The hunting grounds of the Jin clan were massive. If one isn't careful, they could easily get lost. Along the way, Bai Ruyi saw a lot of small animals, such as bunnies and little foxes. Seeing them reminded her of Xiao Bai, so she couldn't bear to harm them. So, instead, she went for the bigger animals, such as boars, wolves, deer, and occasionally an eagle. When the prey was caught, she would store them in her qiankun pouch that everyone had received before the hunt.
After two hours of wandering around, Bai Ruyi took a break and sat under one of the trees. The autumn breeze danced through the air. However, the warm weather lingered, creating the perfect day to enjoy the outdoors. Resting her head against the tree, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the flow of nature around her. Having ventured far into the grounds, no one was around her, so all she could hear and smell were the sounds of the animals running around and the scent of the plants that the wind carried. Slowly, Bai Ruyi drifted off.
In the distance, Feng Kuanglan was approaching where Bai Ruyi was. At first, he didn't notice that she was there. However, he saw she was fast asleep under the tree when he got closer. When sleeping, Bai Ruyi's face was relaxed, and her features became soft, carrying the beauty she inherited from her mother. Quietly watching, Feng Kuanglan could see the resemblance to the little girl he once met at Yunmeng. Although people say that Bai Ruyi and Long Yuzhe look identical, Feng Kuanglan always thought that Bai Ruyi's features were softer and more delicate, while Long Yuzhe's were more structured. Also, if one looked carefully, one could see that their eye colors differed. When the sunlight poured into Bai Ruyi's eyes, they transformed into a mesmerizing stormy gray flecked with hints of blue. It was as if each ray of light captured the essence of a tempestuous night, where fierce winds howled and lightning danced across the sky.
As Feng Kuanglan moved closer to Bai Ruyi, she felt the presence of someone nearby. Even though she did not feel any killing intent, she quickly stood up and held her sword before her. Surprised by her sudden reaction, Feng Kuanglan swiftly moved back.
When Bai Ruyi realized who it was, she lowered her sword and apologized.
"Bai gongzi, no need to apologize. It was my fault for startling you."
An awkward silence loomed over the two as they stood in the forest. Sensing that Feng Kuanglan was uncomfortable, Bai Ruyi made the first move.
"Feng gongzi, I apologize for startling you. I shall excuse myself now."
Bai Ruyi turned around, picked up her bow, and walked away. A person of few words, Bai Ruyi was always straight to the point, often making it hard for others to talk to her.
As she walked away, Feng Kuanglan couldn't help but let his gaze linger on her. Although he couldn't quite pinpoint the exact reason, something about Bai Ruyi captivated him, stirring a deep curiosity and an undeniable yearning to unravel the mysteries surrounding the distinguished Bai gongzi.
When Bai Ruyi first left the area, everything around her felt normal. However, the further she went, the more she felt the evil aura grow. Yet, no matter where she looked, she could not see any prey or humans. Suddenly, she felt something fly straight at her. In a flash, Bingfei flew out of its scabbard. The moment it made contact, the creature unleashed an ear-piercing scream. When her sword returned, Bai Ruyi went over to see what it was that tried to attack her. Once proud and elegant, a majestic hawk lay on the ground, now stained with dark, inky blood. Its piercing eyes remained wide open, fixed on her with an intense, haunting gaze. The bird was now lifeless, yet an overwhelming aura of killing intent still seemed to emanate from its motionless form. Though the hawk initially appeared ordinary, Bai Ruyi noticed that the bird was mutated upon closer inspection. Its once sleek feathers now transformed into razor-sharp blades oozing with toxic poison. As the bird lay on the ground, the surrounding grass wilted and turned brown, succumbing to its lethal touch. Its eyes remained open, blood-red orbs that appeared filled with the essence of death itself, bringing a sense of familiarity. Unsure of what was happening, she pulled out another storage bag to hold the bird and then began to look around to find anything suspicious.
Meanwhile, Feng Kuanglan, who was not far away, heard the screeching and ran towards her. When he came close enough to see her, he saw her kneeling on the ground. Blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth and a deep bloody gash right under her left collarbone.
"Bai gongzi!"
