Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Chapter 83: Searching and Searching

The swordsman truly did not expect to see Mei Yinghan here.

Wasn’t he supposed to be above, with the lotus pickers?

Why had he followed Bai Zhengliu down to this place?

Moreover, except for the earlier part where Bai Zhengliu had been climbing down while searching for people, he had basically fallen straight from the air. Knowing how fast he had descended, looking at Mei Yinghan now, Bai Zhengliu immediately felt something different.

His emotions were very complicated.

Unless Brother Mei had let go midway, allowing Bai Zhengliu to fall freely, only re-inserting the Zhenxing into the ice wall near the bottom to stop the fall.

But how dangerous was that? In the darkness, he couldn’t know how much farther to the bottom! What if he was a step too late? What if Mei hadn’t stopped him and he had fallen straight to the ground?

Just thinking about it made Bai Zhengliu’s heart race in fear.

Looking again at Mei Yinghan’s expression, he made a quick decision. At least for now, he shouldn’t think about “going back up”—it was better to rest a while at the bottom.

With his thoughts there, Bai Zhengliu clumsily controlled the flowing light around him, catching Mei Yinghan, and the two of them slowly landed on the ground together.

Mei Yinghan looked around at the scattered points of light with some surprise. When the light merged into his body, a faint look of disapproval appeared.

Yes, he felt much better; the soreness in his arms, back, and waist disappeared immediately. But this was Bai Zhengliu’s hard-won power. Who knew if using it now would allow it to recover later? Giving it so freely was truly a pity.

Mei Yinghan wanted to advise Bai Zhengliu.

This time, he let it go, understanding and appreciating the swordsman’s intent. Not only did his arms, back, and waist absorb the flowing light, but a thread of warmth also arose in his heart. Still—later, he would…

While carefully choosing his words, Bai Zhengliu spoke, repeating the same question: “Brother Mei, you haven’t answered me. Why did you come down? How are things up there?”

Looking at the swordsman, Mei Yinghan’s gaze showed deep concern.

His heart warmed even more, but his expression and tone remained calm and steady. In a few words, he explained what he had sensed was wrong.

Bai Zhengliu sighed: “Exactly. That ‘Liu Dequan’ really is problematic.” He then told Mei Yinghan about what he had encountered earlier.

He spoke casually, but Mei Yinghan could sense the danger in it.

The corpses inside the ice wall, gradually approaching him; the wraith gripping his feet; the simultaneous battle during the fall…

Seeing the swordsman’s expression growing increasingly serious, Bai Zhengliu smiled: “See? Nothing to worry about.” He spread his hands, as if to say, “Feel free to check.”Mei Yinghan saw this, took a deep breath, and actually moved a little closer, beginning to carefully observe Bai Zhengliu’s body.

Bai Zhengliu: “……” Hey, hey, no need to be this serious, right?

That’s what he thought in his heart, though outwardly he remained perfectly still. Since he had spoken, it would be improper to “take it back.”

But Brother Mei, aren’t you a bit too close?… Still, even at this distance, Bai Zhengliu couldn’t find a single flaw on Mei Yinghan’s face.

Gradually, his gaze began to focus.

From Mei Yinghan’s eyebrows and eyes, down the bridge of his nose, and further below.

At first it was aimless, casual observation. But when Mei Yinghan finished “inspecting” and raised his head, their eyes met. He then realized Bai Zhengliu’s gaze had been fixed on him for quite a while, and he paused slightly.

Bai Zhengliu, startled in turn, had actually tightened his heels, thinking: I’m looking at Brother Mei! Brother Mei noticed I’m looking at Brother Mei!

No, no, no, this isn’t something to feel guilty about. Even if the area I was looking at was somewhat improper, it was constrained by the angle—there was no choice.

With that thought, Bai Zhengliu calmed himself again and could even feign composure as he asked, “Before you came down, did you give any instructions to those lotus pickers?” He smiled. “If we leave some time in your instructions, we could rest a bit below before going back up.”

Mei Yinghan said, “I told them to wait at most half an hour above. If after half an hour we haven’t returned, they should continue forward.”

Bai Zhengliu asked, “And how did they respond?”

Mei Yinghan replied, “Seeing my serious expression, they said nothing, but seemed to sense something had gone wrong below. Especially the person originally in front of ‘Liu Dequan’—I glanced at him and noticed his face had gone pale. Whether he realized what was happening, I can’t say.”

Bai Zhengliu sighed: “Truly puts them in a difficult position.” He paused, then added, “If it’s just half an hour, we might not make it in time.”

Judging from the time they had fallen, this crevice was at least over a kilometer high. Saying “might not make it” was not modesty—it was a factual assessment.

Mei Yinghan understood this as well. He lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, then said, “They still need to continue upward. Catching up to them shouldn’t be difficult. But—”

Bai Zhengliu: “But?”

Mei Yinghan exhaled, “After hearing Brother Bai’s experiences in the ice crevice, I had an idea.”

Bai Zhengliu looked at him, signaling with his eyes: Go ahead.

Mei Yinghan continued, “If we go further upward, frankly, the main effect is psychological reassurance—we aren’t sitting idle, we’re actually doing something. Whether we succeed in getting out or not isn’t within our control.”

