The night wind in Beichuan usually carried the scent of flowers, laced with a trace of dampness. But at this mont, I couldn’t sll anything at all. The wind felt like a soft blade, skimming across my face.
A faint sound brushed past the roof tiles outside—like sothing gliding over them.
Mu Cangli’s fingers twitched. His gaze sharpened instantly.
“They’re here.”
“Who?” My chest tightened.
“The Eighth Prince’s shadow guards.”
I went blank.
The next second, his hand flipped and caught , hauling up in one motion. Wind roared past my ears; the city lights below blurred into scattered sparks.
With a light step on the window fra, he leapt—like a thread of shadow slipping through the night—dragging with him off the third floor.
Petals swirled in the air. For one surreal mont, I understood what it ant to “float in the wind.” Unfortunately, I was the weed being yanked out by the roots.
—In this city of romance and blossoms, I was being half-carried, half-dragged for my life.
Quite the contrast in life trajectories.
The system’s cold voice cut in:
【Plot deviation detected: 7%. Continue this branch?】
“Continue your—!” I shouted inwardly. “I’m about to die here!”
The night wind lashed my face as the stone-paved street blurred beneath us.
One thought kept hamring in my head:
—If Lian cos back and can’t find , he’ll kill .
Though before that, the Eighth Prince’s n would probably get to first.
Heaven knows, I’d only ant to “experience the local culture” of Beichuan.
One gust of wind later, and my life was nearly blown away with it.
We didn’t stop until we’d cleared the city gates, the lights completely swallowed by the darkness behind us.
Panting, I leaned against a tree by the roadside, about to ask what the hell was going on when Mu Cangli raised a finger.
Footsteps echoed ahead along the mountain path—light, rapid, closing fast.
“They’re coming,” he said quietly. “Move.”
“Move? Where? Lian isn’t back yet—”
“There’s no ti.” His tone hardened. “The Eighth Prince’s n aren’t just in the city. They’ve set ambushes around the North Ridge too. If you stay, you’ll only drag him down with you.”
“What about Lian and Hua?” I asked urgently.
“I’ll leave a mark. They’ll understand.” He spoke quickly. “They’ll split up and take another route up the mountain. We regroup at the North Ridge.”
I hesitated, studying his face. Under the moonlight, he looked almost trustworthy.
I gritted my teeth. “Fine. I’ll trust you.”
He smirked faintly. “You should’ve done that sooner.”
We headed north along a narrow path. The deeper we went, the darker it grew. The North Ridge lood ahead, its layered shadows like a massive beast crouched against the horizon.
At the foot of the mountain, the system spoke again:
【Notice: Mu Cangli’s storyline is not recorded in the main quest. Proceed with caution.】
“What does that an?” I asked between breaths.
【aning—his appearance in Beichuan is not in my database.】
“Then where did he co from?”
【Unknown. Possibly external interference. Possibly a branch triggered by you.】
I rolled my eyes—though it couldn’t see it. “Whatever. I trust my judgnt. I know my friends.”
【Last ti you said that, you drank the Eighth Prince’s poison.】
“Shut up.”
The mountain wind howled. The stone road turned into dirt. Sowhere deep in the forest, night birds cried, setting my nerves on edge.
We reached the first incline into the mountains when Mu Cangli suddenly stopped with an outstretched arm.
Ahead, vines sprawled across the entire path, tangled thick as a living wall.
“Just vines?” I frowned.
“Not ordinary vines.” His voice dropped. “This is the North Ridge’s Vine Array.”
“An array?”
He nodded. “A living formation—woven from vines and terrain. Seven layers within ten li. The vines move. They shift.”
I sucked in a breath. “Who built sothing like this?”
“An old sect’s defensive formation, ant to guard rare herbs.” He looked ahead. Moonlight glinted off the vines as they twisted along cliffs and paths like serpents.
“If you take a wrong step,” he continued, “they’ll snatch you up and fling you out. There’s a rock bed below. Best case, you survive with half your life gone.”
“Great.” I sighed. “So what now? Can we go around?”
“No. The roots cover the entire mountainside.”
My mind went blank. I was just about to consider turning back when Mu Cangli slapped his forehead.
“I rember—an elder once said: when facing ‘vine aversion,’ use fire to break it.”
I watched him rummage and pull out a fire starter. A clean flick, a breath—and fla burst to life.
“Nice,” I said.
He tossed it straight into the vines.
“Could’ve warned first!” I stepped back quickly.
The mont the fla touched the vines, it died with a hiss—as if doused in water. Not even smoke lingered. Instead, the vines tightened, coiling closer.
“…Right,” I said dryly. “You sure they fear fire? Looks like fire fears them.”
Mu Cangli stiffened, then tried cutting through with his blade. The instant it struck, a vine snapped around it—like sothing biting down.
He frowned. “Strange.”
Strange? I called it imminent death.
“…Want to try?” I offered weakly.
He hesitated, then handed the blade.
I reached out—misjudged—and the edge nicked my palm.
“—Damn!” Pain shot through .
But as the blood hit the ground, the vines recoiled instantly—snapping back as if burned.
We both froze.
“…What exactly just happened?” I asked.
Mu Cangli narrowed his eyes. “You have Monthly Crimson in your system, right?”
“Yes, but what does that—”
“Monthly Crimson is a potent toxin. These vines… fear poison.”
He smiled slightly, almost amused. “Looks like blind luck worked in our favor.”
“…Fantastic.”
The system chid in:
【Random event triggered: Host blood is toxic. Array spirits retreat automatically. Skill acquired: ‘Blood Path Opening.’】
I nearly passed out. “What kind of skill is that? You want to bleed my way through?!”
Mu Cangli considered. “If your blood leads, we may carve a path.”
“I’ll be dead before ten steps!”
“Relax.” He pointed ahead where the vines had parted. “You lead. I’ll guard. If anything moves, I’ll handle it.”
“Handle it? These things just ate your blade!”
He didn’t argue. “Better than waiting to die.”
I had no better option. Gritting my teeth, I squeezed out a drop of blood and let it fall.
The vines retreated again, revealing a narrow path.
“Move,” he said, blade ready.
So I walked—bleeding, step by step—muttering, “This isn’t escaping. This is selling my life wholesale.”
The system replied coolly:
【Warning: Host blood level approaching safety threshold. Cease self-harm behavior.】
“Then you co walk in my place!”
【Host ntal state unstable. System entering observer mode.】
“You useless—”
Mu Cangli glanced back at , the corner of his mouth lifting despite himself.
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