劍問蒼天 - 第42章 絕地 - 翰墨軒

He sat dazed on the ground for a moment, then tried to rise. But no sooner had he moved than his left hand braced against the ground, and suddenly his whole body was wracked with pain and he cried out aloud. "Ah!" His body convulsed, and his left hand especially hurt terribly.

A cold snort suddenly came from deep within the cave. Zhang Qingyue started in alarm and turned to look, and saw a young woman come around the corner—dressed all in water-green, of clear and lovely beauty. Who else could it be but that little demoness of the demon cult?

The two of them had been locked in confrontation only moments before. Now, catching sight of a member of the demonic sect so suddenly, Zhang Qingyue instinctively raised his black-iron staff and gathered his focus in guard—so completely that for a moment he even forgot the pain wracking his body.

To his surprise, the girl called Bili merely shot him a glare, showing no inclination to fight at all. Her expression was odd and dejected, as though the spirit had been drained out of her entirely. "All right, all right, look at that foolish face of yours—seven or eight broken bones in your body, and still so full of energy!" she said impatiently.

Zhang Qingyue frowned. Seeing that Bili seemed to have no intention of striking, he slowly lowered his staff, puzzled though he was. But no sooner had he relaxed than the pain came flooding back, and he could not help crying out again.

Watching this righteous young man grimace and bare his teeth in that absurd way, Bili couldn't hold back a burst of giggles. The tension between them eased at once—but when the laughter died, she let out a long sigh, full of a bleak and sorrowful air.

Zhang Qingyue gave a snort. Stubborn by nature, he felt thoroughly humiliated at being laughed at by this young woman, and said with a touch of anger, "What are you laughing at?"

Bili glanced at him. "I'm laughing at you."

Hearing her so blunt, sparing him not the least shred of dignity, Zhang Qingyue's fury surged higher. "What's so funny about it? Let's see you get smashed into and laugh then!"

Bili's face changed. From the look of her, she was about to teach this insolent boy a lesson—but as soon as her hand moved, a sudden weariness came over her, and she sighed. "We'll both be dead before long. What's the point of quarreling with you?"

Zhang Qingyue had been bracing himself, and when he heard her say such a thing, he was stunned. "What did you say?"

Bili glanced at him. "This is a cave. Can't you tell?"

Zhang Qingyue said, "Yes! So what?"

Bili snorted and pointed at the heap of rubble ahead. "That's the only way out. And now it's crushed under a mountain of stone. If you're so capable, go on—split the mountain and cut your way out!"

Zhang Qingyue's mouth fell open. He looked toward the rubble: the cave mouth was sealed tight by enormous boulders, not a crack left. He knew his own limits well enough—against an enemy, his black-iron staff and his cultivation had their uses, but for digging through a mountain like some fool of a Yu Gong, they were truly of no help at all.

He stood dazed for a moment, then suddenly remembered something important and turned hastily. "I remember hitting the cliff face and falling to the ground—how did I end up in this cave?"

Bili said flatly, "I dragged you in."

"What?" Zhang Qingyue was choked with indignation.

Bili glanced at him. "I landed not far from where you lay unconscious, and happened to spot you. The Blackwater Serpent was coming after us again, and when I looked up, I saw that the old tree you'd torn down had been growing over a cave—there was even light showing from inside, and the opening wasn't large, so I hid in it. Before I went in, I took pity on you, so I dragged you in too. Fool!"

Zhang Qingyue frowned. "Then how did the cave mouth get buried?"