Huan'er said softly, "I believe that in the entire Peach Blossom Village, no one knows this mountain better than Wang Er. So, Wang Er must have thought of something, otherwise he wouldn't have risked his life to climb this rugged path while ill. And now all the men in the village are searching for Ruoxi, so what could make him so reckless is most likely related to... Ruoxi. Perhaps he really can find Ruoxi. Therefore, I can't just stand by and watch him risk his life alone!"
“But this road leads uphill, not down the slope where Miss Ruoxi fell. Surely Miss Ruoxi wouldn’t be so foolish as to climb back up after falling down the slope! Judging from the terrain of the slope she slid down, she would have been more easily spotted at the bottom. But if that were the case, the woodcutter and his group should have found her long ago! Sister Huan’er, aren’t you overthinking it?” the little girl retorted.
Although Xiao Nizi's analysis was entirely reasonable, Huan'er still felt that following Wang Er would be the right thing to do.
She let out a long sigh, gritted her teeth, reached out and grasped the young girl's hand tightly, saying meaningfully, "Little girl, thank you for bringing me here today. From now on, I'll walk my own path. You've been out for a long time; you should hurry back. If... if anything happens to me... I'll ask everyone in the village to help take care of my grandmother in the future. I, Huan'er, will repay you even if I have to be your servant in my next life."
"Pah, pah, pah, Sister Huan'er, what nonsense are you talking about? I won't allow you to say that." The little girl quickly spat several times on the ground to stop her.
Huan'er gently shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. She gripped the little girl's hands even tighter, gesturing for her to listen carefully: "Go back and tell our matriarch that Huan'er will never forget her nurturing and teachings, not even in this lifetime. It is Huan'er's fault, Huan'er is useless, I failed to protect Ruoxi. If I cannot find Ruoxi safe and sound this time, Huan'er will have no face to live in this world."
As soon as she finished speaking, Huan'er turned her head away resolutely, abruptly released her hands, covered her mouth, and strode straight towards the direction of Wang Er's footprints, rushing up the treacherous and seemingly eerie mountain path.
"Sister Huan'er, Sister Huan'er..." The little girl was filled with shock, fear, and utter helplessness as she called out repeatedly to Huan'er's frail figure as she left.
At this moment, she was filled with regret for everything she had done that day. All she could do was helplessly watch Huan'er's receding figure, sobbing and wiping away her tears.
Time passed in the blink of an eye. When she looked up again, Huan'er had already disappeared from her sight and stepped into the dense forest ahead, which looked tall, majestic, dark, and lush, as if shrouded in an endless veil of mystery. This startled flocks of birds in the forest, some of which flew up and circled in the sky above the forest, while others, frightened, fled in all directions.
Huan'er has now climbed to the easternmost point of the mountain, which is also the highest peak of the entire mountain range. It stands out like a crane among chickens in the east of the mountains, facing the westernmost point of the mountain where the villagers have been accustomed to and frequented for generations.
According to a saying passed down from the older generation, wild animals used to frequently devour people on the east side of the mountain. However, since it was impossible to exterminate all the wild animals, it was forbidden to come to the east side of the mountain and disturb them. Instead, people were to live together peacefully, each taking what they needed. This became an unwritten rule known to all the simple and honest people in the village.
Over time, the trees and mountain products in the entire mountain grew most luxuriantly and had the most varieties in the eastern part of the area.
Without logging, mining, or artificial modification, this mountain forest boasts the most pristine, rugged, and mysterious environment.
It is said that the mountain is covered with lush forests and medicinal herbs are everywhere, especially the rare single-leaf grass, which is unique to this mountain in the entire Lingkong Continent.
It is precisely because of its abundant plant resources that the mountains provide ample food for various rare birds and animals, allowing them to thrive and multiply here without worry.
In the exposed rocky areas of the low mountains, water flows along the fault lines over the years, eroding them and creating deep canyons. If one were to fall into such a place, there would likely be no trace of bones left.
Beyond the low mountain area, the valleys are filled with steep, jagged mountain ridges. Giant boulders of all shapes and sizes dot the landscape, and the mountains are covered in layers of verdant forest, forming a screen-like canopy.
