To the best of my ability, Part Four
Stepping out of the third-floor window, Li Letian landed firmly on the sand dune. Overnight, the second floor of the mud house had been buried by yellow sand, and the surrounding terrain had undergone a dramatic transformation. What was once a house on flat ground had now become a castle on the sand dunes.
Lee Na-kyung, who had come out first, was already sliding down the sand. The yellow sand churned around her feet like waves. He Zi'an caught Lee Na-kyung at the foot of the hill, as she almost couldn't stop. Watching the two chatting and laughing, Li Letian felt a pang of loneliness.
"Young Master Li!" While Li Letian was lost in thought, Li Najiong waved from below and called out excitedly, "Stop daydreaming, we should go!"
Li Letian rubbed his face and nodded to the two of them. Before leaving, he glanced back at the interior of the earthen house to check if he had forgotten anything. After all, once you descend the sand dune, it would be very difficult to climb back up.
"Oh dear!" At this moment, Lee Na-kyung, who was standing at the bottom of the sand dune, exclaimed again.
"Did you miss something?" Li Letian asked, leaning against the windowsill and turning halfway down.
"With such strong winds last night, the camels must have run away!" Lee Na-kyung exclaimed excitedly.
The two men felt a chill in their hearts. He Zi'an looked around and finally called out to Li Letian from afar, "Brother Li, you're standing on high ground, see if you can find the camel."
Li Letian nodded, jumped onto the roof, and looked around. "There," Li Letian quickly pointed to a slightly lower sand dune to the north, "it's right behind this sand dune."
Lee Na-kyung raised her hands and shook her wrists to indicate that she had received the message well. Then, together with He Zi'an, they headed towards the northern sand dunes, preparing to climb. Just as Li Letian was about to slide down the sand from the north, he caught a glimpse of an unexpected figure.
Li Letian turned his head sharply and looked closely, but the person was already hidden by the sand dunes to the west. Li Letian leaped and slid westward across the fine sand.
"Where are you going?" He Zian turned around and asked, puzzled.
"Hurry up and get the camels!" Li Letian shouted anxiously.
Despite their confusion, Li Najiong and He Zi'an quickened their pace.
In the desert, besides the heat and thirst, there's another major challenge: climbing. Stepping into the fine sand, even your ankles sink in. You move up one body length, only to slide back down halfway. Each step carries heavy sand. If going downhill is like being propelled forward by waves of sand, then going uphill is like being hindered by muddy sand dunes.
Lee Na-kyung struggled up the yellow "swamp," and exhaustion already overwhelmed her halfway up the hill. Looking back at Lee Letian, who was trying to conquer another sand dune, the man was climbing with all his might, completely abandoning the upright posture and using both hands and feet to charge towards the top of the mountain.
The mountains to the west are higher, but Li Letian has already surpassed them in progress.
"Are you alright?" He Zi'an asked with concern. "If you're really feeling unwell, you can rest here for a while. I still have some energy left, I'll go upstairs first."
Lee Na-kyung bent down, looking up at the top of the sand dune as if facing a formidable enemy. After taking a deep breath, she quickened her pace.
The two groups of people reached the top of the sand dune almost simultaneously. He Zi'an spotted the camels in the distance; exactly three camels were kneeling and resting on the gentle sand. On the other side, Li Letian seemed to have noticed something as well, waving his arms repeatedly at the two of them.
“Brother Li seems to have discovered something. You should go ahead first.” He Zi’an said, hands on his hips, panting heavily. “Walking along the ridge from here will save a lot of effort. I’ll go down and get the camels.”
Without much hesitation, Li Najiong rested for a few moments, then, with one hand on her hip and the other on her sword, she walked along the ridge of the sand dune towards Li Letian.
Lee Na-kyung walked along the windward side of the ridge, where the terrain was not only gentler but also much less prone to sinking into the sand. A wind picked up in the vast desert, and she walked with it, further reducing unnecessary physical exertion.
Looking back, He Zi'an had already run to the camel's side, checking if anything was missing from its pack. Looking again at the sand dune they had just climbed, all traces of their footsteps had vanished. The shifting sands had concealed everything, as if they had never been there.
Seeing Lee Na-kyung approach, Lee Letian stood up from the sandpit. Following the direction she pointed, he saw a man riding a camel, a golden-hilted sword at his waist. In the sunlight, the green gem on the sword hilt glittered.
The man remained motionless.
"Is it him?" Lee Na-kyung's shoulders trembled.
“Very similar.” Li Letian said calmly.
"Isn't it a mirage?" Lee Na-kyung couldn't believe it.
"No way," Li Letian said, not entirely sure.
Lee Na-kyung and Lee Letian slid down the sand together, the hill echoing with a buzzing sound of sand. But Lee Na-kyung was oblivious, her eyes fixed on the man in the distance, as if afraid he would disappear into the morning sunlight in the blink of an eye.
Seemingly sensing their urgency, He Zi'an quickened his pace, leading the camels toward them.
*
"That was exhilarating!" Wang Wenfang laughed heartily. "The last time we fought like this was decades ago."
They had reached the edge of the woods. Wang Wenfang and Han Xiaozhou both bore numerous wounds, and their faces betrayed their exhaustion.
“What a pity.” Wang Wenfang glanced at the longsword in his hand. “This ‘Tsunami’ sword doesn’t suit me well, otherwise I could have become even stronger.”
Han Xiaozhou remained noncommittal. However, she knew in her heart that now was the best opportunity to kill the old man before her. As Wang Wenfang weakened, he gradually lost control of the sword's power. The sword intent emanating from the Calamity Sword "Tsunami," combined with the already damp environment of the forest, made this place seem like a death trap specifically prepared for the wielder of the "Flame Sword Intent."
