Chapter 48: The Fragile Girl Inside the Cave
Chapter 48: The Fragile Girl Inside the Cave
Wu Tian's firm voice made Xiao Yi Xian instinctively place her delicate hand in his.
The moment she felt the warmth of his palm, she suddenly realized
When did I become so obedient?
He asked for my hand, and I just… gave it to him?
If he asked me to do something even more…
Her thoughts drifted into dangerous territory.
Wu Tian turned back with a satisfied smile before continuing forward.
Inside the narrow passage, their pace was naturally slow, especially with scattered jagged rocks obstructing their way.
For over ten minutes, the two walked in complete silence.
The cave was eerily quiet, but Xiao Yi Xian didn't feel uneasy
Because the warmth of Wu Tian's hand gave her an inexplicable sense of security.
The silence didn't feel awkward either.
In fact, the longer she walked hand in hand with him, the warmer the cave seemed to become.
Her thoughts started wandering.
Who exactly is this boy?
How does he know so much?
Why did he come all the way to Qingshan Town just to find me?
Is it possible that I lost my memory and he's actually…
My childhood friend? My first love? The one destined for me?
Her imagination spiraled out of control.
At this point, she even suspected that maybe
We've already been together before?!
An Unexpected Collision
Just as Xiao Yi Xian was lost in her wild thoughts
Wu Tian suddenly stopped walking.
Her distracted mind couldn't react in time
She slammed straight into his back.
And since she bumped into him with quite a bit of force, she staggered backward.
In a panic, she grabbed his waist to steady herself.
Wu Tian blinked in surprise.
Feeling her warmth pressing against him, he let out a slow exhale and casually remarked:
"Xiao Yi Xian, you stepped on my foot… and crashed into me."
The intimate contact made Xiao Yi Xian's face flush red.
But the moment she heard Wu Tian's calm complaint, all her shyness disappeared.
She immediately took a step back, puffed up her cheeks, and snapped:
"You overbearing jerk! I bumped into you because you stopped so suddenly!
How is that my fault?!"
Wu Tian turned slightly, pointing ahead with a helpless expression.
"There's a stone door blocking the way. Where else could I have gone?"
Embarrassment and Denial
Xiao Yi Xian blinked and followed his gaze.
Sure enough
Right in front of them stood a massive stone door, emitting a faint yellow glow.
She suddenly realized
Oh.
He really couldn't keep walking.
So technically…
She was at fault.
She cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Ahem… I didn't see it, okay?" she muttered softly.
Wu Tian simply nodded in acknowledgment.
He didn't say a word
But his attitude made it feel like he was accepting her apology.
That realization made Xiao Yi Xian's eyes widen.
Wait.
Something feels wrong.
Why does it feel like I'm the one who has to apologize?!
He's the one who took advantage of me!
I was squashed against his back.
And my chest still feels sore from the impact!
He's the one who gained something! Why am I acting like I'm in the wrong?!
Solving the Stone Door Mystery
Wu Tian, however, didn't care about her internal struggles.
Instead, he studied the stone door, then declared:
"This is it. Behind this door is our destination. Step back I'll break it open."
Xiao Yi Xian glared at him.
She took a closer look at the door, tracing her fingers across its engraved patterns.
Then she scoffed:
"You overbearing brute! You only know how to use brute force!
Do you even understand how formations work?
Breaking the door would cause a massive shockwave
You might be fine, but I'm just a fragile little girl!
She gave him a pointed look, then continued:
"This is obviously a simple earth element mechanism.
If you're careful, unlocking it isn't difficult at all."
As she spoke, her fingertips moved gracefully across the stone surface.
Her eyes shone with focus, her delicate lips slightly parted as she concentrated.
Seeing her so serious and focused, Wu Tian thought
She really is quite charming.
So, he didn't interrupt her.
If she wanted to solve it herself, why not let her?
It might even leave a little surprise for Xiao Yan if he ever found this cave in the future.
A little prank for later.
How fun.
Success!
A few seconds later
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I found it! Hehe~!"
She pressed her finger against a hidden switch.
Creak
The stone door slowly slid open with a low rumble.
Beaming, Xiao Yi Xian turned to Wu Tian, her eyes shining with expectation.
She wanted praise.
However
Wu Tian's face remained completely indifferent.
Not a trace of excitement.
Seeing this, her smile vanished.
Her lips pouted in dissatisfaction.
"Hmph! Maybe, to him, the best solution really was smashing the door apart."
"Something quick and violent just like him!"
But just as she was about to sink into frustration
She suddenly saw Wu Tian lift his hand
And give her a thumbs up.
Her eyes lit up instantly.
A bright, joyful smile spread across her face.
Wu Tian smirked.
"Let's go, silly girl. The door's open."
"Mmm!" She nodded happily and followed him inside.
A Mysterious Stone Chamber
Inside the stone chamber, the air was eerily still.
The walls were lined with luminescent moonstones, bathing the space in a soft, silvery glow.
Wu Tian extinguished his flame, as there was no need for additional light.
In the center of the chamber, a stone chair sat against the far wall.
And on that chair
Was a skeletal corpse.
The skull had fallen onto the lap bones below.
The scene was eerie and unsettling.
However, Xiao Yi Xian
Didn't even flinch.
As a healer, she dealt with dead bodies all the time.
This was nothing new to her.
Wu Tian, however
Felt a bit uncomfortable.
This was the first real skeleton he had seen in this world.
If this were his past life, he might've screamed:
"Mamma mia~!!!"
Now, though, he simply narrowed his eyes slightly.
But before he could think further
A loud voice suddenly shouted beside him
"HEY!"
Wu Tian: "..."
(End of Chapter)
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