The bumping grew more violent, the two bodies inevitably colliding with their surroundings. Lin Chaoying, with pity, reached out to embrace Wang Chongyang's waist, intending to steady him. The stone basin suddenly tilted left, and Wang Chongyang pressed down. Lin Chaoying wanted to push him away but feared he might be injured. The basin then tipped right, and Lin Chaoying found herself pressing against Wang Chongyang's right side. At this moment, they felt the stone basin collide with something before being flung out, shaking violently and showing signs of sinking at the tail. Wang Chongyang suddenly thought that if he were to die now, his ambitions would truly remain unfulfilled! Lin Chaoying lay upon him, waiting for misfortune to strike.
The stone basin gradually regained its balance, though it continued to rotate to the left. Lin Chaoying lay back in her original position, closing her eyes to regulate her breathing and cease her dizziness.
The lid of the stone basin suddenly opened, revealing the beautiful scene of stars and moon amidst myriad clouds in the heavens, instantly dispelling the gloom from their hearts! "How beautiful!" his voice came from behind. It was unclear whether he was praising the moon or the person before him... His temple brushed against her cheek as he said, "I will pluck the moon and gift it to you." He lowered his eyelids and glanced elsewhere, letting him speak his foolish words. Her gaze shifted stealthily, following his outstretched arm, and the full moon seemed to be grasped by his fingers. "Got it," he exclaimed triumphantly. She watched his hand slowly retract, and the moon was indeed being drawn by him! The moon, as if displeased at being captured, struggled to break free, its radiance rapidly expanding and enveloping their surroundings. The strong light suddenly shrank, simultaneously drawing him into its core! Dazzled by the light, in her panic, she cried out, "Wang Shixiong!"
Lin Chaoying opened her eyes and peered intently, only to realize it was a dream. Seeing Wang Chongyang move away from her, he nervously clarified, "I couldn't hear what you were saying, so I leaned closer to your mouth to hear you clearly." Without delving deeper, Lin Chaoying leaned against his shoulder and asked, "Where will we float to?" Oh no, would he seize this opportunity to discuss their future...? After a moment, he only replied, "The stone basin should be rising." Why didn't you ask me what dream I had just now? Would you really pluck the moon for me? Why are you staring at the lid and not at me?... His eyes, so clear and resolute, made her feel safe to entrust herself to him...
With a "clang," the stone basin swayed, startling the two who had fallen asleep embracing each other. Wang Chongyang observed for a moment and said, "Judging by the crisp sound, it seems we've surfaced." Lin Chaoying cautiously pulled out the stopper bit by bit. No water gushed in; instead, she saw the residual moon facing the wind through the opening, bringing her relief but also a sense of reluctance. With her signal, Wang Chongyang gently pulled the lid open a little. Seeing no danger, he boldly pushed the lid further back and poked his head out to look. It turned out the stone basin was resting against the jagged rocks on the shore. He turned back, intending to leap ashore with Lin Chaoying, but saw her raise an eyebrow at him playfully, her gaze fixed on the cave ahead. Wang Chongyang, unwilling to disregard her wishes, used his sword sheath as a pole to propel the stone basin forward.
Looking around, mist shrouded the surroundings, making the distant view indistinguishable. As they neared the cave entrance, waves surged out. Wang Chongyang not only failed to enter but was almost pushed back to his starting point, and the stone basin was nearly overturned. Lin Chaoying helped him push forward twice, but they were still quite far from the cave entrance. "Don't rush, let's wait for the right moment," he said, his brow furrowed as he watched intently. Lin Chaoying leaned against his back, focusing her thoughts to await his command. After about fifteen minutes, "Up," Wang Chongyang added, "Gently." The two worked together and, without much resistance, successfully entered the cave. Wang Chongyang said urgently, "Quick! Drag the basin onto the rock pile on the shore." Lin Chaoying intended to step out from the rear to push the stone basin ashore, but Wang Chongyang stopped her. Wang Chongyang said, "Come! Let's pull it up from the front." Lin Chaoying unhesitatingly went to help. As they pulled through the water, she felt a gradually strengthening suction pulling the stone basin towards the center of the water. She then realized that if he hadn't stopped her in time, she, pushing from behind the basin, and with her leg injury still unhealed, would likely have been sucked away first.
After placing the stone basin on the rock pile, Lin Chaoying ran back to the shore to observe the water flow. The vortex that had been swirling towards the center of the water had weakened. Soon after, water surged from the center, and the flow reverted to pushing outwards. She couldn't help but blame herself for relying on him so much that she was too lazy to think after only a day or two. Wang Chongyang came up behind her and said, "Fires have been lit at both ends of the large rock. Let's dry our clothes first." Taking her hand, he continued, "Then I will bandage your wound." Lin Chaoying nodded and headed towards the west end.
She placed her wet clothes on the frame Wang Chongyang had made with branches and sat with her back against the large rock standing on the shore. "Is he... also leaning against the rock? What if he's also naked and leaning against it..." She felt uncomfortable and tried to divert her attention by looking around, only to see three similar floating stone basins in a dark corner in the distance. "You see those stone basins too, don't you?" Lin Chaoying said, "So Yuan Xiangxian used the peculiar in-and-out phenomenon of this spring to transport goods."
It was then that she heard him reply, "I estimate that if the apricot kernel rock pile hadn't altered the water's force, our basin would have come out through this spring opening."
Following the direction of his voice, he was indeed leaning against this rock! "Perhaps that strange beggar hides books around here." If you obtain this book, your martial arts will surely improve, and your grandmother's chance of acceptance will increase by another point.
After a period of silence, his voice came again, saying, "I know you are very interested in martial arts, but your grandmother's safety is more important. Don't worry, if this book falls into the hands of others, its whereabouts will be widely known in the martial world. I will do my best to retrieve it and let you explore its mysteries."
You don't understand! Lin Chaoying couldn't help but feel annoyed, and coldly said, "Who cares." She thought to herself that with your character and your grandmother's affection for me, this matter would likely be fine; her only worry was that his stance and her grandmother's were different. But she also thought that after rescuing her grandmother, they would live in seclusion in the Living Dead Tomb, and then there would be no difference between Jin, Song, or Southern Tang.
Although she knew he was not the kind of person to take advantage of the situation, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Her clothes were not completely dry, but Lin Chaoying couldn't wait to put on her trousers, tidy her skirt, and then sit cross-legged on the ground again. After all, her grandmother's teachings from childhood could not be forgotten. After waiting a while longer, she heard his voice say, "Is it convenient for me to come over and treat your wound?" Hey, he was just that kind of person. His ointments and bandaging techniques were not as good as hers, but seeing his concerned and focused expression, after only two times, she felt healed. Seeing him look up at her, she shifted her gaze to the cave entrance and said calmly, "Look." The morning sun shone on the double hyperbolas created by the changing water flow, their tails twisting to the left, creating a colorful and wondrous spectacle. Moreover, he was sitting beside her, enjoying the view. "It must be the Mao hour. I'll prepare for our departure. You rest a while longer." Alas, you are just...
In a crevice in the cave wall, there was a path that was half natural and half carved. The two of them climbed the steps for about half an hour, and then the sound of fighting drifted over. Wang Chongyang said worriedly, "Could it be that the Jin bandits couldn't wait and are killing people to steal scriptures ahead of schedule?" He instructed her, "There is a deserted academy in the woods. We will meet here before leaving this place." Seeing her nod, he quickened his pace and rushed forward.