There was no time left. She would only have five minutes at most.
Lin Wuyue gritted her teeth and opened the small pouch. The smoke spread rapidly through the cave.
Naturally, she would not be affected—she had no spiritual energy. As expected, once the cave was completely filled with smoke, Feng Wu collapsed on the spot.
"Run!" Lin Wuyue told herself.
She jumped to her feet and rushed out of the cave, running as fast as her small legs could carry her.
Although she had already left the cave, she did not relax at all. Her eyes constantly flicked toward the tall tree where Chen Xi was hiding.
Seeing her emerge, Chen Xi raised an eyebrow, watching her with interest, curious about what the little girl intended to do. To his surprise, Lin Wuyue was staring directly at him as well.
"Come down," Lin Wuyue said.
She didn't shout, yet her voice was clearly heard.
Chen Xi snorted softly but jumped down anyway.
"I need to tell you something. Come down for a moment, please," Lin Wuyue said sweetly.
Chen Xi smiled and crouched to her height. He felt no fear at all—this little girl looked so small and fragile that he almost wanted to pinch her cheeks.
"Tell me, little one, what do you nee—mmph!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Wuyue suddenly covered his mouth and nose with the pouch containing the sleeping gas.
At first, she had thought it was powder—she hadn't had time to examine it carefully—but seeing how it dispersed effortlessly through the air without wind, she found it extremely convenient.
"Little girl, four minutes left," the snake reminded her.
Caught completely off guard, Chen Xi tried to push the traitorous little girl away, but the moment he lifted his arm, his consciousness faded.
Lin Wuyue bit her lip and ran in the direction the snake indicated.
"To the left. There's a mountain path. You'll see vines—climb them, then go straight up," the snake instructed.
Lin Wuyue followed every word. The forest was pitch dark, and without spiritual energy she could barely see anything. When she hit the vines, she immediately began climbing.
"Climb, climb, climb—faster!" she urged herself.
"Three minutes left."
"Damn it…"
"A young lady shouldn't use such language. What kind of parents did you have?" the snake commented dryly.
Lin Wuyue rolled her eyes but didn't slow down. Her small arms struggled to support her weight. She slipped, scraping her palms, pain shooting through her hands—but she clenched her teeth and continued climbing.
When she reached the top, she realized the path was dangerously narrow, barely visible in the darkness.
"Follow the wall to the right and keep climbing. Be careful—it's slippery."
She pressed her hands against the wall and moved carefully. The path was so narrow that only one adult could pass at a time, hugging the rock face. Fortunately, Lin Wuyue was small and could move quickly, though she remained cautious—the stones beneath her feet were slick.
"Snake, how much time is left?" Lin Wuyue asked, frowning.
If she was discovered now, it would be a disaster she was certain she wouldn't survive.
"One minute."
Almost immediately, voices echoed from below the mountain.
"The young master was drugged by that girl who was with the Feng family!"
"The Feng family is despicable!"
"Master, how do you know it was the girl and not those disgraceful brothers?"
"I personally checked the cave. The Feng brothers are unconscious as well," the man snarled through clenched teeth. "The young master trusted her, and she betrayed him. When he wakes up, he'll skin her alive."
Their voices were loud, furious.
Lin Wuyue swallowed hard and moved faster. Barefoot, she naturally stumbled and fell.
"Who's there?!"
Hearing the noise, the men looked up. Their cultivation was far from mediocre—naturally, they spotted Lin Wuyue immediately.
The beautiful little girl's face turned deathly pale, and she began to run.
"It's that brat from the Feng clan! Hurry—catch her!"
The elders used their light-foot techniques to climb the vines swiftly.
Lin Wuyue no longer cared whether she stumbled or fell. If she was caught, she would die either way—she could not allow that to happen under any circumstances.
"Stop right there!" one of the sect elders shouted fiercely.
Stop? Might as well tell me to wait here and let you kill me—what a joke, she thought.
She ran even faster along the narrow path.
"You're almost there," the snake said. It knew the situation was dire—they needed to hide immediately.
Lin Wuyue stumbled several times. Her knees and elbows were scraped raw, pain burning through her body. She desperately wanted to cry, but she swallowed her tears, clenched her teeth, and kept running.
"Five hundred meters… two hundred… one hundred…"
Just as she reached the summit, a powerful roar echoed through the air.
"It's those Feng brats! The medicine has worn off!"
The snake gritted its teeth. It knew the situation had turned extremely dangerous—if they caught her, the child would almost certainly die.
"Don't panic. There's a cave nearby. You'll be safe," the snake tried to encourage her.
Lin Wuyue had reached the top of the small hill. Moonlight illuminated the path, and she could finally see clearly. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief—
When a sharp pain exploded in her lower back, and she was sent flying.
"Little one!!"
The snake released a massive amount of spiritual energy to cushion her fall, but she was still gravely injured—three ribs were broken.
She struggled to stand, blood spilling from her lips due to internal injuries.
The elder gasped—the snake's energy had affected him as well.
"You…" he pointed at Lin Wuyue. "Cursed little brat… you're not ordinary at all. You even have a spiritual beast with you? Very well. Let's see just how capable you are."