"Miss, hello there!"
Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Bai rested his elbow on his thigh, his palm supporting his chin. He leaned forward slightly, watching with a teasing smile as a small hand appeared at the edge of the cliff, followed by half of a delicate face.
Xiao Yi Xian was panting heavily, her fair and pretty face covered in sweat, with strands of her jet-black hair sticking to her cheeks.
Just as she was about to climb up the cliff and was feeling relieved that the Magical Beast below hadn't caught up, she suddenly felt a shadow over her head. A deep male voice, tinged with amusement, sounded right by her ear.
Startled, she quickly looked up, only to see a head with gray-white hair resting on a palm right in front of her. Some strands of his hair were even about to touch her face.
"Ah!"
A sharp scream echoed across the cliff, making Xiao Bai feel the urge to cover his ears.
Despite closing her eyes and screaming in panic, the girl clung tightly to the rope, hugging it to her chest without letting go.
Xiao Bai simply sat there, watching her with a faint smile. After her initial scream, she cautiously opened one eye just a sliver, peeking out to assess the situation.
Seeing the body attached to Xiao Bai's head, she sighed in relief and fully opened her eyes, looking at him with a bit of wariness.
Although she was annoyed that he had scared her at the edge of the cliff, she hadn't climbed up yet, so she couldn't afford to get angry.
"This… um…" She hesitated, unsure how to address the man in front of her. His hair was gray-white, yet his face looked rather young.
"This gentleman, could you lend me a hand? I'm running out of strength."
Seeing that he was just watching her with an odd smile, Xiao Yi Xian felt her hands trembling slightly and couldn't help but softly request his help.
Without a word, Xiao Bai stood up and extended a hand toward her.
Xiao Yi Xian took a deep breath, gripping the rope tightly with one hand while placing the other into Xiao Bai's palm.
Xiao Bai grasped her small hand firmly and exerted a little strength, lifting her from the cliffside. Her delicate figure traced a graceful arc through the air before landing lightly at the edge of the cliff.
As soon as she touched the ground, she tried to withdraw her hand from his grip, but Xiao Bai released her first and murmured a low "thank you."
Xiao Bai then gave her a once-over. She was dressed in a simple white robe, her figure slender and graceful. Though her face wasn't the most stunning beauty, she carried an ethereal and otherworldly aura. Her bright, limpid eyes were as clear as autumn water, with a purity reminiscent of lotus blossoms, making her appear even more refined and elegant.
Most importantly—her waist was so slim! It could easily be encircled with just one hand!
On the surface, Xiao Bai remained composed, but inwardly, he kept nodding to himself in admiration.
"Why is the gentleman here?" Xiao Yi Xian gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at Xiao Bai, her voice soft.
Could it be that he also knew about the cave below?
"Being hunted by enemies, feeling depressed. Since storybooks often mention that jumping off cliffs leads to fortuitous encounters, I came to test my luck." The amusement in Xiao Bai's eyes faded as he pretended to look troubled.
Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian panicked and quickly said: "Sir, you mustn't! I just checked below, and there's nothing there!"
"Oh? Could it be that you, Miss, are like me, someone who searches for opportunities at the bottom of cliffs?" Xiao Bai's eyes brightened slightly, as if he had found a kindred spirit.
Xiao Yi Xian secretly rolled her eyes. Who was a kindred spirit with him? She was only concerned that if he really jumped off, he might actually get lucky.
Wait a minute—could it be that this guy does know about the cave below?
Without showing any emotion, she subtly took a step back and pulled out a small packet of medicinal powder from her robes, holding it between her fingers.
Xiao Bai, keenly observant, immediately noticed her little trick. He shook his head—this wasn't fun at all.
"Miss, I advise you to put that away. That stuff won't work on me." Xiao Bai dropped the act and returned to his usual calm demeanor.
Xiao Yi Xian froze slightly, her fair face showing a hint of embarrassment. She quietly put the medicinal powder away. That kind of thing was only effective in a sneak attack. Otherwise, with her mere 9nth stage of Dou Zhi Qi, she couldn't possibly threaten the man before her.
Although she didn't know this man's cultivation level, the fact that he had made it here meant he was at least at the level of a Dou Practitioner.
Moreover, his mind was deep and unpredictable—his expression could change in an instant. He was nothing like the straightforward mercenaries she had treated before, which made her a little afraid.
"The cave below the cliff is mine. Now, you have two choices: either come down with me, or I knock you out and go down myself. You have three breaths to decide." Xiao Bai spoke indifferently. Since she didn't want to play games, he would get straight to the point.
"One."
"Two."
"I'll go down with you!"
Xiao Yi Xian was momentarily stunned upon hearing Xiao Bai's words—so he did know about the cave below. When she saw he had already counted to two, she panicked, afraid that he would knock her unconscious at any moment, and quickly shouted her decision.
This was the Magical Beast Mountain Range—if he knocked her out, who knew how long it would take for her to wake up? If she encountered other Magical Beasts, at worst, she'd die. But if she ran into creatures like the He-Yuan, she would be better off dead.
"What a despicable bastard! Just you wait!" Xiao Yi Xian cursed bitterly in her heart, already planning to make him pay once she returned to Qingshan Town.
She had never met such a domineering person before. Thinking about how she had painstakingly discovered a cave left behind by someone else, she felt a sudden wave of sorrow.
"Congratulations, you made the right choice." Xiao Bai cast her a glance and spoke coolly.
He was only scaring her anyway. No matter what she chose, she was coming down with him.
Picking up the rope on the ground, Xiao Bai gave it a tug, testing its sturdiness. It was tied quite securely. Then, he gestured for her to come over.
Xiao Yi Xian warily took a step back, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and looked at Xiao Bai. "What are you trying to do?"
"Obviously, we're going down together." Xiao Bai looked at her as if she were an idiot.
"No way! There's another rope over there—I brought it as a spare. I'll go get it and tie myself down!" Xiao Yi Xian pointed at a crooked tree nearby, directly refusing.
"Fine." Xiao Bai followed her gaze, nodded indifferently.
Xiao Yi Xian was delighted—she had no intention of going down with this scoundrel. She quickly moved toward the tree, but after just a couple of steps, that irritating voice rang out again.
"You ran out of the cave earlier in a panic—you must have run into the Rock Snake, right? It's on that tree above the cave now. If you see it later, try not to be scared."
"Rock Snake?!" Xiao Yi Xian exclaimed in shock. She had barely survived an encounter with it in the cave earlier. She immediately stopped in her tracks.
"You can handle it, right?" she asked cautiously.
Seeing Xiao Bai nod, she continued moving toward the tree. But then, that damnable voice spoke again in an indifferent tone.
"If we share a rope, I'll take care of it. But if you use the other one… well, that depends on my mood."
"Argh! How can there be such a despicable bastard in this world?!"
Stomping her foot in frustration, Xiao Yi Xian turned to glare at Xiao Bai, wishing she could sink her teeth into him. If looks could kill, he would have died a thousand times over.
After hesitating for a moment, she ultimately feared that Xiao Bai might refuse to help when the time came. Begrudgingly, she dragged her feet back to his side.