Bai Zhengliu nodded in agreement, “Exactly so.”“But here,” Mei Yinghan looked around, “you said earlier that you encountered that vengeful ghost, and it seemed weaker than you… If we can find it, whether we interrogate it or just have it lead us out, either way should work.”

Hearing this, Bai Zhengliu felt a stir in his heart.

Indeed, that made sense. Rather than wandering aimlessly above, hoping for a miracle or for the correct path down the mountain to appear, it was better to follow the clues they already had.

But there was still a problem.

Bai Zhengliu: “Back at the Tan residence, Brother Ma also said if we won, he would tell us how to get out. But judging from what happened later, he actually didn’t know how to leave either.”

It seemed these wandering spirits, if they truly knew how to leave, would first reincarnate themselves—who would stay behind in that dark ghostly dwelling?

Unless waiting for passersby was, from the beginning, all a lie.

This point, Mei Yinghan had also considered.

“Even if it’s a lie,” he said, “perhaps there’s a clue hidden within it?” He paused. “Or we don’t ask that question at all, just need to know the situation of the ‘Old Master Chang’ and ‘Madam Meng’ here.”

Bai Zhengliu thought for a moment: “True.”

The plan was set; next, they had to find someone.

…Find a ghost.

In this matter, Bai Zhengliu still had the greater say.

He told Mei Yinghan: “Earlier, while fighting that vengeful ghost, I cut something off from it. I didn’t look closely at the time, just knew it fell below. Now, let’s look for it.”

Mei Yinghan was somewhat pleasantly surprised. He had already prepared himself mentally for a difficult search, even pondering, “Perhaps Brother Bai and I should wait a bit longer to see if another ghost appears.” Yet, in an instant, he heard such good news.

Although it was still a search, the target was something that would not move once it fell—much easier than chasing a ghost that vanished unpredictably.

Mei Yinghan smiled slightly: “Good.”

The two began examining the surroundings.

At the same time, they observed the terrain around them to get a preliminary sense of their current position.

Unlike the endless snow outside, above them was a thick layer of ice, while beneath their feet was solid mountain rock.

Though still cold, the temperature was much higher than above.

Furthermore, having landed here for some time and being able to breathe without suffocation meant this place was connected to the outside. Walking around a bit, even if they didn’t find the ghost, might still yield other discoveries.Holding that thought, the swordsman and the blade-wielder carefully searched a thirty-zhang radius around the point where Bai Zhengliu had fallen, but unfortunately, they found nothing.

Mei Yinghan had originally thought that the “things that fell from the vengeful ghost” would be obvious, so he hadn’t asked in detail. Now, he had no choice but to ask: “Brother Bai, you haven’t told me—what exactly are we looking for?”

“I actually didn’t say?” Bai Zhengliu only then realized. “Two hands, half a head.”

Mei Yinghan: “…?”

He looked at Bai Zhengliu, slightly shocked and puzzled.

Bai Zhengliu was amused by the swordsman’s expression and deliberately said: “Brother Mei, what’s this? Oh, could it be you’re scared?”

The place where he had just descended still had a faint twilight glow, but at the bottom of the ice crevice, to ordinary eyes, it was pure darkness.

Even though Mei Yinghan had internal energy that could improve visibility, to search effectively, Bai Zhengliu still channeled a flow of light from his dantian, surrounding the two of them.

He sighed inwardly: “Falling down once… it’s at least somewhat fruitful…” His face, however, still wore a gentle smile as he looked at Mei Yinghan.

Mei Yinghan could clearly tell that he was deliberately teasing him. The situation was real, but that didn’t stop Brother Bai from enjoying the spectacle.

The swordsman’s expression shifted from complex to helpless, then back to the same smile.

“I understand,” he nodded. “Half a head, two hands. Good, let’s keep looking.”

Bai Zhengliu drawled: “Oh, I suddenly remembered—I misspoke.”

Mei Yinghan raised an eyebrow.

Bai Zhengliu corrected seriously: “It’s actually two and a half heads.”

Mei Yinghan: “…”

The smile on Mei Yinghan’s face deepened, leaving Bai Zhengliu inexplicably baffled.

Mei Yinghan himself knew. Usually, disciples of Tianshan who went up the mountain to rescue people occasionally encountered lotus-pickers who survived a fall into the ice crevice but were terrified for life, never able to face people again. Seeing Bai Zhengliu now, he was certain he was not one of them, which reassured him.

The two expanded their search and finally, fifty zhang away, found what they were looking for.

As Bai Zhengliu had said: two hands, two and a half heads. They were in the process of hastily moving forward.

Seeing this, Bai Zhengliu said: “…No wonder we couldn’t find them before.” Could they really move on their own?!Fortunately, the speed wasn’t fast. The two quickened their pace, running ahead. In the blink of an eye, they reached the heads, meeting the horrified gaze of the severed heads.

Author’s note:

Xiao Bai, Xiao Mei: ?? What are you horrified about? We should be the ones horrified (though we’re not).

It’s the weekend again—see you tomorrow (evening)~