Yong Taihua and Cao Yanmei continued their desperate flight down the small, overgrown path, relying heavily on each other for support. As they exerted themselves, Yong Taihua felt a disconcerting, alarming realization: the more he ran and used his strength, the weaker he felt. He was overwhelmed by intense, recurrent hot flashes surging through his body. Before he could fully process the debilitating sensations, he felt his own member begin to harden. Their escape was clearly time-limited; with his body already betraying him, he understood that sooner or later, they would be caught.
Yong Taihua acted swiftly and decisively, grabbing Cao Yanmei and yanking her off the main road. He dragged her down a narrow, unused small bush path that offered immediate, dense concealment.
The area was dominated by tall, thick grass, creating a natural screen. They instantly lay low, sinking down into the thick foliage, completely hidden from view. Moments later, Miao Mingzhu appeared, searching the vicinity. She meticulously combed the main road twice, but because they were fully submerged in the tall grass and off the beaten track, she failed to spot them and eventually moved on.
Miao Mingzhu shouted angrily into the quiet air, "Yong Taihua, even if you run away from me, you won't be able to escape what will happen to you!" She stormed away, her voice fading.
Yong Taihua and Cao Yanmei hid for a prolonged period, waiting until they were certain Miao Mingzhu had not returned before they finally emerged. They stood up and found themselves on a vast grassland.
Cao Yanmei asked, "Do you know where we are?"
Yong Taihua shook his head. "I don't know. This is only my fourth time here." He looked around, then pointed to his left. "I remember we ran from that direction."
Cao Yanmei sighed. "I didn't pay attention when we were escaping, so I guess we can only follow your instincts."
Yong Taihua took four steps and abruptly fell to the ground on his knees, all of his energy instantly drained. Cao Yanmei bent down quickly to help him, only to fall to her own knees beside him.
Cao Yanmei gasped, "What's wrong with me?"
Yong Taihua mumbled, his voice thick, "It's lighter than a feather."
They both completely lost their strength, collapsing to the ground. They lay side-by-side on the grassy field in the late evening sun.
Yong Taihua struggled to speak. "It may be very hot now, but it will be cold when the sun goes down. We need to leave here."
Cao Yanmei's voice was breathy. "Yong ge, I don't feel cold at all. I feel so hot." She began to instinctively take off the outer layer of her clothes.
When Yong Taihua heard her, the feeling in his own body intensified. He felt himself getting hotter every minute and a powerful, urgent craving seizing him. He felt his hard member poking his pants, and consumed by embarrassment that Cao Yanmei might see him, he immediately turned to the left side, away from her. His body began to tremble uncontrollably.
As the sun finally went down, more martial artists arrived at the abandoned temple. Yan Zhanjin had been treating the injured all day. When he finished the treatment of his last patient, the dusk has taken over. He sat with Zhu Mingyang, Gu Yingjie, Rao Zhengsheng, and Yong Caixia. He looked at Yong Caixia with gentle reassurance. "Don't worry, there will be nothing wrong with Taihua."
Rao Zhengsheng sighed with genuine worry. "I am also very worried about Yanmei and Horan."
Yan Zhanjin offered a hopeful thought. "I believe they will come in through the front door at any time." He gestured toward the room full of new arrivals. "Look at how many people came after us."
He then glanced at Zhu Mingyang, who was meditating on the opposite side of the room. Yan Zhanjin knew the boundary between himself, and Zhu Mingyang was clear, yet he still harbored an uncontrollable feeling toward him. He quickly averted his gaze, carefully avoiding looking at Zhu Mingyang for too long, fearing that his lingering look would cause a misunderstanding between Gu Yingjie and Zhu Mingyang. For him, one brief look at Zhu Mingyang was enough to satisfy his quiet longing.
Xue Horan knew he couldn't waste any more time. He had searched for a long time on the dirt paths where Yong Taihua and Cao Yanmei had run, but he found no sign of them. As the last remnants of daylight faded, a cold certainty settled over him: once night fell, he would easily become lost in this unfamiliar mountain terrain, which would help no one. He decided to return to the temple to gather help.
