Eternal Night

Chapter 189

After another ten days of walking, I finally stood at the edge of a huge mountain crevice. A narrow slit stretched between two mountain cliffs, seemingly reaching towards the sky. Looking up, my neck ached from gazing, but it seemed to stretch on forever.

I went inside.

An hour later, a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before them: a vast, enchanting sea of flowers, layer upon layer, stretching as far as the eye could see. At the edge of this floral paradise, wisps of smoke could be faintly seen rising from chimneys.

Without thinking, I went inside and fell asleep while smelling the flowers.

The hawking calls at the door woke me. I opened my eyes and saw a very ordinary room with a table, a bed, and a wardrobe. I was born into royalty, and the blanket I was wearing felt smooth to the touch. Upon closer inspection, I recognized it as the most renowned cloud brocade of my Chen Kingdom. I was startled. This material was reserved for royalty; how could it be here?

After getting out of bed, I noticed that the table was made of rosewood, seemingly simple yet extremely valuable. Although the design was simple, the wood alone was worth a fortune.

I pushed open the door, and there it was—an inn. Outside was a street, bustling with people, much like a small town. To my surprise, the woman selling mountain goods at the inn's entrance was wearing a jade bracelet. It was a rare, vibrant green, worth at least ten thousand or twenty thousand taels of silver. Yet, she was selling worthless mountain goods.

And the waiter was even wearing a robe made of brocade. Even if that robe looked like a waiter's uniform, it would still be worth twenty taels of silver.

This whole thing is ridiculous, utterly absurd.

A figure in moon-white robes came into view; it was an extremely handsome young man. He looked at me gently and said, "You're awake?"

I recognized him from his voice; he was the one who came to the palace to see me that day. But I never expected him to be so young and to possess such unparalleled martial arts skills that even Yi Zhongtian admired.

"What's wrong?"

I strained to look away. Inside the inn, everyone on the street seemed to possess valuables, yet they all appeared to be ordinary mountain dwellers. I looked at him, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm here. Where is he?"

He won't listen to you.

I don't believe it.

The man smiled and pointed to the hillside: "He's in a wooden cabin on the mountain."

Beside the wooden house, someone is practicing swordsmanship.

"Xiaobai!" I called out to him, and couldn't help but cry. He'd suffered so much along the way; how difficult was it for me to see him?

He stopped wielding his sword, gave me a deep look, turned and went into the house, closing the door behind him.

I stared blankly at him. I left the palace, wanting nothing to come to him, but he refused to be with me. "So you didn't love me after all! You... you were just repaying a debt of gratitude!" I roared, my heart aching unbearably.

There was no movement inside the house.

I sat in front of the wooden house, bewildered and at a loss. I have my pride. Since he doesn't care about me and is only repaying a debt of gratitude, why should I bother with him?

But Xiaobai's eyes, his resolute face, and his willingness to sacrifice his life made it hard for me to move. I couldn't believe he was heartless towards me.

I sat outside for three days while he practiced his sword, ate, and went out, acting as if I didn't exist.

This hurts me more than killing me.

On the fourth night, it thundered and rained. The lights came on in the cabin, and I even saw him sitting at the dining table, eating leisurely. The rain soaked me to the bone, and my heart grew cold as well. I stood up unsteadily and said to him, "I'm leaving. You really didn't care about me after all. I'll never bother you again."

I walked down the mountain. The town was closed, and there wasn't a soul in sight. I walked alone in the rain, tears welling up in my eyes. Should I go back to the palace? That was my home. The thought of ending up like the concubines in the palace, growing old and dying there, terrified me. I didn't want to go back.

Is there no place in this world where I can find refuge?

The rain seemed to have stopped. I looked up and saw him holding an umbrella, staring at me expressionlessly.

A look of surprise flashed in my eyes. Was he willing to be with me?

He handed me the umbrella, standing in the rain with a sour face.

I got angry and slapped his umbrella away: "Who do I am to you? Do you need to tell me what to do? Get out of my way!"

After only a few steps, I felt light as he picked me up. I was furious and started kicking, hitting, and crying, but he ignored me and carried me up the mountain. Rain streamed down his face, and his lips were tightly pressed together. My face was pressed against his chest, and I could hear his heart pounding rapidly.

He carried me back to the cabin and sat silently outside the door all night.

I tried to rush out the door, but he just stood in front of me without saying a word.

"If you don't want me, why do you still care about me?"

He closed his eyes and let the rain wash over his face.

I calmed down and said, "Okay, I'll leave tomorrow when the rain stops."

The next morning, I went out of the cabin, but he was gone.

As I walked down the town street, I couldn't help but want to glance at him. He didn't follow me.

The people here treat me like a stranger; not a single one speaks to me.

The young man in the moon-white shirt reappeared: "It's not that he doesn't want to talk to you, it's that he has entrusted his life to the Valley Master. He can't talk to you, otherwise, you will die."

I felt like I'd found a lifeline, so I grabbed the man's sleeve and asked, "What do I have to do to get him to talk to me? What do I have to do?"

"Do you see that cliff? You can climb it if you can."

The cliff was very high, as if cut by a knife. I bit my lip and asked, "Who are you?"

“I am the master of this valley.”

"A gentleman's word is his bond?"

He laughed loudly: "I will never break my promise."

I never knew I had such courage. I clung tightly to the crevices, vines, and weeds on the cliff face. Using my light-footed skills and finger strength, I climbed up little by little.

I dared not look down; the birds circling below told me that falling would surely mean certain death.