They sojourned until the fifth watch and set out. Lin Chaoying and Gou’er led the way, with Wang Chongyang guarding ten paces behind. Lin Chaoying moved freely, her chills only minor, but a stifling heat grew within her, expanding as if to burst, rendering her unable to muster any inner strength. Reaching the Weiliaofeng, south of "Vermilion Bird Dances Through Flowers," they estimated that by continuing west, they would leave the dominion of the Magic Peaks by morning. As the hour approached Shen, Lin Chaoying and the other two rested in a bamboo grove. Wang Chongyang went to pick wild fruits for sustenance and returned with a young maiden.
"She is from Changxian Cave," Wang Chongyang said. "She was captured when she lost control during an ambush on me just now." Lin Chaoying glanced at her and said, "Since you were ordered to pursue, you should know who I am. Speak, what was the deployment?" The young maiden stammered, then truthfully confessed, "According to Cave Master Xun's report, they ascertained you escaped from the southwest. Cao Xiangjia and Cave Master Jiang led their men south, exiting Baojian Peak via Xuanyang Cave to encircle you. We, along with Xuanyang Cave, Wulun Cave, Tongxuan Cave, and others, are proceeding west along Weiliaofeng to apprehend you." It was clear that Cao Kaixiu feared their combined swordsmanship and sent them to their deaths to reap the benefits later… They spoke of apprehending traitors, yet the Qingji Courtyard, the Dark Swordmen, or the Silver Wing Guards were nowhere to be seen. Could it be that he was the one truly apprehending them, and someone was currying favor with the Jin Kingdom privately? Lin Chaoying's gaze inevitably fell upon Wang Chongyang.
Did she intend to kill, and was she hesitant to act because of me? Feeling a pang in his heart, Wang Chongyang quickly pressed the Fengfu acupoint below the girl's occiput, causing her to faint and remain unconscious. He then said, "Shall we turn and flee east?"
From his gaze… he still harbored resentment from the incident with Madam Shangguan. That was right, I am the devil woman who harms others, harms relatives, and harms myself. The slight receding heat within her body now resurfaced. Lin Chaoying stiffened and stood up, then strode west. Wang Chongyang had no choice but to follow.
They wound their way along the mountain path on the northern slope of Weiliaofeng. The Xuanyang Cave people, familiar with the terrain, had already arrived ahead.
"Gou'er, shoot the horse before shooting the man. Quickly deal with them," Lin Chaoying said.
Wang Chongyang understood her meaning, employing one of the seven forms from the Tomb. His swordplay perfectly matched the scattered evening sunlight. The Xuanyang Cave people's lower-body techniques were inherently not refined, and coupled with the narrow and perilous terrain, they were quickly defeated and forced to retreat. Wang Chongyang looked back and saw them walking away on their own, feeling at ease and even closer to each other.
As the sky darkened, they neared the fork where the path ascended and descended the mountain. From the adjacent forest, the hissing sound of a poisonous snake flicking its tongue could be heard. Wang Chongyang had not yet heard any instructions from her when the Changxian Cave's "Twenty-Eight Celestial Cycles Formation" appeared. Wang Chongyang used the "Not Afraid of Anything" technique to block, and in a fleeting glance, saw Gou'er dodging their rope formation, his heart filled with anxiety, repeatedly narrowly missing being stabbed by their short swords.
"Has she truly lost her martial arts?" Feng Qiu tested, shaking his long rope while the cave dwellers were entangled with Wang Chongyang. Lin Chaoying's true qi was merely obstructed; her senses and movement had recovered. She displayed her footwork to evade Feng Qiu's attacks. Feng Qiu sneered, whipping the long rope as if to split mountains and shatter peaks, driving her away from the two, thinking, "If I capture this slut, the Song pig will be taken without a fight." Suddenly, Lin Chaoying flicked her hand. Feng Qiu felt his knees go numb and weak. Then, seeing her flick her finger, his left shoulder ached. He was terrified, thinking, "She can use her qi to launch projectiles. Could she be tricking me into separating and then planning to harm me?" Seeing Wang Chongyang rushing towards them with his sword, and hearing her slowly draw her sword, Feng Qiu, judging himself unable to contend with their combined swordsmanship, turned and fled. His cave dwellers, seeing this, also retreated closely behind him.