"Don't come any closer!" she yelled back.
At first, Feng Kuanglan stopped and didn't come any closer. However, seeing that she was injured, he approached her anyway. Helping her to stand up, he could see that all around her were the corpses of the hawks.
"Bai gongzi, what happened?"
Bai Ruyi shook her head as she wiped the blood away, leaving a stain on her wrist guard.
"I do not know, but this place is not safe. We need to evacuate everyone."
"But-"
Suddenly, Bai Ruyi pushed Feng Kuanglan away from her, and Bingfei shot out of its scabbard again and took down another hawk. This time, Feng Kuanglan saw with his very own eyes what happens when the hawk comes into contact with the grass. Once thriving and vibrant, the grass wilted instantly, transforming into a heap of lifeless blades that disintegrated at the lightest touch.
With the sudden movement, Bai Ruyi's wound became worse, and she coughed up a clot of black blood.
Poison! Feng Kuanglan thought.
He quickly stood up and went over to support Bai Ruyi.
"Bai gongzi, are you alright?!"
"I am fine."
Bai Ruyi backed away from Feng Kuanglan. Although injured, she remained calm and composed.
"We need to get out of here quickly."
Feng Kuanglan nodded, and the two began to run back to the hunting ground's gates. However, the ground gave away before they got far, and Bai Ruyi slipped and rolled down the hill. Quickly, Feng Kuanglan jumped after Bai Ruyi and tried to break her fall. As they plummeted, a jagged branch ensnared his attire, violently tearing at his robe and inflicting a deep gash on his leg.
When the two came to a stop, Bai Ruyi was wrapped tightly in Feng Kuanglan's arms.
"Bai gongzi, are you alright?"
Although Feng Kuanglan was in much worse condition than Bai Ruyi, he was still concerned about her.
"I am alright. How about you?"
Sitting up, Bai Ruyi saw that Feng Kuanglan's clothes had little tears all over, and his leg was bleeding profusely. Reaching into her garment, she pulled out a handkerchief and tied it around his wound to stop the bleeding.
"Thank you," Feng Kuanglan said.
Bai Ruyi simply nodded and stood up to see where they were. From the top of the hill to where they were, it was easily more than 90 meters. Hopping onto Bingfei, Bai Ruyi tried to ride to the top, yet before she even reached 7 meters, she was knocked back down. When she landed down, Feng Kuanglan slowly limped over.
"Bai gongzi, what's wrong?"
"I am not sure, but..."
She drew a talisman and aimed it at the sky to test her suspicion. Just as she expected, when the talisman reached 7 meters, it hit a barrier and dispersed.
"A barrier? But how?" Feng Kuanglan asked.
Bai Ruyi shook her head. Looking at the sky, it was already late afternoon. The hunt would soon end, and if the two of them couldn't find a way back before dark, then who knew what would happen? With the barrier up, they could not send out a signal flare to tell the others their location either.
"Looks like someone is trying to keep someone or something in the place," Bai Ruyi said.
"But this is the hunting ground of the Jin family-"
Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them. The two drew their swords and turned to confront the mysterious disturbance. No enemy appeared, yet undeterred, they advanced deeper into the area, using the sword's glare to guide their way. The density of the trees grew, casting the area into a deep shadow, and the once-firm ground transformed into a treacherous swamp, making each step increasingly laborious. Their once-clean boots and clothes became stained with mud.
Finally, after an hour of trekking through the swamp, the ground beneath them became solid again. With no danger in sight, the two decided to stop and let Feng Kuanglan rest. Although the wound was not bleeding as much as before, the constant moving did not allow the injury to stop bleeding completely.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ling, who was tagging along with Feng Zhiyu and Long Yuzhe, felt something was off. Without a warning, Xiao Ling bolted, leaving Feng Zhiyu and Long Yuzhe at a loss for words. The group decided to run after the dog. When Xiao Ling finally came to a stop, the two boys went over to see what it was that caught its attention. When Feng Zhiyu's eyes landed on what Xiao Ling was looking at, he immediately knew that something had happened to his brother. Picking up a piece of blood-stained fabric, he recognized it as a part of this brother's outfit. Feng Zhiyu started to look around but could not see anything else that belonged to his brother.
