The sharp knife had cut the vines halfway through.
There was only half left attached, requiring another cut before it might be possible to sever it completely.
But I had already been dragged into the cave.
I fell from the pitch-black cavern, filled with immense regret in my heart.
Why hadn't I picked up a Miao Knife from the ground for self-defense? These knives are sharp and powerful.
If I had used a Miao Knife to cut the vines earlier, I could have severed them and escaped.
Now, I was probably going to fall to my death.
In the moment I hit the ground, I adjusted my position.
Protecting my belly, I faced the ground.
Fortunately, there was all mud beneath me, which cushioned my fall.
The mud was filled with a terrible stench of decay, and bubbles continuously formed on its surface.
Four tall statues stood embedded in the mud, towering and erect.
At a glance, the four statues in the dark...
They were all of Liu Bang slaying the White Snake.
Legend had it that Emperor Gaozu of Han,—Liu Bang—slayed a White Snake, causing a marvel,
and thereby rallied the rebel army to become emperor.
Thus, since antiquity, the image of Liu Bang slaying the White Snake has been a sacred object to drive away snakes.
The Dumpling in my belly, in front of these four statues, hadn't even the strength to cry anymore.
Frightened, it curled up, and then...
Passed out from fear.
I touched my slightly swollen belly, struggling to get out of the mud.
The cavern below was quite large; once out of the mud, there was a grassy hillside, "Where am I? It's so eerie and frightening."
"Young Madam, do not fear, Shenshen is here." The ginseng bracelet on my wrist emitted a faint fragrance, dispelling the gloom in my heart.
The bracelet fell to the ground and transformed into a little beauty.
But as the black air rose from the quagmire, it attacked her.
Xiao Shenshen was forced to change back into a bracelet, "There's a strong putrid air here, the plants... will be eroded."
Just then, I watched as the two small red flowers on the bracelet began to wither away.
"Xiao Shenshen, how are you? Are you alright?"
No matter how I called out to Xiao Shenshen, there was no response.
I ran my fingers over the bracelet, my heart filled with agitation. Why had it transformed back into a bracelet and even the ginseng flowers were wilting...
Xiao Shenshen mustn't have been hurt...
"Young girl, do you know... how to get to Tianying Village?"
There came a cheerful voice from a young man behind me, like warm sunshine penetrating the desolate darkness.
But my back tensed, and without hesitation, I turned around, "You... who are you?"
The young man in front of me looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, exceptionally handsome.
He held a hand-drawn map in his hands, with latitude and longitude lines marked, as well as the heights and distances of different mountain peaks, the kind of standard surveying map.
Seeing my shock, he too was startled, "Do I look terrifying? I'm an exorcist, not a bad person."
"An exorcist? There is... an exorcistic power about you, are you from the Lin Family?" I asked.
The young man was exceptionally delighted, "Yes, I am from the Lin Family. You recognized me at a glance. Are you a Geomancer, too?"
"That Ganoderma Wooden Hairpin on your head... is it a Magic Artifact?" I noticed a wooden hairpin in the young man's long hair.
His hairstyle was very ancient, but his clothes were modern, short-sleeved and short-legged.
Not only very modern but also quite out of sync with the current season.
The young man nodded, "I made it myself, it's rather crude; I'm afraid I've made you laugh." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveIＦire.net
"From your... map, Tianying Village should be to the north. If I continue on and cross these two mountains, I just happen to be going to Tianying Village as well. I'll go with you," I said, covered in mud and feeling miserable.
In the woods, there was still Zhang Zidao, whom I had trapped in a tree hollow.
For now, I didn't know how to get back to that dense forest.
I had to first get to Tianying Village to find my Maternal Granduncle, whom I had never met.
Then I needed to hurry back to check on Zhang Zidao's condition.
Seeing the young man nod, I followed him.
Suddenly, the young man said, "I have yet to learn the esteemed name of my fellow Daoist."
"Chen Yuanyuan," I replied with an alias.
The young man beamed with a smile, very cheerful and talkative, "I am Lin Huan. Pleased to meet you; I hope you will look after me, Chen... I've never heard of... a Chen family in the Mystic Sect..."