The air was thick with dampness. The faint glow of red light danced along the stone walls, casting eerie shadows.
Zhang Xiaofan still held Bi Yao when the last rumble of collapsing rocks sealed the entrance behind them. The earth shook, and silence followed.
Bi Yao's face paled. She stared at the blocked entrance and murmured, "It's over. The exit is buried… we can't get out."
Her voice trembled slightly. She had grown up fearing caves the most. Dark, narrow spaces where escape seemed impossible—her worst childhood memories.
She clenched her fists. "This beast truly is an ancient monster. Not only is its power terrifying, but its cunning is almost human."
Zhang Xiaofan tightened his hold around her. He nodded solemnly. "Yes."
But as he held her close, he couldn't help noticing her scent.....subtle, sweet, faintly intoxicating.
A fragrance that lingered in the chest, making his heartbeat quicken.
If I could sleep with such a beauty in my arms every night… I'd never have a sleepless night again.
Then another thought slipped in. Or maybe… I'd never be able to sleep at all.
He shook his head quickly.
Bi Yao finally realized how tightly he was holding her.
Her cheeks warmed faintly, though she forced herself to speak evenly. "Well… now that the serpent's gone, you can let go of me."
"Oh." Xiaofan loosened his grip reluctantly, stepping back a little.
Bi Yao exhaled softly, her eyes scanning the cave.
The tunnel stretched deep into darkness, branching into several paths.
"We can't just sit here waiting to die," she said firmly.
"I'll take that side and see if it leads out. You check the other path."
Her long legs carried her gracefully into the shadows.
Zhang Xiaofan gave a small smile and turned toward another passage.
The cave was vast and winding. Each fork split into more paths, like an endless maze.
Zhang Xiaofan searched tirelessly, checking one passage after another.
After what felt like hours, he emerged into a clearing.
Before him lay a small pool, about three meters wide.
Water trickled down from the stone wall above....but instead of clear water, it was blood-red, glowing faintly in the gloom.
Zhang Xiaofan's breath caught. The Bleeding Cave… this must be it.
He knelt beside the pool, his hand brushing the surface.
Beneath the silt and sand, he sensed a hidden mechanism. But centuries had buried it too deeply to uncover easily.
Shaking his head, he turned back.
On the way, he crossed paths with Bi Yao again.
She had just turned a corner, her green skirt swaying lightly.
The moment she saw him, her eyes lit with hope. "How is it? Did you find a way out?"
Zhang Xiaofan hesitated, then slowly shook his head. "No. All the forks are blocked."
Her shoulders slumped. That shadow of fear returned to her expression.
Being trapped in a cave....it clawed at her deepest fears.
But Zhang Xiaofan's voice continued. "However… I did find a pool at the end of one path. Above it, red water drips down."
Bi Yao froze, then her eyes widened with sudden joy.
"Red water? Then… that must be the entrance to the Bleeding Cave!"
Her earlier despair melted into excitement. She grabbed his arm. "Come on, let's go see."
Together, they hurried through the maze of tunnels.
. After ten minutes, they reached the pool.
The red water trickled steadily down the stone wall, glowing like liquid blood.
Bi Yao stared in awe. "It really looks like bleeding stone….
This has to be it....the Bleeding Cave."
She turned quickly. "There must be a hidden mechanism here. Let's search together."
Without waiting, she ran her hands along the wall, knocking, tapping, listening.
Zhang Xiaofan watched quietly for a moment.
He knew the truth....that the entrance lay within the pool. But he said nothing, choosing instead to search the walls alongside her.
It's not time to tell her yet. He remembered clearly: in the original fate, Bi Yao's fear of the cave had forced her to reveal her heart, and that bond had softened the Ghost King's cruelty later.
Without that connection, Zhang Xiaofan knew....if they ever met again, the Ghost King might kill him without hesitation.
Bi Yao sat by the pond with a faint sigh. A whole day had passed, yet she and Zhang Xiaofan still couldn't find the hidden mechanism of the Dripping Blood Cave.
They had searched every inch of the area, even pried open the drain at the bottom of the pond, but their efforts were useless.
She lowered her head, her expression helpless.
Zhang Xiaofan slowly walked closer. When his shadow fell across her, Bi Yao looked up.
At first, she thought nothing of it, but then she noticed his gaze lingering on her.
Her face flushed slightly as she suddenly pressed her hand to her chest.
"Ugh, how disgusting! At such a time, you're still sneaking peeks at me?"
Zhang Xiaofan stiffened, nearly choking on his own breath.
His heart pounded as though on fire, but he quickly forced himself to remain calm.
"Bi Yao, do I look like that kind of person to you?"
"Yes." Bi Yao glared at him. "You act all honest and proper, but you're actually sly and full of bad thoughts.
Just look at you....on the outside you're plain, but inside, your cultivation is so deep that even I don't think I'm your match.
Who knows what you're hiding?"
"…" Zhang Xiaofan was speechless.
Instead of answering, he pointed at the pond where Bi Yao sat.
"I think the mechanism to open the Dripping Blood Cave is right under you."
"Under me?"
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