Chapter 58: A fall and his choice
This white-robed female dares to steal from Long Feiye, is she sick of living?
As Han Yunxi mused, a sudden burst of poison gas rose from the trees, heading towards the woman.
“Beware of poison!” Suddenly, Long Feiye cried out in alarm and flew down in a split second!
This…
Was he trying to block her or save her?
With his personality, he’d either snort ‘serves them right’ or ‘she’s looking for death,’ wouldn’t he? Han Yunxi was confused as she watched in disbelief. Very quickly, she verified that she hadn’t seen or heard wrongly. She never thought that Long Feiye had moments when he lost his cool.
What kind of woman is that white-robed female?
Long Feiye’s speed was too fast for the eyes to see. There was only a flash of black before she saw him again, carrying the white-robed female as he flew towards a tree on the opposite side. Seeing those two forms pressed together made Han Yunxi’s heart give a start, but she quickly ignored it. As the white poisonous mist dispersed, peace returned to the thicket, but it wasn’t clear whether the snake head had died. Han Yunxi looked towards the opposite trees, where Long Feiye was saying something to the woman. Unfortunately, she was too far to see what she looked like or hear what they were talking about.
Who exactly is that woman? What’s her relationship with Long Feiye?
As Han Yunxi puzzled over these questions, a shockwave swept through the mountain. The poison python was turning over its body, its movements causing that giant tail to thrash against Han Yunxi’s tree. Seeing the approaching tail, Han Yunxi was at a loss. She glanced towards Long Feiye, who was about to come over when the white-robed female suddenly made a dash for the snake head again.
“Get back here!” Long Feiye yelled, but the white-robed female only gave him a backward glance. A provoked expression appeared in her eyes as she increased her speed to fly down. At the same time, the snake tail crashed heavily into Han Yunxi’s tree branch with a giant BANG.
“Ah…!” Han Yunxi was terrified. She was about a few dozen meters up, but jumping or staying might both lead to her death. All she could do was hold onto the tree branch and hope the tree could topple slowly over instead. Yet the poison python tail swung once again at her tree.
BANG!
“Ah…!”
Han Yunxi might have been tightly gripping the branch, but the ramming strength made it impossible to continue to hold on. Her hands unconsciously loosened as she fell straight down. Long Feiye saw everything happen, but a complicated expression flitted past his eyes before he turned to chase after the white-robed female. Han Yunxi’s four limbs were facing the sky as she fell. She didn’t catch Long Feiye turning around his head, but she knew that with his speed, he would’ve saved her by now if he chose to!
But he didn’t come. He never came!
She didn’t know when she’d hit the ground or whether it’d hurt. Han Yunxi closed her eyes as her voice grew choked with sobs. “Long Feiye, you bastard! I’ll hate you even after I die!”
While Han Yunxi was falling, Long Feiye had already caught up with the white-robed female and kicked her away from the poison python.
His voice was cold. “Duanmu Yao[1], show some propriety!”
“And here I thought Feiye gege[2] stopped caring whether Yao Yao[3] lived or died after he married his wife,” Duanmu Yao’s white robes carried an ethereal beauty, making her seem like a celestial maiden of the Ninth Heaven[4]. When she smiled, two dimples appeared to make her even cuter. She was the princess of Western Zhou Country, Tianning Country’s ally state, as well as Long Feiye’s junior sister under a shared master.
“Your lordship will say this once, get lost or I won’t be polite!” Long Feiye said coldly. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Han Yunxi about to hit the ground.
Duanmu Yao raised an eyebrow and glanced over. “Feiye gege, would you say my life is important? Or your wangfei’s?”
As she spoke, she prepared to fly towards the poison python head again. This was obviously threatening Long Feiye with her own life! A flash of heinous rage flitted past Long Feiye’s eyes as he spoke, “If you want to die, wait until after your 18th birthday! Your lordship can send you off on the journey then!” He turned his body sideways and used a leg to viciously kick Duanmu Yao aside. On the one hand, it drove her far into the forest; on the other, it gave him a burst of speed that propelled him to Han Yunxi’s side.
—
Han Yunxi had already given up hope. Although her eyes were closed as she fell backwards towards the ground, she really felt that she was about to hit it at any moment.
Did people who jump off buildings feel like this?
Very soon, the back of her head would ram into the ground and spill out her brains? Her four limbs would be shattered upon impact?
Who said, with him here, she didn’t need to be afraid?
Who said, there wouldn’t be any untimely ends?
A teardrop wordlessly slipped out from the corner of her eye. She gritted her teeth and forced her eyes open. Even if she was going to die, she still wanted to see this world one last time.
Yet as she did, she saw before her a handsome man’s face, the features sculpted and as cold as ice. His eyes were like frozen pools of water, his lips as thin and fine as cicada’s wings. Something so familiar, yet so foreign at the same time…Long Feiye!
Han Yunxi couldn’t resist smiling. Was this a hallucination before her death? She didn’t realized she was still hoping for him to rescue her. Long Feiye leaned forward to grab her waist, pulling her into his arms as they slowly descended to earth. Han Yunxi just felt that this was a very realistic hallucination, but as beautiful as a wonderful dream. For a moment, everything disappeared from the world, only leaving her and him. She forgot her fear and her hate, indulging herself with the vision of his deep eyes. Unconsciously, she reached out a hand and lightly caressed his cheek.
But in that instant, she saw Long Feiye’s handsome face scrunch up its eyebrows, his cold eyes turning even colder. It startled Han Yunxi to her senses.
This guy is knitting his eyebrows…this guy is real!
