Chapter 31: The Cliff Is Dangerous—Approach with Caution!

While Yun Zhao and her group ate and drank, waiting for the secret realm exit to open, Song Zhiyuan was pacing anxiously not far from Yun'an Mountain.

"Why haven't they arrived yet? The secret realm is about to close..."

Xue Hairui sat quietly on a rock and said to Song Zhiyuan, "Senior Brother, could something have happened to them? Should we go and check?"

"No," Song Zhiyuan refused flatly. "We cannot show ourselves; otherwise, Yun Zhao will definitely notice."

Xue Hairui hesitated. "Senior Brother, you don't have to be at odds with Senior Sister Yun for my sake. They went through so much trouble to pick the Dragon Saliva Grass; how can we just take their things?"

"Little Rui," Song Zhiyuan patted her head and said helplessly, "We aren't taking it; it's just a proper trade."

"Don't feel guilty. In a world where the strong prey on the weak, it is their own problem if they cannot protect what they have. I am trading item for item; I deserve what I get."

"But..."

Song Zhiyuan interrupted her. "Enough. You are just too kind."

Xue Hairui fell silent.

Song Zhiyuan glanced in the direction of Yun'an Cliff, a flash of malice in his eyes. To join him in the sect competition, Xue Hairui had leveled up too quickly, leaving her foundation unstable; she needed the Dragon Saliva Grass to refine body-strengthening pills.

If the Dragon Saliva Grass were something Yun Zhao needed, he might have been willing to split it in two so they could each have a share. But Yun Zhao had worked so hard to find it for the sake of Qi Yan! How could he ever allow Qi Yan to get his hands on it?

He hadn't wanted to reveal himself to snatch it, but while he was trying to figure out a plan, Xue Hairui had accidentally discovered that Bai Lingxiao needed a Spirit-Transforming Golden Lotus. Song Zhiyuan happened to have one, and thus, the scene from last night unfolded.

"Wait."

As the exit opened, Yun Zhao suddenly remembered something. "Did we forget something?"

Qi Yan shook his storage bag. "The Silver-Tailed Fish are packed, five baskets of Frost Dew Fruit, and..."

"Everything is packed. We didn't forget anything."

These were all the delicious spirit fruits and demonic beasts Yun Zhao had found in the secret realm, and Qi Yan had packed a large haul for her.

"Not that. It's Song Zhiyuan. We forgot about him."

Yun Zhao said indignantly, "He instigated Senior Sister Bai to steal my things while hiding behind the scenes himself. I have to find a way to make him eat humble pie."

Qi Yan asked with interest, "What kind of plan?"

He wasn't good at or interested in other things, but this...

The young couple—or rather, the senior sister and junior brother—put their heads together and whispered for a while. Finally, they both revealed the same sly, cunning smile.

Mu Qianqian clasped her hands together and muttered something under her breath.

Bai Lingxiao asked curiously, "Junior Sister Mu, what are you doing?"

"Doing a good deed," Mu Qianqian said with a hint of sympathy. "Lighting a candle for Song Zhiyuan."

Bai Lingxiao: "..."

Once the plan was settled, Yun Zhao skipped over to Bai Lingxiao. "Senior Sister Bai, can you do me a favor?"

"What favor?"

Yun Zhao smiled slyly. "Send a message talisman to Song Zhiyuan saying that you've obtained the Dragon Saliva Grass and that they should come up to get it."

This was easy enough, so Bai Lingxiao agreed.

Song Zhiyuan, having grown impatient, finally received the news of Bai Lingxiao's success. However, he was puzzled that she asked him to go up to collect it.

"Fellow Daoist Bai, didn't we agree to trade after leaving the secret realm? Why the change of heart?"

Bai Lingxiao's voice remained steady. "Do not be offended, Fellow Daoist Song. I have some urgent business, and I must go on a long journey once I leave the secret realm. I am afraid I cannot meet with you privately later."

"Since there is still some time before the secret realm closes, and we are all injured and don't want to descend the mountain again, you should come up, Fellow Daoist Song."

Song Zhiyuan thought for a moment. "Very well, I'll be there shortly."

Up on the mountain, Bai Lingxiao put away the message talisman, and Yun Zhao put away the sound-recording stone.

Down below, Xue Hairui said, "Senior Brother, I want to go with you, but I'm too slow; I'll only hold you back."

Song Zhiyuan patted her shoulder to comfort her. "Little Rui, you should head out of the secret realm first. I will go myself."

Xue Hairui looked reluctant. "But we agreed that whatever you do, I would accompany you. Besides, you are only running around like this because of me..."

Song Zhiyuan smiled dotingly. "Silly girl, it is enough that you have the heart for it. I appreciate the sentiment. You are my junior sister, so no matter how tired I am, it is worth it."

Xue Hairui was deeply moved. Shyly, she gathered her courage, stood on tiptoes, and kissed Song Zhiyuan on the cheek.

Before he could speak, she crushed her jade token and exited the realm.

Song Zhiyuan stood frozen for a full five seconds before letting out a helpless smile and heading up the mountain to meet Bai Lingxiao.

On Yun'an Cliff, Yun Zhao and her group were hiding in a formation that masked their presence. They waited for a long time before they saw Song Zhiyuan's silhouette.

Yun Zhao couldn't help but complain, "So slow. I almost fell asleep waiting."

Gu Dinghan agreed, "Junior Sister Yun is right. It only took us fifteen minutes, and Song Zhiyuan was acting so high and mighty, yet he ended up being fifteen minutes slower than us."

Yun Zhao felt like she had found a kindred spirit, and she and Gu Dinghan began to trade jabs at Song Zhiyuan's pretentious behavior.

As they spoke, Gu Dinghan rubbed his arm. "Why is it getting a bit cold?"

Bai Lingxiao pulled him aside silently.

Stop talking, didn't you see the daggers Qi Yan was shooting at you? If looks could kill, Gu Dinghan would have been sliced to ribbons.

As for Song Zhiyuan, he arrived at the summit, but he couldn't find any trace of Bai Lingxiao and her group. According to what Bai Lingxiao had told him, the six of them knew they were no match for them, so they had crushed their tokens to leave the secret realm; before they left, they had supposedly thrown the Dragon Saliva Grass to them to save their own lives.

"Fellow Daoist Bai?"

Song Zhiyuan called out softly, but no one answered.

He frowned and took two steps forward. As he reached the edge of Yun'an Cliff, the ground beneath his feet suddenly split open!

Song Zhiyuan's expression changed. He quickly whipped out a tether, attempting to snag a tree on the edge of the cliff, but the tree snapped in half, and the whip caught nothing.

Flying swords could not be used at Yun'an Cliff. In his panic, Song Zhiyuan lost his composure; he couldn't even remember to crush his jade token to leave. In his scramble, he grabbed onto a rope.

"Hiss—"

Before he could feel relieved, he realized the rope was actually the tail of a serpent beast!

The serpent beast, in pain, attacked Song Zhiyuan ferociously. He dodged in a hurry but was still bitten.

The injured Song Zhiyuan finally regained some clarity. He endured the pain and struck the beast with his palm, and the beast, realizing it was no match for him, fled.

Song Zhiyuan clung to a protruding rock, trying to use it to climb up, but the rock suddenly crumbled. He let out a miserable scream as he continued to fall!

Above the cliff, Yun Zhao peered over the edge and remarked with feigned pity, "He really fell? Cliffs are so dangerous. Kids, remember, never stand on the edge of a cliff~"

After finishing their revenge on Song Zhiyuan, Yun Zhao and the others prepared to leave. Just as they were about to head toward the exit, a hand reached up from below the cliff.