Seeing the distress on Feng Zhiyu's face, Long Yuzhe asked.
"Feng xiong, what's wrong?"
"We need to go back now. We need to get the adults!"
"What do you mean? What's going on?" Long Yuzhe asked.
Feng Zhiyu showed the piece of fabric and said.
"This came from my brother's clothes. Something must have happened to him."
Although he prayed that he was wrong, Feng Zhiyu knew his brother well. A small hunt like this shouldn't be a problem for him. Even if the prey were tough to handle, his clothes would never have torn off like this, and they definitely wouldn't have blood on them either.
The group then rushed back to the waiting area where all the adults were. When the adults first saw them, they thought the children were tired, so they returned a little earlier. However, after seeing the piece of fabric, some became alarmed. Hoping it could have been a mistake, they all waited for everyone to return. Yet, even 20 minutes after the hunt had ended, neither Feng Kuanglan nor Bai Ruyi showed up. Everyone knew that Bai Ruyi and Feng Kuanglan were both skilled swordsmen, so the fact that they were both missing made everyone worry, especially their families. Quickly, search parties were formed, and everyone began to search for the two.
"BAI GONGZI! FENG GONGZI!"
"YUE'ER!"
"RUYI! FENG GONGZI!"
"GE! BAI XIONG!"
"YU RUI!"
Everyone continuously called out to the two, but there still was no response. Soon, the sun was completely gone, and the darkness enveloped the hunting grounds. Worried sick, Bai Xueling was on the verge of fainting. After much persuasion, she agreed to return to her room to rest while Long Ruijin and the others continued to search for Bai Ruyi and Feng Kuanglan.
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Not long into their break, Bai Ruyi and Feng Kuanglan sensed something approaching them. Drawing their swords again, the two prepared themselves to fight. Quickly, a group of animals rushed towards them. At first, they thought these were the prey that had not yet been released into the grounds. However, they soon realized that these were not ordinary animals. Instead, they were the same as the hawks from before, mutated with bloody red eyes, hungry for blood, and an exterior as strong as steel coated with poison.
Slicing their way through the crowd, they discovered that it was much harder to kill these animals than the hawks from before.
Nearly an hour later, the beast kept coming. Both Bai Ruyi and Feng Kuanglan were exhausted, and they were covered in new wounds and bruises.
"There is no end to these monsters!"
"They're not monsters. These animals are still alive."
In between striking down the beast with Bingfei, Bai Ruyi would use Xiao Yue to push the beast back. Yet no matter what they did, the beasts continued to charge. It was as though they did not know fear, and attacking was their only mode. In a final effort to eliminate these beasts, Bai Ruyi struck her qin to push them back as far as possible before sitting down to play a melody.
"Bai gongzi, what are you-"
Suddenly, Feng Kuanglan saw Bingfei float into the air and split into a thousand swords. In a flash, all the swords attacked the beast, destroying them all in one shot. The only thing that was left behind was a pile of ashes. After Bai Ruyi withdrew Xiao Yue into her qiankun ring, she stood up and examined the aftermath.
"Whispers of Ashes..." Feng Kuanglan mumbled.
He had once heard of a unique and secret skill of the Bai clan, combining music and swordsmanship. The skill allowed the user to multiply their sword into thousands, and in a single strike, it could obliterate all of the enemies in a few seconds, leaving nothing but ashes behind, hence its name.
"You've heard of it?" Bai Ruyi asked.
Feng Kuanglan nodded.
"I once heard about it in a book. Later on, during my travels, I was told that the skill was long lost and no longer used by the Bai clan."
"Whispers of Ashes is a dangerous skill. If the user is not careful, it can turn against them. That's why it is not used often or discussed in the Jianghu."
"I see."
Relieved that there were no more beasts, the two found a small cave to take shelter in. The cut on Feng Kuanglan's leg had made it extremely tough for him to move around. So, after helping take a seat, Bai Ruyi went back out to find some branches to make a fire.
With the fire started, Bai Ruyi began to pull out various bottles from her qiankun ring. Starting with a small skinny bottle, she poured out a few pills and handed them to Feng Kuanglan.
