Chapter 27: The Trilogy for Survival

Chapter 27: The Trilogy for Survival

I abruptly halted, and Li Fan, unable to stop in time, crashed into me, sending me stumbling several steps back. Fortunately, he caught me before I could fall headfirst into the trash bin beside us.

"Go on, she won't be able to handle you. I'll take her," Li Fan repeated.

I turned my head, gazing up at him from his neck, past his Adam's apple, his jawline, all the way to his near-perfect face. He seemed a bit uncomfortable under my scrutiny and frowned in displeasure.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked.

I sighed. "I do trust you, super trust you. It's just that I'm afraid I'll be a burden, like I might trip you up at a crucial moment and embarrassingly pull down your underwear. You'd be so frustrated with my stupidity."

"Well, I suppose it's better for me to chant mantras more often then..."

Li Fan suddenly lowered his head, our foreheads meeting. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "So, you have such a low opinion of yourself, or are you just very afraid of death?"

I nodded. Wasn't that obvious? Who wasn't afraid of death?

Li Fan chuckled. The golden sunset illuminated his profile, creating an irresistible allure. "Don't worry, you won't die. I promise."

"Not necessarily. There are many ways for me to go." I looked up at the sky helplessly.

"You won't die," Li Fan declared firmly.

"I'm not so sure..."

"For the last time, you won't die!" Li Fan's volume escalated abruptly.

Startled by his sudden intensity, I sensed something amiss in the atmosphere. His words carried a solemnity that resembled an oath.

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds before I softly spoke up, "I was just joking around. You don't have to be so serious. I know I can't kick the bucket yet. I still need to help you accumulate virtue."

He lowered his gaze, his eyes holding something fragile, "Don't casually mention death anymore. It's hard for someone my age to hear that. I can't handle the shock."

I blinked, observing Li Fan standing before me with his head down, as if I had touched a raw nerve. He seemed like a wronged young wife on the verge of tears.

"Okay, okay, I won't say it again. Please don't cry on the street; it'll look like I'm mistreating animals." Noticing the curious glances from passersby, I hurriedly placated him and coaxed him back home.

After we returned, I silently noted Li Fan's fourth taboo in my mind. Then, I sent a message to Lin Yu on WeChat, informing her of my agreement.

Three days later

With a small backpack on my back, I waited for Lin Yu at the train ticket office.

As soon as she saw me, she skipped over and nuzzled her face against mine.

"Bai Ci! Wow, it's fantastic that you're here to keep me company. Having you around makes me feel so much less nervous!"

I gently pushed her away. "You'd be nervous without me? Didn't you say this mission was simple? If it's simple, why are you nervous? You're making me anxious with this behavior."

Lin Yu waved it off casually. "It is simple, but it's my first solo mission, so naturally, I'm a bit jittery. But now that you're here, I feel much more reassured!"

I knew that would happen...

Inwardly, I swore to myself that once we reached the mission site, I would cling tightly to Li Fan's leg and do everything possible to survive.

Last night, Li Fan had taught me three life-saving mantras, which I had diligently memorized: Don't court death, be cowardly when necessary, and call for help if half-dead.

He guaranteed that as long as I followed these three rules, even the king of heaven couldn't harm me.

I believe in it, I'll cling to his sturdy support unwaveringly.

For some reason, though, ever since he came back last time, he's been a bit melancholic. Often, I catch him gazing absently at the ring on his finger. I suspect it must be a sentimental keepsake from his wife, so I didn't pry further.

But considering we share a life, I still subtly reminded him that excessive sorrow and anger can lead to breast cancer, not sparing male foxes either.

The train departed swiftly. Lin Yu and I were headed for a rural area, quite remote, even more so than my hometown. After disembarking, we still had a long, winding mountain path to traverse.

Throughout the train journey, Li Fan remained within the tattoo on my wrist. Once I stepped off the train, he emerged.

Lin Yu, upon seeing Li Fan's excitement, bombarded her with effusive compliments and even promised to treat her to a lavish feast at the most luxurious hotel back home.

It was hilarious – she really didn't understand Li Fan's preferences. Compared to fine dining, Li Fan would prefer to join me for a night market feast of skewered meat.

Throughout the journey, Lin Yu filled me in on our mission.

The village we were heading to was barely even rural; it was more of a mountain village. The issue at hand had been brought to their attention by the village chief.

For some unknown time, an eerie phenomenon had plagued the village – no girl ever lived past eighteen years old. On each girl's eighteenth birthday, they would fall into a high fever, only to perish that very same night.

The villagers had attempted various solutions, like sending the girls away, but to no avail. As long as a girl had any relative in the village, she wouldn't survive past eighteen years old.

Lin Yu was convinced that there must be some supernatural entity behind it all, and that eliminating it would solve the problem. Usually, such creatures weren't of high rank.

I had no thoughts on this matter; I only knew that I was merely a pendant tagging along, hoping to accumulate some virtue in the process.

The weather was warm, and the winding mountain path seemed never-ending. The old saying "you can run a horse to death by making it look at a mountain" resonated with me—I felt like that exhausted horse, still trudging along with Lin Yu after a whole morning of walking. Every time I asked, she'd reply, "We're almost there."

Li Fan, on the other hand, appeared unfazed, striding up the mountain trail with ease, not even breaking a sweat.

My legs were trembling from fatigue, leaving me too exhausted to speak.

"Are you tired?" Li Fan turned to ask me.

I nodded frantically. "Dead tired!"

I was nearly at my limit!

"I can carry you if you want," Li Fan offered.

"No, no, no need, I'm not that delicate. I can handle a bit of mountain trail," I wiped the sweat from my forehead and hurriedly walked ahead of Li Fan.

According to social etiquette, I should politely decline three times before reluctantly accepting on the fourth attempt to appear graceful.

But before I could take a few steps, I felt myself lifted off the ground, a sense of weightlessness making me gasp and cling onto Li Fan's neck.

"Little one, why are you being so reserved with me? Do you think I don't know how delicate you are? You complain about walking home from the night market, yet this mountain trail would break your tiny legs?"

Li Fan pressed a cold medicinal pill into my mouth. Instantly, the aches and pains in my body seemed to ease significantly.

"Don't swallow it just yet, let it dissolve naturally in your mouth. Otherwise, your legs will ache terribly tomorrow."

Lin Yu looked longingly at Li Fan, hoping for a pill too.

Li Fan glanced at her and said, "No way. Besides, it's good for young people to endure a bit of hardship. Don't always look for shortcuts."

Lin Yu: ...

Lin Yu was speechless. She wanted to protest further, but Li Fan's words silenced her.

" Don't ask, because if you do, the answer is that I have double standards," Li Fan stated.