Linyue sat perfectly straight in front of Shu Mingye, calm as ever. The forest shifted and swayed around them. Sunlight poured down through the thick canopy in lazy patches of gold, dancing across mossy stones and tangled roots. Vines dangled like long, leafy arms trying to slap them in the face. But Shu Mingye avoided every single one without breaking a sweat. A light pull of the reins here, a slight tilt of his head there, and the horse glided around obstacles as if the forest itself made way for him.
It was honestly impressive.
Behind them, Song Meiyu was still cheerfully babbling to Shen Zhenyu about fairies, mythical herbs, and "the tragic romance of a carrot spirit and a wild rabbit." Shen Zhenyu responded with occasional, mildly worried grunts.
Shu Mingye cleared his throat again.
Linyue glanced back slightly. Fifth time. She almost asked if he had swallowed a pine needle wrong. "So," she said instead, "how many waterfalls are there in Shulin?"
Shu Mingye answered evenly, though his voice was slightly hoarse, possibly from all the emotional choking earlier. "A few. But if you're looking for one in a high place, there's only one. It's on the western side of the forest."
Linyue gave a small nod. "Let's take a look."
Shu Mingye nodded once. "Alright."
Shu Mingye's fingers tightened on the reins as he urged the horse forward, grateful for the excuse to move before his brain decided to replay the word amazing in her voice for the hundredth time.
And so, with vines swaying and sunlight dancing around them, the odd little group turned west—two horses, four wildly different personalities, and one Demon King trying very hard not to spontaneously combust.
The horses' hooves crunched softly over layers of fallen leaves as they followed the narrow forest path. Birds chirped for a while, but slowly their songs faded, replaced by the faint, steady sound of rushing water somewhere ahead. The air grew cooler, damp, and heavy with the smell of moss and earth.
Linyue eyed the ground with quiet suspicion. So far, there was no suspiciously soft mud. No sudden sinkholes leading to corpse-burying tunnels. No sudden swampy smells or inexplicable frog armies lying in wait. This was… unusual. Worryingly unusual. But also progress. She'd take it.
Shu Mingye guided the horse without saying much. One hand held the reins, the other occasionally brushing branches out of the way. His movements were confident and unhurried. He looked… reliable. Like someone you wouldn't mind getting lost in a forest with.
Linyue blinked at the thought.
…Wait. Where had that come from?
She quickly turned her head, pretending to admire a very suspicious mushroom growing on a fallen log. Yes. Very fascinating. Probably poisonous. Definitely safer to think about than the warmth of Shu Mingye's arm still resting around her waist.
Focus. She needed to focus.
On the riddle.
On the spring.
On not noticing how ridiculously steady and warm and frustratingly reliable he felt behind her.
No swamps. No caves. No feelings. That was the plan.
…Probably.
The forest thickened as they rode on. The trees stretched taller, their branches crowding together until they formed a leafy roof overhead. Sunlight vanished almost completely, leaving the world bathed in a soft green glow that hovered somewhere between "enchanted fairyland" and "place where unlucky travelers vanish mysteriously." Even Song Meiyu went quiet behind them, which was never a good sign.
Was Shu Mingye really guiding them to the waterfall? Or had he decided this was the perfect time to lead them deep into the forest and disappear mysteriously forever, leaving only dramatic rumors behind?
She narrowed her eyes and scanned the shadows between the trees. No glowing eyes staring back at them yet. No rustling bushes that sounded suspiciously like ambushes. Just the sound of rushing water, louder now, promising they were close to the source. Then she risked a glance at Shu Mingye out of the corner of her eye. He looked calm. Like a man with a plan. Possibly a suspicious one.
The air had changed, damp and heavy, sticking to her skin. The ground tilted sharply upward beneath the horse's hooves. Linyue felt the shift in the horse's stride as it began the climb, each step slow and careful on the uneven path. The earth was gnarled with roots, stones poking up like little traps, waiting for someone careless enough to trip. But Shu Mingye's hand on the reins never faltered. He guided the horse like he had done this climb a hundred times before. His movements were smooth and confident.