"Here, take this. It will help to regulate your qi."
As he swallowed the pills, Bai Ruyi handed him another bottle.
"Sprinkle this on your wounds made by the beasts."
Again, he did as he was told.
Although Bai Ruyi wasn't sure what kind of poison coated the animal's skin, judging from the smell and her own wound, it wasn't deadly and could be treated with the universal antidote developed by her family. Lastly, she gave Feng Kuanglan a small jar that contained a salve for the wound from the fall.
After Feng Kuanglan applied the ointment, Bai Ruyi ripped off a clean piece of fabric from her clothes and wrapped it around his wound.
"Thank you, Bai gongzi."
"No need to thank me. You saved me earlier. Now I am repaying the favor."
Just as Feng Kuanglan leaned his head against the wall, Bai Ruyi pulled out her guqin again. As she played the melody, Feng Kuanglan felt the pain dissipating from his body, leaving him feeling lighter.
The Bai clan was known for its expertise in medicine, often combining music and spiritual power to calm the mind and aid the process of healing. However, Feng Kuanglan had never heard of a music score that could immediately relieve pain and help to heal the body.
"Bai gongzi, what..."
"Quiet, focus on your breathing."
In the midst of their dire circumstances, where one could not predict the future, Feng Kuanglan unexpectedly felt very calm. He didn't know if it was an effect of the music, but there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Feng Kuanglan watched as Bai Ruyi continued to play. As his eyes lingered, it drifted to the wound under her collarbone.
"Bai gongzi, your wound."
Bai Ruyi looked at her wound and said she was alright. She continued to play until Feng Kuanglan fell asleep. After ensuring he was out, Bai Ruyi began to undress to clean and treat her wounds. While fighting the beasts, she had gotten a few scratches here and there, which didn't bother her. But the wound from the hawks left a searing pain. Since the wound was close to her heart, she had to be extra careful, and after meditating for a few hours, she managed to expel all the poison from her body.
Unsure of how long they had been down there, Bai Ruyi assumed it was already past the hour of the rat. As she watched the fire, she occasionally checked on Feng Kuanglan to ensure he didn't have a fever. While sleeping, Bai Ruyi could clearly see all of his features. Unlike her father and brother, his face was a bit smaller and incredibly symmetric. Every feature was well-defined but wasn't overpowering. The more she looked at him, the more she could see why he was so popular among the girls and ranked first in terms of looks.
A few hours later, Feng Kuanglan woke up. The fire was still going, but Bai Ruyi was gone.
"Bai gongzi? Bai gongzi?"
No response.
"Bai Ruyi?!"
Feng Kuanglan never casually called anyone by their courtesy or birth name. But consumed with worry that Bai Ruyi might have been hurt by the beast, he found himself calling out for her desperately as he rose to search for her.
Hearing Feng Kuanglan calling out to her, Bai Ruyi returned to their spot. Seeing him stumbling, she came over and supported him.
"Feng gongzi, you're awake."
Seeing Bai Ruyi in front of him, Feng Kuanglan felt a sense of relief.
"You're okay..."
"Of course I am. Is everything okay?" Bai Ruyi asked.
Feng Kuanglan nodded his head. Bai Ruyi then helped him back to his spot.
"There is a wind current flowing in from deep within the forest. If we follow it, we may find a way out."
"Have you been looking for a way out the entire time?"
"Hmm." Bai Ruyi responded.
"But you need some rest as well."
"I'm fine."
Feng Kuanglan knew that no one could be fine after what they just experienced. But he could also understand the feeling of wanting to return home.
"Bai gongzi, why don't I watch over the fire, and you get some rest."
"I'm fine," Bai Ruyi replied.
"The poison on those beasts may not be fatal, but they will still affect your body. We can't continue on like this. I will not be able to explain to your parents if something happens."
Sensing his worries, Bai Ruyi agreed and leaned against the wall for some shut-eye. As she drifted off, a memory came into her dreams—a part of her memories that she hadn't seen for many years—of a person teaching her Whispers of Ashes-of a person who her last memories of were filled with blood, tears, and pain.