Wang Chongyang stepped forward to check if she was injured, but she had already stepped onto the fork connecting to Huanjian Peak. Lin Chaoying decided to play along. She ordered Gou'er to pretend to hide in the rope formation, luring Feng Qiu to attack her alone, while secretly launching "Louse Scratch." She herself would cooperate to scare him away. "Louse Scratch" was a bead smaller than a green bean; it scattered upon contact, leaving no trace. It was a projectile created by Lin Chaoying in response to Gou'er.
The full moon hung in the sky. Wang Chongyang had many questions: why abandon the shortcut down the mountain and instead climb the adjacent peak, circling uphill? He believed she was not panicked and lost, but that there was a profound reason. Weiliaofeng and Huanjian Peak were connected, one running horizontally and the other vertically, serving as the southwestern stronghold of the Magic Peaks. This area had always been under the exclusive control of the Li family. Pursuers arrived again. Lin Chaoying saw that the leader was the Cave Master of Wulun Cave, Zheng Yuanzeng, and said, "Wulun Cave, stop fighting, run quickly." Wang Chongyang recognized their attire and knew their strength. It was indeed not wise to engage them head-on at this time.
Relying on Wang Chongyang's martial arts, Gou'er's surprise attacks, and Lin Chaoying's skillful use of the terrain, weaving through sharp rock crevices like files, they escaped the repeated ambushes of Wulun Cave, Xuanyang Cave, and Tongxuan Cave. In contrast, the pursuing group, having private concerns and fearing Wang Chongyang's martial arts, combined with many being cut by the sharp rocks in the unfamiliar environment, gradually fell behind.
Seeing Lin Chaoying continue towards the summit, which was tantamount to walking into a death trap surrounded by the enemy, Wang Chongyang could no longer refrain from asking what she had in mind. "If we continue like this, we will have no escape," he said.
"Gou'er, come," Lin Chaoying said, standing by the cliff edge.
Wang Chongyang followed Gou'er over and was surprised to find a low mountain hidden deep within the peak, like a head tucked into an embrace. Without this vantage point, it would be difficult to discover. Lin Chaoying said, "This is Huai Ren Mountain. Inside its summit are seven stone chambers. Seven giant stones move along tracks and fall into deep pits behind the chambers in sequence. This triggers a mechanism, which pulls the stone chambers descending to the bottom of the mountain back to their high positions. The falling giant stones block waterways, increasing the water pressure in the adjacent deep pits. When the giant stones are sprayed back onto the tracks from the pits, the mechanism, along with the stone chambers, descends. This 'Seven Treasures Cicada Molting' is one of the paths laid out by the founding grandmother, used for escape or surprise counterattacks. The Li family regularly assigns specialists to collect information and make it available to relevant individuals, including the rising and falling times of each stone chamber." Wang Chongyang asked, "You have been away for so long, where did you get this information?" Lin Chaoying stared at the summit of Huai Ren Mountain and said, "Let's give it a try." Wang Chongyang replied, "Alright! If you want to try, let's try." Lin Chaoying gave a cold smile and continued to ascend to a higher position.