By the time he arrived, the sun had fully set, leaving only a sliver of twilight. He stepped inside the abandoned temple, finding it crowded with many injured martial artists and unfamiliar faces. He scanned the room until his eyes landed on Rao Zhengsheng and Yan Zhanjin.
Xue Horan walked up behind Rao Zhengsheng. "Da shixiong," he said softly.
Rao Zhengsheng spun around, relief washing over his face, and pulled Xue Horan into a fierce hug. He whispered urgently in Xue Horan's ear, "Hao'er... I miss you so much."
Xue Horan held him close. "I miss you too, da shixiong."
Yan Zhanjin, noticing the many martial artists staring at the emotional reunion, walked quickly to Rao Zhengsheng's side and gave a polite, clearing cough.
Xue Horan pulled away and looked around. "Where is Yongzheng?"
Yan Zhanjin said, "He should be somewhere near here."
Yong Caixia spoke up. "He's no longer here. He just left. He also said that he was going out to find you."
Xue Horan's face tightened with worry. "I was with Cao guniang..." He quickly corrected himself. "I was with Dong guniang and Yong ge, but we were attacked by one of the leaders."
Yan Zhanjin asked, his tone serious, "How did you escape?"
Xue Horan explained, "Xin Taiyang saved me."
Yan Zhanjin reacted with immediate, sharp disbelief. "That demon knows how to save people? I don't believe it!"
Gu Yingjie interjected, his voice stern. "Zhanjin, you can't take back something once you say something that hurtful."
Yan Zhanjin defended himself. "I know, but I have seen it with my own eyes."
Gu Yingjie tried to ease the tension. "Let's take one step at a time, don't rush to judgment."
A new voice entered the conversation. Gu Xiaowen slowly approached the group. "You preach to others about what not to do, but you do it yourself."
Rao Zhengsheng bristled. "Gu gongzi, please mind your words."
Gu Xiaowen ignored him, looking pointedly at Gu Yingjie. "Chief Rao, do you know who he is?"
Rao Zhengsheng stood firm. "I only know that he saved my didi."
Gu Xiaowen turned his cold gaze back to Gu Yingjie. "You are no longer a member of our family, why do you still use the Silver Leaf fighting skill?"
Gu Yingjie calmly replied, "I didn't use the Silver Leaf technique. I used the acupuncture needles that Zhanjie gave me and pampas grass."
Yong Caixia stepped forward, attempting to mediate. "Gu gongzi, we are all on the same side. There is no reason for us..."
Gu Xiaowen shoved Yong Caixia back into Gu Yingjie. He then suddenly backed away and bumped into a martial artist. He put his hand on his stomach and groaned, gritting his teeth. "Zhu Mingyang... you are just a servant in the Gu Household! How dare you hurt me?"
Zhu Mingyang looked at Gu Xiaowen with cold contempt. "I don't care who you are. If you dare to disrespect Yingjie, I will kill you."
Gu Xiaowen shot Zhu Mingyang one last icy glance, then quickly left the crowd and returned to Gu Xunsu, who was sitting with the other Gu Household guards.
Yan Zhanjin scoffed, watching him go. "What a loser..."
Rao Zhengsheng suddenly grabbed Xue Horan's hand. "Where are you going?"
Xue Horan replied, his eyes on the door. "I'm going out to find Yongzheng."
Rao Zhengsheng held him tight. "Don't worry about him. We will wait for him here. If he doesn't come back in the morning, we will go look for him. It's already night, and it's dangerous to walk in the dark."
Yong Caixia smiled gently at Xue Horan, reinforcing the point. "Xue gongzi, Chief Rao is right. The sun is already down. Let's eat, and we will go look for them tomorrow if they haven't returned by tonight."
Xue Horan sighed, his gaze fixed on the entrance of the temple gate. His heart was heavy with worry for Yongzheng's safety. Yet, a practical truth anchored him to the spot: if he left the temple and wandered into the dark, the chance of encountering the Seventy-Two Islands would only increase. His capture would be of no help to himself or to those who cared for him. He exhaled heavily, resigned to his situation, and accepted he had no choice but to wait until dawn inside the temple's walls.