Chapter Seventy-Two: Parting Ways

As the saying goes, climbing up a mountain is easy, but descending is difficult.

Xiao Ding expended considerable effort to scramble down the cliff, looking battered and worn; several times along the way, he almost lost his footing. Fortunately, he gripped that battered old knife in his hand, and at crucial moments, he wedged it into cracks in the rock, preventing a disastrous fall.

By the time he reached the bottom, however, the old knife was beyond repair.

Still, he had emerged from the ordeal unscathed. Catching his breath for a moment, he made his way back to the cave and rolled aside the large stone blocking the entrance.

At that moment, Sun Dasheng’s pressure point was still sealed. The two women and the children, who had been anxiously awaiting Xiao Ding’s return, looked visibly relieved when he finally appeared. Since he had left, their hearts had been in their throats, and only with his safe return did they feel reassured. Unconsciously, they had begun to regard Xiao Ding as their anchor.

Perhaps it was because he had saved them the night before that they now held him in such esteem. Even though Xiao Ding had claimed he knew nothing of martial arts, mere mastery of martial skills would hardly suffice to slay the infamous Twin Devils of the Northern Desert—yet Xiao Ding had dispatched them with apparent ease.

In a woman’s subconscious, it is only the strong who inspire a true sense of security.

By midday, Sun Dasheng’s acupoint was finally unsealed. He spent a good while stretching and flexing his limbs before the numbness fully subsided.

They all shared a modest lunch—dried rations with cold water.

Xiao Ding recounted everything he had seen on the cliff and warned them of the dangers lurking in the mountains. He also shared some of his earlier suspicions: perhaps someone was deliberately spreading rumors to lure martial artists here, with the intent to rob and kill, or perhaps for some other hidden agenda.

Sun Dasheng was not one for complex thought; whatever Xiao Ding said sounded reasonable to him. Yue Yurou, the young Taoist novice, was still new to the ways of the martial world and didn’t fully grasp its schemes and treacheries.

Only Luo Dafeng fully believed Xiao Ding’s conjectures, even feeling a chill of fear. She knew well enough that such things were entirely possible in the world of martial artists.

Xiao Ding asked what everyone intended to do, but they all looked at him in silence.

After a moment’s thought, Xiao Ding said, “My suggestion is that you shouldn’t go any farther. There’s no need to risk yourselves. I’ve now determined the direction: if you head straight east, you’ll find a path down the mountain.”

“No, I must find my master…” Yue Yurou replied with determination.

Xiao Ding glanced at her and continued, “From my observations, the closer you get to Sunset Peak, the more dangerous it becomes. Those orchestrating these plots are bound to gather at the main summit of Sunset Mountain, laying traps and awaiting those who come, intent on their destruction.”

“Then isn’t my master in great danger?” Yue Yurou asked, her eyes filled with worry.

“Quite possibly. I just don’t know if your master and her companions have already reached Sunset Peak,” Xiao Ding replied.

“Then what should I do?” Yue Yurou frowned in distress.

“And what about you two?” Xiao Ding turned to Sun Dasheng and Luo Dafeng.

“I don’t mind. I’ve already made up my mind—I won’t be a bandit anymore, nor do I need to return to Flying Cloud Fortress. I can go anywhere,” Sun Dasheng said.

“I want to go down the mountain ... but I’m not sure I can manage it alone,” Luo Dafeng said quietly, her head bowed in concern.

“Brother Xiao Ding, what about you?” Yue Yurou inquired. Now that they had become more familiar, she had started calling him Brother Xiao Ding.

“I must search for a friend—no matter if she lives or dies, I must find her,” Xiao Ding replied.

“So, the one you’re looking for is a woman?” Yue Yurou asked.

He nodded.

“Is she someone you care about?” Yue Yurou teased.

“I do care about her, but not in the way you’re thinking. We’re just ordinary friends,” Xiao Ding clarified, silently marveling at how curious young girls could be.

“Brother Xiao Ding, you really are a good person! To risk your life for an ordinary friend…” Yue Yurou gazed at him with admiration.

“Uh—let’s focus on what to do next,” Xiao Ding quickly redirected the conversation, sensing that if he let it continue, it would never end.

At his words, everyone fell silent again.

Xiao Ding glanced around at them and said, “Here’s a thought: Miss Yue, since you wish to find your sect, you may come with me further into the mountains. Hero Sun and Miss Luo, you should take Muyun and Mulin down the mountain. Please look after the siblings for me. Just follow the marks I left along the way, and you’ll find your way down. Once you reach the bottom, you can all go to my home in the west of Sunset Village and wait for my return.”

Luo Dafeng, hearing that Sun Dasheng would accompany her down the mountain, made no further objection. The night before, he had tried to rescue her—even if he hadn’t succeeded, his intentions were clear.

Sun Dasheng, always straightforward, had considered things carefully the previous night and was now willing to do whatever was right. If he could perform a few good deeds to atone for his past as a bandit, he was more than willing. He immediately agreed, “Leave the children to me. I guarantee to bring them safely down the mountain.”

Seeing no objections, Xiao Ding gave the two children a few words of advice, telling them to listen to Brother Sun and Sister Luo on the road, and to wait for him in Sunset Village once they reached the foot of the mountain.

Xiao Ding left a jug of water and a small portion of rations for Yue Yurou. The rest he gave to Sun Dasheng’s group. He also taught them some ways to avoid danger, urging them to be cautious, to find safe places to rest at night, and to keep watch in turns.

They all agreed. Having faced many dangers on the way up the mountain, they knew Xiao Ding spoke the truth.

After many reminders, the group split up. Sun Dasheng, Luo Dafeng, and the two children, Ou Muyun and Ou Mulin, followed Xiao Ding’s trail markers down the mountain. By now, Ou Mulin’s injured leg was much better and she could walk, though her strength had not fully returned. Sun Dasheng, seeing this, wanted to carry her, but Ou Mulin refused; after all, she was not yet familiar with this “Brother Sun.”

Xiao Ding and Yue Yurou, meanwhile, skirted the base of the cliffs as they advanced, making it less likely to get lost and ensuring they could find places to rest at night.

“Miss Yue, as a member of a monastic order, you must have a Taoist name, don’t you?” Xiao Ding asked, noticing her Taoist attire and recalling her status, though she had never mentioned it herself.

“Brother Xiao Ding, actually, not all members of the Jade Purity Sect are ordained. Many are lay disciples. I am one such lay disciple, so I don’t have a Taoist name,” Yue Yurou replied.

“Is that so?” Xiao Ding was curious.

“We dress as Taoist nuns for convenience when traveling, especially as we are all women,” Yue Yurou explained.

“I see!” Xiao Ding exclaimed, then asked, “I’ve heard your sect is famous for alchemy and medicine—is that true?”

“It is. The Jade Purity Sect has always been renowned for making elixirs,” Yue Yurou answered.

“Then you must be able to recognize many rare plants?” Xiao Ding asked, suddenly recalling the poisonous fruit he had mistakenly eaten two days before.

“Yes, I can identify quite a few. Our master often takes us out searching for medicinal herbs and teaches us how to distinguish them,” Yue Yurou said.

“Then, do you know what kind of fruit this is?” Xiao Ding retrieved a few of the poisonous fruits he’d collected, handing them to Yue Yurou. “I accidentally ate two the other day—nearly lost my life!”

“You ate two of these?” Yue Yurou’s eyes widened.

“Yes, my insides felt as if they were burning…” Xiao Ding shuddered at the memory.

Suddenly, Yue Yurou covered her mouth and burst into laughter.