Chapter 2460 — The Problem of a Heaven-Rank Spirit Beast
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
The feeling of that embrace carried Wang Xinyan back to those frigid nights during military training, to the day and night the two of them had shared in the wild during the field exercise...
She was still lost in thought when the hum of a helicopter motor came down from the sky. Wei Zhao breathed a sigh of relief at last. He could no longer sense any danger—the great soft-shelled turtle had likely withdrawn—but who was to say it would not wheel about and come charging back?
And besides, if this valley held one Heaven-Rank Spirit Beast in that great turtle, might there not be others as well? After all, there were two Heaven-Rank Spirit Beasts on the Wulonghaote Range.
"Here! I'm over here!" Catching sight of the approaching helicopter, Kang Jinglong was overcome by the feeling of having survived a catastrophe. He waved both arms frantically, desperate for the people aboard to spot him.
Wei Zhao curled his lip and glanced at Kang Jinglong. At the volume he was shouting, no one in the helicopter could possibly hear him; and as for being here, they would see him whether he waved or not.
The helicopter drew nearer and nearer, then lowered a rope ladder that hung straight down into the valley. The loudspeaker aboard crackled with You Panhu's voice: "Brother Kang, get on board!"
Kang Jinglong was beside himself with excitement and instinctively reached for the ladder to climb up—but Wei Zhao seized him and pulled him back down. "Wait a moment. Let Xinyan go first. You go up last!"
Cultivator though he was, this valley was not something one could simply climb out of. Never mind that in winter the cliffs were plastered with snow and ice—even in summer, with no footholds to speak of, scaling them would be no easy task. Wei Zhao did not possess the Bingtang girl's unearthly lightness skill; he could not simply fly up.
So Wei Zhao meant to send Kang Jinglong up last, lest the fellow board the helicopter and simply flee, which would be a fine damned mess.
"Oh..." Kang Jinglong was plainly disappointed, though he understood Wei Zhao's misgivings well enough. In truth, he had never meant to abandon Wei Zhao—after all, Wei Zhao had just saved his life. Or rather, saved it twice; though the first time, Wei Zhao had only been looking out for himself.
So however unreasonable Kang Jinglong might be at this moment, he could not possibly leave Wei Zhao behind. Besides, if he and You Panhu returned without Wei Zhao, how would they ever answer to Bai Lingtou?
Wang Xinyan eyed the swaying rope ladder with some fear and did not dare climb it alone. But the ladder was only wide enough for one person at a time—there was no way Wei Zhao could steady her as she went. She supposed he could climb beneath her to catch her if she fell, but that would put Wei Zhao face to face with her backside, which would mortify her even more.
Gritting her teeth, Wang Xinyan reached out and took hold of the ladder, hauling herself upward. She was a resilient girl; frightened as she was, she needed only to hold on a little longer and it would be over.
Wei Zhao was not worried. Even if Wang Xinyan fell, he could catch her. He had been confident of catching her when she fell from the very top of the mountain—to say nothing of a drop from the helicopter's height.
At last Wang Xinyan reached the helicopter safely. Wei Zhao let out a breath and quickly set foot on the ladder himself, climbing aboard.
Kang Jinglong was the last to board, his face ashen. Catching sight of You Panhu, he nodded with the air of one still shaken and said, "Brother You, there's a great water monster in that valley—scared me half to death!"
"A water monster? What sort of thing?" You Panhu blinked in surprise.
"A Heaven-Rank Spirit Beast. We nearly died," Wei Zhao said flatly.
"Sss—a Heaven-Rank Spirit Beast?" You Panhu started, a look of dread flashing across his face.