Stepping uncertainly into the unknown, Du Fei, torn apart inside by worry for her brother and her companions, couldn't stop trembling.
She wasn't sure if it was fear, cold, or everything at once.
Even after the thunderous roar of the dragon faded, not a trace of relief washed over her.
The silence pressing through the cave and the cold walls surrounding her from all sides weighed heavily—both outside and within.
The torment lasted until a faint light appeared ahead.
Relieved, Du Fei quickened her pace, hoping she would find someone—anyone—in the lit part of the tunnel.
Even a stranger would do, as long as it was a living person. She was just about to reach the source of light when her foot suddenly caught on something.
Distracted by her sudden hope, she hadn't looked down and failed to notice that she had stepped onto strands of spiderweb.
Trying to pull free did nothing—the sticky web held her firmly.
She grabbed her sword to cut herself loose, but the web suddenly jerked, yanking her forward with surprising force. Startled, she dropped the blade.
— A-AAAH! — she cried as she fell, rolling helplessly along the smooth tunnel floor.
There was nothing to grab onto.
Moments later, Du Fei found herself hanging upside down inside a softly lit cavern.
The source of the light rested in the hand of a strange girl with long black hair.
Why strange?
Du Fei couldn't shake the feeling that something about her was… off.
The woman was beautiful, wearing torn, dirty clothes, yet not a single scratch marred her body.
She lay on the ground in a relaxed pose, lazily rolling a glowing oval artifact along the stone floor.
In her other hand, she held the end of the same web that kept Du Fei dangling beneath the ceiling.
And then, just as Du Fei tried to process the scene, the girl suddenly began reciting poetry:
The spider, starved and frail,In the corner lay so pale.Don't cry, don't scream,Tonight you'll be a tasty dream!
On the word midnight, her face morphed into a comically threatening expression — like she was acting in a children's play.
The contrast between her tone and the ridiculous grimace was so absurd that Du Fei couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.
— Ha-ha-ha!
The laughter shattered her fear as if it had never existed.
The black-haired girl froze, staring at her prey with utter bewilderment.
— Hee-hee-hee… — Du Fei laughed so hard she began swinging like a pendulum.
The stranger narrowed her eyes.
"Did I pull her too hard? Did she hit her head and go crazy?"
Still confused, she stood up, gave the web a small tug, lowering the dangling girl so their faces aligned.
Leaning closer, she suddenly cupped Du Fei's cheeks in one warm hand.
— Aren't you scared? — she asked softly, with a curious note in her voice.
— S-sorry! — Du Fei tried to suppress her giggles, but with her cheeks squished, her voice came out muffled and shaky. — I-I-I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that you… well… don't look scary.
The woman chuckled quietly.
Her lips curved into a sly, predatory smile. She wrapped the web's end around her finger and tugged slightly, making Du Fei sway again.
— Not scary, hm? — she drawled playfully. — Funny… I know at least three people who'd disagree. But never mind. What's your name?
— Du Fei — she answered quickly, then added hopefully: — And… could you maybe let me down if you want to talk?
— No, no, no — the black-haired girl shook her head without losing the grin. — I like it this way.
Du Fei rolled her eyes but kept quiet.
Then, suddenly, something familiar about the stranger caught her attention. Her expression brightened.
— Oh! Weren't you in the forest? — she exclaimed. — The clothes were different, but I recognized your voice!
At those words, the stranger stiffened slightly. Her pink eyes flashed coldly, though her face stayed calm.
— The forest? — she repeated, glancing toward the stone in the center of the cave.
"So she knows my sister? Then she's not an enemy. But if she recognized only my voice… they weren't close."
The silence stretched.
Feeling awkward, Du Fei hurried to explain:
— I didn't tell anyone. Just that story we made up back then.
"What is she talking about? So they did have a secret… My sister isn't as innocent as she looks."
These thoughts seemed to pull the woman back. Her lips softened into a gentle smile.
She tapped Du Fei lightly on the forehead.
— Relax, little one. I believe you. But I'm curious about something else: what are you doing in this cave?
— Didn't you get here the same way I did?
— No.
— Well… it happened like this… — Du Fei sighed.
She briefly recounted the events: the earthquake, the fight with the scinic, the collapse, the dragon's appearance, and the strange black veil sealing the rift.
The black-haired girl listened attentively, nodding from time to time, but her gaze sharpened especially at the words dragon and barrier.
"They woke him up. But in his roar… there was pain. Someone fought him? This place is getting dangerous. But…"
— What was that black veil? — she interrupted.
— I'm not sure — Du Fei admitted. — But it looked like a barrier. It wasn't there when we fell. Maybe someone trapped us inside?
The woman frowned, glancing again toward the stone.
"A barrier… Who would place it? And why?"
Finally she said:
— Whoever did it, we should find a way out before someone unfriendly shows up.
— So… you'll let me go?
— I will — she smiled.
With a swift motion, the stranger sliced through the web.
Du Fei let out a startled cry as she plunged downward — but instead of hitting the ground, she landed in someone's arms. Looking up, she met a pair of playful pink eyes and heard:
— You're a cultivator. Why did it feel like if I hadn't caught you, you would've fallen like a sack?
— You… you just let go too suddenly… — Du Fei's face turned bright red, her voice extremely unconvincing.
— Ha-ha. Sure, sure… Let's pretend that's what happened — the pink-eyed girl teased before gently setting her down.
Straightening her clothes, Du Fei went to retrieve her sword and nervously approached the tall girl — only to find her lying back on the floor again.
— You're not leaving?
— Not yet — the pink-eyed woman replied. Seeing that Du Fei wasn't leaving either, she asked: — And you?
— Honestly… I don't know which way to go — she admitted with an awkward smile.
The woman lazily waved toward one of the tunnels:
— If the quake didn't collapse anything, go there, then left, straight, another left — and all the way. Got it?
— Y-yes, thank you. But… why aren't you leaving? It's dangerous here!
Before Du Fei could get an answer — and while the stranger hesitated whether to respond — a wave of aura suddenly pulsed from the stone in the center of the cave, drawing both their gazes.