Near the summit of Huan Jian Peak, they entered a secret passage that wound downwards. Wang Chongyang guessed they were heading towards the opposite Huai Ren Mountain. After about half an hour, they arrived at a place where the rock walls on both sides blocked the way like stone doors, with only a single-file passage in the middle for one person to pass. Lin Chaoying stopped. Gou'er handed Wang Chongyang a small bottle and said, "Quench your thirst." Seeing Wang Chongyang drink the royal jelly, Lin Chaoying crossed the stone doors. She thought blankly, "Once we escape the Magic Peaks using the 'Seven Treasures Cicada Molting,' we will never see each other again in this life." Suddenly, she heard the sound of an object breaking through the air behind her. Four rope handles with iron embedded in them attacked her from behind. Although her footwork was excellent, it was slowed by her lack of inner strength. She was struck in the Xinshu and Qihai acupoints on her back, immediately spitting out a mouthful of blood and collapsing to the ground. Wang Chongyang was enraged and rushed at the four Changxian Cave people who had ambushed them, unleashing killing blows with his sword.
Gou'er helped Lin Chaoying up and they ran forward. After a moment, they saw the semi-circular open space at the end, with the seven stone chambers arranged around it. Except for the middle one, the first on the right, and the second on the left, the others were empty. In their haste, they entered the middle chamber. For a long time, the stone chamber remained still. Anxiety gnawed at her heart, and she constantly asked herself if she had made the wrong choice and whether she should have tried to move to another chamber. Wang Chongyang wanted to finish the fight quickly, but these four Changxian Cave people looked excited, fearless of pain, and possessed immense strength. He was caught off guard when his hands were entangled by ropes. Gou'er, seeing this, shot "Louse Scratch" towards the eyebrows of the two Changxian Cave people, only causing them to loosen their grip slightly.
A rumbling sound from above. In her daze, Lin Chaoying sensed that the stone chamber was about to descend. She forced her eyes open and was shocked to see Wang Chongyang still far away. In her desperation, her strength instantly returned. She threw the steel rope of the Dragon Dividing Rope. When the stone chamber had descended to the point where only one-third of its space was exposed above ground, she managed to coil Wang Chongyang into it in time.
The vibration of falling in the darkness caused both of them to recall the moment the stone box was washed out. Wang Chongyang held her in his arms for protection. Lin Chaoying struggled slightly for a moment and then stopped moving. She felt his chest's warmth again! It was, unfortunately, the last time.
The bottom of the pit collected water, which cushioned the impact.
As soon as they reached the bottom of the mountain, Lin Chaoying immediately urged the two to quickly leave the stone chamber to prevent any accidents. Wang Chongyang carried his sword and said, "Gou'er, take your mistress ahead to rest first. I'll stay and see if they are still pursuing us." Lin Chaoying said coldly, "They should be fighting amongst themselves, or perhaps they have already perished from exhaustion." Without waiting for Wang Chongyang to ask, she turned to Gou'er and asked, "Do you recognize it?" Gou'er said, "The madman in Yushi Valley." Lin Chaoying said, "It's one of the main ingredients for the 'Eternal Love' medicine, and it also grows in the area behind those stone doors. The Changxian Cave people may not have noticed anything strange while holding their breath and remaining silent, but once they use their qi and exert force, the poison will erupt."
When Wang Chongyang drank the royal jelly, he had already anticipated that poisonous substances would appear. She truly couldn't bear to see me harmed! As Gou'er looked at his expression with great curiosity, he suddenly became very tense and looked back. Lin Chaoying had already fainted on the ground.
Wang Chongyang carried Lin Chaoying on his back. It had been two hours since they emerged from the tunnel and entered the forest, and he felt no fatigue at all. On the contrary, under the faint moonlight and stars, he was leisurely enjoying this moment of quiet intimacy, his vitality greatly increased. He looked back. Weiliaofeng resembled a slipping maiden, only her skirt revealed to the outside world, while her upper body shyly hid in the embrace of her beloved; Huanjian Peak, however, was like a gentleman reaching out to embrace her in time, raising his right sleeve to cover her embarrassed posture at her waist, lowering his head to whisper comforting words to her heart. What a beautiful scene! Wang Chongyang looked down at their shadows on the ground. Although their posture was different from that of the two peaks, he felt that their affection was by no means inferior.