Chapter Forty-Eight: Advance and Face Death; Retreat and Survive with Difficulty

The dark tunnel inevitably had an end; ahead, a three-way fork appeared.

The tunnel had grown larger, and by now the four were standing in a spacious chamber. Around each of the three passages, intricate patterns adorned the walls.

“Let’s go back,” Li Suizhu suggested. Fear of darkness and confined spaces had little to do with status or rank, and was more a matter of gender and temperament.

Wu Yue said nothing, staring at the patterns above the fork with a troubled expression. Teng She and Ren Ruyi, on the other hand, were both visibly excited, showing no intention of retreating. One had always lived as a gambler, snatching chestnuts from fire; the other, newly blessed by fortune, brimmed with youthful vigor.

Wu Yue’s difficulty in deciding was not due to indecisiveness, nor was it simply a three-way choice. The real dilemma lay in the three inscriptions at the fork, one for each path.

The first read: “If the Mountain People come, death is certain.”
The second: “If Earth People come, ten deaths and no survival.”
The third: “Retreat, and survival is near impossible.”

The three sentences were inscribed in delicate script, firm strokes of gold and iron, exuding a murderous intent so strong it seemed to leap from the words themselves. How deep must the hatred be to infuse such emotion into mere characters? Moreover, a mysterious aura revealed the author’s immense cultivation.

Each sentence struck Wu Yue to the core.

He was trapped, unable to advance or retreat.

He tried to call upon the Lord God, to exercise his advanced administrator privileges, but to no avail. It seemed only Wu Yue noticed these three lines of inscription; the others showed no awareness of their presence or difference.

“If Brother Wu finds it hard to choose, perhaps the younger sister should decide? I find the left path quite promising,” Ren Ruyi suggested. “But if Brother Wu is confident in seizing the treasure, why not have us each take a separate path? Suizhu and Brother Teng She, whose cultivation is a bit weaker, can journey together.”

Her voice was melodious, though her words were tinged with calculation.

Wu Yue had no time to dwell on that. These three lines, written in perfect classical language, felt stuck in his throat, making him uncomfortable. He was not afraid of death—he simply could not die yet. The grand plans of the Mountain were one thing; but more importantly, he felt he owed Liu Anxin an explanation, a matter that had become his obsession.

“No, I want to stay with Wu Yue! If we go, he will be responsible for protecting me.”

They were all clever, and Ren Ruyi’s meaning was not subtle. Teng She said nothing more, but Li Suizhu was unconcerned with such subtext.

“I’m not going,” Wu Yue spoke suddenly, offering no explanation.

Ren Ruyi was startled, gazing deeply at Wu Yue, then at Li Suizhu. She said, “For those who cultivate, life and death are intertwined with fate. With great cultivation, the world holds no forbidden places. Take care, Brother Wu.” With that, she left decisively.

Wu Yue knew well that such rashness from Ren Ruyi must be backed by some special object or method.

Teng She hesitated, about to speak, but Wu Yue interrupted, “We owe each other nothing. Go as you please.”

“Then I’ll try my luck. May we meet again,” Teng She replied, his eyes glinting with confidence.

Wu Yue nodded. “Let’s hope so.”

Ren Ruyi chose the rightmost path. Teng She, after a moment’s hesitation, took the middle. The left, which had first been suggested, was ignored. Wu Yue had no mind for such complicated matters now.

“You did well. This princess will reward you,” Li Suizhu declared, believing that Wu Yue had abandoned fortune for her sake, and was deeply moved. Yet even her gratitude sounded stiff.

“What reward?” Wu Yue replied absent-mindedly. His decision had nothing to do with Li Suizhu. If entering meant certain death, then retreat at least offered a slim chance. If escape proved easy, he’d have no qualms about returning.

“Reward…” Li Suizhu paused, realizing she had nothing in mind, but since she’d spoken, she considered her word a promise. And besides, he was—

“Reward, right now. This White Jade Dragon Heart Pendant is yours!” Li Suizhu boldly removed the pendant from her neck and handed it to Wu Yue.

Wu Yue was surprised. He didn’t know its exact value, but he’d heard the saying in Luoyang: “One jade equals thirteen cities; one pendant equals thirteen jades.” The saying referred to this very White Jade Dragon Heart Pendant, a treasure of Qin. There were stories about it—Wang De spoke of its wonders—though Wu Yue had always thought it was mere legend.

Li Suizhu showed no reluctance, treating the national treasure with extraordinary generosity.

Wu Yue accepted the pendant with a smile, not out of greed but curiosity. It felt soft, cool, and—was there a hint of fragrance? He leaned in to smell it. The scent emanated from the White Jade Dragon Heart Pendant itself.

“Shameless!” Li Suizhu, ever noble and aloof, flushed red. She remembered she always wore the pendant intimately.

Wu Yue, clueless, inhaled twice more.

Li Suizhu, seeing Wu Yue grow bolder, blushed so deeply it reached behind her ears. She stomped hard at him.

Wu Yue, still baffled, dodged lightly and returned the pendant to its rightful place around Li Suizhu’s neck. Considering Li Suizhu’s safety, even the First Emperor had gifted this treasure. He gently touched her hair, saying with a smile, “Raised in a deep chamber, unknown to the world.”

Wu Yue spoke with genuine feeling, marveling at having touched and seen the legendary pendant. He couldn’t help but sigh.

Li Suizhu, naturally, assumed the words were about herself, especially the gesture—Wu Yue’s casual touch to her hair. She didn’t know why, but it made her both angry and happy.

Such is love. Impossible to explain, simple and complex at once, always depending on a bit of teasing.

The two settled into quiet, and Wu Yue was forced to confront the dilemma before him once more. Advance or retreat—neither was easy.

“This princess’s reward is not to be returned,” Li Suizhu said, glaring at Wu Yue.

Wu Yue shook his head. “Keep it. Take care of yourself.”

“Take care of you, then you take care of me,” Li Suizhu retorted, her nonsense delivered with perfect seriousness.

Wu Yue smiled, looked at her, and said, “Few people treat me so well.” He could see through her little ploys at a glance. Those who care little fear the depths of affection.

He helped her straighten the pendant, saying, “You go on ahead.”

Li Suizhu was startled.

Wu Yue spoke solemnly, “I have no path left.”

Li Suizhu pointed to the way back. Wu Yue shook his head. In his eyes, the path behind had vanished, replaced by red earth.