“If it weren’t for this scoundrel causing trouble, everything would be perfect.” Wang Wenfang pointed his sword at Xiang Wu and said, “I have a suggestion, I wonder if Master Han would like to hear it.”
Xiang Wuli and the other person stood far away, their clothes consisting of nothing but half of their pants, their shirts and shoes completely gone. Even their golden bodies were tattered and torn.
Han Hyo-joo glanced at Xiang Wu, but still remained silent.
"Why don't we kill this brat first?" Wang Wenfang said. "Otherwise, if we fight until we're both exhausted, this scoundrel will only get the spoils."
The battle dragged on until sunrise, still unresolved. The reason it lasted so long was because someone like Wu, acting as a troublemaker, was helping from both sides. When Wang Wenfang was at a disadvantage, Wu assisted him. When Han Xiaozhou was struggling, Wu shared the burden.
Originally, they could have ended the fight in one fell swoop by simply seizing on the opponent's mistake, but unfortunately, someone on the side kept "smoothing things over" and was responsible for trying to cover up everyone's mistakes.
“I also have a suggestion, Master. In any case, Miss Lin and I are on the same side, so we are definitely more trustworthy than this old man.” Seeing that Han Xiaozhou seemed to be seriously considering Wang Wenfang’s suggestion, Xiang Wuyi quickly said, “Just say the word and I will help you get rid of this desperate old man.”
“If he wanted to help you, he would have done so long ago.” Wang Wenfang bluntly exposed Xiang Wu. “I think he’s just happy to see us both suffer, so he can reap the benefits.”
"Think about it from another angle. He's someone who can rival you, Master. He's saying nice things about joining forces to get rid of me, but what if he takes the opportunity to ambush you?" Xiang Wu planted his sword in the ground to steady himself. "I'm just a nobody. Even if he makes some small moves, you'll definitely notice them immediately and counter them."
Han Hyo-joo suddenly became someone both of them wanted to win over.
"Working with me is much less risky," Xiang said earnestly. If Han Xiaozhou hadn't been a troublemaker all night, he probably would have believed him.
Just as things reached a stalemate, the sound of wind whistling through the woods filled the air. It was Nana with Chishu who had arrived.
"Master!"
"Nothingness!"
In Han Xiaozhou's plan, her disciples should have arrived to provide support long ago. Now, not only are they late, but there are only two of them, and an uneasy feeling welled up inside her. "Qianshu, why are there only two of you?"
Qian Shu glared angrily at Wang Wenfang and said, "Senior Sister Yin and Senior Sister Wan were killed by the trap this guy left behind. Only Senior Sister Chunfeng and I are left."
"Interesting, two of them are still alive." Wang Wenfang narrowed his eyes, carefully examining the two girls who had just joined the battle. "Spring Breeze Through a Thousand Trees? If I remember correctly, that's the name of the Holy Maiden of Misty Rain Pavilion. You two happen to be the Holy Maidens of Misty Rain Pavilion?"
"No need to waste words with him," Han Xiaozhou shouted. "Form an array with me and finish off this guy who killed your senior sister."
Nana and Qian Shu drew their swords, ready to step forward.
"Wait!" Wang Wenfang abruptly plunged his longsword into the ground, gesturing for a stop. He revealed a playful expression and said, "Do you know that your master was once a saintess?"
“Only the Holy Maiden can inherit the throne in our sect, and Master is naturally a Holy Maiden!” Qian Shu retorted.
"Oh, your name is Qian Shu, right?" Wang Wenfang's gaze fell on the girl who couldn't help but strike up a conversation with him. After examining her for a moment, he said, "You do have good potential."
"This guy is cunning; don't talk to him too much," Nana warned from the side.
"That's strange, how can the two of you be so close?" Wang Wenfang put on a pretentious sour face.
What exactly are you trying to say?
"Since your master is also a saintess, why don't you ask her where her 'spring breeze' has gone?"
"Don't listen to his nonsense." Han Xiaozhou leaped forward.
“What sharp swordsmanship,” Wang Wenfang said meaningfully as he sparred with Han Xiaozhou, “No wonder you were the one who survived back then.”
"The one who survived?" Nana repeated Wang Wenfang's words.
“You are weak,” Wang Wenfang said. “You are clearly a saintess who is more important than the Seven Immortals of Misty Rain, and you have received the true teachings of the Misty Rain Pavilion. Why are you weaker than the Seven Immortals of Misty Rain? Have you never thought about this question?”
At this point, Han Hyo-joo's sword strikes became even more frequent and fierce.
Wang Wenfang laughed wildly, saying, "Because you are each other's living sacrifices. Only by 'devouring' each other can you have a chance to reach the ultimate realm."
So that's how it is. Xiang Wu suddenly realized, this is why the Misty Rain Pavilion sent out all its elite forces to search for Lin Zhenna. Perhaps there is sisterly affection, but it is definitely not a deep master-disciple relationship.
“I’ll help you.” Wang Wenfang didn’t specifically refer to any one person. He said confidently, “Whoever it is, as long as you choose me, I will take care of your opponent. No one else will know what happened in this forest. Once you choose me, Misty Rain Pavilion is yours.”
"Xiang Wu!" Nana immediately stopped Xiang Wu, who was about to act. She shook her head: "No."
Nana looked into Xiang Wu's eyes. He said nothing, but those deep eyes seemed to ask: Your master has abandoned you. Even so, will you still stand by her side?
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