295: My Battle to Fight

My Battle to Fight

It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the dim light. But even without seeing, I could tell that wherever we landed wasn't East Village anymore. It was too warm for this time of the year, and too humid. The sound of a running river drifted into my ears, echoing faintly in the small space around us.2

A surrounding like this felt a bit familiar. I squinted, and when I still couldn't make out anything in the darkness, I realized where we were. "Bai Ye," I whispered as he lowered me down onto the ground. "Are we … back at the Misty Mountains?"

He uttered a spell under his breath. A soft flicker of light pulsed from his palm—the glow of his spiritual power—and I sucked in a deep breath when the wet walls of a cave chamber came into view. We were back indeed. The entrance we took last time might have collapsed, but the rest of the massive cave system still appeared intact. Or at least intact enough to remain a maze in front of us.

"She seems attached to this place," Bai Ye muttered. "Either that, or she's trying to get some more use out of those portals she set up hundreds of years ago … by luring those two disciples into them."

As if on cue, a clattering of swords came from a distance, mixed with the low growls of yazis. "… Looks like she's getting some more use out of those beasts as well," I grunted. Hopefully, we weren't too late to save the other two.

Holding Bai Ye's hand, I started moving in the direction where the sounds came from, meanwhile keeping a part of my mind focused on the fluctuating power around us. After visiting this place so many times, I had learned the pattern around how the sword spirit set up her traps, and I was able to avoid them now by feeling the flow beneath my feet. With slow but steady steps, I traced out a careful path over the uneven terrain dotted with her spells, picking our way forward.

Judging from the distance, those muffled sounds came from a few levels below us further down the cave. I hoped it was from both Lin Zhe and Wen Shiyin together—at least they'd be able to help each other a little in that case. Yazis were ferocious beasts to take on, and I didn't want to imagine what would happen if either of them ended up facing a group of those creatures alone. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if anyone got badly hurt.

"Bai Ye," I breathed as we descended further down into the depth of the cave. "When we get to where they are, will you promise to help me keep them safe? It won't be long before the sword spirit finds out about our trick at East Village … and she'll follow us here, sooner or later. If I get too caught up sorting things out with her, it'd ease my mind if you could protect Lin Zhe and Wen Shiyin in the meantime."

His steps slowed. From the corner of my eye, I saw him purse his lips, though he didn't say anything. Only his fingers curled tighter around mine.

"I know you want to be by my side …" I tightened my grip around him as well. "But the two of them wouldn't have gotten into this situation if not for me. We owe them this much. And besides, it is my battle to fight this time. Twin Stars is a part of me, and I want to be able to end all of it with my own hands. I'll appreciate it if you could give me the chance to do it."

He looked at me. A quiet moment passed, then he nodded. "Don't worry about anyone else. I'll take care of them. Although … I can't promise that I won't interfere if your battle starts looking too intense."

I thought of giving him a sharp glare for doubting my ability to take down my twin sister, but I suppose this was already the biggest compromise he could make for me. So I smiled in agreement, turning my full attention back onto finding our path.

We passed chambers after chambers, tunnels after tunnels. When we rounded one last corner, voices finally came into our ears. "Stay where you are!" I heard Wen Shiyin say urgently. "I can fend them off for now. Treat your wounds first!"

Their situation didn't sound good … Giving my spiritual power one big push, I quickened my steps and hurried to where they were, arriving just in time to find Wen Shiyin cornered by four yazis, maws gaping and slavering. Although she was still raising her sword high, I could clearly tell from her shaky breathing that she was pushed to her limits by the attacks from all sides.

The yazis didn't miss the opportunity. With a chorus of feral snarls, they all leaped at once, baring their teeth and aiming straight for her neck. I didn't have time to think any further. "Watch out!" I shouted and unsheathed my swords, dashing forward.

"Yun Qing-er?" Wen Shiyin gasped as my blades joined hers, meeting the iron fangs of the beasts with a clang. "How did you get here?" she asked. "Is everyone else alright?"

I brought my swords down, hitting one of the yazis hard enough in the jaw to draw blood from its thick skin. "Yes," I replied. "Though you might want to worry about yourself first. There're a lot more of these beasts all over this cave, and their poison is lethal."

Wen Shiyin's eyes widened. "Then Lin Zhe—" She spared a glance behind us before she slashed again, adding a second blow to the yazi I just injured before it got a chance to back away.

I followed the direction where she looked. Lin Zhe was leaning against the wall in a corner, a dark patch of blood soaking through his clothes. The beasts must've got him. But thankfully, Bai Ye was already examining his injury, and both of us had spent enough time studying yazi's venom in the past months to know the best way to treat these wounds now.

"Don't worry," I reassured Wen Shiyin with a smile. "Bai Ye is here. He won't let any more harm come to us. Now, let's finish off these creatures and find our way out of this place."

pqdm.com