The climb felt endless. Every few steps, the horse gave a little grunt of effort. Silence pressed around them, broken only by the soft sound of hooves against stone and Song Meiyu's occasional suspicious cough behind them.
Linyue was fairly sure that cough meant we're all going to die here, aren't we, but Shen Zhenyu either didn't notice or had already accepted his fate.
Finally, they passed through a curtain of hanging vines and stepped into light. The trees finally parted, and sunlight spilled through the leaves. The air changed in an instant—cool, fresh, clean. A gentle breeze brushed across Linyue's face, and she breathed in deeply. It smelled like wildflowers and water. Like something old and forgotten.
Shu Mingye slowed the horse to a gentle walk, his eyes fixed ahead. "We're close."
Linyue raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You actually knew the way?"
"You sound surprised."
She didn't answer. Instead, she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and said, "Still no swamps."
"Not yet," he replied, tone far too casual.
Linyue side-eyed him.
Shu Mingye just smirked.
Song Meiyu's voice floated from behind them. "If we fall into a hidden underground cave again, I'm retiring from adventuring. I'll open a medicine stall. Or a tofu shop."
"Agreed," Shen Zhenyu added dryly. "I'll help run it."
"Perfect," Song Meiyu chirped. "We'll call it The Survivors' Tofu."
Linyue said nothing. She was too busy making a mental list of all possible swamp escape routes.
Plan A: climb a tree.
Plan B: sacrifice Shu Mingye's boots or use Shu Mingye as distractions.
Plan C: accept her fate and become a swamp hermit.
"Let's hurry and find that crying silver maiden before someone steps on an ancient trap," she said finally, her tone calm but her eyes sharp with paranoia.
"Too late," Shu Mingye said smoothly. "You already stepped on one."
Linyue snapped her head around and glared at him.
He let out a low chuckle. "I was just joking."
"You can joke too?" she asked, her suspicion now upgraded from mild to critical.
"I'm also surprised," he replied. "I blame your influence."
She narrowed her eyes at him, debating whether to believe him or not. Shu Mingye met her gaze calmly, but his mouth twitched like he was holding back another laugh.
Behind them, Song Meiyu whispered loudly to Shen Zhenyu, "Did we just witness flirting? Was that flirting?"
"Please don't start," Shen Zhenyu muttered.
Meanwhile, the sound of rushing water grew louder with every step. The trees thinned, the path widened, and then they stepped into a large open space.
The waterfall welcomed them with a roar. Water poured down from high above, smashing into the pool below with enough force to make the ground hum. A fine mist floated in the air, cool and damp on their skin. The sight was impressive—tall, proud, endless streams of water cascading down like a curtain. But one thing was very clear: The water was not crystal blue. Not shimmering. Not even mildly magical. It was… normal. Regular. Water-colored.
Song Meiyu rushed up beside them, practically vibrating with excitement. "Is it here? Is this the place? Did you solve the riddle? Is there a fairy waiting with tea? Or maybe snacks?!"
Linyue stared at the waterfall. "Not sure yet. The next part of the riddle says… Her veil guards what lies beyond."
Shu Mingye stepped closer to the edge of the pool. Mist clung to his robes, his voice thoughtful. "Maybe it means the water itself. A veil, like a curtain. Something could be behind it."
They all stared at the waterfall.
Linyue nodded. "That sounds right."
Song Meiyu clapped her hands together, eyes sparkling. "A secret cave! There has to be a secret cave! With glowing crystals and maybe an ancient sword stuck in a rock!"
Shen Zhenyu let out a long-suffering sigh. "Or a bat colony waiting to attack us. Don't get your hopes up."
Shu Mingye smirked faintly and glanced at Linyue. "Shall we check?"
Shen Zhenyu sighed again. "It's always behind something. Why can't it ever be under a flat rock in plain sight? Just once. For variety."
One by one, they began moving toward the waterfall, their boots splashing through shallow puddles as cool mist curled lazily around their legs.