside her and took out some food from his bundle.

The snacks, sealed in an intricate octagonal wooden lattice box, were dry. Bai She warmed the box over the fire, opened it, and handed the steaming food to Shi Mei, along with a sip of strong liquor.

The liquor, spiced with ginger, was fiery and pungent, but it brought a comforting warmth throughout her body.

Shi Mei exhaled deeply, feeling much more comfortable.

They sat in silence until dusk, when a disciple of the Ghost Blade came to report, "Master, they have left."

Bai She nodded, instructing them to prepare. He then stood up, changed his clothes, and packed the bundle.

As Shi Mei was about to extinguish the campfire, she heard a "thud, thud, thud" sound echoing from the distant woods.

"Did you hear that?" Shi Mei asked, gripping Bai She’s arm.

Bai She frowned and looked towards the woods.

"Could it be the sound of a bird pecking at a tree?" Shi Mei tried to reassure herself.

"Hmm," Bai She pondered, "unless that bird has a beak as big as a hammer."

Shi Mei felt a twinge of fear, "What kind of bird is that?"

Bai She listened intently and said, "It sounds like someone is knocking on wood with a stick."

"Knocking on wood? For what?" Shi Mei was alarmed, her mind racing with thoughts of all sorts of mythical creatures she had heard of, like mountain goblins and spectral witches.

"Let's check it out," Bai She suggested, moving towards the sound. Shi Mei held him back, "I was just guessing; maybe there really is a bird with a beak like a hammer."

Seeing Shi Mei's timidity, Bai She shook his head and, encircling her, began to walk forward. "I'm here, what's there to fear?"

Thus, the two of them, utilizing the last glimmer of twilight filtering through the trees, followed the sounds deep into the forest.