She was shocked speechless, her hand turning stiff against his face. As for him, he let go as soon as they touched the ground before slapping away her fingers away. Han Yunxi’s legs collapsed beneath her as she tumbled to the ground, finally regaining her wits. Thinking back to her inadvertent actions, Han Yunxi blushed. She felt so awkward that she forgot to climb to her feet. Long Feiye’s face grew dark as he looked disdainfully at her from the corner of his eye, before finally extending a helping hand.
Han Yunxi’s face was completely red, but she still felt a hint of warmth when she saw his large palm. Just when she was about to take it, Long Feiye spoke.
“Troublesome.” His tone was cold.
With these words, Han Yunxi’s hand froze in place before she withdrew it. Disappointment flashed in her eyes, to be quickly replaced with anger! She didn’t even want to come along, but he forced her to so she could treat snake poison. She’d suffered through such a large shock without blaming him once. But he, he started taking offense first.
Look at the warmth she’d felt in her heart. From the start, everything had been a one-sided wish from her side. Just then, he’d chosen someone else when her life hung in the balance. He hadn’t cared whether she lived or died, but probably rushed back to save her because it’d be hard to explain her death to Emperor Tianhui.
Han Yunxi pushed off from the ground with both hands to stand up abruptly, glaring at Long Feiye. “My life is cheap so I’m troublesome. Well, you sought out your own troubles! Bring back this wangfei in the same condition that you brought her out! If I’m missing even a single hair, then this wangfei won’t be able to treat the crown prince!”
Long Feiye’s disgusted expression turned slightly stiff as he spoke, “Don’t be such a coward. You still have your life.”
So speaking, he avoided Han Yunxi’s glare and looked towards the poison python. It was spasming and still spewing poisonous gas, but not as much as before. These were obviously its death throes. Han Yunxi couldn’t utter a word because of her anger, before finally hesitating and saying nothing at all. She couldn’t help but wonder, where’s that white-robed female? Did she leave?
That woman was so intent on the snake head. If she didn’t come for the snake dan, then what was she doing? She probably knows Long Feiye. He saved her just then because he was worried that she’d get poisoned.
Curiouser and curiouser. More than that though, Han Yunxi was still furious. Didn’t Long Feiye knew that she’d be dead if he came a second later? In any case, he was the one that brought her out. Was he going to treat her life as trash?!
Long Feiye waited for the python to die as Han Yunxi crossed her legs and sat down in silence. If it wasn’t for fear of the poison, Long Feiye’s abilities would’ve long obtained the snake dan. Now all they could do was wait for the python to use up the last of its energy, but it wasn’t long before he lost his patience. He jumped onto a nearby tree and took out his bow and arrow, aiming for the source of the poison gases before launching an offensive.
Swish swish swish!
Arrows after arrows flew down with even more strength than before, spraying fresh blood everywhere. Han Yunxi’s heart trembled with fear at the sight. She belatedly realized that this fellow was very unhappy and using the arrows to vent out his anger! If she didn’t have any counters on hand, would she become an outlet for his anger as well? Her hair stood on end at the thought.
Her words just then couldn’t be enough to set this guy off. In his eyes, she was of no consequence, so the white-robed female must have done something. Han Yunxi didn’t want to be curious about so many things, but she ended up wondering anyways. Though she knew he probably wouldn’t answer, she still wanted to ask him about it. She equivocated for a bit before deciding that she was still angry.
They were in a cold war! She wouldn’t ask!
Though Long Feiye’s offensive was fierce, this poison python had lived for many years and wouldn’t die so easily. Its tail was still thrashing around as its head rose multiple times, leaking fresh blood as it sprayed poison mist into the surroundings. Seeing this, Long Feiye grew even more impatient and jumped off the tree, walking forward to look for a better shooting spot. Han Yunxi watched his retreating back with a gloomy face. Silently she thought, Surname Long, just go. Go far away. Leave me here so if anything happens, you’ll take responsibility!
Yet Long Feiye hadn’t walked a few steps before he turned back to gaze down at Han Yunxi with a single command: “Get up.”
“What for?” Han Yunxi asked curiously.
Long Feiye didn’t answer, but dragged her upright and held her tight, flying into the air until they alighted on a tree nearby that was 70 meters tall.
“Ahhh!” Han Yunxi cried out until they reached the top of the tree. She just narrowly escaped death from falling and was still suffering from the aftershocks, all right? She wouldn’t be able to climb trees for a year!
Long Feiye was both stern and impatient. “What are you hollering for?”
Han Yunxi took the chance to turn around and bury her head in his chest, arms wrapped tightly around him. She was both angry and afraid. “Long Feiye, I’m warning you, if you leave me alone on a tree again, I definitely…I definitely…”
Long Feiye waited.
But Han Yunxi’s brains had short-circuited, leaving her stalling on ‘definitely’ before she declared, “I definitely won’t forgive you!”
Long Feiye gave a start, lowering his head to see that the person by his chest was actually trembling. Unexpectedly, his lips curved up minutely. Most likely, no one had told him his smile made the entire world pale in comparison. That was because no one had ever seen him smile simply for the sake of smiling.
He allowed Han Yunxi to hold onto him as he gathered his bow and arrow to aim towards the giant mouth of the python.
Shuaaa…
Straight into the mouth with one shot!
-o-
[1] Duanmu Yao (???) – Duanmu is a two-character surname; Duan can mean ‘end, beginning’, or ‘upright, proper’, Mu is ‘wood,’ and Yao is a term for ‘precious jade, jasper.’
[2] gege (??) – generic term for older/elder/big brother, sometimes used by the speaker to refer to well-acquainted males older than the speaker.
[3] Yao Yao (??) – Duanmu Yao’s nickname.
[4] Ninth Heaven (??) – jiutian, Chinese mythos consider the Heavens to have nine levels, with ninth at the top.