Huan'er walked along the winding, albeit still sunlit, path into the deep mountains. There, she found the place dark and damp, with thick fog filling the forest, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. She frowned, stunned. It was truly a case of "even on a clear day without rain, one's clothes are already damp upon entering the depths of the clouds."
The field of vision was particularly blurry, with only tall trees densely packed around, and upon closer inspection, they all seemed to look the same.
Huan'er was only surprised for a moment and involuntarily took a few steps. She could no longer distinguish between southeast and northwest and could not find the way she came. All she could see was that the ground under her feet was covered with rotten branches and decaying leaves.
Immediately, she spun around frantically several times in front of the ground, then cried out in a panic, "Oh no! Wang Er's footprints! Where are Wang Er's footprints? Where are they? Where are they...!"
Immediately afterwards, she knelt down with a thud and began to rummage through the decaying leaves on the ground with her small, delicate hands.
After an unknown amount of time, Huan'er seemed to have given up the search in despair. She sat sadly on the damp ground for a long time before finally staggering to her feet and continuing to walk aimlessly forward.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, she actually emerged from the dense forest.
Then, a long, winding path appeared before them, with strange trees growing on both sides of the hillside. These trees grew in a crooked and twisted manner, with only trunks and no leaves.
If you want to cross this narrow path, which is no more than 9 inches wide, you could easily slip and fall down the slope. On one side is a complex and shady forest with undulating terrain, and on the other side is what looks like a swamp of unknown depth, which still emits a suffocating stench.
Huan'er stopped and silently observed and pondered for a moment. It seemed that she had already made up her mind and had also cheered herself up. She mustered up her courage, reached out and wiped away the tears on her face, sniffed, and finally exhaled a breath of stale air. She looked down at the ground again, but still could not find any of Wang Er's footprints.
Just then, a chilling roar of an unidentified beast suddenly came from the forest behind her.
She seemed to instinctively turn her head sharply to look back, only to see a blurry shadow flash past her eyes in the distance, seemingly leaping.
Startled, Huan'er quickly hugged her arms tightly, only to realize that she had started trembling again.
However, forced by the current critical situation, she did not allow herself to think too much. Without hesitation, as if she had no other choice, she stepped onto the narrow, treacherous path in front of her, a path that could kill her at any moment.
He managed to alleviate the extreme fear in his heart by making a few trembling, intermittent murmurs.
As she cautiously and laboriously moved forward, having already covered half the distance and seeing a safe open space ahead, she suddenly felt as if she had stepped on something. She quickly stopped, bent down slightly, and looked closely.
To her surprise, it turned out to be a pile of animal bones, covered in moss, weeded out of the path. Huan'er was so frightened that she covered her head, jumped up and down, and screamed repeatedly, "Ah!..."
However, because of her erratic jumping, she lost her footing and stepped off course, causing her entire body to tilt down the slope towards the swamp. Instinctively, she could only close her eyes and cry out, "Help..."
At this critical moment, two arms suddenly appeared from behind her, passing through her waist and tightly encircling her.
Huan'er slowly opened her eyes, still shaken, and found herself standing steadily and safely on the path. She saw a pair of thin arms holding her tightly around her waist.
Then, she turned her head sharply, her big, dark eyes widening in surprise. Whether it was relief or fear that filled her heart, tears welled up and fell instantly.
Before she could even speak, the little girl grabbed Huan'er's hand tightly, took a big step around to her front, and then pulled her along to leap quickly to the safe open space in front of them.
Upon arriving at their destination, Huan'er excitedly reached out and hugged the familiar, frail body tightly, sobbing uncontrollably, "Little girl, it's you! How could it be you! Why didn't you listen to me? Why did you come to this gloomy and terrifying place? Don't you know people die here? People really die here. Why did you come in? Why..."
Huan'er cried as she desperately shook the little girl's thin body.
The young girl was also relieved, thankfully it wasn't too late. Overjoyed, she leaned on Huan'er's shoulder and hugged her tightly, saying, "Sister Huan'er, I'm sorry, this journey was too dangerous. I shouldn't have left you alone halfway. From now on, I'll stay with you. Wherever you go, I'll go too. As for those words you asked me to say to the old lady, I can't bring myself to say them. You should keep them and tell her yourself when you get back."
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